The Games and Puzzles scene

Torque of the town: The unstoppable energy of Coiledspring

Armed now with its ‘strongest team ever’ and a portfolio of tabletop titles with more award wins than Daniel Day Lewis, Coiledspring Games is approaching the business end of the year in a very strong position indeed. We catch up with MD, Kerrie Corrigan to learn all about it

It was towards the end of 2020 that Coiledspring bid a fond farewell to its long-serving managing director, Roger Martin - as the board gaming enthusiast moved into a role with parent company, Asmodee - and offered a warm seat, a new coffee mug, and a much larger desk to the firm’s now MD, Kerrie Corrigan.

Taking on the position at the height of a global pandemic, and its trailing socio-economic upheaval - it’s testament to both the succeeding leadership and the strength of the Coiledspring portfolio and reputation in the market that it now prepares to advance on the business end of the year armed with its ‘strongest team ever’ and eyes firmly on its continued ‘upward growth trend.’

ToyNews catches up with MD, Corrigan to discuss some of the biggest topics affecting the toys and games space right now, from the impact of the China shipping crisis on both consumer and board gaming trends, to the overall health of innovation in the gaming space today.

How has business been for Coiledspring over the past few months? It’s been a period of exciting change and development for the company, how are you guys positioned now for continued growth and success in the market?

The tail end of last year saw our previous Managing Director, Roger Martin moving to another opportunity with Asmodee, and I stepped up to take the helm of Coiledspring. Having been with the company for five years, I felt ready for the new challenge. So yes, there have been plenty of changes over the last year!

It has been a tough start to the year, as it has been for many businesses in the industry. With non-essential retail being closed, and many retailers being fast tracked into moving online and attempting to navigate the changing consumer behaviour, combined with shipping issues and Brexit, it has been challenging.

However, as we move forward, with our return to a new normal, we are seeing an uplift in orders and generally more positivity in the market. We have our strongest team ever and are ready to continue this upward growth trend.

Our eight-strong team is made up of three marketing specialists and four salespeople, therefore we are well positioned to continue to represent our key partners with whom we share the same ambitions and goals.

Congratulations on the success at UK Games Expo and the multiple award wins across the portfolio this year. How does this reflect the strength of your current games line-up? What do you look for in the titles that you distribute and the publishers that you work with?

Thank you! We are certainly delighted with these wins, and the opportunity to put these excellent games into the spotlight. It was a dream to be back demoing games in-person at the UK Games Expo. Our demo team was very busy, and it is a huge credit to them for bringing high energy and contributing to such a successful expo. Plus, they were able to encourage attendees to vote for the people’s choice awards which mean a great deal to us.

We always refer to the core values that Coiledspring Games was founded on back in 2004 and make sure that our partners align with those. We are consistently ensuring we consider titles that are quality, family games that have an excellent replay and entertainment value. We always conduct playtests before we include a title in our range, not only to deduce if it’s ‘fun’ but to ensure the product us up to our high-quality standards.

We also work hard to provide strong marketing support for all our partners, to maximise all opportunities that are available. Along with our partners and audience we do share the love for board games, which puts us in a perfect position to be able to select, recommend and deliver the very best titles to our customers.

What are the current trends in the gaming space and how is your current portfolio reflective of these? What is the current gaming market demanding?

Last year the toys and games space saw the resurgence in popularity of jigsaw puzzles – which was a welcome trend. Luckily, we have a large portion of our portfolio dedicated to jigsaws, and we are proud of our extensive range, especially the Thomas Kinkade Disney range which has really resonated with consumers.

We have a strong focus on best sellers, that are considered evergreen products for us, and this commitment has led to the creation of our Hero Range. The Coiledspring Heroes are a selection of lead titles that represent a brilliant cross section of our range. It is designed to give retailers confidence in selecting these products and portray a strong image of the types of games customers/partners can expect from the overall Coiledspring catalogue.

We have a continued commitment to these titles and back them with investment in strong promotional activity, including brand new videos, photos, in-store displays and redesigns of products. We plan to continue this investment as the hero range goes from strength to strength.

We are also seeing an uplift in two player games and smaller games that travel easily for on-the-go gaming, especially during the summer and the travel seasons.

What do you make of the health of innovation with the gaming space right now? Is it healthier than it ever has been? How are barriers to entry being broken down in terms of accessibility to boardgaming, and what is Coiledspring’s role in facilitating this?

There has never been a better time to create and make a game. There are more games on the market than ever before as designers become more innovative with the types of games they are creating. There are more opportunities for smaller publishers to produce games. A positive take away from Covid, is people had a lot more time on their hands to develop games, particularly those who are just breaking into the market, it’s wonderful to see.

We’ve seen some incredibly creative games over the last 18 months. There are obviously barriers for breaking into the gaming market, as there is for any newcomer into any industry. We facilitate accessibility in that we represent many well-known partners, and so we can provide an introduction to these companies for those with an idea who do not want to go down the Kickstarter route.

This can prove to be a valuable avenue for new players. Due to the impressive growth in our company, we are more likely to consider taking on smaller lines than we would have in the past as we have the security needed to do this.

Can you talk us through some of the latest developments for the portfolio? What new lines have you got in store for Q4? What kind of trends are these tapping into, and what should retailers be keeping top of mind this second half?

We have many exciting products in the pipeline, leading up to Q4! Licences such as ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Friends’ in the Wrebbit 3D puzzle range are sure to be very popular as well as the ever-growing Harry Potter range which always piques the interest of fans. We are also growing our jigsaw range to meet the demand for Q4, with new Schmidt, Thomas Kinkade lines - both stunning landscape images and, of course, brand-new Disney instalments that are consistently fan favourites!

In the lead up to Christmas, people are certainly looking for party games, easy plays and great gifts. Our autumn supplement catalogue works to fulfil these needs.

Word on the Street we foresee to be popular for both adults and kids alike, new releases from Cocktail Games; Hanabi Deluxe and Happy City are creative, light games that are great to travel with. 50 Clues, the escape room style party game is here to spice up game nights and the fan favourite, King of Tokyo is set to be released in a ‘Monster Box’ with the base game, power ups and exclusive monsters included! For those who are more into strategy, the Unmatched series has two new expansions, Cobble and Fog, and Little Red Riding Hood vs Beowulf.

There is so much for retailers to get their hands on, and they should prepare for an exciting and fruitful Q4!

Obviously, one of the biggest hurdles for the toys and game industry right now is shipping. To what extent have you been impacted by the shipping chaos and what is your strategy to deal with the implications as we begin to think about Christmas trading? What message are you sending out to retailers and customers around this?

Although shipping poses an issue currently and while it is something that is largely out of our control, we are taking many steps to mitigate the associated risk. We are working harder on forecasting than ever before, trying to be as accurate as we possibly can, and we are ordering our stock in much earlier. This did prove to be slightly difficult at the beginning of the year, due to retail store closures, we experienced a lull in ordering, however as we move further into 2021, this has picked up significantly.

We have also asked retailers for their forecasts so we can adequately prepare and ensure that we are consistently meeting their needs in a timely manner. Plus, at Coiledspring we pride ourselves in maintaining open and transparent communication if there are issues with getting stock in.

We are trying to consolidate all our orders where possible, so we are working on more open lines of communication across the board. As an example of this issue, we currently have a small shipment in China that we can’t move, as it would cost 50 per cent of the value of the goods. It’s not commercially available for us as a straightforward shipment at this time.

Looking to consolidate more of our shipments helps keep our well known favourites in stock.

What impact do you think this issue may have on the board gaming scene in general? Can you see this shaping any upcoming trends in the market - bigger box items, more locally produced games, that kind of thing?

At this stage, we don’t think it would lead to the purchasing of bigger box items, as it requires a larger investment, and a bigger risk which also doesn’t suit current consumer trends. We have investigated game production closer to home, and this could be something that is in the future for the industry, but for now, unfortunately it isn’t viable. There is low availability of the raw materials that are needed to make the components locally meaning that we would just be swapping a completed goods issue shipping issue for a raw material one.

We hope to see more Kickstarters and new players completing print runs to break into the market. While there may be more gaps on shelves due to the shipping issues, it leaves room for new releases – a silver lining for sure!

We are excited for Christmas, as it will provide a real opportunity for businesses who have planned well.

What’s next in the pipeline for Coiledspring? What are you guys focusing on now? How is this setting you up for future growth in the market?

It’s an exciting time for Coiledspring as we grow the company within a flourishing gaming industry! We have just agreed to a three-year plan that has ambitious growth plans, so we are looking onwards and upwards this year.

We intend to become a home for our brands, as they have our full support through sales and marketing. Our marketing support is sound and will continue to be an asset to all of our brands and partners, we are proud to be able to raise awareness of these wonderful products in a way that is reaching audiences across the whole of the country.

The most important thing to us is maintaining the level of relationship we have with our suppliers, to ensure we are in a great position to be able to continue to provide the UK with the very best board games, jigsaws and puzzles!

Thanks Kerrie. Before you go, is there anything you’d like to add?

Coiledspring is proud to be associated with so many fabulous brands and partners, we look forward to continuing to share the love of gaming into 2022 and beyond!

Bangers and smash!

A hugely respected name in the party game space, Big Potato is ordering off menu for the first time this year, with its launch into the puzzles market as well as the more in-depth tabletop gaming space. ToyNews finds out from the team why, when it comes to new markets, these potatoes are keeping their eyes peeled.

Party games will always be the bread and butter of the creative minds at Big Potato, a team that has all but made the market its own with its trademark

Shoreditch quirk. This is an outfit that likes its bread and butter, it’s good at bread and butter and it takes pleasure in serving up bread and butter for its legions of fans across the world in many different guises.

There’s Obama Llama, Herd Mentality,

Don’t Get Got, P is for Pizza, and Colour Brain to name just a few, of the firm’s titles, each of them satisfying and hole filling at any party game occasion.

But every now and then, it’s nice to deviate from the set menu and try something a little different. And, with gaming audiences across the globe showing an equal desire to expand the palette, this year Big Potato is moving beyond the entrees to sample the bold flavours the gaming space has to offer.

