Welcome to this special supplement devoted to MGA Entertainment, home to some of the biggest and best-known toy and entertainment brands on the market.
From the mould-breaking Bratz to the UK’s fastest-growing fashion doll brand Rainbow High, evergreen classic Little Tikes and the unstoppable phenomenon that is L.O.L. Surprise! (which turns seven on 07/07 this year), MGA Entertainment brands continue to dominate at retail, on screen and in the licensing space.
In our in-depth interview on page 102, we delve into the hows and whys with founder and CEO Isaac Larian, and find out more about the company’s “next billion-dollar property”. We’ve rounded up all the latest product and content releases from the MGA stable on page 107, and on page 115, leading licensees and retailers give an insight into their partnerships with MGA and the licensed products that are flying off the shelves. Kids, parents, kidults, collectors, nostalgia fans – MGA’s portfolio offers something for everyone. We hope you enjoy finding out more.
The LSB team
“One of our key aims at MGA Entertainment is to offer as many touchpoints as possible for fans to interact with their favourite brands – and licensing is a huge part of that. For our recent L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets line we teamed up with Chupa Chups, Jelly Belly and other big names in the confectionary world, which has strengthened the brand while giving the ‘surprise’ element of it an extra dimension; wondering which world-class candy brand we’re going to partner with next is definitely keeping fans on their toes.
Our strategy is to continue to create new stories, while staying true to the core essence of our brands. We’re very much looking forward to this year’s Licensing Expo, where we’ll be showcasing yet more innovative play patterns and some exciting ‘newness’ for the back half of 2023 and early 2024 – keep an eye out for a few fun surprises for Bratz in the run-up to the holiday season! We pride ourselves on constantly offering new ways to keep fans engaged and excited, and with our latest slate of content, products and partnerships, we’re confident our brands will continue to touch multiple generations of fans around the world.”
Mindy Puente-Escalera, SVP of global licensing, MGA Entertainment
FOLDS FOR EASY STORAGE
FOLDING
DOUBLE SIDED DESIGN
FOLDS FOR EASY STORAGE
HOPPER
PLAYING
WIN MGA Entertainment’s founder and ceo Isaac Larian gives an insight into what kids – and kidults – will be playing with this year.
MAKING HEADLINES
A look at the latest innovations from MGA Entertainment, from toys and fashion collaborations to gaming and TV content. 19
LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE TOYS!
Licensees and retailers of some of MGA Entertainment’s biggest brands explain what keeps consumers coming back for more.
A consistent game changer in the toy space, MGA Entertainment has built a portfolio of compelling and trend-setting brands over the course of its 44-year history, from fashion dolls Bratz, L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High to its latest hit IP – MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Food. Founder and CEO Isaac Larian explains why “don’t copy, be innovative” is the foundation for success.
“We’re the only toy company that has come up with over 100 new brands, from zero up,” says Isaac Larian when asked to sum up MGA Entertainment in a nutshell. “Out of those, 13 have gone on to do between $100m and $10bn, and another 50 have achieved anywhere between $25m and $50m.”
It’s fair to say that Isaac has the golden touch. Having arrived in the US
from Iran in 1971 as a 17year-old, he now sits at the helm of one of the largest and fastest growing independent toy and entertainment companies in the world, which generates around $4bn–$4.5bn a year in retail sales and has nearly 1,700 full-time employees in multiple cities around the globe. It’s an achievement that is largely down to Isaac’s instinct for what delights kids, and a desire to embrace the new.
“I love the toy business, I’ve been doing it all my life, and what drives it is innovation, products that capture the imagination of little kids and have a lifelong effect on them. Many large companies just recycle the same ideas, and it’s something I’d like to see change in the industry. Because innovation fuels growth.”
