Wow! Stuff’s Chibies hit all the right notes for 2021 fashion-music-toy trends

Wow! Stuff has expressed fresh confidence in its latest toy innovation, Chibies, a collection of fashion-inspired collectable creatures that listen to music and flash in time to every beat, having been cited by the Toy Association in its 2021 toy trend highlights.

The latest line-up from Wow! Stuff was featured among a raft of big brand names credited with tapping directly into one of the biggest and most prominent trends in the toy space for the coming year; the fusion of fashion, music, and toys.

Already this year has seen LEGO partner with Universal Music Group to introduce its Lego Vidiyo platform, while this week also saw MGA Entertainment land a fresh deal with Sony Music UK's Magic Star label to bring new music to its LOL Surprise doll brand. Wow! Stuff has been earmarked as the latest to push the envelope of innovation in bringing music into the children’s play space.

Dr Graeme Taylor, co-founder and director of innovation, Wow! Stuff, said: “We are seeing a three road intersection where fashion meets music, meets toys. So combining all three an innovating with sound sensors has really created something special.”

The new Chibies collection was highlighted within the Toy Association’s 2021 selection of Toy Trends Mixing in Music, during a segment in which the TA Toy Trend Specialist and researcher, Kristin Morency Goldman declared the category as “one of the biggest trends we’ve seen this year.”

The Chibies’ showcase within the trends forecast livestream has since offered Wow! Stuff a renewed confidence in what will be a key line among the music innovation category this year.

“Chibies also have an interesting back story,” continues Dr Taylor. “Usually our PD team, with scientists at the core, are heavily involved in the original ideation. This time, however, we moved aside to allow two young members of the team, Josie and Victoria – who have been best friends since they were five – to expand on their idea.”

In a joint statement, Wow! Stuff’s Josie and Victoria, said: “It feels surreal to be working as best friends and seeing our idea, our handmade prototypes come to life and now be on sale at Target in America.

“As kids, we always built things together and were doing lip sync videos when we were eight or nine, long before TikTok made it famous. I guess spotting trends is our passion and to be developing toys for a living isn’t like working.”

 

Toy News 23rd February 2021