It’s first dish will arrive later this year in the form of What Next? a choose your own adventure game that pays homage to the vastly popular choose your own adventure books of the ‘90s. It’s a big, hefty box of a board game that will see players decide their own fate by choosing which path they follow on their plentiful adventures, peppered with mini challenges and games that the Big Potato marketing team bill simply as “fantastic”.

“The idea came to us from a member of the team - Ed - who joined us only a couple of months ago, actually,” says Beth Motherwell, marketing manager at Big Potato Games.

“He presented the idea to our head of inventions, James Vaughan, at an inventors conference, and after a few years in the making we are not only launching the game, but have brought Ed in to join the

team. James absolutely loved the game and really wanted to make it happen. It’s a great reflection of how audience taste and demands have shifted.

“We’re now catering to our core fanbase of party gamers, as well as tapping into the puzzles market and with What’s Next? we’re supplying the more involved, longer-play gaming audience, too.”

Yes, you read that correctly. Not only is Big Potato dabbling in the tabletop gaming arts, but has made its move into the jigsaw puzzles sector, too. Driven not only by the huge spike that the market saw for jigsaw puzzles sales over the various nation-wide lockdowns, but the steadily growing and shifting audience for the hobby over the last three to four years.

“It has been a knock-on from the pandemic, to some extent,” says Motherwell. “Before, it was a very specific demographic of people that would want to sit down and play board games. But I think a lot more people have seen the value of it now, the value of sitting down and socialising around a board game.

“We also know that the puzzles market just rocketed in lockdown, but we have known for a while that we wanted to move into the puzzles space. We knew the opportunity was there before the pandemic, we just wanted to make sure that we went in with the right product - it needed that Big Potato element.”

In its new puzzles range - a launch consisting of two titles, one themed around films and the other around music - Big Potato believes it has found exactly that. Each title arrives with mini game elements to keep puzzle enthusiasts engaged long after completing the puzzle.

“Both feature 101 riddles to solve, capturing a famous scene or actor, or song or standout moment from a piece of music,” says Motherwell.

“For instance, the Films themed puzzles will feature someone carrying a watermelon, which we all know will be referencing Dirty Dancing. We wanted to create a jigsaw puzzle that isn’t just a puzzle, but something to engage with afterwards.”

The artwork has all been created in house, by the Big Potato creative team, for which they can all take a bow. It certainly has a striking look, visually appealing for an audience who, over the years, have come to expect nothing less from the London based publisher.

“Our audience has always been quite varied,” says Motherwell. “We have always had a lot of party games and titles that appeal to everyone. Top of the Pops, for example, is a nostalgic license that is recognisable to people straight away. But we have always had varied audiences and varied age groups, and with lockdowns, we have seen new fans emerge.

“We have always been a bit of a gateway for people, especially the kind of people who might think that they don’t like board games. We have always been there to show them the truth, that actually, they do - they just haven’t been introduced to board games through the right medium, and that’s us.”

It’s an awkward truth for anyone in the toy space to admit, but the pandemic has actually been rather good for business. Families at home with little else for entertainment have found themselves turning to hobbies and gaming. And now that restrictions are lifted, there’s little reason that Big Potato can see, for those audiences not to stick around. As long as they continue to provide the temptation for them, of course.

“We have a host of new licenses coming out next year that will go to hold onto these audiences and retain that attention and focus on the sector,” explains Motherwell.

“That’s a really big thing for us, looking at what people are engaged with outside of board games - be that a TV programme, a film, music, or a pop culture moment. We are always coming up with license ideas, which we see as a key way for us to keep board games on the general conversation.”

Motherwell teases that the Big Potato team has a “really, really exciting title coming out next year” but can tell us little more about it, right now. Suffice to say, it will - according to Motherwell - be the first board game to be centered on its theme, and will be key to the team’s launch plans for the coming year.

What Motherwell can tell us, however, is that the team is very excited about the launch of its upcoming, officially licensed Mean Girls party game. Based on the hit 2004 teen comedy, the game will be centered around the film’s Burn Book, but instead of encouraging people to be mean - a la the film itself - this will be focused on seeing players provide the funniest answers in the game as possible.

“We don’t want this game to be emotionally scarring for players, just funny,” says Motherwell.

Working closely with licensors for the development of their party game titles is becoming an increasingly routine practice for Big Potato. It’s previously - and successfully - worked with Disney to develop titles such as its Disney Colour Brain game, while its Top of the Pops and Blockbuster’s games have proved to be hits in equal measures with audiences and media alike.

“It varies from game to game as to how the titles get developed,” says Motherwell. “We have a submissions page for inventors

to submit their ideas, while James is always at events talking to loads of people presenting him with ideas. Our team will often take that game and apply a theme or a context to it, just to make it more playable.

“One of the really good ways we come up with games is that, once a year, we have a ‘hat session’ in which everyone in the business puts their idea into the hat, has a few drinks, and then reads the ideas out to the group.

“We have 37 people working at Big Potato, and we are all encouraged to be as creative with ideas as we want to be. Of course, we have a creative team whose job it is to come with ideas for games, but equally, Hannah and I could walk up to James tomorrow and say ‘we’ve got an amazing idea for a game.’ Unless it was absolutely awful, James always helps us out and see how it could be developed.”

It’s a means of promoting endless creativity within the business, and one that has cooked up countless quirky creations over the course of the firm’s history. There’s even talk of an idea bubbling that will take Big Potato away from the tabletop space altogether and into the outdoor game arena. It’s an active, moving around game. And that’s all we’re allowed to know about it.

So, how well does a team of creatively minded individuals cope when it comes to the nitty gritty aspects of business? One topic of conversation we simply can’t escape right now is the matter of logistics. Shipping, to be precise, has been the headache of the past six months and counting that the toy industry certainly didn’t need. Motherwell admits that it’s been a nightmare for the team at points.

“It’s just been about managing expectations and keeping communications going with all of our accounts,” she explains. “Shipping has been a nightmare, but luckily we have such a good relationship with our retailers anyway, that if they hadn’t had that, it would likely be a lot worse. You can be much more understanding when things are delayed if you really know the people you work with well, and we do.”

Shipping isn’t the only hurdle that Big Potato has faced, of course. Anyone who knows the team will already be very aware of how much these guys like to talk. Interaction with their customers and audiences has, in fact, always been a key component to its marketing success since the company’s inception. So, like many others in the toy space, a year of lockdowns and restrictions has forced the team to find new methods of staying in touch.

Motherwell says: “From a marketing point of view - and what’s always been key to our marketing strategy - is attending events and demonstrating our games. Our indie accounts will quite often go to stores and host demo events for them.

“Sadly, we have no plans to anything like that for the rest of the year, to stay on the safe side. It’s been a real challenge for us to maintain our presence in the digital space.”

Big Potato found its answer in online quizzes. Over the course of the pandemic, the team has been hosting online quizzes based on its board games, which, according to Motherwell “have gone down really well.” So well, in fact, it’s sparked the next imaginative leap for the team in the creation of its own Big Potato Game Show on YouTube.

“We are bringing in some talent; TikTok personalities and a TV presenter, to come in an play as contestants on this game show,” she explains. “We are constantly thinking of new ways to bring these games to life. The thing that makes you want to buy a board game is holding it in your hands, so communicating that without being able to physically meet people has been difficult. It’s made us rethink how we do a lot of our marketing.

“So, we’re filming two episodes of our own YouTube gameshow, with the potential to create more.”

And that’s us almost completely caught up with the latest from the independent board game publisher, were it not for the final feather in the team’s 2021 cap. Until now, Big Potato has made relatively little noise about a new initiative flying under the banner of Green Tatos, despite the major strides it has taken in attaining it.

Motherwell tells us that it was over the course of the past year that the outfit has taken the idea of environmentalism and sustainability far more seriously than ever before, launching its Green Tatos campaign that will see it achieve the mission of making 64 per cent of its games plastic free by the end of the year.

“We are setting out to achieve this by removing things like shrink wrapping, plastic sleeves, and working hard at it,” says Motherwell. “A lot of our games listed on the website and online shop now feature the little ‘plastic free’ logo. Our Mean Girls game is one of those.

“We are also looking at shrinking the size of some of our most popular games in order to get more of our games over on fewer containers. I think that’s really important for us, encouraging the eco side. We are hosting a plant a tree initiative on our ecommerce site, which we will be shouting about next year.

“We are well on track to hit 64 per cent by the end of the year, and we will no doubt see setting that target even higher next year. Being eco friendly is very important to us.”

An eye on the Kosmos

Filled with complexities and, let’s face it, some real beauty, the gaming universe continues to expand. Among its vibrant and bustling core is Thames & Kosmos, an expert in the tabletop hobby industry with its eyes and ambitions sky high

Hailing from the land that practically invented the tabletop gaming genre today, the German-rooted Thames & Kosmos knows a thing or two about the hobby gaming sector. In fact, this year the firm only narrowly missed out on taking home the Spiel des Jahres - widely recognised as the most prestigious awards on the board game community - for its Euro style tabletop board game, The

Adventures of Robin Hood.

Needless to say, sales for Thames &

Kosmos across the gaming portfolio surged throughout the pandemic, when consumers turned to more analogue means of entertainment in the form of two player games and puzzle gaming. As a result,

Thames & Kosmos’ Exit game series remains a best-seller for the firm, as now it begins to build out the Exit gaming experience by taking it into puzzles and calendars.

With plenty to catch up on, ToyNews sits down with Thames & Kosmos’ board game sales and marketing manager, Nicky Thomas-

Davies to discuss the health of the board game sector and to find out the latest from the team.

Hello Nicky, thanks for talking to us this month. It’s been a busy year for you guys in the board game space. How has business been for Thames & Kosmos over the past few months? It’s been a period of much development for the industry overall, how are you guys positioned now for continued growth and success in the gaming market?

