Rainbow Loom from Choon's Design grabs Toy of the Year title and three category awards.
Hundreds of toy executives and industry guests from around the world gathered in New York on Saturday night (February 15th) for the 14th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards and Toy Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Rainbow Loom – the arts and crafts toy from Choon's Design LLC – was the runaway success of the evening, taking home the overall Toy of the Year award and prizes in three additional categories.
Social media and Super Bowl ad sensation GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine (GoldieBlox, Inc.) snagged the People's Choice award for pulling in the most online votes from consumers and was also awarded a prize in one additional category.
"This year's top TOTY winners are outstanding examples of the magical and creative playthings that originate from innovative toy companies of all sizes," said Carter Keithley, TIA president. "We congratulate Choon's Design, Goldieblox, and the winners across all 12 categories – from e-Connected to Outdoor – for their wonderful achievements."
Interspersed with the awards presentation was a special tribute to the Toy Industry Foundation, which gifted more than three million toys and games to children in need worldwide in 2013 alone.
The event also welcomed the induction of five individuals into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Jill Barad, former Chairman and CEO, Mattel; Horst Brandstätter, president and owner, Playmobil/geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co. KG; Jack Friedman, former chairman, CEO and co-founder, Jakks Pacific; and Arthur 'Spur' Melin & Richard Knerr, co-founders of Wham-O Toy.
The full list of winners is:
• Recognising an outstanding toy that inspires creative play through various forms of activity, the
Activity Toy of the Year was presented to Rainbow Loom (Choon's Design LLC)
• Recognising an outstanding toy developed for boys of any age, the Boy Toy of the Year was presented to Despicable Me 2 Special Feature Minion Dave Talking Action Figure
(Thinkway Toys)
• Recognising an app-cessory or other physical toy that interacts with a smartphone, tablet or gaming device, the e-Connected Toy of the Year was presented to LeapPad Ultra (LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.)
• Recognising an outstanding toy that helps children develop special skills and knowledge through play, the Educational Toy of the Year was presented to GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine (GoldieBlox, Inc.)
• Recognising an outstanding children's board, card, CD-ROM or electronic game, the Game of the Year was presented to Boom Boom Balloon (Spin Master)
• Recognising an outstanding toy developed for girls of any age, the Girl Toy of the Year was presented to Rainbow Loom (Choon's Design LLC)
• Recognising an outstanding toy developed for infants and toddlers up to 36 months, the Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year was presented to Big Hugs Elmo (Playskool)
• Recognising an outstanding toy that combines innovation and play value, the Innovative Toy of the Year was presented Zoomer (Spin Master)
• Recognising an outstanding toy that is designed for outdoor play, the Outdoor Toy of the Year was presented to Razor Crazy Cart (Razor USA LLC)
• Recognising an outstanding toy developed for preschool-aged children (ages 3-5), the Preschool Toy of the Year was presented to Doc McStuffins Get Better Check-Up Center (Just Play)
• Recognising a property that has had the greatest success spreading its brand throughout the industry, Property of the Year was presented to Minecraft (Mojang AB)
• Recognising an outstanding toy that is distributed primarily through specialty toy retailers, the Specialty Toy of the Year was presented to Rainbow Loom (Choon's Design LLC).