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Pocket.watch, Planeta Junior Ink Licensing Pact for Love, Diana

Source: pocket.watch/The Toy Book

Following recent deals with Wow! Stuff and Spacetoon, pocket.watch is continuing the international expansion of its Love, Diana brand.

The company behind hit digital-first brands, including Ryan’s World, inked a new deal with Planeta Junior to represent Love, Diana as its exclusive consumer products licensing agent in select countries. Under the new deal, Planeta Junior will build a Love, Diana licensing program across France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Central and Eastern European Countries (CEE), and more.

“Children’s programming is seeing its biggest demand ever globally, and we are thrilled to bring Love, Diana to new territories after an incredible franchise launch,” says Danny Spronz, managing director EMEA, pocket.watch. “Pocket.watch’s work in the kids’ entertainment sector has blazed a trail for many creator-led franchises, and we’re excited to work with Planeta Junior to deliver more of what kids and families clearly love.”

Diana is the star of Kids Diana Show, a YouTube channel that boasts more than 76 million followers globally.

The UK’s Outdoor Toy Awards Returns Following a Pandemic-Induced Break

Source: The Toyologist

After taking a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK’s Outdoor Toy Awards are back in action.

Founder Peter Jenkinson aka The Toyologist tells the Toy Book that this year’s program will feature 10 categories to honor outstanding products that kids and families have embraced in the era of lockdowns and staycations.

Outdoor Toy Awards 2021 categories include: Climbing and Adventure; Sport and Splash Fun; Outdoor Games; Science and Nature; Ride-on; Trampolines; Preschool Play; Battle and Blaster Toys; Houses, Tents, and Hideaways; and Flying Toys.

UK bloggers and media outlets are expected to take part in judging for the event with #OTA21 being used to share products across social media. Those interested in more information can contact peter@toyology.co.uk for details.

Hornby’s Toy Story Takes Center Stage in ‘Hornby: A Model World’

Source: Hornby Hobbies

A new reality series is going behind the scenes at one of the world’s premier makers of toy trains and model kits.

Hornby: A Model World is currently filming at the Hornby headquarters in the UK. 10, 60-minute episodes have been ordered by UKTV to air on its Yesterday network and on-demand service, UKTV Play. Rare TV is producing.

According to Hornby, the series delves into the business of getting new toys and collectibles from Hornby Railways, Corgi, Airfix, and Scalextric into stores on time and on budget. The series will also feature model train enthusiasts who will show off their highly detailed toy train layouts.

“Since 1920, Hornby has inspired a cult-like following amongst hobbyists and Yesterday viewers are going to love rolling into this world of British model-making, with its fastidious attention to detail, skilled engineers and passionate super collectors,” says Gerald Casey, channel director at Yesterday.

Flame Distribution is handling worldwide sales outside of the UK and Eire for the series.

L.O.L. Surprise! Dance Dance Dance Busts a Move Into Retail Amid ‘Kitchen Disco’ Trend

Source: MGA Entertainment

Over the past year, more families than ever before have begun playing together, but new data suggests that many are also dancing together.

Life in the COVID-19 era has delivered many unexpected new trends, one of which is the “kitchen disco” and the movement is growing just as MGA Entertainment’s (MGAE) latest extension to its L.O.L. Surprise! brand is hitting retail. L.O.L. Surprise! Dance Dance Dance is all about moving and grooving, and the results of a new poll conducted by MGAE sheds light on exactly what tunes families are enjoying during their kitchen dance parties.

“Dancing is always something that has brought people together from around the globe,” says Isaac Larian, founder and CEO, MGA Entertainment. “We love that our toys have inspired our fans, parents, and children, to find escape and joy together in kitchen disco parties and that they have embraced dance as a way to connect no matter what is happening in the world around them.”

MGAE says that it polled 2,000 American parents and found that 49% of those surveyed said that kitchen discos are a regular weekend occurrence. Additionally, 30% of all parents are being introduced to TikTok by their kids with MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” scoring the top spot for the dance most taught to parents by kids.

