Category Archives: Highlight

WiT announces 2022 Wonder Women Awards winners

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Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) has announced the 2022 Wonder Women Award winners, as the global organisation celebrates its 30-year anniversary. Honouring the brightest women in toys, licensing and entertainment, the WiT Wonder Women Awards is an annual celebration of the industry’s remakable thought leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers.

The 2022 Wonder Women Award winners are:

  • Designer / Inventor – Kenna O’Brien, Senior Manager, Product Design – Barbie – Mattel

  • Licensee / Manufacturer – Amanda Bright, Senior Director, Product Development – Spin Master

  • Licensor / Entertainment – Jes Wolfe, CEO – Rebel Girls

  • Marketing / PR – Arlene Biran, SVP, US Marketing – Spin Master

  • Social Good – Sarah Knott, Manager, Global Philanthropy and Social Impact – Hasbro

  • Covid Hero – The LEGO Group

  • Deal Maker – Paula Kupfer, Senior Director, Global Partnerships – Hasbro

  • Storyteller – Azhelle Wade, CEO – The Toy Coach

  • Unsung Hero – Maggie Snow, Senior Director & Associate General Counsel – Mattel

  • Wonder Girl – Alaya High, Artist (That Girl Lay Lay) – Paramount

  • Rising Star – Deal Maker – Brittany Oliver, Senior Commercial Lead – ZURU Toys

  • Rising Star – Designer/Inventor – Vanessa Fung, Senior Designer, Toys & Hardlines – Universal Brand Development

  • Rising Star – Licensee / Manufacturer – Dr. Lisa Williams, CEO & Founder – The World of EPI

  • Rising Star – Licensor / Entertainment – Tiffany Suzuki, Licensing Manager – Crunchyroll

  • Rising Star – Marketing / PR – Sakita Withers, Brand Manager – PlayMonster

  • Rising Star – Social Good – Penny Bauder, Founder & CEO – Green Kid Crafts

  • Rising Star – Storyteller – Rupa Parekh, Founder & CEO – Umani Studio

  • Rising Star – Unsung Hero – Amanda Marschall, Training Manager – The LEGO Group

The 2022 Wonder Women Award honorees are:

  • Retailer of the Year – Amazon / Anne Carrihill – Amazon

  • Icon Award – JoJo Siwa – Paramount

  • Changemaker Award – Steven Wolfe Periera – Encantos

“It’s a privilege and an honour to celebrate this incredible slate of 2022 Wonder Women Award winners and honorees,” says Janice Ross, WiT President. “This year’s expanded categories gave us the opportunity to spotlight the broad range of tremendously talented women in our industry, and the powerful impact they’re having. Out of hundreds of deserving nominees, this amazing group embodies such extraordinary excellence in leadership.”

WiT is also planning a special International Women’s Day Celebration Event on 8 March to celebrate the achievements of all women in the industry, and highlighting WiT’s 2022 Wonder Women Award winners and honorees.

The WiT 2022 Retailer of the Year Award was presented to Amazon, accepted by Anne Carrihill, Director, Toys & Entertainment, for the positive impact Amazon has had on the toy industry and everyone’s lives. A WiT spokesperson said: “Amazon kept the world connected with safe, crucial deliveries of toys and goods for its massive customer base during this unprecedented time, and their myriad strategic programmes – including Amazon Smile, which offers customers a way to support their favourite charitable organisation, at no additional cost, when they shop at Smile.Amazon.com; Amazon Small Business Academy, and Amazon Black Business Accelerators – have empowered entrepreneurs, businesses and organisations with tangible resources, which have been a lifeline to countless companies and individuals.”

WiT also presented an Icon Award to JoJo Siwa, the powerhouse Nickelodeon star, pop star, social media sensation, author and consumer products global brand. “She is an activist, role model, and overall trailblazer in every way,” said a spokesperson. “She now also adds powerhouse LGBTQ+ icon for kids and adults of all ages who she has inspired throughout her journey and meteoric career.”

WiT presented its 2022 Changemaker Award to Steven Wolfe Pereira, for his purpose-driven and transformative leadership in diversity and inclusion. A spokesperson said: “Through his intentional actions using both his personal social influence and the work he leads as CEO of Encantos, the public benefit corporation he co-founded, Steven is a visionary business leader committed to allyship, advocacy and activism to create opportunities for under-served communities.”

