TVKIDS
Kicking off the keynote lineup at the TV Kids Festival today, Josh Silverman, executive VP and chief franchise officer at Mattel, talked about what is driving the toy giant’s IP content strategy.
In conversation with TV Kids’ Anna Carugati, Silverman talked about how the company’s strategy for rolling out content based on its treasure trove of brands has evolved. You can watch the session in its entirety here.
Mattel’s evolution from a toy company to an IP-driven one began under CEO Ynon Kreiz, who “saw the portfolio ripe for expansion beyond toys and into entertainment,” Silverman explained. “He recognized the potential for entertainment in all the verticals, whether it’s TV and film, digital gaming, location-based entertainment, consumer products, publishing and more. Ynon recognized the power of our intellectual property—our brands, franchises, characters and stories—and the ability to extend those beyond toys. At the end of the day, we want to extend our fans’ emotional connection to our products, stories and experiences in an authentic way. Recognizing that our fans are multigenerational [and] our properties are universal, we had the ability to expand those apertures and do so in a thoughtful way to enhance both the IP and the means with which people can connect to them.”
Carugati asked Silverman about the Mattel Playbook and how it’s used as a blueprint for building and curating franchises at the company. “There are four components to it,” Silverman said. “Brand purpose is very much about amplifying the distinctive reason for being in each of the brands with intent and authenticity. There is consumer-centric innovation—creating insight-driven products and experiences that are designed to capture the hearts and minds of our fans. There’s cultural relevance: connecting with pop culture and societal trends to amplify fan engagement and broaden appeal. Then, finally, franchise mindset, which is [about] maximizing the reach and impact for our brands across multiple touchpoints. We’ve created an interconnected ecosystem and developed a true franchise flywheel.”
On the approach to reinventing classic IP, Silverman explained, “You want to recognize the importance of heritage, legacy, the core DNA that makes a piece of IP what it is, but there’s also an opportunity to and a benefit of refreshing. As we look at our portfolio, there are times when we do a little bit of both. We have these multigenerational, universal pieces of IP. The goal for us is to remain as consistent as possible.”
As an example, Silverman showcased the recent reintroduction of the beloved Barney in Barney’s World on Max. “We wanted to keep Barney core to what makes Barney Barney, but we also wanted to modernize it to a certain degree to have it be refreshed for today’s audience. That falls within a strategy we’ve deployed called ‘new-stalgia,’ where Barney for preschoolers today is brand-new, but for people who grew up with it, there’s a nostalgia factor. This is something [parents and kids] can watch together and enjoy.”
On Monster High, meanwhile, there’s a “core canon that we continue to lean into from a narrative and storytelling standpoint,” while with some brands, like Uno or View-Master, “there is no story yet—it’s a white canvas. There is no one way we do it. We want to extend that emotional connection to our fans. Telling stories that balance nostalgia and the fandom that exists today is an area of focus.”
Silverman went on to discuss the gains at Mattel Television Studios, which launched 14 titles in 2024. “We have 13 more in production and 35 in development. We’ve had some incredible successes with shows like Hot Wheels Let’s Race. We released an all-new animated series, Barbie Mysteries: The Great Horse Chase. We also released a holiday special, Thomas & Friends: The Christmas Letter Express. Mattel Television Studios continues to develop and distribute incredible episodic and long-form content, expanding Mattel’s characters and storylines across linear and streaming platforms and delivering great experiences for our fans. We’re also developing a lot on the live-action scripted side.”
Carugati asked Silverman about how rollout strategies are evolving, given the ways children engage with media today. “We focus on developing a multiplatform approach. We have our best-in-class global distribution partners across streaming and linear. We have an incredible team that focuses on YouTube and social content. Our goal is to create great content and make sure that we place it on platforms where people can experience it. We believe in theatrical, we believe in streaming, we believe in short-form and social content. At its core, when you step all the way back, great content is what we endeavor to develop. The distribution is robust, and it falls into that multiplatform approach.”
He continued, “Our content has to connect to our fans. We try to be thoughtful and strategic about how we develop and ultimately propel our franchise flywheel. We want to ensure that our shows deliver the creative and the heart that we put into it. In some cases, we want to super-serve our superfans, so we develop something that connects to them. Sometimes, we want to create a whole new audience. We don’t reverse engineer content to sell products and toys. We create great content [with the] goal to engage our fans and extend those narratives.”
Mattel is also engaging with young audiences via digital gaming, Silverman added. “We have a strong partnership with NetEase, Mattel163, which has done incredibly well based on three games: Uno, Phase 10 and Skip-Bo. We have a robust partnership base on the digital side through our licensing relationships. As we move forward, we are going to start to self-publish our own mobile games and expand that offering. It’s a nice way to extend the story. We want to be everywhere at any time for our fans to engage in any way that they want, and digital gaming is one aspect of that, and it’s something that we’re going to continue to lean into and develop.”
As the session wrapped, Silverman talked about how Mattel is marking its milestone 80th birthday this year. “With our iconic brands—Barbie, Hot Wheels, Barney, Fisher-Price, Uno and more—you’re going to see everything from nostalgic picture books that harken back to the history to a digital game featuring all of our characters, very much reflecting the IP throughout these eight decades. We’re going to have an incredible exhibition. We’re doing great things across toys, content, consumer products and experiences. We will be opening our first theme park experience, Mattel Adventure Park. For eight decades, we’ve been inspiring generations with iconic toys and experiences while giving back to those in need. We’re committed to continuing to spearhead the joy of play. And we can’t wait to see what the next 80 years are going to bring.”
