Squishmallows Thanks Fans For Reaching 100 Million Milestone Mark

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jazwares, a global leader in toys and licensing, along with its Kellytoy subsidiary, today announced a significant milestone surpassing 100 million Squishmallows^® sold since the plush toy line first came to market in 2017. The momentous occasion is being commemorated with a celebration of the fans and introduction of an all-new Select Series Hans. As part of the celebration, the Squishmallows brand will launch a #GetGoldenHans video hashtag contest on social media with 100 winners. One of the new Select Series Hans has been identified as the one hundred millionth and will be offered at auction to raise funds that will go directly to Art in Action. The organization provides classroom lessons that inspire critical thinking and creativity with engaging visual arts experiences. In addition, the Squishmallows brand will donate $50,000 to Art in Action to further support their efforts.

In honor of the 100 millionth milestone celebration, Hans, one of the core characters from the original Squishmallows Squad, is back with a fresh new look, complete with celebratory top hat and bow-tie. This Select Series edition of Hans will be offered in two styles of the popular 16-inch size with limited quantities available for purchase starting today, at Squishmallows.com:

• "Hans with Golden Details": the classic brown Squishmallows hedgehog with gold trim on his ears, top hat and bow-tie (MSRP: $49.99); only 10,000 will be made.
• "Golden Hans": the classic Squishmallows hedgehog but entirely gold, dons a celebratory top hat and bow-tie, (MSRP: $59.99); only 3,000 will be made.

Like all Original Squishmallows, the Select Series Hans has a unique biography: "Hans has a heart of gold and he can't wait to share it with you! Whether it's enjoying some movie magic or cooking up something new in the kitchen, he's ready for a new adventure. He is thankful for all his friends and this friendship is one milestone he can't wait to celebrate!"

A 24-inch Golden Hans of which only 30 will be produced will be the rarest Squishmallows yet and one of them has already been identified as the 100th million Squishmallows and will include a special hangtag signed by Kellytoy's Co-President Jonathan Kelly. This one-of-a-kind Golden Hans will be offered at auction on eBay starting October 12 at 9 a.m. (Pacific time) to help raise additional funds that will go directly to Art in Action. Another 25 will be awarded to #GetGoldenHans hashtag contest winners; the remaining 75 winners will receive the Hans with Golden Details.

The #GetGoldenHans hashtag contest entrants will be asked to post a video (no longer than 60 seconds) celebrating Squishmallows and their prized squads and collections to either Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter with the #GetGoldenHans hashtag by Friday, October 15. Details will be posted on @squishmallows social media channels and select entries will be shared and featured throughout the celebration.

"I want all fans and collectors to know how inspiring they are to the Squishmallows brand, and how much we appreciate and share their passion for our characters," said Kelly. "It is because of them that we have achieved this amazing milestone. We are so excited to share what's coming later this year and beyond. In addition to introducing many more new Squishmallows, we will be announcing several other exciting initiatives to engage our fans and collectors online and off."

Since Squishmallows debuted, the huggable plush pals known for their ultra-soft feel and whimsical design have delighted fans of all ages, both online and in person. The cuddly, collectible characters are a social media sensation that continue to cultivate a strong following online. Organic Squishmallows content has generated nearly five billion video views on TikTok and @squishmallows (and related hashtags) have been tagged in more than one million Instagram posts. The Squishmallows social media channels have ballooned to more than 700,000 followers and nearly 100 global and local Facebook groups have been created by fans.

Over 1,000 Squishmallows characters ranging from two to 24-inches in size have gained the attention of bona fide Squishmallows fans in more than 40 countries. Such strong brand retention has prompted a bevy of line extensions, including HugMees ™, Squish-Doos ™, Heroes, Flip-A-Mallows™, and Squishville™. Each of the Squishmallows have a unique name and backstory that brings the character's personality to life.

Squishmallows are sold at thousands of retail outlets across the county, whether independent and specialty stores, amusement parks, or national chains such as Target, Five Below, Walgreens, Walmart, Learning Express, Cracker Barrel, CVS, Costco, Justice, and Hallmark.

Join the #SquishmallowsSquad online and follow @Squishmallows on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For full details on Squishmallows' 100 millionth milestone celebration, visit https://squishmallows.com/GetGoldenHans/

©2021 Kelly Toys Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Squishmallow and Squishmallows are trademarks of Kelly Toys Holdings, LLC.

About Squishmallows
Squishmallows^® is a super soft, huggable range of collectible plush toys that have grown into an international social media sensation. Launched in 2017 with eight characters, the line now features more than 1,000 original characters, each with a unique name and biography, and more than 12 sizes ranging from two to 24 inches. Squishmallows are for all ages, offering fun and comfort coupled with a diverse and inclusive online community of hundreds of thousands of fans and collectors. The Squishmallows line has expanded to include HugMees™, Squish-Doos™, Heroes, and Flip-A-Mallows™; Squishville is the all-new Squishmallows-inspired line of collectible playsets and accessories. Squishmallows is represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA). www.squishmallows.com

About Kellytoy
Kellytoy, a subsidiary of Jazwares, LLC, manufactures a portfolio of award-winning everyday and seasonal plush products that includes its best-selling Squishmallows®, Kellybaby as well as a pet products line called Wags & Purrs™. Over the past three decades, Kellytoy has positioned itself to meet the needs of its customers in mass market, gift/specialty/toy retailers, party and pet stores, supermarkets, discount stores, drug stores, amusement parks and even crane machines in arcades the world over. Kellytoy also makes products in collaboration with leading classic characters, including major licenses, as well as blockbuster theatrical franchises. www.squishmallows.com

About Jazwares
Jazwares, a subsidiary of Alleghany Capital Corporation, is a global leader in consumer products including toys, plush, action figures, collectibles, musical instruments, and recently expanding into the costumes and pets category. Jazwares' portfolio includes a variety of dynamic licensed and wholly owned brands. With over 20 years of design, development, and manufacturing expertise, Jazwares is an award-winning company with a progressive focus on identifying new trends and transforming them into high-quality products for consumers of all ages.

Jazwares, which is headquartered in Sunrise, FL, has offices around the world and sells in over 100 countries. Since its inception in 1997, Jazwares continues to grow through the development of new products and the strategic acquisitions of companies like First Act™, Russ Berrie™, Zag Toys™, Wicked Cool Toys™ and Kellytoy®. For more information about Jazwares, please visit www.jazwares.com.

This release contains disclosures which 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 a number of uncertainties and risks. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and Jazwares has no specific intention to update these statements. 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.

Contact: Rachael Lobeck, [email protected]

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SOURCE Jazwares