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Plus-Plus USA Welcomes Toy Industry Veteran Tony White to Corporate Sales Team

Plus-Plus, the pioneering Danish brand known for its open-ended, creative toys that set play free with one simple shape, has announced the addition of toy veteran Tony White as Vice President of Sales for Specialty Accounts. White will be managing all specialty (non-national) account sales for Plus-Plus USA, including its network of 80+ independent sales representatives and its own internal sales teams. Moving forward, Bret Faber, now Vice President of Sales for National Accounts, will exclusively focus on the company’s growing trade in the grocery, bookstore, travel, and other key account market segments.

IT’SUGAR Unveils Exclusive OREO Funko POP! Vinyl Figure

IT’SUGAR, one of the largest specialty candy retailers in the US, is excited to announce the launch of an exclusive OREO Funko POP! Vinyl Figure. This exciting collaboration brings together the beloved OREO cookie brand and Funko Pop’s iconic collectible style. “We are excited to introduce the first-ever OREO Funko POP! Vinyl Figure, exclusively available at IT’SUGAR,” said Justin Clinger, Assistant Vice President Creative and Marketing of IT’SUGAR. “This collectible is a unique fusion of two iconic brands, and a fantastic way for fans to showcase their love for OREO in a fun and collectible form.”

Dumbgood Kicks Off the New Year with New Paul Frank Collection

Dumbgood, the premiere lifestyle brand specializing in elevated and unique licensed products from Bioworld, has released its brand new collection inspired by the works of famous renowned artist Paul Frank. Any fan of his vibrant character, Julius The Monkey, or just a fan of monkeys, in general, will want to get any newly released apparel and accessories available on the Dumbgood site. Since the debut of the playful primate in the mid-’90s, Julius has been a fan favorite on all types of clothing, accessories, stationary, and more. The new collection has a variety of stylish and contemporary product selections, including hats, tees, hoodies, sweatpants, jackets, crossbody bags, and an elegant coin purse. The pricing for this merchandise exclusive to Dumbgood ranges from $24 – $120, and the high quality makes each one a must-have for passionate fashion enthusiasts.

Xilam Animation Locks New Deals for Zig & Sharko and Karate Sheep

Academy Award-nominated French animation studio Xilam Animation has secured a wave of global broadcasters for its popular titles Zig & Sharko and Karate Sheep, including new partners and renewals for both of the slapstick comedy series. Xilam’s series have also seen strong performances on Netflix, with a cumulative total of 93.5 million hours of viewing for content from the studio recorded during the first reporting window from the streamer – January to June 2023. With 114 hours available on Netflix, Xilam has the largest number of titles and hourly volume on the service than any other European animation studio. Furthermore, within Netflix’s top 15 original animated series for kids, Xilam placed two titles – Karate Sheep and Oggy and the Cockroaches: Next Generation – and was the only non-US producer within this ranking.

NAVC Announces Pet Peace of Mind as the 2024 NAVC Gives Marquee Award Recipient

The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) announced Pet Peace of Mind as the the 2024 NAVC Gives Marquee Award recipient, as part of a new program from the NAVC created to support and advance the veterinary profession and wellbeing of people and animals worldwide. Pet Peace of Mind is a national nonprofit that enables people in hospice to keep their pets with them throughout the end-of-life journey and helps find new homes for pets after a loved one passes. The NAVC announced the NAVC Gives inaugural award recipients during an award ceremony Monday evening, January 15, at VMX 2024 in Orlando, Florida. The NAVC launched NAVC Gives in 2023 with a $1 million commitment to fund awards that will be made on a year-round basis.

KidStuff PR Celebrates 30th Anniversary in 2024

KidStuff PR is celebrating its 30th year in business in 2024. During its three decades of promoting playthings and services for families, the agency has seen the toy industry, the media world and parenting go through a lot of changes. The team at the agency couldn’t be more excited than to celebrate this major milestone and is both reflecting on things they’ve learned and survived over the years, as well as looking forward to things to come.

New Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet – Temporal Forces Signals Return of ACE SPEC Cards

The Pokémon Company International announced that the next expansion in the best-selling Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces, will launch at participating retailers around the world beginning March 22, 2024. First introduced in the Black & White Series, ACE SPEC cards will return to the Pokémon TCG in Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces, as initially announced during the 2023 Pokémon World Championships. ACE SPEC cards have powerful effects, but each deck will be limited to only one ACE SPEC card. Furthermore, ACE SPEC cards in Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces will feature a new eye-catching magenta design and can appear as Trainer or Special Energy cards.

Crafthub Appoints Mix Licensing Group

Crafthub has tapped Mix Licensing Group (Mix) to build global partnerships for their line of unique wooden puzzles. Building off the success of Crafthub’s licensed Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products IPs including Harry Potter and Batman Mix will build strategic partnerships with the biggest studios, sports leagues, and brand owners looking for a fresh approach to the puzzle category. With an emphasis on unique, giftable, and high-quality products, Crafthub has emerged as an e-commerce leader in wooden puzzles over the past two years and is expanding into brick-and-mortar retail stores globally in 2024.

Strong Opening for Total Home & Gift Market in Dallas: Buyer Attendance Up 17%

Dallas Market Center announced that its Total Home & Gift Market opened with a 17% attendance increase for the first two days compared with last January. The attendance increase was notable for attracting retailers and interior designers from across the U.S. and internationally, with the strongest growth coming from the western US. “We are thrilled with the strong opening of our January show,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “You can feel the energy of new and returning buyers with strong open to buy that have come to Dallas for the newest products, grand openings of more than 30 showrooms, and the expanded Temps. We are expecting traffic to remain steady throughout the weekend and into next week.”