ToyNews issue 89 January 09

Issue 89

The toy industry’s highest circulation trade title Exclusive media partner

INSIDE…

SPRING FAIR 2009 GUIDE Full preview of the toy hall at the big Birmingham NEC show

GET SET FOR EXCEL The build up to this year’s crucial UK Toy Fair starts here

WOOLWORTHS SPECIAL Industry reaction to Woolies’ slide into administration

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 EXCLUSIVE NPD DATA . . .10 EDITORIAL PLANNER . . . .14 LICENSING . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 RETAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 HIGH STREET . . . . . . . . . .60 NEW PRODUCTS . . . . . . . .62 TOYTALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

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January 2009

Contents REGULARS 4

News: Woolies Special

7

Online

8

Campaign of the month

10

Exclusive NPD analysis

12

TV ad spend data

14

Editorial planner

15

Events

Ronnie Dungan Editor Ronnie.Dungan@intentmedia.co.uk

Samantha Loveday Licensing Editor Samantha.loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

Katie Roberts Staff Writer katie.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

TOO MUCH, TOO LONG

Adrian Miles Advertising Manager Adrian.Miles@intentmedia.co.uk

16

Appointments

LICENSING 26

News

28

Licensing Opinion

FEATURES 18

All our yesterdays

21

Russimco

31

Spring Fair Preview

53

Planning for Toy Fair

RETAIL 57

Retail News

58

Lutz Muller

60

High Street

61

Retail charts

62

New products

74

Toy Talk

Dan Bennett Design Dan.Bennett@intentmedia.co.uk

Jon Salisbury Editorial Consultant jon@wotkidzwant.com

Lisa Foster Managing Editor Lisa.Foster@intentmedia.co.uk

Stuart Dinsey Publisher Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

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Ed

COMMENT THERE’S A LOT to cover this month – Woolies going under, Magson, toy fairs galore and the little matter of that Mattel/MGA case which has had something of a sensational outcome.

We’ve devoted all our news space to the Woolies situation this month. There’s simply too much to say about it and, to be honest, we could probably have given it another couple of pages.

The positive part of it is that most suppliers had been expecting it for a long time and have had time to readjust their commitment to Woolies accordingly. But it’s still 800 stores and it’s still a big hit for the market to have to take in the current economic climate.

But with such interest in the chain I find it hard to believe that it will disappear altogether.

The Mattel/MGA verdict is massive. But there’s surely another hand to be played in that one The only caveat to that would be that it hasn’t happened at a good time at all and to say it’s a risk averse environment is an understatement.

The Mattel/MGA verdict is massive. And somewhat surprising given previous statements made by the judge in the case. There’s surely another hand to be played in that one though.

But if it stands, it’s difficult to see MGA surviving such a huge loss. It’s the lawyers I feel sorry for.

And of course we’re about to embark on another epic trade show adventure, with the Toy Fair/ Spring Fair eclipse ensuring a manic time for all. But I really should stop writing before I run...

Ronnie Dungan ronnie.dungan@intentmedia.co.uk

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4

NEWS

Industry takes stock after What next for the ailing Woolworths chain?

Some optimism that stores will re-emerge ● Concern over debts & credit insurance ● Estimated £350m hole at retail

by Katie Roberts & Ronnie Dungan FEARS OVER BAD DEBTS, concern over soaring credit insurance premiums, worry about who will pick up lost orders and speculation about a resulting shift in consumer shopping patterns, are some of the issues facing the toy trade following Woolworths’ slide into administration.

There are some, however, who still believe that with help, the retailer will resurface as a slimmer, profitable business. A number of parties have logged interest in buying the chain, suggesting a reversal of fortune may yet be on the cards.

Mattel’s general manager David Allmark commented: “The news, whilst disappointing, was not unexpected to Mattel UK. It has been clear for a number of months that Woolworths were experiencing significant trading difficulties across a number of their businesses.“ Despite scaling back on the levels of stock they were supplying to JANUARY 2009

Woolworths, however, the toy industry will inevitably lose on some level.

Peter Brown, managing director of Flair said: “We have bad debts of about £700,000 this year [2008]. The demise of Woolworths and Youngsters has cost us a lot of money. Luckily we have credit insurance to reimburse us.”

Premiums for credit insurance will go up and this is a problem for 2009.

Brown sees a heavy reliance on insurers creating a potential problem for the future, though, and continued: “The economic situation and the casualties that have resulted will inevitably mean premiums for credit insurance will go up and this is a problem the toy industry will have to

face in 2009, along with rising costs in a number of other areas.”

German insurance group, Euler Hermes has said that it is expecting to lose up to u52 million (£44.2 million) this quarter.

The announcement stunned analysts, who had been expecting a fourth-quarter profit of about u18 million. The insurer recorded a net income of u152 million in the first nine months of the year.

There have also been reports that many toy companies aren’t covered by their insurance policies and if Woolworths does not manage to return to trading, it has been said that suppliers could be set to lose millions.

Many see the retailer’s demise as a sign that there will be changes in consumer shopping habits.

Darrell Jones, marketing director of Bandai said: “We expect some of the business to move to the supermarkets and online, but unfortunately a good deal of the business may just be lost and never recovered.”

Jones continued: “If tough trading continues on the High Street I think Woolies could be the first of many casualties. I think we will see consumers increasingly moving to the ‘discounters’ and online, forcing more well-known brands to disappear from the High Street.”

Nick Austin, MD of Vivid Imaginations also expects to see a number of adjustments in a postWoolies retail environment. He explained: “Firstly, the consumer will have less choice and convenience.

Secondly, some small towns will lose their shopper footfall if their local Woolworths does not re-open.

“Thirdly, there will be some immediate winners at retail level.

Local indies and other High Street operators will inevitably hoover up market share left if Woolworths stores do not re-open in certain towns.”

Allmark concluded: “Clearly the impact of Woolworths going into administration is significant to the toy industry. Their toy representation has

NEWS

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5

Woolies crashes out Will Deloitte’s fire sale be enough to save the retailer?

Woolies unravelled How a High Street icon came apart at the seams…

SEPTEMBER 19TH 2007 Trevor Bish-Jones says toys will play a crucial role in the firm’s Christmas figures as it tries to back “recession proof ” lines.

been a cornerstone of their merchandise offering for 99 years and it would be remiss to suggest that potentially we will not be impacted by the lack of visibility and scale they offer within the High Street.

“However, Mattel UK is mindful that as part of the administration selling off process, a new opportunity could be created to satisfy the clear market opportunity that exists. The toy proposition was not the reason Woolworths failed to succeed as a retail platform.”

On the retail side of the toy industry, TRA chairman and MD of The Entertainer Gary Grant sees a bright future for the retailer despite its troubles and expects its fortunes to be turned around. He said: “Many industries, toys included, would be worse off without Woolworths, so I

expect something will be done to turn what was an unprofitable chain into a profitable business once again.

“There is much debate about how this might be achieved – perhaps it will be that 400 stores is a viable number and the current number of 820-odd isn’t, but whatever decision is made, if it saves the chain, it’s good news for all of us.

“For the 30,000 people who have been fearing for their jobs, I am relieved that there will be a future for all of them.

“Woolworths is being responsible and implementing measures such as removing gift vouchers from stores, so that customers aren’t left with unusable gifts. All staff were also paid at the end of the month [November] and hopefully something can be worked out going forward.”

NOVEMBER 16TH 2007 Firm reviews financial structure in a move which could make way for a demerger to secure as much as £100 million in new loans against EUK. DECEMBER 5TH 2007 Citigroup Bank claims Woolworths has no future in its current form.

The investment bank cuts its price target in half to just 12 pence and urges investors to sell.

JANUARY 16TH 2008 Forecasts a return to profitability in 2008 despite a challenging Christmas.

Expects to exceed last year's profits of £21.8 million in the full year and meet City expectations of between £25 million and £29 million.

AUGUST 18TH 2008 Rejects bid by Baugur to acquire its stores. The plan by the Icelandic investment group was to break up the Woolworths group.

SEPTEMBER 17TH 2008 Figures for the six months ended August 2nd 2008 show sales down three per cent to £1.1bn; like-for-like sales down 3.2 per cent and pre-tax losses increasing from £63.8m in the first half of the previous financial year to £99.7m.

OCTOBER 17TH 2008 Retail and operations director Simon Turner quits only a month after the new chief executive savages the group’s performance.

NOVEMBER 19TH 2008 Group confirms that it is in talks over a possible sale of its retail business to turnaround specialist Hilco for £1.

NOVEMBER 25TH 2008 Woolworths' largest shareholder Ardeshir Naghshineh urges the firm not to sell the business for £1, but instead to look at selling off a number of its 840 stores.

NOVEMBER 26TH 2008 Shares suspended as the firm continues talks to save the business.

Deloitte appointed administrator.

So, what happens next?…

THERE HAS been no shortage of offers for the troubled group, since it lapsed into administration.

The most high-profile suitor was Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis who was interested in a number of Woolworths’ previously profitable stores, but has since pulled out of the race. He made his name reviving ailing retail chains Rymans and La Senza.

Several meetings have taken place between the interested parties and Woolworths’ administrator, Deloitte, since it went into administration.

Tesco and Waitrose are also thought to be among the potential bidders and are believed to interested in buying some outlets.

Woolworths’ majority shareholder, Ardeshir Naghshineh is believed to be

making plans to make a bid for the whole group including distribution division Entertainment UK and 2Entertain, which is a joint venture with the BBC. Tony Page, who runs Woolworths' retail stores division is believed to be mounting a bid with other members of the management team from the firm’s retail division.

Deloitte is compiling a shortlist of bidders and says that the chain’s 30,000 staff should keep their jobs until at least Christmas.

Neville Kahn, reorganisation services partner at Deloitte, commented: “Since being appointed as Administrators on 27th November we have received substantial expressions of interest in both

Woolworths Plc and Entertainment UK Ltd (EUK). We continue to hold discussions with a number of parties interested in buying Woolworths and EUK as going concerns, including with a number of new parties which have approached us in the last few days.

We expect talks to continue into the early part of next week.

“At the same time, we have received a substantial number of bids from parties interested in the Woolworths properties and have gone under offer on a large number of the stores.

“We are working as quickly as possible to assess proposals. We continue to work hard to ensure that any sale of the businesses, in whole or part, will preserve jobs.”

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This month’s news from the wires…

Brio makes cuts, but UK unaffected Brio has said it expects to lose about 30 staff as part of a restructuring of the firm when it streamlines design, product development and marketing operations.

However, the UK operation will not be affected by the reorganisation plans.

“It does not affect Brio UK at all,” said UK MD Paul Sirett. "The UK operation has actually achieved significant cost savings already over the last couple of years, so we are a little ‘ahead of the game’.

“In summary, it is simply continued good housekeeping for continuous improvement.”

Hakan Johansson, acting CEO of Brio, added: “Unfortunately our total sales have been weaker than expected and we calculate that the downturn in the global economy will mean further challenges.

Therefore we must reduce costs in our efforts to achieve profitability.”

The reorganisation will cost around SEK41m (£3.3m), but is expected to result in annual savings of SEK40m (£3.2m), the firm said in a statement. The company has 400 employees and reported a net turnover of SEK930.1m (£75.4m) in 2007.

Crunch hits Character The Character Group has issued a profit warning as the credit crunch impacts on the business. The statement explained that retailers had cut back orders ahead of the key Christmas trading period due to a plunge in consumer confidence after the global financial crisis.

“They’re very, very reluctant to take in inventory,” finance director Kiran Shah said, adding Character had seen a “double digit” percentage drop in sales volumes in recent weeks.

Re:Creation takes on PopCo range PopCo has chosen Re:creation as its new distribution partner in a deal that will see the firm handle the toy brands in the UK, Ireland and Europe through 2010. The agreement includes the range from the next Harry Potter film, due in the summer.

Popco Entertainment CEO Michael Cookson commented: “We have been working hard over the last few weeks to evaluate our distribution partnership options in these key markets in order to ensure that our exciting product line continues to grow.

“We believe we have found the right partner in Re:creation, who show great excitement and enthusiasm for the product line, as well as a strong dedication to the customer base.”

"This is a very significant initiative for both companies, one that synergises our strengths,” said Re:creation MD Nick Joslin (pictured above).

“Popco Entertainment has acquired and developed an outstanding portfolio of toys and collectibles, and clearly has a very good eye for licences that deliver.”

Chinese protests ignite Hundreds of workers sacked from Kaida toy factory in China clashed with police and smashed buildings in the latest bout of violent unrest linked to rising unemployment.

The riot occurred in the Guangdong Province after about 2,000 workers gathered to demand severance pay.

The factory, which has been operating for over 20 years and employed up to 6,500 workers, is owned by a Hong Kong firm in Zhongtang that is in the process of laying off workers.

Up to 7,000 laid-off workers staged a similar protest in Guangdong last month after another Hong Kong-owned toy factory, one of China’s biggest, closed.

China’s social security minister, Yin Weimin, described the employment situation across the country as “critical”, as the nation’s police chief warned his deputies that this could lead to unrest. “[You] should be aware of the challenge brought by the global financial crisis and try your best to maintain social stability,” public security minister Meng Jianzhu told his deputies.

Hamleys plans TV drive Hamleys has announced its debut TV campaign next autumn to mark its 250th anniversary – and is seeking a top-line sponsor to support the 18-month campaign.

The drive will also include print, radio, online and direct activity, instore events and promotional projects.

The theme of the work will be ‘past, present and future’. Hamleys’ head of marketing Matt Webb said the story would go “beyond the parameters of retail”, and hinted that it may involve an external theatrical production.

Once selected, Hamleys’ top-line sponsor will be associated with every aspect of the anniversary campaign.

Webb said he would consider partnerships with a number of brands outside the toy industry.

Bedlam makes Crazee decision Bedlam Puzzles has changed the name of its Bedlam Cube to the Crazee Cube. The re-branding is down to two main reasons, according to boss Danny Bamping.

“There is a limited audience who understand the meaning of Bedlam, particularly younger and international customers. Crazy, or Crazee, has much wider understanding. It makes sense to bring this well established, successful product into the fold of the Crazee range which now stands at around 40 products.

Crazee Thingz are confident that the consumers and retailers will like the new brand of The Crazee Cube.”

8

CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

LeapFrog Leapster2/TAG Leapfrog’s key new product launches for autumn 2008 – Tag and Leapster 2 – have been supported with a vibrant mix of TV, online and several PR partnerships with target group organisations…

TV 30-second ad spots were created for both products featuring the distinctive Spokesfrog character interacting with children with a degree of humour.

A third spot consisting of 15-second sections for both products featuring Chewbacca of Star Wars fame highlighted the Clone Wars educational gaming licence which is exclusive to Leapster2 and has featured extensively during ad breaks surrounding the Clone Wars episodes airing on Sky Movies.

The campaign across both products kicked off with a high profile Tag spot during the second of the live X-Factor Finals shows.

The campaign was booked against housewives’ choices and is set to deliver 350 TVRs. Other highlight spots include I’m A Celebrity…, This Morning & GMTV. In addition two sponsorship campaigns have been running on Nick Jr in support of Tag, and on Jetix in support of Leapster2.

