Licensing World News

Winning Moves partners with Jazwares on Squishmallows range

Utilising key licensing relationships with Hasbro and Jazwares, and with a continued focus on product innovation, Winning Moves has announced the launch of Squishmallows Top Trumps, Top Trumps Match! and Monopoly – with the latter featuring a rare and exclusive version of the first-ever Squishmallows plush, Cam the Cat, which is styled on Mr Monopoly himself. Pairing the fantastic range of Squish plushies with the renowned gameplay and editorial style of Top Trumps, players will be able to review ratings, including Squish Release Date, Height, and Collector’s Number, as well as the usual character fun fact file. Top Trumps Match! offers great gameplay for all the family, whereby players take it in turns to “match” a row of five Squishmallows characters, while hoping their opponent doesn’t steal the game – and the points – at the end.

Kieran McNamara, head of Sales at Winning Moves, said: “We have seen an excellent reaction to our range, with the Squishmallows Monopoly set to feature on promo plinths at several key retail partners in Q4 this year. We’re also delighted to be able to offer collectors the unique opportunity to own a Mr Monopoly-styled Cam the Cat rare plush with every purchase of the family favourite Christmas board game.” Sam Ferguson, SVP Global Licensing at Jazwares, added :“We’re really excited to bring the Squishmallows brand to such an iconic games property. We know our fans will love adding this fantastic new addition to their growing Squishmallows collections.”

The Squishmallows range has already secured a wide selection of stockists including Asda, Argos, Sainsbury’s, Smyths Toys, The Range, B&M, Game, and local independent toy shops, from October. Squishmallows Monopoly was officially launched at Midco Toys in late September, and owner David Middleton has already tipped the game for success in his top predictions for Christmas 23.

For more information, get in touch with sales@winningmoves.co.uk.

Craft Buddy adds DC and Harry Potter to portfolio

Leading international craft company Craft Buddy has announced a new licensing agreement with Warner Bros, which will include the launch of a range of new DC, Friends and Harry Potter arts & crafts products.

The new products will launch in early 2024 in multiple territories including the UK, Middle East and Africa. Under the multi-year agreement, the company’s first wave of releases will feature a range of Crystal Art products, the popular diamond painting activity that uses sparkly coloured beads to create impressive works of art, and a series of innovative Paint By Numbers lines. In addition to new Crystal Art Card, Notebook and Canvas kits, new products in development will also include Craft Buddy’s trending Crystal Art Buddies, a range of craft kits that enable anyone to make their own sparkly, collectible Crystal Art wooden figurines using the diamond painting technique; as well as some brand new, as yet unseen product formats.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Warner Bros on some of its most iconic properties, including DC and Harry Potter.” said Gary Wadhwani, Craft Buddy director. “We have had proven success with our growing portfolio of licensed Craft Buddy products, and Warner Bros is the missing piece of the puzzle in our licensing portfolio. We can’t wait to be part of the DC and Harry Potter families from 2024 onwards.”

To celebrate, the Craft Buddy team visited the Warner Bros Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter in Leavesden, Hertfordshire last Friday, where they toasted the new deal with a few draughts of frothy Butterbeer.

Craft Buddy will be showcasing the new Harry Potter ranges at London Toy Fair, Nuremberg Toy Fair and Creativeworld Frankfurt at the beginning of 2024.

The company will be showing all of its other new ranges at Autumn Fair at the NEC in Birmingham at stand 20B57.

To find out more about the company’s products, visit the website here. or get in touch on 0203 417 6565 or trade@craftbuddyltd.co.uk.

Moose Toys announces Trolls Band Together Mineez

The collectibles will hit shelves this month, ahead of the much-anticipated theatrical release of DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together on 17th November. The Mineez will come in a variety of pack sizes and accessible price points, ranging from a single- to an 11-pack.

Moose Toys has created more than 100 Trolls Band Together Mineez. The 1.5-inch minifigures make up the first official collectors’ line of Trolls Band Together toys and feature fan favourites like Poppy and Branch, as well as new characters, including Poppy’s sister Viva and members of Branch’s boy band, BroZone. Trolls Band Together Mineez have a variety of troll hair and finishes, including head-to-toe glitter, metallic and transparent, and will be available in rare, ultra-rare and limited editions. With a wide range of charming and unique collectibles, kids and collectors can search for their favourite characters and build an impressive collection.

In addition to the Mineez range, the company is also launching Trolls products based on Moose Toys’ original brands, including Real Littles and Scruff-A-Luvs.