WiT thanks its 2022 sponsors, including Amazon, Hasbro, Mattel, Paramount, Disney, Spin Master, LEGO, Jazwares, The Bandai Foundation, VTech, Warner Bros, TOMY, and the many partners who provide funding and support for WiT’s year-round programming, events and initiatives, including The WiT Foundation Scholarship Program.

SEGA and Medal Dash team for Sonic the Hedgehog themed virtual run

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SEGA of America, Inc. and Medal Dash have announced a new partnership to launch Sonic fans into action in real life, with the ability to earn limited-edition, officially licensed ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Finisher Swag on the virtual run platform.

Sonic fans can join the Blue Blur anytime and anywhere by running, walking, or hiking 5K, 10K or 13.1 miles via the Medal Dash platform through December 31, 2022. Participants can zoom through neighbourhoods, a favourite trail or even on a treadmill — the Sonic the Hedgehog x Medal Dash event can be completed in one day or split up collectively over multiple days.

“Sonic never shies away from a race, and this was the perfect chance to put participants’ speed to the test toward a fun, health and wellness cause,” says Michael Cisneros, Manager of Licensing at SEGA of America. “We’ve partnered with Medal Dash to make Sonic fans a part of the action while promoting staying fit and having fun in communities across the country.”

Once Sonic fans have crossed the finish line, they can share their accomplishment by either posting their results on the Medal Dash Facebook group, sharing them on Instagram using #medaldash or uploading them to Sonic.MedalDash.com. SEGA and Medal Dash will even help participants celebrate in style with a limited edition ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ hand painted die-cast medal, keepsake bib and tech t-shirt shipped for free right to their front doors. A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organisation assisting one in seven Americans every year.

“We’re always looking to partner with iconic characters to get new and returning event participants excited for our events, and as one of the most iconic speedsters around, Sonic was a no-brainer,” says Tim Herr, Medal Dash Co-Founder. “Participants of all fitness backgrounds can take part, and can even split up their distance goal across multiple days to allow maximum flexibility to stay fit and have fun in the process.

“These events give fans a chance to win some swag from their favourite brands, connect with fellow Sonic fans across the world and join a lively community of 125,000+ Medal Dash participants to cheer you on at the ‘finish line’ virtually, so everybody wins!”

Fans can dash into action and sign up for Medal Dash’s ‘Sonic Challenge’ today at Sonic.MedalDash.com.

 

Kids’ brand Afro Unicorn inks new partnerships

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With a mission to provide a platform to uplift, promote and remind children of colour how special they truly are, Afro Unicorn founder April Showers has announced today the expansion of her lifestyle brand for kids (ages 2–12), with new licensing partners signed and a retail launch planned this year.

Afro Unicorn was established in 2019 with the ethos “representation matters”, and incorporates the brand values – “unique, divine, magical” – that every child of colour needs to be reminded of. Showers launched her concept with a direct-to-consumer programme of apparel and accessories, featuring the unicorn characters Unique (the leader), Divine (the motivator) and Magical (the persuader).

With a rapidly growing awareness across social media, Showers has organically grown a solid young fan base for Afro Unicorn, eager to engage with her brand and messaging. Most recently, she has signed multiple licensing partners, including H.E.R. Accessories (accessories), Jay Franco (bedding), MAD engine (apparel), Unique (party supplies), Handcraft (underwear), Silver Buffalo (drinkware) and Centric (sleepwear).

In the party supply category, Afro Unicorn will be one of the first (if not the first) from a black woman-owned brand. A range of products will begin rolling out this year with holiday-themed products also planned for Q4 2022.

Additional key categories in the works for the brand include publishing, toys, and animated content, among others. 

“Our goal from the beginning has been to give girls of colour a unicorn that represents them and encourages them to embrace their uniqueness, love themselves, and be empowered to go out into the world and trailblaze,” says Showers. “We have been so fortunate to holistically create a buzz around Afro Unicorn early on, catching the eyes of such accomplished black women as Tiffany Haddish and Alicia Keys, who have all promoted Afro Unicorn because of its authenticity. We want all of our products to speak directly to the underrepresented black woman and child, and we are thrilled to work with our licensing partners to create products that accomplish that mission.”

 

Rubies teams with Novel Entertainment for Horrid Henry World Book Day campaign

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Costume designer and manufacturer Rubies Masquerade UK and Novel Entertainment have come together to support an exclusive Horrid Henry giveaway and Rubies dress-up costume for the brand.

