KessCo Announces Partnership with Sony Music The Thread Shop to License Album Cover Art for Puzzle Line

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- KessCo (Kess), a third-generation toy and game company dedicated to reinventing classic toys, announced today a licensing partnership between Sony Music The Thread Shop and its adult puzzle line, de.bored puzzles. The arrangement will see iconic photography as well as popular album covers from Sony Music The Thread Shop artists, such as Jimi Hendrix, reimagined as collectible puzzles, beginning December 2021. This move marks the first national licensing agreement for de.bored, which to-date has solely licensed artwork from emerging influencer artists.

"My wife and I created de.bored puzzles in 2019 because we were inspired by the art, creativity, and togetherness that puzzling promotes," said Alex Kessler, CEO of Kess. "We felt the puzzle category lacked repeat play value and collectibility- two factors that are essential to the toy industry we so often see with Kess. We decided to infuse those elements into our own adult puzzle line to reinvigorate the category. Sony Music The Thread Shop's portfolio of iconic photography and album cover art is the ultimate collectible for music fans and so closely aligns with our emerging licensing strategy. We are excited to be the first to offer many of these notable album covers in puzzle form for the first time."

de.bored puzzles are designed to help adults de-stress and solve boredom through colorful, strategic, and repeat puzzle play. The new Sony Music The Thread Shop iconic photography and album collection will offer puzzle enthusiasts the opportunity to recreate their favorite album's artwork again and again, while avid collectors may opt to frame finished pieces.

"We're proud to support Kess in its mission to bring a new, interactive play angle to our collection of classic albums," said Steve Cooper SVP, Business Development and Sales, The Thread Shop. "The de.bored puzzle line will introduce a new generation to some of the most iconic musicians through the fun and creative art of puzzling."

For more information about Kess and its de.bored puzzles, please visit www.kess.co.

ABOUT KESSCO
KessCo (Kess), a third-generation toy and game company based in Los Angeles, is dedicated to reinventing classic toys by introducing new play patterns inspired by today's youth. Since its retail launch in 2016, Kess has excelled in the outdoor and impulse categories, and is best-known for its award-winning Drop Dot Ball and Ice Hoops assortments.  In 2020 Kess released a new gaming division - Kess Games. Under Kess Games, Kess released two new party game titles; its first licensed board game, Contra, as well as its successfully Kickstarted strategy game, Battle Bosses. Kess plans to further expand its outdoor/active play line and gaming division to include puzzles in 2021. For more information about Kess, please visit www.kess.co.

ABOUT THE THREAD SHOP
The Thread Shop is a leading music merchandising company from Sony Music Entertainment focused on enhancing artist revenue, branding and marketing through the development of high-quality products and compelling shopping experiences. The Thread Shop designs, manufactures and markets fashionable and functional merchandise and lifestyle goods that reflect the vision and aesthetic of its artist and brand partners. It offers artist-specific product lines, limited-edition customized merchandise and full-scale tour merchandising through a variety of online and physical retailers, as well as through artist e-commerce sites and pop-up retail environments in tour venues and stores. Its artist partners include A$AP Ferg, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Foreigner, Joan Jett, Lil Nas X, Maluma and Ozuna among others.

Media Contact:
Jessica Reich
[email protected]
201.526.4977

SOURCE KessCo