Frobelles, the UK’s first Afro hair-championing dress-up game, has announced its partnership with Hero NXT, the licensing division of Hero Brands.
This collaboration marks a pivotal step in Frobelles’ mission to empower and represent Afro-curly-haired children around the globe, with Hero NXT looking to take the characters to the global toy, hair accessories, fashion and animation spaces, among others, starting with UK and US.
Founded by mother-daughter duo Yvonne and Alyssa Ottley, Frobelles was inspired by Alyssa’s question at age six as to why none of her game characters had Afro hair like hers. The brand was created to fill this gap, and has since grown into a fun, vibrant community and edutainment platform.
Since its inception, Frobelles has achieved numerous milestones, including over 100,000 downloads, campaigns with GooglePlay and the Apple AppStore, a place in the Startups 100 for 2024, as well as various award nominations and wins, including Young Entrepreneur award at the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards, sponsored by banking giant, NatWest.
Meanwhile, Hero Brands, best known for its dynamic portfolio, including popular food brands like Dirty Bones, German Doner Kebab (GDK), Island Poké, and viral YouTube sensation, Sides by Sidemen, is harnessing its team’s wider expertise in retail, animation, and other sectors, to further expand its licensing arm. Frobelles was a natural fit for this next step, and they instantly saw potential in the brands characters, especially in the US.
Yvonne Ottley, Co-Founder of Frobelles, said: “This partnership with Hero NXT is a monumental step for us. It not only amplifies our mission to provide meaningful representation for Afro-curly haired kids, but it also allows us to inspire and educate on a much larger scale. We’re excited to see where Kelli, Coco, and Krista go next.”
Ed Duah, Vice Chairman of Hero Brands and Co-Founder of Hero NXT, said: “Frobelles is such an exciting brand that brings innovation, diversity, and inspiration to a whole new generation. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to launch a whole range of products that are going to bring the Frobelles narrative to a global audience – this brand doesn’t just empower children with afro hair in a world where discrimination is still rife, it also inspires them to be the change they wish to see.”
