Mattel advertises Masters of the Universe with drones and billboards

The toy company is already one of the kids brands that made the trip to Coachella this year in a bid to reach families during the high-traffic event. But it’s taking its marketing even further to catch the attention of families as they sit in literal traffic on their way to the festival. Mattel Studios and Amazon MGM Studios teamed up with the creative agency Heads in the Sky on a drone billboard display to promote the new Masters of the Universe film, creating a light show featuring characters like He-Man and Skeletor and humorous messages like “Honk for He-Man” during the SoCal event’s second weekend. The aim is to turn “gridlock into a moment of entertainment,” according to a release. Traffic to Coachella is an infamous occurrence; last year the festival drew 125,000 attendees per weekend. Masters of the Universe, Mattel’s next tentpole film, is set to premiere on June 5.

Build-A-Bear and Pokémon roll out plush campaign

The DIY stuffy and brand management companies, which have been partners since 2022, are rolling out a new line of plush focused on the Pokémon Eevee. The businesses will launch different versions of the plush in Build-A-Bear workshop locations and online throughout 2026 and 2027. The plan is to only have some of the products available at a time, and for limited windows, to try and get consumers hunting for the collectibles.

ZDF is backing Mediawan Kids & Family’s Astro Boy reboot

Annecy has selected the studio’s CG-animated series Astro Boy Reboot for its Work in Progress category at the festival. Shibuya Productions and Mediawan Kids & Family’s Method Animation produce the series, which was announced at Annecy back in 2022. The producer revealed in 2024 that TF1 was on board to develop the project. Now, German pubcaster ZDF is also attached to the series, which adapts the classic manga (with more than 100 million copies sold) about the android adventure series that tackles modern themes like advancing tech and protecting nature.

Image courtesy of Mattel.