Inventors will be able to pitch concepts to Character Options at this year’s Mojo Pitch.

Forming part of Mojo Nation’s annual Play Creators Festival, the live Mojo Pitch event will take place on Thursday, June 26th 2025 at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium.

Character will also be involved in the Virtual Mojo Pitch event, taking place digitally across July 8th, 9th and 10th 2025.

Both the live and virtual events will welcome inventors, invention studios and design agencies as they pitch new toy and game concepts to a range of companies, each on the lookout for new products.

“Character Options are delighted to be involved in the Mojo Pitch event again this year,” said Jon Elliott, Head of R&D at Character Options.

“For us as a UK based creative team, Mojo Pitch is such a great event to have on our doorstep. Investing in ownable IP as well as a strong licensed toy portfolio, there’s lots of opportunity to collaborate. We’re excited to see what concepts are pitched this year and look forward to meeting up with the best creative talent in the industry.”

If you’re an inventor, invention house or design agency that would like book in a meeting with Character at this year’s Mojo Pitch, email Mojo’s Billy Langsworthy on billy@mojo-nation.com. Deadline for tickets is Friday, 9th May.

Or, if you’re a company that would like to join Character in meeting with inventors at the event, please reach out to Mojo’s Adam Butler at adam@mojo-nation.com.

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Character Options and BBC Studios have launched the first of five planned exclusive Doctor Who sets for 2025.

The set features a new Third Doctor figure with an electroplated electronic sonic screwdriver. This higher specification ‘Vortex Edition’ Third Doctor figure features a new head sculpt based on his early appearances circa 1971.

The figure is also decorated in the costume seen in the 1971 story ‘The Daemons’, with greater detailing on the jacket and paisley cravat.

Also included in the set is a full-size electroplated Third Doctor electronic sonic screwdriver. This style, with bright electro plating, has never been released before and features a different sound chip, updated neck decals and revised colours on the emitter head.

The exclusive set is available now through www.character-online.co.uk.

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Inventors will be able to pitch concepts to Character Options at this year’s Mojo Pitch.

Forming part of this year’s Play Creators Festival, the live Mojo Pitch event will take place on Thursday, June 27th at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium.

Character will also be involved in the Virtual Mojo Pitch event, taking place digitally across July 9th, 10th and 11th.

Both the live and virtual Mojo Pitch events will welcome inventors, invention studios and design agencies as they pitch new toy and game concepts to a range of companies, each on the lookout for new products.

“As a UK-based innovation-led manufacturer and distributer of toys with global reach, the Pitch event ticks all the boxes for us,” said Jon Elliott, R&D Manager at Character Options.

“We always see fantastic ideas, meet up with some of the best creative talent in the industry – from UK and further afield – and have a great day. Simbrix is a proven success for us and that all came from 2020’s Mojo Pitch… Not only is it a fun, well run day, but it delivers on commercial side too. The Character team are looking forward to seeing everyone and building more successful partnerships going forwards.”

If you’re an inventor, invention house or design agency that would like book in a meeting with Character Options at this year’s Mojo Pitch, email Mojo’s Billy Langsworthy on billy@mojo-nation.com.

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Toy and game inventors will be able to pitch concepts to Character Options at this year’s virtual Mojo Pitch event.

Part of the Play Creators Festival, the three-day Mojo Pitch will take place virtually this year, hosted at a dedicated Mojo Pitch platform from Tuesday September 7th to Thursday September 9th.

The event will welcome inventors, invention studios and design agencies from across the world as they pitch exciting toy and game concepts to a range of companies, each on the lookout for new products.

“Character always love being part of the Mojo Pitch event,” said Jon Elliott, Head of R&D at Character Options.

“Billy, Adam and the team bring the best of best international inventing community to present their latest ideas. The format is fantastic, allowing time for discussion and feedback as well as being snappy enough to meets lots of people across the few days. Even if the ideas aren’t always right, it’s a fantastic way to meet new people to collaborate with in the future.”

If you’re a designer, inventor or design agency that would like book in a meeting with Character Options and the other companies attending this year’s virtual Mojo Pitch, email Mojo’s Billy Langsworthy on billy@mojo-nation.com.

