NYC Toy Company Raises the Bar on Gross

NEW YORK, Feb. 12: First came the whoopie cushion, then stink bombs, fake vomit, slime and poop emoji toys. Now New York City's NSI International, Inc. is taking "gross" to a whole new level. Introducing Zits (EWWW!) pop n' play pimples. Just press them on, squeeze 'em, and gross out everyone!

"Kids have loved anything disgusting since the beginning of time," says NSI President Frank Landi. "Whoopie cushions date all the way back to medieval times, and plastic poop has been around since the 1950s. Every generation has its own spin on gross toys. We wanted to go where no toy has gone before and still be fun! So, 'we got Zits!'"

In searching for the next big thing, NSI turned to a massive cultural trend - a social media fascination with pimple popping. Hundreds of millions of viewers around the world are tuning into platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Reddit to watch people pop zits. There are even celebrity zit poppers. One dermatologist, dubbed "Dr. Pimple Popper," has 3.2 million YouTube subscribers and almost 1,000 videos, with a staggering 2 billion views.

Zits pop n' play pimples aim to move to the "whitehead" of the pack, disrupting a potty-crazed toy market that has brought kids everything from cuddly plush poop to electronic fart blasters. Now, Landi says, "It's the pimple's time to shine."

"With slime hotter than ever, we thought it was the perfect time to create the ultimate toy mash-up - adding some play compound to the thrill of pimple popping and the satisfaction of popping bubble wrap," Landi says. "The result is the most disgustingly amazing toy ever."

Commercials for Zits began airing last week, featuring middle schoolers pranking mom and dad, classmates, teachers and a school bus driver. One preteen even pops a zit to scare off a pizza delivery guy in a diabolical scheme to score a free pie!

Zits pop n play pimples are safe and non-toxic. They come in several sizes and are being sold in a massive pack of 100 for $19.99 at IGotZits.com. They will be coming this March to Walmart and other major retailers and will be sold in packages of 25, with an MSRP of $4.99.