Wow! Where to begin with that one? 2021 has definitely thrown a few challenges in our path, which include transportation, customs delays and all the usual suspects, but we also moved to a new warehouse in the last few months. We seem to be coming through the other side safely, and exceeding forecasts, which is great, but it’s been a bumpy ride, and whilst we’ve done our absolute utmost, unfortunately we haven’t always been able to fulfil our usual ‘nextday delivery’ standard of service.

We hope that the rest of 2021 doesn’t throw as many challenges in our path, and happily feel like we are now on course for a good autumn/winter period.

It’s been tough across the board, but thankfully innovation in the space is still thriving. Can you talk us through the strength of your current games portfolio? How is it reflective of the changes in demands from gaming audiences today?

Our boardgames have absolutely rocketed in the last few years. I think we can partially attribute that to the pandemic, but I think our editing department has performed amazingly in these last few years.

My observations are that we are seeing an enthusiasm for small and low-cost games, with the sweet spot being between £13 and £15. In Germany, we call them Mitbringspiele, which translates to ‘bring-along games’. For example: The Exit games continue to perform exceptionally well, and I’m thrilled to say that Devir’s Mazescape games have also been a surprise hit. Crew 2 has also performed astoundingly, and the card game adaptations of the books The Lost Words/Spells are so beautiful, they have flown off the shelves.

However, we have had big box game success stories too, with Robin Hood being a sell-out success after it’s Spiele Des Jahres nomination, and Anno 1880 already having a strong following, due to it being a best selling computer game, and so has also been very popular.

Some fantastic titles in the line-up there, getting well-deserved attention. So, what do you make of the health of innovation with the gaming space right now? Is it healthier than it ever has been? How are barriers to entry being broken down in terms of accessibility to boardgaming, and what is Thames & Kosmos’ role in facilitating this?

We don’t really include technology in our games as we like to be more traditional but we do have a helper app, which has proven to be a real boon to players with accessibility issues. It not only breaks down the rules into an easy to understand video but also reads out the tutorial and, in the case of adventure games, the cards too.

Our new Lost Cities Roll and Write game has symbols as well as colours to help those with colourblindness and other visual issues.

Can you talk us through some of the latest developments for the portfolio? What new lines have you got in store for Q4? What kind of trends are these tapping into, and what should retailers be keeping top of mind this second half?

Obviously we experienced a surge in demand for two player games during the pandemic and we have found that co-operative games have gone from strength to strength since lockdown ended.

Unsurprisingly, people want to play together and we have found that more children are now playing with their parents. Our family games such as Ubongo Junior or Andor Family are well placed to appeal to this audience. Our Spiel des Jahres nominated Adventures of Robin Hood is another great game that will hit this sweet spot of co-operative play and family accessibility.

Another huge success that we had planned for Q4 but is already flying off our shelves, is the Exit Advent Calendar. It is doing so well in both game stores, escape rooms and mainline shops that I think we will sell out before November even starts.

Obviously, one of the biggest hurdles for the toys and game industries right now is shipping. To what extent have you guys been impacted by the current shipping crisis and what is your strategy to deal with the implications as we begin to think about Christmas trading? What message are you sending out to retailers and customers around this?

We were largely unaffected until the Ever Given, where we had stock on board! It’s recently arrived, but was obviously delayed immensely. In reality, almost all of our boardgames are shipped from Germany, and so we haven’t been affected as severely as most suppliers.

We have sold out of some kits due to the unexpected popularity, but we still have more productions arriving, and so we don’t foresee any stock issues for AW21 at present, but we would always advise retailers and customers to get your stock ordered early to ensure your requirements are met.

Having found success in games and puzzles, the Exit series is now moving into the next bustling consumer space, Advent Calendars, coming this year. Robin Hood narrowly missed out on a Spiel des Jahres win this year

What impact do you think this issue may have on the board gaming scene in general, can you foresee this shaping any upcoming trends in the market - bigger box items, more locally produced games, that kind of thing?

We have always manufactured the vast majority of our games in Europe, as we like the quality of the goods produced there. We have no plans to change our production location, though we are certainly looking into how we can make our games more eco-friendly.

Thank you Nicky, before we let you go - one last question. What’s next in the pipeline for Thames & Kosmos, what are you guys focusing on now? How is this setting you up for future growth in the market?

We are localising new games that have already proven to be successful in Europe as well as bringing in a sequel to our fantastic Lost Words card game, The Lost Spells, along with a Lost Spells jigsaw puzzle, which will be a perfect addition to any Christmas list.

We believe that high quality, familyoriented games will always be successful and we are proud of our growing range. Our ever popular classics such as Targi and Legends of Andor, along with our Spiel des Jahres successes of The Crew range, My City and Robin Hood show that the Kosmos brand is continuing to grow from strength to strength, despite the current difficult climate!

Family fodder

More robust than ever, the family games market continues to supply both toy retailers and UK families with a host of quality titles, and as consumers make preparations for a Christmas full of partying, there’s likely no better time to stock up

Mattel

01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com

Mattel Games continues to strengthen its first-class games portfolio with an extensive offering, introducing new lines alongside the company’s iconic favourites.

This year, UNO celebrates its 50th anniversary with new products and a raft of exciting new campaigns. Joining the range this autumn is the new UNO Extreme, bringing more action, suspense, and surprise into a game that has been made popular around the world over the past half a century.

Following the continued ‘incredible performance’ of Pictionary Air in 2020, Mattel Games is expanding the range with the new Pictionary Air Harry Potter, providing a magical twist on the classic family drawing game. Two teams, representing different Hogwarts houses, battle it out to see who will reign supreme. Players take turns drawing clues in the air while their teammates guess the images that appear on the screen. The team with the most points wins the house cup.

New to Scrabble this autumn/winter is the Scrabble Star Wars Edition. May the Force be with You, especially on a triple word score! Fans can play classic Scrabble or try out Galaxy mode in which they must build words to advance their starship token around the board, collect Galaxy Cards to increase their score, and strike back at their opponents. Players can jump through hyperspace by playing words from the Star Wars glossary. With Scrabble Star Wars Edition, Mattel is appealing to sci-fi fans to lock their s-foils in attack position and let the spelling begin.

Finally, joining Whac-a-Mole in Mattel’s Kids Games range is Crossed Signals, a new and exciting reaction-based electronics game, where players read the lights right or get mixed up. Players choose one of four different games, playing solo or with friends.

Utilising light and voice commands, the Crossed Signals game will get players on their feet to challenge speed and accuracy - including a duelling showdown where two players each take a sick. The player with the highest score wins.

Up to four players can enjoy Mattel’s frenzied game of lights and action. Crossed Signals brings indoor and outdoor fun to any party or family night.

Gibsons

0208 661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk | sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk

Gibsons, the 102 year old family-owned jigsaw puzzle and board game company, is launching its autumn releases this September. This year, that collection consists of two new games and some festive gift puzzles that the whole family can enjoy.

Gibsons’ Limited Edition Christmas Puzzle is back again and Light Up The Night is the 19th puzzle in this best-selling series. Painted by Tony Ryan, Light Up The Night depicts the whole town getting in the Christmas spirit as they adorn their houses with fairy lights to raise money for local charities. This 1000 piece puzzle is packaged in an eco-foiled gold box and inside is a special, serial-numbered certificate to make it the ultimate collectors’ item.

Out of Order is the first of Gibsons’ exciting new games. There’s a laugh on every card in this fast-paced party game. The quirky quiz sees you whizz through just five questions a card… with one catch: you must give the answer from the question before. Out of Order is cheeky fun for everyone aged 14 and over. It’s also made in the UK and is plastic free!

Gibsons 24-door advent calendar, Merry Mischief - illustrated by Jess Bretherton - is bound to spread Christmas cheer with its blue box and gold foiling. It contains 22 festive jigsaw puzzles as well as puzzle glue and ribbon so you can craft your own Christmas decorations. The puzzles come in four festive shapes and was named last year’s winner of Gift of the Year 2021. It also featured on ITV’s This Morning, and is billed by the team as the the ultimate festive gift.

Skyrocket

01489 668442 | salesuk@skyrockettoys.com

Skyrocket is ready to create a storm in the games category this year and beyond, with the introduction of Avalanche - a title the firm refers to ‘as the coolest game of the season.’

New for autumn/winter 2021, Avalanche markets itself as the highest-action game of the year, and it has ther might to back the claim up. In this fun, fast and furious game, players must shoot a cannon to knock out their opponent’s ice blocks. It will take multiple shots to displace a block, as players adopt an offense/defence strategy.

The first player to hit five blocks wins the game. Parents will take comfort in the fact that the cannon balls are connected to each cannon, as this will avoid any loose or lost balls. Meanwhile, kids will love the fact that this means unlimited ammunition and zero reloading time - offering them heaps of fast-paced fun.

Suitable for players aged four and upwards, this game presents families with multiple ways to play. In ‘Frenzy’ mode, two players can battle one another to knock out five blocks. In ‘Turn Based’ play, players follow a Noughts and Crosses style of game. Finally, adopt a ‘Time-Based’ play and one player can level up their play in practice mode.

For more information about Avalanche and other upcoming and available lines from Skyrocket, including My Fuzzy Friends, Crystalina fairy dolls, and Moji the Lovable Labradoodle, please call 01489 668442 or email salesuk@skyrockettoys.com

Flair

0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk

From a talking toilet to a stacking game with a difference, Flair puts family fun first with its all-new offering of games.

Enjoy plenty of family fun with Pick-Up Pete – the game that families in the US can’t get enough of. Perfect for preschoolers, this is the stacking game with a difference, where players must pile up the chairs while Pete the Pick-Up truck drives around. The winner of the game is the first person to stack all his/her coloured chairs on the truck as Pete passes by. This awesome game will launch in October, with a 360-degree marketing campaign, including TV, pre-roll, and social media influencer activity.

Meanwhile, combining all the things that children love, Shoot the Poop is the hilarious game, where players must shoot their toy poops into a talking toilet bowl - that’s Tank the Toilet to all his fans and friends. To play, simply place the poop on the poop launcher, aim the launcher, and SHOOT! The first player to shoot all his/her poops into Tank the Toilet wins.

