Tag Archives: plush

Toy Book and Zmags

Posted on April 8, 2010 | 1 Comment

Toy Book Digitial Issue Easy on Eyes

Have you seen the newest digital issue of Toy Book? It’s a trade magazine we follow closely with our work in the toy and gift industry (i.e.: Aurora). They started using Zmags, the company behind the publishing software and I just felt the need to praise them and all the publications working with them — the magazines load quickly; it’s easy to read and search through and you can clip images and share them or articles (or the entire magazine) easily with friends and colleagues.

Like music transitioning to the digital world, all trades and consumer magazines need to get with it and offer digital versions of the print magazine through formats like Zmags.

-Fin

Dan/Tellem

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Posted in media, PR and Marketing

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Jury Trial Date Set for YooHoo & Friends Copyright Case

Posted on April 6, 2010 | 3 Comments

We don’t like lawsuits…and unfortunately Aurora is in a heated battle to protect the identity of its top selling brand YooHoo & Friends. Ty, who most people know because of Beanie Babies, is the alleged culprit, releasing a line called Beanie Boos, which oddly enough resemble Aurora’s YH&F. Not cool Ty! Dan snapped these photos in an L.A. Aahs location:

Beanie Boos at Aahs with YooHoos on the same rack.

Confusing for the customer at retail…and then check out the logo and photo comparisons:

even the BB logo is strikingly similar to the original logo for YH&F

Here’s the info from the press release:

PICO RIVERA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aurora World, Inc., a toy and gift manufacturer that filed a federal copyright lawsuit against competitor Ty, Inc. alleging that Ty’s Beanie Boos™ infringe on YooHoo & Friends™, has announced that the court has set January 18, 2011 as the trial date in that lawsuit (a photo comparing the two product lines is availablehere). A pretrial conference is scheduled to take place on December 20, 2010.

It’s a story of David vs. Goliath in the making and we will be keeping a very close eye on this one.

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Posted in Client News, Consumer Watch, Kids and Family, Plush Toys & Gifts

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Retailers GaGa For Aurora’s New Plush Lines

Posted on March 18, 2010 | Leave a comment

Did you know Aurora World Inc., most known for its YooHoo & Friends plush toys, releases six catalogs every year — spanning more than 3,000 products that cover just about every conceivable market segment? Most of the company’s award winning products come from its lines geared towards the babies, infants and toddlers in our lives.

We’ve just announced two brand new lines that took the Winter gift shows by storm (just like the East Coast snow-icanes!). Retailers are ordering entire lines from Aurora; most likely because the toy and gift manufacturer entices retail customers (that buy entire “collections”) with strong incentive programs.

Take a gander at these great product lines:

Jungle Babies -- Rattle Assortment ($4.99 each)

Jungle Babies come in a variety of styles including soft sculpture plush (10”, MSRP: $11.99), hanging picture frames (13”, MSRP: $9.99), adorable rattles (5”, MSRP: $4.99), blankees (14.5”x14.5”, MSRP: $9.99) and boy or girl room banners (42”, MSRP: $11.99). The plush, rattles and blankees are available in four styles including two elephants (for boy or girl), a monkey and giraffe.

Aurora’s Fleecy Friends fabric is ultra soft and the animals feature beans in their feet so they stand up without falling. From the company:

Made from supple plush and feature wonderful detailing like gingham insets, plush noses and embroidered accents. The body styles were designed to have a ‘carry-me-around’ appeal.

Fleecy Friends: mega-cute plush for your cutie

Fleecy Friends include pink and blue bears in two sizes (10” and 14”, MSRP: $11.99 and $15.99 respectively) as well as pink and blue puppies or bunnies (10”, MSRP: $11.99). “PJ Bears” in blue or pink (15”, $20.99) have a zipper in the back so mom or dad can keep baby’s pajamas/clothing inside while on the go. Rounding out the line is an assortment of bear, bunny and puppy rattles; each is available in pink or blue (6.5”, MSRP: $6.99).

Our personal favorites? These PJ Bears in pink or baby blue (a handy pouch for baby’s pajamas):

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Posted in Client News, Kids and Family, Plush Toys & Gifts

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Moms Love Aurora’s YooHoo & Friends

Posted on January 6, 2010 | 2 Comments

We’re excited to show you Aurora’s newest YooHoo & Friends for 2010. Moms across the country are ecstatic about the award winning manufacturer’s cuddly creatures which are based on endangered species — 40 plus mom bloggers posted their raving reviews in December alone…watch out Zhu-Zhu pets!

YooHoo & Friends™ line is the company’s best selling plush toy category and includes more than 50 variations available at retail with a variety of sizes and themes (i.e.: Valentine’s, Spring/Easter, Halloween, Holidays, Birthdays, Graduation).  Aurora will introduce many new YooHoo & Friends throughout the year but look for the Beaver, Yellow Tiger, Jaban Rhinoceros and Japanese Macque (five and eight inches) to kick off 2010 introductions.  They join the Scarlet Macaw, Barbary Lion, Iberian Lynx, Platypus and a host of other characters.

The whimsical YooHoo & Friends inspired the launch of www.yoohoofriends.com, the corresponding free, interactive “virtual world” geared to kids from five to 12 years old. The web site makes learning fun and teaches kids about endangered animals in their natural habitats from all over the world. The website does not require activation codes. Site users can play games, watch previews for the upcoming YooHoo animations, adopt and raise YooHoo & Friends, and learn about each endangered animal.

Awww, check out the Birthday YooHoo & Friends! Visit this link to check out and buy your faves.

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Posted in Client News, Fun, Kids and Family, Plush Toys & Gifts

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Aurora, Rockettes, Marines Kick Off ‘Tots Toy Drive

Posted on December 15, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Rockettes performed to a sold out crowd of more than 2,800 for the grand opening of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Paramount Theatre in Seattle this past weekend. Before the show, which is open through January 3, Santa Clause and 18 Rockettes arrived with Aurora‘s brown and ivory plush teddy bears (called Belle Bear) at the red carpet grand opening event. The Rockettes donated the bears to the Marines to help kick off their Toys for Tots toy drive during the three week run at the Paramount. Pictures below and click here for more from the event.

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Posted in Client News, Entertainment, Kids and Family, Plush Toys & Gifts, PR and Marketing, Theatrical Tours

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