Melissa & Doug

Last updated
Melissa & Doug, LLC
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Toys
Founded1988;36 years ago (1988)
Founder
  • Melissa Bernstein
  • Doug Bernstein
Headquarters Wilton, Connecticut, United States
Owner AEA Investors (2017-2024)
Parent Spin Master (2024–present)
Website melissaanddoug.com

Melissa & Doug, LLC (formerly Lights, Camera, Interaction!, Inc) is an American manufacturer of children's toys, [1] including wooden puzzles, arts & crafts products, plush toys, and other educational toys; [2] [3] a subsidiary of Spin Master since 2024. The company was founded in 1988 [4] by Melissa and Doug Bernstein in their basement and Doug's parents' garage. [5] [6] [7] [8] All products are designed at its Wilton, Connecticut, headquarters. [2]

Contents

The company has factories in the U.S. and abroad [3] with about 1,000 employees worldwide, including some in China and India. [9] [10] A 2013 New York Times profile reported that it had achieved double-digit growth every year. [2]

History

The private company was founded in 1988 when the co-founders left corporate careers to start their own company. [2] Three of their four parents were educators, so they were drawn to doing something involving children. [5]

Melissa and Doug made three short films for home video under the "Lights, Camera, Interaction!" banner and the name "Special Friends", all of these films starring 8-year-old Brett Ambler: "You On Kazoo!" (1989), which promoted a Kazoo toy; "Let's Sing-Along" (1990), which promoted a microphone toy; and "Ring-Along, Sing-Along" (1991), promoting a bell-ringing toy. The videotapes were marketed directly to small, independent toy stores but did not sell well. However, these three short films would become famous in the mid-2010s, when "You on Kazoo!" was uploaded to YouTube and became a viral meme, thanks to the kazoo scenes, and "The Kazoo Kid" would later become the official nickname for Ambler. The video was remixed by Mike Diva in February 2016 and sampled by Florian Rehn Olsson in his SoundCloud song "dootdoot".

The first product that brought them attention was the Fuzzy Farm Puzzle, a wooden puzzle with texture. [5] An extensive line of wooden puzzles followed. [5] [2] In the late 1990s, the company expanded into wooden toys, arts & crafts, pretend play, plush toys, and more. [5] [2] [3]

In 2010, private equity firm Berkshire Partners became an owner of Melissa & Doug. [11] The company was fined $1,386 on November 15, 2012, by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for hiring unlawful employees. [12]

In 2016, Melissa Bernstein told Good Morning America that imaginary play helps children explore, create, take risks, and discover who they are. The show reported that the company has made more than 5,000 products, putting them "in the same league as toy titans Mattel and LEGO." [8]

On October 11, 2023, six years after AEA Investors acquired the company, [13] Spin Master Corp. announced an agreement to acquire Melissa & Doug for $950 million in cash, hoping to close the deal in the first quarter of the following year. [14] On January 2, 2024, it was reported that the purchase had been completed. [15]

The company opened its first brick and mortar toy store at The Westchester shopping mall in White Plains, New York. [16]

Philosophy

The Melissa & Doug philosophy of having all screen-free toys matches the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that parents limit screen time for young children. [8]

The company sponsors an entrepreneurship program at Duke University, Melissa's alma mater, providing funding and mentors throughout the year. Melissa and Doug Bernstein help students in the program. [17] Melissa and Doug have also endowed a leadership program for students at the University of Connecticut, [18] Doug's alma mater, where he had been very involved in student activities as an undergraduate. [19]

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References

  1. ↑ Melissa & Doug, LLC: Private Company Information - Bloomberg News , Retrieved December 21, 2019
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "No Tie-Ins. No Touch Screens. No Apps." - The New York Times , June 6, 2013
  3. 1 2 3 "Learning Lessons at Play" - UConn Today, December 2011
  4. ↑ "Is the Melissa & Doug Brand Poised for More Success? - RetailWire". 2023-11-20. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Smart Toymakers - Melissa Bernstein" - Working Mother , November 2008
  6. ↑ I DO, I DO: one Melissa and Doug to another | Jacksonville.com, July 29, 2007
  7. ↑ Parents find they can't boycott China- made toys even if they fear lead taint, NY Daily News , December 2, 2007
  8. 1 2 3 "Why Melissa & Doug Toy Line Makers Say Boredom Is Important" - Good Morning America , July 6, 2016
  9. ↑ "Around UConn" - Summer 2007, UConn Magazine, p. 15
  10. ↑ Interview of Melissa Bernstein, Ilana and Hayley's Blog, March 3, 3015
  11. ↑ "Berkshire Partners Invests in Melissa & Doug" . Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  12. ↑ Wilton toy company, Melissa & Doug fined for hiring unlawful employees - Thehour.com: News
  13. ↑ "AEA Investors" . Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  14. ↑ "PR Newswire" . Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  15. ↑ "Spin Master Completes Acquisition of Melissa & Doug, A Trusted Brand in Early Childhood Play". Licensing International. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  16. ↑ "Melissa & Doug Unveils First Toy Store - Retail & Leisure International". 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  17. ↑ Duke University Melissa and Doug Entrepreneurs
  18. ↑ "UConn Advance - March 19, 2007 -Alumnus endows new leadership program for UConn students". advance.uconn.edu. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  19. ↑ "Learning Lessons at Play". UConn Today. 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
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