Rubies and Disney team for Star Wars campaign

Rubies is once again collaborating with long-term licensors Star Wars and Disney to bring into the spotlight a brand-new media and PR campaign, ‘The Gift of Play’.

The Gift of Play is a new campaign hosted on a dedicated website [disneythegiftofplay.co.uk], which is entrenched in Disney’s nearly 100-year legacy of creative storytelling, to encourage adults and children to have more shared imaginative playtime together.

The campaign, which will see a takeover of Rubies social channels and website, has the aim of getting people inspired through unique and engaging Star Wars content and excited for the upcoming releases on Disney+, as well as encouraging consumers to enjoy gifting toys and costumes as a means to play and bond.

To explore the power of the Force, the campaign will see entirely new media created for Rubies social media as well as a strong influencer and press marketing campaigns and retail takeovers.

Rubies Star Wars range in support of The Gift of Play with specially selected costumes includes The Mandalorian, Boba Fett, Deluxe Darth Vader, Grogu, Poe X-Wing Fighter, Rey and even an inflatable Jabba the Hutt, with the majority available in both children’s and adults’ sizes so the whole family can have some Star Wars-themed fun.

Fran Hales, Head of Content and Marketing, says: “We are thrilled to be part of The Gift of Play, working closely with Lucasfilm and Disney on their innovative and exhilarating marketing campaign. The Gift of Play campaign is an opportunity not just to showcase our products, but also to promote dress-up as a key part of Disney’s legacy for creative storytelling, while immersing both adults and children in the shared world of imaginative playtime together.”

Star Wars-inspired costumes by Rubies are available to order now on rubiesuk.com. Stay tuned on Rubies official social media channels to see the intergalactic takeover soon, at @rubiesuk on Facebook and @rubies_uk on Instagram.

Disney brings Marvel and Star Wars into its adaptive roleplay and wheelchair cover sets

Disney has added a new line up of adaptive roleplay kids’ costumes and wheelchair cover set to a range it launched last year, bolstering its inclusive play lines with the addition of costumes inspired by Marvel Studio’s Black Panther, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and a The Mandalorian Wheelchair cover set.

The new line-up joins the previously launched adaptive costumes inspired by Disney Princess and Pixar characters that were created in collaboration with Disguise in 2020.

These adaptive features allow fans who use wheelchairs and have other accessibility needs to transform into some of their favorite characters across the Disney portfolio. Also available now on shopDisney.com, is a robust Halloween 2021 lineup including costumes for adults, kids and pets.

“I’m thrilled that through the expansion of our Adaptive Roleplay collection, we can further connect our iconic franchises with fans and families worldwide through thoughtful design that allows everyone to take part in their favorite stories and worlds – from Marvel Studios’ Black Panther to Star Wars: The Mandalorian,” said Stephanie Young, president of Consumer Products, Games and Publishing.

“With today’s announcement, we’re better able to meet the needs of more of our Guests, and we’re excited to see this inspired collection continue to grow.”

The costumes are designed with stretch fabric that opens in the back for front entry only to allow for more accessible dressing. The adaptive line is open in the rear and has longer length inseams for wheelchair-friendly wear. The costumes also have flap openings on the front center with self-stick fabric closure to accommodate tube access.

Meanwhile, the wheelchair cover sets fit most standard wheelchairs with 24-inch wheels and come with supportive plastic piping pieces for added stability and long self-stick fabric strips to help keep the pieces in place. It is advised that the wheelchair is operated by a helper when the cover set is attached.

The 2021 Halloween assortment includes costumes inspired by all-new releases like Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon and Marvel Studios’ Wanda Vision, as well as Halloween classics like Hocus Pocus, Haunted Mansion, and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Additionally, the lineup features all new clothing, accessories, and decor featuring Disney’s notorious Villains characters, Marvel’s elite heroes, and more.

Rubies launches range of adaptive costumes to make dress up and role-play more inclusive

Rubies has released a new range of adaptive costumes designed for children with limited mobility and boasting a selection of features that makes them optimised for ease of wear, accessibility and fitting.

The new collection has been designed to enable all children – regardless of their level of ability – can engage in role-play and dress up, with specially designed features that allow them to do so.

