The first appearance of Snoopy came in the Peanuts newspaper comic strip published on October 4, 1950, just two days after the series debut. This iconic beagle is barely recognizable in this first strip, albeit still extremely cute. Snoopy lacks many of his modern distinct features and resembles a more realistic canine. The public would then have to wait a lengthy two years before being able to read Snoopy’s thoughts in 1952 and yet another four before he would stand on his hind legs in 1956. Snoopy has been a mainstay in pop culture ever since, as evidenced by his iconic float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1968. Recently, Snoopy’s popularity has risen to new heights, catapulting him past his cartoon compatriot, Charlie Brown.
Melissa Menta, Senior Vice President of marketing and communications for Peanuts Worldwide, told NPR that while every generation since the 50’s has ‘discovered Snoopy’ in their own way, Gen Z’s obsession has taken off astronomically. Thanks to social media and user-generated content, in the second and third quarter of 2023, the official Snoopy TikTok account saw a 223.8 percent increase in engagements and gained 198,000 new followers. As well, in December of 2023, Gina Huntsinger, director of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California, said that their Instagram reach was up 200 percent, with the highest engagement coming from 18–24 year olds. Fan-made content is also on the rise. A popular Tik Tok account, @snoopylistens, features simple videos of a plush Snoopy listening to popular songs and at time of writing has 543,000 followers. Snoopy memes and clips from old Peanuts holiday specials are all over Instagram. There is no denying it, Snoopy is here to stay.
This Snoopy-fever among young adults is also emerging in fashion and shopping trends. Multiple large companies have begun collaborating with the Peanuts brand in the hopes of capitalising on the Snoopy boom, and it’s working. A representative from Aeropostale, speaking on their Camp Snoopy collection, said they were “pleasantly surprised” by the collection’s unprecedented success, adding, “it far exceeded our expectations in terms of sales.” Another retailer, American Eagle has released multiple sets of Snoopy-themed pyjamas over the past two years. These sets have seen similar successes, by selling out very quickly and are often resold for much higher than market price. In April of 2023, Peanuts collaborated with the Red Cross, giving out a limited edition Snoopy shirt for blood donors in the U.S. Over 70,000 new donors gave blood during the promotional period, with the majority being under 35. At the same time, hundreds of TikToks by users rocking the exclusive shirt were posted.
So, what is it about Snoopy that makes the younger generations so excited to hand over both their cash and their blood? Don Presnell, a senior lecturer at Appalachian State University, says it is Snoopy’s simple design, which in turn allows him to be so expressive. “Snoopy in any given time can capture anxiety, worry, thought, amusement,” Presenell said, speaking with NPR. Presenell compares Snoopy to a rorschach test, being something everyone can see and project onto differently. This element of Snoopy is easily relatable, especially as seen on Instagram. The majority of Snoopy posts on the platform feature some kind of ‘relatable’ element, such as captions that read ‘me-core,’ or ‘he’s just like me fr.’ There is a Snoopy for every emotion, for every subculture and for every mood. Whether Snoopy is baking or playing golf, he is there for us to relate to.
Another aspect that young adults can relate to is the nostalgia that Snoopy offers them, evoking a simpler time. As Gen Z enters the workplace and grows up into a frightening new world, it is nice to relate to a dog who has no sense of cynicism. A dog who gleefully dances at Christmas concerts and spends his days pretending to be a WWI fighter pilot. Snoopy has been a source of nostalgic comfort almost since his conception. In 1967, after three astronauts tragically passed away in the Apollo 1 launch test in 1967, NASA recruited Snoopy to represent the agency. Snoopy’s subsequent space adventures helped many at the time grapple with the anxiety that came with space age technology. The modern day Snoopy obsession shows no signs of slowing down and this reporter welcomes our fuzzy, relatable friend with open arms.
