aNb Media, Author at aNb Media, Inc.

WildBrain London Munich Angela Reuber-Gundolf Clare Vosper Mortimer

WildBrain CPLG Bolsters In-House Services and Commercial Teams with New Executive Hires in London and Munich

WildBrain CPLG, one of the world’s leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agencies, has added two highly experienced executives to bolster its in-house services and commercial teams in London and Munich, respectively. In London, Clare Vosper Mortimer has joined WildBrain CPLG’s in-house services team in the new role of VP, Finance and Operations, overseeing the company’s finance function and enhancing its global in-house service offering for partners as it continues to see significant growth. With new offices opened recently in Indonesia and the Philippines as part of the company’s expansion into APAC—bringing the global total to 23 offices driving business in over 100 territories—WildBrain CPLG’s in-house services team is scaling to better support its partners around the world. Clare’s focus will be on enabling even stronger partner-centric financial and operational services, augmenting WildBrain CPLG’s best-in-class suite of other in-house services which include creative, legal and partnerships. She reports to Maarten Weck, EVP, Global Partnerships and Licensing.

2023 National Toy Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

It’s official! The National Toy Hall of Fame has inducted baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, Fisher Price Corn-Popper, and NERF for 2023. The Fisher-Price Corn Popper is the special, fourth inductee in honor of the hall’s 25th anniversary and was chosen by popular vote from a group of “Forgotten Five” finalists. All four toys have been enshrined and are on view at The Strong National Museum of Play, home to the National Toy Hall of Fame. “These four deserving inductees represent a great blend of types of play for people of all ages,” says Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator. “Baseball cards encourage lifelong playing and collection. Cabbage Patch Kids continue to encourage imagination and storytelling for kids. Fisher-Price Corn Popper, which is a forgotten finalist no longer, is a great activity for toddlers. NERF toys are designed for indoor and outdoor activity, and they often find kids and grownups playing together. This is an excellent class to honor the 25th anniversary of the National Toy Hall of Fame.”

Toys”R”Us to Open a Flagship Store at Mall of America Just In Time for the Holiday Shopping Season

WHP Global (“WHP” or the “Company”), parent company of Toys”R”Us, announced the location of its second US flagship store at Mall of America, the largest shopping and entertainment destination in North America. Set to open just before Thanksgiving, this marks the first flagship store in partnership with Go! Retail Group with additional flagship locations opening next year. Today in the United States, Toys”R”Us has a global flagship store at American Dream, and through a landmark partnership with Macy’s over 452 Toys”R”Us shop-in-shops are open inside every Macy’s store nationwide.

‘Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir’ Celebrates the Holidays with the Launch of New Products

Enter a world of imaginative play with all new products launching in time for the holidays for fans of the globally popular animated series ZAG Heroez Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir and the blockbuster animated feature, Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie. Set in modern-day Paris, Marinette and Adrien magically transform into crime-fighting superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir to protect their beloved city from evil… with a little help from magical jewels known as Miraculouses and their Kwamis. Ladybug and Cat Noir are partners in action, but in their normal lives, neither of them is aware of the other one’s superhero identity! And while Marinette has a crush on Adrien, Adrien is in love with Marinette’s alter ego, Ladybug. With action, comedy, romance, relationship dynamics, and intriguing villains, “Miraculous” is a coming-of-age story about kids learning about believing in themselves and finding their true power – that they are the hero behind the mask!

ZAG Appoints Michael Berreth to New Franchise Marketing Director Role

Global independent animation studio ZAG continues to build its brand roster on a global scale and has created a new Franchise Marketing Director role, with the appointment of veteran industry marketing executive Michael Berreth to the position. The announcement was made by Jeremy Zag, Founder and CEO, ZAG. Michael Berreth joins ZAG with over 20-years of experience working on some of the world’s most beloved consumer brands including Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh and girl property Strawberry Shortcake. In this new role, reporting to Julian Jacob Zag, EVP, Global Operations and Head of Consumer Products, he will be responsible for steering franchise marketing strategy for ZAG’s brands. These include the globally popular Miraculous™, which follows the adventures of secret superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir as they defend their beloved city of Paris from evil villains; and the cinematic CG-adventure series Ghostforce, which centers on three elementary school students who secretly form a superhero team—the Ghostforce—to fight the ghosts of New York.

Hasbro and Monopoly Offer Free Parking for Black Friday Shoppers in Five Major Metropolitan Cities Across the US in Partnership with SpotHero

In celebration of Hasbro’s brand-new Monopoly campaign – All is Fair in Monopoly – the leading toy and game company is getting into the holiday spirit by partnering with SpotHero to offer over 1,000 free parking spots for Black Friday shoppers in five metropolitan US cities on Friday, November 24. In addition to the city specific, Monopoly Free Parking coupons, Monopoly and SpotHero will be offering a 10% off coupon to new and existing SpotHero users that can be used nationwide.

Falcon's Beyond Falcon’s Creative Philippines, Inc Nasdaq Bruce A Brown growth

Falcon’s Beyond to Double in Size with Nearly 200 New Positions to Support Global Growth

Falcon’s Beyond Global, Inc (FBYD) (“Falcon’s” or the “Company”), a global entertainment powerhouse and visionary innovator in immersive storytelling, has announced its largest recruitment effort in the company’s history for its Falcon’s Creative Group business unit, with a goal to double its headcount. The company intends to hire nearly 200 new team members to support unprecedented company growth of creative projects across the globe. Currently headquartered in Orlando, Falcon’s Creative Group is one of the world’s leading themed entertainment and master planning firms, having planned over $100 billion in award-winning experiences where creative vision, compelling design, immersive media, and cutting-edge technology intersect to bring imagination to life. The division is launching its bold plan to recruit hundreds of design, media, and technology specialists in advance of the top industry trade conference, IAAPA Expo, in Orlando.

Ravensburger Brings New Mycelia Deck-Building Game to North America

Step into a wondrous world of mushroom folk. Ravensburger, the acclaimed publisher behind award-winning board games and high-quality toys and puzzles, has announced the release of Mycelia, a charming mushroom-themed introduction to deck-building games. Named a “top 10 family board game” at SPIEL Essen last month, Mycelia embraces the cozy gaming trend, adding Ravensburger’s expertise in immersive storytelling, captivating art, and thoughtful, beginner-friendly design. Mycelia is available in North America for pre-order on Amazon beginning today and on sale at local game stores beginning December 1.

Spin Master Announces Retirement of Chris Beardall, President, Toys

Spin Master, a leading global children’s entertainment company, has announced that Chris Beardall, President, Toys and Chief Commercial Officer will retire as of December 31, 2023. Doug Wadleigh, currently Head of Global Toy Brands, will succeed Chris as the new President, Toys beginning in January 2024, reporting to Max Rangel, Global President & CEO. “During Chris’ illustrious 23-year career with Spin Master he has been a driving force behind the introduction of thousands of toys to the market while also deepening and diversifying our portfolio and expanding our global footprint,” said Spin Master’s Global President & CEO, Max Rangel. “Chris leaves a legacy of amazing innovation that will forever be imprinted on the toy industry, and we wish him health and happiness in his next chapter. We’re grateful to have Chris’ support as we transition our Toy creative centre leadership to Doug, a seasoned toy industry executive. Doug has already made a meaningful impact at Spin Master, helping to strengthen our global toy brands and acquire new licensed partnerships. Under his leadership we will continue to unlock future growth within our toy business.”