Isaac seized his chance to bring something new to the toy market back in the early 2000s, when he spotted a gap in the market for fashion dolls that weren’t, “like 98 per cent of dolls [at that time], blonde and blue-eyed”. The resulting Bratz line – “the girls with a passion
for fashion” – hit the market in 2001 and proved an instant hit, creating more than $2bn a year in revenue within just three years of launch.
The brand has recently exploded in popularity again, blowing up on TikTok and connecting with the original fans – many of whom are now parents themselves – as well as new ones. “My daughter and all her friends who grew up with the brand are returning to it for the nostalgia value,” says Isaac. “I even saw my daughter dress my baby granddaughter in a Bratz outfit.”
This cross-generational appeal has seen a wealth of collaborations across diverse categories such as cosmetics, adult apparel and mobile phone accessories, as well as innovations such as Bratz Minis and Bratz Mini Cosmetics, a line of 40 pop-culture collectibles that debuted last June. The Minis launch kicked off MGA's Miniverse, a new kidult-oriented collectible line of miniaturised versions of classic brands, such as Mini Little Tikes, which also encompasses MGA’s latest offering: MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Food. Inspired by the social media trend for miniaturised items, the blind-ball line offers consumers the chance to combine the individually wrapped mini “ingredients” into a finished dish that hardens when exposed to daylight or UV light. “As of this week, we are the
number two mini collectible brand in the US, in less than six months,” says Isaac. “It’s going to be our next billion-dollar property.”
MGA’s stable of brands is wide-ranging, encompassing colourchanging Mermaze Mermaidz, Na! Na! Na! Surprise and Zapf Creation’s Baby Born, but it’s fair to say that its stand-out successes are two of the toy industry’s biggest hits of recent years – L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High. L.O.L. Surprise! caused a sensation when it launched in 2016; the cute mini dolls (Tots) and accessories, wrapped in layers of coloured plastic and paper, captured all the excitement of the YouTube unboxing trend, and the brand extensions and innovations have kept on coming. Consumers can now get a super-sweet fix with L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets: dolls dressed in outfits inspired by wellknown confectionery brands, including Hershey’s Kisses, Jolly Rancher and Chupa Chups. The range launched at Smyths Toys in the UK in December last year and at wider retailers this January. “We haven’t done
Little Tikes joined the MGA Entertainment family in 2006 and continues to capture the imagination of pre-schoolers and parents alike. The classic outdoor brand is the UK #3 property and #1 brand in Outdoor & Sports Toys and the #1 property in Playground Equipment in value sales in the 12 months to March 2023, according to Circana UK POS data, while the Let’s Go Cozy Coupe series of animated shorts on YouTube has racked up 100 million views. The latest brand innovation is blindball Little Tikes Minis, scaled-down versions of classic designs like the Rocking Horse
Over
40,000 readers every month.
The official L.O.L. Surprise! magazine is the perfect treat for kids aged 5-9 and is packed with fun facts, quizzes, puzzles and crafts. A brand-new, exciting issue is on sale every four weeks and always comes with an amazing L.O.L Surprise! gift that L.O.L fans will love unboxing, as well as including lots to colour, make and do inside.
much in-licensing before and it’s important that we try new things,” says Isaac. On screen, the first animated series focusing on the Tots will be debuting on 22 July 2023 on YouTube and KidoodleTV, and the MGA team will be working closely with US and UK retailers on promotions to align with the launch.
Like Bratz, Rainbow High fashion dolls are designed to be inclusive of all skin colours, ethnicities, and other differences. “The tagline is ‘Let your true colours shine,’” explains Isaac. “It’s the most beautiful fashion doll on the market, and the only one at that price point [for autumn lines prices start at below $20 rising to $60–$70] that has glass eyes.
Little girls want their dolls to have beautiful hair, and Rainbow High hair is washable in water, and the outfits and accessories are so detailed.” A HarperCollins book series launched in March, based on the hit animated Netflix series. “And we’ll be bringing some arts and crafts activity to the brand this autumn, which we’re excited about,” Isaac says.