Shoot the Poop will launch in the UK, following an incredible consumer response in the US. Available from July, the game will benefit from extensive marketing support, including TV, pre-roll, and influencer activity.

Finally, with football front of mind this year following the Euros and with the World Cup tournament set to take place next year, Flair’s football inspired card game Goal 10 will be right on target.

For more information about Shoot the Poop, Pick-Up Pete, and the Goal 10 range, or any of the other collections from Flair and Just Play, call 0208 643 0320 or email sales@flairplc.co.uk

Basic Fun

0118 925 3270 | tim.ives@basicfun.com

The Monopoly Surprise Collectables from Basic Fun! are hot property in the games and collectables categories, this year.

Monopoly Surprise is the epic collection of blindboxed, multi-purpose collectables that presents kids and collectors with an exciting peel ‘n reveal experience like no other. Once unboxed, kids can collect, play and display their new game tokens. The surprises include heavy-weighted, metal, exclusive tokens, unique coins, new Mr. Monopoly expressions, chase tokens, and more! Not just fun to collect, these collectables can be used while playing with nearly any version of the iconic property trading board game.

There are two Monopoly Surprise lines to discover. Monopoly Surprise Exclusive Collectable Tokens contain five surprises in each pack; there are more than 20 new tokens to collect in this assortment. Meanwhile, there are a further more than 25 tokens to find in the Monopoly Surprise Community Chests. Each Chest contains 10 surprises - exclusive gold toned tokens, which cannot be found anywhere else, unique coins, new Mr. Monopoly expressions, different coloured plaques, chase tokens, and more.

Kids, families, and Monopoly enthusiast can collect all of the game tokens and use them in their board game play, and then display them for all to see! “Collect, Play, and Display”!

For more information about the Basic Fun’s impressive portfolio of brands, please contact Tim Ives by emailing Tim.Ives@basicfun.com or calling 0118 925 3270.

Character Options

0161 633 9800 | sales@charactergroupplc.uk

Character Options continues to deliver in the games aisle, with an unmissable portfolio for the second half.

First, there’s the incredible cooperative game Stop The Robots. New for AW21, and having proved an absolute smash hit in the Character Kidz event, this new game is set in a world where crazy robots are threatening the city. Players must find and deactivate them before it’s too late.

Players can use voice recognition walkie-talkies to talk to their virtual partner. They’ll need to work together to identify the robot, solve the puzzles, and cut the correct wires. There are more than 100 puzzles to solve to progress through the game’s 36 missions and nine levels. Kids can either play alone or as part of a team.

There is also the Electronic Spin the Bottle game, where players must dare to perform songs and dances, or answer Truths to reveal what they really think. This hilarious game features hundreds of questions, truths and dares to create the ultimate family challenge game.

Another must have in the games aisle is Projex, the projecting game arcade. This is the game that tests players’ speed and skill as they blast moving targets projected onto any light-coloured wall, all from the comfort of their own home, and without the need for TV screens or sensors.

The game features three interchangeable image slides that let you project ducks, targets or UFOs, each with different sound effects. Players can choose from five built-in games and three skill levels, with target pointers on both blasters to help with their aim. Kids can either play solo, head-to-head or in co-op mode, teaming up to get the highest combined score.

For more information about the full games portfolio from Character Options, which also includes the hugely successful PenSilly and Pokémon Trainer Trivia games, please call 0161 633 9800 or email sales@charactergroup.plc.uk.

Ravensburger

01869 363 800 | www.ravensburger.com

Following exceptional games and puzzles sales from March last year, Ravensburger is continuing the momentum and expecting further growth in Q4 with new launches and heavy-weight marketing plans. More than 100 new lines across games and puzzles will be launching this Autumn/Winter after a surge in demand over the past 18 months.

In adult puzzles, the popular Christmas Limited Edition series is back, with a 25th Limited Edition 1000pc; The Christmas House, commissioned by UK Product Development Manager Sarah Stevens and created by and UK artist Roy Trower. In addition to this, 55 new puzzles launched in the 2021 Autumn/Winter catalogue, focusing on consumer trends such as fine art, the outdoors, recreational activities and a focus on nostalgia. 3D puzzle popularity continues to grow from strength to strength and we are particularly excited about the all-new Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle, sitting at a whopping 540 pieces, this is an ideal puzzle for a puzzle fanatic and Harry Potter fan.

In games, the new #UpsideDownChallenge game does as the title says, turns the world (literally) upside down. A hilarious game that will keep friends and family entertained. Classic family game Labyrinth celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, a popular family game having sold more than 20 million copies to date. With a packaging refresh and a host of new marketing assets to mark the anniversary, this family favourite will be a popular purchase for new and existing fans. Immersive games continue to become more and more popular, coming into stock soon is Alien The Game – Fate of the Nostromo and The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game. Strong sales are expected for Ravensburger’s Immersive Games Marvel Villainous and Disney Villainous due to the expansion/ standalone packs and game popularity.

Check it all out and discover the expansive portfolio of Ravensburger products for the festive season this year by getting in touch with the sales team now.

Bird watching talons spotters

It’s only just taken flight on Channel 5’s Milkshake but already Sixteen South’s new 2D-3D animated preschool series, Odo is causing a stir among audiences as it embarks on its subtle mission to address rising depression and anxiety in children through its positive outlook. ToyNews talks to licensing agency, Bulldog Licenisng about translating its core messaging to the consumer products space.

Just over one year on from the events of summer 2020 that shocked the world into making its stand against racism and inequality, and the new preschool IP developed to tackle some of the biggest issues of the modern era has successfully touched down on the children’s television landscape.

If ever there was a series created to address the world that children inhibit today, Sixteen South’s Odo is surely it. Now launched on Channel 5’s Milkshake, Odo not only brings a ‘stunning new animated style’ to the preschool space, but with it, it addresses the most pressing matters of society today, from the rising anxiety and depression in children, to issues of racism, immigration, and respect for others.

If 2020 was the catalyst for meaningful address of today’s biggest topics, then Sixteen South’s Odo is the response many of us have been waiting for. It’s likely why the news was received with such fanfare when it was announced in June this year that Bulldog Licensing would be handling the licensing strategy around the series, championing the series for ‘gently tackling important issues in a warm and engaging way for preschoolers’ while moving to keep both that, and its ‘beautiful animation’ at the heart of all licensing plans for the IP.

Already, the team is in “advanced conversations” with toy and publishing partners, while the series broadcast partner line-up boasts some major global names, including KIKA, HBO Max, ABC Australia, and Canal +, making it an IP of vast potential in the preschool market.

We catch up with Vicky Miller, licensing director at Bulldog Licensing, to find out what more Odo has to offer the preschool space this year and beyond.

Hello Vicky, thanks for chatting with us. To refresh us, can you talk us through Odo and what the series and property is bringing to the children’s space? What is making this series stand out in a competitive place, and what will it be bringing to the licensing space?

Of course - Odo is the new launch from Sixteen South, and is a comic and heartwarming series targeting pre-schoolers which has just launched on Milkshake. Odo is the littlest owl at the Forest Camp, who despite his size believes there’s absolutely nothing he can’t do. The series aims to teach young children self-efficacy and to believe in themselves to help combat the troubling rise in anxiety and depression levels in today’s children. The stories also deal with important themes such as immigration, racism, respect for others, and show kids how to deal with setbacks in a meaningful way while fostering the development of social skills.

The first series has 52 seven-minute episodes and is currently airing weekend mornings on Milkshake. It will be rolling out in other territories this year and into 2022.

We absolutely love Odo and the way it gently tackles such important issues in a warm and engaging way for pre-schoolers. The animation is beautiful and really stands out from other shows out there, and will translate to fantastic product ranges.

What attracted you guys to the property? What makes this a property that speaks directly to audiences today? How will you guys work to translate the sensibilities of the series into the licensing space?

We have long admired Sixteen South and so we absolutely jumped at the chance to work with them on Odo. The show speaks directly to kids on an array of issues important and relevant to them, but always in a warm and positive way with plenty of humour. Visually it is stunning - everyone who has seen it loves the animation – and will translate beautifully to products across all categories. We will work with our partners to incorporate the important curriculum into product development wherever possible, and always promote the positive messaging of the show in all ranges.

What kind of partners are you in talks with for the series already? What are you looking for in Odo partners?

The response to Odo has been huge – the winning combination of beautiful animation, fantastic content and incredibly strong broadcast partners (in addition to Milkshake, confirmed partners include KIKA, HBO Max, ABC Australia, Canal+ to name but a few) has created a lot of excitement in the market and we are in a number of advanced conversations on initial categories including toy and publishing. We are looking for partners who love Odo as much as we do, who share the strong values of the show, and with whom we can build the brand into a successful global franchise in the long-term.

What has reception of the property been like so far? How will you work to make sure that those core elements of the IP that have caught people’s attention are what comes through in its licensing?

The reception has been incredibly positive. Every partner we have discussed it with immediately comments on the strength of the creative, and how well it will work for the market. The fantastic storytelling and humour makes Odo a show that parents and children will love to watch together.

We are building a full cross-category programme for Odo, and across all categories our style guide will enable licensees to develop stunning products that will stand out on shelf. In softlines, we will encourage our partners to bring Odo, his friends and the forest camp to life through texture to reflect the animation.

In categories including publishing, we will work with licensees to incorporate the curriculum and goal of teaching children to believe in themselves, deal with setbacks and consider others, as well as ensuring the fun and humour of the show runs throughout.

What potential for longevity in the children’s space do you see for Odo? How will you work towards this?

We firmly believe Odo has the potential to establish as a core evergreen brand for pre-schoolers around the globe. The first series is comprised of 52 seven-minute episodes with a great variety of episodes and storylines. As mentioned, the 2.5D animation is beautiful and stands apart from other brands, the values and themes are important and timeless, and the backing of incredibly strong broadcast across the globe provides the platform for a long, successful future. Along with our partners we will plan Odo ranges, the initial launches and the longer-term roll out accordingly to build a sustainable long-term programme.

What will be key to your licensing approach for the property?

