Melissa & Doug will continue to evaluate licensing as ‘an area of growth for the firm’

The global toy maker, Melissa & Doug has expressed its plans to continue to evaluate licensing “as an area to grow its reach”, as it looks for the right platforms through which to reach more parents and children.

The traditional toy specialist hit a major milestone last month when it revealed the details of its ‘biggest push into the licensing space to date,’ through a partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to launch a range of PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You co-branded toys.

The move was billed by the toy maker as its latest steps towards international expansion, offering the firm a ‘larger platform to reach more parents and children’ with the messaging around the benefits of hands-on, open-ended play that has become somewhat synonymous with the Melissa & Doug portfolio.

Speaking with Licensing.biz, the firm has stated that licensing will be an area the company will continue to monitor and evaluate as an area of growth wherever its supports the core mission statement of Melissa & Doug to promote play.

“Right now, we’re focused on and excited about the roll our of the products with Nickelodeon in Fall 2021,” said Dave Henderson, chief commercial officer at Melissa & Doug.

“As a company, we seek opportunities with brands that align with our core values, and like Melissa & Doug, PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You! are grounded in fostering imaginative play, problem solving, and creative thinking.

“The partnership affords us a larger platform to reach more parents and children with our message about the benefits of hands-on, open-ended play. If a child’s love for Marshall or Blue is what introduces them to our brand and the joys of imaginative, tangible, unstructured play, I will consider that a win.”

With licensing representative of around 44 per cent of the global toy category’s revenue, and ViacomCBS – Nickelodeon’s parent company – itself, a top ten toy licensing company, the partnership is certainly more than a little appetising.

The toys designed under the partnership – for both PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You – will be developed to educate and empower pre-schoolers through active engagement, with a focus on problem solving and creative thinking.

Henderson, said: “Both toy lines will showcase the same exceptional quality, attention to detail, and unexpected twists on classic play patterns that have made our brand a favorite of parents and children alike for more than 30 years.

“By partnering with these established properties, we are able to reach 350MM families worldwide, connecting with new audiences and introducing them to the Melissa & Doug brand.

“We will continue to evaluate licensing as an area to grow our reach where it makes sense and only if it supports our message about the benefits of hands-on, open-ended play,” he added.

Keep an eye out for the full interview feature with Melissa & Doug’s Dave Henderson in ToyNews soon.

Toy maker Melissa & Doug lands ‘biggest licensing deal ever’ with PAW Patrol and Blues Clues & You

The global toy brand Melissa and Doug, has signed an exclusive licensing partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to develop and launch a range of PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You co-branded toys for autumn next year.

The toys will be designed to educate and empower pre-schoolers through active engagement, with a focus on problem solving and creative thinking.

The global partnership with ViacomCBS marks a major milestone for Melissa & Doug as it is the largest licensing agreement the toy maker has ever signed. Through the partnership, Melissa & Doug will bring innovative and imaginative toys to retail that will span multiple categories focused on learning and education.

“Melissa & Doug has been at the forefront of children’s toys for over 30 years. We are thrilled to collaborate with them to create products based on the beloved PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You! IP that continue to inspire imagination and hugely impact children’s growth and learning,” said Dion Vlachos, executive vice president, licensing and retail, ViacomCBS.

Melissa & Doug is a purpose-driven company committed to providing a launch pad to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in all children so they can discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose. Recently, Melissa & Doug announced their alliance with the American Academy of Pediatrics to champion the health benefits of open-ended play and provide tools and resources for parents to make it an essential part of children’s everyday lives.

“We’re excited to work with a company as iconic as Nickelodeon, one that shares in our mission to make the world a more playful place through thoughtfully researched and designed products and content,” said David Henderson, chief commercial officer of Melissa & Doug. “The characters of PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You! will help us introduce our hands-on, skill-building toys to an even greater number of children.”