MAM
Cartoon Network signs licensing deal with Mattel
MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Cartoon Network have announced that they have awarded toy manufacturer Mattel, the master toy license for the television show Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.
Mattel is planning to launch a full line of toys at retail worldwide, in all markets outside Japan later this year. Mattel’s initial product launch will consist of fashion dolls in the likeness of the real-life Japanese pop stars Ami and Yumi, spunky small dolls inspired by the animated characters and the Puffy AmiYumi tour bus.
Mattel will also create plush toys based on Ami and Yumi’s favourite felines, along with engaging play sets and a magical transforming tour bus. Additional products will include accessories, role-playing product, musical and electrical toys, games, puzzles and vehicles. The new toy line from Mattel brings this colorful property to the shelf with an excellent array of product and creative packaging.
For the uninitiated Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi is a half-hour comedy consisting of animated elements. The show follows the rompy rock ‘n’ roll adventures of Japanese rock stars Ami and Yumi, along with live-action bookends featuring the band. Being famous rock stars, Ami and Yumi tour the globe in their customized tour bus, a veritable condo on wheels with all the major amenities and an ever-changing interior.
Ami is the peppy, positive and resourceful one. Yumi is the hard-rocking, no-nonsense cynic with an absolutely infallible sense of cool. Whether they’re jamming with aliens, or being chased to the center of the Earth by an obsessed fan, Ami and Yumi always come out on top – dishing out lessons in J-pop justice and the international language of “cool” along the way.
The real life Ami and Yumi came together in 1995 through a nationwide talent search in Japan. Since their rock ‘n’ roll debut in 1996, they have sold millions of albums, played sold-out stadiums and hosted a live-action variety show in Asia. Now the Japanese phenomenon is taking on the cartoon world with Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, an over-the-top comedy, filled with cutting-edge music and starring two cool Japanese pop icons.
Cartoon Network Worldwide executive VP and GM Jim Samples says, “Selecting Mattel as the master toy licensee on Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi adds to the tremendous. Not only are we working with an industry leader to bring one of our hot new shows to retail and consumers, together we will bring a line of creative, fun toys to fans sooner than we have ever been able.”
Warner Bros. Consumer Products executive VP domestic licensing Karen McTier said, “We just know that Mattel will do a great job capturing the creativity and liveliness of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi in their exciting line of toys.” Mattel designs, manufactures and marketing of toys and family products, including Barbie.
Brands
Tata Consumer Products highlights workplace bias with no repeat campaign
Women often repeat ideas to be heard; Tata campaign spotlights bias
MUMBAI: In many offices, a familiar moment unfolds. A woman shares an idea in a meeting. The room nods politely, then moves on. A few minutes later, someone else repeats the same thought and suddenly it lands.
This International Women’s Day, Tata Consumer Products is drawing attention to that quiet but persistent workplace dynamic through TheNoRepeatCampaign, an initiative that highlights how often women must repeat themselves before their ideas are acknowledged.
Conceptualised by Schbang, the campaign centres on a mockumentary-style film featuring a corporate employee known simply as “Doobara”, which literally means “again”. The character symbolises the many women across workplaces who find themselves restating their ideas during meetings, brainstorms and presentations before they receive recognition.
The campaign is grounded in research that reflects a broader workplace pattern. According to McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report, 39 percent of women say they are interrupted or spoken over in professional settings. Research by Perceptyx in 2022 adds to that picture, with 19 percent of women reporting frequent interruptions and 42 percent saying it happens at least sometimes.
Tata Consumer Products head of corporate communications and investor relations Nidhi Verma, said the campaign aims to bring a commonly experienced but rarely discussed bias into the open.
“Workplaces thrive when every voice is heard the first time it speaks. With #TheNoRepeatCampaign, we wanted to shine a light on a bias that many women experience but rarely gets called out openly. By encouraging teams to listen more consciously and acknowledge ideas fairly, we hope to create environments where contributions are valued for their merit, not the number of times they need to be repeated,” she said.
The film cleverly mirrors the very behaviour it critiques. Through deliberate repetition in the storytelling, viewers experience the subtle frustration of having a point overlooked until someone else echoes it back to the room.
The initiative also ties into Tata Consumer Products’ internal SpeakUp culture, which encourages employees to share ideas and feedback openly while emphasising the shared responsibility of listening and acknowledging contributions.
Schbang president of solutions Jitto George, said the insight behind the campaign came from everyday workplace observations.
“The insight was simple but powerful. Many women have experienced moments where their ideas gain traction only after someone else repeats them. We wanted the storytelling to reflect that reality in a way that feels relatable, slightly uncomfortable and difficult to ignore. The mockumentary format helped capture that everyday dynamic while prompting viewers to rethink how conversations unfold in their own workplaces,” he said.
Aligned with International Women’s Day 2026’s theme, “Give To Gain”, the campaign underlines a simple message. When organisations give attention, acknowledgement and visibility to women’s voices, the entire workplace benefits.
After all, when good ideas are heard the first time, they do not need a second attempt.