The sponsorships involve heavy TV presence aligned to dedicated microsites that host competitions, demos, additional product information and the ability to click through to purchase from key retail partner websites.

The sponsorships allow LeapFrog to put the products in front of a dual audience of parents and children watching together. To this end, the 30-second spots created locally for both campaigns explore more of the child-focused benefits of the products.

JANUARY 2009

ONLINE LeapFrog has invested double the 2007 budget in 2008 activity.

As well as the activity on Nick Jr and Jetix, the campaign also incorporates advertising and competitions on the following parent focused websites: Bounty, Times Online & Pocketlint.

PARTNERSHIPS In support of the innovative new reading product Tag, LeapFrog has created a ‘Tag Love to Read’ programme reaching 3,300 UK primary schools and 400,000 parents. The programme was delivered with educational experts and features advice, teaching resources and fun interactive reading activities for parents, teachers and children. The campaign also lead to Nick Jr appointing LeapFrog as one of its Force For Good suppliers with a dedicated TV ad and online campaign in September (www.welovetoread.co.uk).

The firm has also partnered with the Scouts Organisation to highlight the launch of Leapster2 to the youngest members of the organisation, the Beavers Scouts. A Space Explorers pack was produced with input from the National Space Museum, with activities that helped the Beaver Scouts earn activity badges and also introduced Leapster2 and its space themed games, Stars Wars and Wall-E. Over 30,000 packs have already been ordered by members.

PR PR highlights include Sinitta in Hello magazine using the Tag Reading System with her children, the appearance of Leapster2 on This Morning in August and Tag stealing some limelight at the Dream Toys event with a piece aired to 6.8 million viewers on GMTV.

10

NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties

Tin hats on for a tough 2009 ACCORDING TO THE BRITISH Retail Consortium, conditions are tough for consumers and retailers at the moment and predictions are for a challenging 2009.

The BRC’s latest Retail Sales Monitor shows like-for-like sales have now fallen in seven of the last eight months. Eighty-five per cent of consumers believe they are feeling the impact of the recession and are reining in their spending.

Whilst the half-term week didn’t provide an accurate indication of market performance for the remainder of the year, as is generally the case, the toy market came out of year-to-date October 2008 registering no growth over YTD October 2007 sales. And while the market remained flat in value, in units, however, it has seen a five per cent growth over last year’s figures.

This increase in units sold comes as average prices have dropped five per cent for the year-to-date October 2008, to a low of £6.11 at the beginning of the festive period.

As at year-to-date October, retailers cashed in a total of £995 million, with November likely to take the sales over the £1billion mark (NPD Epos YTD Data 2008).

With the grey economic skies looming above, it seems inevitable that the recession will take its toll on the toy business. The YTD was flat in sales, and October declined four per cent, but all the same six supercategories grew in sales compared to last year, which

is helping to drive the toy business forward.

The biggest growth still lies with Building Sets, which is up 21 per cent for the year to October. This is followed by Plush and Vehicles, amongst others. Building Sets, driven by the whole Lego Star Wars Range, is not the only category to be benefitting from the growth of the Star Wars licence. Action Figures and Accessories has also found success with the licence – and with the increasingly popular Ben 10.

Infant/ Preschool is showing signs of growth driven by the strong performance of the In The Night Garden property, as well as Peppa Pig, which has conquered the hearts of the young children.

Sales

Average Price

UK Toy Sales (value, year to date)

Oct 2007

Oct 2008

Source: NPD

JANUARY 2008

0%

Top 5 Properties October 2008 1. STAR WARS 2. THOMAS AND FRIENDS 3. IN THE NIGHT GARDEN 4. BEN 10 5. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Best Property Progression October 2008

Tag

It is with great anticipation that retailers and manufacturers,

Leapfrog’s electronic reading system is continuing to do well and moved up from 244 to 121.

The property is likely to be further boosted by a new schools campaign with celebrity mum Sinnita.

The YTD was flat in sales, but six supercategories grew in sales compared to last year, which is helping to drive the toy business forward.

On the properties front, sales have been led by the boys characters, whilst the girls sales are being upheld by In The Night Garden and High School Musical, both strong in the Top Ten licences list. Dora the Explorer has also shown determination in these tough times, with registered growth in the Infant/Preschool as well as the Dolls Category.

Sept 08: £6.18

likewise, await the outcome of the final weeks trading up to Christmas.

With the Government’s drop in VAT, plus retailers’ promotional activity to encourage consumers into stores, it is hoped that consumers will eventually come out to spend their money. As we head into December, hopefully the Christmas spirit will help turn things around.

Oct 08: £8.07

Best Item Progression October 2008

Fur Real Biscuit My Lovin Pup Despite coming in at over £100, Hasbro’s life-sized interactive golden retriever puppy has leapt up the table from position 234 to eight.

NPD RESEARCH

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Retail Sales Trends UK OCTOBER 2008 (£ SALES - VALUE) 1

KIDIZOOM CAMERA

2

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN TLK PLUSH

3

BEN 10 FIGS 10CM ASST

4

BG BOUNCE N SPIN ZEBRA

5

BEN 10 15CM ACTION

6

ITNG HUGGLE SNUGGLE IGLLEPIGG

7

V SMILE TV LEARNING SYSTEM

8

FUR REAL BISCUIT MY LOVIN PUP

9

MUSIC & MOTION CHOO CHOO

10

BEN 10 DLX OMNITRIX

UK OCTOBER 2008 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME) VTECH

1

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASST

HASBRO TOYS

2

BEN 10 FIGS 10CM ASST

BANDAI

BANDAI

3

CARS VEHICLE ASST

MATTEL

FISHER-PRICE CORE MATTEL

4

BEN 10 15CM ACTION

BANDAI

5

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN MINI PLUSH ASST

HASBRO TOYS

6

HSM SINGALONG MICROPHONE

VTECH

7

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN TLK PLUSH

TIGER ELECTRONICS HASBRO

8

BIONICLE MISTIKA

LEGO

FISHER-PRICE CORE MATTEL

9

STAR WARS

LEGO

10

ZEEBEEZ

BANDAI

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES - VALUE)

MATTEL

BANDAI HASBRO TOYS VIVID IMAGINATIONS HASBRO TOYS

RE CREATION

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1

BEN 10 FIGS 10CM ASST

BANDAI

1

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASST

MATTEL

2

CARS VEHICLE ASST

MATTEL

2

CARS VEHICLE ASST

MATTEL

HASBRO TOYS

3

BEN 10 FIGS 10CM ASST

BANDAI

BANDAI

4

MATCH ATTAX CARDS

3

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN TLK PLUSH

4

BEN 10 15CM ACTION

5

BEN 10 OMNITRIX FX WATCH

6

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN MINI PLUSH ASST

7 8

TOPPS

BANDAI

5

TF MOVIE LEGENDS

HASBRO TOYS

6

POWER RANGERS 12.5CM FIGURES

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASST

MATTEL

7

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN MINI PLUSH ASST

POWER RANGERS 12.5CM FIGURES

BANDAI

8

BEN 10 15CM ACTION

HASBRO TOYS

9

WWE RUTHLESS AGGRESSION

JAKKS PACIFIC VIVID

10

DR WHO FIVE-INCH FIGS ASST

CHARACTER OPTIONS

9

TF MOVIE LEGENDS

10

DR WHO FIVE-INCH FIGS ASST

CHARACTER OPTIONS

HASBRO TOYS BANDAI HASBRO TOYS BANDAI

NOTES: All participating NPD retail data suppliers provide weekly data via EPOS systems. NPD figures are not projected to represent non-participating retailers but provide 100 per cent of the sales from participating stores. EPoS sample includes the following retailers: Argos, Boots, ELC, Freemans, Gamleys, Grattan, Hamleys, Littlewoods, Mothercare, Shop Direct, Tesco, The Entertainer, Woolworths, WHSmith, Sainsbury's, Toymaster, Asda, Mailorderexpress. The approximate coverage is of 71%.

NPD Eurotoys is the Number 1 information provider for Market Research to the Toy Industry in Europe Contact: NPD Eurotoys UK, Rosemount House, Rosemount Avenue West Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 6LB. _ 01 932 355 580

11

12

TV TRENDS ANALYSIS

Full-year shows retail power PRODUCT SPEND

12 Months to September ‘08

Advertiser

Product

Estimated Spend Share

1

TOYS R US

TOYS R US

3.09%

2

ARGOS

ARGOS DEALS

2.01%

3

HASBRO

MONOPOLY

1.17%

4

ARGOS

ARGOS DEALS & GIFT GUIDE

1.14%

5

LEAPFROG

CLICK START COMPUTER

0.98%

6

HASBRO

3 FOR 2 GAMES

0.93%

7

VTECH

VSMILE BABY

0.83%

8

FLAIR

GORMITI

0.80%

9

HASBRO

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN IGGLEPIGGLE

0.75%

10

MATTEL

CARS DRIVE IN DRAGSTRIP

0.74%

11

ASDA

ASDA CHRISTMAS

0.69%

12

HASBRO

NERF DART TAG

0.66%

13

BANDAI

BEN 10

0.63%

14

THE IN THING

MANDY MIX UP DOLL

0.61%

15

ZAPF

BABY ANNABELL ACCESSORIES

0.60%

16

BANDAI

POWER RANGERS

0.60%

17

HASBRO

TOOTH TUNES

0.59%

18

MATTEL

MY BABY

0.58%

19

MATTEL

GIRL TECH PASSWORD JOURNAL

0.55%

20

BANDAI

TAMAGOTCHI

0.54%

21

HASBRO

PLAYSKOOL

0.53%

22

HASBRO

MY LITTLE PONY PONYVILLE

0.52%

23

ZAPF

BABY ANNABELL DOLL

0.51%

24

LEGO

LEGO CITY

0.51%

25

HASBRO

ELEFUN

0.49%

26

ZAPF

BABY BORN MAGIC EYES

0.49%

27

MATTEL

DORA TALKING CASH REGISTER

0.47%

28

MATTEL

20Q HAND HELD

0.47%

29

MATTEL

SCENE IT FRIENDS DVD GAME

0.46%

30

LEGO

LEGO BIONICLE

0.46%

31

HASBRO

PLAYDOH OCTOPUS

0.44%

32

MATTEL

PIXEL CHIX ROOMIES

0.44%

33

MATTEL

HOT WHEELS SPEED RACER HELEX

0.43%

34

MATTEL

BARBIE ISLAND 3

0.43%

35

HASBRO

BOP IT

0.42%

36

MATTEL

AMAZING ANIMALS

0.42%

37

MATTEL

PIRANHA PANIC

0.42%

38

RC2

TAKE ALONG THOMAS RACE SET

0.42%

A TREAT for all you TV ad spend lovers this month. A chance to look at the full year’s worth of figures to see who comes out top over the course of 12 months. Our figures from Billets/Thomson Intermedia show who maintained their marketing over the full course of a year, as opposed to the occasional spikes that happen around a big product release.

No surprise to see Mattel at the top of the estimated spend share chart, closely shadowed by Hasbro.

Character Options leads the chasing pack ahead of Vivid Imaginations and Tomy. The interesting thing about looking at the yearly figures is that the combination of a full year’s campaigns shows which retailers are really getting behind their toy ranges.

Normally the monthly spend is never enough to grab a decent amount of spend share, so tends to feature in the nether reaches of the charts or slip under the radar altogether.

TV TRENDS ANALYSIS

www.toynewsmag.com

A full-year sample shows Argos giving the most backing to its toy offering, closely followed by Toys R Us as the leading specialist toy retailer. In fact, overall they were the two biggest single campaigns, albeit covering a number of different products over the course of a year.

Asda is the top spending supermarket, but is matched nearly blow for blow by Sainsbury’s, which has greatly increased its commitment to the toy market over the last 12 months. Maybe it’s only a loss leader, but the supermarket is certainly letting people know about it. And Irish chain Smyths may be largely clueless about PR, but is really putting its money where its mouth is in its bid to establish its presence on the UK mainland.

Argos gave the most backing to its toy offering, closely followed by Toys R Us.

TOP SPEND

BY ADVERTISER

12 Months to Sept ‘08

Estimated Spend Share 1

MATTEL

24.9%

2

HASBRO

17.41%

3

CHARACTER OPTIONS

8.3%

4

VIVID IMAGINATIONS

5.74%

1. CARS DRIVE IN DRAGSTRIP

5

TOMY

4.46%

2. MY BABY

6

ZAPF CREATION

3.37%

3. DORA TALKING CASH REGISTER

7

ARGOS

3.16%

4. SCENE IT FRIENDS DVD GAME

8

TOYS R US

3.09%

9

FLAIR

10

BANDAI

2.09%

11

LEGO

1.73%

12

DRUMOND PARK

13

MGA ENTERTAINMENT

1.56%

14

SPINMASTER

1.18%

2. 3 FOR 2 GAMES

15

THE IN THING

1.11%

3. NIGHT GARDEN IGGLEPIGGLE

16

LITTLE TIKES

1.07%

4. NERF DART TAG

17

LEAPFROG

1.07%

5. TOOTH TUNES

18

MEGA BRANDS

1.07%

19

RE:CREATION

1.02%

20

PLAYMOBIL

0.90%

21

VTECH

0.86%

22

RAVENSBURGER

0.83%

1. DR WHO DALEKS VOICE CHANGER

23

GROSSMAN

2. SHINING STARS

24

ASDA

0.81%

3. GR8 ART BINDEEZ

25

RC2

0.70%

4. BOYS RANGE

26

CORINTHIAN

0.63%

27

HORNBY

0.60%

28

GOLDEN BEAR

0.53%

29

WORLDS APART

0.43%

30

TESCO

0.41%

5. PIXEL CHIX ROOMIES

1. POWER T GUITAR COMPETITION

5. DR WHO MICRO UNIVERSE

And what have been the most advertised products in the 12 months to September according to our friends from Billets? Hasbro’s Monopoly, that’s what. But Leapfrog is to be congratulated for the effort it has put behind its Click Start computer for pre-schoolers. Its great rival VTech is not far behind with its campaign for V.Smile Baby. Flair promised big backing for its Gormiti range and has delivered just that, although the range has yet to mirror its success in its native country.

