News & Press
Squishful thinking at Jazwares
Jazwares senior vice president, Europe, Jonny Taylor & MD of UK & Nordics, Holly Oldham give Toy World the lowdown on the company. Jazwares enjoyed a recordbreaking year in 2021, fuelled by its phenomenal portfolio of brands and with a host of new launches in the pipeline, another bumper year is on the cards for 2022. As the company looks forward to celebrating its 25th anniversary and the 10th year of its UK office, Jonny and Holly chat about the year ahead, the runaway successes of Squishmallows, direct distribution of the Pokémon range and further European expansion. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, increased sales and expansion of the UK office have seen the Jazwares team nearly double in size. Bringing in resources to support the growth, which will continue as the range carries on expanding, has been a huge focus for the company. Holly Oldham attributes Jazwares’ success to “having the right brands with some great products.” She adds that much of the company’s growth in recent years has come from acquisitions made by the company. “A real highlight for us has been growing the business every year in the UK over the last nine years, and we are confident, based on the product portfolio we have, and traction at retail, that next year will be our 10th growth year in a row,” adds Jonny. “The thing that I’m probably most proud of is the quality of product that Jazwares has been making – and the product is getting stronger and stronger.” The company has an enviable licensing portfolio which is performing well and is investing heavily in developing its own private IPs, working on broader IP propositions. Jazwares will also be launching a number of licensed collaborations for Squishmallows in 2022 and says more will be revealed at Toy Fair. Jonny enthused: “Overall, we are confident of being in a position to have a really successful and enjoyable year. There really is a lot more to come over the next 12 months and beyond.” To hear more about Jazwares successes with brands such as Roblox, Fortnite, Pokémon, Spidey & His Amazing Friends, Squishmallows and brand extension Squishville, and hear about the company’s exciting plans going forward, read the full article, which appeared in the January edition of Toy World, here. Read original article here
Read More
JAZWARES BRINGS BREAKOUT PLUSH SENSATION SQUISHMALLOWS INTO THE ROBLOX METAVERSE
Leading Roblox Game Developers Kyle Hulse and Samuel Jordan toHead Jazwares Games Studio Creative DevelopmentSUNRISE, FL — DECEMBER 20, 2021 — Jazwares, a leading global toy company laser-focused on bringing content to life through innovative play experiences, today announced the launch of Squishmallows® on Roblox, the popular 3D gaming and experiences platform expanding the world of the immensely popular Squishmallows plush toy brand. The Metaverse game brings together two pop-culture favorites in an amazingly fun play experience for all ages. Developed in-house, the Squishmallows game is the ultimate social virtual world where fans can collect Squishmallows virtual plush, hang out with friends in an ultra-cool and colorful world, compete in fun minigames, and customize their very own Squishmallows-themed home. With Roblox averaging over 47 million daily active users, Jazwares is leveraging its portfolio, and design and development expertise, to create new immersive branded experiences on the Roblox platform. In addition to celebrating the debut of the Squishmallows game, today the company also officially announced its all-new game studio, further expanding play opportunities for kids within the Metaverse. Under the name Jazwares Game Studio, the company has assembled top talent helmed by Roblox developer wunderkinds Kyle Hulse and Samuel Jordan, who will help bring to life the studio’s vision of investing in the technologies and platforms kids, families, and fans are engaging on today. “Jazwares Game Studio is our next evolution in innovation. We’ve always had our fingers on the pulse of trends and as we have seen the Metaverse expand, we wanted to be able to create enriching play experiences where kids are spending more and more of their time,” said Laura Zebersky, President, Jazwares. “That’s why we’re tapping into our powerhouse brands, beginning with the breakout plush sensation Squishmallows, to develop fun games and moments within Roblox.”Leading development at Jazwares Game Studio are Kyle Hulse, who joins as Operations Director, and Samuel Jordan, who will lead as Creative Director. Hulse began developing games on Roblox in 2015, and released his first game in 2017, at age 15, reaching over 30 million play sessions to date. Shortly after, he began working with Roblox Corporation as a consultant for original games, brand partnerships, and live ops events, and later relocated to the United Kingdom for Roblox’s prestigious “Accelerator Program,” where he worked on multiple games, helping to generate hundreds of millions of play sessions, and tens of millions of unique users across the platform. Jordan started his career on Roblox designing maps and layouts for different developers’ games, which quickly caught the attention of Roblox, who then tapped him to design and create maps for two of their sitewide events. After participating in Roblox’s “Accelerator Program,” Jordan began creating 3D accessories for Roblox’s avatar marketplace, leading to opportunities to partner with large clothing brands, such as the luxury fashion house Stella McCartney, to design and create Roblox accessories for their lines. To date, his collection of original digital fashion pieces has sold over 20 million units on Roblox, making him one of the top-selling creators on the platform.“We want Jazwares Game Studio to be the number one place for play, physically and digitally,” said Kyle Hulse, Operations Director, Jazwares Game Studio. “We see entering this space as a great way to continue to enrich our existing brands with the potential to grow them in multiple directions. It’s a really exciting, fast-moving space to be in, and we can’t wait for what’s ahead.”Since Squishmallows debut in 2017, the plush toy brand known for the ultra-soft feel and whimsical design have surpassed more than 100 million plush sold, delighting fans of all ages, both online and in person. The collectible Squishmallows are a social media sensation that continue to cultivate a strong following online. Organic Squishmallows content has generated nearly five billion video views on TikTok and @squishmallows (and related hashtags) have been tagged in more than one million Instagram posts. The Squishmallows social media channels have ballooned to more than 700,000 followers and nearly 100 global and local Facebook groups have been created by fans.Play Now!
