The Future of Gen Z Collectibles

Meri Gelb is a seasoned marketing and product development leader with over 25 years of experience driving brand growth, innovation, and category leadership across the toy and consumer products industries. Known for creating and marketing engaging brands for audiences of all ages — from kids and tweens to kidults and families — she brings deep expertise in strategic planning, brand development, market analysis, retail expansion, digital marketing, licensing, and P&L management. At Super Impulse, Meri serves as a consultant and in-house Head of Marketing and Communications, leading the go-to-market team in strategy, commercialization, and activation across creative, public relations, social media, digital marketing, and e-commerce.

1. What does innovation mean to you?

For me, innovation isn’t just about being new - it’s about being relevant. It’s recognizing what consumers want most in the moment and delivering it in a way that surprises and excites them. It’s that feeling when someone sees an idea and immediately says, “I need this!”

2. How did the idea for Twisty Petz come about, and what inspired the combination of collectible toys with wearable fashion?

Twisty Petz were originally inspired by the simple joy of balloon animals - that moment of playful transformation. From the start, the idea was to capture that same magic in a way kids could collect, wear, and share. Girls love transformation and are drawn to jewelry, so creating something that instantly shifts from a stylish bracelet to a cute animal felt like magic. The vision was to design a toy that’s fashion-forward and portable - part collectible, part friendship bracelet, part fidget toy.

Today, friendship bracelets are bigger than ever. Kids are stacking, trading, and showing off their style at school, concerts, and online, and Twisty Petz fits right into that world, combining play, self-expression, and transformation all in one.

3. How do you and your team generate new ideas? What resources do you rely on for trends and consumer insights?

We start with what’s happening in culture - TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Roblox, concerts, what’s trending in Sephora aisles, fashion, even what kids are swapping on playgrounds. We track micro-aesthetics too, like kawaii and the trending animals blowing up across social, then ask ourselves: how we can tap into those ideas with an unexpected twist? And we also trust our instincts. Our team has been in toys a long time - that intuition still matters, and we don’t want to lose sight of it.

4. What is the biggest challenge you face while innovating?

Timing, for sure. Culture moves faster than development cycles. A trend can go from niche to everywhere in 48 hours. Retailers love trends, but they’re often cautious about being first. The challenge is figuring out how to get “now” onto shelves before “now” becomes “last month.”

5. What do you think makes Twisty Petz stand out in the growing friendship bracelet trend, especially among tweens, teens, and adults?

It’s the collectibility. Mystery box culture is huge, but Twisty Petz takes it a step further - it’s not just a bracelet, it’s a character you can wear, fidget with, and display. There’s truly nothing else like it. And what’s cool is that friendship bracelets aren’t just for kids anymore - tweens, teens, and even adults are wearing them. It’s a trend that connects generations.

6. How is Super Impulse leveraging pop culture moments like concerts and TikTok trends to connect Twisty Petz with today’s audiences?

We’re showing up where style and self-expression happen - friendship stacks at concerts, “get ready with me” videos, sparkly-core edits on TikTok. Twisty Petz is made for that world - it’s wearable, shareable, and show-offable! We’re leaning into UGC, concert culture, and influencer stacking – those moments when people build a wrist stack that tells their story. Twisty Petz should feel like something you naturally grab before a concert or any outing, not just something
you unbox.

7. In what ways do you see Twisty Petz shaping the future of collectibles by blending play, personalization, and style?

Collectibles are shifting from “display culture” to “self-expression culture.” Kids and kidults don’t just want to own a character, they want to wear the things they love. Twisty Petz sits right at the center of that shift, redefining what a collectible can be. The future is personal style as play, and you’re already seeing it everywhere from handbags to concert wrist stacks, across all age groups.