SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 7, 2017 /CNW/ -- Toy industry and licensing veteran Simon Waldron has joined LEVEL-5 abby Inc. in the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Marketing and Licensing, it was announced today by Yukari Hayakawa, Chief Operating Officer. Waldron will lead all marketing initiatives in North America, South America and Australia-New Zealand, and liaise with other LEVEL-5 abby offices in Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Europe.
Based at the company's global headquarters in Santa Monica, CA and reporting to Hayakawa, Waldron's responsibilities include overseeing global brand marketing strategy and brand execution, as well as portfolio and partner development. He will also direct marketing, public relations and promotions for LEVEL-5 abby's many hit properties, including mega-hits YO-KAI WATCH™ and SNACK WORLD™, manage in- and out-of-house marketing staff and agencies, and ensure property integration across all platforms.
Waldron joins LEVEL-5 abby with previous experience at Mattel Inc., where he held senior-level marketing and management positions, and developed new lines of revenue for a host of venerable brands. His experience in brand management, brand re-relaunches, and brand introductions includes extensive strategic and hands-on work with Fisher Price, Mattel's Hot Wheels division, Spin Master Toys, as well as major consumer brands including Quaker Oats, Campbell Soup and Henkel.
Commenting on Waldron's hire, Hayakawa said, "Since LEVEL-5 abby Inc. launched in the United States just one and a half years ago, we have grown by leaps and bounds. With the success of global mega-hit YO-KAI WATCH™ and a host of new projects in the pipeline, we are fortunate to have someone with Simon's robust, diverse skill set as we chart this next phase of LEVEL-5 abby's expansion."
Waldron commented, "I am delighted to join the LEVEL-5 abby team, and to have the opportunity to work with these world-class entertainment properties. I look forward to helping the company further expand its global footprint as it continues its rapid growth!"
About LEVEL-5 abby Inc.
Multi-media entertainment company LEVEL-5 abby Inc. creates, produces and distributes highly engaging content for children, adults and game/anime fans worldwide. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with offices in Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Europe, the company mission is to bring Japan's universally themed popular game and animation content to fans globally, across all platforms and all devices. LEVEL-5 abby maintains a strong commitment to maintaining its position on the frontier where the newest technologies and great story-telling intersect. The company's tentpole franchises – YO-KAI WATCH™, Little Battler's eXperience™ (LBX™) and SNACK WORLD™ -- the latter currently in production -- are debuting before western audiences via multiple touch points, including animation, toys, comics, music, and live entertainment. As the company expands, LEVEL-5 abby will also develop original entertainment content designed specifically for Western and global markets. LEVEL-5 abby is funded by Japanese entertainment and advertising giants LEVEL-5 Inc. and Dentsu Inc. To learn more, please visit www.level5.co.jp/abby.
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SOURCE LEVEL-5 abby Inc.
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