Ronnie Dungan

SPEND BY ADVERTISER

13

1. I LOVE PONIES

2.5%

1.6%

0.82

2. ANIMAL HOSPITAL 3. LOVE 2 LOVE BEARS 4. FIFI & THE FLOWERTOTS 5. CRAYOLA COLOUR EXPLOSION

TOP SPEND BY RETAILER ARGOS

3.16%

TOYS R US

3.09%

ASDA

0.81%

SAINSBURY’S

0.35%

3. CELLA

WH SMITH

0.18%

4. THOMAS POST OFFICE LOADER MEGA

WOOLWORTHS

0.14%

5. POP UP PIRATE

SMYTHS

0.06%

1. SSHH DONT WAKE DAD 2. CELLA ACCESSORY MACHINE

14

FEATURE PLANNER

2009 FEATURE PLANNER FEBRUARY 2009 EXCEL Toy Fair Show issue Nuremberg Show issue American Int. Toy Fair Preview

• • •

Editorial Deadline: November 27th Advertising Deadline: December 12th

10,000 circulation

MARCH 2009

Reviews • Show Outdoor Toys • Toy of the Year Award Winners • Science and Education Toys • Editorial Deadline: January 9th Advertising Deadline: February 13th

APRIL 2009

Boys Market Special • Games & Puzzles • Track Racing and Trains • Kids’ Magazines •Editorial Deadline: February 6th Advertising Deadline: March 13th

MAY 2009

Toymaster Show Special • Action Vehicles (inc. R/C and Die-Cast) • Pre-School • Large Dolls •Editorial Deadline: March 13th Advertising Deadline: April 10th

JUNE 2009

•

•

•

Girls Market Special Fashion Dolls Summer Movies Editorial Deadline: April 10th Advertising Deadline: May 8th

JULY 2009

•

•

•

Electronic Learning Dress-Up and Halloween Creative Play Editorial Deadline: May 8th Advertising Deadline: June 17th

AUGUST 2009

Construction Sets • Plush • Green Products •Editorial Deadline: June 17th Advertising Deadline: July 7th

ToyNews Contacts Editorial: Ronnie Dungan, +44 (0) 1992 535646, Ronnie.Dungan@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising: Adrian Miles, +44 (0) 1992 535647, Adrian.Miles@intentmedia.co.uk Fax: +44 (0) 1992 535648, Web: www.toynewsmag.com

JANUARY 2009

EVENTS

www.toynewsmag.com

15

American International Toy Fair Once the destination event for the international toy trade the February show still attracts more than 20,000 visitors and over a thousand exhibitors…

WHERE AND WHEN? February 15th-18th Javits Centre, New York www.toyassociation.org THE 106TH annual Toy Fair will open its doors on February 15th-18th 2009 at the Javits Center and showrooms in New York. More than 20,000 visitors from across the globe are expected to attend.

Although the February is no longer the must-attend international even it once was, and the TIA’s Fall show has overtaken it in terms of importance to the trade, it is still at the heart of the $22bn US marketplace and boasts more than 1,200 exhibiting companies from around the world. Over 100,000 products will be on display with at least 7,000 making their debut at the four-day show.

Sourcing new product has been simplified this year, with the recent revision of the 14 product-focused Feature Sections. Five new categories join the section line-up, including Action Figures; Educational Toys & Games; Science and Discovery Kits; Infant & Preschool Toys and Accessories; Outdoor Toys, Play Equipment, Ride-Ons & Sporting Goods; and Youth Electronics, Tech Toys, Interactive Gaming & Robotics.

Sitting alongside these, many of the remaining sections have seen name modifications.

Up to date information on safety and regulatory issues will be presented during a Safety Seminar (being held Monday Feburary 16th), and a new retail seminar will focus on how to thrive and survive in the current tough economic climate (Tuesday February 17th). Drop-In Learning Sessions will also be held daily

on the show floor.

The 9th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards will be held Sunday February 15th.

The awards salute the creativity and success of the top toy industry professionals by honouring them and the best toys developed by the international toy community. Also honoured at the event will be Joan Ganz Cooney, co-founder of Children's Television Workshop (renamed Sesame Workshop in 2000) and Jack Pressman, founder of J. Pressman & Company (Pressman Toys) who will be inducted into the 2009 Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS HONG KONG TOY AND GAMES FAIR January 5th – 8th Hong Kong Convention Centre http://hktoyfair.hktdc.com/index.htm

TOY FAIR January 28th – 31st 2009 ExCeL, London www.toyfair.co.uk

American International Toy Fair February 15th – 18th Javits Centre, New York www.toyassociation.org

ABRIN (Brazilian Toy Fair) April 14th – 17th Expo Center Norte Blue & White Pavilions. São Paulo, Brazil www.abrin.com.br

CANADIAN TOY AND HOBBY FAIR January 24th – 26th 2009 Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto www.cdntoyassn.com

SPRING FAIR February 1st – 5th 2009 Birmingham NEC www.springfair.com

TOY RUSSIA March 11th – 14th 2009 Crocus Expo, Moscow www.toy-russia.com

Toymaster May 19th – 21st Majestic Hotel, Harrogate www.toymaster.co.uk

UNIVERS D’ENFANTS January 25th – 28th 2009 Grand Hall de Villette, Paris www.univers-enfants.com

SPIELWARENMESSE February 5th – 10th 2009 Nuremberg www.spielwarenmesse.de

MIDDLE EAST TOY FAIR March 23-25th 2009 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre www.toyfairdubai.com

Got any events you would like to see added to the calendar? Email ronnie.dungan@intentmedia.co.uk JANUARY 2009

16

APPOINTMENTS

You’ve got mail FROM LEFT: Harper Collins’ Mel Beer; Polly Cochrane from WBUK and Rocket’s Michela Baiocchi

APPOINTMENTS Birkin returns with Dutch outfit, Beer pops up at Harper Collins…

Former Jumbo MD Jo Birkin has returned to the industry, setting up a UK operation for Canenco.

The Dutch-owned toys and stationery group is called Canenco in Europe and Slammer HK group in the Far East, with offices in Holland, Denmark, Germany and Hong Kong.

The plan is to create and develop generic lines under the Slammer brand. Under the brand Undercover or TCF it is one of Europe's leading developers in Disney stationery, arts and craft and bags. In Benelux it has been trading for 25 years.

The firm is owned by Martijn Kuenen, buying director and Jan-Bart Kolsteren, sales director.

Kuenen said: “We are delighted to have Jo on board as our UK director. We believe establishing a UK operation supported with a team that understands the local market is critical to our growth and future success in the UK”.

Birkin said: “Canenco have built a strong business in Europe and deliver quality product with strong licenses. I am impressed with the success to date in the UK and delighted to be a part of this business. I look forward to building a sound business that offers UK retailers quality products that secure volume sales and healthy profits all year round”.

She will start 5th January 2009 and be at the Hong Kong Toy Fair 5th to 9th January.

Polly Cochrane has left Channel 4 to join WBUK as its new VP and to head up the marketing team.

Cochrane will report to Josh Berger, president and MD at the firm and will be responsible for marketing across a range of divisions, including Warner Bros Consumer Products.

The appointment has been made as part of a strategy to maximise profitability and ensure a consistency of strategy and communications.

Cochrane will join the executive board and be accountable to the UK MDs and JANUARY 2009

senior divisional management when her activities relate to their specific business units.

Rocket Licensing’s new recruit Michela Baiocchi joins at a time of growing activity for the company and underlines the continuing expansion of the firm’s business and client base.

Baiocchi will assist in all sales and marketing activities and develop and build the portfolio, which includes Atari, The Dangerous Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls, MGM and a number of HBO brands.

Baiocchi joins from Warner Bros Entertainment Italy, where she followed up a Masters degree in Marketing Management at Milan’s Bocconi University with an internship in the consumer products division.

During her stint at Warner, Baiocchi acted as licensing assistant with the category manager team with a focus on apparel, accessories, houseware and domestic and automotive categories. She also assisted the director of agents and developing markets.

Rob Wijeratna, joint MD of Rocket said: “At a time when Rocket’s progress in the licensing world reflects its name, we were looking for someone with enthusiasm, energy, ability and intelligence to help take Rocket even further.

“Michela has all these qualities and most importantly of all, shares Rocket’s excitement in exploring the possibilities of the rapidly changing media environment.

We are delighted to welcome her to Rocket Licensing.”

Publisher HarperCollins has announced that Melanie Beer has joined the company as head of licensing and content development, children’s. She started on December 1st.

Popular industry personality Beer was most recently global merchandising and licensing director for ITV, a role she left in September.

Subject: Jo Birkin, UK Director Canenco > Good to have you back. I think a lot of people were wondering where you went after Jumbo. There was a little matter of a baby to take care of I believe?

Yes, I cannot report much rest and relaxation in the few months out of toys. Simply baby talk, playing with toys for under-ones and CBeebies. So I guess, in a way, I have been doing my research and keeping up to date with the world of toys. > I see. And you still want to come back? It’s murder out there you know?

Yes I attended the Disney conference and many suppliers I talked with were feeling cautious over 2008 final results and 2009!

However, Disney did not let me down with focus and enthusiasm for an industry that will always be here. Obviously changes are happening and the winners will be the ones that embrace opportunity and maybe reinvent themselves to stay in the game. I can see several innovative toy companies and retailers building for a bright future and whilst prudence has never been more talked about, the insustry is still alive! And I guess Canenco are proof of that, still growing despite the tough climate. Although we are very optimistic, we plan to be caution and prudent to ensure we can deliver sales and profit to both ourselves and retail. > Tell me a bit about Canenco?

Canenco is a Dutch-owned toys and stationery group called Canenco Group in Europe and Slammer HK group in the Far East, with companies in Holland, Denmark, Germany and Hong Kong. Its 75 people are creating and developing their own generic lines in the brand called Slammer. Under the brand Undercover or TCF they are one of Europe’s leading developer of Disney stationery, arts and crafts and bags. In Benelux they have been trading for 25 years.

The Slammer brand is specialised in arts and craft, stationery, dress up, bath and trend items and also develop private label or tailor made solutions for the biggest names in retail. Over the last few years they developed a major Disney partnership with pan-European rights and extended rights for the counties were they have their own offices. > Oi. No cutting and pasting :-) Doesn’t sound a million miles away from what Jumbo does. What sort of operation will it be in the UK? Just you or a small team?

For me the two are worlds apart. Jumbo is a specialist in games and puzzles and trying to hang on to heritage games whereas Canenco maximises its Disney offer and what they’re doing with product is simple innovation. They put together bespoke ranges for retailers to fit a range of solutions. I’m really energised by this opportunity even though I’ve never done anything but work with brands before. > And the UK plans?

As far as UK goes, I have one account manager, Hein Meurer, who has been looking after the UK for a little while already so he’s got great knowledge of market. But I think people want to deal with someone from this market too who has in-depth knowledge of it. So I’ll be going back to basics really and using his knowledege of the stationery sector. We first have to hit the budgets we want to hit in the first six months and then look at how we set up a UK office.

18

INDUSTRY OPINION THEN AND NOW

That was then….

We all know that nostalgia isn’t the same as it was in the old days, so Jon Salisbury was surprised when ToyNews asked him to pen some words on the changes he has seen in the toy market that have brought it to where it is today. Salisbury tried his best to avoid the maudlin in revisiting what has been his stomping ground for almost a quarter of a century, but has he succeeded? Only you can tell…

MARCH 1995 saw me edit my first edition of Toy Trader and thus began a glorious new era for toy trade journalism(!) although my first-ever issue was not without a bit of a faux pas.

In an article about Pedigree Dolls, I accidentally used a photo of a Tomy fashion doll that twirled on a base like a ballerina where a picture for Sindy should have appeared. Hey, give me a break, I thought. I was 22 years old and far more interested in playing with real girls of my age than playing with plastic replicas.

That’ll teach them to entrust the editorship to a callow youth, I thought. But it was too late and, before long, I was hooked by the glitz, glamour and intrigue of a business as endearing as the toy market, Thinking about what best sums up the differences between the toy industry of the mid-to-late ‘90s and the one of today, ‘professionalism’ and ‘innovation’ are two words that immediately come to mind.

Buyers, always a vital lynchpin in the sales process in any industry, were treated like royalty – although the fringe benefits that they were said to be offered then would make you cringe today, with sexual favours, brown envelopes and white goods being among the most popular.

The fashion doll sector continues to be a battleground for the top toy manufacturers to fight over

JANUARY 2009

No names, no pack drills. You know who you are.

Of course, it is unfair to single out the toy business as the sole purveyor of that kind of behaviour. It was another age and that was the climate back then. Employees had fewer rights and far more people would bend the rules for personal benefit.

a blow-up doll in store uniform and sat it at a till. Today, that would mean an investigation with heads rolling but, in the early ‘90s, it was common for such pranks involving bullying, sexism, ageism and even racism to go unpunished. Few people can wish for a return to that era.

My early career in publishing was

Product categories have remained amazingly consistent over my time, with basic descriptions hardly changing. True, there have been refinements, but a pre-school toy is still a pre-school toy, a doll is still a doll and a soft toy is still a soft toy.

There is greater transparency in the business world these days and the surveillance age we live in has a lot to do with it. I’m not implying anything sinister; just that it is harder to hide your mistakes or misdemeanours nowadays, innocent or otherwise, because of the trail left by computers. Surely, that has to be a good thing, doesn’t it?

Some people argue against this, citing political correctness gone mad as their defence. My partner, a senior HR professional for a retail PLC, tells the story of how staff once dressed up

dominated by writing about independent retailers and the world they moved in. I had worked on magazines such as Motorcycle Trader and Cycle Trader before the heady heights of Toy Trader beckoned. I eventually became managing editor of the retail division of that publisher.

As a result, the esoteric individuality of the specialist retailer became my speciality.

If memory serves me right, the circulation of Toy Trader in 1995 was over 8,000 copies each month, with over 6,000 of those being sent to

retailers, the vast majority of which were independents. What a contrast to today. This magazine boasts the highest circulation of any UK toy magazine, but the number of independents who receive it has been slashed.

Of course, the reasons that smaller retailers continue to struggle are legion and would demand a lengthy explanation. But, suffice to say, economies of scale proved irresistible to bargain-hungry consumers and the march of the multi-channel multiple (now, there’s a neat alliteration for you) continues to prove too much for the frail and vulnerable independent. Enough said.

Product categories have remained amazingly consistent over my time, with basic descriptions hardly changing. True, there have been refinements and sophistications within each, but a pre-school toy is still a pre-school toy, a doll is still a doll and a soft toy is still a soft toy. I always used to say, rather disingenuously, to journalists who quizzed me about the toy industry’s attempts to compete with the rise of video games that: “You can’t kick a computer around the garden or play with one in the bath” when evidence was mounting that interactive entertainment was taking over the globe.

www.toynewsmag.com

THEN AND NOW INDUSTRY OPINION

19

While parts of the industry landscape have changed dramatically over the last 25 years, many toys haven’t altered at all since yesteryear...

This is where innovation has played its part and why it has come to pass now that the two industries can coexist. Just witness The Entertainer’s successful trial in 47 stores with Nintendo’s Wii and DS: video game systems that are every bit a toy as well.

Says The Entertainer’s buying director Stuart Grant of the Nintendo experience: “It has just been unbelievable.” He adds that those products perfectly suit the store’s familyoriented target market and Nintendo agrees, investing a six-figure sum in refitting all of the stores with in-store displays including plasma screens.

Smaller stores will have one single wall bay, while the bigger stores will have double wall bays with two screens.

Some things never change, though, and the ongoing dispute in the fashion doll category continues unabated.

The Bratz/Barbie scrap is just the latest in a long line of eye scratching episodes between the contenders. One incident early on in my toy career taught me never to interfere when the gals concerned are going at it hammer and tong, for which I can finally offer my heartfelt apologies to all concerned.

Hasbro had become custodians of the British fashion doll flame, having licensed Sindy from the owners of the brand, Pedigree, and a

re-launch was imminent. I’d seen the new-look Sindy and stupidly faxed a photo to Mattel for its comment, never stopping for a moment to consider the far-reaching implications of what I was doing... and the proverbial hit the fan.

I pleaded ignorance when challenged by Jim Andrews, then sales director of Hasbro in the UK. Of course, he knew I was to blame and I can only hope that, all these years later, Jim can forgive me for being such a plonker.

