Specialising in ‘FUNctional’ licensed collectables that blend pop culture passion with technology, EXG Pro is constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation. But whether the company is reinventing its packaging to be more sustainable or honing in on the hottest licences, fans always come first.
These are busy times for EXG Pro. This summer marked the debut of Holdems, the company’s new “mini collectables with a twist” inspired by the company’s successful Cable Guys product range, as well as the launch of its innovative Digiplates (more on both later). Shiny new product aside, Darren Scott joined the company in July in the new role of UK sales manager, just in time to oversee EXG Pro’s largest ever slate of new releases.
“We’re still arguably a small team, but we’re growing exponentially,” says lead graphic designer Adam Hall, who joined EXG Pro straight from his graphic design degree in 2022. “We’re gaining more and more licences every year, but we ensure every item we make stays true to the original IP. We don’t take a property that fans love and stylise it to make it to look like our own. It helps that we can now do our free sculpting in-house, which means the level of detail we can add to a product is phenomenal.”
For gamers, collectors and pop culture enthusiasts searching for ways to display their phones, games controllers, headphones and other tech in style, this level of authenticity makes EXG Pro products the natural go-tos. The company’s range extends to 100+ licences, from Netflix and Disney to Marvel, Warner Bros., Lucasfilm, SEGA, Sony and more, and over 150 products across nine product ranges, including Cable Guys and Holdems – all produced by a team that are as passionate about pop culture as EXG Pro’s customers are.
“I was a bit of a nerd growing up; I was into video games, and watched a lot of Cartoon Network. So, to come into a company that is working with so many of the licences I loved as a kid has been exciting,” Adam says. “And I’m not the only one; you can tell that everyone here really wants to work here. There’s a drive to do our best and to create really cool products and merchandise that fans will love, and that we love, too.”
Being self-confessed nerds is just one way the team keep their collective finger on the pop culture pulse. They also visit shows such as Comic Con, have a group chat where they can drop links to things that have caught their attention, and are hugely active on social media. “We get a lot of comments on social platforms like X, whether it’s fans recommending stuff, or asking for particular things,” says Adam. “It’s great for listening to what people want, and we’ve put a few products into production because of it.”
EXG Pro’s USP is technical innovation. Its recent range, Digicards, consists of interchangeable, licensed metal cards that work in conjunction with a Digistand phone holder to unlock AR and other digital experiences for users, enabling them to enjoy online games and access exclusive content. New product line Holdems, meanwhile, breaks new ground when it comes to packaging, taking another step in EXG Pro’s sustainability journey. Devising a way to protect the product and hold it in place securely without using plastic was a task that fell to Adam.
“Not using plastic is quite restrictive from a design perspective, so the process took a long time,” he says. “In the end, we reinvented the square box that we have on-shelf at the moment and went with a cylindrical tube. You can twist the sleeve around for a product reveal, so it’s more of an interactive experience for consumers. Hopefully, it will entice more people to pick the product up. It’s appealing for collectors, too – there’s a little display podium and a pod that you can put the product back into, so you can either have it out on display or keep it in tube, where it still looks really cool.”
The first wave of Holdems includes 2024’s arguably most popular character, Stitch, in four different iterations, as well as Sonic the Hedgehog and friends, Fall Guys and the company’s first ever Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line.
“With last year’s Mutant Mayhem film and the new animated series just released, the franchise has been reinvigorated and brought new, younger fans on board,” says Adam.
Another licence tipped by Adam for big things is Deadpool & Wolverine, which hit cinemas this summer. Meanwhile, anime in general is booming, the live-action Netflix releases Avatar the Last Airbender and One Piece having brought the genre to a wider audience than ever before. “It’s still a growing market, and we’re really trying take a hold of anime and jump into that pool,” he says.
The second half of the year is shaping up to be just as busy as the first. “We hosted our first-ever launch event for Holdems, with another for Digiplates later in the year,” Adam concludes. “We also exhibited at Gamescom, LA Fall Preview, BLE, New York Comic Con and more, showcasing our 2025 product lines along with innovative concepts for the future.”
This feature originally appeared in the autumn 2024 edition of Licensing Source Book. To read the full publication, click on this link.
