Boca Raton, Florida-based licensing agency Brandberry has named Pennsylvania-based toyco Wicked Cool Toys as the master toy partner for North America and Australia for classic preschool property The Wiggles.
The deal, which comes on the heels of the Wiggles farewell tour and introduction of its new cast and 2013 worldwide tour, will see Wicked Cool produce products including plush and musical instruments for kids ages two to six. The line is expected to hit retail outlets for fall 2013.
The new Wiggles lineup features original Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie and Simon Pryce as the new Purple and Red Wiggles respectively, as well as the first female Wiggle Emma Watkins, who takes over the yellow jersey. Greg Page, Murray Cook and Jeff Fatt announced their retirement from the band in May 2012 to take on behind-the-scenes roles in songwriting and content development.
Since launching 21 years ago, The Wiggles now perform more than 200 shows annually across four continents and the shows are viewed on TV in over 120 countries globally. The group can also be seen as hosts of Wiggly Waffle on 24-hour US preschool network Sprout.
The band’s total global DVD sales are 23 million units and CD sales are 7 million units, making it one of the most successful children’s home entertainment franchises of all time. The property also expanded digitally last year with the launch of storybook apps by Ruckus Media.