Key to this approach is to work with licensees who share the long-term vision for the Odo licensing programme, and to ensure that all partners are aligned at all stages. This will mean we can bring the cohesive, coordinated Odo range to market in spring 2023 which children and parents alike will love. At the time of writing, the series has only been on air for three weeks and Sixteen South are already receiving letters and art from fans!

What’s your next step with it?

Our next steps are to confirm and announce our first licensees, and work closely with all parties to bring the Odo licensing programme to market with a bang in 2023. Watch this space!

Hasbro: A magical gathering

With sales surging 54 per cent in Q2 this year to hit $1.32bn, fuelled by consumer products, its Wizards of the Coast segment and a robust demand for toys and games, it would seem nothing can stop Hasbro’s run of cross-generational success. ToyNews catches up with head of global licensed consumer products, Casey Collins to find out what’s next

Casey Collins

It was an increase in sales across its consumer products division and Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment that fuelled Hasbro to a stellar second quarter this year, a period in which the global entertainment powerhouse saw sales surge a full 54 per cent year on year to hit an impressive $1.32bn.

Record new releases in its Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming helped to more than double the segment, while so robust was demand for the company’s toys and games that across the board, Hasbro’s chairman and chief executive, Brian Goldner hailed the second quarter trading period as nothing short of excellent.

And it’s not escaped the industry’s notice.

Hasbro is sitting at the apex of a crossgenerational resurgence of play right now, whether that’s in the preschool space, where the firm’s acquisition of Entertainment One has helped cement it as a leader in younger years entertainment, or in its Wizards of the Coast pillar, through which it is guiding a global resurgence for games like Dungeons & Dragons (sitting at the centre of a tabletop gaming and geek culture phenomenon right now) and Magic: The Gathering, in all of its new, cross-platform iterations.

Then, of course, is the wealth of activity surrounding its classic Hasbro fodder, such as NERF, Monopoly, My Little Pony and Transformers. Here, we catch up with Hasbro’s head of global licensed consumer products, Casey Collins to learn more about the company’s plans for the second half of the year and beyond.

Casey, hello. Thanks for talking to us this month. To kick off, there’s been a flurry of very exciting licensing and consumer products developments and partnerships from you guys recently. What’s the general feeling within the consumer products division at Hasbro right now? What is exciting the team about the licensing space, and Hasbro’s licensing plans, the most at the moment?

We had an excellent first half of the year with growth in Licensed Consumer Products revenue buoyed by strong demand across our brand portfolio.

We have been working with several partners on a variety of location-based experiences which are opening soon. Monopoly Lifesized, launching this August in London, will give people an entirely new, immersive way to enjoy the game. We are also moving closer to the opening of the first theme park land inspired by Transformers, with Universal Studios Beijing. The Transformers Metrobase will supercharge our storytelling with an entirely new world for fans to learn about. In 2022 Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven is set to debut the world’s first standalone Peppa Pig amusement park.

With the exciting all-new My Little Pony movie, My Little Pony: A New Generation, premiering September 24th on Netflix, we’ve been working on several softlines deals including Morgan Lane, Alex Woo and a softlines capsule collection at Rue 21 stores. We’ve also deepened our relationship with Reebok following our strong showing with our Power Rangers and Peppa Pig collaborations with an upcoming launch for and PJ Masks.

Peppa Pig playsets head to shelves

How has business been for the Hasbro consumer products/licensing division this year? What’s it been like fueling that forward and out of the various lockdowns etc over the pandemic?

There has been a seismic shift in the popularity of online shopping as fewer children and parents are engaging in brick and mortar retail and we believe that the closures and lockdowns will have huge implications for the next 20 years in terms of the global retail landscape.

You’ve got major activity going on across the brand portfolio - spanning Transformers, My Little Pony, GI Joe, Nerf, then the eOne properties as well as the Wizards of the Coast stuff - Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Can you talk us through some of the key developments across the portfolio right now? What is Hasbro bringing to the consumer products/licensing arena this year and beyond?

We are working more with partners that possess Ecommerce and/or Direct to Consumer expertise. We are also working to build franchise destinations and experiences online with our Ecom partners to deliver more consumer engagement, like Monopoly.com.

How have the events of the past 12 months shaped the approach of the Hasbro licensing division? How are we seeing that being played out in the latest developments - live entertainment, Lifesized Monopoly here in London for example?

Hasbro expands its PJ Masks line-up

Is there more consumer emphasis on experiential licensing now than before, and how are you guys adapting to that?

Location based experiences have long been a priority area for our team and our globally-recognizable, family-friendly brands - like Transformers, Peppa Pig, Monopoly and more - really lend themselves to these types of experiences. Despite the lockdowns, that part of the business has not slowed development, though as rules change - in terms of capacity limits, social distancing and masks, etc. - our partners have been quick to develop improvements to ensure the safety of their patrons.

We have many major entertainment launches in the pipeline including My Little Pony: A New Generation, an animated feature launching on Neflix in September, to Transformers: Rise of The Beasts, hitting theatres in 2022. Working closely with eOne, we’re really excited to provide high quality content that will ignite excitement for our brands.

As we look towards 2022 and beyond, it’s critical we immerse ourselves in our new, post-pandemic world. Our entire landscape has changed - over the past year we have seen shifts in media consumption with kids media more fragmented than ever; and our retail landscape has rapidly evolved with an accelerated growth in ecommerce sales. We have a strong need to diversify how we reach our audience both through media and at the point of purchase.

How is Hasbro’s licensing approach adapting to new audience tastes? It’s been well documented that the ‘pop culture explosion’ has driven greater audience numbers across the older age ranges... How is Hasbro positioning itself as a crossgenerational entertainment and consumer products powerhouse? How important are those older audiences to you guys, and what do you think future growth looks like in the sector?

Transformers continues to see new content and animated series land across the Netflix streaming platform

Nostalgia has always been a big driver for us and has enabled our brands to have crossgenerational appeal as parents share the characters and stories they loved as kids with their own children.

People grow up with our brands and it’s important to us to have our brands grow with our audiences and provide touchpoints across multiple age groups. For example, on the entertainment side, a child might be first introduced to Transformers through “Transformers: Rescue Bots” our animated series meant for our youngest fans. As they grow older, they may dive into the War For Cybertron Trilogy - which launched its final season on Netflix last month, or any of the Transformers live action films.

How does the consumer products team continue to drive innovation in its partnerships and collaborations? What do you look for and how do you unlock the creative potential in each partnership for the portfolio of brands?

We work closely with our partners to ensure that they are bringing the best possible products to consumers. We work with them every step of the way to ensure the products meet our brand standards and offer consumers a high-quality, unique item or experience.

How exciting and forward thinking is the consumer products space right now? What is Hasbro’s place within that sphere?

The consumer product space is more exciting than ever as we all adjust to the ever-changing dynamics of the past year. We have always strived to be forward thinking, relying on consumer insights and data to help us predict trends, which we continue to do.

At the beginning of the pandemic, we were quick to shift our strategies to ecommerce, and have continued to develop that area as the world begins to reopen and consumers create new shopping habits.

We can’t not mention two key points affecting the consumer space right now - sustainability and shipping. Hasbro has been very vocal about its approach to sustainability - how does that filter down to the consumer products space. What role does it play in your partner and collaboration selection?

We challenge ourselves every day to find new ways to embed sustainability throughout our business. We evaluate every element of our business, from product and packaging design to manufacturing, logistics and operations.

Through our Sustainability Center of Excellence, we aim to drive our strategic environmental blueprint across our global organization with a focus on uniting our facilities and teams around the world to advance our environmental commitments.

In terms of shipping, what impact do you think that could have on the consumer products space, or on consumer trends themselves. Does it have the potential to shake up what consumers demand from their brands and products?

Rising costs in freight and commodities continue to impact consumer products across industries. Earlier this year, we made the decision to implement price increases for Hasbro toys and games during the third quarter to offset these increased costs. We will be monitoring consumer reaction closely as the situation continues to evolve.

Is there anything you’d like to shout about?

After an unpredictable 2020, we’re really excited that production is back up and running and we’re finally able to refocus our alignment with the new Hasbro/ eOne team. We have a great entertainment pipeline across theatrical, scripted, unscripted, and animation and we can’t wait to share more in the coming months.

A Hero’s Welcome

Marvel’s Spider-Man has unveiled its latest incarnation, web-slinging into the preschool sector via the studio’s first full-length animated series in the highly competitive market. ToyNews catches up with Disney’s Paul Gitter and Mike Stagg to explore the latest adventure for Marvel’s friendliest neighbourhood spider-man

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Hero has taken on a number of iterations over the course of his 60 year history, from the early etchings of Stan Lee, through the Toby Maguire live action film era (without forgetting Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland, of course) and right up to the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse complexity of characters, that included one Spider-Pig.

But here’s an iteration that until now has never been seen before, as Disney and Marvel unveil the first full-focused preschool series based on the super hero lore. Enter, Spidey and His Amazing Friends, a new preschool animated series following the adventures of Spidey and a cast of Marvel heroes, all in pint-sized form.

A major new launch for Marvel and Disney, the series - now airing on Disney Junior and landing on Disney+ in the coming weeks - marks the first time Marvel has trained its content efforts solely on the preschool space. As such, it stands to reason that the studio is pretty excited to discover just what impact its IP will make within it.

Already, the company has lined up some 100 licensing partners, tapping giants in the toy space, including Hasbro, Jazwares, and LEGO to help lead the firm’s licensing efforts in the market. Disney has told ToyNews that early response to the series and the licensing plans have so far been ‘theatrical-level,’ while the studio is certain that Spidey and his Amazing Friends will be topping the wishlists of kids’ all over this Christmas season.

ToyNews catches up with Paul Gitter, senior vice president, thir party commercialisation Marvel, 20th Century and ESPN, Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, and Mike Stagg, senior vice president, franchise and retail, EMEA, Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, to find out more.

It’s a pretty big announcement from Marvel with some very exciting prospects for the preschool arena. It seems there’s big potential here to change the dynamic of a very competitive preschool space. Can you tell us, what’s the feeling among the team right now, now the launch is upon us?

