| SMURFS 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1958 - 2008 |
The Smurfs 50th Anniversary
The Smurfs celebrated 50 years in 2008! The Smurfs were created by Peyo Culliford in 1958. And half a centurty later, the blue buddies are still going strong!
In honor of their momentous anniversary, the Peyo family celebrated the Smurfs birthday in a number of ways... little white Smurfs were left all around European cities! Giant Smurfs partied it up at the Macy's Parade! And the Smurfs even got their own money!
Read on and join in the Smurfs 50th Birthday! |
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The Smurfs Celebrate 50 Years |
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 | Smurfs European Tour
The Smurfs European tour took place in 2008. Leading up to the grand finale on October 23, 2008, the Smurfs toured 15 cities across Europe. Each city was "smurfed" by dropping off thousands of white Smurf figurines near city landmarks during the middle of the night. Residents would awaken in the morning to find little white Smurfs waiting for them scattered in interesting places throughout the city.
If you were lucky enough to find a white Smurf, a little paint and imagination was your next step. People had lots of fun decorating the Smurfs. Of course, once you created your masterpiece, you could share it with the world too!
After taking a picture of your Smurf, you could upload it to happysmurfday.com. Website visitors voted for their favorite painted Smurf and selected the winner for each city. |
UNICEF Smurfs
As well as leaving many free white figurines throughout a city, UNICEF also sold them. These whiteSmurfs were sold to benefit the UNICEF charity. Over 30,000 were sold totalling a reveune of 150,000 euros. Nevertheless, some unscrupulous people gathered up the Smurfs found freely throughout the city and sold them for their own personal gain.
Smurfday Parties
A temporary "Smurfday" Expo known as the Smurf Anniversary Exhibition was set up and filled with Smurf paraphenalia and Smurf games in each city of the European Tour. A day after all the white Smurf figures were released into the city, people could return them to the Expo to have pictures taken and see the giant Celebrity Smurf figurine.
UNICEF Celebrity Smurfs
Each European city on the Smurf tour feautered a Celebrity Smurf, or "Exclusive Smurf" painted by someone famous. These Smurfs are ten times bigger than the standard white UNICEF Smurf figures! These Celebrity Smurfs were then auctioned off for the charity UNICEF. On October 23, 2008, the official birthday of the Smurfs, UNICEF auctioned off a black "Surprise Smurf" created by Peyo's family for 14,000 euros. "Schtroumpf Sympathix" by comic book artist Albert Uderzo reached an auction price of 13,000 euros. Last, singer-songwriter Axelle Red's "Smurfette" went for 4,500 euros. In total, 274,700 euros were raised for charity.
15" Plush 50th Anniversary Smurf Doll
A special musical Smurf was released for the 50th Anniversary of the Smurfs. This deluxe Smurf package comes with a plethora of Smurfiness, including a doll that plays the classic Hanna Barbera Smurf song. Also included is a special 50th Anniversary gold Smurf figurine, a sketch featuring the original drawings of the first Smurfs, and a Smurfette DVD from the classic animated Smurf series. The anniversary doll was sold in the United States and Canada.
Smurfs at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
| Smurfs at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Smurfs made their first appearance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2008 with a huge balloon and mushroom house float. The appearance of the Smurfs at the parade was timed to coincide with their 50th Anniversary.
The Smurf balloon was guided by balloon handlers dressed as Smurfs.
Papa Smurf, Smurfette and Smurf waved to the crowd as the float went by. |
50th Anniversary Smurf Coin | 
Smurf Coin Backside |
Five Euro Smurf Coin
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Smurfs, the Belgian Mint issued a five Euro Smurf coin. The limited edition coins come in numbered boxes - only 25,000 were produced! The Five Euro Belgian Smurf Coin was produced in two forms, colored and plain silver. Both coins have a diameter of around 1". The coin reads "Les Schtroumpfs 1958 - 2008", "50" in the middle, "Peyo 2008" underneath that, and "De Smurfen" on the bottom. The Smurf coins were issued by the Royal Belgian Mint and are a series of commemorative coins from Belgium.
Smurf DVD - Season 1 Volume 2
The Smurfs DVD was released in time for the Smurfs 50th Anniversary celebration. The discs are 319 minutes of Smurf fun with a total of 20 smurftastic episodes.
Included is one of the best Smurf episodes ever made, the classic The Purple Smurfs.
What better way to celebrate the Smurfs birthday than with The Smurfs cartoon on DVD?
An 840 minute Australian DVD box set was released for the 50th Anniversary as well, take a look here. |
The Smurfs Season One Volume Two
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2008 Smurf Figures | 
Special 50th Anniversary Bottle |
50th Anniversary Smurf Figurines
The 2008 Smurfs Figurines celebrated the Smurfs 50th birthday in style - with a range of well dressed party Smurf figurines. The Smurfs are having a great time celebrating... some even with party hats! And can you beat Smurfette popping out of a cake? The 50th Anniversary or "Party Series" figurines were released in 2008 and are stamped (c) 2007. In addition to this set of 8 Party Smurfs, there was also a very special Champagne Bottle Smurf Figure. This rare Smurf figure (as seen above) has a special message on the champagne bottle. Instead of "Happy Smurfday", the label features the 50th Anniversary logo.
Anniversary Smurfs
- 20701 Anniversary Smurf
- 20702 Party Gargamel
- 20703 Party Azrael
- 20704 Surprise Smurfette
- 20705 Party Smurf
- 20706 Papa in Tails
- 20707 Drummer
- 20708 Champagne Bottle Smurf
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Smurf DuoStamps | 
Smurfette Watch | 
AH Smurfs |
Belgian Smurf Stamps
On September 29, 2008, the Belgian Post Office began sending smurfmail! In honor of the Smurfs birthday, twenty-five Smurf stamps were created (15 regular stamps and 10 Duostamps). The regular stamps came in two packages - one normal package of ten Smurf stamps, and the other a Smurf celebration souvenir sheet of five stamps. The other stamps released were Duostamps, which are special two part stamps (one stamp has the Smurf cartoon scene, the other is the official stamp which denotes value) - both stamps must be affixed to the mail.
Avon Smurfette Watch
The Smurfette "Wanna Smurf" Watch was released to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Smurfs in 2008. Featuring a cool blue band, a nice picture of Smurfette and fine quartz movement, this high quality Avon watch lets you celebrate the Smurfs birthday in style!
AH Smurfs
Albert Heijn Smurfs, aka AH Smurfs or Ahold Smurfs, are a collection of 15 Smurf figurines from the Dutch supermarket AH. The figures are around 1 1/2" and were created exlcusively for the supermarket to help celebrate the Smurfs 50th anniversary. A color pamphlet is available denoting all the figurines, as well as a special box that holds all the AH Smurf figures.
Albert Heijn also created a series of Smurf themed recipie cards to use with cooking products sold at AH.
Smurf Postage Stamps
Painted UNICEF Smurfs
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The Smurfs will return after these messages:
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