BELOIT, Wis – (November 29, 2023) – PlayMonster Group LLC, the leading international toy and game company, today announced that Brian Fitzharris has joined PlayMonster as the new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

With an impressive background in the toy industry, Fitzharris brings a wealth of experience that will undoubtedly strengthen PlayMonster’s global market position and enhance both client and vendor relationships. In this new role, he will be responsible for driving the growth and success of North American, UK, and International Sales. Fitzharris will also lead the Marketing organization, e-commerce operations, go-to-market strategies, and drive global sales growth while optimizing revenue and profitability.

“In this dynamic era of play and innovation, the PlayMonster portfolio stands as a cornerstone in the arts & crafts, toys and games categories. I am excited to join such a strong team of knowledgeable, talented and dedicated people, ” said Brian Fitzharris, PlayMonster CCO. “Between the strong items and brands we have in the portfolio and the best-in-class partnerships that the team has established, PlayMonster has the ingredients required to elevate the business to new heights of creativity and market prominence.”

Fitzharris joins PlayMonster after a 17-year tenure at Mattel, where he held several critical senior leadership roles, including Global Marketing positions on iconic brands like Hot Wheels and Barbie, International Marketing roles in Europe and Asia Pacific, and, most recently, as the Head of Sales to Walmart / Sam’s Club. His extensive experience across functions and geographies will be instrumental to the construction and execution of PlayMonster’s strategic roadmap.

“At PlayMonster, where our relentless commitment to growth and innovation propels us forward, we’re thrilled to have Brian join our team. His proven track record in discerning a brand’s trajectory and navigating that path to success, aligns seamlessly with our vision,” said Steve Adolph, PlayMonster CEO. “I am particularly eager for the injection of his fresh perspective, not just for 2024 but beyond.”

PlayMonster remains at the forefront of the toy industry’s growth and leadership, with an ambitious expansion plan highlighted by a dynamic lineup of new products and partnerships set to launch in 2024. The company is strategically enhancing its brand portfolio, aiming to elevate its presence and influence both nationally and globally.

For more about PlayMonster, visit www.playmonster.com.

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About PlayMonster

PlayMonster, a leading international toy and game company, believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives and strives to keep play alive for all ages by delivering great play value through designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative and fun toys, games and activities. PlayMonster’s diversified portfolio includes popular brands and products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” 5 Second Rule Relay and Yeti in My Spaghetti®, plus Pigs on Trampolines, The Magical World of Disney Trivia, 5 Second Rule®, Farkle, Five Crowns®, Spirograph, Colorforms, Fashion Plates®, Latchkits®, Koosh®, and the Ann Williams Group including Loopdedoo®, Craft-tastic®, Craft Crush™ and Sticker & Chill™.

Media Contact

5W Public Relations

PlayMonsterPR@5wpr.com

5 Second Rule Relay Clinches Toy of the Year Award in Game of the Year Category

BELOIT, Wis – (November 5, 2023) – PlayMonster Group LLC, a leading international toy and game company, is proud to announce that 5 Second Rule Relay has been awarded a Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award, the industry’s most prestigious honor, in this year’s Game of the Year category. The category highlights games for families and children (ages 0-14) including board, card, electronic, or other physical game formats and puzzles, exclusive of video or app games.

5 Second Rule Relay is a loved game by all that brings family and friends together and offers rapid-fire fun. With the all-new Relay baton, players must list one thing in their category, then hand off the electronic baton to any other player—you decide who must answer next! Then watch and laugh as the ridiculous answers start slipping out!

“Receiving the Toy of the Year Award in the Game of the Year category for 5 Second Rule Relay is a momentous achievement that fills us with immense pride and gratitude,” shared Sharon Fosbery, Chief Marketing Officer at PlayMonster. “This prestigious accolade reflects the passion and dedication we invest in creating games that not only foster laughter, and connection, but create unforgettable family moments. It’s a true testament to our team’s commitment to enriching the playtime experiences of families everywhere, and we’re thrilled to be recognized as a leader in the industry.”

