For Your Consideration: The Original Squishmallows (Jazwares)

It’s time to vote for the best toys of the year!

On Friday, Sept. 29, the winners of the next Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards will be revealed at The Toy Foundation’s annual gala to kick off Toy Fair’s long-awaited return to New York City. After carefully examining the nominees, a panel of industry experts determined this year’s finalists — including toys, games, and licenses — across 17 categories of play.

Now it’s your chance to vote for your favorites!

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: LICENSE OF THE YEAR

Squishmallows licensed products from Bioworld. | Source: Jazwares/Kellytoy/The Toy Book

Squishmallows (Jazwares)

Debuting in 2017, the iconic Squishmallows brand features collectible plush with lovable personalities, a whimsical design, and an ultrasoft feel. In more than 55 countries, the strong brand equity and popularity have resulted in multiple line extensions and cross-category collaborations.

In 2022, NPD named Squishmallows the No. 1 Best-Selling Toy, and the Toy Association honored the brand with seven Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. Squishmallows has also launched fan-first experiences, including a Squish Tour and Squishmallows Human Claw Machine activation at VidCon 2022. The brand’s ongoing expansion and passionate fan base will continue to make Squishmallows a collectible phenomenon and evergreen lifestyle property.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Co-President of The International Toy Magazines Association (ITMA). He is also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), New York Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.