The Licensing Letter

Outdoor Toys

NERF XPerience Expands to China in Hasbro x Kingsmen Partnership

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Hasbro and Kingsmen Creatives are expanding their NERF Xperience brand into China, starting with an entertainment centre in Beijing. NERF is one of the eight core division that Hasbro is focusing on under its new strategic plan, aiming to turn it into a billion dollar brand. That quest has gotten a boost with the partnership … [Read more...] about NERF XPerience Expands to China in Hasbro x Kingsmen Partnership

Hasbro Takes NERFBALL Live With First-Ever Exhibition Game

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Hasbro made history this month launching an entirely new sport called NERFBALL with an exhibition game in Bradenton, Florida. It's the first sport to be based on the NERF franchise, and indeed, one of the few sports ever to be based on a product line. In that sense, the introduction of NERFBALL could lead to leagues springing up … [Read more...] about Hasbro Takes NERFBALL Live With First-Ever Exhibition Game

Experiential Licensing: Hasbro To Open Second NERF Action Experience Location

By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Kingsmen Xperience and Bright Play are opening a new NERF Action Xperience location for Hasbro's NERF toy brand. Owned by Hasbro since 1991, the NERF toy brand specializes in recreational blaster guns that shoot foam darts. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2024, the venue for the upcoming NERF Action Xperience center is located at the … [Read more...] about Experiential Licensing: Hasbro To Open Second NERF Action Experience Location

Earthbound Brokers Deal for Little Tykes x Girl Scouts Cookie Booth

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief When you have little tikes selling Girl Scout cookies at a booth, doesn't it just make sense to have an actual Little Tikes cookie booth? Well, apparently the Girl Scouts of the USA thought so. The Little Tikes Company has partnered with Girl Scouts of the USA to introduce the Little Tikes 2-in-1 Girl Scout Cookie Booth … [Read more...] about Earthbound Brokers Deal for Little Tykes x Girl Scouts Cookie Booth

TLL Interview: How Hasbro Plans to Win the Game of Licensing

Claire Gilchrist Explains How Hasbro’s ‘Church of Focus’ is Designed to Create Billion Dollar Brands By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Of all the interviews I conducted at Licensing Expo this year, among the most interesting was with Hasbro VP Claire Gilchrist. We’ve written before about Hasbro’s plans to streamline its operations into three primary … [Read more...] about TLL Interview: How Hasbro Plans to Win the Game of Licensing

Crowds Come Back to Nuremberg as Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair Returns

By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Following an enforced gap of three years, the Spielwarenmesse trade fair has resumed its place as an international networking event for the toy industry. The Spielwarenmesse trade fair is owned and operated by the trade event organizer and marketing services company, Spielwarenmesse eG. The business-to-business trade fair is intended … [Read more...] about Crowds Come Back to Nuremberg as Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair Returns

North American Toy Revenue Flatlined in 2022

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief A report from NPD Group shows growth in the North American toy sector has stalled, after two record breaking years. “After three record-breaking years for the toy industry, 2022 was a challenging year. U.S. consumers were forced to endure significant economic headwinds stemming from inflation and adverse macroeconomic factors,” said … [Read more...] about North American Toy Revenue Flatlined in 2022

Toy Industry Shocker: Hasbro to Lay Off 1,000 Employees

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief US toy and entertainment company Hasbro announced Jan. 26 that it would be restructuring, laying off 15% of its workforce. The news rocked Wall Street analysts, as Hasbro shares dropped sharply in overnight trading after the late day announcement Thursday, and continued its fall on Friday. Hasbro primarily blamed the decline in … [Read more...] about Toy Industry Shocker: Hasbro to Lay Off 1,000 Employees