Fast forward to 1994 and Sindy was hurting Mattel and was within one market share point of Barbie. And John Harper, now at Hasbro but then MD of Mattel UK, had secured major investment from HQ in El Segundo to mount Barbie’s most aggressive ever marketing campaign on these shores under the rather unsubtle code name ‘Kill Sindy,’ with a focus on lowerpriced dolls. The results were dramatic, sales flew and the rest is history.

That Mattel came out with its guns blazing when it sensed a guilty party in the latest attack on its most famous brand came as no surprise to anyone with any experience of dealing with the company over the years. There is nothing more dangerous than a brand with its back against the wall in this industry.

JANUARY 2009

THE TOY INDUSTRY’S SHOWCASE

TOYFAIR 09 WED 28TH TO SAT 31ST JANUARY 2009. EXCEL, LONDON

FEATURING PLAYMOBIL• JAMES GALT • INTERPLAY • LEARNING RESOURCES • BODEN BOO GAMES• MARBEL• PAUL LAMOND• ROBBIE TOYS • TRIMEX

AND MANY MORE

4 A whole myriad of gift ideas 4 Classic and modern toys 4 Specialist crafts and hobbies 4 Nursery goods 4 Educational toys 4 Collectibles and models 4 Die-cast and railways 4 Traditional board games and puzzles 4 Interactive games and learning 4 Wooden Toys 4 Outdoor games and products 4 Fancy dress costumes and accessories

Pre-register for your FREE visitor entry badge at: www.toyfair.co.uk. Or receive a registration form by calling the hotline on 02476 426471 or by faxing us at 02476 426524.

For further information on exhibiting and sponsorship contact: Simon Pilling, Fairs and Events Manager, by telephone: +44 (0)20 7701 7127 or by email: simon@btha.co.uk Unfortunately members of the public are unable to attend.

TNj

www.toynewsmag.com

SUPPLIER FOCUS RUSSIMCO

21

Wind-up merchants Russimco is carving a niche for itself in the science and educational market – in particular with its range of Ecotronic battery-free wind-up electronic toys.

Ronnie Dungan fired some questions at director Sim Oram to find out more…

Can you give us a bit of background on Russimco and Gazebo?

Russimco is based near Bridgwater in the West Country and was founded by me and my brother Sam in 1993, initially sourcing products from Eastern Europe and importing them to the UK. Far from the days when we specialised in mainly wooden toys, the portfolio has now changed and has a focus on bringing innovative new concepts to market that are not seen from other firms in the UK. Myself and my colleague Richard Bowman pride ourselves on new innovation and have a strong ethos of helping make the world a better place through providing toys that enhance good old-fashioned play values and have a real feeling of yesteryear. We’re also focused on creating new innovative lines that have ground breaking qualities, such as the Ecotronic Toys range.

In 2002 Russimco incorporated Gazebo Games, an established games and puzzle manufacturer, also based in the South West. During 2008 all the Gazebo product lines were bought under the Russimco banner.

How would you classify the firm?

I guess ‘niche’ is the correct way to describe Russimco. We pride ourselves in thinking outside of the box when it comes to toys. This was certainly the case with Ecotronic, which is a project that is close to my heart. When this was launched no other toy company was offering such a product. You have to ask yourself why no-one has thought about battery-less electronic

Nearly everyone who has seen the Ecotronic range has been really impressed.

The eco-friendly packaging helps. toys before. When looking into the details of how many batteries end up in landfill sites each year in the UK alone, I was appalled and knew that we would make a real difference if we could create a dynamo powered range.

What sort of year has it been for Russimco?

I think any company that says 2008 has not been tough would not be being entirely truthful. We had a lot of new innovation and development to pay for with the launch of the Ecotronic range, but this has paid off. The collection has been really well received and we certainly could have sold more had we been able to supply greater numbers. But, as with most new collections we had to apply a degree of caution. Now we feel more confident for 2009 and have extended the range.

Our Retro Games have also done particularly well. We have a huge selection and the prices are really good, meaning that even in the current climate they have sold well.

Do the current economic conditions pose more of a threat to toys that are not so mainstream?

As long as we have distribution then I do not feel the current climate will affect us more than any other toy company. The fact is that we have not TV-advertised in the past and our products don’t warrant it. But they are toys and games that people instantly want to buy when they see them in store. There is a real point of difference about everything we do and this constant innovation and development will help keep us buoyant even at times like this.

What sort of stores stock your product outside of toy specialists?

Right across the board really, we have many independent accounts and also we have been really popular with gift shops and the gift buyers of department store. But the introduction of Ecotronic has taken us firmly in to majors and multiple territory.

What has been the reaction to the Ecotronic range?

Fabulous! The media really embraced the story and we have had loads of coverage for all products in the range.

It’s been exciting but it’s the retail buyer, and ultimately the consumer, that we have to impress. Nearly everyone who has seen the collection has been really impressed. The fact that items are packaged in eco-friendly packaging helps too. The packaging has certainly helped reinforce the whole ethos of this being a range of environmentally conscious products.

JANUARY 2009

2009 Master Toy Range

TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights (©) JKR. (s08)

© & TM Ardman Animations ltd 2007. All rights reserved.

TM & © 2008 Nintendo.

TM & © Novel Entertainment Limited 2008.

re:creation group plc. | tel: +44 (0) 118 973 6222 | email: sales@recreationplc.com | web: www.recreationplc.com

New Range

launching Spring 2009

Pokemon : 60 pieces 4 to collect!

Disney Princess : 60 pieces 4 to collect! © Disney

High School Musical 3 : 96 pieces © Disney

Ben 10 : 96 pieces

Spongebob Squarepants : 240 pieces

Hannah Montana : 96 pieces

© 2008 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© Disney

The World on v-stand : 540 pieces

The Simpsons Family : 240 pieces THE SIMPSONS™ ©2006 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Sales Hotline 01869 363800

sales@ravensburger.com

Historical World on v-stand : 540 pieces

The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

Toys and licensing

News

Page 28

Pages 26-27

BTHA’s Director General, Roland Earl looks at the formula for creating successful licensed toys...

Nick Phillips leaves as Entertainment Rights restructures, 4Kids secures licences for Dinosaur King and Chaotic, Chorion teams up with Comic Relief...

26

LICENSINGNEWS

IN BRIEF MATTEL GIVEN THE BIRD BBC Worldwide has awarded Mattel’s Fisher-Price the master toy licence for 3rd & Bird.

The product line will debut in spring/summer 2010 in the UK, with roll-out in other markets, including the US, expected to follow.

Under the licence, Fisher-Price has global rights (excluding Asia) to develop pre-school, infant and toddler toys including plastic figurines, toys, vehicles, playsets and plush.

Mattel: 01628 500000

KOALAS SAY CIAO Spellbound Entertainment has signed two new broadcast deals in Italy for the Koala Brothers.

State broadcaster RAI 2 has bought the first three series plus the 46minute Christmas special, The Koala Brothers Outback Christmas. The deal was brokered by Lilium Distribution.

Disney Channel in Italy has also taken cable and satellite rights for the series and has signed up for all 78 episodes, plus the Christmas special.

Spellbound: 0207 483 2172

NUMBERJACKS ADDS UP Open Mind Productions’ Numberjacks has been commissioned for a second series by the BBC. Since launching in the UK in 2006, Numberjacks has achieved strong ratings on Cbeebies, regularly achieving audience figures in excess of 450,000 viewers. DVD sales are in excess of 175,000 units and its magazine is also performing well.

Open Mind: 0845 890 9192

HAWKS STORM AHEAD The boy’s action property Storm Hawks claimed the number one spot on GMTV Kid’s Action Stations block with an average 85,000 viewers per day. The figures equate to 6.7 per cent of the total audience and 11 per cent of boys aged four to nine years-old.

Storm Hawks is licensed in the UK by Target Entertainment Group and has five toy lines in the marketplace, manufactured by master toy licensee, Spin Master.

Target: 0870 164 7474

MORE W&G PROMOS Aardman’s brand partnered with BBC One, Kingsmill and Pyrex to celebrate the firm’s new TV special.

The deals promoted the new Christmas special, A Matter of Loaf and Death, which was broadcast on BBC1.

In the run up to transmission, the characters will feature as the face of the channel in a series of idents, created and produced by Aardman, and the campaign will run over the Christmas holidays.

Aardman: 0117 9848 485

JANUARY 2009

Phillips departs as ER begins restructuring programme Chief executive of the firm steps down as 22 jobs are cut in an attempt to reduce costs

by Katie Roberts NICK PHILLIPS’ departure from Entertainment Rights last month came just eight months after he replaced long-standing boss Mike Heap in March and signalled efforts to turn around the fortunes of the firm.

A spokesman for the beleaguered company said: “Nick’s departure was extremely amicable and it was mutually acknowledged that ER needs a leader with specific experience within children’s IP and the specific ability to help the turnaround process that is already in motion.”

Entertainment Rights’ balance sheet has been under pressure recently and the firm issued two profit warnings in as many months at the end of last year. The difficulties culminated in a £1m emergency loan

ER needs a leader with specific experience within children’s IP. in August last year and an operating loss of £105m for the first eight months of 2008.

Phillips’ exit followed the news that the UK firm is cutting around 22 jobs, or a fifth of its workforce, in order to reduce debt. The restructuring was planned during the announcement of interim results in October.

The spokesperson explained: “The company said in interim results in October that it would seek to reduce overheads by around £5 million by year-end in order to weather the current economic condition. The inevitable and deeply regrettable consequence is that there will be some job losses. This is not a situation that the company takes lightly.”

Phillips left on December 5th and will be the company’s second boss to leave within a year, following the departure of Mike Heap in March.

ER: 0208 762 6200

More Dino licences and Chaotic deals for 4kids 4KIDS HAS secured additional licences – including Upper Deck as the licensing programme continues to grow.

Upper Deck is set to produce sticker packs and albums for launch in September 2009 in a number of key European countries including UK, Germany, France, Nordic and Eastern European territories.

The expanding list of licensees also includes Tennessee in France for stationery, Tournon in France and Benelux for publishing, Pyramid Posters in the UK for posters, The Cookie Company in Germany, Austria and Sweden for apparel, Sun City in France and Benelux for apparel, Ares Films in France for home entertainment, BIP Holland in Germany for confectionary and Blue Ocean in Germany for publishing.

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, MD of 4Kids, said: “Upper Deck continues to increase its line of quality Dinosaur King products as the television

series gains more popularity throughout Europe.

“Kids are going to love the Dinosaur King sticker packs and album and we look forward to seeing it hit store shelves next year.”

Meanwhile, on the back of MIPCOM 2008, the firm has announced new deals for Chaotic with broadcasters in France and UK.

The first season of Chaotic is now scheduled to launch on Gulli TV in France, Rede TV in Brazil and Jetix in the UK, beginning in the first quarter of 2009.

The property’s second season, Chaotic: M’Arrillian Invasion, has also been renewed by Teletoon in Canada and Jetix in Latin America.

According to Brian Lacey, executive VP at 4Kids, broadcast sales of the series in Germany, Italy and other markets are expected to be closed imminently.

Produced in high definition, the series chronicles the adventures of two teenage boys who discover a fascinating trading card game that transports them into a multidimensional world of action and adventure.

The series’ global broadcast line-up already includes the US, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Portugal, South Africa and Singapore, among others.

4Kids: 0207 297 5980

LICENSINGNEWS

www.licensing.biz

27

Chorion brings Comic Relief

IN BRIEF

Iconic Mr Men characters to promote TV comedy telethon and aid fundraising

HALSALL MAKES FIFI MUSIC

by Katie Roberts

Halsall has been awarded the licence to manufacture and distribute musical toys based on Fifi and the Flowertots.

The range will launch in autumn/winter 2009. With brandrelevant designs and many unique special tooled lines, the new offering includes a Fifi Flower Microphone, Saxophone, Sing-along Headset, Petal Jammer, Band Set, Guitar and Mic Set, Sing-along Keyboard and CD Player.

Andrew Coplestone, marketing director, said: “This exciting deal caps a great year for Halsall with Fifi, as the brand continues to go from strength to strength.”

Halsall: 01253 778888

CHORION’S MR Men and Little Miss brands will be the leading the promotion of this year’s Comic Relief as part of the charity’s 2009 Early Years fundraising activity.

The characters will feature on www.rednoseday.com/earlyyears, as well as in the Early Years Kits, which will be distributed to groups across the UK in the build up to Red Nose Day this year.

The brand’s involvement will be further strengthened by the publication early 2009 of a new Mr Funny story, with £2 from each book sale going to the charity.

Mr Funny’s Red Nose Day is being written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves and published by Egmont on February 2nd.

John Collins, Chorion’s senior marketing manager for Europe, commented: “We are absolutely delighted that the Mr Men and Little

Misses will be able to support such a worthy cause. There is a character for everyone, so each child will easily relate to one who will inspire them in their fundraising efforts.”

Michele Settle, marketing director of Comic Relief, added: “Mr Funny has been on our radar for a while, so Comic Relief is thrilled to have the Mr Men brand on board. There’s a lot of synergy between what we do and the thinking behind Mr Funny’s Red Nose Day. It’s all about cheering people up, for a good cause.”

Red Nose Day 2009 will take place on Friday March 13th.

Chorion: 0207 061 3800

MV signs Goochicoo ranges THE NEW deal will see the company producing an irresistible range of Goochicoo plush toys and doll accessories.

Licensees have been quick to realise the brand’s potential and Bulldog has already secured deals with Izziwotnot for branded bedding, Poetic Gem for baby apparel and Kiss HK for wooden toys.

Tommee Tippee is carrying the brand on infant feeding lines and greetings cards are being distributed nationwide by UK Greetings.

Further announcements are expected shortly after strong interest from visitors to the recent Brand Licensing Europe show.

Bulldog MD Rob Corney said: “To be adding a firm of MV’s stature to an ever expanding list of Goochicoo licensees is testament to the brand’s massive appeal. We are dealing with a steady stream of queries about Goochicoo and there are sure to be plenty more deals to come.”

MV Sports: 0121 748 8000

TRENDS SNIFFS OUT SKUNK Trends UK has taken on the exclusive distribution rights for the Skunk Fu! Toy range.

The collection is due to hit shelves from Q1 2009 and Galleon will support the launch with marketing initiatives including a national TV campaign that will run through February.

The distribution deal with Trends follows the exclusive deal in the US with Zizzle Toys. The range has been developed by Croco Worldwide, Galleon’s toy division.

Trends UK: 01865 893235

INTERPLAY GETS DANGEROUS The BBC has released the first image for its big new pre-school hope, Waybuloo.

The 100 x 20-minute series, announced earlier this year, is a unique mix of animation and live action.

Production has started in Scotland and Canada and the series is scheduled to broadcast in 2009.

The series transports children into a magical

land called Nara – a real world, which is inhabited by animated characters called Piplings.

Taking what the creators believe is a completely original approach, Waybuloo focuses on children’s feelings, and the Piplings embody a range of emotions including love, wisdom, happiness and harmony – all in search of Waybuloo.

Interplay has signed up Rocket Licensing’s Dangerous Book for Boys property.

The science and nature specialist is creating a range of science and model-making kits, all drawn from the best selling books created by Conn and Hal Iggulden.