Read More
Toy Sensation Squishmallows Signs With CAA (EXCLUSIVE)
Squishmallows, a top-selling range of plush toys that found a global audience during the pandemic, is giving a super-soft hug to its new agent. The range of collectibles will be represented in numerous areas by CAA, including film, television, video games, publishing, live touring and more. Produced by Jazwares, the toys have moved over 86 million units in over 40 countries since launching in 2017. In March, the New York Times wrote about the phenomenon, saying they had “cultivated a fandom in a year of grief, isolation and uncertainty.” The craze has been compared to the fevered Beanie Babies movement. Founded with eight characters, the original world has now grown to over 1,000 and also counts licensing deals (yes, there’s a Baby Yoda). The brand has found particular success with children and young adults thanks to an expansive TikTok (or “SquishTok”) presence, boasting a combined social reach of 650,000. “The Squishmallows brand is at this incredible stage, experiencing tremendous growth and increasing popularity over the past year. Now is the perfect time to join forces with CAA, the best partners in the industry, to fully take advantage of the momentum behind the brand and create significant content and entertainment experiences for our brand fans,” said Michael Rinzler, executive vice president and partner at Jazwares. Prior to signing with CAA, Jazwares expanded the world of Squishmallows with the June 2021 launch of the YouTube animated series “Squishville.” Produced by Moonbug Entertainment, new episodes of “Squishville” will debut every Saturday through October 2021. The series is based on the line of Squishmallows-inspired collectible playsets and accessories, which was introduced at retail in March. Read the full article here.
Read More
THE POP INSIDER’S 2021 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF FANDOM This year, the Pop Insider is bringing you its biggest holiday gift guide EVER, full of hand-picked merch featuring a variety of fandoms, from Marvel and DC to Avatar and Star Wars — and beyond! The guide includes a huge assortment of collectibles, video games and gear, board games, and even home goods to delight every geek on your shopping list. Check out our Pop 20 list to see what we think will be the most sought-after, fandom-focused gifts for geeks. And, if you’ve got some young Padawans on your list, the Pop Junior section features the perfect gifts for the next generation of fans! Read the full article here.
Read More
Kellytoy Partners with Sanrio® to Bring Hello Kitty and Friends Squishmallows to Market
LOS ANGELES — April 19, 2021 — Kellytoy, a subsidiary of Jazwares, LLC, today announced that in partnership with Sanrio®, the brand is debuting an all-new Hello Kitty® and Friends Squishmallows™ squad rolling out to retailers now. Kellytoy is producing 5-inch, 7-inch, 8-inch, 12-inch, and 20-inch versions of the cuddly and snuggly Hello Kitty and Friends mallows (SRP range from $4.99 to $49.99), and are expected to be in high-demand as both fan bases rush to collect the first-of-its-kind Squishmallows. Characters include Hello Kitty, Tuxedosam™, My Melody™, Pompompurin™, Badtz-Maru™, Chococat™, and Keroppi™. Kellytoy will offer various styles of the characters such as Hello Kitty dressed as a flower, mermaid, or pineapple, or Pompompurin dressed as a burger or sundae. Hello Kitty squads are available now at Claire’s and will hit shelves this month at Hallmark, TJX, Learning Express, Sav On Foods, London Drugs, Hot Topic, EB Games, Mr. Toys Toyworld, and Toymate. Five Below and Costco (U.S., Canada, Australia, UK, and France) will carry Hello Kitty collections starting in May 2021 as well as Sanrio.com. Squishmallows and Hello Kitty are loved by “kids” of all ages around the world. More than 80 million of the loveable Squishmallows have found homes since their debut and have quickly grown into a TikTok toy sensation, with nearly two billion organic video views on #squishmallows (and related) video tags. “We know how much fans and collectors have been clamoring for a Hello Kitty and Squishmallows collaboration, so we’re excited to partner with the global icon to bring these characters to fans around the world,” says Kellytoy Co-President Jonathan Kelly. “For over 60 years, Sanrio has been committed to spreading friendship and kindness through small gifts,” says Jill Koch, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Sanrio, Inc. “Plush has always been a top category for Sanrio that ties back to our heritage. In partnering with Squishmallows, who also aims to fill hearts with love and affection, we are able to deliver new interpretations of our lovable characters as well as the exciting element of collectability.” Caring for Squishmallows is easy; give them lots of love, machine wash in cold water and tumble-dry on low