MGA Entertainment joins forces with Dentsu Inc. for Pui Pui Molcar toy line

MGA Entertainment, the fastest growing and biggest privately held toy company in the US, has announced a long-term agreement with Dentsu Inc. for the master consumer products licensing rights to Pui Pui Molcar, a Japanese stop-motion short anime series produced by director Tomoki Misato.

MGA will develop a robust line of Molcar toys that will launch in summer 2022 and are expected to be the next big merchandise trend for the year and beyond. The latest new Japanese IP to release this year, Molcar is a popular anime series that currently airs on YouTube, TV Tokyo and Netflix and has been viewed over 36 million times. Popular in Japan, Europe and North America, the addictive episodes detail the adventures of guinea pig characters who have been transformed into vehicles powered by human drivers and are filled with humour and emotion. Pui Pui Molcar is a global sensation already and the new line of toys will continue to captivate kids and millennial adults worldwide with fantastical elements perfect for immersive play or collecting.

Isaac Larian, CEO and Founder of MGA says: “MGA Entertainment is proud to partner with Dentsu, Inc. and bring innovation, digital dominance, world class performance, and distribution to this collaboration. Every property MGA has launched has been an uber success – and Molcar will be too.

“In addition to its core Molcar toy line, MGA will develop a robust and unique licensing programme featuring best-in-class industry leaders across home, apparel and accessories, electronics, and gaming. Both the Molcar toy and licensed products are slated to be sold at all major retailers in summer 2022.”

The MGA family includes award-winning brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!, Little Tikes, Rainbow High, Bratz, Na! Na! Na! Surprise, Baby Born Surprise and Zapf Creation. Visit www.mgae.com for more information.

Funko EMEA appoints regional sales director to spur its ‘phenomenal European takeover’

The pop culture specialist, Funko has bolstered its EMEA sales management team with the appointment of the former MGA Entertainment sales director, Karen Athill.

Joining the European arm of the US headquartered collectables specialist, Athill takes on the role of regional sales director, where she will lead the regional sales team as Funko continues what it has dubbed its ‘phenomenal European takeover.’

During her tenure at MGA Entertainment, Athill helped to spearhead the company’s growth within the UK through a vastly successful sales strategy for brands like LOL Surprise, Rainbow High, Little Tikes, Baby Born, and Baby Annabel.

Prior to this role, she headed up sales for the UK at Rubie’s – the world’s largest manufacturer of licensed costumes and accessories – where she delivered multi-channel strategies across their vast portfolio of products in both hard and softlines.

Athill said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Funko family. Its huge range of license partnerships offer unlimited opportunities and I’m thrilled to be working on such a diverse product range spanning multiple categories.

“Additionally, the ongoing portfolio expansion (Loungefly to name just one) make this an exciting time to be a part of the business. It’s great to be back in a cross-category environment and I cannot wait to be working with the talented Funko team and look forward to supporting our EMEA retailer partners towards further growth.”

Malcolm Ottley, vice president of sales at Funko (EMEA), added: “We are delighted to have been able to secure someone with Karen’s proven experience to help strengthen our retailer relationships throughout the UK, France and Iberia regions.

“Karen will lead our sales teams in those regions, further enhancing our strategic partner relations and continuing to drive our category expansions across our Pop! collectibles, toys, games and softlines through our thriving Loungefly business.”

Hype teams with fashion doll brand LOL Surprise for new range of apparel and accessories

The popular apparel and accessory brand, Hype has partnered with MGA Entertainment to launch a new collection inspired by the world of LOL Surprise as each dolls lands its own mini collection of backpacks, lunch boxes, pencil cases, water bottles, t-shirts, hoodies, and joggers.

Each item in the new licensed range will showcase each character’s personality, as the range of accessories include evolving shapes showcasing the new Just Hype, as well as backpack shapes, enlarged 2D faces, detachable embossed keychains, and fabrics including glitter, holographic and sequins.

Nine designs feature in the collection, all of which channel the dolls’ core personalities through graffiti designs, leopard and cheetah animal prints, tie-dye, honeycomb, gradient skies, and pastel fades.

The 80-piece collection ranges from three to 13 years and includes t-shirts, cycle shorts and bralettes which are perfect for summer. Glitter logos, sleeve panelling, cross body panelling and woven co-branded labels complete the capsule collection looks.

Queen Bee’s collection features a brown and beige colour palette with the Glitterati club’s signature gold glitter. The lunch box and backpack feature elements of her iconic striped dress teamed with a HYPE. bee-inspired print.

Meanwhile, Diva’s look is celebrated with a cheetah inspired print in a gradient pastel pink and mint colour palette. Her backpack and lunch bag both feature her instantly-recognisable pink bow in a 3D shape.

