Branding for Babies

The 2025 ABC Kids Expo was held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center May 21 to 23, overlapping with Licensing Expo 2025 in an adjacent exhibition space. The event is focused on baby toys, apparel, books, gifts, strollers, furniture, feeding systems, and other gear, with exhibitors ranging from the biggest players in the space to small start-ups. The attendees are primarily independent retailers, which likely contributed to the relatively low incidence of licensed products. A rough count showed that less than 5% of the more than 325 exhibiting companies were touting goods tied to third-party IPs. 

The properties that were represented fell into several buckets: 

• Current preschool TV properties, including Bluey toys at the Tomy and Fat Brain booth and furniture at Delta Children, Daniel Tiger books at Cottage Door Press and audio players and content at Storypod, and Paw Patrol sippy cups and bottles at Playtex Baby.

• Corporate and fashion brands, including Lamaze toys at Tomy, Jeep furniture at Delta, and Serta and House of Harlow 1960 baby products at Abond Group.

• Children’s storybook properties, including If You Give a Mouse a Cookie pajamas at Bellabu Bear and Eloise accessories at Bits & Bows (a new license for the company). 

• Sports IPs, including National Football League and Major League Baseball board books at Michaelson Entertainment and collegiate baby apparel at Creative Knitwear.

• Kid-friendly celebrities, including Miss Rachel toys at Spin Master division Melissa & Doug.

• Classic characters, some of them baby versions, including Disney furniture and wagons at Delta and Disney Babies and Sesame Street bottles and cups at Playtex Baby.

In addition to these primary property types, a sprinkling of other entertainment brands were present, including pajamas at Bellabu Bear featuring imagery from Minecraft and other licensed IPs.

One of the most notable trends at the show was the use of smart technology, A.I., and other innovations to promote safety and comfort and to ease parents’ lives by saving time. There was a science-backed portable sound machine with music and nature sounds at the ideal frequency to promote relaxation, from Dreamer; a changing pad with A.I. features that weighed the baby and tracked bodily functions, from Woddle; car and travel seats with new safety and entertainment features, lighter weights, and better ease of use, from Unrattled and others; toothpaste beads to replace teeth brushing, from Pearl Pop; and a bamboo car seat cover to protect babies from germs, viruses, and bacteria, from Snuggle Shield, among others.  

This year’s event was the 21st edition of ABC Kids Expo.