PLAY AROUND Play Around launches the MeteoHeroes toy line

PLAY AROUND

PLAY AROUND LAUNCHES THE METEOHEROES TOY LINE

Play Around is the toy partner for MeteoHeroes, one of Mondo TV’s latest IP successes. MeteoHeroes is an interesting development opportunity for the new Italian Toy Company, known for its expertise in the toy industry and the licensing of Pea & Promoplast. To learn more, LM interviewed Massimiliano

Piazzolla, Managing Director of Play Around.

LM. How did you start your collaboration with Mondo TV?

The collaboration with Mondo TV, as it is today, was born at the last Bologna fair, one of the last events before the Covid revolution. We already knew Mondo TV and had worked together in the past on the development of YooHoo collectibles for newsstands. But it is in the stands of the Licensing Hall of the Bologna Children’s BookFair that this new partnership began. We had just launched our brand Hatchies (the range linked to Angry Birds - Hatchlings), and Mondo TV was planning to launch its new property, MeteoHeroes. I still remember the first description of the storytelling that took place standing in the corridors of the Fair, and the enthusiasm that Valentina LaMacchia and the Mondo TV team brought to us, fully engaging us in the project. From that moment on, the next steps were quite natural and straightforward, even though most of them were carried out in full lockdown.

What kind of products have you developed?

The first part of the MeteoHeroes toy line for Spring ‘21 will focus on two types of products: 3D movable figurines of all six characters packaged in blister packs, and the Hyper Meteoband, which is the main gadget used by the MeteoHereos in their Hyper Meteoband in Blister Pack

adventures. Children can wear them on their arms, just like in the TV series, and project as many as twenty images from the series. The next products that we are already developing for Fall ‘21 will be amazing. We wanted to explore the environment in which the Weather Heroes live. To do so we have designed three items that will allow children to have fun emulating their heroes by interacting with the characters in the locations where the series takes place and that will be reproduced in the form of a playset.

Who are the distribution partners?

One of the positive surprises of this project is certainly the collaboration with Dynit. For MeteoHeroes and the toy channel, we have seen that the activity of Play Around, together with D-Fun (the division of Dynit that deals with toy distribution), could create a synergy not to be undervalued. Play Around’s ability to conceive, develop and produce products, together with their distribution strength and the widespread presence of D-Fun in the territory and in the newsstand channel, make this partnership very promising. If well structured, and implemented, the MeteoHeroes project is the perfect example of a replicable model in which bringing together two players operating in similar contexts, could generate benefits not only to those who are directly involved, but also to the other players such as licensors and licensees. In fact, thanks to an integrated strategy, the development process, distribution, and time to market, have been sped up and optimized on different channels. If we combine this with our close alignment with Mondo TV, the combination will surely be exceptional.

MeteoHeroes articulated figurines

What releases do you have planned for the toy line?

This Easter we are releasing the first two SKUs. Our products can be found in all the best toy stores and key large-scale retail trade brands. Many brands believe in the project and want to be part of it. Together with D-Fun, we have done our best to offer retailers a long-term plan that will see the MeteoHeroes toy line as a leader at least until Christmas, and throughout 2022. And new products are planned to complete the first 2021 MeteoHeroes collection for the back-to-school season and next Christmas 2021. It is a rich project ready to embrace and the confirmed production of the second MeteoHeroes TV series, which will give continuity to the entire CP project for the next few years. Then, with the second toy line, which will have many new products, where the call to action with the episodes of the TV series and the new props will be even more striking. Expectations are very high.

support distribution planning on all fronts.

What are the next steps for the MH Project?

I can confirm that we are already working on future steps. The extension of the franchise and the product proposal to other European countries are already in full swing. The Iberian peninsula, Turkey, former Yugoslavia and Eastern Europe are the first areas of expansion, where the TV series has already found a platform on broadcasters, and toy distribution is signing its first contracts. Together with Mondo TV, we are already moving towards 2022/23: firstly with

Have you experienced any difficulties because of Covid in the progression of the MH project?

The toy industry is suffering from the damage caused by COVID and making medium to long term decisions has become rare, due to the risk of making mistakes in a period of great instability.

Our flexible and fast development capability becomes a key asset that allows us to gather the feedback and preferences of MeteoHeroes enthusiasts, and then turn them into products in an almost tailor-made process. Thanks to the analysis we receive, we can integrate product lines in an increasingly innovative way for the future. We are confident that this approach, together with a very tight time to market, will translate into a major benefit for all our partners, all future-oriented and with challenging goals.

The first complete MeteoHeroes Toy release