The collaboration collection launched exclusively via HYPE.’s TikTok Shop on July 7th this year and online at www.justhype.com and retailers around the world on July 8th.

“We love bringing LOL to life through fashion and accessories to our loyal fans. Our LOL dolls each have their own individual style and working with Hype has helped create that element of surprise,” said founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment, Isaac Larian.

Liam Green, co-founder and creative director at Hype, added: “The inspiration behind the collection stems from the exciting surprise element capturing the moment when you open your L.O.L. dolls. Incorporating this into shapes, fabrics, technical detailing and over-all prints – HYPE.’s known-for eclectic touch on collaborations.”

MGA Entertainment’s LOL Surprise becomes latest toy brand to make move into NFTs

MGA Entertainment’s hit fashion doll brand, LOL Surprise is the latest toy brand to enter the digital collectable space, having partnered with the New Zealand based NFT app, VeVe.

Through the partnership, a series of limited edition, singularly unique digital collectables will be developed, giving fans the opportunity to collect their favourite LOL dolls and characters as 3D models which can be animated and made interactive.

The partnership marks the first time that VeVe has developed a series of NFTs based on a property taken form the children’s market.

Currently recognised as the only app of its kind, VeVe allows fans to interact with their collections through mixed reality technology that brings their favourite toys and other collectables to life. Fans will also be able to share their own curated collections of photos, videos, and virtual showrooms with their friends and the fan community using the app’s features.

“This is a very exciting step to be partnering with the world’s largest toy brand and we look forward to offering a new and exciting way for fans to play and engage,” said David Yu, co-founder and CEO, VeVe.

“With hundreds of thousands of satisfied adult fans we look forward to creating offerings for younger fans.”

VeVe NFT digital collectibles are minted on the blockchain, which allows for an immutable record of authentication and for fans to collect their digital products in a fun and engaging experience. Since last December, the VeVe app has been downloaded more than 350,000 times and has sold over 580,000 NFT digital collectibles to avid fans.

VeVe is currently one of the top apps in the entertainment category on the Google app store.

On top of that, earlier this year VeVe announced its plans to be the first carbon neutral NFT platform and committed to 100 per cent carbon neutral NFTs, offering grants to environmental nonprofits to raise money for causes.

“We are very excited to be working with a company who, like MGA, creates unique ways to experience the world of fandom. Combining technology with toys has been successful for us in the past and we are looking forward even more success with VeVe,” said Isaac Larian, CEO and founder of MGA Entertainment.

More details on the L.O.L. and other MGA collectibles series, including drop date, will be announced in the coming weeks.

MGA Entertainment partners with Riva Technology to launch LOL Surprise and Rainbow High mobile games

The international toy maker, MGA Entertainment has signed a series of brand licensing deals with the mobile game developer Riva Technology and Entertainment to develop and publish a sweep of new titles based on the firm’s hit properties LOL Surprise and Rainbow High.

The move will see MGA Entertainment begin to tap into a global gaming market valued at $162.32 billion in 2020, and a mobile gaming industry that generated $13.2 billion in revenue in 2019. The global gaming market is tipped to reach $295.63 billion by 2026.

Riva Technology and Entertainment is a veteran in the gaming and IP business, having built gaming companies for over 20 years, along with securing and developing top licensing deals ranging from Hollywood, Bollywood, Sports and all the way to the world’s leading brands.

Meanwhile, MGA Entertainment’s LOL Surprise! is recognised as a global phenomenon, winning the Toy of the Year Award for three years. MGA’s newly launched Rainbow High debuted in 2020 and has already become a cultural phenomenon with a presence across product, content and integrated digital media.

“MGA boasts a diversified portfolio of leading brands, and it builds fantastic award-winning toys. Our vision of bridging the world of mobile gaming with consumer products and the toy culture is strongly aligned. I admire them for their consistent growth over the years and the incredible efforts they have accomplished, creating a universe that each of their collections represents,” said Riva Technology and Entertainment CEO and founder, Paul Roy.

“RTE always strive to associate with the biggest and the best and MGAE is certainly that. Details of the upcoming games will be announced soon.”

Isaac Larian, CEO and founder of MGA Entertainment, added: “We are delighted to partner with RTE who has a proven track record for working with the biggest IPs and delivering top quality results. Our digitally native fans want to experience our award-winning brands across all platforms and mobile gaming is a strategic focus for us in 2021 and beyond. It is MGA’s goal to expand both digital gaming and NFTs in a significant way.”

MGA Entertainment signs global music deal with Sony Music’s Magic Star label

MGA Entertainment has become the latest toy company to align itself with the music industry, having signed an exclusive music partnership with Sony Music UK’s children’s label, Magic Star in support of its global toy brand, LOL Surprise.