The ‘Entertainment’ part of MGA Entertainment’s name indicates its position as a 360-degree brand, with toys forming just one part of the ecosystem. Having last year acquired animation studio Pixel Zoo and established MGA Studios, a new content division backed with $500m in capital, MGA is looking to expand its presence in the digital entertainment landscape. As well as ramping up its output of movies and TV shows, it will be making further inroads into the gaming market, an increasingly important touchpoint for
young fans of MGA brands. This autumn will see the launch of the first-ever Rainbow High console title, Rainbow High: Runway Rush.
“One of our strategies is to provide as many touchpoints as possible for consumers to interact with the brand, whether it’s the dolls, or games, or clothing or costumes, and that’s why licensing is so important to us,” Isaac asserts. The company is also looking to develop projects in the LBE space, but for now, details are under wraps. What else is new? “A challenge and a goal for me is boys’ toys,” says Isaac, “and I’m excited to say we have a huge boys’ toy property coming in 2024.” He may have a unique gift for tuning into what kids want, but Isaac gives all the credit to his creative team. “I’m really proud of them. I sometimes literally dream of things that aren’t possible to do, and God bless them, they make it happen.”
From toy and game releases and upcoming TV content to health and beauty buys and fashion collabs, LSB rounds up the latest news from MGA Entertainment.
Globally popular toy line L.O.L. Surprise! has harnessed the power of colour transformation for its latest brand extensions.
Launched in March 2023, L.O.L. Surprise! Sunshine Makeover Dolls (Tots and larger L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls) reveal
Blockbuster brand L.O.L. Surprise! is the #1 property in the Total UK Playset Dolls & Accessories and Collectibles categories in value sales and the #2 Doll property in value sales overall [Circana, UK POS retail tracker value sales, year to date December 2022].
hair and fashion changes when exposed to daylight, while L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Dolls, slated for release on 1 June 2023, feature an all-new innovative foaming
action, 12 fan-favourite Tots and “dazzling bubble surprises” to discover. All you have to do is mix water and the provided “sugar” and “spice” in the ball, then twist and watch the bubbles fizz up and change colour to reveal the hidden doll and other items.
Additional products (launching June 2023) that undergo this transformation include the L.O.L. Surprise! Pets line, and L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Deluxe, which includes an exclusive Tot doll, Lil Sister, Pet, two outfits, two pairs of shoes, a bottle and colour-changing fizz.
Having been named Doll of the Year by the UK Toy Retailers Association earlier this year, Rainbow High (including spin-off lines Shadow High and Junior High) continues to dominate the fashion doll market. Now, fans of MGA’s colourful brand can expand their collections following the launch of six new characters in the Spring 2023 collection. The latest range features Priscilla Perez, Michelle St Charles, Olivia Wood, Kim Nguyen, Aidan Russell and Victoria Whitman, the first doll with freckles from head to toe. Championing inclusion and diversity, each doll comes dressed in a stylish outfit –including fun accessories such as hair styling tools and mini laptops –that reflects their own unique personality, and features Rainbow High’s trademark brushable hair, glass eyes, long eyelashes and fully articulated features.
Launched just three years ago, fashionforward doll brand Rainbow High was the 11th bestselling toy in the UK overall in 2022, according to Circana POS data for January–December 2022, and is currently the #3 Doll property and the fastest-growing Fashion Doll brand.
MGA Entertainment has teamed up with global video games publisher Outright Games for Rainbow High: Runway Rush, the first video game for consoles and PC based on the bestselling fashion doll line. Fans will be able to step into the colourful, immersive school environment of Rainbow High and play as one of their favourite characters –Ruby, Poppy, Sunny, Jade, Skyler or Violet –utilising their different creative skills to complete puzzles and help their classmates. In addition to the main story mode, players will be able to take on a series of quests and find collectibles to level up their characters with unlockable outfits.
