ALEX BRANDS® Continues Growth and Expansion With Launch Of 400 New Products At Toy Fair 2015

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Feb. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ALEX BRANDS^® will fuel its ongoing growth and expansion with the introduction of 400 new products at the 112th Annual North American International Toy Fair which runs from February 14 – 17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in NYC.

In conjunction with its announcement of a major licensing deal with Nickelodeon and the recent acquisition of the SHRINKY DINKS^® brand, the introductions - which range from art supplies to craft kits and active play toys from across its family of brands – will further advance ALEX BRANDS^® position as the leader in toys that encourage physical play and help build imagination and creativity.

"ALEX BRANDS has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past year and we are off to an incredible start in 2015 with the announcement of our partnership with Nickelodeon and the incorporation of SHRINKY DINKS into our family of brands," said Neil Friedman, President and CEO, ALEX BRANDS^®. "We are looking to build on this momentum in 2015 and leverage marketplace demand with a significant expansion of products for children of all ages from across all ten of our brands."

ALEX BRANDS^® is a worldwide leader in creative and imaginative play. The company's collective family of brands markets more than 2,000 high quality products spanning the diverse categories of preschool and infant toys, games, magic sets, seasonal toys, role play items, science kits, construction sets, craft & activity kits, bath toys, art supplies and Made in USA products from POOF^®, SLINKY^® and SHRINKY DINKS^®.

Friedman added, "With the investments we have made over the last year in new brands and licenses, we are well positioned to take advantage of growing demand for our products. We are very excited about our new introductions, which include expanded tween jewelry, crafts for boys, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora and Friends and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-based products, an extensive line of STEM products and a major new initiative within our ZOOB line."

Highlights of the products that will be shown at Toy Fair 2015 include:

ALEX TOYS^®
Inspiration. Creativity. Imagination. Originality. Innovation. These are just a few words that describe what ALEX TOYS^® extensive line of new products brings to mind. Artists of all ages will be inspired by the expansion of ALEX TOYS^® already comprehensive art product lines, with art supplies and activities appropriate for all ages - from 18+ months to adult. Tweens will love the extended line of DIY jewelry and crafts inspired by all of the hottest fashion trends. Boys can demonstrate their originality with the new craft line, DIY Guy Gear, that helps them craft and create. New wood toys and furniture bring a modern twist to classic favorites including art tables, easels and activity toys for infants.

SLINKY^®
Everybody knows that Slinkity Sound! SLINKY^® is one of the most iconic brands in the toy industry – celebrating its 70th Birthday in 2015. At Toy Fair 2015 SLINKY^® will build on that legacy with exciting new line extensions such as Giant Plastic Slinky^®, the new Sound FX Slinky^® with ten new sounds and products featuring the ever-lovable Slinky Dog. SLINKY^® is named on the Toy Industry Association's "Century of Toys List", a roll call of the 100 most memorable and most creative toys of the twentieth century.

ZOOB^®
Kids will be able to construct larger than life structures – building up to three feet high! Constructing everything from huge space ships to moving cruisers to gigantic robots out of the latest from ZOOB^®. ZOOB^® building sets foster imagination and truly interactive creations, with pieces that can move after they are put together stimulating further play. 2015 product introductions include two new themed-based collections – construction and space. Each collection is available in three different sized kits with easy to read instructions for four different epic-sized models. With the ZOOB^® Galax-Z Z-Star Explorer™ kids can transform it into three different space-themed builds, and the ZOOB^® Z-Strux™ series of construction models include a driller, loader and crane. ZOOB products promote STEM, STEAM and open-ended creativity.

POOF^®
Toss it. Kick it. Catch it. This year's top outdoor and seasonal products include the Titan Torpedo™, a giant foam missile, which provides great fun both outdoors and in the pool, and new trendy colored soccer balls perfect for any child's warm-up for the World Cup. POOF^®'s expanded PRO GOLD™ line of sport balls now includes metallic gold sport balls to encourage kids to get outside and play like pros. This collection of foam balls from POOF^® help improve athletic performance and build gross motor skills and coordination.

SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER^®
Explosions! Concoctions! Experiments – Oh My! Exposing children to science at a young age is a great way to get them excited about the field. SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER^® offers many ways to do so that are fun and engaging. For Toy Fair 2015, new products will help kids create a Jurassic paradise with Dinoland Crystals™, make a giant bouncy ball that glows with Mold N' Glow Mega Ball™, build a kaleidoscope with DIY Liquid Kaleidoscope™ and design a bug city with BUGPODZ Metropolis™.

IDEAL^®
From strategy board games, to classic building toys, to outdoor games, IDEAL^® has something for everyone! New additions to the line include updates to classic games My Dog Has Fleas™ perfect for a family game night, and Magic Show Shooting Gallery™ where you can hone your target hitting skills. Brand new brain-bending Dominate - The Sliding Puzzle Game™ is a fast-paced puzzle game where the players are pitted against each other in a race to the finish. A new collection of 12 different games called Dice Slide Games™ showcases a patented design that allows players to take and play dice games anywhere they go!

CITIBLOCS^®
CITIBLOCS^® are precision cut building blocks identical in shape and size. No glue or snaps are needed. Simply stack together using imagination, balance and gravity. CITIBLOCS^® combine math, science and art (STEM & STEAM) while encouraging problem solving and creative thinking. Made of eco-friendly pinewood that comes from certified renewable forests of New Zealand, colored blocks are painted with non-toxic water based paints. Hot new products for 2015 include the Wood Engineer Catapult Launcher™, Wood Engineer Medieval Launcher™, Roller Coaster Set™ and Doll House Blocks™.

BACKYARD SAFARI^®
Whether your safari takes place in the park, at the campground, on the beach or even in your own backyard, you'll be geared up and ready for action with Backyard Safari! BACKYARD SAFARI^®, which joined the ALEX BRANDS^® family of brands in 2014, is launching more than 40 new products at Toy Fair 2015. Highlights include Base Camp Shelter™, Magnetic Bug Habitat™, Wet & Dry Field Kit™ and Lazer Light Bug Vac™.

ZILLIONZ^®
ZILLIONZ^® teaches kids how to be "Money Smart from the Start™"!  Learn to count with easy to use banks, registers and vaults read your currency and show your balance as it grows. Joining the ALEX BRANDS^® family of brands in 2014, ZILLIONZ^® is launching more than 20 products at Toy Fair 2015 including Secret Code Vault, Talking Cash Register and Real Money ATM Bank.

SHRINKY DINKS^®
New to the ALEX BRANDS^® family of brands for 2015 is SHRINKY DINKS^®, a globally recognized toy brand offering a wide variety of products and play patterns since 1973. The 2015 product innovations include The Shrinky Dinks^® Bake & Shape 3D Jewelry™ that turns flat art into curved jewelry with its unique patent pending mold. Kids will love the new Shrink-a-saurus Play Set™ where they can stomp around a prehistoric 3-D habitat.

For a preview, please visit ALEX BRANDS^® Booth #2131/2231 at Toy Fair 2015 from February 14 – 17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in NYC. More detailed information on 2015 product introductions is available in the ALEX BRANDS^® Toy Fair Green Room.

About ALEX BRANDS^®

The ALEX BRANDS^® family of brands is comprised of some of the most iconic, recognizable and award winning toys in the industry today. With a commitment to helping children become more active and develop their imagination and creativity, ALEX BRANDS offers toys and kits for children of all ages. Award-winning ALEX TOYS^® offers high quality toys, art supplies and craft activity kits that inspire creative expression. POOF^® is the world's leading brand of foam sports balls, many of which are Made in USA. Iconic SLINKY^® has been the quintessential toy of fun and imagination since 1945. SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER^® offers a range of challenging and entertaining educational activity-based science kits. The IDEAL^® brand is the classic brand of nostalgic fun in a variety of games, activity kits, magic sets and classic toys. Award-winning ZOOB^® building sets, which can move after they are put together, allow for truly interactive creations. BACKYARD SAFARI^® is the leader in essential field gear for outdoor role play and exploration. ZILLIONZ^® has helped children better understand the value of money for almost 20 years. CITIBLOCS^® is a line of high-quality, precision cut wood construction blocks. SHRINKY DINKS^® is a globally recognized toy brand offering a wide variety of products and play patterns based upon plastic sheets that can be cut, colored and then shrunk and hardened into an endless amount of original designs.

For more information about ALEX BRANDS®, please visit www.alexbrands.com.

SOURCE ALEX BRANDS

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