Paul Gitter, senior vice president, third party commercialisation Marvel, 20th Century, and ESPN, Disney Consumer

Products, Games and Publishing: We are excited to be evolving the Marvel franchise for our next generation of fans with characters we know parents and kids love, coupled with new stories and adventures. Marvel connects families from very young kids right through to their parents and grandparents, so Spidey and his Amazing Friends is a perfect property for all to enjoy. The original series launched this August on Disney Junior and later on Disney+ and is Marvel’s first foray into programming that is geared specifically to preschoolers.

This new launch takes ‘Spidey’ into the preschool content space, and marks Marvel’s first full length series in the market. How important is this move for Marvel, and why is now the right time to be making it? Why is the preschool market ready for this launch, and what do you think it will do for the preschool space?

Paul Gitter: This series follows Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacy, a diverse team who embark on heroic adventures as Team Spidey to protect their community.

It is the perfect entry point for preschoolers to experience the positive values of teamwork with our Marvel Super Heroes in storylines they can easily relate to and understand. We have massive global licensee support across toys, games, publishing, apparel, home décor, stationery, youth electronics and consumables so there will be plenty of action-packed offerings for kids and parents.

From a Marvel perspective, the appeal of our characters for licensees continues to grow. We know that this has been a challenging 18 months for many, so it is important to have this launch now, since our brand, with its legacy of creating amazing content that brings fans and families closer together, brings inspiration and resilience. Our characters are known for often triumphing against the odds, leading to millions of highly engaged fans who seek out our products around the world. Their stories seem more pertinent today than ever before.

Why does the Spider-man franchise lend itself to this market so well? Why is Spidey leading the charge into the preschool sector? What scope is there now to begin to introduce other Marvel characters into the market in a similar fashion?

Paul Gitter: Spidey is such an iconic crossgenerational character. With Spidey and his Amazing Friends, we’re introducing new friends, new villains, new themes and more adventures from the great Spidey team. We’re excited to get the opportunity to bring the positive values of our Marvel Super Heroes rooted in teamwork and bravery with storylines that will cater to this new, younger audience of pre-schoolers.

When you are out and about, you will likely see kids and adults sporting SpiderMan apparel, accessories or even playing with Spidey inspired toys, all of which reinforce the character’s strength and ability to inspire all-ages. We are fully expecting families to be tuning in together and sharing the viewing experience, which, of course, will ultimately influence purchasing decisions.

How is the launch of the pre-school series reflective of the evolving audiences and markets for the Marvel IP? How does this help Disney and Marvel attract and retain audiences across the age ranges, or create fans for life across the franchises? And can we therefore expect more to come in this regard?

Paul Gitter: Our Marvel characters are celebrated by millions of families and fans across generations and will continue to do so as we introduce new stories, new characters and expand to more categories and retail activations. We find that parents who love our characters pass that emotion onto their kids and new fanbases grow. We retain these fans through storytelling that resonates with viewers of all ages. We are also constantly reviewing where we place our content, making it as accessible as possible for families so they can enjoy it where they already are. This legacy of engaging content forges a deeper relationship with fans, and as you say, often creates fans for life! Spider-Man is celebrating his milestone 60th anniversary next year so you can be sure that there will be some really special activations and launches honouring our iconic hero.

Obviously, Marvel is already reasonably well established across the preschool consumer products space in various capacities, so how will this new series launch strengthen and bolster that presence? What can we expect this to look like in terms of consumer products and preschool marketing? How big a focus will the pre-school market now become for Marvel?

Mike Stagg, senior vice president, franchise and retail, EMEA, Disney Consumer Products, Games and

Publishing: We have more than 100 licensees supporting Spidey and his Amazing Friends globally - including but not limited to Hasbro, Jazwares, LEGO and Rubies - and have already received a tremendous positive response for the property. We are really seeing a theatrical-level of support across the board.

Spidey is one of our most beloved characters with kids and families, and Miles Morales and Ghost-Spider continue to rise quickly in awareness and affinity, so it has been great to see the fanfare around the show and for us to see how we can really amplify the property with our merchandising and retailing partners.

The toy product line is what we call “show to shelf” with character detailing from the show replicated in the product, this will be complemented with a broad category selection across apparel, accessories, and home décor, debuting in retailers with the series premiere this summer.

This is the perfect time to engage our new pre-school audience as this season is traditionally more open for creative play and free time.

Considering Marvel more broadly, aside from Spidey and His Amazing Friends, there is a lot of new content rolling out on Disney+, as well as continued support for our evergreen franchises, including The Avengers. As a result, we have a steady pace of new product lines and licensees to support.

The preschool market is an important one for us and one we want to be able to develop the right type of content and products for. Spidey and his Amazing Friends offers this audience so much through exciting and relatable storytelling allowing kids to learn about Marvel Super Heroes. We hope our line of play-sets, vehicles, and action figures will add to their fun.

Where will this sit within the wider consumer products portfolio for Marvel and Disney? Will this be an integral IP in marketing and retail strategy moving forward?

Mike Stagg: We have significant global support for this IP at retail. Major retailers will be supporting in a big way with dedicated in-aisle space, endcaps, and direct to consumer marketing. For direct to consumer shopDisney.com will have a complete line of toys, apparel, and accessories all geared toward pre-schoolers and their families.

Across EMEA many retailers including Smyths Toys, Tesco, Carrefour, Lidl, Aldi as well as Amazon, will be carrying our Spidey line, so we are really focusing on where our families are shopping on a daily basis. We are hoping that our fans’ interest will only grow.

Can you talk us through some of the key brand extensions you’ll be exploring for the preschool IP? Will you be looking towards experts in preschool toys for example? Mike Stagg: We are working with a really diverse list of licensees, spanning toys, games, publishing, apparel, home décor, stationery, youth electronics and consumables. Some highlights include Hasbro’s innovative toy line with age appropriate figures and role-play and Jazwares is on board with an assortment of plush and vehicles.

For warm weather play, SwimWays has a cool line of Spidey pool inflatables while KIDdesigns is launching a robust portfolio of preschool inspired interactive learning toys such as electronic keyboards and drums. On the games side, families can look forward to some action-packed tabletop offerings from Spin Master, perfect for developing preschoolers’ cognitive and problem-solving skills.

For apparel and home décor we have numerous global collaborations coming soon from Bentex, Centric Brands, footwear from BBC International, bedding from Crown Craft and more. On the consumables front, General Mills will be debuting a healthy snack lineup while Hallmark and American Greetings will make kids’ special day more heroic with a wide array of Spidey themed birthday cards.

What’s the next step you guys will be taking with the Spidey and his Amazing Friends IP from here? What can retailers expect next, and why should they be excited for its future?

Mike Stagg: The future is bright for Spidey and His Amazing Friends and we will continue to see an outpouring of support across our licensees, retailers and most importantly our family of fans. With the upcoming gift-giving season fast approaching, it will be no surprise to see our Spidey inspired merchandise topping kids’ wish lists, bringing lots of playtime joy for the holidays and beyond. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements coming soon.

The Pokémon phenoménon

25 years on and Pokémon is still selling gangbusters, with sales across its brand up 90 per cent on 2020, while toy sales surge 83 per cent on last year. We catch up with Mathieu Galante, licensing director (EMEA) for The Pokémon Company International to talk it over

Awhole quarter of a century since its first launch, and the demand for the global phenomenon that is Pokémon is still unabating. And that’s putting it mildly. As a brand, Pokémon is up 90 per cent on 2020. Yes, you read that right, 90.

In fact, Pokémon has remained within the top four performing NPD properties for the whole of the year, and you’ll agree, that’s fighting off some pretty big competition. But it gets better still, because toy sales - the company has confirmed - now stand at 83 per cent higher in value this year to date.

Drink that in for a moment. Pokémon, 25 years on from its initial arrival on the global scene, is more popular now that it ever has been. Fans are literally fighting in the aisles to get their hands on the stuff, and it’s not just the well-documented surge in the Pokémon Trading Card Game sales, but some of the more peculiar items too.

Take the new die-cast Poké Ball replicas for instance. These come equipped with proximity sensing technology that appears to be driving fans wild. The launch has now gone on record as one of the most successful launches ever for The Wand Company who pre-sold over 2,000 units within 24 hours for one UK retailer alone. One of them. The range has now seen nearly £1.1million in sales since launch in February this year.

That’s the current might of the pop culture scene for you. In fact, there’s so much activity currently centred around the Pokémon brand, it’s difficult to know where to begin. The IP is in the throes of a global 25th anniversary that has brought in the likes of Katy Perry and Post Malone to celebrate through a new music venture, while new video games continue to drop faster than you can spell ‘Fletchinder’ (at 11 letters long, this is the longest Pokémon name. From Gen I to Gen V a Pokémon’s name could not exceed 10 letters. There are no 12 letter Pokémon names. No, you’ve been studying Pokémon for too long).

To get a handle on all of the latest developments for the blockbuster franchise, ToyNews catches up with Mathieu Galante Licensing Director (EMEA) for The Pokémon Company International.

Hello Mathieu, it’s good to catch up. First up, it’s been a big year of big collabs and big launches for Pokémon. How are the 25th anniversary celebrations going? What has reaction been like to some of the major announcements and initiatives you guys have launched so far?

We’ve been thrilled with the reaction to our 25th anniversary activity. Teaming up with other iconic brands and global superstars, we’re rolling out a dynamic and ambitious programme to generate greater awareness and give existing fans reasons to celebrate the journey throughout the year. Combined with a dedicated website, unique promotions and special merchandise, we’re seeing an increased profile and high global interest.

A particular highlight has been our major music venture, P25 Music. This year-long, worldwide celebration of Pokémon through the power of music launched with a global online party on Pokémon Day, 27 February, which culminated in an exclusive virtual gig headlined by Pokémon fan Post Malone, including a surprise exclusive cover song.