Features include back opening in the trousers and skirts, which allows wheelchair users to dress in bed or in a laying down position, and the combination of Velcro fastenings with elasticated areas add comfort and allow for easier dressing. A discrete front flap opening allows access to tubes on the abdominal area.

Furthermore, the seated area of the costumes is free from costume fabric, helping to reduce pressure points which can cause sores and ulcers from wrinkles, creases or pronounced seams.

To ensure the collection provided comfort and inclusivity with the key demographic, the costumes have been tried and tested on a select focus group of participants in this year’s Superhero Series Powered by Marvel, with positive feedback across the board on the designs and features. One of the costumes even featured on a Good Morning Britain section with Emerson Grant showcasing his Spider-man outfit to the nation.

Mike O’Connell, managing director, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce the introduction of Adaptive Costumes into our extensive licensed portfolio. As an inclusive and innovative company, we strive to create a world where everyone can express themselves equally. Although our exclusive Adaptive Range costumes are different in their features and design, we wanted to ensure our price point matched any other costume of the same quality within our range.

“Dress-up play is a very important part of childhood, allowing children to explore different characters and role models and shape who they become, and we hope these costumes will allow every child to be able to do this.”

The new range will launch with a choice of characters from Marvel, DC and The Mandalorian that are instantly recognisable and highly inspiring to children. The superhero range in particular focuses on Captain America and Spider-Man’s jumpsuits featuring 3D padded muscles; both consist of tops, trousers and snood.

The range also includes Wonder Woman’s dress which has a shimmering sequin bodice detail, a full layered skirt and comes with a range of accessories to complete the character including cape, boot covers, gauntlets and a foam tiara.

Adaptive Costumes will be available to order in time for Halloween. Contact the Rubies sales team to find out more.

British bicycle brand United Wheels lands EMEA-wide partnership with Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm

The British bicycle brand, United Wheels UK Limited has detailed a new multi-territory licensing partnership with Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm movie properties as the company eyes further growth across the European markets and beyond.

Its latest agreement will see the property rights extended across the UK, Ireland, France, Iberia, Italy, Germany, Benelux, and Africa, building on a partnership that United Wheels’ affiliate, Huffy Corporation, has had with Disney since 1996.

From this month, United Wheels will begin marketing Huffy-designed Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm licensed wheeled products for order. These lines will be ready for shipment from early 2022.

The extension of the partnership to include EMEA distribution follows the firm’s establishment of its new EU office last year. United Wheels believes it is now well placed to help ‘drive continued growth of the Disney licenses’ across the regions.

“Our company has had such a long relationship with Disney,” said Jon Tilley, general manager of United Wheels UK Limited. “It was only natural for us to reach out to Disney when we decided to make a concerted effort in Europe, to find mutually beneficial ways to work together.

“It’s been great working with the Disney EMEA teams to bring this project to life, and we are excited to be presenting this to retailers through our Huffy brand of products in the coming months. Our position as a leading global player in the bicycle and wheeled goods categories gives us confidence that with an excellent supply chain and great innovation, we can bring strong growth over the next three years. We couldn’t be more excited about this new endeavour with Disney.”

The United Wheels team will start product presentations in July with a two-week virtual trade open event in which potential retailer partners can meet the team and preview some of the new Disney products that will be available for sale in January 2022.

The collection will cover all properties and wheel sizes, ranging from balance bikes to 16” wheel sizes.

Stateside | Pokemon, Marvel, and Barbie help fuel US toy sales surge as market grows 27 per cent

Major properties including Pokemon, Barbie, Star Wars, and LEGO have contributed to a booming first quarter toy sales in the US that witnessed an increase of 27 per cent between January and April 2021, according to The NPD Group.

Ten of the 11 super categories tracked by the NPD posted double digit growth versus the year prior, contributing to a sales increase totalling $1.5 billion in the first four months of the year.

All super categories posted a positive two year compound annual growth rate, with seven super categories showing double digit growth rates compared to 2019. The market is led by the Outdoor and Sports Toys category, which – having experienced gains of $324 million – continues to be the largest super category, with $1.6 billion in sales.