If you’re a company that would like to join Character in meeting with inventors at this year’s virtual event, email Adam Butler at adam@mojo-nation.com

For more details on the wider virtual Play Creators Festival, head to: www.playcreatorsfestival.com.

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In the first of a new monthly column, Adam Borton looks at how he got his start in the industry and what his new Toy and Game School will look to bring those wanting to kick-start their own careers in play.

As this is the first in my new regular column for Mojo Nation, I thought it would be best to start out with an explanation of how I got into the toys and games industry, and showcase a small selection of the products I’ve created.

Hopefully this will give you an insight into the various routes that you can take to get into toys and games… I’ve worked in-house as a designer, freelanced remotely and now I’m a toy and game inventor and teacher!

I started out by attending Bournemouth University to study Product Design. It had a great prototyping facility with an early 3D printer – not today’s kind of 3D printer which fits nicely on your desk – a 3D printer that takes up a whole room, costs the same as a house and the layers look like the Egyptian pyramids! Even so, it was fantastic to get early access to a 3D printer and use the 3D modelling skills I’d been taught to make something real from a digital design.

For my final year project, I created a pre-school toy called the Roll-Around Playground. It was a fascinating learning experience and it gave me a great introduction to designing toys for children – with safety being the main concern, especially for children under 3. There’s finger traps, choking hazards and lots of other factors to consider.

My first toy design job was with Mookie Toys in the UK. I got it by signing up to London Toy Fair and walking around every booth with my portfolio – I really wanted a job in toys and games!

Mookie were known for their outdoor toys such as Swingball, but I was given the freedom and opportunity to create innovative indoor and outdoor toys there.

By demonstrating that I was passionate about learning and growing, I was able to design and create a brand new garden toy for pre-schoolers called the Garden Turtle. It allows children to ‘feed’ their pet turtle with things they find in the garden. They could use the mini turtle scooper to pick up objects and put them in its mouth, which then slide into its ‘stomach’ – all of this kids can see thanks to the transparent, hinged shells!

Everything slots nicely into the body of the turtle and the children can then take it for a walk with the included leash! I was very proud when it won a Gold Award that year.

I was then offered an internship at Little Tikes in Ohio, USA which was a fantastic opportunity that was too good to turn down – they’re the number one outdoor toy company in the world!

Suffice to say, I learnt an incredible amount from the amazing people there. Little Tikes allowed me to use their vast facilities to dream up new indoor and outdoor toys that upheld the brand values – original, long-lasting and high quality toys.

After the internship, I came back to the UK and picked back up with Mookie Toys, where I was given the chance to create the entire master toy range for The Hive.

This was a rare opportunity to take a TV show that was being shown on Disney and translate the characters and locations into awesome new toys. Cue lots and lots of watching a TV show designed for one to three year olds… the theme tune is still buzzing around in my head!

I had to research and set the retail target prices, design the sets, work with the factory to negotiate pricing and fly out to China to manage production. It was a huge amount of work, but these experiences have given me a very broad knowledge of the entire industry from which I can draw on – literally and figuratively!

It was also brilliant to get the chance to visit China and experience how factories work, as many people working in toy companies don’t get this chance. That’s why I’m including a section on manufacturing toys and games – complete with factory footage – in my Toy and Game School, so that people have a much better understanding of the process if they’re not able to visit in-person.

I then left Mookie to embark on my biggest challenge to date – starting my own company!

To anyone out there starting or running their own company and wondering how to deal with everything, I can empathise!

From the nice, warm comfort of a salary and regular work to chasing payments – naming no names! – and pitching inventions, the sharp reality of running a company and looking after marketing, sales, accounting and design all at the same time is something I’m now very familiar with.

The simple solution is this – perseverance! I believed that I could make it, I learnt voraciously and I didn’t give up… And neither should you!

I was lucky enough to get amazing freelance work with some of the best toy and game companies in the world, including Hasbro, where I was brought in-house on multiple occasions to work with them directly on huge brands like Monopoly.

