December 4, 2024 – Seattle, WA - Sky Castle Toys, a social media and collectibles toy company, and Jazwares, a leading global toy company, today announced a multi-year partnership that will expand and strengthen the distribution, brand development, and intellectual property management of Sticki Rolls™, the popular trend-setting collection of wearable and sharable sticker bracelets and children’s jewelry line. The partnership positions Sticki Rolls for expanded availability and enhanced consumer engagement across key regions.   Under the terms of the agreement, Jazwares will manage the sales and distribution of Sticki Rolls to mass, club and grocery retailers in the U.S.; mass and specialty retailers in Canada; and across all channels of trade in major European markets including Germany, France, Benelux, Austria, and Switzerland.   “Since its debut this year, Sticki Rolls has become a popular fashion statement blending the appeal of Kawaii-inspired stickers with jewelry, and the fun of wearable art,” said Herb Mitschele, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Planning at Jazwares. “We look forward to working with the Sky Castle team to broaden the Sticki Rolls brand’s distribution reach and brand appeal,” continued Mitschele.   “Joining forces with Jazwares to supercharge our mass market presence means we can scale the Sticki Rolls brand to reach more retailers and more consumers,” said Josh Loerzel, President of Sky Castle Toys.   Sticki Rolls has captivated tweens and kidults worldwide with its unique combination of fashion jewelry, kawaii-inspired sticker designs, and self-expression. The brand’s social presence has skyrocketed since launching at VidCon in June 2024 amassing nearly 300 million video views on YouTube and growing its social media following to over 400,000 passionate fans. Its humorous story-telling videos featuring cute characters and Kawaii art have become a pop culture favorite.   “Jazwares is an ideal partner for Sticki Rolls, with its proven track record of scaling collectible toy brands and its strong global distribution network,” added Loerzel. “This collaboration is a significant step forward in solidifying Sticki Rolls as a global pop culture phenomenon.”   While relatively new, Sticki Rolls has quickly garnered worldwide recognition and won numerous toy awards including a nomination for The Toy Foundation™ 2025 Collectible of the Year (TOTY®) Award, The Toy Insider’s 20 Under $20 List, Good Housekeeping® 2024 Best Toy Award Winner, Parents “Best Big Kid Toy of 2024,” PAL Award 2024, NAPPA Award 2024, Clamour Influencer’s Choice List and was a People of Play TAGIE Award nominee.     For more information contact: Sara Rosales, Jazwares: pr@jazwares.com Amy Friedland, Carve Communications for Sky Castle Toys: amy@carvecomms.com   About Jazwares Jazwares, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading global toy manufacturer with a robust portfolio of owned and licensed brands. Founded in 1997, Jazwares celebrates imaginative play with a progressive focus on identifying new and relevant trends to transform into high-quality products for consumers of all ages. Jazwares engages consumers through innovative play experiences with popular brands such as Squishmallows™, Pokémon™, Hello Kitty™, Star Wars™, Disney™, BumBumz™, and Adopt Me™. In addition to toys, offerings include virtual games, costumes, and pet products. Headquartered in Plantation, Florida, Jazwares has offices worldwide and sells its products in over 100 countries. For more information, visit www.jazwares.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.   This release contains disclosures that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts and can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "expect," "project," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan," "believe," "potential," "should," "continue" or the negative versions of those words or other comparable words. These forward-looking statements are based upon Jazwares' current plans or expectations and are subject to several uncertainties and risks. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and Jazwares has no specific intention to update them. As a consequence, current plans, and anticipated actions may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by Jazwares or on Jazwares’ behalf.”   About Sky Castle ToysSky Castle Toys was founded in 2020 and has grown rapidly behind the strength of its social media story-telling and trend-setting toy brands including the popular Sticki Rolls, Goo Games, and DoodleJamz brands. Its products are distributed in over 50 countries. Sky Castle Toys has quickly become a powerhouse known for designing toys that capitalize on emerging social trends. With a commitment to innovation and story-telling, Sky Castle Toys delivers engaging play experiences for children around the world.   # # #    

