Nominations Now Open for the 2023 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards

The Toy Foundation (TTF) has opened the call for nominations for the 24th edition of the Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The toy industry is now invited to submit their top products and properties, exceptional team members, and outstanding campaigns across 23 categories for the chance to be named best of the best. Additionally, every submission is a display of the industry’s commitment to TTF’s work delivering the benefits of play to children in need.

JAKKS Pacific and Disguise Announce Extension of Agreement with EA for Apex Legends

JAKKS Pacific, Inc, a top manufacturer of toys and consumer products and its costume division, Disguise, announced a licensing agreement with EA to continue to design, market and manufacture toys, actions figures and costumes for the popular, free-to-play multiplayer game, Apex Legends in North America. Developed by Respawn Entertainment, Apex Legends is an innovative battle royale game that continues to deliver a strategic, ever-evolving, high octane competitive experience to millions of active players around the world.

Crunchyroll and Jazwares Team Up for Ultimate Anime Collectibles Portfolio

Crunchyroll, the global brand offering the ultimate anime experience, is joining forces with Jazwares, a global go-to authority on toys and collectibles, to bring fans an epic cross-category portfolio of fan favorite anime properties. The new venture will kick off with an expansive suite of consumer products celebrating fandom across 18 anime series including Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, and Spy x Family.

eeBoo Prepares for Back-to-School with Helpful and Educational New Products

Environmentally conscious, woman owned, and mother run toys and goods company eeBoo understands that back-to-school preparation can never happen too soon. For 2023, eeBoo has curated a host of helpful and educational products for different age groups to make this school year a happy and healthy one. 

Toonz Entertainment and Zoonicorn LLC Head Into Licensing Expo With New Global Media Deals for Zoonicorn

Zoonicorn, the multi-platform animated preschool brand from Zoonicorn LLC and Toonz Entertainment, continues to expand its worldwide footprint as it heads into Licensing Expo 2023 with new platforms in territories across the globe.  Now in production at Toonz for its second season of original episodes, Zoonicorn has been picked up for Spanish language viewers by Latin American children’s YouTube channel El Reino Infantil, Mexican national network TV Azteca and Latin American channels Clan International and La TeleTuya. New streaming services include China’s Huashi TV, Hong Kong’s HK TV, Malaysia’s Astro, Czech Republic’s IFC Media and US based streaming services Pluto TV and Happy Kids TV.

Cartoon Saloon Signs Multiple Licensing Partners for its Popular Brands Ahead of Licensing Expo

Ahead of Licensing Expo 2023, Cartoon Saloon Brand Development, a division of Five-time Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon, announces a slate of new licensing partners for its leading brands, Puffin Rock, The Irish Folklore Trilogy, and My Father’s Dragon. Based on the International Emmy Award-nominated TV series, Puffin Rock, the new Irish animated theatrical feature, Puffin Rock and The New Friends, will premiere in Ireland this summer and rollout in select territories around the world later this year. An action-packed story that celebrates the puffin’s magnificent natural environment, the movie features character favorites from the animated series–Oona, Baba, May, and Mossy–as they team up with new island arrivals Isabelle, Phoenix, and Marvin to crack the mysterious disappearance of the last Little Egg of the season and bring it home safely before a looming storm hits.

WildBrain CPLG and SEGA Go Full Speed with Action-packed Licensing Program for Sonic Prime

WildBrain CPLG, a world-leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency, and SEGA of America, Inc (“SEGA”), are rapidly clocking up global licensing partnerships for the smash-hit Netflix series, Sonic Prime, building on the ever-growing fandom of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise—one of today’s most popular entertainment properties and a perennial fan-favorite in every market.

Schleich Announces Summer PLAYcation Promotion

schleich makes the iconic animal characters and playsets that let kids’ imaginations run wild. This summer, the brand is asking children around the world to help their summer fun soar to new heights by including their schleich dinosaurs, llamacorns, horses, ice monsters and more in the ultimate summer PLAYcation! Whether you are flying to the moon, turning the backyard into a magical fortress or becoming a mermaid in the sea, let your favorite schleich toys up the ante on fun, adventure, and storytelling. Five lucky families that share their adventures will win every single new product schleich releases in 2023!* Don’t have a schleich toy? The first 50 people to visit any of schleich’s 55 North America flagship stores and say, “I’m on PLAYcation,” will receive a free schleich toy! 

Toy Association & Clamour Unveil Influencers’ Top Toy Picks for Spring & Summer 2023

As the official start of summer kicks off this Memorial Day weekend, the “Best of Spring & Summer 2023 Influencer Choice List,” presented by The Toy Association and powered by Clamour, has unveiled the hottest toys and games of the season as voted on by top-tier toy and family content creators. Families are invited to shop the list of toys below. “The ‘Best of Spring & Summer 2023 Influencer Choice List’ offers families a trusted selection of top toys, from active outdoor toys and travel-ready games to creative toys that will keep young minds engaged over summer break,” said Kristin Morency Goldman, senior advisor of strategic communications at The Toy Association. “This year’s list highlights a diverse assortment of innovative products that are sure to inspire many hours of fun-filled, skill-building play in the coming months.”