THE PUPPET COMPANY AND THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ANNOUNCE NEW PREHISTORIC PLUSH COLLECTION The Puppet Company is announcing its second product launch with licensing partner the natural history museum: a miniature dinosaur plush collection featuring six legendary prehistoric species – stegosaurus, tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, velociraptor, diplodocus and quetzalcoatlus. The new launch joins the incredible large-sized plush already at retail. The new launch was highlighted in late January at the Puppet Company’s Toy Fair stand, where it received an excellent response and was one of the main stand attractions. The initial range of six palaeontologist-approved prehistoric plush launched in october 2025, vividly and accurately recreating five dinosaurs and one pterosaur as soft toys ranging in size from 25cm to 48cm. New for 2026 is a smaller version, with sizes ranging from 14cm to 27cm. Great for little dinosaur fans and ideal for impulse purchases, the new range will again be available both online and at physical retail. The new, miniature formats will be available from march and are ideal for combining with the larger sizes for stand-out displays. Their free-standing designs make them easy to merchandise and are further enhanced by highly accessible price points. Working with the museum’s licensing team and world-leading palaeontologists, part of the museum’s 400-strong network of scientists, the Puppet Company has ensured that each dinosaur in both collections is thoughtfully designed to be both scientifically accurate and instantly recognisable. www.thepuppetcompany.com PYRAMID INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES NEW LICENCE PARTNERSHIPS FOR 2026 Pyramid International is heading into 2026 with an exciting wave of new licence partnerships that will unlock fresh opportunities across gifting, stationery, accessories and beyond. With one of the largest licensing portfolios in the industry and more than 30 years of experience in officially licensed merchandise, the company continues to evolve its ranges to match what fans are buying now, and what retailers need next. K-pop demon hunters joins the portfolio at a time when kpop driven merchandise is building serious momentum across global markets. With a highly engaged fanbase and bold, character-led appeal, it brings a strong new energy to licensed gifting and everyday formats. Spongebob Squarepants, one of the most instantly recognisable characters in pop culture, offering broad audience reach and strong cross-category potential is also joining the fold. Alongside this, Toy Story arrives with timeless appeal that continues to resonate across generations, while shrek brings a fan-favourite attitude and a distinctive personality that translates perfectly into fun, giftable ranges. These new partnerships sit confidently alongside the company’s evergreen giants including Lilo & Stitch, Harry Potter, Minecraft, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Stranger Things, ensuring retailers can build a licensed offering that balances dependable bestsellers with exciting newness. With in-house design expertise, global distribution and ranges shaped by innovation-first development, pyramid international is ready to support retailers with licensed products that drive attention, conversion and repeat purchase throughout 2026. www.pyramidinternational.com BULLSEYE BRAND SCORES YET AGAIN WITH FOUR BIG LICENSING DEALS Iconic darts game show and brand Bullseye has won another four licensing deals following its triumphant return to its original home on itv. Bulldog Licensing, which licenses the brand in the uk on behalf of bullseye group, has announced bullseye partnerships in interactive games, costume characters, calendars, and – of course – darts games. Currently in development is a new offering from Barnstorm Games. The company is a specialist in high-quality, family-friendly games for handheld devices, and develops and publishes apps for top tv production companies and worldfamous brands. Barnstorm Games’ very first bullseye offering will capture the combination of skill and general knowledge that makes the game so appealing via specially designed apps playable on mobiles. The bullseye game will be available on the apple app store, google play and the amazon appstore. This is an important partnership with a global leader in manufacturing bespoke mascot costumes and organising licensed character events. Rainbow Productions is unique in offering a complete mascot manufacture, wardrobe and costume character events management service, one that includes purposely designed units, support staff, costume makers and trained mascot artistes. It’s also a 2025 king’s award for enterprise winner. www.bulldog-licensing.com INDUSTRY NEWS 11
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=