Month: May 2024

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.

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.

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, 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.

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. 

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.