September 2014

Kidrobot Inc. Signs Deal with Commonwealth Toys and Novelty Co.

Kidrobot Inc. has signed Commonwealth Toys and Novelty Co. as a new toy licensee for its specialty brand, Yummy World. Yummy World products, which launched in 2006, consist of food-inspired plush toys and key chains. Commonwealth will create a line of products targeting a broad distribution and focused on Sprinkle Tree, a sweet and savory city that Yummy World friends call home.

“We’re excited to work with Kidrobot on Yummy World and look forward to bringing the colorful and collectible line to a larger audience. We’ll work closely with Kidrobot to maintain the quirky, unexpected aspects of the brand as we create fun products that kids of all ages will love,” said Alec Kessler, executive vice president of Commonwealth.

JLK Brand brokered the deal between Kidrobot and Commonwealth and will continue to add licensing partners for the Yummy World brand in games, apparel and accessories, home furnishings, and more.

Hasbro and Disney Enter New Strategic Merchandising Relationship for Disney Princess and Frozen

Hasbro Inc. has entered a new strategic merchandising relationship with Disney Consumer Products for the Disney Princess and Frozen properties. The agreement gives Hasbro global rights, excluding Japan, to develop dolls based on Disney Princess stories and characters including Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Frozen beginning in 2016.

“We are delighted to have been selected by Disney Consumer Products to develop dolls for the Disney Princess and Frozen franchises,” said Hasbro President & CEO Brian Goldner. “Our strategic thought leadership and innovation has led to the steady growth of our girls business over the past several years, demonstrating that we have a true understanding of girls globally and how today’s girls want to play. Read More…

Entries to Be Accepted Soon for Spielwarenmesse 2015 ToyAward

As of October 1, every Spielwarenmesse exhibitor can enter new products for the ToyAward competition. If they win, their products will be highlighted among the 75,000 new items presented at Nuremberg. A panel of 11 jurors selects products for the coveted new award in four age group-specific categories, based on children’s development stages: baby and infant (0 to 2 years), preschool (3 to 5), school kids (6 to 10), and teenager and family (from 11 years). Read More…

Spin Master Helps Deliver Smiles and Toys to Hospital Girls and Boys

On September 16, celebrities joined Stars 4 Smiles for its inaugural visit to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s children’s facility in Torrance, Calif.

Toys were carted through the three children’s areas at the hospital, including the pediatric ward; the pediatric outpatient clinic, where children were receiving their chemotherapy treatments; and the hospital’s playground.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles star Megan Fox, Anger Management star Brian Austin Green, Olympic Gold Medalist Carmelita Jeter, MMA fighter Tito Ortiz, comedy magician Eric Buss, The Twilight Saga films star Jackson Rathbone, Brett Davern of MTV’s Awkward, and Corbin Bleu of High School Musical distributed toys to nearly three dozen patients. Read More…

Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes 2.0 Edition Launches in Retail Stores Nationwide

Disney Interactive and Marvel have launched Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes, the follow-up to last year’s toy/video game hybrid. The Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack features the 2.0 game software; the Disney Infinity 2.0 Base; Marvel’s The Avengers Play Set with Iron Man, Black Widow, and Thor figures; two Toy Box Game Discs; and a web code card. Marvel’s Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy Play Sets, along with additional figures from those worlds, are sold separately. Read More…

Toys “R” Us to Hire 45,000 for Holiday Shopping Season

Toys “R” Us will hire 45,000 seasonal employees at its stores and distribution centers nationwide, more than doubling the company’s workforce as it prepares for the busy holiday shopping months ahead. These seasonal positions will include sales associates, stock crew and omnichannel fulfillment teams, as well as distribution center workers and department managers.

Interviewing for holiday positions at Toys “R” Us stores begins at the end of this month, and new hires start working in early October. Staffing continues to build throughout the holiday season right up to Christmas. Seasonal store employees typically work 16 to 20 hours per week with flexible schedules offered during the week, weeknights, or weekends. Employment opportunities are also available at the company’s distribution centers nationwide, which began hiring in July and will continue through November.

Job seekers can visit www.toysrusinc.com/careers/holiday to apply and learn more about working at Toys “R” Us during the holiday season.

Toy Insider Experts Name Top Holiday Toys in Their Hot 20 and Top Tech 12 Lists

The Toy Insider has announced its Hot 20 and Top Tech 12 holiday toy lists, giving gift-givers a sneak peek at the must-have traditional and high-tech toys this holiday season. From Doc McStuffins to Elmo, Lego Fusion to LeapTV, each list includes top picks for kids of all ages. Covering a variety of play patterns, including classic toys and high-tech options, the Toy Insider gives parents and gift-givers a head start on finding toys for the holidays.

The Hot 20 and the Top Tech 12 are the kick-off sections of the Toy Insider holiday gift guide, which will appear in the November issue of Woman’s Day magazine, as well as www.toyinsider.com. The guide is broken down by age group (0-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9+) with in-depth descriptions and a unique skill key of developmental needs and interests for each toy.

Techno Source to Launch Kurio Xtreme

The Kurio Xtreme tablet, from Techno Source, is the newest addition to the Kurio line of Android devices for kids. Due for release on October 1, the 7-inch Wi-Fi-enabled tablet features a sleek and thinner design, a faster processor, double internal memory, Bluetooth technology, and 24/7 customer support. It also introduces exclusive Kurio Motion gaming, the first body-controlled games on a tablet. Ten Kurio Motion games will be preloaded onto the tablet and millions of other apps can be accessed through the Kurio Store and Google Play.

The Kurio Motion games lets kids play on screen as they jump, run, and move in order to swim, ski, tend goal, speed race, and more in the game. The technology uses the tablet’s camera and a Kurio Motion gaming stand is included with the device. Read More…

Disney Consumer Products Launches Star Wars Rebels Products

Disney Consumer Products has released a new product assortment in celebration of Star Wars Rebels, which debuts October 3 on Disney Channel and continues on October 13 on Disney XD. The show has inspired new lines of figures, spaceships and lightsabers, apparel and accessories, home décor, books, and more from licensees including Hasbro, Lego, Mad Engine, Rubies, and Jay Franco.

Disney Publishing Worldwide also supports the show with a new book program and series of mobile apps from Disney Lucasfilm Press that will expand upon the series. Star Wars Journeys, an episodic series of apps from Disney Publishing, will be updated this October to include the stories that lead up to the adventures in Star Wars Rebels. Star Wars Scene Maker will launch early next year and gives fans a storytelling experience that allows them to re-imagine and recreate scenes from the show. Read More…

Winner Announced in Skylanders Choose and Name a New Hero Contest

Phylicia Nakamoto, from Elk Grove, Calif., is the fan-selected winner of the Skylanders Choose and Name a New Hero promotion. Her winning entry, High Five, is a royal dragonfly that is able to fly higher and faster than any other hero in Skylands. Phylicia will receive a $100,000 scholarship and High Five will be featured in the Skylanders franchise.

Earlier this year, Frito-Lay North America and Activision Publishing Inc. gave fans the opportunity to choose and name a new hero that would appear in the upcoming Skylanders Trap Team game, which will be released on October 5 in North America. Along with High Five, the other two finalist characters—Bat Spin, a female bat with magical powers, and Flip Wreck, an adventurous dolphin—will also have roles in the new game.

The three finalists were revealed in May, and consumers were invited to visit www.fritolay.com/skylanders to vote for their favorite. This marks the third Skylanders promotion between Activision and Frito-Lay.