The Plush market witnessed the fastest dollar growth in the first quarter, surging 44 per cent on 2020 numbers.

“As we lap the lockdowns of 2020, the super categories that had surging growth last year, like Games and Puzzles, appear to be slowing down,” said Juli Lennett, vice president and industry advisor, US Toys, The NPD Group.

“However, it’s important to realize that sales are still strong for Games and Puzzles in 2021 which is reflected in the two-year CAGR growth of 34 per cent, the fastest growth compared to 2019 of all super categories.”

Strategic Trading Cards has been marked among the top growth sectors, driven in large by Pokemon but holding strong across all 96 classes tracked by the NPD.

Pokemon has been highlighted as the top growth property year-to-date, followed by the likes of Barbie, Star Wars, LOL Surprise, Marvel Universe, Hot Wheels, Little Tikes, NERF, LEGO, Star Wars, and Funko Pop.

Collectively, these ten properties grew 48 per cent while the rest of the market grew 22 per cent from January to April 2021.

“We can’t understate the impact that federal stimulus payments had on toy industry performance this year,” said Lennett. “The follow up to that will be the child tax credit which will provide cash in the hands of parents each month starting in July and through the end of the year.”

DKB takes on UK distribution of premium homewares specialist, Uncanny Brands

Uncanny Brands, the premium homewares brand with established presence in the US and Canada, has appointed DKB as its exclusive UK distributor across all of its key lines, spanning kitchen accessories based on hit IP such as Star Wars, Marvel, Pokemon, and others.

The partnership marks the latest signing for DKB Toys and Distribution who has already been working with the likes of Hasbro, Alex Global Brands, and Crazy Forts, while the business recently acquired MightyMast.

Best known for pop culture small appliances, Uncanny Brands is dedicated to creating licensed products that include kitchen accessories ranging from popcorn makers to toasters and hand blenders, all designed around iconic characters from some of the biggest entertainment franchises.

With initial product lines selling out instantly, DKB is committed to bringing in new shipments to supply its core and new retailer base. With limited distribution for 2021, the company is planning 2022 volumes now ahead of time so as to be able to respond quickly to growing consumer demand for these fantastic homeware’s products. 

“I am very proud to be working with a company like Uncanny Brands. Together we will offer fans of some of the worlds’ biggest licenses the opportunity to own a gadget or appliance featuring their favourite characters,” said Chris Lohmeyer, MD of DKB Distribution & Toys.

“The enduring appeal of these licensed ranges has had a huge impact on demand across UK retail and we are preparing well in advance for 2022 in order to facilitate as many orders as possible. We are starting small in 2021 but I cannot wait to see the success of Uncanny Brands in the UK in 2022 and beyond.”

Pop culture retailer Geek Retreat marks Star Wars Day and its eighth anniversary with National Autistic Society donation

The UK’s geek culture retailer, Geek Retreat, combined its Star Wars Day celebrations earlier this week with its eighth anniversary by donating eight per cent of its turnover generated on the day (Tuesday, May the Fourth) to the National Autistic Society.

Geek Retreat , which opened its first store on May 4th 2013 in Glasgow and now boasts 24 shops, is a gaming cafe, retailer, and events hub rolled into one. In a show of commitment to the hallowed day of the geek, the retailer enabled customers to celebrate Star Wars Day with special merchandise such as posters, clothing, figures, and memorabilia.

Visitors throughout the day were also able to enjoy a special Jaffa the Hut milkshake, a blend of Jaffa Cakes and ice cream.

All of the brand’s stores commit to a COVID-19 secure environment, with strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place, to give customers extra piece of mind that they can visit in confidence.

Stephen Walsh, founder of Geek Retreat, commented: “Making sure that Geek Retreat provides an inclusive, welcoming, and social environment for our more vulnerable customers, like those on the autistic spectrum, or with mental health issues has always been extremely important to us.

“With this in mind, we are delighted to donate eight per cent of our turnover to the National Autistic Society to mark our eighth anniversary and the hugely popular Star Wars day.”