Launching during the week of World Book Day (3 March), for which Rubies is an official corporate partner, the initiative will see an exclusive offer for 250 fans to receive a free copy of a specially created comic-style book entitled Horrid Henry’s Vile Vacation when they purchase a Horrid Henry dress-up costume through one of Rubies official retail partners. The offer will be supported on both Rubies and Novel Entertainment’s Horrid Henry official social media channels.

The book is based on the popular TV episode of the same name, written by Novel Entertainment’s Co-Founder and Creative Director Lucinda Whiteley, and follows Henry on the trip of a lifetime – even though it isn’t quite what he was expecting.

Under Novel Entertainment’s long-term deal with Rubies, the Horrid Henry costume is available in children’s sizes, while there is also ‘Bag of Tricks’ available, featuring essentials for every budding prankster and Horrid Henry fan.

Novel’s Lucinda Whiteley says: “As a long-standing and valued partner of Horrid Henry, it’s fantastic to be teaming up with Rubies on this campaign to support the launch of our first ever comic-style book alongside the latest brilliant costume. At Novel Entertainment, we’re committed to highlighting the joy of reading among Horrid Henry’s strong and growing fan base and this is just the start of our plans in this space. We can’t wait to see children have the chance to dress up and immerse themselves in the world of Horrid Henry’s Vile Vacation.”

Mike O’Connell, Managing Director of Rubies UK, adds: “This is a fantastic opportunity to promote the power of reading to children. With our exclusive offer, we know this will not only be a way to generate unprecedented interest in our Horrid Henry costumes and the new story, Vile Vacation, but to also inspire children to read, which provides untold and limitless benefits. We are proud of our robust relationship with Novel Entertainment and Horrid Henry, which is showcased through the unique opportunities we have to collaborate with them.”

Bethan Garton appointed Chief Commercial Officer of The Point.1888

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Retail-focused licensing agent The Point.1888 has gone through a leadership restructure as Bethan Garton is appointed Chief Commercial Officer. The move comes following a hugely successful year in 2021 with the signing of 14 new brands and the launch of two new sister companies, Story.1888 and Spotlight.1888.

Bethan Garton will take over the overall running of The Point.1888, including all commercial aspects, brand management, licensee partnerships, product development, retail, legal and finance, as well as the more recent focus on international growth. She has worked across brand owners, agencies and licensees, and brands such as Star Wars, Fisher-Price, Coca-Cola, L.O.L. Surprise, CoComelon and many more, and has huge category experience.

Will Stewart, CEO and founder of The Point.1888, will have a different focus to help build the new businesses and any future businesses, under the True Purpose Enterprises umbrella. Both Story.1888, the creative marketing agency, and Spotlight.1888, the new retail agency, are now attracting a large number of clients thanks to the complementary nature of all three businesses.

Will Stewart, CEO and Founder of The Point.1888, says: “Bethan has a long-distinguished career in licensing, with more years of experience than me, and is therefore the right person to take the business forward. With her experience, she is perfectly placed to take The Point.1888 to the next level, while inspiring and motivating the amazing team we have built at The Point.”

Bethan adds: “Over the last 12 months, while Will and I have been planning the future of the business, I have already been acting as CCO and wherever possible taking on the running of The Point.1888 to allow Will to focus on new business areas. I’m delighted to take on the role and look forward to working with our incredible team to continue to create leading licensing programmes that excel at retail for our clients.”

 

 

TOMS and Peppa Pig team up for kids’ shoes capsule collection

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Hasbro has unveiled three new kids’ shoes through its TOMS x Peppa Pig collaboration, which are available now for purchase at footwear retail speciality channels and online at https://www.toms.com/us/kids/shoes. Every shoe purchase gives back one-third of profits to efforts around the world that are creating positive change.

Nodding to the kid-favourite Peppa Pig series, the playful TOMS x Peppa Pig capsule collection evokes classic fun with design details inspired by the joy and adventure of Peppa Pig and friends through optimistic sun daisy prints and chambray details.

In Tiny and Youth sizes, the TOMS classic kids’ Alpargata shoe is given a tiny daisy embellishment and a print inspired by the world’s cheekiest little pig. In Tiny sizes, the shoemaker’s classic Cordones Cupsole sneaker takes a cute twist with a print inspired by the much-loved TV character. Prices start at US$ 34.95.