“Rainbow High is largely themed around art and creativity, so we worked to integrate these elements into the game through several touchpoints, including mini games that are tailored to the target audience and allow players to illustrate and design clothes,” says Beth Goss, CEO of Outright Games. “As a company we are dedicated to creating games designed with first-time, young players in mind, and we hope this game will be an opportunity to introduce a new generation of kids to the world of gaming.”
Rainbow High: Rainbow Rush will be available this autumn on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Following its successful social media-led launch in the US, kidult-targeted brand MGA’s Miniverse debuted in the UK in April this year with two food-themed collections: Make It Mini Food Café Edition (£6.99) and Make It Mini Food Diner Edition (£8.99), priced to reflect MGA’s ongoing mission to provide smaller and more affordable toys amidst inflation.
Combining the two latest TikTok crazes –miniature items, in particular food, and crafting – the new line features tiny “ingredients”, kitchen accessories and recipe cards that come beautifully packaged in a blind ball, which can be combined to create culinary masterpieces that harden when exposed to daylight or UV light.
MGA’s Miniverse has been named #9 in Circana’s roundup of the Top 10 New Properties and ranked as the #3 Miscellaneous Toy in April in the UK market. In the US, the line has enjoyed phenomenal success, selling more than 2m balls to date and earning a place on Circana’s list of Top 5 New Toys.
The new line has racked up impressive follower numbers across social media channels, reaching more than 37m people during the first phase of the launch campaign in the UK, and has partnered with some of the biggest crafting influencers on TikTok, including Kira Goode, who boasts more than 700,000 followers and 32 million likes.
In January 2023, Primark teamed with Skinnydip, the London-based “connoisseur of quirky”, for a Bratzthemed adult beauty and lifestyle range that reportedly flew off the shelves. Beauty products including face cloths, a hair detangler, eye mask, compact mirror, eyelash curlers, makeup sponges and hairclips, as well as notebooks, a phone charm, water bottle, throw blanket and pencil case, caused a major buzz on social media, with nostalgia fans professing their eagerness to get their hands on the Bratz-branded goods – and some buying up the entire collection. The launch was supported by posts on Primark’s main and beauty social channels.
Rainbow High making its Netflix debut in May 2023, MGA Entertainment has announced that the fourth season will follow later this year. “Usually we launch each season in the US first, then in other territories later, to allow time for translation into different languages,” says Alan Hilowitz, MGA Entertainment’s vice president, global corporate communications, “but for Season 4, we’ll
be launching globally, which is a first and something we’re very excited about.”
The Rainbow High animated series, available on Netflix and YouTube, has had over 1bn views worldwide. Also in the works this year is the first animated series focusing solely on the Tots, the miniature blind-ball L.O.L. Surprise! dolls, produced by MGA Entertainment’s recent acquisition, Australia-based animation studio Pixel Zoo.
Following her cameo appearance last year in the Rainbow High animated series as the headmistress of Rainbow High’s sister school Pacific Coast High, Paris Hilton was immortalised in doll form in December as the Rainbow High Premium Edition Paris Hilton Collector Doll, marking MGA’s first-ever celebrity partnership for the leading fashion doll brand.
Appealing to the burgeoning kidult market, the Rainbow High Paris Hilton Collector Doll features two outfits hand-picked by Paris herself: a chainmail pink dress with safety-pin details, and a dress embellished with pearl and rhinestone detailing worn with a pink blazer, with a matching pair of knee-high boots.
For the ultimate unboxing experience, Paris comes in a luxe pink collector box secured with a gold plaque, which opens to reveal the doll, clothing and accessories, along with a message from Paris and her autograph.
“Paris Hilton represents the confident individuality, bold fashion and entrepreneurial spirit that Rainbow High is all about,” says MGA Entertainment CEO and founder Isaac Larian.
The Rainbow High Premium Edition Paris Hilton Collector Doll is available in the US at Amazon, Walmart and Target.