“Fans will be amazed by the vast treasure trove of Trolls coming their way. There has never been an official collectibles line of Trolls toys and we are making up for it with a vast collection at an affordable ‘collect them all’ price,” said Joe Smith, vice president of global and US Marketing, licensed brands, Moose Toys. “In addition to the movieinspired Mineez, we are introducing Moose-ified Trolls in cross-collaboration with several of our own brands. This is one more way that we are endearing the iconic Trolls franchise to its enthusiastic fan base, while also appealing to loyal fans of our most popular brands.”

Creative Kids teams up with Uplift for Adopt Me! product line

The popular pet adoption game with more than 33m plays will have Creative Kids licensed consumer products on shelves this autumn.

Delivered by Uplift Games, Adopt Me! has been enjoyed by over 400m players through the Roblox platform. With more than 300 pets to raise and play with, the Adopt Me! experience creates a family-friendly environment where players can build and decorate houses, adopt pets and create their own fun and social experiences.

“The team is pumped to get our creative ideas out to market for Adopt Me!” said Creative Kids partner and chief marketing officer Daniel DeLapa. “The popular nature of the Adopt Me! characters is a perfect fit for the play patterns we’ve developed, and with incredible pent-up demand for product, we are excited to bring the lovable characters and incredible experience to life.”

From novelty stationery, craft and activity kits, compounds and more, Creative Kids will be focusing on formats that play into the games’ target demographics for year-round in-store activations. The first product to hit market will be 3D Puzzle Erasers complete with a build-your-own mini room. Available initially in Target stores nationwide this autumn, the puzzle erasers will be available in six different Adopt Me characters with coordinating mini puzzle rooms to be built and played with.

The range will be available from spring/summer 2024 in the UK.

“Our partnership with Creative Kids only exemplifies the trajectory of Adopt Me,” said Richard Haines, head of Consumer Products for Uplift Games. “The product line-up we have in store will excite and bring additional ways for fans to engage with the Adopt Me world.”

For more information on current and upcoming product releases, visit www.creativekids.com and follow @creativekidsbrands on Instagram and Facebook.

Paw Patrol branded collection for Curious Universe

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Paw Patrol this year, the top-rated pre-school series, produced by Spin Master and airing on Nickelodeon, continues to delight and engage fans around the world. With the upcoming October theatrical release of Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Curious Universe says there’s no better time to be launching a new range of licensed arts & crafts products in the UK, inspired by the hit animated franchise.

“All of us at Curious Universe are delighted to be working with Paramount Consumer Products on the world-renowned brand, Paw Patrol,” said John Styring, CEO at Curious Universe. “We look forward to bringing lots of play value and activity to both loyal and new fans of the pups.”

Anticipating consumer excitement over the new film, Curious Universe is launching three new branded products.

• Paw Patrol – I Love Crystals features six crystal-art cards and 20 pages of colouring. Complete with crystal stylus and storage tray, children can create dazzling pictures of their favourite pups.

• The celebrated 3D Diamond Studio is now available as a new Paw Patrol 24-page activity book plus Chase character model, with 3000 crystals, glue, applicator and tray, plus silicone gum.

• The new Paw Patrol – Finger Print Art set encourages children to develop concentration and imaginative play, and also helps develop patience and mindfulness.

Curious Universe is renowned for creating high quality and innovative products for curious minds around the world, with ranges spanning multiple industry sectors including arts & crafts, books, stationery, toys and jigsaws. An established sustainability programme ensures the foundations of the company’s growth are underpinned by its E.P.I.C company ethos: Explore.Play.Imagine.Create.

Readers can get in touch at 01225 614 310 or by emailing sales@curiousuniverse.co.uk.

Rubies brings The World of David Walliams to life

Rubies has announced the signing of one of the biggest licences in the children’s literature industry, welcoming The World of David Walliams to its portfolio of brands and becoming the sole licensee for the property across dress-up.

The collaboration is expected to be hugely successful with audiences across the country, especially around World Book Day. The dress-up will feature new characters and re-imagined styles of the most popular characters from Walliams’ huge back catalogue of IP. With designs already in development, the range is expected to be available to pre-order later this year, perfect for trade retailers looking to stock up in time for World Book Day.

Since the publication of his ground-breaking first novel, The Boy in the Dress (2008), David Walliams has seen unprecedented growth, with global sales exceeding 53m copies, and his books translated into 55 languages. David’s publishing has evolved into one of the biggest multi-media entertainment brands in the UK today, engaging and delighting children across a multitude of platforms. The world beyond the books includes licensed products, TV adaptations, theatre productions, arena tours and an attraction based on the perennial bestselling novel, Gangsta Granny, at Alton Towers Resort.