I also worked on a childhood favourite of mine – Fireman Sam – with Character Options and a range of Marvel cars with Jazwares too.

Shocked wasn’t the word when I was told that I had won Hasbro’s Emerging Inventor of the Year Award for 2016/17. Besides the shiny glass trophy there was also a less shiny, but just as nice, $5000 cash prize too.

Being recognised as the best up-and-coming inventor in the world was incredible, especially when there are so many other amazing designers and inventors pitching to Hasbro. It made all the late nights obsessing over the tiny details worth it!

A lot of my time was spent travelling to Toy Fairs around the world, pitching my designs and inventions regularly – and relentlessly. I focused on quality over quantity, which I think is important when you’re pitching to people that are very busy and only want the best inventions. Your job is to make them look good too by giving them something awesome to share with their colleagues and bosses.

I was able to get a regular stream of inventions licensed to a variety of global toy and game companies, including Oops Scoops and Silly Seal, licensed by Yulu and Entertoyment respectively.

Motivation is a huge factor in creative careers and I think it’s important to enjoy what you do, so I always try to work on projects that are fun and exciting. It’s also why I enjoy the pitching side too – selling is easier when you’re happy with what you’re pitching!

I reached another incredible milestone when I licensed one of my toyetic games to one of the world’s biggest toy companies – Mattel. I came up with the idea, sketched it, 3D modelled it, 3D printed it and then pitched it to Mattel who shared the vision… And humour!

The reaction to Flushin’ Frenzy has gone way beyond my expectations, launching in 2018 and being featured on The Today Show and Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show among numerous others.

Three years later it’s still as popular as ever, has hit the number one spot in board games on Amazon in countries all over the world and Mattel has created an extension to it called Flushin’ Frenzy Overflow.

After the success of Flushin’ Frenzy, I was fortunate enough to be granted a US O1 visa, allowing me to move to one of the world’s toy and game hubs – Los Angeles, California – which is where I currently live.

I’m very grateful to the people at Hasbro, Mattel and Spin Master for their references that helped to get me here!

I’ve now compiled all of my skills and experiences, sorted and then condensed them into a simple, easy-to-follow series of videos for the Toy and Game School.

I’ve designed it so it can be picked up by absolute beginners with no experience. It has lots of different topics for seasoned pros too – so if you’re an expert illustrator and want to expand into 3D design then there’s lots of valuable info in there for you.

Besides creating toys and games, there are lots of videos on the business of toys and games – which is very important to know about if you want to be successful in this industry.

Hopefully you made it this far – thanks for reading my first column for Mojo Nation! If you have any questions about the Toy and Game School, you can reach me on any of the Social Media channels below.

If you know someone who has had an idea for a toy or game – or just likes learning creative skills – then please share this article and follow the social media accounts below to learn tips and tricks about toys and games!

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The Toy Retailers Association has debuted its DreamToys list of the top 12 toys for Christmas 2020.

Selected by a panel of retailers and industry experts, the list is independent of toy manufacturers and makers and this year’s line-up includes classic brands likes Barbie, Monopoly, LEGO and Star Wars.

“This year’s DreamToys Top 12 includes a range of products from classic brands such as Monopoly and Barbie, to popular licenses and innovative new toys to suit all price points,” said Gary Grant, chair of the DreamToys selection committee.

“Toys have been an important part of families’ lives during lockdown and we believe many on this list will put a well-deserved smile on faces this Christmas.”

Frederique Tutt, vice president – global industry expert, toys at The NPD Group, added: “Toys and games have proved their value in 2020. As in other markets, Britons turned to toys and games to help fill the long weeks of lockdown.

“For the period of lockdown alone, sales rose by 15%. However, unit sales are down 9% for the first nine months of the year. As consumers have not been able to visit stores, sales of lower price point collectables have decreased in favour of ‘slow’ play toys such as those in this year’s DreamToys list.”

