GUND Unveils Line Friends Plush Collection

Spin Master’s GUND unveiled its first collection of Line Friends plush.

One of the world’s fastest-growing character brands, Line Friends were initially created as stickers for the 200 million active users of the mobile messenger app, LINE. The new plush collection features Brown, Choco, Cony, and Sally — characters that have been moving beyond the app and into the realm of being full-blown lifestyle brand.

“GUND is an iconic brand, known for creating quality, premium plush for over a century,” says Lauren Duchene, vice president of marketing for GUND. “Our trusted legacy combined with the hugely successful Line Friends brand creates the ultimate collaboration to bring these unforgettable characters into the arms of the ever-growing millennial fan base.”

The full collection includes 15 items in total, including “A Day of Friends” blind boxes, and a 23-inch version of Brown.

GUND’s Line Friends are available at specialty retail and online via GUND.com

Nelvana recently partnered with Line Friends to develop an animated series and some other global initiatives.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, 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) 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.