For years now, toy companies have been launching or acquiring entertainment and gaming studios, in the hopes that bringing these businesses in-house will strengthen their ability to control their all-important forays into TV, film, and interactive gaming productions based on their proprietary brands. There has been some news on this front since the start of […]
Tag Archives | Spin Master
The Numbers Are In
The toy industry is having a good year in 2021, as measured by the major public toy companies’ quarterly results to date. Some observers had thought industry growth would slow in 2021 after a significant bump in dollar sales in 2020, fueled by the need to keep families occupied during the COVID lockdowns. In addition, […]
Game Play
Three leading toy companies recently signed renewals of existing licensing deals tied to mainstream video game properties, or otherwise expanded their current assortments. This is a reminder of how the toy-licensing landscape has changed over time from almost entirely TV- and film-based to an environment where video games, one of today’s major leisure-time activities, play […]
Signs of a Comeback
The last few months have brought news about the signing of several multi-faceted, multi-year toy deals, both in the U.S. and globally, many involving well-established properties: Spin Master joined the Wizarding World through a deal with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, with plans to produce playthings tied to the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises. Merchandise […]
Family Affair
Digital influencers’ content often features supporting appearances by friends and family. Ryan Kaji’s videos include his parents and younger twin sisters, who also have their own spin-off channel, although the Ryan’s World licensing program is focused exclusively on Ryan. Siblings Charli and Dixie d’Amelio and Jake and Logan Paul sometimes play a role in each […]
Looking Beyond Face Coverings
Properties of all types have gotten into the face covering game in a big way since just after the start of the pandemic, with cloth masks, gaiters, balaclavas, and other protective facewear quickly becoming a standard category for licensing. Meanwhile, the pandemic has also given rise to other new opportunities related to avoiding the COVID-19 […]
Potty Time
By Karen Raugust on June 25, 2020 in Character/Entertainment, Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Licensing
Among the new Daniel Tiger products announced earlier this month by Fred Rogers Productions and 9 Story Brands was a 3-in-1 potty-training aid from Fisher-Price. The product is a potty chair featuring a removable seat that fits on a full-sized toilet and a fold-down lid that becomes a step stool, along with activated sound effects […]
More Visibility for Disability
By Karen Raugust on March 16, 2020 in Character/Entertainment, Demographic groups, Licensing, Toys/Games
Over the past several years there has been a focus on diversity and inclusion of all types in advertising, content, and consumer products. The introduction of characters with physical and mental disabilities has been a recent manifestation of this trend, with more and more examples in the toy and children’s entertainment industries, especially in the […]
Influencing Playtime
Influencers with large social media followings, especially on YouTube, have had a noticeable and growing presence at Toy Fair New York over the past few years. With some important exceptions, their role has been more about endorsements than products. Recently, however, there has been a spike in signature toy lines tied to influencers and their […]
Acknowledging ASMR
By Karen Raugust on March 28, 2019 in Branding/marketing, Content, Design and content themes, Wellness
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos have become a big trend online, especially among viewers 18-24. ASMR is the scientifically unproven but increasingly popular idea that certain soft, slow, and/or repetitive sounds tend to make users happy and relaxed, sometimes to the point that they feel a tingling sensation starting at the back of the […]