Check out the full DreamToys list below:
5 Surprise Mini Brands Mystery Capsule (Zuru)
Barbie 3-in-1 DreamCamper (Mattel)
LEGO Harry Potter Hedwig (LEGO)
LOL Surprise! OMG Remix Fashion Doll Asst (MGA Entertainment)
Laser Battle Hunters Vehicle (Character Options)
Monopoly For Sore Losers (Hasbro)
Paw Patrol Dino Rescue Dino Patroller (Spin Master)
Peppa Pig Peppa’s Shopping Centre (Character Options)
Pokémon Carry Case Play-set (Character Options)
Present Pets (Spin Master)
Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child (Mattel)
LEGO Super Mario: Adventures with Mario Starter Course (LEGO)

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Heroes of Goo Jit Zu is a new range of stretchy, squishy, gooey action figures, and marks the first joint development project between Character Options and Moose Toys.

Utilising Character’s experience with TPR skinned toys, the range has pushed what’s possible with a filled figure range, and is already off to a fantastic start with future characters already in the pipeline.

We caught up with Jon Elliott, Head of R&D at Character Options, to learn more about the development process behind Heroes of Goo Jit Zu, and learn how the firm’s work on TPR skinned toys informed this new range.

Where did the concept for Heroes of Goo Jit Zu come from?
After an initial brief from Moose, we had the idea of a compound filled range of figures. Different fillings inside each character giving a tactile, squishy, squashy, stretchy, squeezy, crunchy way to play.

After some initial collaborative brainstorm sessions, we came up with the idea of these being humanoid animals and then the Moose creative team came up with the mixed martial arts battling and branding later on.

Did the idea evolve much from initial concept to what’s on shelves?
It actually evolved loads and ended up quite close to where we started. The Design Team started with animals, took them into space and then came all the way back to the zoo theme. Styling wise, we had a few different looks before the Product Design group settled on these guys. We all love how they’ve turned out.

Did your work on stretch toys inform some of the design of GJZ?
Absolutely. We’ve learned a lot about the technical limitation of filled TPR skins and used all that knowledge to push what poses and detail is possible with a filled figure range like these.

You can see from characters like the Dragon Blazagon and Pantaro the Panther that we’ve achieved the fighting poses and moved on a lot from a traditional Stretch standing pose character. Watch out for the Super Rare Yeti, Frostbite, coming in wave 2 and even more innovation to come.

What was the biggest challenge involved in creating the range?
Anyone who’s done TPR toys knows the challenges there. We’ve been collaborating with the excellent Moose creative team through the whole process. Working across different timezones – HK, OZ and UK – has it’s challenges, but between us we’ve created a great looking range that delivers compound play in a brand new way.

Are there future waves of product in the pipeline?
Absolutely, we’ve had really strong sales from the initial launch so we have lots more exciting range extensions already in development for next year.

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Toy designers will be able to pitch concepts to Character Options at this year’s Mojo Pitch event.

Forming part of the Play Creators Festival, the Mojo Pitch will take place on Tuesday, September 3rd at London’s Stamford Bridge stadium.

The event welcomes designers (both seasoned professionals and talented amateurs), invention houses and design agencies as they pitch exciting new toy and game concepts to a range of companies, each on the lookout for new products.

“Character are happy to support the Mojo Pitch again,” said Jon Elliott, operations manager (R&D) at Character Options.

“You never know exactly who’s going to come through the door next and what concept they’ll bring with them, but there are always good concepts to see and ‘characters’ to meet.  Having a day that’s focused on toy concepts and design is a great thing for the industry; it gathers good people and sparks good discussions.”

Character Options joins a Mojo Pitch line-up that includes Hasbro, Spin Master, Vivid/Goliath, Alpha Group, Entertoyment, Drumond International, TOMY, Bananagrams, Amigo, Rubik’s, Wow! Stuff, Lansay, Moose Toys, Mookie Toys, Golden Bear, USAopoly, HTI, John Adams, Amigo Spiele, Ravensburger, Identity Games, Seven Towns and Fat Brain Toys.

More participating firms will be announced shortly.

If you’re a designer, inventor or design agency that would like book in a meeting with the above companies at this year’s Mojo Pitch, head to mojo-pitch.com for more information.