Interplay’s managing director, Ross Ainsworth commented: “The book is full of experiments and projects many of which are to be reproduced in our range of special Dangerous Books for Boys products.

Interplay: 01628 488344

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JANUARY 2009

28

LICENSING OPINION

A symbiotic relationship Toys and licensing have always had a natural kind of fit, with each helping drive the other’s business and bringing in large amounts of sales. Roland Earl, director general of the BTHA, explains why and offers some pointers on how to make this special relationship work to the best advantage…

THE TOY and licensing industries started to interact with each other more than 50 years ago, when Sir Stanley ‘Wizard of Dribble’ Matthews ‘recommended’ New Footy Table Soccer and, since then, a much closer relationship has developed between the two, much to the financial benefit of both sides.

More than 25 per cent of toys (by value) sold in the UK these days are character licences in one shape or form. The relationships between the licensing and toy businesses are well established and important for both sectors. About ten per cent of all attendees to Toy Fair are licensors and over 40 per cent of all visitors to Brand Licensing Europe are interested in toys.

Richard Hollis, head of licensing at BBC Worldwide, has been quoted (in The Licensing Source Book Europe Autumn 2008) as saying licensed product does three things: “It extends the narrative, it offers play potential or it demonstrates allegiance”. The reason that toys in particular are such a powerful product partner for so many licences is because – when made well – they can perform all three of these functions.

There is, of course, great potential for licensed toys to succeed, often for many years, with customers. It is important, however, that newcomers to the licensing industry are aware that simply applying a licence to a toy is by no means a guarantee for success. In fact, the same commercial

Roland Earl: “There is great potential for licensed toys to succeed”

pitfalls exist for licensed toys as they do for any toys. And sometimes there are even greater risks associated with

marketing behind that brand and the assumption that kids will still be in love with the brand when the toys hit the market. Equally, there is a risk for licensors in their selection of toy categories and partners.

Having said that, there are processes that manufacturers can follow and questions they can ask to help them create a successful toy and partnership.

For licensed toys to work well for all parties, they must use the licence sensitively, appropriately and creatively. Manufacturers need to be sensitive to the brand, the tastes of the child and the perception and approval of parents.

The toy must be as appealing to the child as the brand they are buying into.

Choose a licence that’s right for your company and your buyers: the

For licensed toys to work well, they must use the licence sensitively, appropriately and creatively. Manufacturers need to be sensitive to the brand, the tastes of the child and the approval of parents.

Roland Earl, BTHA launching a licensed toy, as children’s tastes are so hard to predict and change rapidly.

There is a risk that manufacturers could become reliant to a certain degree on influences outside their control: the success of the brand, the

right fit can make for a great toy, played with by children and appreciated by parents. The wrong one can cause problems for both sides, including simply not selling. In such a competitive market, even great fits don’t always sell well.

A licence can manifest itself in many different ways through toys – from action figures and collectibles for children, through to board games for all the family. Licences can cross the adult/child market very effectively – parents often like characters they remember from their youth and these can transcend the generations.

Use the existing IP as effectively as possible. For example, you may wish to take a literal transposition of the licence where players can effectively recreate the storyline of a film, comic, book or television programme where the licence was sourced.

Use your imagination and work with partners to stretch the possibilities for the licensed plaything you create. It is possible to develop a very different take on the original licence if you think it will work better with your product and your customers. For example, you could use popular characters in a different way to attract customers to take a fresh look at an activity – anything from crafts to bicycles.

Be creative in thinking of ways as to how the application of the licence may enhance the play value in your toys.

Licensors and toy makers are all welcome to this year’s Toy Fair, which takes place from January 28th-31st at ExCeL in London. To register for a visitor pass, please visit www.toyfair.co.uk.

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SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

31

Spring into action

Spring Fair ‘09 takes place at The NEC, Birmingham from January 31st to February 5th. ToyNews offers you a guide to the popular event...

JANUARY 2009

32

SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

Toy hall exhibitors EXHIBITOR A M International Agencies A.B Gee Aa Publishing Abracardabra Abscissa.Com Absolute Fireworks Alsuna Amerang Armadillo Imports Asia Crafts Aspin Management Systems Aurora World UK Award Publications Bad Taste Bears Bananagrams BBC Worldwide Bead Shop UK Bear Bear & Bear Bellco (Sports) Best Years Bigjigs Bladez Toyz Bontempi - Comus UK Brainstorm Brigitte Rive Brio Bristol Novelty Brite Power International British Historic Toys Tyme Again Brookite Bbtradesales Bv Leisure C & A Scientific Canenco Carta Mundi (UK) Channel Island Toys Charlie Bears Charlie Crow Costumes Charl's Toys Cheadle Royal Industries Cheatwell Games Childs Play International Chelford International China 2 West Circa Circa Clever Little Ideas Club Rugs Coiled Spring Games Colour History Craftpacks International Supplies Crafty Kids John Crane Crazee Thingz Creative Conceptions Cuckoo Davies Products Dean's Ragbook Company (1903) Cesar UK Deluxebase

JANUARY 2009

STAND 5C29 5B35 5C80 4A23 5C64 5J50 5A50 5F70 5H62 5L55 5J43 5E32 5A58 5D07 5D61 5C17 5B30 5F49 5C15 5B76 5A18 5J85 5D71 5A61 5E35 5B32 5B60 5C06 5B13 5A10 5B15 5F76 5C24 5H65 5A36 5D29 5C66 5B71 5B11 5G51 5A6 5A14 5J61 5D06 5J65 4B01 5D65 5D11 5H49 5J77 4L10 5A39 5D23 5A54 5A80 5H58 5C22 5E09 5A70

EXHIBITOR Depesche UK The Diabolical Gift People Discount Radio And Watch Co Dkl Marketing Doodlebugz Poster Art & Jigsaws Double G Dowman Imports Dress Fantastic Dsl Lanka Duval Trading E H Caswell Enchantmints Eqd Ernest The Bear Productions Esdevium Games Fancy Dress Warehouse Fia Toys Fiesta Crafts Fink Cards Flair Leisure Products Florian Flying Toys Folkmanis Puppets Frilly Lily Funshack Funnyman Products Funtime Gifts Funtosee Gear For Games Gibsons Games Gift House International Ginger Fox Golden Bear Products Gotz Dolls Of Germany Great Gizmos The Green Board Game Co Haba UK Peter Haddock Halilit Handeslhaus Legler Hansa Toy International Heritage Playing Card Company Hermann Teddy/Gebr Hermann Hj Figurer A/S Holland Publishing The House Of Crafts The House Of Puzzles Traditional Garden Games/Ibs Imagination Games Imc Toys (UK) The In Thing Insect Lore Instant Gifts Interplay (UK) Itm Leisure Jack In The Box James Hamilton Grovely Puzzles Jaydee Enterprises John Hornby Skewes

STAND 5G70 5F60 5G77 5C38 4L10 5B61 5A4 5F29 5H72 5B45 5F57 5B72 5B19 5C33 5F67 5C64 5B42 5A49 5J83 5C21 5H68 5A41 5B18 5D13 5E07 5D76 5F77 5F53 5B57 5A5 5E46 5C13 5D4 5C36 5D58 5D10 5D55 5E50 5D35 5D08 5C02 5D67 5C26 5F10 5B29 5A68 5D65 5D09 5H70 5F51 5C11 5C04 5E78 5A45 5B24 5C27 5B63 5J62 5D81

EXHIBITOR John Adams Trading Co John Hinde Jumbo Games Kayes Of Cardiff Kitfix Swallow Group The Kuckoo Company Lanka Kade Le Toy Van Learning Resources Lexigifts The Little Experience Little Black Dog Lonpos Love That Pony Lucy Locket Manhattan Toy Europe Marbel Mayhem UK Melissa & Doug Merrythought Millars Ark Toys Modo Uk Mookie Toys Moulin Roty (UK) Mumbo Jumbo Toys The Music Sales Group The Noble Collection The Noonoo Design Company The Novelty Gift Company Oasis Art And Craft Products Only 4 U Orange Tree Toys Orchard Toys Oxford Diecast Paladone Products Palmer Agencies Pam's Of Gainsborough Paper Magic Group Paper Projects Paul Lamond Games Peers Hardy Penguin Books Personalised Gifts The Pink Toolbox Company The Playwrite Group Posh Paws Premier Halloween Professor Puzzle The Puppet Company Quay Imports Rainbow Designs Ravensden Ravensburger Rebel Toys Revell Royal Brush Manufacturing Rubies Masquerade Russ Berrie (UK) Russimco

STAND 5E51 5C58 5J63 5C23 5A46 5H76 5A55 5A49 5D37 5C43 4B56 5A60 5E37 5J60A 5C74 5E48 5A26 5F65 5F48 5H67 5A30 5H60 5D72 5D39 5D38 5A01 5G62 4C04 5D18 5C60 5A38 5B04 5B59 5C08 5F47 5F30 5C30 5E62 5C50 5E58 5B27 5B69 5E44 5A64 5B36 5F52 5E01 5C67 5A73 5A63 5D30 5D60 5C01 5A20 5E19 5B78 5A21 5D40 5C05

EXHIBITOR

STAND

Sandylion Sticker Designs

5B16

Sanrio

5D32

Sawley Fine Arts

5B1

Schleich

5B65

School Days

5H74

Science And Nature

5B75

Scx

5H78

Second Chance

5H42

Smiffy's

5E4

Spencer And Fleetwood

5B26

Spike Leisurewear

5D15

Spirit Of Air

5E77

Get Retro

5A15

Star Images Enterprises

5D66

Eb Brands

5C71

Margate Steiff

5E20

Steiner

5F33

Stepping Stones Marketing

5J73

Foxground (The Strawberry Group)

5A78

Sugar Gifts

5D45

Susan Prescot Games

5F62

Tantrix UK

5B25

Tapball

5F74

Tasma Products

5H64

Teaching Resources

5C65

Teaching Off The Wall

5J65

Thumbs Up

5C20

Timberkits

5G50

Tkc Sales

5C44

Tobar

5D26

Toddletime

5F55

Top Century Enterprises

5E34

Toys And Fine Things

5B49

Toyway

5A09

Tractorland Travis Designs

5J71 5D25

Treats And Treasures

4F63

Trousellier

5D54

Ty UK

5D20

Uk Import Corporation

5B40

University Games Uk

5A65

Vesutor

5B14

Webbs

5F32

Where Is Moldova? By Seager Games 5J81 Who's Poorly Too

5H66

Wicked Costumes

5G77A

Wild Republic (UK)

5C40

Wilton Bradley

5G58

Wind Designs

5F72

Winning Moves UK

5F63

Wizard

5B43

Wow Toys

5A44

Wow! Stuff

5D43

Zap

5F46

Zeon Character

5C10

Zeon Tech

5C14

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SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

33

Show floor plan

JANUARY 2009

SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

www.toynewsmag.com

RAVENSBURGER

Ravensburger will expand its children’s puzzle ranges for all key licences in spring 2009. The range features characters from NPD’s top ten toy licences and the company’s strategy is to build on this success.

The adult puzzle range will be boosted by 25 new titles, with key items for spring/summer including new High School Musical and Disney titles, specially commissioned nostalgic scenes, comic illustrations and the Cat Conundrums.

2009 is the 50th birthday of Memory and Ravensburger is planning a year of celebrations to support the game.

Spring will see the launch of online activity targeted at children to raise awareness of the game, a nationwide competition and a major charity tie-in planned for later in the year.

WINNING MOVES 5F63 Following the acquisition of the Dora the Explorer licence, Winning Moves will launch a Juniors Dora the Explorer Top Trumps pack at Spring Fair (£2.49).

In addition, the firm has launched a Ben 10 Pit and Hello Kitty-themed pack of Waddingtons Number 1 playing cards (£2.99).

The latest football Top Trumps include Hull City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester and Everton football clubs and retail at £3.99.

Winning Moves recently signed a deal with the Press Association for Summit Showdown, boosting its awareness and popularity among newspaper readers with a puzzle format featured in newspapers around the country each week.

The Clinic, a magazine questionnaire-style game launched late in 2008, is aimed at women who are interested in celebrity gossip and it retails at £14.99.

5C01

The firm has also paired character licences with the picture matching game concept and 2009 will see two new licences on display at Toy Fair, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Power Rangers Jungle Fury. In addition Disney Fairies Memory will follow the release of the Disney Fairies film on DVD and will feature heart-shaped cards.

The 3D puzzling concept Puzzleball will also see new additions to the range.

Two new Ben 10 Puzzleballs will be added, along with designs featuring Hello Kitty, Pokemon, SpongeBob SquarePants and High School Musical 3.

Ice Age 3 is the latest licence to be signed by Ravensburger and the range will include a 96-piece Puzzleball, a mammoth-sized and shaped floor puzzle, a three-in-a-box puzzle set and an XXL 100-piece puzzle.

IMAGINATION GAMES

Imagination Games is exhibiting at Spring Fair for the first time in 2009.

The firm has experienced strong sales across a range of its products including Top Gear, Catchphrase DVD, Planet Earth DVD, Battle of the Sexes and Tetris 3D Puzzle.

2009 will see the company focus on expanding its distribution points.

Strong margins, a flexible approach to opportunities and a number of projects in the pipeline devised to drive marketing efforts to cover a broader base will help to further growth over the next year.

GIBSON GAMES

35

5A5

Gibsons will launch a range of children’s puzzles entitled My World in 2009. The planet-friendly puzzles are made with recycled board and manufactured in Britain, meaning they have a relatively small carbon footprint.

The range was produced in conjunction with the child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer, ensuring that the range is developmentally appropriate at every stage for the child, linking to the Early Learning Goals and National Curriculum.

The range consists of eight puzzles aimed at pre-schoolers and will be available from January. Each box features a slot to allow children to post the pieces back into it.

The adult ranges see the launch of eight National Trust jigsaws. These 250 and 1,000 piece puzzles include imagery of the vast collection of property,

5H70

Imagination covers all categories from adults to children, with a number of products lending themselves to the gifting market. The Top Gear Ultimate board game encompasses the show, while Beat the Parents is an adult versus kids trivia quiz. There’s also the Battle of the Sexes – Brit quiz, which is a gender-based game that determines which sex rules Britain.

The Planet Earth DVD recreates the wonderful scenes from the BBC documentary and allows the family to work together to build a puzzle scene from the series.

landscape, wildlife and coastline that the Trust is responsible for.

Over 50 other puzzles in varying piece counts will be launched over the year from a number of different artists.

Following the Shopping Baskets range will be Sweet Memories, four new puzzles showing the confectionary brands of the 1940s, ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Also new are four 1,000-piece photographic puzzles featuring images from around Britain.

Other new additions include a complete range of classic games such as Backgammon, Chess, Mah Jongg and Dominoes. Each set is complete with a black faux leather case with white stitching. The chess sets include carved Indian chess pieces and an inlaid board.

Also in the line-up is a three-in-one mini travel set with metal playing pieces for backgammon, chess and draughts.

INTERPLAY 5A45

Interplay will unveil many new products at Spring Fair, with an increase in its existing ranges, plus a new licensed collection. Drawn from The Dangerous Book for Boys, the new series consists of science projects and classic model kits, mirroring the spirit of the books.