Kimberly Scoltock, head of philanthropy and partnerships at the National Autistic Society said: “Thank you so much to Geek Retreat for donating eight per cent of their turnover to our charity on this special day. This means even more at the moment, when we’re trying to weather the financial toll of coronavirus.

“We’re facing a significant funding gap and working hard to adapt how we work so we can continue helping tens of thousands of autistic children, adults and their families each year, and fighting for better support and services. Your brilliant and welcome support is helping us to fill this gap.”

Autism is a lifelong disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world.

There are around 700,000 autistic people in the UK. Because it’s a spectrum, every autistic person is different and will have their own strengths and face varying challenges. Some autistic children and adults need 24-hour care and support, others may need clearer communication or a little longer to do things at school or work.

LEGO reveals its Dark Side with the launch of its LEGO Star Wars Helmets collection

The LEGO Group has unveiled three new LEGO Star Wars construction sets for adult builders to recreate some of the most iconic designs from the Star Wars galaxy, including two new additions to the LEGO Star Wars helmet collection.

First revealed last year, the helmet collection features a bust inspired by Darth Vader and a helmet designed in the likeness of a Scout Trooper. Making up today’s launch is the new model honouring the Imperial Probe Droid.

The range has been designed with the LEGO’s community of adult builders in mind, allowing fans to build, display, and pay homage to the Dark Lord of the Sith. The LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader Helmet is an 834 brick build, the Scout Trooper helmet is a 471 brick set, and the LEGO Star Wars Imperial Probe Droid weighs in at 638 pieces.

“Some of our favourite Star Wars characters have the most profound, intimidating on-screen presences, despite the fact that you can’t see their facial expressions,” said Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, creative director, LEGO Star Wars. “In recreating the sinister helmets of Darth Vader and the Scout Trooper, it was important to capture the details and essential features that people around the world will recognise, even those who aren’t too familiar with the Star Wars galaxy.

“I think all three display sets are extremely cool and I hope fans will enjoy the building process and be thrilled to display them once complete.”

Passionate builders can enjoy some time to relax as they take on these complex creative challenges, recreating every authentic detail in true LEGO style. When done with the build, the models can be displayed with a bespoke plaque.

The sets will be priced between £44.99 to £59.99 and will be available for pre-order from March 25th, 2021 from LEGO.com and other retailers, and on general sale globally from April 26th.

Zynga and Lucasfilm announce Star Wars: Hunters for Nintendo Switch and mobile

The mobile gaming goliath, Zynga is making its first move into the console arena, having been unveiled as the newest partner for Lucasfilm’s renewed, post-EA push into the video games space.

In a virtual event hosted by Nintendo this week, details of a new Star Wars console game for the Nintendo Switch were finally announced, with Zynga taking the lead on the cross-platform title and its own first steps in the previously unexplored segment.

Under the new partnership with Lucasfilm and Nintendo, Zynga will launch the free-to-play Star Wars: Hunters across the Switch console and mobile platforms. The deal is yet another development for the Star Wars franchise and its activity in the gaming market, following the recent news that Lucasfilm’s exclusivity deal with EA for console games would not be renewed.

During this week’s Nintendo Direct, a virtual event in which the video games company detailed a swathe of upcoming releases, Star Wars: Hunters was described as “a competitive arena combat game… coming in 2021.

“Star Wars: Hunters will bring players together to engage in thrilling, squad based, multiplayer battles featuring a diverse array of distinctive new Star Wars characters.”

Bernard Kim, president of publishing at Zynga, said: “Bringing Star Wars: Hunters to the Nintendo Switch and its passionate fan-base marks an exciting milestone for Zynga.

“We created Star Wars: Hunters for every fan who has ever dreamed about playing a high-intensity action game set in the Star Wars galaxy and are excited to see Switch players embrace our foray into console gaming.”

New York | Toy of the Year awards underscores big year for children’s licenses

Pokemon, Super Mario, Star Wars The Mandalorian, and PAW Patrol are just some of the leading children’s brands to have won big this weekend when the annual Toy of the Year awards hosted an all-virtual event to reveal its winners.

