The month in numbers

Some of the past month’s news highlights as offered up by the Toys n Playthings newsflash and more. To sign up for daily bulletins, go to www.toysnplaythings.media

57.7 million the number of different special Squishmallow plush toys being developed by Jazwares as the brand heads to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal promotion. The global deal will see 10-12 different versions being offered with the junior meal at the fastfood restaurant. “In partnering with McDonald’s we are able to bring fans a 360-degree Squishmallows experience that includes exclusive digital playlists, and special edition Squishmallows that will create one of the most elevated Happy Meal programs to date,” said Gerhard Runken, senior vice president of brand & marketing at Jazwares. “This is a tremendous milestone for Squishmallows as we join forces with McDonald’s.’’ the amount of steps taken by Character Options staffers worldwide as part of the Toy Trust’s May Mayhem, challenge. Employees at the company’s five global offices, including the UK, took part to raise funds for the Trust and the Fence Club. The team doubled their initial target, walking the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe.

Jon Elliott, head of research and development, Character Options, said: “Each year, Character participates in industry fundraising activities, but until this year, we’ve never been able to take part as a collective. For this I would like to thank The Toy Trust and Jeff Taylor for the idea for May Mayhem, which offered a unique opportunity for us all to get behind it.Together, we’ve really stepped up, walking 57.5million steps – which would take us around the world, in just 31 days.

“I’ve felt so proud to see the Group come together on this. It’s been great to hear the banter and observe people connecting with others outside of their usual roles in the business. Of course, it’s also been amazing to watch the money come tumbling in.

To date, the initiative has raised £8,129 for children’s charities that so desperately need the support, with this total continuing to climb towards our £10,000 target.’’

1 million the number of Purrfect dollhouses sold from Spin Master’s Gabby‘s Dollhouse range. The figure is just one of a number of impressive milestones notched up by the brand as it continues to grow. These include more than one billion views on the YouTube channel and 23 million downloads of Spin Master’s app. Universal products & experiences SVP for franchise strategy Shannon Vacca said:

“There’s incredible excitement and momentum around Gabby’s Dollhouse. Fans around the world have embraced Gabby’s Dollhouse so enthusiastically, and we couldn’t be more excited about celebrating one million dollhouses sold. We know there’s something really special about Gabby-- with endless opportunities to surprise and delight fans through new content, engaging products, theme park events, innovative retail experiences and more.”

207,850 the amount in pounds distributed by the Toy Trust to assorted child-friendly charities in 2022. The figure was revealed by the industry’s fundraising arm at the BTHA AGM. For a full report, see p10-11…