The Dangerous Book for Boys Discovery Kits are designed to look like old-fashioned books from the outside, but contain experiments inside. There are five to choose from, including producing anti-gravitational forces, creating bound rocket balls and science tricks.

Priced at £4.99, the kits are aimed at the gift and impulse buying market. To complement the range, Interplay is producing two model kits that reproduce the heavy artillery of the 1st and 13th centuries, drawing inspiration from the book.

New products will also be introduced from the Wild Science, Living World and Girls’ Technokits.

JANUARY 2009

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SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

BRAINSTORM

Brainstorm has been appointed as the exclusive UK and ROI distributor of the Smartlab range of products. Toy and Spring Fair will be the major launch date for the collection.

Kids can learn about the anatomy of a Great White Shark with the snaptogether Shark Model and a book full of shark facts, while The Human Body kit gives a guided tour of the human body, complete with a human body model.

The Remote Control Rocket is complete with launch pad, remote launcher and a book full of space travel information.

The Voice Changer kit enables kids to choose between a squeaky, scary, robotic or booming voice, while learning about the science of sound. The Double Security Safe allows kids to build a safe with secret code.

2009 will also see Brainstorm launch a variety of Natural History Museum

RUSSIMCO 5C05

All the titles in Russimco’s Retro Games collection are designed to retain an authentic feel and a range of new titles will be launched in 2009.

The Classic Game of Leap Frog is a circular board game for two players in which they race to get all their counters on the board. A traditional spinner is used instead of dice.

The Steeple Chase Game is for up to four players and challenges players to race their horses to the finishing post.

Russimco will also be exhibiting the Ecotronic Toy range, the electronic games and gadgets that require manpower to make them operate. It includes torches and toys that require no batteries and use dynamos to power them. Now bath toys are to be added to the Ecotronic collection, with the inclusion of a colourful Tug Boat and Submarine. They work underwater and are sealed to withstand the water.

JANUARY 2009

5A61 products. Earth Globe contains a detailed 30cm modern globe and a poster with a reproduction of a map from 1787 with details of ten voyages of exploration.

The Animal Detective is an animal spotting games with a 50cm inflatable globe and 68 cue cards.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex Scan is a scanner that gives kids an under-the-skin look at a T-Rex skeleton. It includes an informative poster.

Alongside this, the Glow 3D Dinosaurs are huge, glow in the dark and come in three styles.

Brainstorm’s Original Glowstars Company brand will launch three new Glow box sets, offering retailers a higher price point of £10-20. Glow Superstars includes over 500 stars and shapes. The Glow Solar System Kit is a mobile construction kit with hundreds of stars.

Glow Creations Project, Draw and Glow enables kids to create their own stickers and pictures and add glow in the dark elements.

The firm’s Glow 3D range benefits from the addition of two new licences – Barbie and Hello Kitty. Scary Glow will also launch later in the year for Halloween.

Two new science products are also on the way from the Uncle Milton Explore It! brand.

CRAZEE THINGZ

Bedlam Puzzles has announced a brand change of its Bedlam Cube, which will become The Crazee Cube from 2009. The reason for the re-brand is two-fold.

Firstly, there is a limited audience that understands the meaning of ‘Bedlam’, particularly among younger and international customers. Crazy or ‘Crazee’ has a much wider understanding.

Secondly, it makes sense to bring the product into the Crazee range, which now stands at around 40 products and continues to grow.

Crazee Thingz, the sister company of Bedlam Puzzles, is less than two years old. Both are owned by entrepreneur Danny Bamping and his 23 Acorns Group. In 2008, Crazee was appointed

DKL

5C38

Corolle Dolls has expanded its collection with new Babicorolle small and large rag dolls in vibrant outfits.

There are also additions to the Mon Premier Range of dolls, including new Calin Dolls, Calin Cheerful Lavender, a re-vamped Calin Darling and many more. Tidoo Dolls has new dolls such as Tidoo Graceful and Tidoo Bright.

New to the Les Classiques range is the Marie Doll, a 42cm interactive doll that speaks six languages.

Wonderworld and softwood toys will see the addition of more Eco products such as the Eco Town Game. The new, two-storey Modern House comes complete with a family of three dolls.

The Mini Vehicles Range will see the new Mini Taxi and Mini Sport as well as the new Mini Garage.

The Softwood Nursery Range sees the inclusion of The Gardening Set, complete with tools and bendable flowers. The new Activity Cushion

5D23

the exclusive distributor of Rhino Toys for UK and Ireland.

On show at Spring Fair will be Rhino’s Oball, a ball that can be played with inside and out. Other Rhino toys give the company a summer product range.

Crazee has also secured a licence with Marvel to create Crazee Puzzle Heads for Spider-Man and Iron Man. Other licences include Tate & Lyle, with the Create a Crazee Golden Syrup Tin. These products feature the unique rotating mechanism that Crazee Thingz owns the global rights to, which can turn virtually any object into a 3-D mobile puzzle.

The Bedlam Cube will not be sold to trade after the 23rd December 2008 and remaining stock will be sold exclusively online.

includes a mirror, ball and noises including crinkles, beeps and rattles.

Hama Beads offers bead craft kits, including Disney licences. Hama has a range of accessories, assortments of beads, pegboards and design booklets.

New to the large Hama gift sets are Disney Cars, Woodland Friends and the new Lacing sets.

Viking Toys has expanded its Chubbies plastic vehicle line. New Vehicles, Chubbies and play sets will be presented at the show.

WALL-E and Disney Princess are two of the new licences that Uniset’s Magic Stickers will be heralding at Spring Fair.

Each Magic Stickers set comprises a background which stickers are placed on to create a scene that can be changed by peeling the stickers off and moving.

All products can be seen featured in consumer marketing campaigns and Hama will be on TV over Easter.

SCHLEICH 5B65

Schleich will launch a range of new figures and play sets at Toy Fair.

A number of new figures will join the World of Elves line-up including Nimsay, Vialis and Surah. Each figure features wings and clothing symbolic of their people. Each elf comes with a unique extra such as a horse for Surah and a pink lily pad for Vialis.

A host of new figures has been added to the Wildlife, Farm Life and World of Knights ranges. Each figure is produced with a careful attention to detail.

Schleich has a following of collectors in countries worldwide and will support retailers further this year with new display units, point of sale materials and a PR programme throughout the consumer press.

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SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

GOLDEN BEAR

Golden Bear’s new brand, the In the Night Garden nursery collection, will target children from six to 18 monthsold, with an emphasis on entertaining while developing basic skills.

The range will comprise a mixture of fabric and plastic products based on the characters and graphics from the programme.

The Peppa Pig series will be extended in 2009 to include new wooden products based on Peppa and her family. The range will reflect themes from the animation.

GREEN BOARD GAMES 5D10 Green Board Games will be introducing 12 new games at Spring Fair. The BrainBox range will be increased to include new titles – Nature, USA Presidents, Olympics, Inventions, London and Maths.

There will also be two new licensed BrainBox products.

Art BrainBox will be produced in conjunction with The National Gallery and Manchester United fans will be tested with their very own Man-U BrainBox. To continue on the theme of licensed products, Green Board Games will be announcing another game in its Natural History Museum range. Dinosaurs! will join Dinosaur Snap and Dinosaur BrainBox. Dinosaurs! is a board game where players evolve through the age of the dinosaurs, starting in the Triassic Period and reaching the end of the Cretaceous Period – the winner is whoever evolves the fastest.

Wordigo, Joggle and Loose Change are some other new titles that will be on display.

JANUARY 2009

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The My 1st JCB range will be extended in 2009 to include more innovative lines based on various construction vehicles including Mini JCB Pull Backs. A new character, Freddie Fastrack, will also be added.

The Charlie and Lola collection will be extended to include new plush items such as Bouncing Lola, a feature toy with movement and phrases.

A collection of Shaun the Sheep gifts will also be launched to complement the existing toy range. The gifts are aimed at an older audience.

TREATS AND TREASURES

Travel Buddies are children’s animal snuggle pillows, designed to support heads on the go. Light enough to carry, they are machine washable and designed for children aged 18 monthsplus with a retail price of £9.99. The range includes six pets to choose from.

The Travel Buddies can be accessorised with matching junior Bag Buddies. These are luggage labels, where details can be written on the belly of the small plush animal.

The Little Pets Living Big Celebrity Lives are making their UK debut.

Pawparazzi are collectable palm-sized

JOHN HORNBY SKEWES

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Independent UK music distributor John Hornby Skewes will present a licensed series of SpongeBob SquarePants musical instruments.

Having already launched a SpongeBob junior guitar and ukulele outfit, JHS has since added a number of products to the range, including a Pinapple ukulele, Flying Vee-shaped Uke outfits, SpongeBob electric guitars, with ¾-size electric guitar plus small amp and a SpongeBob goes Punk electric guitar

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plush pets which come with their own unique couture handbags, celebrity styled magazine, blanket, collar, lead and collectable charm. Pawparazzi Pets are suitable for kids aged four-plus and retail at £9.99.

The Waboba Ball is soft and easy to catch but also floats, skims and bounces off the water. The ball is available in a small palm-sized version and a larger, softer version is also available specifically for younger children. The ball can be played with as a game, with rules available for download. Waboba starts at £4.99.

featuring a built-in speaker. A range of plectrums has also recently been added.

The newest addition to the range, however, is the new SpongeBob SquarePants junior drum kit. The threepiece drum set has full-colour SpongeBob drum shell graphics. The kit features a 12-inch x ten-inch bass drum, an eight-inch x six-inch, an eightinch x four-inch snare drum and a 9.5inch cymbal plus snare stand and bass drum pedal, stool and key.

THE LITTLE EXPERIENCE 4B56

The Little Experience specialises in craft kits for children. The kits offer parents a way to create traditional childhood experiences that are memorable, challenging and rewarding.

The firm has won ten product awards in 18 months. All of the product boxes are printed inside with something to make. Children can cut out the box and recycle it to make something else.

In 2009, the company is launching five new stitching and knitting kits.

These kits are designed for the novice knitter and stitcher.

All of the products in the range are clearly marked with educational development and ability guides and are priced from £5.99 to £18.99.

The firm offers retail solutions including a pre-packed display stand filled with a selection of its products, in all price points.

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WOW STUFF 5D43

Wow Stuff was recently shortlisted for the 2008 National Business Awards and since then the good news has kept on coming for the company.

Recently signed master toy and gift licences include Top Gear, Wallace and Gromit and Puzzler. The reaction from customers has been strong and company is expecting the Top Gear brand to be the number one selling range of gifts in 2009.

2008 marked a stellar year for Wow Stuff with the existing licences Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Mensa. The firm has also been successful in increasing sales by 300500 per cent per square foot using a branded store-in-store concept with instore TVs and demonstration artists.

BEST YEARS 5B76

Best Years is adding the Owl and Mouse sets to its knitted toys range at Spring Fair. Available in both green and brown, the products widen the firm’s range further as the mouse is a new size, retailing at £6.99.

Designed by Best Years in the UK, the toys are made from a machinewashable knitted fabric and have been designed and tested to be suitable from birth.

The rest of the range offers designs from dinosaurs to pastel pink lambs.

Products measure just 8cm and are available boxed or unboxed. The range is aimed at gift and impulse purchasers.

MANHATTAN TOY

New for 2009 from Manhattan are six high performance Automoblox models, which add more power and sophistication to the range.

The limited edition C9-S Berlinetta features simulated polished aluminium wheels, metallic roof and pearl textured connectors. A souped-up version of the S9 Sedan, the S9-R rides lower to the ground on larger wheels and is styled in a deep blue hue.

The A9-S features bright white moulded parts and high-gloss black

BLADEZ TOYZ

Bladez Toyz will launch several revolutionary products during Spring Fair, which are set to change the way customers can interact with radio controlled toys, gadgets and computer games.

The R/C Flight Stick is a flight control portable joystick, which vibrates during flight giving instant user-feedback, 3D flight control and combat battle function. The Control Platform enables the user to control R/C toys through any computer via the keyboard and mouse.

The Bladez Micro Salvation is a micro-sized 3D helicopter. The Combat Battle Targets are revolving targets, which record users’ scores as they aim to shoot with infrared missiles.

The Micro SD Video Camera attaches to any R/C vehicle and records up to two hours of video that can then be

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wheels. The C9-R also rides lower to the ground than the C9 sportscar and is in a deep red.

The C9-P has the same five-spoke wheels and low profile tyres as the C9, but is a limited edition shade of pink.

Finally, the X9X has an increased ride-height and charcoal wheels, featuring front and rear skid plates, a roof rack and spare tyre.

Automoblox is distributed exclusively in Europe by Manhattan Toy. Find out more at the Spring Fair.

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downloaded to a computer. The camera can also be used as a pocket-sized camcorder and web cam.

The firm is also planning a range of licensed products for 2009 in conjunction with a blockbuster film.

The new products increase Bladez’s portfolio to cater for a wider price range, encompassing lower price points from £19.99 through to £119.99.

The firm offers its retailers a full support package to assist with sales and after-care service, including promotional images, DVDs, a customer service helpline, instructional videos, links with future promotions and the reassurance that all products are RoHS and CE certified.

The Bladez Toyz stand at Spring Fair will host a Salvation Combat Challenge and give visitors the opportunity to win some R/C gifts.

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GREAT GIZMOS 5D10

The Green Science collection, launched in 2008, has new additions launching at Spring Fair. The Weather Station allows kids to keep track of weather changes whilst learning facts about weather and carrying out experiments to learn about the greenhouse effect.

Other items include a Potato Clock and a Water Filter to teach kids more about the environment.

Many other new products will join the Great Gizmos portfolio over 2009 with themes of fairies, robots and much more.

BBTRADESALES 5B15

Known for its hi-tech gadgets, BBTradesales is to enter the children’s market with a range of Disney-inspired products from Wesco.

The Disney Cars Lightning McQueen Projection Alarm Clock is a clock that displays the time onto the ceiling or wall and features moving wheels and a projection image of the time and logo.

The Disney Princess accessories range includes a 3D Fairytale Castleshaped money box featuring Snow White, Belle and Cinderella. The money box features a removable base plate.

A range of accessories are also available from Dr Who, Dora the Explorer, High School Musical, Thomas and Friends, In the Night Garden, Transformers and Star Wars, ensuring there’s a brand for all ages.

JANUARY 2009

Redwood are delighted to announce the launch of their new brand of environmentally friendly playing cards. Call Louisa Moger on 020 8311 8888 to place your order.

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SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

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BBC WORLDWIDE

BBC Worldwide’s stand will be staffed by key members of the newly restructured and renamed children’s and licensing team to maximise opportunities for adult brands including Top Gear, Planet Earth and Doctor Who and maintain existing children’s brands such as In the Night Garden, Charlie and Lola and Teletubbies. The team will also be on hand to discuss new licensing projects

CRAFTY KIDS 4L10

Sally Priesig launched Crafty Kids in 2003 and is famous for being the original voice of Tweenies’ Bella, and Bits in Bits and Bobs, among others.

Crafty Kids produces original puppet and craft kids for children.

Every design comes in a colourful, spotted, recycled cardboard tub, complete with a good quality brush, paints, glue and instructions. Each kit comprises of custom-made wooden and recycled cardboard parts.

