Smashers Toy Line & YouTube Series Now Available

A brand-new interactive, collectible toy line for Smashers has rolled out, and a YouTube series based on the brand’s characters has launched through a partnership with DHX’s WildBrain.

The toy line is available at all major retailers globally. Smashers feature more than 100 characters, with each housed inside a red Smashball. ZURU partnered with WildBrain to launch a nine-webisode series featuring the Smashers characters. Kids can tune into the Smashers YouTube page to watch full episodes as they are released.

Kids can discover which character they have collected by smashing the ball open. After the Smashers have been opened, kids can use them to battle and score Smash Points, as each has its own Smash Point Value that allows for extended play. The range includes both good and bad sports characters, along with Rare Sports and Golden Trophies. All Smashers appear on the accompanying Collector’s Guide and Game Sheet. Kids can also track their Smashers collectibles and points using the Smashers mobile app.

The Smashers launch is being backed by a huge global marketing push spanning trade support, traditional on- and offline media, unboxing influencer outreach, events, sampling and social media, as well as a presence at retail. The mascot Slam has already made appearances at key events, including the Super Bowl and New York Toy Fair.

Adam Woods, the creative director of ZURU, said, “Unboxing remains a huge trend globally and we wanted to embrace that in a brand-new collectible. Smashers is an innovative new collectible device that takes that trend to an exciting new level. Kids will love to smash open the surprise Smashball and collect our funny characters. The other great thing about our innovation is that Smashers can easily encapsulate any trending theme or license, which other traditional collectibles sometimes struggle to achieve.”

“We are extremely excited to launch Smashers,” added Renee Lee, the global marketing manager at ZURU. “The surprise opening mechanic is truly unique and children will love that this time, it’s OK to smash open their toys. Sports are the perfect launch theme with all the upcoming sporting events and we hope Smashers inspires kids to learn about and pursue their favorite sports. We have a huge campaign that will reach millions of kids across the United States. We’ve already had over 13 million views on YouTube and are seeing an extremely positive response to our online animated content. What’s really exciting is seeing how kids are loving the challenge of rebuilding their Smashballs, which means endless smashing!”