Fun in Motion Confluxion
News
Fun in Motion Coins a New Buzzword for Construction Toys With A Little Twist: Confluxion

Clean up in Aisle 800 takes on a whole new meaning at this year’s Astra Marketplace. Retailers searching for something truly special to fill their 4th quarter shelves will be dazzled (again) as they fill up their order books with Fun In Motion Toys. Look for them on both sides of the aisle at Booths 804 and 809 and get your hands on the brand new Nockles, the acclaimed TECTI, the beautiful, newly packaged HyperTiles and Wandini Glow.0 and the latest styles of Shashibo. It’s true! No one can sit still when playing with Fun In Motion Toy’s range of playthings so be ready to move and groove at Marketplace. In fact, they’ve coined a whole new toy category within Construction Toys called Confluxion. Confluxion is an evolution of construction toys in that there’s a building element to them, but they also move or flex.

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba
Licensing News
Aniplex of America Expands ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’ Franchise

Aniplex of America, Inc has unveiled an extensive expansion of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba franchise in 2024, introducing a wide array of new products and forging multiple new licensing and promotional partnerships, including direct-to-retail collaborations, as well as toy, apparel, gift accessories and gaming products. These launches and new agreements coincide with the season four debut of the acclaimed anime sensation on May 12, exclusively on Crunchyroll in the U.S. The announcement was made by Yosuke Kodaka, President, Aniplex of America, Inc.

Inside out 2
News
Just Play Unveils Toys Inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2

Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And she’s not alone: Embarrassment, Envy and Ennui are there too. Movie release date: June 14, 2024. Just Play’s line of toys and plush are wonderfully detailed and are sure to help kids – and even adults – understand complicated feelings in new ways.

genius of play toy association
News
The Toy Association Provides Shareable Content Ahead of International Day of Play

Ahead of the inaugural International Day of Play on June 11, The Toy Association is sharing resources biweekly from its Genius of Play initiative for play professionals to share with their networks. These resources are free to use and help to promote the importance of play in child development and offer guidance on fostering play-based learning experiences.

Zigazoo Social Media Awareness Month
News
Zigazoo Launches ‘Social Media Wellness Month’ To Challenge Social Media Industry To ‘Do Better’ and Teach Healthy Habits To Families

Zigazoo, the world’s largest social network for kids and the market leader in safe social media, is launching Social Media Wellness Month. Alongside National Mental Health Awareness month in May, this initiative aims to challenge mainstream social media companies to “do better” and to educate kids, parents, and lawmakers on how to build towards a healthier social media future. Zigazoo’s app, which is known for its approach to safety and privacy, has been hailed by Common Sense Media as the “example of how to offer a social yet safe place to be online.” Social Media Wellness month will feature a range of activities, including content created by Zigazoo’s’ Gen Alpha Superstars, conversations with experts, and toolkits for families.

Grace Wong Hanna Andersson
News You're Hired
Former Gap, Apple Marketing Executive Grace Wong Joins Hanna Andersson as CBO

Leading premium children’s apparel brand, Hanna Andersson, announced that Grace Wong, a former marketing executive for Apple’s Beats by Dr. Dre and the Gap, has joined the company as Chief Brand Officer. Wong will oversee the brand marketing strategy, grounded in its deep heritage and core values including quality, sustainability, and unparalleled comfort. Reporting to CEO Aimée Lapic, Grace Wong brings over 20 years of strategic brand building experience to Hanna Andersson’s marketing team. In her new role leading brand marketing, she will develop strategies that scale the brand and the business. Wong will lead creative development of all brand and product assets producing impactful storytelling across the brand’s ecosystem from strategic ideation to content creation for key initiatives in support of the brand vision.

Licensing International Global Study 2023 2024 finalists award excellence hall of fame winners
Events News
Licensing International Announces 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees

Licensing International, the leading trade association for the global brand licensing industry, has announced the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees. The Hall of Fame and Rising Star Awards honor executives’ legacies, bodies of work, and unique contributions to the global brand licensing community. This year’s inductees are Joseph Kaminkow, Chief Innovation Officer, Pixie Dust at Aristocrat; Maca Rotter, President & CEO at La Panadería Licensing & Marketing; and Stu Seltzer, President at The Seltzer Licensing Group.

Ani-May 2024 Crunchyroll
News
CruchyRoll 2024 Ani-May Celebration Kicks Off with International Anime Fun for Fans Across Retail, Digital, and Streaming

Crunchyroll, the ultimate destination for anime fans globally, is launching the second annual Ani-May celebration with new activations across retail, digital, and streaming. This includes new and exclusive anime merchandise and activations at Hot Topic in the United States, Riachuelo in Brazil, and exclusive retail activations in EMEA among many others. 

M²G MARICK MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
News
Licensing, Sales and Marketing Industry Expert Robert Marick, Launches M²G: Marick Management Group, Inc

Veteran licensing executive Robert Marick, announced that he has launched M²G: Marick Management Group, which will focus on delivering outside-the-box product expansion strategies for global brands looking to scale their IP in unique and creative ways. Marick, who most recently served as the head of MGM Consumer Products, will lead a team that specializes in infusing product innovation and creativity into every aspect of their work, particularly in strategy and business planning, brand management, entertainment licensing, marketing and sales, and product category development. For those interested in learning more about the new consultancy, Robert Marick will be available at Licensing Show in Las Vegas from May 21st to May 23rd.