During Toy Fair NY 2016, I attended an event hosted by NBCUniversal Brand Development to get a first look at toys, games, apparel, accessories, home furnishings and more inspired by The Secret Life of Pets, the 3-D animated comedy from the creators of the Despicable Me franchise, arriving in theaters on July 6.

Note: I was invited as media to this event. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

Spin Master, Master toy licensee, and PetSmart, exclusive retail partner were among the licensees previewing what's to come in 2016 for the much-anticipated film.

Some of the products I previewed included:



APPAREL

Slip on colorful clothing featuring the furry cast from The Secret Life of Pets. Try mixing and matching for extra fun! Available in an array of children’s sizes.

DECO PAC

Celebrate your next special occasion with your favorite characters from The Secret Life of Pets! From the Max and Snowball Deco Set where you can keep a lasting reminder of your celebration long after the cake is gone, to the Insanely Cute Photo Cake Frame and Every Dog Has His Day cake and cupcake toppers, you can decorate for your special day with style! Cake sizes and pricing vary by retailer.



WONDER FORGE Price: $7.99-9.99

It’s a bright twist on the classic game of picture matching! Take turns searching for tiles featuring Max, Duke, Snowball, and other friends from The Secret Life of Pets—but to make things tricky, you’ve got to match up the pets with their shadows! Collect the most pets—and don’t leave any of their friends in the dark! Age 5+


KIDDESIGNS Headphones and iPhone Cover; Price: $19.99; Walkie Talkie Set; Price: $14.99-16.99

Stay connected in style with the KidDesigns line of The Secret Life of Pets home electronics! Chat with your friends with fun walkie talkies that are not only durable, but also have a safe, flexible antenna and fun character graphics.  Age 3+



BEDDING

This bed set is decorated with Max and his buddies and the saying “Every Dog Has His Day.” Components include sheet set, t/f comforter, throw and pillow. Age 8-12

Sheets $21.99
Comforters $32.99
Pillows $19.99
Blanket $24.99
Throw $14.99



MINI PET APARTMENT BUILDING Price: $19.99

Play out the world of The Secret Life of Pets with the stackable and modular Mini Pet Apartments Building. This set includes three pets and their accessories as well as locations from the film representative of the pets’ “home” for total immersive play. Place the apartments side-by-side or stack them to play out the many adventures with your favorite movie pets! Age 4+


1 - 2” COLLECTIBLE MINI PETS Price: $2.49

Bring home all your favorite animals from The Secret Life of Pets in all of their signature poses. These expertly stylized figures help you play out scenes from the film or create your own new adventures. The blind bags create a surprise with every purchase! Age 4+


WALKING TALKING PETS Price: $12.99

See the characters from The Secret Life of Pets come to life with these motorized figures
that walk and talk! Collect Max, Gidget, Snowball and Mel for different phrases and unique action moves. Age 4+

DELUXE TALKING PLUSH Price: $19.99

The huggable characters from The Secret Life of Pets are ready to come home with you. This high-quality plush comes with sounds straight from the movie. Show off both sides of their personalities: to activate, squeeze for happy phrases and shake for wild sounds. Age 4+


Also announced during the event is the PetSmart and NBCUniversal Brand Development Group partnership with Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures’ The Secret Life of Pets.

PetSmart has become the exclusive retailer to carry a collection of pet products featuring the characters from the film.

The exclusive PetSmart product collection includes pet apparel such as the iconic Gidget ruffle-skirted dress and hoodies; slogan tees like “Every Dog Has His Day,” featuring Max and Duke; plush and rope squeaker toys featuring Norman and Snowball; and cat and dog beds featuring Gidget and Duke.



MOVIE SYNOPSIS

For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day.

Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Albert Brooks.

Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio.

To learn more about The Secret Life of Pets, visit - www.thesecretlifeofpets.com
On Facebook - www.facebook.com/SecretLifeOfPets
On Twitter - www.twitter.com/PetsMovie


ENTER TO WIN THIS GIVEAWAY!

• (1) Set of The Secret Life of Pets Magnets
• (1) PetSmart $5 gift card

WAYS TO ENTER:

Entries must be made on or before 11:59 p.m. March 16, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Winner will be selected by random.org. Giveaway entry must be completed before extra entries will count. Winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 24 hours or a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the U.S. with a valid street address.