Poptaters Wave 2 is Coming in Hot with New Host of Licenses

Poptaters, the brand that brings fans their favorite pop culture characters through the iconic Potato Head, announces wave 2 of its licensed characters. Spud-tacular, new mashups include fan favorites Dwight Schrute from The Office, “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski, Sonic the Hedgehog, with Chucky (of Child’s Play) and Good Luck Trolls coming soon! Poptaters combines Hasbro’s classic Potato Head with pop culture icons to create hilarious, fun collectibles. In classic Potato Head fashion, each figure features removable, interchangeable facial and body parts, including one surprise Potato Head original piece. 

Disguise Signs Multiyear Licensing Agreement for Horror Survival Game Poppy Playtime

Disguise, Inc, the leading costume division of toy and consumer products manufacturer, JAKKS Pacific, Inc has announced, in partnership with Mob Entertainment, a new multi-year licensing agreement for North America and EMEA to design, develop and manufacture costumes and costume accessories for the episodic horror survival game, Poppy Playtime, commencing in fall 2023. Poppy Playtime, developed by Mob Entertainment, is a chilling episodic horror survival game that immerses players in a sinister tale. In this spine-tingling adventure, you assume the role of a former Playtime Co. employee, compelled to return to the forsaken toy factory ten years after the mysterious disappearance of its entire staff. As you delve into the shadows of the abandoned facility, your only goal is to survive the relentless pursuit of vengeful toys lurking within.

Hearthsong Celebrates 40 Years of Play with Re-imagined Branding and More Brands In Its Online Toy Store

Hearthsong, the toy brand dedicated to colossal imagination, is celebrating 40 years of playtime with re-imagined branding and an expanding assortment of new brands in its e-commerce toy store at hearthsong.com. For four decades, the company has built its reputation with high-quality toys that unlock imagination. With this magical 40 year milestone comes Hearthsong’s announcement that “the fun has just begun,” reflecting the company’s breakout transformation from mail order catalog retailer to omni-channel imaginative play brand. The new “warm, wondrous, colossal” branding approach honors that deep legacy and provides a foundation for a host of exciting changes in product, packaging, and communications.

Hasbro Expands Star Wars Mandalorian ‘Mandoverse’ Kid Toy Offerings

Hasbro has revealed two new toys for young fans of the galaxy far, far away with new Mandalorian inspired items! First kids can dive into Jedi training with Mission Fleet Grogu’s Training Adventure. This Mission Fleet toy is inspired by The Book of Boba Fett comes with Ahsoka Tano, R2-D2, Luke Skywalker and Grogu action figures as well as 7 accessories, including 3 Lightsabers , a training droid, and spinning stand, a frog and an attachable backpack that Grogu can sit in, just like in the show! For older aspiring bounty hunters, Hasbro has revealed the NERF The Mandalorian Blaster. This NERF blaster is decorated on both sides with vibrant Mandalorian designs and has an internal 4-dart clip and unleashes 1 dart at a time to help kids brings in their bounties.

New Ultraman Licensing News Announced from Licensing Expo 2023

Ultraman, the iconic Japanese superhero, is preparing for a major big-budget animated family feature film coming in summer 2024 from Tsuburaya Productions and Netflix Animation. The highly anticipated CG-animated film, which  is co-directed by Shannon Tindle (The Croods, Kubo and the Two Strings) and John Aoshima (Gravity Falls, Ducktales), with animation and special effects by Industrial Light and Magic, is currently in production and will bring an even wider audience to the beloved silver and red character. The epic film continues Netflix’s successful relationship with Tsuburaya Productions following the release of the first season of Anime Ultraman in 2019. The third season of the popular anime series is available now on Netflix.

2023 Licensing International Excellence Awards Winners Unveiled

The winners of the 2023 Licensing International Excellence Awards were unveiled last night in a ceremony that brought together industry executives from around the world to celebrate the best of the global brand licensing industry. The 30 award winners were selected from 201 finalists from across the globe. More than 850 submissions were received, narrowed down by an expert global judging panel and voted on by members of the licensing industry at large. This year’s Excellence Awards were hosted by Cakewalk Entertainment founder and CEO George Leon and La Panadería President and CEO Maca Rotter. The awards were presented by Alifish, Jazwares, Spaceport, and Spirit.

Jazwares Expands Licensing Team with Two New Hires, Karen Eggleston and Kim Bell

As the industry readies for Licensing Expo, Jazwares has announced two strategic new hires joining its Licensing team. Karen Eggleston, a licensing, brand management, and marketing veteran with nearly 20 years of industry experience has joined Jazwares as Vice President of Licensing & Consumer Products, North America, while industry veteran Kim Bell joins as Senior Director, Licensing. Both are taking on newly created roles at the company. 

Jazwares Expands Squishmallows Consumer Products Program and Grows as a Preeminent Global Lifestyle Brand

Jazwares, one of the world’s fastest-growing toy companies, is squishing in all the fun at this year’s Licensing Expo Las Vegas with its sensational lifestyle property, Squishmallows. As the #1 plush property in the U.S. and second best-selling toy brand overall, the phenomenal popularity of Squishmallows has propelled world-class licensee collaborations across fashion, gaming, and lifestyle categories, adding to its illustrious portfolio of more than 65+ best-in-class licensing partners.

Rainbow High Celebrates National Best Friend Day with New Survey Data

In celebration of National Best Friend Day, Rainbow High, the leading fashion doll brand from MGA Entertainment, Inc (MGA), announced the results from a recent survey that explored what qualities both parents and their kids look for when building friendships. These results help kick off the new season of the hit animated series Rainbow High Project Rainbow, available on YouTube Thursday, June 8, which explores the themes of creativity, friendship and being true to who you are. The survey of more than 1,000 moms, and their kid(s) ages four through 10, was conducted by market research agency Dynata on behalf of Rainbow High. The study revealed that the top two characteristics moms hope to see their kids embody are staying true to themselves with friends and self-confidence. Moms are specifically looking to dolls and kids’ content as key ways for young kids to learn these values.