heat—remember not to iron them! Make sure not to miss out on anything this year by joining the #SquishmallowSquad online and follow @Squishmallows on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The shape, look, feel, and texture of Squishmallow® and Squishmallows™ branded plush toys constitute Kellytoy’s proprietary trade dress. About Kellytoy Kellytoy manufactures a portfolio of award winning everyday and seasonal plush products that includes its best-selling Squishmallows®, Kellybaby as well as a pet products line called Wags & Purrs™. Over the past three decades, Kellytoy has positioned itself to meet the needs of its customers in mass market, gift/specialty/toy retailers, party and pet stores, supermarkets, discount stores, drug stores, amusement parks and even crane machines in arcades the world over. Kellytoy also makes products in collaboration with leading classic characters, including major licenses, as well as blockbuster theatrical franchises. www.squishmallows.com. About Jazwares Jazwares, a subsidiary of Alleghany Capital Corporation, is a global leader in consumer products including toys, plush, action figures, collectibles and musical instruments. Jazwares’ portfolio includes a variety of dynamic licensed and wholly owned brands. With over 20 years of design, development, and manufacturing expertise, Jazwares is an award-winning company with a progressive focus on identifying new trends and transforming them into high-quality products for consumers of all ages. Jazwares, which is headquartered in Sunrise, FL, has offices around the world and sells in over 100 countries. Since its inception in 1997, Jazwares continues to grow through the development of new products and the strategic acquisitions of companies like First Act™, Russ Berrie™, Zag Toys™, Wicked Cool Toys™ and Kellytoy®. For more information about Jazwares, please visit www.jazwares.com. About Sanrio® Sanrio is the global lifestyle brand best known for pop icon Hello Kitty®, and home to many other beloved character brands including Chococat™, My Melody™, Badtz-Maru™, Keroppi™, Gudetama™ and Aggretsuko™. Sanrio was founded on the “Small Gift, Big Smile®” philosophy – that a small gift can bring happiness and friendship to people of all ages. Since 1960, this philosophy has served as the inspiration to offer quality products, services and activities that inspire unique consumer experiences across the world. Today, Sanrio’s legendary breadth of products are available in over 130 countries and in retail locations including department, specialty, national chain retailers and Sanrio boutique stores. To learn more about Sanrio, please visit www.sanrio.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – @sanrio, @hellokitty.
Read More
Insider.com – How Squishmallows Went Viral in 2020
Palmer Haasch, a reporter at INSIDER.com said that with over 500 distinct Squishmallows, “If you look at — or even better, hug — a Squishmallow, you’ll start to understand why they’re so popular.” Read the Full Insider.com Article on Squishmallows Here
Read More
Kellytoy Expands Squishmallows With Reversible Flip-A-Mallows
The latest addition to the Squishmallows line is the reversible Flip-A-Mallows plushes, available in six styles with 12 characters total. Read the latest from aNb Media. “The two sizes available, five-inch and 12-inch, are for all ages and come in six character combinations, including: Gordon the Shark/Ricky the Clownfish, Reginald the Corgi/Karina the Calico Cat, Dawn the Fawn/Winston the Owl, Devin the Dragon/Esmeralda the Unicorn, Willow the Pegasus/Tim the Alpaca, and Sharie the Sloth/Hans the Hedgehog.” Read the full review here:https://www.anbmedia.com/news/2020/03/kellytoy-expands-squishmallows-with-reversible-flip-a-mallows/
Read More
Kellytoy’s Squishmallows Brand Gets Theme Song
As reported in Toy Book Magazine, Kellytoy announced the release of a new song and ringtone for its best-selling Squishmallows® plush toy and pillow line. “Hello We’re the Squishmallows” will be used at events and trade shows, for web and social media content, and provide a soundtrack for its fast growing fan-base responsible for more than 20 million video views on TikTok alone. A lyric video is available on the Squishmallows YouTube channel and a ringtone is available for free download now for a limited time at www.squishmallows.com/song. Throughout the month of April, the song ‘Hello We’re The Squishmallows’ is rolling out globally to a wide network of popular music services and social media sites including iTunes, Apple Music, YouTube Music/Google Play, Amazon Music, Target Music, TikTok, Tidal and more.” The song will also be available in the audio library on Facebook and Instagram as well. The ringtone will also be available for download through iTunes. Read the full article here: https://toybook.com/exclusive-kellytoys-squishmallows-brand-gets-theme-song/
Read More
