MerchSource, a leader of ideation, design and distribution of consumer products, announced PlayWise Partners, LLC as their Public Relations Agency of Record for FAO Schwarz. PlayWise Partners will oversee global communications for the brand, including the portfolio of FAO Schwarz toys and the flagship retail store at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
PlayMonster is proud to announce the appointment of Darby Zahradnik to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA) Board of Directors. This appointment supports the company’s continued commitment to serve specialty toy retailers in North America. Zahradnik will serve on the Board of Directors for a three year term, serving through 2025.
Parents who witness children playing with schleich toys know there is much more to the brand than what can be seen from the store shelf. They’ve seen kids pick up the brand’s iconic animal characters and playsets and get drawn into unseen, magical worlds of story and imagination. As the beloved global brand enters its 87th year, it is redefining its mission and branding to align with this higher purpose, rich history and enduring connection to childhood joy. With a new mission of “creating characters and sets that let kids’ imaginations run wild,” a global brand reset begins with values that include sparking the storyteller in all of us, championing the limitless possibilities of free play, recognizing that there are always more stories to be told and setting children on a playful path of learning and discovery.
DeAPlaneta Entertainment closed a deal making Bandai the master toy license holder for animated series MILO. The toy range includes playsets & figurines, role play, vehicles, electronic educational toys and soft toys, and will be available for purchase from Spring 2023. The deal covers the UK, Ireland, Portugal and Spain with other countries such as France, Germany and Italy set to follow.
To celebrate the Care Bear’s 40th anniversary, Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor, and licensor of children’s animated and live-action content, and Cloudco Entertainment, owner of the Care Bears entertainment brand, are bringing the iconic Care Bears brand to life through food, apparel, and experiential event collaborations with companies across Canada.
MasterPieces, Incorporated stepped to the plate and connected with sports fans everywhere as it expands its fastest growing product segment of professional and collegiate sports related games, puzzles, toys, baby products, and household items.
Fresh off their mano-a-shell battles with characters from one classic 1980s franchise, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return to the big hair era for another series of pop culture crossovers, this time with Street Fighter.
Licensing International has announced that nine executives—Casey Collins, Hasbro; Michael Connolly, Retail Monster; Javier Garza, Warner Bros. Discovery; Alexandra Heyd, BurdaVerlag Germany; Tanya Isler, Netflix; Stuart Pollock, Segal Licensing; Marc Schneider, Beanstalk; Kalle Törmä, Flowhaven; and Angell Xi, Jingtian & Gongcheng—were elected by the Licensing International membership to serve three-year terms on its Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2022.