Licensing World

Just like the real Thing – Wow! Stuff unveils Wednesday range

Wow! Stuff has announced that MGM’s globally successful Wednesday brand will join its autumn portfolio, with the positively ghastly Thing leading the line-up. “We are delighted to be introducing a range of hugely innovative gifts and toys to market that reflect our passion for bringing great brands to life,” said MD, Dawn Lavalette.

Following the debut of season 1, Wednesday spent six weeks in the No.1 spot for most hours viewed of all English language TV series globally. The series accrued more than 1.2b hours viewed within its first 28 days on Netflix and has already been renewed for season 2.

Dawn commented: “MGM’s Wednesday is a hugely exciting property that has taken the world by storm since the release of the Netflix series in 2022, not to mention the continued popularity for The Addams Family brand.

Wednesday will get the Real FX treatment from Wow! Stuff’s multiple award-winning brand of toys that ‘Look Real, Feel Real and Sound Real’. Wow! Stuff has worked with MGM on the development of a Real FX Thing – a lifelike dismembered hand that crawls around on its own volition. The Real FX Thing will let fans create scenes just like in the series, utilising the green screen technology, Chromakey, pioneered by Wow! Stuff in the toy industry.

Dawn added, “Seeing Thing in action will make you disbelieve your own eyes – it looks, feels and acts just like the real Thing on our screens, and we know it’s going to be an instant hit with fans.”

Wednesday will also work its supernatural charm on Wow! Stuff’s unique connectable collectibles, Nano Pods. Dance Wednesday – inspired by the TikTok dance craze which has gone viral amassing billions of views – will be the must-have from the Nano Pods line-up, which will feature 12 fan-favourite characters to collect, with a superrare metallic Wednesday to chase down.

A CDU of ‘Blacker Than Black’ Wednesday putty, an illuminating Mood Light Window and heat-reveal and 3D mugs will also join the Wow! Stuff innovation collection.

To find out more about Wow! Stuff’s new Wednesday range, contact emma.prendaglia@wowstuff.com for UK or dawn.lavalette@wowstuff.com for EMEA.

The Lumistella Company expands its North Pole universe

Home to the original Santa-approved Christmas elf, The Elf on the Shelf, The Lumistella Company is anticipating an exciting future full of new stories, products and characters. Founder and co-CEO Chanda Bell commented: “2023 is the beginning of a whole new era of storytelling from The Lumistella Company. We are pulling back the curtain on the mystery and magic of the North Pole to reveal the narrative of the fantastical world beyond The Elf on the Shelf brand.”

The company is rolling out a broad portfolio of The Elf on the Shelf, Elf Pets and Elf Mates products, along with products featuring Santa’s most trusted magical arctic fox friend, Noorah. This beloved character uses her extraordinary gifts to assist Santa as he flies around the world undetected each Christmas Eve. One of Santa’s newest pals also makes a debut this season – the clever and fluffy Bogies are ready for adventures outside the North Pole.

With 75+ global licensees across key categories, The Lumistella Company is positioned for even further expansion in 2024 and 2025, in celebration of its 20th anniversary. Families can tune in as the songs of Santa’s North Pole become available for streaming through a global music distribution deal with Magic Star.

With the first-ever The Elf on the Shelf & Friends Challenge, in partnership with Medal Dash, fans can compete in a virtual run from their local communities and receive The Elf on the Shelf-branded race packets. Other partnerships include a global publishing deal with HarperCollins Publishers, as reported in the Toy World May issue, encompassing more than a dozen titles over the next five years, including a cookbook. Founder and co-CEO Christa Pitts added: “A wholly formed universe of storytelling is set to emerge in the coming years. We are thrilled to continue our work of creating joyful family moments and telling the stories of Santa's North Pole.”

Disguise to bring out MGA branded dress up

Disguise has announced a new multi-year contract with MGA Entertainment to design, manufacture and distribute costumes and dress up accessories across the globe for MGA’s hottest brands.

The agreement includes the L.O.L. Surprise!, Rainbow High, Little Tikes and Bratz brands. Disguise’s exceptional attention to detail and unwavering commitment to quality will serve to elevate these brands to the next level in costumes and dress-up. Its innovative designs have been created to appeal to kids and collectors alike, providing them with the opportunity to dress up as their favourite characters from some of MGA’s globally popular brands.

Tara Cortner, president and general manager of Disguise, commented: “We have prior experience collaborating with MGA and are well aware of the immense popularity of its brands at retail, as well as the fervour for dressing up as these characters. We have exciting and innovative ideas for these lines, and you can look forward to seeing them in stores and online all over the world later this year.”

“We are pleased to be extending our relationship with Disguise,” added Mindy Puente-Escalera, senior vice president, Global Licensing, MGA Entertainment. “It’s important to us that our brands continue to have many touchpoints allowing us to engage with our fans, and we believe these new products will be fan favourites from the start.”

The Disguise range of costumes and accessories for MGA Entertainment brands will be available later in 2023.