More than 21 years since its debut, iconic brand Bratz continues to make its presence felt in the fashion space. May 2023 saw the launch of a trend-led 18-piece
womenswear collection, produced for the leading online fashion retailer by Somerbond. The festivalinspired pieces include a pink knitted tank top featuring the iconic Bratz logo and lips design, a split-front cami top co-ord with lace trim, a satin heart-shaped diamante-studded clutch, sleepwear and swimwear. Supported by extensive social media coverage, the line was released in time for all Bratz nostalgia fans to get summer-ready while showing the world their “passion for fashion”.
In 2022, L.O.L. Surprise! partnered with leading confectionary brands, including Hershey’s Kisses, Jolly Rancher, Chupa Chups and more, for a collectible line designed to spark sweet memories for parents and kidults alike. Launched in the US in autumn and in the UK at Smyth’s Toys in December (and at wider retailers in January 2023), L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets has steadily grown to be the leading segment across the brand in 2022 and 2023 to date. Featuring favourite Tots characters dressed in candyinspired looks, the line-up is available in two different series, all featuring a unique and exclusive unboxing experience: the classic L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets ball with compostable paper ball and the L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets Surprise-O-Matic capsule with vending machine reveal.
“L.O.L. Surprise! is a consistent bestseller for us, even in a soft year, and that’s down to the constant innovation and reinvention of the play pattern, which have kept the brand fresh.
The new L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets line is doing well. MGA’s Miniverse, which is the company’s big launch for this year, is also going well, and seems to have wide appeal amongst both kids and adults. It’s going to be an interesting one to watch this year.
MGA is definitely disruptive in the field of fashion dolls. When you get up close to the Rainbow High dolls and look at some of the detail that’s put into them, it’s incredible. Adding to the brand with lines like Shadow High means MGA continues to challenge the norm in that space, which keeps consumers coming back.
As retailers, we drive promos and value for our customers and MGA has supported that over the years consistently. We’ve done unboxing events in stores in the past, and our marketing teams are working on activations for the second half of the year around window displays.”
We asked a panel of leading licensees and retailers for the lowdown on the MGA products that are currently topping their bestseller lists, and to share their thoughts on what gives blockbuster brands like L.O.L. Surprise!, Rainbow High, Bratz and Little Tikes the edge in a crowded market.
Jonathan Cotugno, vp product development, Townley
“Townley has been developing product globally with MGA since 2020. L.O.L. Surprise! immediately skyrocketed to become one of the top licences across our entire portfolio. Our view is that the strength and continued success of MGA brands lies not only in their uniqueness when compared to the competition, but in the constant expansion of the creative, aligning with on-trend, aspirational moments.
We’re thrilled to be launching product in Q3 2023 surrounding the iconic Bratz brand. This line not only has the nostalgia element, but also the trend-right, quality cosmetics the customer demands. The detailed collaborations that happen daily with the various MGA teams are a direct contribution to the success of all MGA x Townley product lines.”
“Blueprint has partnered with MGA to create L.O.L. Surprise! stationery and bags since 2017, and the products established themselves quickly in our portfolio as bestsellers. The target age group and ‘collectability’ of the brand is a perfect match for the back-to-school category. L.O.L. Surprise! is now a classic in our range; key items include our L.O.L. Surprise! Bumper Stationery Set, Large Art Set and backpack. The MGA team is great to work with. We’re given lots of support with new style guides and quick turnarounds on approvals.”
Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo “L.O.L. Surprise! is consistently in our top five licences across our whole portfolio. Our bestselling licensed products are greeting cards and gift wrap – we sold over 1m units in 2022 and the products are stocked in all key retailers in the UK.
There is a big element of fun and cuteness to L.O.L. that young kids love. The dolls all have their own individual styles and outfits, plus accessories to match. The artwork is kept really fresh, so our products always look strong on-shelf and are recognisable to the person purchasing the cards for the end recipient.
