Toy story – we find out more from Jakks Pacific about its toy plan for Sonic

JAKKS PACIFIC’S TOY PLANS Up to speed

Jakks Pacific is an important licensing partner for SEGA, bringing Sonic further into the toy category with its successful range of figures, play-sets and plush. And the relationship is continuing to grow and flourish.

Having launched its first Sonic product range back in 2019, Jakks Pacific is now into its third year of sales with the brand.

“The product really started to gain a lot of sales momentum in winter 2019,” says Craig Drobis, svp marketing at Jakks Pacific. The company’s 10cm scale figures were the initial offering and they have been the lead item in terms of sales right from the start. A 6cm scale figure and play-set worlds – beginning with the Green Hills Zone – expanded the range in winter 2020, while a 16cm plush has performed well in both Classic and movie versions.

There’s more to come, too, says Craig, notably the Giant Eggman Robot Battle Set this winter which will able fans to recreate the final battle scene from the game.

There is also anniversary product, with Craig commenting: “A nice thing about the anniversary and all the activities that SEGA has planned is that it gives us a rallying point for the line as a whole. We have incorporated the anniversary packaging style guide and logo call out on all products. It has afforded the opportunity for 6cm and 10cm multipacks of figures,

Above: Craig Drobis, svp marketing, Jakks Pacific. Right: The depth of characters in the franchise gives Jakks plenty of opportunities to release new figures. Below: The Giant Eggman Robot Battle Set is new for this winter. celebrating the history of the franchise and the groupings of characters the fans want. Finally, we developed a 15cm collector figure of Classic Sonic with all the articulation and swappable pieces the collector demands.” So, does Craig have any hints about what’s still to come in the future in terms of new toy lines for Sonic? “Speed is what we need to deliver in the toys to make sure we deliver the essence of Sonic, and that is a point of focus for the future,” he teases. “The toy has to be fast. Other than that tease, all I can say is that SEGA’s plans for Sonic in the future will not disappoint and Jakks’ toys won’t either.”