Christina Milian, Dr Seuss Enterprises and Random House come together for charity initiative

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Actress, singer, and songwriter Christina Milian is teaming up with Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books to commemorate Hats Off to Reading, an annual celebration that encourages the love of reading in young kids, with a very special reading of GREEN EGGS AND HAM for U.S. charity initiative The Birthday Party Project. 

The Birthday Party Project is a national non-profit organisation that creates birthday experiences for children experiencing homelessness, and during the month of March, for every monetary donation made, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books will be gifting one book to the organisation. Christina Milian’s reading was specially created for the kids of The Birthday Party Project to enjoy, but Dr. Seuss fans everywhere are invited to check it out as well.

 

Christina Milian said, “I’m so inspired by the work The Birthday Party Project has done to make a difference in the lives of kids experiencing homelessness. Their mission to ensure that every child knows that they are worth celebrating really resonates with me, as I’m a mom of three and fully understand that moments like this matter. I’m proud to support their mission and help spread some joy with this fun reading of one of our family’s favourites Green Eggs and Ham!”

In addition to the donation campaign throughout the month of March, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books are also endeavoring to give the gift of reading to kids experiencing homelessness and transition through a financial donation to The Birthday Party Project. Additionally, they will provide a selection of Dr. Seuss books as birthday gifts for “birthday kids” at The Birthday Party Project’s agency partner-hosted parties, as well as a selection of Dr. Seuss books and a Happy Birthday to You! Big Book to use for story times and parties at participating agencies. There will also be a special edition promotional printing of Dr. Seuss’s Happy Birthday to You! activity booklets for a year’s worth of “Birthdays in a Bag”, a programme The Birthday Party Project started during the pandemic to keep celebrations going without in-person events.

The Birthday Party Project is a Dallas-based organisation that partners with more than 67 agencies across the country to bring joy through the magic of a birthday celebration to children experiencing homelessness. Those who would like to contribute to The Birthday Party Project can donate on their website.

 

Spin Master renews deal with Warner Bros for DC-inspired toy lines

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Spin Master announced today that it has renewed its global licensing agreement with Warner Bros Consumer Products (WBCP) and DC for the iconic Batman franchise and other DC Super Heroes.

Spin Master first joined forces with WBCP in 2018 as the toy licensee for DC in the action figure, playset, roleplay and vehicle categories for the period of 2019-2022. The company has now extended the relationship for a four-year term, beginning in 2023 through to 2026.

“It’s been an honour to work with Warner Bros Consumer Products on this heroic and innovative line of action figures, vehicles and playsets, bringing the adventures and stories of Batman, DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains into fans’ homes around the world,” says Chris Beardall, Spin Master’s President, Toys, and Chief Commercial Officer. “The timing of this renewal is perfect as we head into a blockbuster year for DC, with its incredible slate of feature films hitting the big screen in 2022 coinciding with custom toy collections for each. Our innovative approach to toy design combined with our meticulous attention to detail has helped to achieve record-setting sales for Spin Master’s DC toy line.”

“DC is one of the most iconic brands in the world, and we’re excited to continue our partnership with Spin Master to bring the characters and stories to life through inspired toy collections,” adds Sam Bushy, Senior Vice President and General Manager North America and head of e-commerce for WBCP.

Warner Bros Pictures’ The Batman opens in cinemas on March 4, 2022, and Spin Master’s The Batman toy line-up is available at major toy retailers now.

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LMI to develop UK and Eire licensing programme for The Little Prince

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Ahead of the 2023 80th anniversary of the first edition of classic children’s book The Little Prince, LMI will be seeking new partnerships to develop a successful consumer products programme for the UK and Eire for the original illustrations – which are now available for licensing – as well as additional publishing projects including colouring books and activity books.

With more than 200 million books sold globally in 500 languages, the original publication has extended to a cinematic movie, a 3D animated Netflix series, a game with more than 100 million downloads, a theme park attraction, multiple global exhibitions, standalone stores, and a stage show musical.

A new pre-school TV series of 52 x 11 minutes is currently in development. The series, set for a 2023 release, is lead by BAFTA & NFT nominated writer Simon Nicholson, whose many credits include PJ Masks, Paw Patrol, Bob the Builder and Thomas and Friends.

Andrew Maconie, CEO LMI, says: “We are delighted to be working with POMASE [the owner of The Little Prince] and feel that together we can develop some innovative partnerships with key licensees.”

