June Spotlight on Toy Association Members
June 29, 2018 | This month's Toy Association member spotlight features Moose Toys, Party City, Mattel, LEGO Group, NSI International, and Hasbro.
Moose Toys Launches Shopkins Lil' Secrets through Exclusive Unboxing Promotion on YouTube
Moose Toys’ Shopkins brand launched Lil’ Secrets through an exclusive promotion with 1,000 fans around the world, who received the latest Shopkins toy in May and were told to keep it a secret until May 23, when they were encouraged to unbox the toy and share photos on social media with the hashtag #SPKFansFirst. Lil’ Secrets is available for pre-order now on Amazon and will be available in stores August 1.
Party City to Launch 50 "Toy City" Pop-Up Stores
Party City plans to expand its temporary store offerings to include about 50 new “Toy City” pop-up stores. The company will launch the Toy City sites alongside its Halloween City pop-up stores in a variety of locations across the country, allowing the company to “capitalize on the category whitespace that has recently been created,” said CEO James M. Harrison in a press release. The Toy City pop-ups will open in early September and operate through the holiday season. Party City will also test an expansion of its online assortment of toy offerings, providing customers with a broader range of toy products to choose from, while further supporting the overall Party City experience online.
Mattel Unveils Robotics Engineer Barbie to Inspire Girls to Explore STEM and Learn Coding Skills
Mattel unveiled Robotics Engineer Barbie, a doll designed to pique girls' interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), highlighting an underrepresented career field for women. The Barbie brand is encouraging girls to explore STEM and learn real coding skills through imaginative play with the doll. As part of a multi-year partnership with Tynker, a game-based platform that has helped more than 60 million kids learn to code, Mattel is launching six free Barbie-inspired coding experiences available online. These lessons are designed to teach logic, problem-solving, and the building blocks of coding while casting young learners in different roles alongside Barbie.
LEGO Group Teams Up with Volvo to Create Autonomous Concept Wheel Loader
LEGO Technic construction toys and Volvo Construction Equipment joined creative forces with a team of children to design a futuristic, autonomous construction machine. The group helped out in the process of creating the ZEUX by giving feedback that led to the development of unique features, including the scout drone and the adjustable camera boom mounted on the roof of the vehicle, called the “Eye.” The Eye illustrates a new and inventive feature: it will show exactly where the vehicle's attention is directed, which means it can make "eye contact" with humans and acknowledge their presence. The LEGO Technic Volvo Concept Wheel Loader Zeux set (the digital prototype for a real autonomous machine) will be available in August.
NSI International Introduces Fuzzy Wubble® Pets
NSI International, makers of the Wubble Bubble Ball, has introduced its latest line extension, Fuzzy Wubble pets, a collectible plush that comes in six different characters, including Pixie the Unicorn, Lulu the Panda, Daisy the Pig, Roxy the Husky, Ollie the Monkey, and Bee Bee the Cat, with plans to introduce more characters in the near future. Fuzzy Wubble is the newest addition to the Wubble family of products. The original Wubble was introduced in 2014.
Hasbro to Co-Develop New Gaming Experiences with YouTube Comedians Rhett & Link
Hasbro and comedy duo Rhett & Link announced a multi-year relationship committed to bringing Hasbro’s games to life in 2018 and beyond. The comedy duo, most notably known for their YouTube comedy series Good Mythical Morning, have more than 21 million subscribers and have amassed more than 5 billion views on their videos since debuting on YouTube in 2006. Hasbro and the pair will create engaging content to launch Hasbro’s new games on Good Mythical Morning. Hasbro and Rhett & Link will also co-develop and promote unique games, partner on event experiences, and more.
Want to be considered for next month’s Member Spotlight? Email Laurie Chartorynsky with company news.