Or, if you’re a company that would like to join the above companies in meeting with designers and inventors at the event, email Billy Langsworthy at billy@mojo-nation.com

For more details on the wider Play Creators Festival, head to: www.playcreatorsfestival.com

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As nominations are now open for the 2019 edition of the Mojo Nation 100 – a listing of 100 figures in toy and game design that have had a great year – we’re speaking with some of those who made it into the 2018 edition of the book earlier this year.

Jon Elliott is a highly skilled industrial designer with a background in electronics, who has been with Character Options since 2005, where his role as the firm’s chief product picker has grown and grown. As Character’s R&D operations manager, Elliott works closely with Character MD Jon Diver on backing the firm’s next big successes, before collaborating with his creative team to bring product to market.

We caught up with him to discuss his start in the world of toy design, and how he assesses the state of creativity in the industry at present.

How did you get your start in the world of design?
I started in the engineering team at Hasbro, programming ICs and making electronics demo rigs. After I joined Character the role expanded from project managing and electronics into design, development, and inventor relations as well.

How do you stay creative?
My 20 month old daughter is helping with that just now. Kids give you a totally fresh take on toys and what keeps them entertained for longer than five seconds.

What makes this industry a great one for designers to work in?
The scope for design in our industry is huge. Product ranges vary so much so the design challenge one day can be very different to the next.

From a design point of view, is the world of toys and games in a good place creatively at present?
I’ve read that it isn’t in a good place a lot recently and I’m not sure I buy it.

There are a lot of remakes from classic toys for sure, as there are remakes of classic kids’ TV programmes and movies, but while the core areas of action figures and play-sets haven’t had a load of innovation, other product categories have moved on.

You look at any of the new coding toy kits, things like drones and Air Swimmers, even the ‘make your own slime’ trend – I don’t remember any of these from the Eighties.

To nominate a designer for a spot in the 2019 edition of the Mojo Nation 100, click here  for all the information.

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Vivid, Character Options and Wynne-Jones IP will all be taking part in the inaugural Mojo Pitch event this September.

Forming part of the Play Creators Festival, the Mojo Pitch will take place on September 11th at London’s Emirates Stadium, and will see toy and game designers, invention houses and design agencies pitch exciting new toy and game concepts to a range of companies, each on the lookout for new products.

“Vivid are delighted to get behind this programme – it will no doubt be a fantastic creative forum,” said James Wing, R&D manager at Vivid.

“We are always on the lookout for new ideas and concepts – you never know where the next one could come from – and can’t wait to see what we bring back from the Mojo Pitch.”

Character Options’ operations manager, Jon Elliott, added: “At Character Options our door is always open to new product ideas and innovations.

“We’re a great partner to bring innovative ideas to market, we know how to develop, manufacture, sell and market a wide range of products effectively and successfully. We’re happy to support the Mojo Pitch event and our creative team is looking forward to discussing concepts with old and new faces.”

Elsewhere, Wynne-Jones IP will have a booth to offer delegates vital advice regarding how best to protect their IP.

“We are thrilled to be participating in this inaugural event and helping inventors and the creative industry across toys and games realise the importance of protecting their IP,” said Victor Caddy, partner, Wynne-Jones IP.

“There’s nothing more important than protecting an asset, regardless of whether you’re a toy industry giant or a sole-trading inventor.  The Mojo Pitch event is a great initiative bringing everyone together and we hope that adding IP protection into the mix demonstrates it doesn’t have to be a dry subject, just one that adds value for all.”

Vivid, Character Options and Wynne-Jones IP join the already announced Hasbro, TOMY and Alpha in being involved in this year’s Mojo Pitch.

More companies are set to announced in the coming weeks, and Mojo Nation will be publishing a wish list for participating firms, outlining what each company is looking for in terms of product, ahead of the event.

To join Hasbro, Alpha, TOMY, Vivid, Character Options and Wynne-Jones in seeing designers at the Mojo Pitch, email Billy Langsworthy at billy@mojo-nation.com.

For more information on the Mojo Pitch, or to book your ticket, head to: https://mojo-pitch.com.

For more information on the wider Play Creators Festival, head to: http://playcreatorsfestival.com.

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