The Toy of the Year® Awards honor the “best of the best” in the toy industry. Administered by The Toy Foundation, these awards are frequently referred to as the “Oscars” of the toy industry. Finalists are announced from a field of hundreds of nominations and are determined by elite members of the toy industry including retail buyers, industry influencers, academics, media, and more.

For more information about 5 Second Rule Relay, and other award-winning games, visit playmonster.com.

About PlayMonster

PlayMonster, a leading international toy and game company, believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives and strives to keep play alive for all ages by delivering great play value through designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative and fun toys, games and activities. PlayMonster’s diversified portfolio includes popular brands and products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti®, plus THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Relative Insanity®, Farkle, Five Crowns®, Spirograph, Colorforms, My Fairy Garden®, Fashion Plates®, Latchkits®, Snap Ships®, Koosh®, and the recently acquired Ann Williams Group including Loopdedoo®, Craft-Tastic®, Craft Crush™ and Sticker & Chill™.

Media Contact

5W Public Relations

PlayMonsterPR@5wpr.com

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The New 5 Second Rule Relay is in the running for the 2023 Game of the Year Category; Voting is now to fans and members of the public

BELOIT, Wis. (August 21, 2023) — PlayMonster Group LLC , a leading international toy and game company, is excited to announce that 5 Second Rule Relay has been named a finalist for the 2023 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, the industry’s most prestigious honor, in this year’s Game of the Year category. Packed with excitement and camaraderie, this game is designed to bring friends and family together for unforgettable moments of rapid-fire fun.

The Toy of the Year® Awards honor the “best of the best” in the toy industry. Administered by The Toy Foundation, these awards are frequently referred to as the “Oscars” of the toy industry. Finalists are announced from a field of hundreds of nominations and are determined by elite members of the toy industry including retail buyers, industry influencers, academics, media and more.

5 Second Rule Relay

5 Second Rule just got even more spontaneous and unpredictable with the all-new Relay baton! It should be easy to name pizza toppings—but can you do it under the pressure of 5 seconds counting down, after another player puts you on the spot? List one thing in your category, then hand off the electronic baton to any other player—you decide who has to answer next! Time’s not on your side, so just say what comes to mind and risk ridiculous answers slipping out!

Ages 8+
MSRP  $29.99
playmonster.com

Vote for 5 Second Rule Relay for Game of the Year HERE!

“We are overjoyed to have 5 Second Rule Relay named as a finalist for the 2023 Toy of the Year Award,” said Sharon Fosbery, Chief Marketing Officer at PlayMonster. “This recognition speaks to our commitment to crafting games that foster laughter, communication, and unforgettable moments shared among loved ones. We are immensely proud of this achievement and grateful for the opportunity to be part of families’ playtime experiences.”

The TOTY Awards will take place on September 29th in New York City, where winners across 17 categories of play, as well as the coveted “Toy of the Year” award winner and the “People’s Choice” winner (based solely on consumer votes), will have their names called in what promises to be the most exciting TOTY Awards yet.

For more information about 5 Second Rule relay, and other award-winning games, visit playmonster.com.

About PlayMonster

PlayMonster, a leading international toy and game company, believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives and strives to keep play alive for all ages by delivering great play value through designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative and fun toys, games and activities. PlayMonster’s diversified portfolio includes popular brands and products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti®, plus THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Relative Insanity®, Farkle, Five Crowns®, Spirograph, Colorforms, My Fairy Garden®, Fashion Plates®, Latchkits®, Snap Ships®, Koosh®, and the recently acquired Ann Williams Group including Loopdedoo®, Craft-Tastic®, Craft Crush™ and Sticker & Chill™.

Expanded Playskool deal marks a significant milestone in the overall global growth of PlayMonster’s partnership with Hasbro’s iconic brands

BELOIT, Wis. (March 28, 2023) — PlayMonster Group LLC., a leading international toy and game company, and Hasbro Inc., a global branded entertainment leader, have announced that PlayMonster will bring the entire Playskool brand to the company’s dynamic roster in 2024 as part of an overall global growth strategy delivering innovation and re-imagined classic play to preschoolers and their families around the world.