Tickets are now on sale for The Toy Foundation’s 25th Toy of the Year® (TOTY®) Awards ceremony, which will unveil the industry’s top toys, games, and properties, and honor the newest inductees into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Maxine Clark, founder & former chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop; Sharon DiMinico, founder & chair of Learning Express Toys; and Professor Erno Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, in addition to four posthumous inductees.   The gala will take place on Friday, February 28, 2025, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, as the official kickoff to Toy Fair® week. The TOTY Awards program and event serve as an essential fundraiser for The Toy Foundation. Companies of all sizes are also invited to be a leader in the night’s philanthropy by serving as an event sponsor.   TOTY winners will be awarded across 16 categories, and products will also have a shot at taking home the coveted People’s Choice Award (based solely on consumer votes at ToyAwards.org) and the overall Toy of the Year Award (selected by retailers, journalists, and Toy Association members). The finalists were revealed last month and voting is open now through January 10.   This year’s TOTY Awards gala will kick off with a cocktail networking reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by a plated dinner served during the award ceremony and a networking dessert bar.   Tickets for the evening cost $495 per person ($4,950 per 10-person table) for Toy Association members and $895 per person ($8,950 per 10-person table) for non-members. A glow bracelet for $20 per person is available to add onto ticket purchases; glow bracelets will be distributed onsite at the event. To reserve tickets or tables, interested parties may register online. All proceeds support The Toy Foundation. Ticket sales will close once the TOTY Gala reaches capacity.   The TOTY Awards program serves as the lead in to the 119th annual Toy Fair, taking place March 1 to 4 at the Javits Center in New York City. Visit ToyFairNY.com to learn more.

Carve’s growth accelerated on the heels of their acquisition of Freeman PR with new toy client and their impressive roster of licensed brands    MIAMI, FL (December 3, 2024) Carve Communications, Miami’s premier public relations agency focused on the intersection of innovation and everyday life, today announced the latest addition to its roster with Red Toolbox, the award-winning licensed toy company inspired by professional-grade tools and outdoor equipment. This partnership marks Carve’s first new client since acquiring Freeman Public Relations in November, underscoring its expanding capabilities within the children’s toy industry.   “I can’t think of a better way to start this era of Carve Communications than by adding Red Toolbox as our first new client partner post-acquisition,” said David Barkoe, CEO and founder of Carve Communications. “Red Toolbox’s impressive roster of licensed brands will allow us to execute our sustainable model of PR and industry-unique method of measuring the value of the coverage we secure across a variety of vertical media markets and customer segments, going beyond toys and into lifestyle, food, and home/shelter.”   Well-known brands within Red Toolbox’s product lineup this season include StanleyⓇ Jr., Black + DeckerⓇ, GoodyearⓇ, Miracle-GroⓇ, Oklahoma Joe’sⓇ, Tasty Junior™, and more. The company’s unmatched licenses intertwine the connection between work and play with parent and child and enhance relationships through mutual activities that are challenging, educational and most importantly a whole lot of fun! Each highly detailed playset provides children with skill-building experiences that are immersive and inspire creativity, social skills, and hands-on learning.   “Carve is the perfect partner to support our expansion in the US,” says Donna Arbietman, senior vice president of marketing and licensing at Red Toolbox. “Their years of experience and proven track record, coupled with their multifaceted, results-driven approach to PR is exactly what we need to amplify our standout brands that families know and love.”   For more information about Carve Communications delivers success through its sustainable model of PR and the Carve Scoring System (CSS), visit www.carvecomms.com.    ###    About Carve Communications  Carve Communications is a public relations agency existing at the intersection of innovation and everyday life. Carve builds and executes sustainable PR strategies that help clients – whether a global brand, growth-stage company or innovative startup – meet their business objectives through a process rooted in generating awareness, establishing authority, driving engagement and fostering activation for their brand. As a result, the agency helps C-Suite and marketing and communications executives demonstrate value, grow their business and transform their industry through media, thought leadership, advocates, unique partnerships and storytelling. Most important, is that Carve serves as a partner to its clients – not just another agency – and focuses on delivering measurable value that moves the needle. Carve was named one of Agency Elite’s Top 100 Agencies in 2023. To learn more about the agency and determine if Carve Communications is the right fit for your company, visit www.carvecomms.com.