The puppets are easy to thread together using special tags, with no knotting needed. The current 21 puppet kits sold well over the Christmas period and five new puppet kits and two craft kits will be launching at Spring Fair. Each kit will also now include the addition of a cotton Crafty Kids apron.

5C17 such as Lonely Planet, Strictly Come Dancing and Harry and Toto.

The stand will feature three large display areas to showcase key licensed product covering ITNG, Charlie and Lola and Top Gear. Doctor Who and Primeval will also feature in a smaller dedicated area.

Strictly Come Dancing is the latest addition to BBC Worldwide’s licensed product portfolio and a central themed area on the stand is set to showcase the brand.

Top Gear’s master toy licensee Wow! Stuff is exhibiting its new range of gifts for dads and lads and the stand will host a branded Top Gear area showcasing new products such as remote control vehicles, novelty gifts, desktop toys and a doll of the Stig – all due to hit retailers in autumn 2009.

The Top Gear range will also feature calendars from Danilo, stationery and tableware from DNC and Top Trumps from Winning Moves.

Charlie and Lola will be given star treatment with the launch of Golden Bear’s new Jumping and Bounding Lola toy and a comprehensive range of other plush, games and wooden toys.

BIGJIGS 2009 Toy Fair sees the launch of over 150 exciting, new products from the Bigjigs Toy range.

Over 40 new items have been added to The Bigjigs Rail selection

THE PUPPET COMPANY

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The Puppet Company is based in North Hertfordshire and designs over 750 different types of puppets, including finger puppets, glove puppets and body puppets.

Founded in 1999 by Sue and Peter Locket and still directed by them, it produces a line-up of puppets that feature an educational and commercial twist. Many have full working mouths and hands and some, like the Large Birds and Socketts, include sound, but never with batteries.

The company supplies a range of point-of-sale stands that have a small footprint on the shop floor, but can hold up to 35 glove puppets in the

5A18 has since Toy Fair 2008, with a variety of individual engines and wagons now available. The new Pink engine retails at £3.99 and fills a gap the company is often asked about.

At the other end of the price scale is the Grand Central Station, retailing at £45. This large item offers extra accessories including four cars and a helicopter for the built-in heli pad.

Bigjigs frequently gets enquiries about a shop rail display stand and this can be seen for the first time at the show.

The Baby Bigjigs range has grown with a new shape sorter and a new concept baby walker, which doubles as an activity center.

The 24-piece wooden puzzles are now supplied in a wooden tray and the lineup of pocket-money items has been extended.

The market for roleplay items is huge and the firm has introduced a number of new ‘food’ items.

The range of Santa products has also been extended and a new series of single items, fruits, vegetables and savouries will be available along with a retail display stand for 30 items.

space of a carpet tile, giving you an instant high impact display.

The Puppet Company is also the UK and Ireland distributor for the German brand Living Puppets. Many of these puppets have working mouths and hands too, and as before there is a great variety of characters and animals available to stock.

The Puppet Company is a member of the Gift Association and The British Toy and Hobby Association and is fully committed to ethical trading. All puppets and The Wiberry Doll collection have full EN71 test reports and meet or exceed all current health and safety requirements.

UNIVERSITY GAMES 5A65

University Games will introduce the Splatter Mat at Spring Fair – an activity mat for children aged three and upwards. The surface of the mat is coated in a unique, patented material – Flip Faze – which changes with heat.

As it cools, the mat will return to its original colour.

The Splatter Mat comes with seven foam pieces that can be put together like a puzzle in a multitude of designs.

In Murder Mystery Mansion, players work in teams to solve the mystery using simple deductive reasoning. With each guess, players move one step up on the 3D staircase, getting closer to the mansion.

University Games will also be offering several new items in its extensive glowin-the-dark line of planets and stars, including the Giant Planet Stick-Ons that feature planets, stars, spacemen and spacecrafts.

JANUARY 2009

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SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

IMC TOYS

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IMC Toys will have a range of products supported by 15 of the UK’s top licences on display at Spring Fair. The licences include Ben 10, Power Rangers, Clone Wars, Barbie, Disney Princess, Winnie the Pooh and Cars.

The varied portfolio includes walkie talkies, an art and craft range including magnetic boards and drawing projectors, radio-controlled vehicles for a variety of ages and a selection of preschool musical role-play items from musical mats to keyboards.

The firm will also be exhibiting its consumer electronics range, which boasts a selective Star Wars offering of a radio/CD player, TV combo, MP3 player and digital camera.

MERRYTHOUGHT 5H67

Merrythought has been creating hand-made teddy bears and soft toys for eight decades in the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge. The firm will be exhibiting its latest range of products at Spring Fair, including traditional jointed mohair teddy bears in a variety of sizes and classical designs.

One of the most distinctive designs is the Cheeky Bear, which celebrates its 52nd anniversary this year and was named by the Queen at the 1957 British Industries Fair.

Throughout Toy Fair, the firm will be demonstrating the skill and diligence imparted into each creation with demonstrations by its skilled artisans.

Merrythought also considers the creation of bespoke products for which it has the necessary facilities to sample and manufacture to individual specifications.

JANUARY 2009

THE IN THING

Two of The In Thing’s existing gift lines and a new toy will be on display at Spring Fair.

The Uglydoll line will see new styles for 2009 and new display options will be available for retailers including counter top and FSDU. Baby Bow, a range of boxed baby gifts with cutting-edge design, was launched in 2008 and virtually every container to date has sold out before it has arrived, according to the firm.

ESDEVIUM GAMES

Esdevium will be exhibiting old and new trading card games at Spring Fair, with evergreen Pokemon and the recently launched Chaotic.

Chaotic is the trading card game (TCG) community that brings together traditional face-to-face game play, free online action in the ChaoticGame.com Battledromes and a TV series.

Every Chaotic Trading Card features a unique code, allowing the player to not just play the game conventionally, but to also ‘upload’ the card to his virtual deck and, through the free www.ChaoticGame website, battle

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Spring Fair will see a new Theodore extension being launched.

Anti Monster Spray is brand new for 2009. The lavender-scented essence spray can be sprayed on beds and pillows of children who are afraid of monsters, ghosts and spiders. The spray incorporates calming properties and will be accompanied by Splat and Splodge – monster-busting heatable micro plush characters with a lavender fragrance.

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against players from anywhere around the world.

Pokemon will see range extensions with quarterly launches throughout 2009 and collectors’ tins will also be unveiled throughout the year.

Alongside these will be a range of specialist board games including Ticket to Ride, French Fancy and the Settlers of Catan, specifically designed for independent retailers.

The firm will also be unveiling a range of new wooden games to add to its extensive portfolio. Find out more at Esdevium’s stand at Spring Fair.

NOONOO DESIGN 4C23

Noonoo will be exhibiting a range of playthings and accessories for little children. The award-winning eco, ethical, sustainable and fair trade brand products are available in the UK and worldwide through retailers including John Lewis, Fenwicks and many other independents in the UK. The range was awarded a highly commended and shortlisted status in GA’s gift product of the year, 2007/8. www.noonoodesign.com is the catalogue and PR tool. Price points are available between £6.50 and £45 and all products are gift boxed in FSC certified boxes with compostable starch acetate.

BANANAGRAMS 5D61

Bananagrams has joined forces with one of the largest international gaming software companies, Majesco Entertainment, and has recently launched on Facebook.

Facebookers will be able to compete against friends in one of two multiplayer modes – the Classic Multiplayer Game or the Banana Café, where players can race against the clock or play in real time against each other, with the ability to chat online the entire time.

There is a solitaire version for those who want to hone speed and wordmaking skills and development for the iPhone, DS and Wii are planned for later in the year.

BRIO Railway Widest Collectable Range Trusted Brand Profitable Margins Great Value Price Points

at s u l 5, e e al s nd air, H 32 a e F m ing nd B o C pr ta S S

Contact BRIO Ltd, 12 The Office Village, North Road, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 1QJ

Tel 01509 643850

Fax 01509 262099

www.brio.co.uk

info@brio.co.uk

Fantastic New Wooden Pre-school Toys Available Now Trusted Brand Widest Range Profitable Margins Excellent Customer Service Support

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Contact BRIO Ltd, 12 The Office Village, North Road, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 1QJ

Tel 01509 643850

Fax 01509 262099

www.brio.co.uk

info@brio.co.uk

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THUMBS UP

Thumbs Up is going to be bringing its blend of cool and innovative toys, gifts, gadgets, games and novelties to this year’s Spring Fair.

In addition to several new products in the R/C sector, such as additions to the Micro-Bladez line of minihelicopters, the firm is set to unveil several new licence acquisitions.

The new licences will take the company further into the girls, tween and teen marketplace, as well as continuing to appeal to the boys and gift sector.

MUMBOJUMBO TOYS 5D38

Janod’s Magnetic Rocket toy encourages discovery, learning and play. The solid wooden toy is made up of six pieces, which when put together create the rocket. Because of the polarity in the magnets, it is not possible to assemble the rocket incorrectly.

The rocket forms part of a trio of toys, the other two being an aeroplane and a helicopter. Janod wooden toys come from the Jura region of France, which is renowned for its wooden toy heritage.

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The company has also been working with independent British inventors in order to bring their visions to the marketplace and Spring Fair is going to see several of these inventions debuting for the first time.

Thumbs Up is also inviting anyone with a new invention or idea for a toy, gift or gadget to get in touch and to come and meet with them at Spring Fair, where the firm will be hosting its very own ‘alternative to television’s Dragons’ Den’.

FLAIR

Flair will be showing a range of retro products at Spring Fair.

Since their golden anniversary last year, the Smurfs have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Flair’s Smurfs range includes a new collection of plush, feature plush and poseable figures and playsets, from a 30cm talking plush with DVD to 20cm beanie plush assortments to packs of two 6cm figures, and the toys cover a range of budgets.

Now over 60 years old, Slinky is still available in its original steel-based version. Joining the line-up this year is a brightly coloured Plastic Duo-tone

MARBEL

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Spring Fair 2009 will see Marbel return to hall five with its award-winning Wendy House stand. Marbel will feature over 100 new products, including additions to the Plan Toys and I’M Toy ranges.

All the wooden toys featured on the stand are produced from sustainable wood sources and finished with nontoxic, preservative-free paint.

New products from the Plan Toys Pre-school, Activity Dollhouse and Plan City ranges will be on show.

The Balancing Coral from Plan is a

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Slinky, which is larger than the original and the Slinky Dog made famous in Toy Story is being relaunched.

Hello Kitty is also set for updates with a 10cm Mini Plush Kitty in Gift Box and 14cm Kitty in Gift Bag. Extending the line will be a selection of accessories and bags, while autumn will see larger 27cm plush, pyjama bags and backpacks added to the range.

Also on show at Spring Fair will be Uno, Shaker Maker, and modern gadgets with retro styling such as iNo, the family trivia games licensed

by Apple.

game for one to four players aged three and upwards, where each player has to balance a piece of the coral onto the main stack without knocking the coral over.

The game is not just a game, but also a statement and message that coral reefs are under threat. The game is manufactured from sustainable rubber wood.

A range of new I’M Toy Trike and Ride-Ons will also be on display and Marbel expects a strong reaction from the range.

HANSA TOY 5C02

Ranging in size from four inches to four metres, Hansa’s plushes feature animals from every corner of the globe.

Each animal’s fur is hand trimmed, providing a layered look that can’t be produced by machine. Larger animals have light-weight titanium steel frames, enabling them to be ridden by children.

Hansa works closely with conservationist Don Young, both to raise awareness through various projects around the world and to refine the lifelike qualities of the plush.

Each toy comes with a Toys That Teach tag, which describes the animal’s habitat, lifestyle, gestation period, care of young and eating habits.

JANUARY 2009

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SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

FIESTA CRAFTS 5A59

Fiesta’s Tellatale puppets and finger puppet sets will be bolstered at Spring Fair this year with Snow White and Cinderella box sets.

The Snow White set includes seven dwarf finger puppets, each with a different coloured outfit and facial expression. And, of course, to complete the set, Snow White herself features with a poison apple. The set can be extended with the prince and the witch.

The Cinderella set features the two ugly sisters, Cinderella, Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother. Cinderella transforms from the ragamuffin servant into the fairy tale princess with a removable ballgown.

Many new single puppets will also be joining the range, including a panda, squirrel, badger and crow. Each collectable finger puppet is hand produced and Fiesta offers a spinning counter top display unit for retailers.

RAVENSDEN 5D60

Ravensden makes its plush animals as realistic as possible and combines its designs with high quality fabrics.

The firm is always on the lookout for new and better materials.

The SUMA collection is one of the most thorough soft toy collections in Europe, including an expanding range of rare species from around the world.

The collection includes big cats, monkeys, sea creatures, African mammals, British wildlife and domestic animals.

Ravensden’s Baby Collection includes rattles, cuddles, musical animals and bibs in a variety of animal designs in pastel colours. In addition, there is a range of plush animals, puppets, clip-ons, backpacks, pencil cases and purses.

The firm holds the Toycred accreditation.

JANUARY 2009

PAUL LAMOND

2009 marks the 25th anniversary of Paul Lamond. To celebrate this, the company is launching a pre-school educational range under the Chimp and Zee Games brand. The collection will consist of six games and four puzzles.

Postman Pat has been updated to Postman Pat Special Delivery Service and Paul Lamond is offering three Gruffalo products – two puzzles and a snakes and ladders games.

In the children’s sector, there are six new Rainbow Magic puzzles, an updated Famous Five range and the Fundex game When Pigs Fly.

REBEL TOYS

The Maisto R/C and die cast collections distributed by Rebel toys will see many new releases for 2009, with two new major categories created including the new Maisto-TECH range of R/C cars and the Need for Speed – Undercover diecast collection, which features cars from the video game.

The Maisto-TECH R/C collection is launching a variety of new products in 2009, including a new 1:14th scale off-road collection and a 1:10th scale Hummer HX.

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The family sector sees the addition of Cacophony, a game of noisy charades and In a Pickle, Luck of the Draw and Revelations, the game where sins are revealed but not sinners.

Family puzzle additions include Where’s Wally, Alex Baird’s Impossible Puzzles and three dragon puzzles from The Dragon Chronicles.

The Murder Mystery Dinner Party range sees the return of Inspector McClue in A Vintage Murder and the McNaughty range is extended with Sexual Secrets and Legless joining the series.

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The Need for Speed – Undercover collection features a range of cars from the video game, with each car having a code to unlock exclusive in-game vehicle designs. Models include Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, VW and BMW in a range of different scales from 1:64th, 1:24th and 1:18th.

Maisto also has the very latest MotoGP season bikes in 1:18th and 1:10th replica models and a 1:18th kit version including the 2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi.

ORCHARD TOYS 5B59

Orchard Toys is launching seven new games and puzzles, six of which are designed for younger children. One Banana, Two Banana is a game for up to four players that will help children aged four-plus with counting skills.

Fairy Cottage is a 15-piece puzzle designed with girls aged two to five in mind. Great Britain and Ireland puzzle and poster is a 150-piece puzzle aimed at five to 11 year-olds, packed with facts.

The board game Flea Circus is designed for up to four players in the five-plus age group; the aim is to be the first to build a big top. Doodlebugs is a rally simple card game suitable for children aged three and up.

