Beloved Characters including DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Curious George And More Make Debut Into The Nursery With Enchanting Plush, Playsets & Pacifier Blankeys
East Windsor, NJ (January 2, 2024) – Retailers can anticipate an invitation from American toy manufacturer Kids Preferred next summer welcoming them to the arrival of Universal Products & Experiences, “Welcome to the Universe Baby!’ collection. The new line features an expansion of Kids Preferred Curious George range and a roll out of infant & toddler playthings that are gender neutral from across NBCUniversal’s beloved global brands including DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar as well as, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Back To The Future and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Summer of 2024’s baby shower registry will be full of extra soft and developmental toys as only Kids Preferred can create.
“Delight the child and captivate the grownups has always been our goal,” explained Larry Presser, President & Chief Revenue Officer. “With our Welcome to the Universe Baby! line of six product categories, parents and grandparents will be able to introduce the next generation of family and friends to their favorite NBCUniversal characters and brands.”
During the second half of 2024, store reps and buyers will be introduced to six areas of play:
- Plush characters
- Feature Plush boasting sounds, lights and/or movement
- Infant blankeys including teethers, soothers and pacifier blankeys
- Playsets/Playbook Sets
- Jack-in-the-Boxes
- Non-electronic Pre-School Learning Toys
For more than two decades, Kids Preferred has been steadfast in its commitment to bringing superior quality and uniquely designed products to the marketplace at a good value. This latest deal comes on the heels of last month’s announcement of Sesame Workshop joining the Kids Preferred product line scheduled for Spring 2024. With every addition, parents and consumers rely on Kids Preferred for soft toys and gifts of utmost quality that are reliable and safe for infants and children.
About Kids Preferred®
Kids Preferred is a company completely dedicated to delivering the most meaningful products that create magic and memorable moments for babies and children. It successfully does this through deep knowledge and understanding of a child’s development, the importance of a well-crafted toy and the power of play. Parents, grandparents and retailers know that Kids Preferred is a trusted reliable source by offering the very best in product quality, customer service, merchandising and parent solutions based on insight. By creating unique and on trend “own” brands along with partnering with the very best in children’s literature and family entertainment, Kids Preferred designs and brings to life the products and characters that children and parents love. Discover more at kidspreferred.com.
About UNIVERSAL PRODUCTS & EXPERIENCES
Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) globally drives the expansion and elevation of NBCUniversal’s iconic collection of brands, intellectual properties, characters, and stories based on the company’s extensive portfolio of properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. The division executes this through innovative physical and digital products, as well as engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and third-party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E’s lines of business include Consumer Products and Games, along with Theme Parks Products & Retail. UP&E is a division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. More information is available at universalproductsexperiences.com.