Dan Dee International has acquired global master toy rights to tween lifestyle brand SMOKO. SMOKO revolves around taking short breaks during the day to relax and have fun with our plush characters.
The two companies will collaborate on the design of new consumer products ranging from stuffed animals, collectibles, home décor and seasonal gift items. Dan Dee plans to manufacture and sell these new His SKUs worldwide in summer 2025, and Menal McGrath, Senior Vice President of Global Licensing, plans to manufacture and sell these new His SKUs worldwide in the department, specialty and mass merchandiser channels. We are working to secure retail partners.
SMOKO was launched in 2009 as a plush toy brand for tweens, with a family of kawaii-inspired characters including Uni Unicorn, Nari Narhwal, Butta Toast, and Orochi Dragon. Prior to this new partnership with Dan Dee, the company manufactured its own polyester plush toys and sold them exclusively on the DTC website. SMOKO also operates a quarterly subscription service that ships boxes containing six of his exclusive products each time related to a different theme, such as dinner, dessert, or farm-fresh vegetables.
SMOKO also collaborated with Cloudco Entertainment, Sanrio, and SEGA of America to create a series of co-branded Care Bears, Hello Kitty, and Sonic the Hedgehog plush toys.
Los Angeles-based Dan Dee hired Menal, an experienced licensing executive who previously worked at Disney, Mattel and Moose Toys, in March 2023. The company's other licensing partners include Crayola, Afro Unicorn, Bluey, and Thomas & Friends.