Source: MGA Entertainment

Top 20 Songs for a Kitchen Disco According to L.O.L. Surprise! Families

Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye
Happy – Pharell Williams
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
Shake it Off – Taylor Swift
Crazy in Love – Beyonce
Hey Ya! – Outkast
Dancing Queen – Abba
I Want to Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
Believe – Cher
Wannabe – Spice Girls
I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses
Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley and the Wailers
My Name is – Eminem
Gin & Juice – Snoop Dogg
Toxic – Britney Spears
Staying Alive – the BeeGees

The new L.O.L. Surprise! Dance Dance Dance toy collection includes L.O.L. Surprise! Dance Dance Dance O.M.G. Fashion Dolls, L.O.L Surprise! Dance Dance Dance dolls, and the L.O.L Surprise! Dance Machine vehicle. The entire range is available at major retailers, including Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

Hasbro Unveils ‘Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins’ Toy Collection

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins 6-inch action figures | Source: Hasbro

In recent years, Hasbro’s G.I. Joe brand has been a largely collector-focused endeavor, particularly with last year’s launch of the 6-inch scale G.I. Joe: Classified line and the 3.75-inch G.I. Joe Retro Collection. On Aug. 1, a new collection of kid-focused toys will begin hitting stores and they’re inspired by Paramount Pictures’ Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.

Ahead of this Friday’s Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest event, Hasbro has unleashed a preview of what to expect from the new G.I. Joe collection. The first images were released via Yahoo! Entertainment and feature an assortment of 6-inch action figures, vehicles, roleplay items, and the 12-inch Ninja Strike Snake Eyes.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins toys | Source: Hasbro

The initial wave of 6-inch Snake Eyes action figures includes the titular ninja — in both standard black and Ninja Tech editions — alongside Storm Shadow, The Baroness, Night Creeper, Scarlett and Red Ninja. Kids can also collect Snake Eyes’ Stealth Cycle vehicle and roleplay items, including the Special Missions Mask and the Ninja Strike Morning Light sword.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins Special Missions Mask and Ninja Strike Morning Light Sword | Source: Hasbro

More G.I. Joe products are expected to roll out through the end of the Fan Fest event this Friday.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins stars Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) as the mysterious ninja warrior. The film is slated for a theatrical release on Oct. 22.

Dr. Seuss Celebrates ‘The Lorax’ with Sustainable Brand Partnerships

Source: Dr. Seuss Enterprises/The Toy Book

Dr. Seuss Enterprises is celebrating Earth Day in a big way by honoring the 50th anniversary of The Lorax.

The beloved tale of the title character who “speaks for the trees” is taking center stage in a new lineup of eco-friendly toys and consumer products, including home decor, pet toys, apparel, publishing, and more. Aurora World released an eco-friendly Lorax plush toy, while Bark is offering Lorax dog toys at Petco stores and in its BarkBox subscription boxes.

“The Lorax has always been a beloved Dr. Seuss story and introduces children to why we need to protect our planet,” says Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.” We are proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the book in 2021 and further encourage our readers to speak out and make change in our world.”

Other licensees released Lorax-themed items this year include Tentree (apparel), MantraBrand (bracelets), Tervis (drinkware), and the Chase Art collection by Leo Rijn (sculpture).

Random House Children’s Books is issuing an extensive refresh of The Lorax publishing program with books printed on recycled paper and digital editions in collaboration with Oceanhouse Media.

For each Lorax book sold at Barnes & Noble this month, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books will donate $1 to One Tree Planted.

ADK Emotions NY Names Shunichi Ogawa as President and CEO

‘Beyblade Burst Surge’ | Source: ADK Emotions

The company behind the Beyblade Burst franchise has a new leader for its U.S. arm amid a creative restructuring.

ADK Emotions NY Inc. — the New York-based subsidiary of ADK Emotions — appointed Shunichi Ogawa as its new president and CEO.

The move comes amid a move to a new office in Midtown Manhattan that the company says is “designed to inspire the creativity and imagination that will drive ADK Emotions’ flagship anime brand into its third decade and beyond.” Ogawa joins ADK Emotions NY chief operating officer Daichi “David” Wakabayashi in leading global expansion for Beyblade Burst and other Anime properties in the ADK portfolio.

“There has never been a more exciting time for Beyblade and anime-based brands globally,” says Ogawa. “We believe that there is so much more potential to engage with our fervent fanbase and lots of untapped opportunities within our portfolio. We move forward and look to the future as a team with optimism and enthusiasm.”

