On December 16th, The Mattel Children’s Foundation partnered with the Los Angeles Football Club, Ford Motors, and LAFC part-owner Will Ferrell to provide an unforgettable holiday shopping event for deserving L.A. families.
In celebration of Hasbro’s 100th anniversary, the leading toy and game company announced that Alan Hassenfeld and The Hassenfeld Family Foundation would donate $1 million to four purposeful charities aligned with Hasbro’s philanthropic strategy through its Centennial Fan Choice Campaign on HasbroPulse.com. From September 22 to November 30, Hasbro’s passionate fan base was given the opportunity to choose how the $1M was allotted through voting online for each purchase they made on HasbroPulse.com. Hasbro is excited to announce the results of the fan vote, revealing that Toys for Tots has won first place with a donation of $400K, while Hasbro Children’s Hospital takes 2nd place to receive $300K, One Tree Planted snags 3rd for $200K and Games for Change came in 4th place with $100K.
Jazwares, a leading global toy company, has announced it has further expanded its global presence with the acquisition of Big Balloon, Australia’s most innovative full-service toy distributor. Big Balloon has been a key player in the Australian toy industry for more than 12 years, championing big and small brands through to retail success via an extensive network of partnerships with major and independent players. “The Australian toy market is a $1.7B industry. The acquisition of Big Balloon is an investment in our future global growth with a solid partner in the Australian market,” said Judd Zebersky, Founder and CEO of Jazwares. “Chris Loverso is an excellent manager and we are fortunate to have him and his entire team become a part of the Jazwares family.” Zebersky continued, “Jazwares Australia will have a major impact on the toy industry in the long-term, with the team’s laser focus on Jazwares’ brands and business, adding value to all retail partners and consumers.”
Squishmallows by Jazwares and the Monster High Skullector Line by Mattel have received top honors, taking home the 2023 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards’ coveted overall “Toy of the Year” award and “People’s Choice” honor, respectively. A representation of the most creative, imaginative, and fun products perfect for gifting this holiday season, The Toy Foundation (TTF) previously announced the product category winners at the 2023 TOTY Awards celebration in September.
Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) is proud to announce its 2023 Wonder Women Winners, who were celebrated at the 18th annual Wonder Women Awards at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers in New York City. The leading global organization focused on advancing and advocating for women in the toy, consumer products, licensing and entertainment industries, also honored Laura Zebersky with the Visionary Leader Award; Lisa McKnight, who received the Trailblazer Award, and Nyla Hayes, recipient of the Future Leader Award. The Wonder Women Awards honors top female executives, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and other changemakers for their extraordinary accomplishments and impact within the toy, licensing and the entertainment industries.
Moose Toys, an innovative leader in the toy industry, won two prestigious accolades, including Champion of Diversity & Inclusion for Art Director Brent Bell in the inaugural people-focused awards, and an inaugural Marketing Campaign of the Year Award (Silver) at the Toy Foundation’s 24th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The TOTY Award winners were announced at an awards ceremony at Cipriani’s 42nd Street in New York City, opening day of The Toy Association’s 2024 Preview and 2023 Holiday Market. “A dynamic, dedicated and zealously active leader, Brent was the catalyst for adding the LQBTQIA+ Workstream to Moose’s global workplace D&I initiatives,” said Paul Solomon, CEO, Moose Toys. “Under his leadership, Brent and his small team of volunteers designed a program that supports Moose’s commitment to building a workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We look forward to becoming further educated and enlightened under his thoughtful leadership and are so proud that his important efforts are being recognized and rewarded.”
wards, philanthropy, and entertainment on the eve of Toy Fair in New York City. Barbie, LEGO, Squishmallows, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were among the top winners of the evening, along with standout wins for Blue Marble, Thames & Kosmos, WowWee, and others that were honored with a prestigious award before Grammy Award winner Wyclef Jean took the stage. Hosted by and in support of The Toy Foundation (TTF), the TOTY Awards are an opportunity for the toy industry to unite behind their Foundation’s work delivering the extraordinary benefits of play to children in need. Collectively, approximately $800,000 was raised to support TTF’s programs benefitting the mission partners that participated in the celebration — Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Metro World Child, and University of Maryland — as well as hundreds of additional national and international nonprofits. The TOTY Awards’ Presenting Sponsors — Amazon, Mattel, Inc., and Spin Master — all joined TTF on stage to highlight the importance and impact of the mission partners’ work.
MAGNA-TILES, has rolled into victory, winning Preschool Toy of the Year for their Downhill Duo magnetic building set at the Toy Foundation’s 2023 Toy of the Year Awards. The winners of the 2023 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards were unveiled by The Toy Foundation at the Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards on Friday, September 29th at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The product category winners were determined by votes from Toy Association members, toy retailers, media and consumers. The awards celebration kicked off Toy Fair week, taking place from Saturday, September 30 through October 3, 2023, in which MAGNA-TILES will showcase their award-winning portfolio of magnetic construction toys.
Moose Toys, a leading product and marketing innovator in the toy industry, marks its first appearance back at North American International Toy Fair with the display of its most sought-after holiday toys, including TOTY finalist and social media sensation Cookeez Makery. The latest release from Moose to mirror the smashing success of Magic Mixies, Cookeez Makery launched in July and has flown off shelves, requiring air freighting to keep up with growing retail demand. Cookeez Makery solidifies Moose’s domination in the new era of toy design by perfectly blending traditional play patterns with never-before-seen tech features designed to ignite multiple senses.