Companies and Brands​

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Barbie launches new Marine Biologist doll. The Marine Biologist Barbie doll is the latest Career doll, joining more than 200 professional careers over the brand’s 64-year history. Barbie comes complete with snorkel gear, including mask and fins to explore life below sea level, and science equipment and colourful marine life including a dolphin, ​The doll also comes with a mobile science lab that really opens and closes...

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Bluey joins Red Nose Day challenge. Last week, Bluey joined Gethin Jones for his Red Nose Day Keep Dancing challenge, which raised over £1m for the charity. BBC One’s Morning Live host Gethin Jones put his best foot forward on Friday for Comic Relief as he undertook a 24-hour Keep Dancing challenge. Gethin was joined by the BBC’s Bluey costume character during the dance marathon.

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Tomy expands Hey Clay into German market. Hey Clay, which offers a mix of clay and digital modelling experiences, initially launched in Ukraine in 2017 and has already received a multitude of award wins and nominations in the interactive and game applications industries, including Best Kids App and Best Game Design, as well as Best Arts and Crafts Toy at the Made for Mums Awards and Gold in the Project Baby...

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Tonies has announced a partnership with the National Autistic Society to help amplify the incredible work it does to support autistic children in the UK. In celebration of the partnership, Tonies will be donating £10 from every sale of a Toniebox Starter Set and Toniebox Bundle to the charity during World Autism Acceptance Week, which runs from 27th March to 2nd April.

***The aobve posted after tBR started sending March 17th***

Why Mattel Aims to Be In the Driver’s Seat For Its Films and TV Shows. The toy giant's film division has 200 potential titles it could look to develop: "It’s the double-edged sword, because we’ve got so much pre-awareness but no story,” says vp Elizabeth Bassin at SXSW. On March 10, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves — the big-budget bet based on Hasbro’s role-playing game franchise — premiered as SXSW’s...

US toy retailer, ToysRUs enters India for the 2nd time, opens first store. Its online store toyrus.in and it will also sell exclusively on ecommerce platforms, Flipkart and Myntra. ToysRUs has entered India for a second time and has opened its first store in Hyderabad as it looks to tap the $1.5 billion toy market in India, over 90 per cent of which still remains unorganised. 

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PlayMonster Group LLC, a leading international toy and game company, has announced the launch of the Magnatab Minis line, which has been named as part of the 2023 Toy Association trends report. The new product line will be available for consumer purchase in April 2023 at Barnes & Noble and aims to bring all the satisfying fidget fun of Magnatab to a tween and kidult audience. 

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Sesame Workshop is continuing its efforts to tailor content for the needs of Ukrainian children. The nonprofit org has partnered with Kyiv-based media conglom 1+1 Media Group to air a raft of new short-form content “designed to bring playful early learning to children with particular attention to the unique needs and experiences of those affected by crises.” 

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Tasja Kirkwood introduces My First Barbie. This year, Barbie is introducing a brand-new innovation within the Dolls category that Mattel says will change how pre-school aged children play and interact with the brand. Born from insights gained from parents, My First Barbie is the first-ever Barbie doll specifically designed for pre-school-aged children. 

Gibsons releases celebratory Coronation puzzle. Gibsons‘ new 1,000-piece puzzle, Coronation of a King, celebrates the Coronation of King Charles III, on Saturday 6th May 2023, marks the start of a new era for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. historic event with a montage of different imagery portraying the tradition and grandeur of the Coronation ceremony. 

Games Workshop launches three new 'Warhammer 40,000: Boarding Patrols': 'Adepta Sororitas,' 'Adeptus Custodes,' and 'Thousand Sons'. Games Workshop launched three new Warhammer 40,000: Boarding Patrol boxed sets, which will be headed to preorder soon. The Boarding Patrol: Adepta Sororitas is led by a Canoness, who commands a force of 5 Celestian Sacresants...

Osprey to issue 'General Orders: World War II'. Osprey Games has announced General Orders: World War II, a worker-placement style wargame by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin, the creators of the Undaunted series.  Osprey will premier the game at Gen Con and Essen’s Spiel fair prior to its release in October. 

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New 'Throw Throw Burrito' expansion pack incoming. Exploding Kittens has announced the release of Block Block Burrito, a new expansion pack for Throw Throw Burrito or Throw Throw Avocado. The first Throw Throw expansion adds a new defense mechanic to the mix: the inflatable tortilla shields.  It also adds more battle formats for players to launch burritos at each other in. 

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WowWee and Character partner on new Fingerlings launch. WowWee has announced a strategic partnership with Character Options that will see the two toy companies bring Fingerlings back to the United Kingdom. The all-new Fingerlings bring a heart-to-heart connection to interactive toy play. Each adorable baby monkey knows when they’re on a finger, and their glowing heart will beat just for their owner. 

Cookie Monster and his Sesame Street neighbors are moving to a new block(chain).  VeVe, an app-based marketplace for digital collectibles, has licensed characters from Sesame Workshop to develop Sesame Street NFTs for the first time. VeVe is owned by Singapore-based tech company Ecomi. The first collectible will be released Sunday, March 19 and will feature Cookie Monster standing next to an oven (pictured).

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While the deer and the antelope play on the Range, Douglas Company has added a few more animals to the mix, including a coyote, wolves, and more. The Range will see six more mammals this spring from the soft toy maker and lifestyle gift creator. Introducing Howls the Coyote and what a clever looking specimen he is. His fur is fantastic in shades of brown, caramel and white, looking very textured and full. 

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Airfix reintroduces Avro Lancaster B.III (Special) The Dambusters kit. The reintroduction of Avro Lancaster B.III (Special) The Dambusters features two new schemes, recreating the mission flown by Wing Commander Guy Gibson and Squadron Leader John Leslie Munro. Following a short but intense period of training, the volunteer group of crack airmen who made up the new RAF No.617 Squadron...

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Experience cuteness overload with 'Bananya: The Card Game'. Japanime Games unveiled  Bananya: The Card Game and four expansions, which are currently on preorder. This card game is based on the Q-LiA's kawaii anime series about Bananya, a banana cat, and his friends. In the game, Bananya is on a mission to become a trendy chocolate-covered banana so that everyone will love him. 

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Tummy grumbling? It's 'Waffle Time'. Alderac Entertainment Group will release Waffle Time, a new drafting game, into retail on August 18, 2023. In this game, players try to load up their morning waffles with a combination of fruit toppings and whipped cream to quell their hunger.  They will draft tiles and create patterns to spread their syrup in an effort to score points. 

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Brotherwise unveils 'Overboss Duel'. Brotherwise Games unveiled Overboss Duel, the next game in the Boss Monster series of games, for release into retail on September 20, 2023. Overboss Duel is a two-player version of Overboss (see " 'Overboss'").  In this version, players engage in a head-to-head battle in an effort to dominate the Overworld. 

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