We keep our greeting card designs updated each year, using the refreshed artwork and style guides that MGA supplies on a seasonal basis. We also work closely with MGA to keep pace with its marketing activity and align our marketing accordingly. The other great benefit of the partnership is that MGA has a wide number of licensees and influencers that we can partner with to drive strong activity such as online and in-store retail, competitions and more.”
“Since our multi-year licensing partnership with MGA first began in 2020, we have launched L.O.L. Surprise! and Bratz games for PC and console, and we are delighted to continue our partnership with console game Rainbow High: Rainbow Rush, which will be released this September.
Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion is one of our bestselling games to date, as it tapped into the nostalgia of the brand for long-time fans and also expanded accessibility to younger gamers.
All three of these brands have incredibly strong USPs based around friendship, artistic expression and fashion, with distinctive visual styles that translate incredibly well to the world of video games. The deep connection between the TV, toy and gaming markets enables cross-promotion. MGA was quick to recognise gaming as an important vertical in expanding the worlds of its IPs, and our partnership with MGA delivers a robust brand experience for consumers.”
Rob Broadhurst, commercial director, Aykroyd & Sons
“We’re proud to say we’ve worked on both L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High since the consumer products programmes launched. In the case of L.O.L. Surprise!, that would be seven years now – it’s been a hell of a ride! We’ve really stepped up our marketing activity in recent years and MGA has been a great partner. An excellent example of this was the L.O.L. Surprise! fashion show at Westfield London back in October, where our George at ASDA range was showcased and then shared on social channels by all partners.”
“Story House Egmont has published the L.O.L. Surprise! magazine since 2020 and it has gone from strength to strength. Currently it’s the #4 Primary Girls’ magazine in the UK market; against the backdrop of a declining sector, it’s showing growth of 2% YOY. It is market-leading across all our regions: UK, Eire, ANZ, GSA, Poland, CEE and Nordics.
The L.O.L. Surprise! brand is constantly evolving, so there is always something new for young fans to enjoy. The L.O.L. Surprise! movies have helped to really put the O.M.G. dolls at the forefront of young girls’ minds, and they love being introduced to the dolls on a deeper level, through fun and engaging activities and puzzles in the magazine.
Our seasonal specials are hugely popular – we invest in the product and at retail and we push heavily across our social media marketing platforms. These issues are innovative in terms of content and format, really standing out on-shelf and driving RSV in key seasonal periods.”
“Our relationship with MGA started with the game-changing Bratz in 2003 and has continued ever since.
“We have stocked MGA brands for a number of years, and have also built up a significant offer made up of products from respected licensees complemented by successful innovative DTR ranges of products that we’ve produced ourselves. These include our range of L.O.L. Surprise! gifting, which launched in A/W 2021, and Little Tikes preschool toys (S/S 2022).
Our L.O.L. Surprise! beauty accessories are popular with our younger customers due to the element of surprise and great perceived value through sets and add-on accessories. Our Little Tikes range includes bubbles, ball and hoop games and musical instruments. The branding is really bold and impactful and works well when we highlight a particular theme/story in-store on a gondola end or on social media.”
The launch of our first L.O.L. Surprise! range in 2018 made a massive impact on our licensed wheeled and outdoor toy sales. All our L.O.L. Surprise! products are emblazoned with bright, iconic colour pops and stylised graphics, including our latest line, which consists of 3-in-1 Scootin’ Suitcase, Lithium Electric In-line Scooter, Inline Skates, Hopper, Safety Helmet, Pop Up Tent and Tepee, alongside much-sought-after products such as the Folding In-line Scooter and 14” and 16” bikes. Last year we added Rainbow High to our extensive portfolio of licences, including a Folding In-line Scooter, 14” Bike, Safety Helmet and In-line Skates. The diverse nature of the characters combined with bright, fun slogans and graphics keeps consumers coming back for more.”
