LITTLEMISSMATCHED Founded in 2004, LittleMissMatched is dedicated to promoting girl empowerment and celebrating what it is to be a girl. Best known for fun and colorful mismatched socks that come three in a pack, LittleMissMatched does more than just socks. Today, LittleMissMatched is a girls’ lifestyle brand that spans many different product and entertainment categories and operates in several different channels of distribution, including retail, e-commerce, specialty, wholesale, licensing, and international. LittleMissMatched launched a line of bikes, licensed by Kent International, in the spring of 2013. The bikes are consistently ranked as the top-selling styles within the bike category. In addition, LittleMissMatched will re-launch its wholesale presence at Toys “R” Us this fall with the COLORize Series I sock line, which allows kids to color and customize a collection of socks. A special collection of fun sock gift sets and seamless leggings will also launch at Bed Bath & Beyond this holiday season, with Christina Sklavenitis Consulting further developing LittleMissMatched’s licensing and merchandising programs. COLORize Series I socks
THE JIM HENSON COMPANY The Jim Henson Company will launch a trio of new properties this year, including Word Party, Dot., and Splash and Bubbles, along with continuing licensing programs for Dinosaur Train—now in its fourth season on PBS Kids in the U.S.—and Fraggle Rock. Dinosaur Train’s new master toy partner, Jazwares, will debut new products at retail in the fall in the U.S. and select international markets. The line will feature figures, play sets, and plush. Other current licensees include Buy Seasons for party goods and California Costumes for Halloween costumes. The vocabulary-building show Word Party follows four baby animals as they sing, dance, and play. The series, which debuts on Netflix in June, invites kids to help teach the baby animals new words, learn new words themselves, and celebrate these achievements with a “Word Party.” Dot. is a new animated series based on tech expert and author Randi Zuckerberg’s debut picture book of the same name that targets girls ages 4 to 7. The series follows the inquisitive, exuberant, and tech-savvy Dot, who embarks on adventures to satisfy her imagination. Dot. will debut in the U.S. on Sprout in September. Splash and Bubbles is a new animated series that will debut this fall on PBS Kids in the U.S. and other platforms worldwide. Aimed at kids ages 4 and up, Splash and Bubbles follows Splash, a yellow fusilier fish, and his friend Bubbles, a mandarin dragonet, as they explore the ocean and discover otherworldly undersea habitats. Splash and Bubbles is co-produced with Herschend Enterprises. Fraggle Rock stars a cast of puppet creatures called Fraggles, who are quirky cave-dwellers who live in an underground world alongside their industrious geen neighbors, the Doozers, and a family of enormous Gorgs. The Jim Henson Company has signed new licensing partners in the U.S., including Super Impulse for novelties, Toy Factory for prize redemption, and Funko for collectibles. They join Zen Monkey Studios for apparel and gifts and Trevco for print on demand. Word Party
86 THE TOY BOOK | MAY/JUNE 2016 | TOYBOOK.COM