Other Pokémon fans, including P25 Music headliner Katy Perry and global reggaeton superstar J Balvin, in addition to Cyn, Vince Staple and UK artist Mabel, are also creating new songs, styles and pop-culture moments through the lens of Pokémon, culminating in a celebratory year-end digital release, Pokémon 25: The Album, from Universal Music Group’s Capitol Records.

In June, Katy Perry released the vibrant anthem Electric, starring alongside Pikachu and Pichu in its video. A limited-edition Katy Perry and Pokémon merchandise collection was also issued with the hit single’s release.

Pokémon has, of course, been an ever popular property among fans (kids and adults) with its cross-generational appeal, but over the past six months to a year has been the focus of a real boom in demand. What has been behind this rocketing demand and how has that translated across the whole of Pokémon’s consumer products portfolio?

Pokémon is a multi-generational and evergreen brand with an enormous and loyal global fanbase. Encompassing video games, mobile apps, a Trading Card Game, animation and movies, competitive events and licensed products, there is something that appeals to everyone. By constantly innovating and releasing a continuous pipeline of exciting new content, Pokémon remains vibrant and relevant, with a major impact on popular culture, and so consistently appeals to and attracts new fans across the age groups.

The heightened activity and profile around the 25th anniversary celebrations has given extra impetus to all things Pokémon and helped the increase in demand. To satisfy and further stimulate this we are looking to continually broaden our CP offering through innovative and exciting new partnerships which cater to our existing fans as well as enticing new ones. We hope our recent deal with the BBC, which sees several series of Pokémon animation airing on CBBC and iPlayer, will also help to engage a new audience.

Can you give us a run through of some of the key launches, collabs, and initiatives from you guys this year? How are you building on these to maintain the momentum of the Pokémon brand for the second half of the year and beyond? Will you be ramping up activity on the approach to Q4?

Following the release of the all-new Nintendo Switch adventure New Pokémon Snap at the end of April, video games Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl - faithful revitalisations of two iconic Pokémon games from 2006 which first introduced trainers to the Sinnoh region - will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch on 19th November.

Meanwhile, Pokémon continues to evolve its offering with its first strategic team battle game, Pokémon UNITE, which was released in July on Nintendo Switch systems and is scheduled to launch in September on mobile devices. Pokémon UNITE will be free-tostart, with optional in-game purchases available.

The latest expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Sword & Shield - Evolving Skies launched on 27th August brings together all Eevee evolutions and showcases Dragon-type Pokémon. And coming in October is the highly-anticipated Pokémon Trading Card Game: Celebrations, which commemorates 25 years of the brand and features fan-favourite Pokémon and remakes of classic Pokémon TCG cards. Ongoing until October is a pan-European retail TCG giveaway promotion.

There has been a host of exciting collaborations this year, including fabulous fashion and accessories from Levi’s, G-Shock, Zavvi (their fastest and bestselling collection to date), Criminal Damage, Opposuits and Galeries Lafayette - which launched with an amazing Pokémon popup in the famous store that also included other exclusive merchandise such as the hugely collectible Pikachu sculptures from Leblon Delienne. We have also partnered with leading glue brand UHU for a global back-to-school promotion which includes downloadable crafting ideas and is supported by a TV campaign.

Our master toy partner Jazwares, distributed in the UK and Eire by Character Options, has delivered an exciting toy range which has delivered strong sales. Following the stand out performance of our very first Backpack Carry Case playset last year, which sold out at a number of retailers and was a huge success across Europe, we are launching a follow up Volcano-themed playset this year.

In addition, the special collectable Mewtoo light up statue has proved a big hit and the new Deluxe Pikachu version will launch towards the end of the year.

Character Options will also be launching a highly-anticipated new range of highly articulated figures with Charizard the first character available at retail.

Mattel has been enjoying success with it’s MEGA CONSTRUX line Jumbo Pikachu and Jumbo Eevee, with the former recently being named the Grands Prix du Jouet’s - Construction Toy of the Year in France.

A special 25th anniversary Celebration Pikachu, complete with party hat and present is available at Amazon.

Additional anniversary products from Character Options include new three-inch limited edition silver figurines of Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle and Pikachu. There will also be special silver plush of the Kanto region classics.

What have been some of the stand out successes across the consumer products space? Is there anything that’s taken you by surprise, or anything that has inspired or encouraged the next level of brand development innovation from you guys?

Sales have been strong across all categories during our anniversary year but the Trading Card Game and toys have performed particularly well. Pokémon as a brand is up 90 per cent on 2020 and has remained within the top four performing NPD properties for the whole of the year. With toy sales up 83 per cent in value this year to date.

Following last year’s sell out toy advent calendars, 2021 will also see a special Halloween calendar produced, as well as new festive advent calendars including a deluxe light and sound version.

Innovative new die-cast Poké Ball replicas, equipped with proximity sensing technology, have been one of the most successful launches ever for The Wand Company, who pre-sold over 2,000 units in 24 hours for one UK retailer and have seen nearly £1.1m in sales since launch in February.

And Funko extended its range of pop vinyl Pokémon figures, with Charmander and Squirtle coming to the UK and Europe for the first time.

Our McDonalds Happy Meal x Pokémon Trading Card Game promotions, which ran in the US, Germany, France and the UK, were fun, innovative and newsworthy. This partnership was unique as we have never involved this part of our business in a promotion of this scale before. They proved hugely popular sell-outs and brought the excitement of collecting to kids, families and adults in these key territories.

These are some truly impressive numbers and results here, it must be very exciting times at the Pokémon head offices. So, content wise, what can we expect from Pokémon next?

As well as the new games and apps mentioned earlier, the 24th season of the iconic Pokémon animated series premieres from this summer. In Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series, Ash and Goh meet new friends and returning rivals on their exciting adventures.

The latest animated film, Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, tells the story of Mythical Pokémon Zarude and Koko, the human baby he adopts after finding him abandoned in Okoya Forest.

What do you make of the current pop culture licensing space? Is it still a sector in good health and what do you think of the state of innovation within it?

We are always looking to work with innovative partners. Our first collaboration with the online home of pop culture, Zavvi, was a sell-out success that has since spawned further collections, while our partnership with Funko has produced highly collectible pop vinyl figures.

The diverse plethora of stylish and exciting products launched for our 25th anniversary reinforces our commitment to innovative, original and high-quality merchandise.

How is The Pokémon Company International helping to fuel innovation in that licensing sector, and why is this important?

Pokémon has always been innovative; it’s what keeps it fresh, relevant and appealing. Its pillars continue to evolve. The groundbreaking Pokémon GO has become an astonishing global phenomenon, and our recent first-ever live-action Pokémon movie was a box-office smash. This innovation is reflected in our exciting partnerships and collaborations, and has led to us being nominated for a wealth of awards this year.

What’s the next move for you guys in the consumer products, gaming, and, of course, toys spaces?

We have a thrilling start to 2022 with the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which will Introduce fans to the long-gone Sinnoh region of old. It promises an experience unlike anything trainers have experienced before as they embark to create the region’s first Pokédex.

Thanks Mathieu, this has been a great chat. Before you go, is there anything you’d like to add?

Yes, keep an eye out for even more innovation in 2022 as we continue to ramp up the excitement with more dynamic activity and intriguing partnerships - watch this space!

There’s Magic on the air

Magic Light Pictures made its first foray into the preschool television space when it launched its first TV series, Pip and Posy to Channel 5’s Milkshake earlier this year, and already, audience reaction has been strongly positive. We catch up with brand director, Daryl Shute to talk about the company’s new adventure

Whether it’s the deep, dark woods of the Gruffalo, or the dizzying heights (and spatial capacity) of the Witch’s broom, Magic Light Pictures is well versed in taking its audiences on some of the most popular and spell-binding adventures to grace our screens in modern times.

This year, however, that adventure looks a little different, as the award-winning studio embarks on its own journey to bring a new property to the preschool space; its first animated preschool series in the form of Pip and Posy.

The realisation of a long held desire of the Magic Light team to take on the preschool sector outside of its penchant for high quality half hour specials, Pip and Posy is a new series, currently airing on Channel 5’s Mikshake!, based on the popular children’s books illustrated by Axel Scheffler. If it has the air of familiarity about it, it’s because Scheffler has been the long time illustrator of the wildly beloved Julia Donaldson collection, from the Gruffalo and The Highway Rat, to Zog, Snail and the Whale and plenty more.

It’s from Scheffler’s illustrations that Magic Light Pictures has been able to carve out its own unique spot on the animation landscape, and one which it now brings to the preschool television market. Pip and Posy, however, marks a “very different proposition” for an award winning team that has made a name for itself in TV specials, and this is a path down which Magic Light Pictures is taking its steps with the utmost care.

“We know it’s a crowded market, packed with wonderful shows and brands, so we’re fully aware that cut through is going to be very hard and it will take time,” Daryl Shute, brand director at Magic Light Pictures, tells ToyNews.

“However, the ratings on Milkshake! are strong and our own testing shows that the series is connecting with audiences. The animation is beautiful and the team has created something really unique and special, so we are confident it stands up alongside all of our work.

“While we have been making high quality half hour specials for a number of years now, we have long wanted to bring a new IP to the global market.

Pip and Posy is based on a popular series of books illustrated by Axel Scheffler, so we’re in a comfortable space.”

Pip and Posy is centred largely on the theme of friendship, drawing on the importance of social skills and the ability to make friends as a child develops their emotional intelligence. This is a series that aims to impart on its preschool audience the ability to see the world through someone else’s point of view, as well as discovering how to build lasting friendships with kindness, resilience, and flexibility.

“We love Axel Scheffler’s work, so it’s been a joy to bring another of his unique worlds to the screen,” says Shute.

It was in time for the 2009 launch of The Gruffalo that Magic Light Pictures struck up its partnership with both Donaldson and Scheffler, adapting the popular children’s book of the same name some ten years after its first publication. Since then, Magic Light has played a key role in developing the IP into a globally loved brand that today continues to see soaring success across toys and consumer products, as well as live experiences, games and collaborative efforts the world over.