Thomas Rivière, great-grandnephew of Antoine de Saint Exupery and responsible for the estate of Saint Exupéry, adds: “It’s fantastic to be working with Andrew and the team to extend The Little Prince programme to the UK & Eire. LMI are a welcome addition to our expert team of global agents.’’

For further information contact Andrew Maconie, enquiries@lmiuk.com/01425 403430.            

Launch of Netflix show inspires raft of deals for Cuphead

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Global gaming phenomenon Cuphead is building on its successful international presence with new products and partners tied to Netflix’s The Cuphead Show!, which debuted on February 18. Since launch, The Cuphead Show! has made the Top 10 Kids list in over 90 countries.

Studio MDHR’s eight-time platinum-selling video game Cuphead has been a global sensation since its 2017 release and is continuing the momentum with new licensing partners across a wide range of product categories tied both to the new Netflix series and the classic video game, including publishing, apparel, home decor and novelties. Cuphead is represented for licensing and entertainment by King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters.

Cuphead and Mugman characters and a few new faces from the show have jumped off the TV screen and into homes through a curated collection of products from iam8bit, available now. Known by fans for crafting unique and memorable experiences and products inspired by their favourite brands, the online store includes T-shirts, socks and pins as well as a limited-edition, 1930s-era-inspired art poster celebrating The Cuphead Show! launch.

Additionally, activewear, dresses, loungewear, jackets and more from Mad Engine are available at Amazon.com; a line of artisanal hot sauces and craft coffees starring Cuphead, Mugman, the Devil, Elder Kettle, Ms. Chalice and King Dice are also in the works with Jade City Foods and will be available at www.inkwellislesstore.com; and vinyl collectible figures from Youtooz will debut this spring.

The Cuphead Show! is also being supported by a full children’s publishing programme from Random House Children’s Books set to launch this May, which includes Screen Comix, frame-by-frame retellings of the episodes in comic book form, as well as Step Into Reading, C&A, Little Golden Books and 8×8 formats.

The first books in the series, a Screen Comix titled “Handle With Care” and a first Step Into Reading book titled “Welcome to the Inkwell Isles”, are available for pre-order now and will be officially released on May 3, 2022.

Additionally, The Art of The Cuphead Show! coffee table book is currently in development with Dark Horse Comics and slated for release in Q2 2023. Dark Horse has also renewed its worldwide deal to further extend the existing lineup of Cuphead books based on the original video game following the introduction of its The Art of Cuphead art book and graphic novels to international markets.

“It’s an unbelievable full-circle moment to see Cuphead, which was so inspired by classic cartoons of the 1930s, become a cartoon of its own made with such craft and care by the amazing team at Netflix Animation,” says Studio MDHR Co-Director Chad Moldenhauer. “We take great care in working closely with our merchandising partners to ensure that we are proud of the things that are created for the Cuphead community, and it’s wonderful to see the same care being taken by great partners to represent the world of The Cuphead Show!”

Cuphead’s classic animation style and design will also be featured on new products, including metal art posters from Displate; additional vinyl figures and plushies from Youtooz; puzzles and novelty items from Toynk Toys; and Funko has recently launched new Cuphead collectible figures, apparel and accessories worldwide. Plus, hats, stickers, keychains and more from Scotty Gear Retail Corp will release later this year.

Cuphead publishing is still going strong with the aforementioned Dark Horse programme expansion, a series of game-based prose novels from Little, Brown Young Readers and a mini kit book from Running Press that will launch summer 2022. And in Japan, 1000Toys recently debuted new action figures, while new branded apparel and accessories are set to launch from Kaitentai and Smarprise, as well as new novelties and giftables from Ensky.

“Cuphead’s incredible momentum continues with the debut of its groundbreaking animated series on Netflix and the DLC is hot on its heels,” says King Features Vice President, North America Licensing, Jarred Goro. “We are proud to work with these incredible partners to launch products that fans will love. Cuphead is a true pop culture phenomenon and we look forward to expanding the brand’s presence around the world.”

Cuphead is celebrated by fans around the world for its arcade-action gameplay, highly original art design and award-winning soundtrack, featuring almost three hours of original jazz, early big band and ragtime music. A true cultural phenomenon, the game has sold millions of units worldwide and won over 20 major awards. In addition to a wide range of new product releases, this year, fans can look forward to the June 30 release of The Delicious Last Course, the highly anticipated next chapter to the hit video game.