JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) has revealed a partnership with European based toy innovation company Wow! Stuff, to launch “the first kid creator movie making toys brand, MovieMates”.” The announcement was made by JAKKS SVP of Marketing, Craig Drobis.
In a further joint statement to the European toy trade today, toy innovation company Wow! Stuff and award-winning stop-motion animation studio Aardman revealed their collaboration on this global consumer products initiative, ‘MovieMates’.
MovieMates, launching first with the blockbuster franchise Jurassic World, are a range of collectable, highly detailed and articulated action figures mounted on a non-removable ‘film rig’ that comes with a free MovieMates app. Using the figure and the stop-motion app, kids and kid-ults can recreate movie scenes or make new ones of their own. ‘Start making movies within 60 seconds’ is the premise with the easy to use toys and app.
“Kids are massive content creators, just look at YouTube and the rise of the kid-fluencers who love sharing their homemade videos. From unboxing of latest toys to the creation of mini movies using off the shelf toys there is a clear opportunity to give them branded assets that they could never normally access. MovieMates also allows kids to show off their movie creations on social media without having to be the star of the show; their art, their movie is the star and they are the producer and director. Available within the app are official Jurassic World backgrounds, special FX sounds and stickers – and more great brands will follow”, said Wow! Stuff’s Head of Licensing Kenny McAndrew.
Craig Drobis, JAKKS SVP of Marketing, added “MovieMates is one of those brands that comes along once in a while where you think, hey why hasn’t this been done before? Today’s online creator community has shown how kids are engaging with brands and creating content of their own. With MovieMates kids can create their own stop-motion adventures using fully authorized and licensed branded assets”.
A free-to-download app is used to create stunning full action dinosaur movements complete with official Jurassic World backgrounds, special FX sounds, and stickers. Add in the backgrounds, sounds, and visual effects to make your scenes really pop! Collect all 3 unique MovieMates dinosaurs inspired by the upcoming Jurassic World Dominion film, coming to theaters June 2022. MovieMates is made for ages 8 and up will be available this fall at retail and online for $19.99 for the Blue Velociraptor, and $24.99 for the T. Rex and Giganotosaurus. Many other tier 1 licensed brands are set to launch later in 2022 and 2023.