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Barbie – Mattel
Whether she was inspiring Balmain for both a ready-to-wear collection and NFT launch, leaning into purpose with trailblazers like Laverne Cox and Jane Goodall, or pioneering style movements with the Barbiecore trend, in 2022 Barbie used her platform to meaningfully impact style, inclusion, sustainability, and pop culture. The Barbiecore trend alone garnered over 380 press mentions! Additionally, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Dreamhouse, Barbie launched collaborations with a robust offering of home items across furniture, bedding, wallpaper, paint, robes, and more.
As a more than $1.5-billion global brand with 99% awareness, it is no wonder that Barbie is a constant source of inspiration and conversation as the original style influencer. With a teaser trailer drop to end the year, the Barbie Movie is currently the top most anticipated film of 2023 according to IMDB, demonstrating the brand’s impact on culture is more relevant than ever.
Hot Wheels – Mattel
As the top selling toy in the world, Hot Wheels is a global powerhouse beloved by fans of all ages. And after topping a billion dollars in sales, it’s showing no signs of slowing down. More than just a toy brand, Hot Wheels has become a legend in car culture and an iconic lifestyle brand, inspiring both kids and auto enthusiasts alike to embrace the challenger spirit and push the limits of what’s possible.
In 2022, Hot Wheels crossed the finish line with partners in the music, fashion, and sports worlds. The Master Builders of Fender created one-of-a-kind guitars inspired by Hot Wheels originals. BAPE collaborated on apparel and a custom Hot Wheels die-cast, selling out in one minute. Sean Wotherspoon, a renowned LA-based sneaker designer, teamed up with adidas and Hot Wheels on a limited-edition collection, including a Superturf Adventure photochromic shoe, resulting in more than 4.6 billion PR impressions.
LEGO/Marvel – The Walt Disney Company
LEGO had another record year with Marvel, releasing some of the coolest toys that we’ve ever seen for both kids and kids at heart. This includes the “I Am Groot” LEGO set that won the 2022 TOTY for Construction Toy of the Year, which gave Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy fans the chance to build their very own Groot and arrange the lovable flora colossus to recreate his favorite dance moves.
LEGO also released a spectacular collection for one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (including life-sized minifigures at the world premiere), as well as new Duplo sets for the preschool hit Spidey and his Amazing Friends. Other recent releases continue to remain extremely popular, including the best-selling Infinity Gauntlet, the massive 3,700-piece Spider-Man Daily Bugle set, and a variety of evergreen Avengers sets.
Masters of the Universe – Mattel
The 40th anniversary of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in 2022 was the biggest yet, with activations across toys, content, publishing, gaming, consumer products, and events. Highlights included He-Man and Skeletor featuring in Rocket Mortgage’s Super Bowl TV spot (ranked at the top of USA Today’s Ad Meter); The Masterverse action figure line winning the TOTY award for Action Figure of the Year; Being inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame; Two animated shows airing on Netflix (ranked in the top 10 series by Netflix in 55 markets); A Comicon Hall H presentation at SDCC featuring Kevin Smith, Dolph Lundgren, and William Shatner that generated over two billion impressions; a Battlecat-inspired race car driven in Brazil’s Porsche Cup; Collabs released with artists like Madsaki and Virgil Abloh, as well as with brands like Puma and Pacemaker; Gaming releases from Roblox, Fall Guys, and Rec Room; the NFT debut with Cryptoys; and three separate toy lines available concurrently at retail and a successful crowd-funded Eternia playset.
Mini Brands – ZURU Toys
Mini Brands has shifted the needle in the collectible space, by miniaturizing more than 500 of the world’s most iconic brands. Our partners include Coca-Cola, Disney, KraftHeinz, and Subway, to name a few. We’ve landed unprecedented licensing agreements to bring this product line to market, with over 180 contracts. Mini Brands is a TikTok phenomenon, with over 5.6 billion hashtag views and 1.7 million followers. Even after four years, Miniacs still can’t get enough. We’ve consistently landed in the top 10 NPD items over consecutive years—with three of the top 10 items in the U.S. last year alone. We are the top most-liked toy property on TikTok. We’re leveling up with every drop and our massive range of brand partners is key to driving ongoing obsession for every Mini Brands collection. We are constantly challenging ourselves between drops, to ensure we are wowing our fans for years to come.
Monopoly – Hasbro
Monopoly is the top family board game in the world with 98% brand awareness. People universally love the chance to win it all and the exhilaration of play. Monopoly social channels have reached over 19 million accounts, including a new TikTok channel. Monopoly’s iconic imagery includes the incomparable Mr. Monopoly, beloved tokens, cash, and properties.
The Monopoly franchise goes far beyond the board with licensing programs across digital, fashion, footwear, promotions, location-based entertainment, home décor, and more. Notable programs include a sold-out collaboration with Bettinardi Golf, the Britney Spears Monopoly edition (generating more than 600 million media impressions), and the opening of our second location of the award-winning Monopoly Lifesized experience in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Monopoly is also a global powerhouse in promotions with McDonald’s, Ribena, Mondelez, Ferrero, and Carrefour, to name just a few. Monopoly’s multi-generational appeal for 88 years continues to find new fans.
Nerf – Hasbro
For over 50 years, Nerf has ignited active play. This innovative brand is the top blaster property and continues to celebrate expansions beyond the blaster, including entertainment, digital gaming, location-based experiences, fashion, and more.
Nerf launched its new mascot—Murph—who became a viral sensation, trending on Twitter at the fourth spot on launch day and generating over 200 million media impressions. On YouTube, there are over 30 billion lifetime views of Nerf-related content (including UGC).
Notable collaborations included Quiksilver, WowWee, KidKraft, Bunkr, and an expanding sports line from Franklin. Immersive Nerf Experiences worldwide included Nerf Action Experience in Singapore and the U.K. as well as Nerf Challenge with Kilburn Live. Nerf’s diverse appeal is evident with Nerf Dog as the top branded fetch toy brand in the U.S. and Nerf has partnered with leading gaming brands Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox for more play than ever.
Squishmallows – Jazwares
From plush powerhouse to global lifestyle phenomenon, Squishmallows has emerged beyond the toy aisle into an industry-leading icon. Squishmallows became the #1 top-selling toy in the U.S., U.K., and Canada in 2022, according to NPD, winning an unprecedented seven Toy Of The Year Awards from the Toy Association! Squishmallows’ vast audience and multi-generational appeal have fueled a milestone of more than 200 million plush sold YTD.
The brand signed an impressive 50+ licensing partners in 2022 across beauty, games, apparel, home decor, and more. Impactful fan-first activations such as the life-sized Human Claw Machine at VidCon and successful consumer product launches have pushed Squishmallows into #1 spots within licensed softlines, home goods, and stationery categories at popular mass retailers. Additional brand highlights include the Squishmallows x Pokémon collaboration, which sold out online in minutes, and Squishmallows on Roblox achieving the #1 game based on a toy brand status with over 50 million plays.
