Jakks Pacific Reveals Fancy Nancy Line for 2018
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. will showcase new product lines for Disney Junior’s Fancy Nancy at New York Toy Fair 2018.
Jakks will present a line of Fancy Nancy playsets, dolls, figurines, musical instruments, plush, roleplay and accessories. Pictured right is the Shall We Be Fancy Talking Fancy Nancy Doll, launching this fall, which lets kids interact with Nancy, listen to her speak, and sing songs from the TV series by pressing her butterfly necklace charm or the charm located on the accompanied wearable bracelet for the child. This doll comes dressed in her signature fashion, stands 18-inches tall, features lights and sounds, and has more than nine points of articulation.
Headstart International Names ChizComm Agency of Record
ChizComm announced a new partnership with Headstart International, one of the largest Australian-based toy companies,
with top brands Ooshies, Best Furry Friends, and Baby Secrets.
ChizComm will utilize its industry expertise to partner with Headstart and increase brand awareness of the company’s collectible toys. ChizComm will focus on strategy and execution of public relations, social media, community building, and digital marketing internationally.
PlayMonster Acquires Walkie Chalk
PlayMonster has acquired the worldwide license for Walkie Chalk.
Walkie Chalk is a three-piece sidewalk chalk holder. Its patented design, made with child-safe materials, holds any standard-sized chalk (round or square), allowing chalk artists to move around while they draw. Walkie Chalk also helps ease sore knees and backs of older chalk artists.
Available in four colors, the Walkie Chalk sidewalk chalk holders are adjustable in length from 24-36 inches long. Each is packaged with two chalk pieces.
Random House Announces New Deals for Wonder, Emily Winfield Martin’s Picture Books
Random House Children’s Books (RHCB), through a new licensing function, has deepened its investment in the development of author and illustrator properties to extend brand equity, build consumer engagement, and generate new revenue streams.
With more than 9 million books sold in the R.J. Palacio’s Wonder publishing program, and the original novel translated into more than 45 different languages, the book is about an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face and heart. On the heels of its movie run (starring Julie Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay), Random House is presenting the brand for ages 8–12 with a focus on its main theme of choosing kindness (#ChooseKind). Consumers can already find several Wonder partners include Clarkson Potter for stationery and journals, Changes with T-shirts available at Hot Topic, Out of Print Clothing for accessories, Raymond Geddes with anti-bullying-themed classroom supplies, and SG@NYC for jewelry at speciality and online. The “We’re All Wonders” Auggie plush for ages 3–7 will also be introduced for spring 2018 by Yottoy.
Inspired by Emily Winfield Martin’s picture books, Dream World by Emily Winfield Martin is a new lifestyle brand geared to millennial moms of infants and toddlers. Martin’s The Wonderful Things You Will Be has held a top position on The New York Times Best Sellers list for more than a year, and has more than 1 million copies in print.Partners for the program include Finn + Emma for apparel, accessories, and toys and Milestone for special moments cards. New York Puzzle Company (puzzles), MerryMakers (plush), and Kids Preferred (nesting blocks, soft book, and bookends) will showcase product for a fall launch.
Orb Licenses Soft’n Slo Squishies to Nelvana, YouTube Series in Works
Nelvana Enterprises, the global licensing and merchandising arm of Corus Entertainment, has partnered with ORB for the worldwide licensing rights to the Soft’n Slo Squishies brand.
In addition to global licensing representation, Nelvana will produce original digital media content for the brand, beginning with a multi-episode, original, short-form YouTube series incorporating the delightful slow-rise and ultra-soft Soft’n Slo Squishies™ toys. Additional licensing plans for the brand include apparel, sleepwear, accessories, novelty and gift, home décor, and publishing.
Funrise, WBCP Team for Herodrive DC Super Friends Collection
To launch its new preschool vehicle line, Herodrive, Funrise has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) to create a collection of DC Super Friends Herodrive vehicles. The Herodrive line featuring the DC Super Friends collection will be available at major retailers around the world starting this fall.
The Herodrive DC Super Friends collection will launch with preschool-themed character vehicles inspired by the DC characters such as Batman, Superman, The Flash, and more. Vehicles will be available in a range of sizes and styles including: Mash Machines, a new style of preschool vehicles that fuses classic vehicles such as police cars and fire trucks with DC Super Friends characters; Herodrive Power Pals plush vehicles with wobble wheels and sounds for preschoolers; Signal Squad, a collection of DC Super Friends-inspired stylized vehicles, each projecting its DC Super Hero’s logo; and the Batman Racer motorized vehicle with lights and Batman- and Batmobile-inspired sounds.
HEXBUG Gets 3Doodler Treatment in New STEM Kit
3Doodler has teamed up with HEXBUG to debut its new Make Your Own HEXBUG Pen Set & Activity Kit as part of its new 3Doodler Start STEM Series, made to foster learning by through design and experimentation.
Using the new set, Kids can customize their HEXBUG collections, doodling their HEXBUG’s body and legs using the insect themed DoodleMolds. The set also allows kids to then build mazes for their customized HEXBUGs. The new product launches this May.
The company will also showcase a six foot replica of the Statue of Liberty, made entirely from its set of 3-D pens, at Toy Fair. Two artists spent 10 weeks designing and constructing the replica across two different continents.