Ogawa joined ADK in 2005 to manage global marketing and advertising for various brands. In addition to his new role, he also serves as CEO of ADK’s overseas business division covering North America, China, and Asia. He succeeds former president Shuji “Shawn” Wada who will remain on the board of directors for both the Tokyo and New York offices.

Spin Master Launches Toy Recycling Program with TerraCycle

Source: Spin Master

Following the release of its second annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report this week, Spin Master Corp. has revealed the first of two recycling initiatives planned for this year.

The company behind PAW Patrol, Bakugan, Etch A Sketch, and Rubik’s Cube partnered with industry leader TerraCycle for a recycling program open to consumers in the U.S.

“As a global company that creates innovative toys and games that inspire magical play experiences, we recognize the need to help preserve our environment for the benefit of the children we entertain today and for generations to come,” says Tammy Smitham, vice president of communications and corporate citizenship, Spin Master. “Our program with TerraCycle gives our well-loved toys a reimagined future while also reducing our impact on the environment.”

PAW Patrol — Rocky’s Recycling Truck | Source: Spin Master

Spin Master joins other toymakers, including Hasbro, Mattel, MGA Entertainment, VTech/LeapFrog, and ZURU in forging an alliance with TerraCycle to reimagine what the end-of-life for toys and games can be. Spin Master toys and games will be cleaned, melted, and reborn as material to be used in the construction of play spaces, and to make flower pots, picnic tables, park benches, and more. Spin Master says that all of its toys and games are eligible for the program, with the exception of Kinetic Sand.

“The Spin Master Recycling Program is a perfect chance to engage the next generation through sustainability in a fun and approachable way,” says TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. “This program makes it easy to show your children that recycling and the environment don’t have to be relegated to the classroom — kids can grow into responsible environmental citizens with every toy they outgrow and recycle with their parent’s help.”

Those interested in recycling Spin Master toys and games are encouraged to visit the TerraCycle program page to request a prepaid shipping label and to find detailed submission instructions.

David Capon of FoxMind Games Talks Pop-It! on the ‘Power Kid Podcast’

Source: The Toy Book

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes David Capon, president of FoxMind Games, the company behind the viral hits Go Pop! and Pop-It!

On the show, Capon discusses the invention of Go Pop! and the massive trend of poppable fidget toys that FoxMind Games is currently in the midst of. Additionally, Albritton and Capon discuss the critical components of creating games that stimulate the mind and why they work so well in the market.

The “Power Kid Podcast” is presented by The Toy Book Podcasts by Adventure Media and Events. The long-running series presents in-depth interviews and conversations with some of the biggest names and rising stars in the toy, game, and family entertainment industries. The Toy Book Podcasts are available through all of your favorite streaming services, including Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

Adventure Media and Events (AM&E) is the publisher of the Toy Book, the Toy Insider, and the Pop Insider. Composed of an editorial team with more than 100 years of combined experience in the toy and entertainment industries, AM&E publications provide consumers, press, and trade audiences with the latest news and updates on all things play and pop culture.

Sesame Street’s Elmo Joins the BriteBrush Lineup

Sesame Street Elmo Toothbrush | Source: BriteBrush/The Toy Book

BriteBrush — recently acquired from WowWee by PlayMonster — is launching an Elmo version of its interactive toothbrush. BriteBrush uses music and games to coach kids to brush their teeth correctly by turning it into a fun activity. Elmo’s voice will guide them along, encouraging them to brush longer with the help of silly sounds and songs, such as “Brushy Brush” from Sesame Street to keep kids on track while they brush.

BriteBrush uses no apps or mobile devices. It teaches kids to brush using dentist-recommended methods, smart brushing sensors, side change recognition, and even a parent check light that adults can use to confirm if their kids brushed correctly. After brushing, the toothbrush provides feedback and can even give out star rewards for a job well done.

Through the use of silly sounds, music, games, and more, Elmo really encourages kids to build healthy habits and love the process of brushing their teeth. The new toothbrush includes two soft brush heads that will be gentle on kids’ teeth and gums. The Elmo BriteBrush is available now at Amazon and Walmart.

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