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Retro
Toy with a Licensed Twist
Sports Spuds to Make Industry Debut
October 31, 2006
What do you get when you combine one of the all-time classic Baby Boomer toys and the official logos and colors of top pro and college teams? An eye-catching and thoroughly engaging product called Sports Spuds. Manufactured by Promotional Partners Worldwide, Sports Spuds will be making their industry debut at the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace this November.
Sports Spuds are a combination of Mr. Potato Head and the top baseball, basketball, hockey and college teams. Promotional Partners Worldwide holds licenses with MLB, NBA, NHL and several major universities. The company is a manufacturer of promotional premiums, with a client list including Jack in the Box, Universal Studios Theme Parks and Hasbro—a relationship that spawned the Sports Spud idea. The product was first unveiled as a giveaway at a 2005 Detroit Pistons game, and the momentum just built from there.
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“Sports Spuds capitalize on the current trends of retro products and licensed sports properties,” says PPW’s Dean Gorby. “When we developed a limited number of these products for promotional items as team giveaways, we saw the immediate connection it had for both young and old. Bringing the product to retail is a natural, combining America’s love of sports and passion for nostalgic toys.”
For buyers looking for that last-minute seasonal hit, PPW has the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Lakers, Bulls, Celtics and Heat ready to ship. For you cultural historians out there, Mr. Potato head was launched in the early 1950s, and holds the distinction of being the first toy ever featured in a television commercial.
