Fans of BOO The World’s Cutest Dog can look forward to an expanded range of products featuring images of the famously adorable Pomeranian thanks to two licensing deals (Threadless and Calendar Holdings) announced by Spotlight Licensing. Hip hip hooray for BOO!
TTPM, the leader in video product reviews for toys, baby, and pet gear, is excited to announce their Spring 2023 Most Wanted List. The Spring list highlights toys they believe will be fan-favorites across three categories: Imaginative Play, Collectibles, and Creative Play. “Innovation in creative and imaginative toys are at an all-time high. We’re seeing an increase in on-screen characters coming off-screen and encouraging play in new ways,” said Jim Silver, CEO of TTPM. “Spring is the perfect time to put down the screens and play. This list will help guide parents and gift givers to find the toys that are right for their kids. It’s the ultimate spring shopping list for kids of all ages.”
NBC gets the show on the road with a series order of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, an epic car makeover competition series based on one of the world’s most popular toys. Hosted by Rutledge Wood (“Top Gear US,” “Floor Is Lava”), who will also serve as one of the show’s judges, the 10-episode series will give Hot Wheels superfans the opportunity of a lifetime – turning a nostalgic car from their past into the life-sized Hot Wheels of their dreams. The season-finale winning creation will spin its wheels by launching as an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.
Kingsmen Creatives Limited (“Kingsmen”), a leading creator of experiences, announced that Kingsmen Xperience, Inc (“Kingsmen Xperience”), its United States location-based entertainment focused subsidiary, and Good Vibrations Holding Co, LLC (“Good Vibrations”), an operator of family oriented destination attractions headed by Robin Turner, one of the co-founders of the highly successful WonderWorks chain of tourism driven attractions, have formed a strategic partnership for branded location based entertainment in North America.
Hasbro, a global branded entertainment leader, announced today a licensing agreement with Franklin Sports, a leading manufacturer and retailer in the sporting goods industry, to expand its retail production and distribution of NERF Sports products globally. Hasbro will collaborate closely with Franklin to deliver brand-new innovations for the leading action-based performance brand, while expanding the product line’s retail distribution in markets around the world.
The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming virtual world and subsidiary of Animoca Brands, has launched a partnership with Cloudco Entertainment and its iconic property, Madballs. Madballs has sold millions of toys since its initial launch in the 80s and has an extensive consumer products program, inclusive of apparel, video games, comic books, and more. The partnership with Madballs will include the development of digital collectibles and the introduction of a unique Avatar collection. Each Avatar will be based on the original, outrageously disgusting Madballs characters, plus never-before-seen designs from the ‘80s, featuring ghastly faces, grotesque names, and disruptively funny attitudes to match. Customized with unique, randomly generated traits, each Madball boasts over 20 hand-crafted animations and offers a first-of-its-kind experience in The Sandbox metaverse.
Global independent animation studio ZAG in conjunction with local licensing partners Novabrink and Xalingo have unveiled the first Ghostforce toy products at ABRIN in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the largest event in the toy sector across Latin America. ZAG is most well-known for mega hit global brand Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Ghostforce; and the company is in production on Melody, an animated feature starring singer, songwriter and actress, Katy Perry. Several additional new IPs are also in development.
Further expanding the Afro Unicorn program and perfectly timed with Women’s History Month, founder and African American trailblazer April Showers announced a new global licensing partner, Magical Beauty, LLC, for the empowerment-led brand with the mission to positively uplift and impact women and children of color. Ms. Showers, founder and CEO of Afro Unicorn, stated: “I am extremely proud of what Afro Unicorn has achieved in less than four years, and I am incredibly grateful for the tremendous amount of support we have received from our licensing and retailer partners, the media, and a whole host of influencers that have shared our story. We are thrilled to add Magical Beauty, our first black-owned global licensing partner, as our newest licensee to offer our fans a whimsical experience in hair care.”
IMG has been announced as the exclusive publishing agent for the popular mobile game franchise Angry Birds, expanding its existing global licensing representation agreement with the brand’s parent company Rovio Entertainment. This is the first time the Angry Birds brand’s consumer products and location-based entertainment licensing and publishing rights will be consolidated under one global agency. IMG will look to expand the franchise’s current publishing programme, which includes regional deals with Penguin Children’s Puffin and Nordic publishing house Storytel, with new global and regional deals for books, comic books, audiobooks and activity books featuring the brand’s beloved characters.