Justin McGiffin, head of Licensing for Rubies, said: “Bolstering our children’s literature range of costumes, The World of David Walliams is an exciting new step. With it, Rubies strengthens its 365 and World Book Day offering. We can’t wait to see little ones embrace the transformative power of reading and dress-up with our new range of costumes.”

Geraldine Stroud, Brand, Marketing and Communications director at HarperCollins Children’s Books, added: “As part of our strategic growth of The World of David Walliams, we cannot wait to launch this fantastic range of new costumes with Rubies. World Book Day is a highlight in the Walliams brand calendar, and this new dress-up will delight Walliams readers everywhere.”

For an exclusive look at the upcoming styles, get in touch with regional Rubies representatives, or contact customerservices@rubiesuk.com.

Cartamundi’s Bicycle Playing Cards debuts Disney collection

Bicycle Playing Cards is commemorating Disney’s 100th anniversary with five new playing card collections. Leading the lineup is the new Disney Black and Gold Mickey Mouse playing card deck, available from September in the UK.

“Our Cartamundi brands are founded on the belief that play enriches the world,” said Tricia Bouras, Cartamundi Global Entertainment president, and CEO and president of the United States Playing Card Company of Cartamundi Entertainment. “Through Disney, we are further inspired by the power of wonderment to create a world that is truly magical. We are thrilled to breathe life into this vision through our new playing card collection.”

The remaining decks in the collection will be unveiled throughout the rest of the year via Bicyclecards.com. These will be available in multiple markets across the globe.

“Disney characters and stories ignite the imagination, empowering families to joyfully immerse themselves in the Wonder of Play,” added Masha Levseieva, VP North America Marketing and Global Insights at Cartamundi. “As a brand, we wholeheartedly embrace the enchantment and awe, making Disney the quintessential IP to breathe life into our playing cards.”

The five decks in the Disney Collection include: Disney Mickey Mouse Inspired Black and Gold Playing Cards, Disney Princess Inspired Playing Cards, Disney Villains Inspired Playing Cards, Disney 100 Inspired Playing Cards and Disney Classic Mickey Mouse Inspired Playing Cards.

YuMe Toys launches Series 2 of Stranger Things collectibles range

This second series builds upon the stellar sell-out of Series 1 in 2022. The new lines are set to bring more excitement and nostalgia to collectors and fans of the hit Netflix series and enable them to expand upon Series 1’s mystery capsules collectibles.

Following Series 1’s success, YuMe Toys has raised the bar with Series 2, with an expanded range which includes Series 2 lines of the popular Stranger Things Upside Down Capsules. This includes new character designs such as Vecna and updated reveal features which build upon the excitement of Series 1, DZNR premium quality collectible plush toys produced as limited-edition collectibles, and a range of clip-on miniature DZNR plush.

Each SKU in Series 2 has been meticulously designed with the utmost attention to detail, ensuring that fans can enjoy high-quality merchandise which reflects the pop culture phenomenon of the Netflix series.

The Series 2 Stranger Things range will be showcased at YuMe Toys’ Los Angeles Roadshow event followed by the New York Toy Fair. The range will be available at retail from October.

Gurdeep Bains, global creative director at YuMe Toys, said: “Based on the popularity and amazing sales of Series 1, we’ve focused Series 2 as a range which includes both design and production excellence. The new range of collectibles can be enjoyed and played with by the wide Stranger Things fanbase.”

Disguise extends Nintendo Licensing agreement

Disguise has announced an extension of its global rights to Nintendo dress up. This extension allows Disguise to continue its partnership with Nintendo of America in designing, developing and manufacturing costumes and costume accessories in a multi-year agreement that spans across the globe.

Since the initial Disguise global launch of licensed Nintendo costumes in 2013, the line has experienced continuous growth and expansion over the past ten years. As gaming and dressing up remain popular and ever-increasing interests on an international level, Disguise has been at the forefront, catering to the fervent demand for high-quality and creative costumes inspired by Nintendo’s beloved characters. As several Nintendo franchises continue to grow with new key game releases and even extensions into theme parks and film, Disguise has seen a significant expansion of the brand in all parts of the world, including EMEA, LATAM and ANZ.

Tara Cortner, president and general manager of Disguise expressed her excitement about the longstanding partnership with Nintendo: “Over the years, we have collaborated on various innovative lines, featuring iconic characters from Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing. We’ve grown from a couple of Mario and Luigi costumes in the early days to a large selection of characters attracting fans of all ages and demographics. The enthusiastic response from both new and loyal fans has been truly heartening.”

Fans from all corners of the globe can look forward to a diverse range of Nintendoinspired costumes and accessories this autumn.