With a clear vision, Playskool has helped generations of babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their families play together for nearly a century, representing quality, trust and memorable play experiences that help define a child’s early years.

Following a successful Fall 2022 launch of the Playskool Glo Friends line, PlayMonster plans to re-launch Weebles in Fall 2023 with a diverse new line up of Weebles figures and playsets that will inspire a child’s imagination. Our research shows that today’s parents still recall “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.”

In 2024, PlayMonster will take over the entire Playskool line, including Glo Worm, Sit ‘n Spin, Busy Gears, Elefun, Busy Ball Popper, and Busy Poppin’ Pals, in addition to Koosh, Spirograph and Glo Friends which PlayMonster already licenses globally.

“It is an honor and quite a lot of fun to expand our work on Playskool with Hasbro into new segments, more products, and increased global reach across a strong preschool portfolio of graduated ages and stages,” said Steve Adolph, CEO of PlayMonster. “We look forward to sustained growth as we continue to bring quality, purposeful and fun play to young families everywhere.”

“We are excited by the new ways in which PlayMonster is bringing forward the vision and values of the Playskool brand that still garners a universal fondness felt by parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents,” said Jess Richardson, VP Global Toys & Games Licensing at Hasbro. “This deal emphasizes a focus of our Blueprint 2.0 to offer new and innovative ways to play by aligning our iconic brands with proven industry leading partners that value them.”

For more about PlayMonster, visit playmonster.com and follow @playmonsterfun on social media.

About PlayMonster
PlayMonster, a leading international toy and game company, believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives and strives to keep play alive for all ages by delivering great play value through designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative and fun toys, games and activities. PlayMonster’s diversified portfolio includes popular brands and products such as “TOTY Specialty Toy of the Year” Craft-tastic® Nature Scavenger Hunt Potions, “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti®, plus 5 Second Rule®, Farkle, Five Crowns®, Spirograph®, Colorforms, My Fairy Garden®, Fashion Plates®, Koosh®, Playskool®, and the recently acquired Ann Williams Group including Loopdedoo®, Craft-tastic®, Craft Crush™ and Sticker & Chill™.

About Hasbro
Hasbro is a global branded entertainment leader whose mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play. Hasbro delivers engaging brand experiences for global audiences through gaming, consumer products and entertainment, with a portfolio of iconic brands including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, Hasbro Gaming, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands.

Hasbro is guided by our Purpose to create joy and community for all people around the world, one game, one toy, one story at a time. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute and one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50. For more information, visit www.corporate.hasbro.com.
© 2023 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Contact:
Kristin Ray
5W Public Relations
646-843-1802
playmonsterpr@5wpr.com

Crystal Flynn
Hasbro, Inc.
crystal.flynn@hasbro.com

BELOIT, Wis. (March 20, 2023) – Leading international toy and game company PlayMonster Group LLC today announced the growth of its sales division as it welcomes Melanie Bailey, National Account Manager, and Dave Trentman, Sales Manager Value Channel. The two toy and game veterans will lead PlayMonster’s specialty business and value channels, respectively.

“Melanie and Dave are sales powerhouses who will be key in propelling PlayMonster’s trajectory in two strategic channels, as the retail landscape continues to evolve,” said Steve Adolph, PlayMonster CEO. “They are industry pros who have a proven track record in building long-standing relationships while delivering product and innovation to their partners. We’re thrilled to welcome them both during this pivotal time for PlayMonster.”

Bailey, who started with the company on February 13, and Trentman, who joined on February 20, have roles defined as follows:

Bailey

As national account manager, Bailey primarily focuses on providing proper structure for PlayMonster’s independent representatives and growing the company’s partnerships with thousands of specialty retailers across the globe. Bailey comes to PlayMonster most recently from HearthSong Wholesale, where she launched the organization’s new wholesale division and managed co-op relationships with retailers such as The Good Toy Group, Toy Collection, Learning Express, ACE Hardware, and Mid-States, as well as international accounts. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the University of South Carolina.

