Moose Toys' Wins and WOWs at 2023 Toy of the Year® Awards

Moose Toys was recognized with the inaugural Silver Marketing Campaign of the Year Award for Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball at the Toy Foundation’s 24th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards gala today. Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball gives kids the power to create a Magic Mixie and beckon it to the Crystal Ball using an interactive spellcasting wand. The marketing team lent Moose WOW to a creative and fully integrated strategic campaign that generated billions of consumer impressions.

Moose Toys’ art director Brent Bell won the inaugural Champion of Diversity & Inclusion Award at the Toy Foundation’s 24th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards gala today. A zealously active leader, Bell has a steadfast commitment to the company’s “All Welcome” workplace. He co-founded the Moose D&I Committee in 2022 and was the catalyst for adding the LQBTQIA+ Workstream to Moose’s global workplace D&I.

“A dynamic, dedicated and zealously active leader, Brent was the catalyst for adding the LQBTQIA+ Workstream to Moose’s global workplace D&I initiatives,” said Paul Solomon, CEO, Moose Toys. “Under his leadership, Brent and his small team of volunteers designed a program that supports Moose’s commitment to building a workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We look forward to becoming further educated and enlightened under his thoughtful leadership and are so proud that his important efforts are being recognized and rewarded.”

Brent Bell is a driving force behind fostering inclusivity at Moose Toys. With a steadfast commitment to an “All Welcome” workplace, he co-founded the Moose D&I Committee in 2022, leaving an indelible mark. Joining Moose in 2015, Bell identified the need to bridge diverse experiences, particularly as a gay man, leading to the committee’s expansion. A dedicated advocate, he spearheaded the transformative LGBTQIA+ Workstream, engaging the global “Moosie” community through interactive sessions, guest speakers, and Pride Month activities. Bell’s dynamic leadership seamlessly integrated the workstream into Moose’s D&I framework, guided by his infectious enthusiasm and a team of volunteers. Aligned with Moose’s strategic roadmap, the initiative fosters a safe environment, promotes allyship, expands education, and advances gender diversity and equality in the toy industry.

Hosted by The Toy Foundation, TOTY accolades are based on votes from mass and specialty toy retailers, media, Toy Association members and consumers. For the first time, this year’s program included marketing campaigns, evaluated by an independent panel of marketing professionals, assembled in partnership with Advertising Week, that evaluated the campaign-focused nominations to determine the winners. Moose took home a Silver Marketing Campaign of the Year Award for Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball.

“What an honor to have Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball recognized with the inaugural Silver Marketing Campaign of the Year Award,” continued Solomon. “Moose prides itself on our innovative products, but it doesn’t stop there. We look to our marketing team to bring their equally innovative ideas and Moose WOW to build excitement and drive sales. They more than outdid themselves with Crystal Ball, tapping into their collective creativity with a fully integrated strategic campaign that implemented a variety of both traditional and break-frame tactics. Their work earned Crystal Ball the Creative Toy of the Year Award in 2022, landed it as the top selling toy across the entire United States and all toy categories the week of Christmas and generated billions of consumer impressions. We’re immensely grateful to our industry peers for their recognition of our marketing team’s work.”

The Magic Mixies brand delivers real magic to kids at every turn. With Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball, kids have the power to create a Magic Mixie and beckon it to the Crystal Ball using an interactive spellcasting wand. After a flick of the wrist and some very magic words, the Crystal Ball awakens, and real mist fills the sphere. Kids continue the spell as the wand’s lights interact with the Crystal Ball giving the Mixie color, a voice, fortune telling powers and more. The magic and the fun continue with the Magic Mixie’s four modes of play: Fortune Telling, Spell, Game and Tickling. And when play and the day is done, the Crystal Ball can be switched to Night Light Mode.