A tussle of the titans ensued as the awards – recognised as the ‘Oscars of the toy industry’ – watched global toy makers LEGO and Mattel emerge with no fewer than four award wins each, with the likes of LEGO’s Super Mario play-sets and Mattel’s The Mandalorian The Child Plush thrust into the spotlight.

License of the Year went to Disney for The Mandalorian, while the Pokemon Trading Card Game took home Game of the Year. Pre-school Toy of the Year was swept up by Spin Master and its PAW Patrol franchise, while Playmibile drove home at 88mph with the Vehicle of the Year award for its Back to the Future DeLorean play-set.

“It’s an exhilarating feeling to be recognized for our relentless drive to push the boundaries of play,” said Anton Rabie, Spin Master’s chairman and co-chief executive officer of the firm’s win in the Pre-school Toy of the Year category.

“Every year our incredibly talented team, in collaboration with our amazing community of external inventors, raises the bar on innovation with the purpose of developing magical moments and experiences for kids and families around the world. Together, we’re committed to reimagining where imagination can take us.”

Meanwhile, in a surprise announcement, two winners were chosen for the People’s Choice Award; Story Time Chess (Story Time Chess), a classic game re-imagined for the youngest of players, and The Original Spawn Action Figure and Comic Remastered (McFarlane Toys), a fan-favourite that has its roots in Kickstarter success.

Toy of the Year Awards were handed out in 16 categories. The winners are:

Action Figure of the Year: Fisher-Price #ThankYouHeroes Line (Mattel)

Collectible of the Year: LEGO Super Mario Character Packs (LEGO)

Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest (LEGO)

Creative Toy of the Year: Crayola Colors of the World Crayons (Crayola LLC)

Doll of the Year: Barbie Color Reveal (Mattel)

Game of the Year: Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy (The Pokémon Company International)

Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen (Mattel)

Innovative Toy of the Year: Star Wars: The Child Animatronic Edition Toy (Hasbro)

License of the Year: Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Disney)

Outdoor Toy of the Year: Ultimate Go-Kart (Radio Flyer)

Playset of the Year: LEGO Super Mario Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set (LEGO)

Plush Toy of the Year: Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child 11” Plush (Mattel)

Preschool Toy of the Year: PAW Patrol Dino Patroller (Spin Master)

Specialty Toy of the Year: LEGO Ideas Grand Piano (LEGO)

STEAM Toy of the Year: Mega Cyborg Hand (Thames & Kosmos)

Vehicle of the Year: PLAYMOBIL Back To The Future DeLorean (PLAYMOBIL)

Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Toy Association, said: “From 117 outstanding finalists to this year’s TOTY winners, to Hasbro’s Toy of the Year Award and two unique People’s Choice winners, each underscores the joy of play in uncertain times, the togetherness of family game night, as well as the swiftly-evolving retail and e-commerce landscape.

“The TOTYs continue to reflect the toy and play community’s passion and perseverance, all while honoring the richly deserving Hall of Fame inductees. It also raises vital funding for The Toy Foundation as it embarks on impactful new programs supporting children’s hospitals and driving diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the toy industry. We thank the independent expert judging panels and the tens of thousands of individuals who voted this year.”

During the event, four toy industry visionaries were also officially inducted into the esteemed Toy Industry Hall of Fame. This year saw Philip Bloom, founder and former publisher of The Bloom Report; William C. Killgallon, chairman of the board at The Ohio Art Company; Pleasant T. Rowland, founder of American Girl, a division of Mattel, Inc.; and the late Margarete Steiff, founder and creator of Steiff were all inducted.

Read more about the Hall of Fame inductees here.

More than 500 TOTY Award nominees poured in late last summer. Of those, 117 finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges. Category winners were then determined based on votes from toy retailers (mass and specialty), media, Toy Association members, and consumers.

The “Toy of the Year” winner was determined by an expert panel that discussed all the finalists before rendering a decision based on TOTY votes, holiday sales, and media buzz (traditional, online, and social).

The “People’s Choice” award winners were uniquely selected by online consumer votes. All results were audited for accuracy, including the judging and voting process, and The NPD Group validated marketplace acceptance. Descriptions of all TOTY finalists can be found at ToyAwards.org.