So successful has Magic Light Pictures’ partnership with the preschool property been, that audiences are now very keen to see what the outfit has in store for its preschool property, Pip and Posy.

“Focus right now is on building momentum and awareness of the series. It’s key to establish fandom early on so the demand for activity beyond the series becomes eagerly anticipated,” explains Shute. “Our strategy is to introduce licensed products to the UK market in 2022, and we’re having conversations across key categories at the moment.

“We’ll be making the first announcements in the coming months.

“Partnerships play such an important role for The Gruffalo. Brand extension in this way has enabled us to connect with new audiences, diversify and extend our reach, but also allows fans to engage with the characters in a physical world alongside the books or films. What’s always been at the heart of these relationships is to remain true to the core brand values and, as an example in the instance of Forestry England, that the values of both partners are completely aligned.”

As such, it’s a similar approach that Magic Light Pictures is taking with the Pip and Posy IP, as this year has already seen the team work alongside Play England.

“We partnered with all the key nations’ Play organisations to sponsor Playday - the annual national day for play,” says Shute. “Play is central to Pip and Posy’s friendship, and we see fantastic brand synergy with Play England and Playday.”

It was inevitable that comparisons were always going to be drawn between the success that Magic Light has seen in its half hour TV specials, such as The Gruffalo and the subsequent global licensing activity surrounding the property, and its first venture into the preschool television space with Pip and Posy, but the team stands firm that it will remain level headed about the strategy for the IP and its own, very separate and very unique journey within the licensing space.

“To call something a ‘brand’ takes time,” says Shute. “We’ve spent over 10 years building The Gruffalo and its collection of companion titles, so as to position it as an evergreen literary classic; a brand that will be enjoyed by families for 50 years and more.

“Quality and longevity are the company’s core values and we believe that by doing something well and in a measured way, it will deliver success. So, we’re sticking with that approach with Pip and Posy.”

Meanwhile, The Gruffalo business continues to just ‘grow and grow’ for the Magic Light team, who bills the success as nothing short of ‘fantastic,’ watching it become rounded out with a master toy range of figurines from Wow! Stuff, while the expansion of the overall toy category will be a “big focus for the team this year.”

“The next title for this Christmas on BBC One is Superworm, which is just coming to an end of production so we’re excited to share that with audiences this year, too,”concludes Shute.

Sustainable by design

Known globally for its proficiency in design and architecture, sustainability, and having a word for everything, Denmark also houses a toy company committed to all three of these principles. We catch up with the team at Dantoy to discuss the latest

Marck Højbjerg Matthiasen, the CEO of the Danish toy brand, Dantoy, has an interesting perspective of the sustainability movement. Heading up a toy firm that was built on the DNA of environmentalism some 50 years ago, he is very well equipped to have it, and quite at home sharing it.

It’s Matthiasen’s honestly held opinion that sustainability and the toy industry simply do not mix well. It’s not within the industry’s make-up to be a sustainable business, not when it is a global multi-billion dollar industry that is so vastly dependent on the import and export of goods out of China and the East.

It’s rather ironic that Dantoy, then, has seen such a resounding success in the sustainable toy space. Ironic, but by absolutely no means, surprising. Because Dantoy is a company unlike so many in the toy industry; it’s a company that is built precisely on the premise of being the most sustainable toy company in the world.

“Dantoy launched with the mission to push sustainability in the toy industry,” Matthiasen tells ToyNews. “We have done it for so many years now that it is not a new thing for us. What is new, is that people have started to talk about it.”

It was in the 1970s that Dantoy first got rid of PVC plastics. In the ‘90s, the firm received its certificate for environment and quality, and in 2010 it became the first toy company in the world to be certified with the Nordic Eco Label. It remains one of the very few in the toy space to hold that accreditation today.

Like most of Denmark’s exports, there’s a Danish word for Matthiasen’s belief that most sustainable practices are simply, also, good business practices.

“What I always say is that a lot of manufacturing is actually fairly sustainable,” he says. “Really, it is the same as being a good businessman. We have a Danish word - købmandskab - that refers to the practice of saving money by being sustainable. Instead of using new cardboard every time you enter production, for instance, what if you were to reuse old card three or four times? You can save both money and CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

“I actually think a lot of manufacturers are thinking like that, they just don’t always map out the sustainable journey.”

The issue is, it is Mattiasen’s strongly held belief, that there are simply “far too few companies manufacturing their own products.”

“And for that reason,” he tells ToyNews, “I honestly don’t envisage the toy industry becoming a sustainable one.”

“The biggest issue is that we are an industry of a lot of brand owners who don’t make their own products. They don’t have the resources or the know-how to do it. This isn’t like in the food industry, where food is more locally produced. Plastic is very much driven by production, shipping into Europe, and selling cheap. Then it just becomes the consumer or the community’s responsibility to get it away.”

A major breakthrough for Dantoy occurred in 2016 when the team decided to do something about its use of fossil fuels. It was the decision that gave life to its popular Bio Range brand; a range of toys that adhere to the rules of all Dantoy products: they must be of high quality, recyclable once played with, and all produced on the same equipment as the company’s other products.

The sugarcane-based range did very well for the company upon its launch back in 2018, surpassing all expectations amid an audience that was growing more and more wary of the use of plastics.

“We were concerned,” says Matthiasen, “because plastic has a very, very bad reputation. Mainly because the consumer sees plastic as one thing in total. When they see a plastic bag in the ocean, it’s easy to think that all plastics are bad. For us, being able to launch our Bio Range in 2018, we couldn’t have imagined it would be so well received.

“We were able to get new customer accounts - accounts who had switched to wooden toy suppliers - to come back to

us, purely because of the Bio Range line. It was a breakthrough for us that reaffirmed our vision to be the most sustainable toy manufacturer in the world.

“I won’t brag,” says Matthiasen, no hint of a brag about his person, “but I would say that we have that position now, and have had it for a couple of years, We will definitely keep on that track, because it is a futurewinning position.”

There ws then, only one logical step from there, and with an eye on retaining its title as the most sustainable toy company in the world, it didn’t take Dantoy long before it started to look at its own waste. Yes, while the waking world is quite often actively discouraged from playing with its own waste, Dantoy sought to create an entire play universe out of it. Last year, it launched that universe to the consumer sphere.

“When you make products, you make a lot of wrong products - misproductions or over-productions - with the wrong colouring, or not moulded correctly. The process of production also makes waste,” says Matthiasen.

“So, we decided to take that waste and create a new universe of play out of it. From that waste we are now creating limited edition colour toys and so on. It’s even more sustainable than the Bio Range, because instead of shipping our waste off to recycling plants, we just break it all up again, combine it with other mis-productions and create new toys all within this play universe.

“It’s the future that consumers are looking at. Compromises are going to have to be made to be sustainable; not on the shapes or the quality of the toys, but on the colours of the plastics. Compromise in this sense is how we bring about a more circular economy.”

The range, according to Matthiasen, has already been very well received by the company’s domestic market. It’s a pleasant result for the firm, but not altogether too surprising. Denmark is, afterall, at the center of a Scandinavian territory known for its alignment with the sustainability movement. It’s why the agenda flows through everything that the business does, even down to its water drainage system.

Having partnered with Operation Clean Sweep, Dantoy uses filters in its drains to ensure that no trace of microplastics escapes into the environment from its manufacturing

facility. It’s an example of Dantoy’s commitment to the cause outside the direct toy space. Another is in its recently launched Toy Take Back campaign through which it is encouraging consumers who have finished playing with their Dantoy products, to return them to the company to be reused elsewhere.

That’s the consumer facing strain of the campaign. The second strain of the campaign involves the Danish Government to devise a learning plan for young children - a National Curriculum equivalent - that will introduce lessons on sustainability and recycling among preschoolers.

“We have proposed for the Government to bring it in as a yearly programme for kindergarten kids. Hopefully, one day, we could make it so that all day care centres in Denmark host an annual Dantoy Take Back day themselves,” says Matthiasen.

“That’s the vision from here. Because kids are the future consumer. If they can start from a very, very young age to learn about the environment, we can help move our society and communities in a much more sustainable way. If we can do that through play, it’s a win-win. Kids don’t learn about sustainability through books, they learn this stuff through play.”

The plan for now is for these initiatives to remain local to Denmark, just while Dantoy figures out all of the logistics. Matthiasen does have a vision of rolling it out across Scandinavia, but only once the team can be certain there are no issues with the initiative on a smaller scale first.

“It’s important to me to get this right,” he says. “Because I think we need to do something. Everyday I open up the papers and we read about how everything is going crazy. I have children myself and I hope we can make this a better place for them. But, of course, we need, as businesses, to push that agenda. Also on a political level. But we cannot wait for the politicians to take action, becasue by then, it will be too late.”

The good news is, despite Matthiasen’s resignation that sustainability is outside of the toy industry’s grasp as a whole, that consumers are demanding more and better sustainable practicies from the brands they are buying. It’s why sales for Dantoy were nice and robust last year, even in the face of the pandemic.

It’s also why Dantoy is positioning itself for a focused and strategic ramping up of activity here within the UK toy market. It’s now finalised its onboarding sessions with four new UK sales agents whose drive it will be to increase Dantoy’s presence in the UK.

“My honest response is that the UK is not a huge market for sustainable toys right now, but I am sure that you will be moving in that direction,” he tells us. “That is why we are going in more heavily than ever. We are seeing a trend in day care centres and government programmes where you need to buy more sustainably, while younger parents are driving the market into the future.

“We will start shipping from our factory into the UK. Of course, you haven’t made that part easy for us, but we are on top of that. We will be investing much more in the UK market from this point onwards.”

Is there anything else on the radar for Dantoy for the near future? Absolutely there is, and it’s fishing nets, Matthiasen teases. A whole universe of toys made out of them.

“That’s a planned new range for 2022,” the CEO tells us, “We’re going to be buying up old and used fishing nets and developing another play universe. Everytime we launch an initiative like this, we cut down the need for virgin materials, and that helps everybody, I guess.”

Dantoy’s head of sales, Anne Krogh Harding can be contacted at akh@dantoy.dk.