Q&A Jazwares

Squishing well

Heather Corbett, head of Brand & Marketing at Jazwares for Squishmallows & Plush, Europe, tells Toy World about the ongoing success of Squishmallows and why its two brand-new plush ranges, Living on the Veg and BumBumz, are fueling huge excitement ahead of their Q3 launches.

Squishmallows isn’t showing any signs of slowing down from what we can see. What are the figures behind the brand’s performance this year?

To date, Squishmallows’ vast, loyal multigenerational fanbase and audience has bought over 200m+ plush, which is an amazing milestone to hit. The UK is following the success of the US market, winning the UK Toy Industry Award for Toy of the Year in 2022 and dominating the best-selling toy charts at most major retailers. Squishmallows has also won an unprecedented seven Toy of the Year Awards from the US Toy Association and is now sold in over 55 countries. We have a lot of exciting plans for how to continue Squishmallows’ stratospheric success.

On social media, Squishmallows is a superstar: our Squishmallows fanbase has created over 11b impressions on TikTok, with @squishmallows tagged in more than 1m Instagram posts. This success is reflected in our social media following, with over 1.3m global followers and 110 global and local Facebook groups created by fans.

The Squishmallows social media effect is also reflected by retailers. Because the brand triggers a notable rise in views and engagement from fans and collectors, retailers are choosing to feature Squishmallows heavily as part of their own social content. Toy specialists and grocers alike are seeing phenomenal rates of sale as soon as new squads hit the shelves. To drive this further, we’re increasing the number of new squads hitting the market, which in turn drives the fan chase that they’re then so eager to share on social media.

Following the hugely successful launch of Squishmallows on Roblox, we continue as the No. 1 toy game by concurrent players with a massive 11.5m registered unique users.

What major developments can we look forward to in terms of content, product launches, licensing deals and more?

The Squishmallows phenomenon continues to growas we drive the hunt with more core and exclusive styles than ever before. Our best-in-class brand collaborations for Q3/4 will excite fans further as we launch licensed lines featuring Nightmare Before Christmas, new Squishmallows x Harry Potter and more Squishmallows x Pokemon styles from the sell-out collection. Fans will also be Hunting Squishmallows to find the limited edition D100 range featuring classic Disney characters in a unique silver style, which add some sparkle to the squad.

Squishmallows Stackables will launch in the UK later this year. This is a range of 12” fan-favourite styles in a slightly different form, perfect for snuggling. Responding to seasonal demand, we have a vastly increased selection of seasonal lines with fan favourite Halloween and Christmas Squishmallows.

Moving into spring 2024, there will be updates to our product and channel strategy which will elevate the brand in terms of the number of styles in market, and where those styles can be found. The aim of this strategy shift is to drive The Hunt. We have listened to the fans, and we know they want more unique styles in the market. We believe offering a much bigger exclusivesprogramme and diversity across channels will lead not only to increased sales, but also to increased social sharing and fan satisfaction.

Beyond the toy aisle, Squishmallows is rapidly growing into a global lifestyle franchise with an impressive consumer products programme. The brand currently has 50+ licensing partners already signed across beauty, games, apparel and home decor. The aim is to introduce varying categories and give fans different branded experiences to ensure long-term success for this premiere licensing programme.

You also showed BumBumz and Living on the Veg in January. How was the reception to those brands and what are your hopes for them?

We have had a fantastic response to BumBumz and Living on the Veg and are excited to be launching these in Q3 this year. Retailers have really supported both brands; it’s been fantastic to see so many people loving the developments in our plush lines.

BumBumz is already gaining a phenomenal customer response following its launch in the US and has a rapidly growing social following. Fans are regularly sharing their collections and we have seen overwhelming demand from UK fans keen to know when the rangesare hitting shelves in the UK. Fans also love to share and identify with the fun and wacky characters from the Living On The Veg collection, which again is leading to a large social media reaction and following for the brand.

The three brands are all very different to one another and will appeal to a varied selection of consumers. Can we assume this was a very deliberate move to avoid ‘cannibalism’?

Absolutely. Jazwares is a leader in trend plush, and to stay relevant we want to delight and surprise customers with all our new plush launches. We’re keen to bring even more innovation to the category and to keep customers excited about what’s coming next.

BumBumz is a firm favourite in the UK office as they are just so soft and cute. They have a sensory element to them, with their slouchy bean bag style making them very hard to put down. Each range, called a ‘class’, is themed, and filled with quirky designs that you wouldn’t regularly see from other plush brands. With a 12-week continuous wave strategy, character bios and unique stickers, we’re certain customers are going to agree that the range is as diverse as the people collecting them.

Living on the Veg is made up of plush veggies with eccentric personalities to match their styles. We’ve had so much fun with the facial expressions of these 6” cuties, let’s just say not all of them are smiling. In fact, in the US, some of the grumpier looking veggies are the ones the fans have been enjoying the most. We are launching with the Fun Guys in Q3, a crew of party loving mushrooms. Later this year these will be closely followed by the Cornies, a bunch of Corns that love a dad joke or two.

What kinds of support are you providing retailers this year?

We are very excited about the launch of a new Squishmallows brand spot for autumn/winter 2023, which will showcase the essence of the Squishmallows brand. This will be used across digital and VOD platforms this autumn/winter alongside a top-tier TikTok campaign. This platform remains a top priority for the brand and allows us to engage with our core Gen Z audience in relatable, fun ways.

We’re planning more Squishmallows brand statements in-store as well as out-of-aisle activations, Cam the Cat costume appearances and independent retailer events. However, some would say the most powerful marketing element is actually driving Squishmallows fans to embark on their own Squishmallows Hunts at retail. Inviting retailers to be part of the updated channel strategy fuels fan behaviour and leads to them increasingly documenting on social media where they find their next unique style.

Lastly, which single new launch are you most looking forward to this year – and why?

It has to be BumBumz. They are trendy, soft and cute, perfect for all ages and available at a great price point - what’s not to love? We have had such a fantastic response from retail, and we really do believe this range will become another much-loved plush collectible from Jazwares. The key to BumBumz is that there really is something for everyone, with each character holding its own fun, unique meaning from customer to customer. We are launching BumBumz with a huge investment in content and marketing, top-tier influencer campaigns and unique digital and social content for autumn/winter 2023 and beyond.

To get in touch about Squishmallows, Living on the Veg, BumBumz or any other range, call 020 3598 5119 or visit www.jazwares.com.

Heather Corbett