Under the new deal, Magic Star will work with Sony Music Entertainment’s record labels in more than 40 markets around the world, including Columbia Records’ Jam Jr to release new music from LOL Surprise and expand the brand to enable fans to engage in a new way.

Magic Star will create and produce music to support LOL Surprise product lines and future marketing initiatives, bringing the characters to life and to enhance storytelling moments through the power of music. 

Next month, LOL Surprise and Magic Star will support the debut of the next single “I’m a Queen.” Supported by a music video featuring LOL Surprise animated characters and a lyric video.   

Will Speer, head of Magic Star, Sony Music UK, said: “Music plays such an important role in children’s lives from an early age. We are excited to bring this partnership and MGA Entertainment’s products to young global audiences.

“Music transcends borders and allows our fans to engage with the brand in a new and exciting way,” said Sandrine de Raspide, general manager international and licensing at MGAE. “This new partnership with Magic Star, complemented by Sony Music’s deep marketing reach around the world and LOL Surprise fans, positions the brand for chart topping success.”     

Magic Star and MGAE kicked off the partnership in September 2020 with the debut of the LOL Surprise REMIX album, featuring new and original tracks to support the brand’s REMIX toy line – the first series of LOL Surprise dolls that focused on music.

The teams released content for fans that supported the music launch, including multiple lyric videos and animated music videos. As of today, fans around the world have amassed more than 18 million streams and 100 million YouTube views of the album and music videos.   

Magic Star has built up a roster of both established and development artists and brand partnerships since its launch in October 2019.

 

LEGO Super Mario and Warner Bros. among NPD’s Global and European Toy Industry Performance Awards winners

The LEGO Group, Spin Master, Mattel, and Warner Bros have been named among the winners of the NPD Group’s 2020 Global and European Toy Industry Performance Awards.

The Danish toy maker took home the NPD’s Global Top Toy Manufacturer of the Year award, while its officially licensed LEGO Super Mario Bros. range scooped up the Top Gaining Toy Property in Building and Construction accolade.

Meanwhile, global toy maker, Mattel took home a number of wins, including Global Top Toy Property of the Year for its Barbie brand, and the award for Global Top Selling Toy of the Year for its Hot Wheels SIngles 1/64 Assortment.

An awards programme developed by the NPD Group, the Global and European Toy Industry Performance Awards celebrate the manufacturers and license owners of the top gaining toy properties by category, as well as the top gaining toy property of year, top global toy manufacturer, and global top selling toy across the markets, according to its Retail Tracking Service.

Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter Franchise received The NPD Group’s Toy Industry Award for Top Gaining Toy Property of 2020 in the Games & Puzzles category, while Nintendo took home the award for Europe’s Top Gaining Toy Property of the Year for its Super Mario Brothers and Mario Kart properties.

“This year’s award winners should be recognised not only for their great accomplishments and dedication to excellence, but also for excelling during a particularly tumultuous time for manufacturers and retailers brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said François Klipfel, president, Toys, The NPD Group.

“Congratulations to all award winners. We wish you continued success in 2021.”

“We are thrilled to receive this award from The NPD Group and have them recognize the strength of the Harry Potter franchise,” said Julian Moon, SVP, EMEA Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

“During these challenging times, it has been uplifting to see children and families come together to play games and puzzles while experiencing the magic of Harry Potter.”

The winners of Europe’s Top Gaining Toy Property according to NPD’s Retail Tracking Service are as follows:

Action Figures and Accessories – Bakugan – Spin Master
Arts & Crafts – LEGO Dots – The LEGO Group
Building Sets – LEGO Super Mario Bros – The LEGO Group
Dolls – Barbie – Mattel
Games & Puzzles – Harry Potter – Warner Brothers
Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys – PAW Patrol – Spin Master
Youth Electronics – Hatchimals – Spin Master
Outdoor & Sports Toys – Nerf Fortnite – Hasbro
Plush – Star Wars – Disney
Vehicles – Hot Wheels – Mattel
Explorative & Other Toys – Playmobil Scooby Doo – Playmobil

The NPD Group has also presented the Ninth Annual Toy Industry Performance Awards for The Americas – Mexico, the US, Canada and Brazil.

Among the winners in this market, it was MGA Entertainment’s LOL Surprise that was handed the award for US Top Toy Property of the Year, while the US Top Selling Toy of the Year award was given to Mattel’s Barbie Dreamhouse.