“The opportunity to join PlayMonster initially attracted me because of the company’s forward-thinking mentality,” said Bailey. “Especially now, independent retailers hold such a sacred space for our industry, and I’m excited to continue to grow PlayMonster’s presence in this area.”

Trentman

Leading the organization’s value channel, Trentman is the incumbent in this position – working closely alongside the Brand Teams to analyze customer trends and then applying this knowledge to positioning PlayMonster with value retailers. Prior to joining PlayMonster, Trentman served as a senior manager of national accounts with Mattel, Inc., where he maintained relationships with retailers such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, 5 Below, .99 Cent Stores, Nexcom, as well as military accounts. He is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management.

“The value channel is such an integral part of the toy and game world, especially as consumers form new purchasing behaviors,” said Trentman. “I’m honored to further build PlayMonster’s strategy in this area and showcase its iconic portfolio of treasured toys and games, and new ones, too.”

For more about PlayMonster, visit www.playmonster.com and follow @playmonsterfun on social media.

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About PlayMonster

PlayMonster, a leading international toy and game company, believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives of all ages by delivering great play value through designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative and fun toys, games, and activities. PlayMonster’s diversified portfolio includes popular brands and products such as Koosh®, Playskool, Spirograph®, The Magical World of Disney Trivia, “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti®, plus 5 Second Rule®, Relative Insanity®, THINGS…®, Farkle, Five Crowns®, Colorforms, Fashion Plates®, Latchkits®, Snap Ships® and the recently acquired Ann Williams Group including Loopdedoo®, Craft-Tastic®, Craft Crush™, and Sticker & Chill™.

This Brand-New Product Allows for Creative, Sensory and On-the-Go Fidget Fun

BELOIT, Wis. (March 13, 2023) — PlayMonster Group LLC., a leading international toy and game company, announced today 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.

PlayMonster’s successful preschool Magnatab® brand is a Montessori-learning-inspired, sensory-based drawing tablet that uses magnets and a stylus to teach writing and free drawing. Though created for a younger audience, Magnatab has become a popular toy in the ASMR and fidget sphere due to the satisfying “click” of the beads.  On TikTok alone, #Magnatab has garnered over 29 million views. PlayMonster saw an opportunity to expand the reach of the brand, and Magnatab Minis™ was created!

Like the original, Magnatab Minis allows kids and adults alike to hear that gratifying clicking sound but in a mini, portable version. These new collectible clips are a sensory and fidget toy that is easy to enjoy everywhere you go!

“At PlayMonster we’re always innovating and thinking ‘what’s next?’ and with the popularity of our Magnatab brand in both consumer purchasing and on social media, we knew we had to launch an on-the-go version that would allow fidget fun no matter where you are,” said Steve Adolph, CEO of PlayMonster. “We look forward to the continued growth of the brand and are eager to see the consumer response to this exciting new product.”

The Toy Association, the leader of today’s dynamic and innovative toy and play industry, recently presented its annual “Toy Trends Briefing” at the 2023 Play Date event and named Magnatab Minis as part of their Tween Takeover trend. This 2023 trend is an extension of the 2022 Play for All trend which indicates adults (kidults) enjoy playtime just as much as kids.

Keeping kids, teens, tweens and kidults in mind, new Magnatab Mini designs will be released this spring and consumers are encouraged to collect each product. The Magnatab Minis will feature trendy avocado, cactus, and lightning bolt shapes on a classic backpack clip for on-the-go fidget fun.

For more about PlayMonster, please visit playmonster.com and follow @playmonsterfun on social media.

About PlayMonster

PlayMonster, a leading international toy and game company, believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives and strives to keep play alive for all ages by delivering great play value through designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative and fun toys, games and activities. PlayMonster’s diversified portfolio includes popular brands and products such as “TOTY Specialty Toy of the Year” Craft-tastic® Nature Scavenger Hunt Potions, “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti®, plus 5 Second Rule®, Farkle, Five Crowns®, Spirograph, Colorforms, My Fairy Garden®, Fashion Plates®, Koosh®, Playskool®, and the recently acquired Ann Williams Group including Loopdedoo®, Craft-tastic®, Craft Crush™ and Sticker & Chill™.