Original Grain and Toyota Racing Development Partner to Create Motorsport-Inspired Watches

Original Grain, the renowned watchmaker known for its craftsmanship and commitment to sustainability, recently introduced a new watch collection in collaboration with Toyota Racing Development (TRD), Toyota’s longstanding factory-backed racing division. The Solar Octane watch collection pulls its vibrant color from the TRD Pro series of trucks, including the newly redesigned Toyota Sequoia and Tundra. As the brand licensing agency for Toyota and Lexus, The Joester Loria Group brokered this partnership on behalf of Toyota. 

The Solar Octane Collection features three unique styles and is available for purchase at www.originalgrain.com, with watches starting at $595. Each watch incorporates design elements from the Tundra TRD Pro, including the subtle digital camo details found throughout the interior and exterior and a solar movement that pays homage to Toyota's new innovative i-FORCE Max hybrid motor. The collaboration is expected to pique the interest of TRD fans, off-roaders, and watch enthusiasts looking for something unique and sustainable to add to their collection.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Happy Meal Launches at McDonald’s Japan

The World of Eric Carle is partnering with McDonald’s Japan to launch the first Very Hungry Caterpillar Happy Meal, featuring a choice of one of six gardening themed toys, which will be available at McDonald’s restaurants nationwide starting May 19 for five weeks. 

The partnership will be promoted with a dedicated TV commercial, in-store point-of-sale, exclusive packaging and a digital/social media campaign. The World of Eric Carle Happy Meal toys will help promote creativity, discovery and play by helping children develop a scientific interest in plants and insects, while the educational cards included with the toys will teach little ones the days of the week in both Japanese and English.

The brand licensing campaign for The World of Eric Carle is managed worldwide by The Joester Loria Group and in Japan through local agent Cosmo Merchandising.

Executive Promotions at The Joester Loria Group

The Joester Loria Group is excited to share our latest executive promotions as the agency continues to recognize key personnel and their contributions to the company. Both Katie Cosgrove, who joined JLG in 2004, and Jackie DeMaio, who joined the agency in 2005, have been promoted to Senior Licensing Director.

In her tenure with JLG, Jackie DeMaio has worked on the agency’s children and entertainment brands. For the past decade, Jackie has managed JLG’s literary and kids’ portfolio, spearheading the award-winning, global success of The World of Eric Carle and managing the North American strategy for Miffy.

For over a decade, Katie Cosgrove has led the agency’s collaboration and DTR initiatives, delivering buzz-building marketing partnerships for JLG’s client roster of world class CPG brands. Katie has managed the PepsiCo and Frito-Lay client portfolio for the past 4 years and is a senior member of the McDonald’s team.

Both Jackie and Katie serve on JLG’s Executive Committee.

"We are thrilled to elevate Jackie DeMaio and Katie Cosgrove and recognize their contribution to JLG,” says Debra Joester, President, JLG. “JLG is prioritizing expansion as we add leading global brands to our client portfolio and our exceptional senior team will drive the success of our clients.”