The winners of the US Top Selling Toy by Supercategory awards, are:

Action Figures & Accessories – Beyblade Hypersphere Starter Pack Assortment – Hasbro
Arts & Crafts – Kinetic Sand Sandisfying Set – Spin Master
Building Sets – Super Mario Brothers Adventures Starter Course – The LEGO Group
Dolls – Barbie Dreamhouse – Mattel
Explorative & Other Toys – 5 Surprise Mini Brands Mystery Pack – Zuru
Games/Puzzles – UNO Card Game Assortment – Mattel
Infant/Toddler/Pre-school Toys – Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy & Sis Assortment – Mattel
Outdoor & Sports Toys – Bunch O Balloons 3-Pack – Zuru
Plush – Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child Vinyl Head Plush 11″ – Mattel
Vehicles – Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment – Mattel
Youth Electronics – Kidizoom Smartwatch – VTech

MGA Entertainment lands fashion deal with Poetic Brands for Na! Na! Na! Surprise clothing

MGA Entertainment has made its latest fashion move through a partnership with the licensed apparel specialist, Poetic Brands to launch a clothing range based on the Na! Na! Na! Surprise doll range.

The specialist apparel licensee is working on a range of children’s apparel, outerwear and swimwear, nightwear and essentials based on the new property aimed at children aged three and older.

Poetic Brands will also launch a range of face masks for Na! Na! Na! Surprise and LOL Surprise OMG dolls in the coming months.

Na! Na! Na! Surprise launched in the US in late 2019, followed by the UK in September 2020. The collectible dolls offer a new unboxing experience, featuring a balloon that when blown up and then popped provides fans with a confetti surprise.

Inside the balloon is a plush pom, which holds one of six soft posable fashion dolls, outfits and shoes. Each doll has a special nametag that explains more about their style and personality.

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands, said: “With the success of LOL Surprise and LOL Surprise OMG dolls on toy and apparel at retail, and a team experienced with working on both of these products, we jumped at the opportunity to work on Na! Na! Na! Surprise.

“The concept of Na! Na! Na! Surprise is perfect for its target customer and we are looking forward to creating daywear and nightwear ranges. In addition, we are producing face masks for OMG & Na! Na! Na! Surprise.”

MGA Entertainment teams with PUMA for LOL Surprise sneaker line

MGA Entertainment has partnered with the global sports company PUMA to help LOL Surprise fans walk with a little more pep in their step this season, thanks to the launch of a new sneaker and apparel collection. The range will be made available via Kids Foot Locker and PUMA stores across the US from this month.

Featuring L.O.L. Surprise fan favorites, Diva and Queen Bee, the two fashionable characters are the muses behind the collection. Diva is featured in the PUMA Future Rider x Diva sneaker, while Queen Bee is front and center on the PUMA Cali Sport x Queen Bee sneaker.

In addition to the PUMA Future Rider x Diva and Cali Sport x Queen Bee sneakers, the collection  includes bold graphic T-shirts and leggings that embody the bright and signature colors of the  L.O.L. Surprise brand while also sporting larger than life images of Diva and Queen Bee. 

The full PUMA x L.O.L. Surprise collection ranges from $22-$75 and will be available exclusively in store and online at the Foot Locker family of brands (including Kids Foot Locker, Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Footaction and Eastbay), PUMA.com and the PUMA NYC Store starting Nov. 20. 

MGA Entertainment named worldwide licensing agent for Moonbug’s Little Baby Bum

Moonbug has appointed MGA Entertainment its worldwide licensing agent for the global pre-school sensation, Little Baby Bum. Under the new partnership, MGAE will develop a consumer products programme for the brand to accelerate its availability and accessibility across the globe.

The move follows on from the success of the Little Tikes Little Baby Bum toy line released last autumn.

“Little Baby Bum’s engaging and playful nursery rhymes have resonated with millions of kids around the world, and we’re excited to bring fans new ways to deepen their connection both online and offline,” said Simon Philips, Moonbug. “It is a favourite for parents, too. During these difficult times where educational content has been in high demand from parents, Little Baby Bum has seen a huge uptick in views as parents have chosen it to entertain their kids.”

As a part of this agreement, MGAE will manage new licensees and work with both physical and digital retailers to ensure that Little Baby Bum fans of all ages can bring home a piece of their favourite characters – from apparel to bedding to fast-moving consumer goods to digital and traditional publishing.

“Little Baby Bum is a worldwide favorite among kids as we’ve seen with the initial launch of our Little Tikes Little Baby Bum toys that launched last fall,” said Isaac Larian, CEO and founder of MGAE. “Our worldwide licensing team has generated much success for the L.O.L Surprise! brand and this is an exciting time to bring the Little Baby Bum digital IP into the real world for its millions of fans.”

Little Baby Bum has captivated audiences with its playful nursery rhyme storylines that help kids learn and grow through song. It has expanded exponentially both offline and online in the last year and can be found on over 40 platforms globally including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. On YouTube alone, it garners over 1.5 billion views per month and has surpassed 80 million subscribers.