4 minute read
Brand Profile - Fuggler
A beautiful partnership for Fuggler
Ushering in a new era for the Fuggler brand, Zuru will take over the plush licensing rights from autumn/winter 2024 and preview the range for spring/ summer 2025. Here, Mark Kingston, CEO & co-founder of Fuggler brand owner Libertas Brands, Stuart Grant, co-founder of Libertas Brands, and Nick Mowbray, co-founder of Zuru Toy Company, tell Toy World how the partnership is evolving and what it means for the funny, ugly plush.
Mark Kingston: It’s great having Zuru on board. Everything, from sourcing and product development to sales & marketing, has been incredible and it’s mindblowing to see how Zuru operates behind the scenes. It’s really highlighted why the company has become such a successful global toy player in a relatively short period of time.
Nick Mowbray: Likewise! It’s been great working with Libertas brands on this project and I’m constantly learning from Mark and Stuart. Attending Comic Con with them earlier this year, and understanding the collector sector more deeply, was definitely a highlight for me.
Stuart Grant: We’re able to ideate with Zuru’s design team in real-time, working through countless different character designs, concepts, themes and product material applications to build out the Fuggler range and drive constant newness and excitement for the fans, while keeping true to the core DNA of the franchise. The scale and reach of the Zuru business means it can rapidly expand Fuggler distribution around the globe. We’ve seen retail listings for second half of 2024 and spring 2025 increase substantially as a result.
Nick - What drew you and Zuru to the Fuggler brand?
NB: The brand is really unexpected and stops you in-store. There’s nothing else like it on the market, and the opportunities for further product development are endless. We saw the great success the brand has enjoyed in the UK, and the fact there is lots of pent-up demand for it globally, so taking on the plush licensing rights was a no brainer.
What synergies do Libertas and Zuru have?
MK: Both are agile, able to make quick decisions, and have the desire to build upon the great foundations laid down by Addo Play. We also share the same vision for where the brand can go. In 2023 and 2024, we introduced third party IP collaborations into the world of Fuggler for the first time, with the launch of the Fuggler X Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles range, followed by Fuggler X SpongeBob & Patrick. And with the August launch of the Fuggler X DC range at The Entertainer, which encompasses the iconic characters of The Joker, Harley Quinn, Batman and Superman, we’re making a real statement: that we’re only just getting started combining unique, iconic characters with the unique and cheeky Fugglers.
How is the wider Fuggler licensing programme developing?
MK: Poetic Brands is our key partner in the Apparel and Accessories space, PMI Kids’ World has developed an exciting range of collectible minifigures and interactive figures, and we have some fun pet products coming through from Sinco Pets too. Hunter Price is developing a range of stationery and shopping bags, while Lake Press is working on a range of publishing titles for 2025 and Rainbow Productions is our costume character partner. You’ll see our new Fuggler costume character for the first time at BLE this year.
SG: We’re working with (and looking for) partners who understand the unique DNA of the Fuggler brand and can bring it to life with innovative, fun and quirky products that will appeal to Fuggler fans of all ages - and introduce the crazy antics of our Fugglers to new fans.
Nick, you've previously spoken of ushering in a new era for the brand. What will that look like in practice?
NB: Zuru is now one of the world’s largest plush manufacturers. One of the greatest assets that we’ve developed over the last 15 years is our product team. It’s the best in the world at what it does. We aim to utilise all its talents to bring a tonne of stunning new lines to the brand over the coming years. We have over 150 unique new Fugglers planned for 2025 alone, and we are also planning on doubling down our efforts on platforms such as TikTok to really drive brand engagement.
