Sanrio has entered into a new partnership with traditional wooden toy maker Jumini to develop a heritage line based on the popular Mr Men brand. Sanrio is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii (cute) segment of Japanese popular culture.
The new deal comes as Sanrio details its plans to increase efforts and strengthen the Mr Men and Little Miss brand in both the pre-school and toy markets.
Targeting babies till the pre-school times, the range will kick off with an assortment of block and shaped puzzles, train sets, shape sorters and more, each featuring the shapes and colours of the Mr Men and Little Miss characters.
“Over the past year, we have really grown in the baby category with the launch of board books and further success in apparel,” Sabrina Segalov, licensing manager at Sanrio said.
“With a toy partner on board, we are strengthening the brand in this area and are now very keen to secure a deal on premium plush, also targeting baby and pre-school. A colourful collection of all 90 characters would be the dream,” she added.
The Jumini partnership follows a recent deal with Bebe Style who has joined the Sanrio portfolio to develop a range of wooden furniture for children’s rooms and nurseries. The collection will launch at the end of the year.
