As the giving season approaches, enCourage Kids invites you to be a source of joy and healing for children and families facing the challenges of illness and hospitalization. This Giving Tuesday, your compassionate contribution to our enCourage Kids Teddy Bear initiative can bring courage, peace, and joy to those who need it most.
Symbiote Studios, the global leader in original and licensed plush toys, has revealed its product lineup through the first half of 2024. Featuring a combination of original designs such as company mascot Catnip Bravo in addition to product lines based on leading entertainment and video game properties such as My Little Pony, Transformers, Shovel Knight and Power Rangers, every Symbiote Studios plush features an exciting design that is fun to display or hug. A new trailer is now available showcasing the full Symbiote Studios plush toy lineup, all of which are available for purchase now. In addition to the currently available lineup, new plush toys featuring AiAi from the Super Monkey Ball video game series by Sega and Starlight Glitter from My Little Pony will be launching soon.
Cameo Kids is introducing two beloved Sesame Street characters to its platform, Elmo and Cookie Monster, creating personalized messages for children and fans of all ages. Cameo Kids is a unique platform enabling parents and loved ones to book personalized Cameo videos featuring favorite family entertainment stars, whether for birthdays, congratulations, bedtime, holidays, or just an everyday “we love you!” On November 15th, Elmo and Cookie Monster will become the first Sesame Street characters to join Cameo Kids.
The paw-sibilities of finding a magical gift for the tots on your list just got better with the announcement of Storypod’s newest collaboration with PAW Patrol. Just in time for holiday giving, PAW Patrol is just one of three upcoming product developments with Paramount Consumer Products. Look for a rollout of three PAW Patrol Crafties with Book, Token and a branded Storypod Sleeve now through 2024. Blue’s Clues & You! and Bubble Guppies licenses will also expand Storypod’s Crafties Collection for months to come for kids ages 3- to 5-years old. Now, kids can hear engaging stories and songs from breakfast to bedtime without ever turning on a screen.
Warner Bros Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP) is unveiling a sweet collection of global merchandise to celebrate the highly-anticipated release of Warner Bros Pictures’ big screen holiday spectacle, Wonka, arriving in theaters and in IMAX internationally beginning 6 December 2023 and in North America on December 15, 2023. Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. WBDGCP is rolling out the candy-colored carpet to celebrate the film with a full spectrum of premium products from sought-after licensees such as Converse, Fossil, Funko and more, while exclusive retail partner Bloomingdale’s will host iconic Wonka window displays and has unveiled The Carousel @ Bloomingdale’s: Wonka, an online and in-store shop filled with fun fashions, accessories and home goods inspired by the famous chocolatier.
The Little Tikes Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MGA Entertainment (MGA), one of the largest and fastest growing privately held toy and entertainment companies in the world, introduced the Little Tikes Story Dream Machine to the classic bedtime routine for parents of young kids earlier this year. The innovative toy launched with a robust catalog of story collections for extended story time. The brand has announced an expansion to this catalog via a collaboration with Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, welcoming the new Sesame Street Elmo & Friends Collection to shelves this month. The Story Dream Machine is a portable projector for read-along children’s stories that doubles as a white noise machine and nightlight. Little Tikes and Sesame Street have each been a part of children’s lives from early childhood to adulthood for more than 50 years. Today’s announcement marks a timeless, cross-generational moment of connection through story time for kids, parents, and grandparents to enjoy just in time for the holiday season.
Funko, Inc (Nasdaq: FNKO) has announced a significant update to the Funko app: the integration of new collection valuation capabilities, based on eBay transaction data. The update enables the Funko community to price their Funko Collections with increased accuracy, by seamlessly connecting the Funko catalog with recent, verified sales data from the eBay marketplace. Since announcing a commercial agreement in 2022, under which eBay became the preferred secondary marketplace for Funko, the companies have created unique and meaningful experiences for the collecting community, including a “List it on eBay button” in the Funko app, and access to exclusive product drops via Funko’s storefront on eBay. This latest app update represents the continued collaboration by the two companies to deliver best-in-class experiences for the Funko community and collectors at large.
Mattel, Inc (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today that Michelle Mendelovitz has been named Head of Mattel Television Studios. Mendelovitz will oversee the development, production, and distribution of Mattel’s robust slate of episodic content on broadcast and streaming globally. Mendelovitz reports to Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer, Mattel. Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, said: “Michelle is a powerful creative leader with a wealth of experience working with top studios and creators to make innovative, quality content across genres and platforms. We are excited for her to join at a time of such momentum for the company, and for the important role she will play in developing stories that resonate in culture and growing Mattel’s global fan base.”
WildBrain CPLG, one of the world’s leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agencies, has added two highly experienced executives to bolster its in-house services and commercial teams in London and Munich, respectively. In London, Clare Vosper Mortimer has joined WildBrain CPLG’s in-house services team in the new role of VP, Finance and Operations, overseeing the company’s finance function and enhancing its global in-house service offering for partners as it continues to see significant growth. With new offices opened recently in Indonesia and the Philippines as part of the company’s expansion into APAC—bringing the global total to 23 offices driving business in over 100 territories—WildBrain CPLG’s in-house services team is scaling to better support its partners around the world. Clare’s focus will be on enabling even stronger partner-centric financial and operational services, augmenting WildBrain CPLG’s best-in-class suite of other in-house services which include creative, legal and partnerships. She reports to Maarten Weck, EVP, Global Partnerships and Licensing.