Playmates Toys has signed a worldwide master toy merchandising agreement with sibling global YouTube superstars Vlad and Niki. 

The Playmates Toys product line for “Vlad & Niki” launches summer 2021 and will include action figures, standard and deluxe vehicles, bundled sets, role-play gear and indoor/outdoor accessories. The international agreement was negotiated by Retail Monster and Haven Global.  

“Vlad and Niki have such a relatable ‘brotherly’ dynamic, and it’s wonderful how the entire family is involved,” says Karl Aaronian, senior vice president, marketing and development, Playmates Toys. “There’s nothing else like them on YouTube! Their incredible adventures will help Playmates expand our growing preschool business, with fun themes and toys that will appeal to Vlad and Niki’s huge fan base, from interactive figures and vehicles to Rocket Ship environments.” 

Brothers Vlad and Niki Vashketov are the stars of “Vlad & Niki,” which captures more than five billion monthly views. Launched in 2018 by Content Media Group, the “Vlad & Niki” preschool channel is featured on 16 channels in 13 languages over the Google subsidiary online video-sharing platform. Overall, the channel has amassed 120 million subscribers worldwide, over 52 million subscribers to the English-channel and over 56 billion overall views.  

“Haven’s product development team enjoyed collaborating with the Playmates executives to create out-of-the box ideas to delight the "Vlad & Niki" audience,” says Tom Punch, managing director, Haven Global.

Currently the highest rated boys channel streaming on YouTube, the daily adventures of “Vlad & Niki” are brought to life with animation, artistic special effects, superhero narrative, toy play and catchy songs, which will all be incorporated into the Playmates Toys product line.

"Playmates Toys not only knows the licensed, kids’ space but has the bandwidth as a company to be innovative in its approach, ultimately providing a great customer experience," says Michael Connolly, founder, Retail Monster.  

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