Lamp Life   We know the story of Woody, Buzz, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, Mrs. Potato Head, and the rest of the gang, but have you ever wondered what happened to Bo Peep and her sheep? If you recall, Bo Peep and her sheep and the lamp that they lived on were given away after Toy Story 2, but were reintroduced in Toy Story 4 when the gang ran into them at the carnival as part of a crew helping return lost toys to their owners.   But what happened to Bo and her sheep while Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang were attempting to escape Sunnyside Daycare? All your questions are answered in Lamp Life. Bo chronicles all the different homes she lived in following her departure from Andy’s house, from loving homes with little girls that eventually outgrew their baby lamp to white elephant parties, college parties, even aboard a ship! Eventually, though, the crew ended up at the very antique store that Woody had to escape in Toy Story 4 before finding Bo Peep at the Carnival.   A very adorable short story, it’s fun to see where your favorite characters are up to after watching them in their main films. Walt Disney does a great job of that, with numerous other shorts just within the Toy Story franchise to keep fans up to date on what the gang is up to. If you liked Lamp Life, be sure to watch the rest of the Toy Story shorts, including Party-Saurus Rex, Toy Story of Terror, Hawaiian Vacation, and Small Fry, plus the series, Forky Asks A Question!

Gameplay The best way to explain Pictionary is like charades but with pictures. The game is set up with a board consisting of a pathway of colored squares from start to finish, and each square has a character that denotes what type of picture is to be drawn on that turn. The objective of the game is to be the first team to reach the finish.   To begin, each team selects a game piece and places the pawn at the start. Roll to see which team goes first and roll the die to see how many spaces you’ll move forward. Once there, the space will have a color and a character to identify if it’s an All-Play or not. If it’s not an All-Play, one member of the team draws a picture for only the others on their team to guess. If they guess correctly before the sand timer runs out, they get to roll again. If not, the next team goes. If it is an All-Play, all teams have a chance to compete, with one drawer from each team, and the team who guesses the word first gets to go next.   The colors denote the following categories: Yellow; P = person, place, animal Blue; O = object Orange; A = action Green; D = Difficult (words that are hard to draw) Red; AP = All Play   The colors will correspond to a card that lists one of each of the above categories. For example, on any one card, there will be one person/place/animal, object, action, difficult word, and an all-play category. If your pawn lands on yellow, you must draw the word in the yellow category.   You may not speak or make any sounds to assist your team in guessing, and no numbers or words may be used. The first team to the finish line wins!   History Pictionary was invented by Robert Angel: he and his friends first played it in 1981, and Robert was at first hesitant to pitch the idea to a game company, but, inspired by Trivial Pursuit, which is somewhat similar to Pictionary, he decided to go for it. Robert and his business partners, Terry Langston and Gary Everson (Gary actually did the graphic design for the game), first published Pictionary in 1985 through Angel Games.   When Angel Games’ printing company finished printing the games, they told Robert that they could not sort through the 500,000 cards they printed out, and Robert, Terry, and Gary had to do it themselves! That first year, they sold over 6,000 copies at $35 each.   In 1986, Angel Games licensed Pictionary in a joint venture between The Games Gang and Western Publishing. In 1994, Hasbro took over publishing the game after acquiring the games business of Western Publishing. In 2001, Pictionary was sold to Mattel, where it is to this day.   Variations There are a few different versions of Pictionary that are themed to different franchises, like Harry Potter and Star Wars. There’s also Pictionary Junior, with simpler words to draw, and Pictionary Adults Only, with R-rated words to draw.   Other variations include Pictionary Air, which comes with a pen that you draw with–in the air! Guessing team members hold up their phone to see what the drawer is sketching in the air—think old school “You’re watching Disney Channel!” Another variation is Pictionary vs. AI, where players must race to guess what the drawing is before AI does. Finally, there’s Pictionary Sketch Squad, which has players play as one team, each drawing their own secret hint before putting their drawings together to try and guess the Big Clue that ties them all together.   Reception & Awards In 2001, when Mattel acquired Pictionary, the game was being sold in 60 countries and 45 languages, with 11 versions just in the United States. A total of 32 million games had been sold worldwide. As of 2020, that number is up to 38 million.   Games included Pictionary in tis top 100 games of 1986, including the following review: “The frequent All-Play rounds, in which all teams try to identify the same word, are especially exciting. Artistic talent is not a requirement; ingeniously simple drawings almost always win. The 2,500 color-coded words provide real tests of imagination.”