The Character Options portfolio presents buyers with a wealth of brands to discover in 2022 covering all core categories including active play, preschool toys, fashion dolls, electronic pets, action figures and more.
STAND N16
With ever-increasing demand for family-friendly activities and toys, Character Options will launch Stay Active: a range of family-inclusive toys that can be played inside and outside while having active fun. For S/S22, the Stay Active line will include some new items, as well as last year’s hit toys – Moon Shoes, Jump It and KickerBall – which will be rebranded to sit within the Stay Active range.
A fun addition to the portfolio is Splash Out, which requires players to throw the ball to another person to avoid getting splashed out! The core of Splash Out features a ball that contains a water balloon, as well as a wind-up timer. When the timer runs out, the water balloon is punctured and whoever is left holding the ball gets splashed with water.
Other sure-fire hits include the Hip Hoppa – a jumping ball toy with a handle and tether that packs the fun of a pogo stick into a smaller format – and the Sling Ball, which lets kids hook the ball and launch it up to 60ft for a friend to catch. Plus, be sure to check out the Electronic Jump-It Wipeout game, billed as the greatest jump skip challenge yet. Choose from three modes of play; tension builds with each level of increasing difficulty as the music and lights change with the speed and height of the skip bar. The skip bar is made of foam, and is designed to easily detach to avoid tripping, making this game both fun and safe to play.
A classic returns in 2022 with Peppa Weebles! Characters Options is reintroducing this much-loved toy, supported with TV, PR, and a digital campaign. The S/S22 product range will feature new refreshed styling and exclusive decoration. There will be eight wobbly characters to collect in series one, as well as two-figure packs, a four-figure pack that comes with Peppa and Friends, and the feature-packed Cute Wobbly House Playset, where the Weebles can wobble up the stairs, across the wobbly floor and down the slide, before spinning around on the roundabout and swinging on the swing. There are also some vehicle sets: the Push-along Wobbly Car and the Pull-Along Wobbly Train. Plus, expect some range extensions for the second half, as the firm readies itself for the addition of some of the hottest and most on-trend licences in the preschool market.
From the hugely successful world of Jiggly Pets comes Jiggly Pets Elephant. This walking, trunk-lifting pink/blue elephant features full body movement, music, and sound effects – watch him move and jiggle to the beat of his tunes. He also features head and rear sensors, so he can react to the touch of his new friend. He joins the portfolio following the introduction of Tan-Tan the Orangutan, who featured on multiple Top Toys for Christmas retail lists, the Jiggly Pets Koala, and the Jiggly Pets Pups – which, from A/W, will be available in a pearlescent finish, with matching packaging. And there is more newness to come from the brand in the second half, including the palm-sized Jiggly Pets Lovables, which are available at an entry price point, ensuring there is something for every budget. There are four characters to collect: puppy, kitten, piglet, and bear cub. Each Lovable jiggles and glows when tapped. Plus, look out for Rex the Dino and Gigi the Disco Giraffe. These new additions to the collection come in packaging that is designed to look like their habitats, enabling them to be incorporated into the play pattern. Rex the Dino dances, and shakes his arms and spikey, stretchy red hair to the beat of a tune, while Gigi the Disco Giraffe shakes his booty to the beat of his three jungle tunes while his bobble head wiggles about in a comical manner!
2022 is going to be a big year for ChillFactor, following the firm’s acquisition of the property last year. Expect new lines, refreshed packaging and a huge marketing campaign. Remaining central to the range is the Neon ChillFactor Slushy Maker, which turns drinks into slushy treats in under a minute. Meanwhile, new for spring, is the Poppin Dots Frozen Dot Maker, which lets kids make edible frozen Dots by simply filling the trays and freezing them. Children can use their imagination to create different flavours using juice, milk or yoghurt. There are also significant extensions planned for the second half. New additions include the ChillFactor Smoothie Maker which makes milkshakes and smoothies, and the ChillFactor 3-in-1 Fruit Factory, which allows kids to make a variety of drinks as well as ice lollies. Plus, keep an eye out for the ChillFactor Ice Cream Maker, which makes spaghetti ice cream – something that is really trending on social media.
Heroes of Goo Jit Zu remains a top priority for Character Options, with the brand now available globally in more than 50 territories. In 2022, the firm will continue to invest in extensive marketing support as it continues to release new themes to drive collectability.
Launching in 2022 is a Dino X-Ray theme, which sees the existing Heroes go X-Ray following the discovery of a new meteor. These Dino Heroes are super-gooey and feature a cool X-Ray bone filling you can see. Then, for A/W comes innovation in the form of the Ultra Goo Heroes of Goo Jit Zu. The line-up of heroes each come with a concealed Ultra Goo Orb to crush and power-up the Heroes and activate their Ultra Goo transformation. There are seven characters to collect in the series. Every figure has a unique Ultra Goo Orb and the limited-edition Corruptagon even has a light-up core.
The line-up continues with the Ultra Goo Primal Packs. These large-scale figures feature chomp attack jaws and Ultra Goo Orbs to unleash and power-up the primal hero. Also available to collect from the summer is an Ultra Goo Versus Pack: Shadow Orbs Scorpius VS Liquid Gold Pantaro. And that’s not all: set to be a lead focus in the next instalment of the Goo Jit Zu webisode series, the Ultra Goo Stretch & Strike Thrash Mobile is coming from A/W. This set of wheels transforms from Cruise Mode to Shark Attack Mode. It includes a Race Suit Thrash and three projectiles to blast at opponents. And, with 2022 set to be a monster movie year, there will be a host of licensed on-screen characters to collect in Heroes of Goo Jit Zu form. From licensed collaborations across the DC, Marvel, Jurassic and Lightyear universes, there’s something for everyone.ÂÂ
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