Tuten-loot’em is a card game featuring Egyptian illustrations for up to four players of five years and up.

Finally, Fruit Frenzy is another card game that helps kids aged four-plus with their colour recognition and counting skills.

TANTRIX 5B25

Designed by John Yianni from North London, Army of Frogs requires players to strategically place frog stones and hop over other frogs, aiming to connect all those of their own colour while preventing opponents from doing the same. The game helps to develop strategic planning, spatial awareness and problem-solving skills.

The name refers to the collective noun for a group of frogs. The game is suitable for up to four players of any age from four and upwards.

The straightforward rules allow game play to start immediately. With no need for a playing board, Army of Frogs consists of 40 Frog stones and four colour indicator discs, all made of a highly tactile resin, plus a cloth bag.

New Range!

Guitars, Ukuleles, Drums and Accessories

Complete ‘ready to play’ outfits for beginners and players.

3/4 Size Electric Guitar Outfit

Junior Acoustic Guitar Outfit

7/8 Size Electric Guitar Outfit

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Character Picks

Pineapple Ukulele Outfit

SpongeBob Picks

Flying ‘V’ Ukulele Outfit

Ukulele Outfit

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Email: SpongeBob@jhs.co.uk for further details.

www.jhs.co.uk/spongebob.html Exclusive worldwide trade distributors John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. Salem House, Parkinson Approach, Garforth, Leeds LS25 2HR.

© 2008 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

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SEAGER GAMES

In 2000, the designer of Where is Moldova, Peter Seager, realised that people had grown tired of their old favourite board games. What followed was two years of research, during which 1,200 households confirmed that board games, although still popular, were being overtaken by computer games.

As a result, Peter set out to devise a unique game to bring families and

FLYING TOYS

Flying Toys had a strong presence at last year’s Spring Fair as it celebrated its 30th anniversary together with micro sculptor Willard Wigan.

The firm is looking forward to returning to this year’s show, where it will be previewing all the latest additions to the range including products from Silverlit Electronics, Interactive Toy Concepts, Quercetti, De

5J81

friends back together. It would evenly combine strategy, knowledge and luck, play in one hour and involve players of all ages and abilities.

The game was financed, developed and manufactured in Britain. It was launched in 2005 at the Secret Games Shop in Tunbridge Wells.

Seager comments: “Developing, financing and marketing Moldova has been a test of endurance.”

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Ruymbeke, White Wings, Lanard and The Kite Factory.

Flying Toys provided promotional support for its R/C products in the run up to Christmas 2008 and the firm will be displaying a range of editorial coverage on the stand.

A big screen will also feature on the stand, showing demonstration discs that are available for retailer promotions.

PALADONE

Wipeout is the Ultimate Tag game and uses chalk dart technology to leave players’ marks on their opponents.

Each dart can be used 30 times and the chalk mark wipes off all surfaces with ease.

The chalk darts are either projected by the Wipeout Dart Shooter or can be fixed into the Wipeout Missile for a game of ball tag with attitude and long range capabilities.

ARMADILLO IMPORTS

Armadillo Imports specialises in animal-themed toys and gifts at pocket-money prices. The new company’s founders have around 30 years of experience in the animalbased tourism market.

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The product range includes a single Dart Shooter pack with target and safety goggles, double Dart Shooter pack with safety goggles, the missile launcher with chalk dart and refill packs of either three or six darts.

The range will be supported by TV advertising on Nickelodeon in the run up to and throughout the Easter school holiday. Wipeout is distributed exclusively by Paladone Products.

562

The range is aimed at the gift market at tourist attractions. Armadillo Imports provides strong customer services, fast turnaround and a wide range of prices to suit a varied customer base.

JANUARY 2009

50

SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

GINGER FOX

Ginger Fox is celebrating the success of its Classic Dining Moment range of dinner party experience packs.

The collection includes Dinner with the Mafia, Dinner on the RMS Titanic and Dinner Aboard the British Pullman Orient Express.

The new addition to the range is Dinner with Elvis. The pack will transport dinner guests back to Vegas for an evening with The King. The pack

CESAR UK 5E09

Cesar will be launching a range of licensed costumes for children and adults at Spring Fair. A new range of Ben 10 Alien Force costumes will be available from July ‘09 and will include a complete dress-up costume and alien characters.

The Marvel collection will also be expanded. In addition to the collection of Wolverine costumes, the firm will be revealing some female super-hero costumes which can be partnered with existing male styles.

The Gladiators range will also be unveiled, based on the all new Gladiators series, airing on Sky One.

JANUARY 2009

5C13

will include facts and information about the singer and 60 minutes of original Elvis recordings to provide the soundtrack.

Each pack contains dinner invitations, reply cards, place cards, menus, a CD, a booklet of facts on the chosen theme, character profiles, themed food and cocktail recipes, trivia card game and tips on hosting the dinner party.

SUSAN PRESCOT GAMES

Susan Prescot Games has announced the launch of its Numberjacks Board Game. Numberjacks is all about fun and learning, thinking skills, problem solving and maths. Numberjacks is broadcast by the BBC in the UK and in more than 30 other countries around the world. The board game has been

JOHN CRANE

5A39

Launching at Spring Fair, from the Branching Out collection by John Crane, are the Lullaby Rabbit and Lullaby Teddy – two new music boxes.

These springtime keepsakes will ensure children remain entertained as they listen to the lullaby. A wind-up

5F62

designed with the same strong values and makes learning fun.

Aimed at ages three and upwards, the game is based on team work, encouraging children to work together to achieve their goal to outwit The Numbertaker and save the Buddy Blocks.

handle keeps the music playing whilst a woodland character sits on top of the music box.

This is just a small taster of the new items from the Branching Out Collection.

To find out about further additions, visit the stand at Spring Fair.

BRIO 5B32

Brio will be taking the opportunity to present its ranges and key products at Spring Fair, including the My Very First range of nursery toys suitable from birth. The Brio Toddler continues to be a growth area and offers a selection of wooden toys such as pull-alongs, stacking toys and building blocks.

The Brio Wooden Railway has grown over the last year with the introduction of Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and My Friends Tigger & Pooh range.

‘One-Stop Shop’ manufacturing and logistics service More than 30 years experience producing games, toys and puzzles Modern 22,500 sq.m world class manufacturing facility Dedicated team to develop and deliver your product within the shortest lead-time Experienced, flexible and motivated workforce Combine the critical mass advantage of EUROPE’S LARGEST GAMES MANUFACTURER with the flexibility of a dedicated team serving a growing number of companies within the Industry les oys - Puzz T s e m a g Board

For further info & to request a quotation please visit www.hasbro.ie or call 00353 51 321256

TOY FAIR 2009 PLANNING

www.toynewsmag.com

53

Docklands developments Tough times for the industry and a cramped trade event schedule mean that this year’s ExCeL Toy Fair has had to make a number of changes. But what is it that people are looking for from the show this year? Ronnie Dungan canvasses some opinion…

THIS YEAR HAS SEEN more questions than ever asked about the relevancy, value and future of the UK Toy Fair.

All trade shows, it seems, will at some time go through a process where their very existence is called into question. Visitors and exhibitors ask whether the show is a business forum or an expensive industry showcase. Some parts of the trade want one, some want the other, some want both.

This year, a number of factors have combined to bring such questions to the fore. The toy market is having another difficult year and toys are feeling the pinch as retailers use them to drive sales in other, more recession-affected, areas.

That, coupled with strong shows in Hong Kong, Nuremberg and Spring Fair (which starts the day after this year’s Toy Fair), have all combined to make it a very difficult environment for the 2009 event.

The departure of some notable attendees such as Tomy and Drumond Park and the compression of the show into the South Hall, with a shell scheme format, has brought yet more pressure to bear.

But the show still has a healthy commitment from the industry at large. There’s still Hasbro, there are still Vivid, Flair, Bandai, Character Options, Halsall, Lego, Leapfrog, RC2, Spin Master, Playmobil. The very heart of the UK industry is still at Toy Fair.

But there’s no doubt that questions are being asked about it. Some companies will be monitoring their Toy Fair experience very closely.

Lego is one such company. UK chief Marko Ilnicic says: “We would like to have seen greater changes made to the show in 2009. However, we are willing to evaluate the response to 2009 and understand what initiatives will be implemented for 2010 to improve the format, location and timing before committing to 2010 attendance.”

TOYFAIR 09 The show has never been purely about writing orders. It is a preview show, a showcase and a chance to compare all that the trade has to offer.

Emma Sherski, marketing and licensing director at Vivid, is a supporter and the firm was a key advocate of the grand shell scheme experiment. “Vivid takes a stand at Toy Fair to give our retail partners the opportunity to see our portfolio of brands across the business,” she says. “Toy Fair attracts International inventors, licensors and press partners, so we also find the event valuable for sourcing new concepts.

“The challenge is to ensure it becomes a cost-effective show for suppliers and this is why Vivid are part of the trial moving to shell scheme to

hopefully illustrate that you can still deliver a professional range presentation on a cost-efficient budget, which will be helped enormously by the show moving to a three-day event in 2010.”

And for others, who have already switched their plans to Nuremberg, the show is apparently no longer about the order book, which is so crucial to the small to medium-sized firms.

“For me, Toy Fair has not been a meaningful show for many years as it is not an order writing show, more a preview show which is held too late for that purpose. The shift is rightly moving to the buying group shows, such as Toymaster, where customers write orders,” says Kim Carter at Treasure Trove.

But, the show has never been purely about writing orders. It is

Nuremberg, too. But marketing director Andrew Coplestone feels the ExCeL show is still useful.

“Being based on the beautiful North West Fylde coast has many benefits, but being local to many UK retailers is not one of them,” he comments. “At ExCeL we can see all our customers, and follow up on previous meetings held in the UK and Hong Kong before the allimportant selection process begins. It also provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase all of Halsall’s exciting new product developments.

Toy Fair’s unique ability to offer a variety of solutions is both its greatest asset and its biggest liability because it means it is jack of all trades and master of none. There are other solutions for those who judge it purely on orders, or those who want to showcase product innovation. But no one show offers the same breadth of options that Toy Fair does.

This year’s event will be a different experience but if Toy Fair can make the shell scheme format work and find a happy medium that satisfies suppliers of all sizes, it can still be a vital part of the trade show calendar.

It’s a tall order and there’s only one way to find out if this is the case, of course.

Get along to ExCeL.

a preview show, a showcase and a chance to compare all that the trade has to offer in one place. A chance to gauge where each player stands in the market.

Halsall has a huge showroom at its Fleetwood HQ and has just committed to a showroom at JANUARY 2009

54

TOY FAIR 2009 PLANNING

Waterfront Café exit

GH1 GH3 GH4 GH7 GH8 GH9 GH11 GH17 GH21 GH30 GH31 GH39 GH41 GH48 GH51 GH60 GH61 GH70 GH71 GH72 GH75 GH79 GH80 GH81 GH84 GH89 GH90 GH95 GH94 GH99

Hive Entertainment J C Games Cuckoo My Wonder Eezee Kricket Artesania Latina The Music Sales Group Berg Toys Tailten Games Feel Good Friends 1745 Trading Company Mapcargo Int'l Just Pals The Wagon Company Ecoboo Kamtronik Games Boden Boo Games Sionica Hands in Wax Games & Gadgets NPD Yes! SuperBaby Micro Scooters Getretro Point Zero Games Art Meets Matter Aardvark Street Surfing Trimex UK Yanki Toys

JANUARY 2009

Mega Brands

BTHA

RC2 GREENHOUSE Winning Moves Vivid Imagination

Pyramid Posters Orange Elephant

Esdevium Games

Richard Edward

Leapfrog

Ernest the Bear

BT Crazee Bears Meccano

Abysse Intertek Corp Sarl West Design

Xanadu Games

Bigjigs

House of Marbles

Brainstorm Bureau Veritas Interplay

Gelert

Hasbro Plum Products

Step2UK Imagination Games

Wilton Bradley

N BV Leisure

Elron

Creche

Organisers Office

1745 Trading Co. - Quests of the World GH31 8TH Wonder SB2 Abysse Corp Sarl SL29 ALF SE36 Art Meets Matter GH100 Artesania Latina GH9 B V Leisure SM19 Bandai UK SE60 Barnardo's SL25 Berg Toys GH17 Bigjigs Toys SM35 Boden Boo Games GH61 Bontempi Comus UK SE19 Born to Play (Martin Yaffe) SE40 Brainstorm SK30

Photo Wall

GREENHOUSE

Great Gizmos

Gosh

P

STAND

J

Character Options

KC Games

John Crane

N

EXHIBITOR

exit

K

Press Office

Upper Deck

STAND

V.E. S6

V.E. S7 exit

M

N

EXHIBITOR

Waterfront Café

LIFT

V.E. S8

V.E. S9 exit

EXHIBITOR Britannia Games Carta Mundi (UK) Cassidy Brothers Character Options Cheatwell Games Clementoni Spa Coiledspring Games Corinthian Marketing Creativity International Cuckoo Desser & Co Diamond Comic Distributors DKL Marketing Earlybird Educational Supplies Ecoboo

exit Entrance S4

STAND SE2 SK16 SC9 SP50 SL1 SP40 SJ1 SA30 SG25 GH18 TBC SJ9 SC29 SG15 GH51

Carta Mundi

Sales Partnership

Fiesta Crafts

M

EXHIBITOR Eezee Kricket Elron Enterprises: Playlearn Ernest The Bear Productions Esdevium Games Feel Good Friends Fiesta Crafts Flair Leisure Products James Galt & Co Games and Gadgets GB Eye Gear for Games Gelert Getretro.co.uk Gilbow(Holdings) Golden Bear Products

K

ToyNews

exit Organisers Office

Learning Resources

RE SQUA PIE

Cheatwell Games

Organisers Office

YS

BIRLE

STAND GH8 SM16 SP20 SP26 GH30 SK10 SC20 SG20 GH72 SH2 SE30 SM39 GH81 SJ46 SG10

HK TDC

Diamond J Comic Distributors

Coiled Spring Organisers Office

EXHIBITOR Gosh International Great Gizmos H Grossman Halilit Halsall International Hands in Wax Hasbro UK Hive Entertainment House of Marbles Imagination Games Injusa Interplay UK Intertek Testing Services (Leicester) John Crane Jumbo Games

STAND SP1 SP10 SJ30 SJ10 SA24 GH71 SP19 GH1 SJ35 SM20 SA45 SM26 SM30 SM9 SC19

Entra

TOY FAIR 2009 PLANNING

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55

Exhibitor list & Floor Plan LIFT

Waterfront Café

Waterfront Café V.E. S4

V.E. S5 exit G

E

V.E. S3 exit

exit

V.E. S2 exit

C

A

Technical Workshop Theatre Barnardos Feature

Schleich UK

Meeting Rooms

Lego Bandai Re:Creation

Melissa and Doug

Lounge

Wicked Vision The In Thing

Melville

Gilbow

Toyway

Orchard Toys

Injusa/Rolly Toys

Kidkraft

Padget Bros

Born to Play (Martin Yaffe)

Playmobil Syot

Spinmaster

Bachman

Relaxation Zone

Display Area Russimco

TRA

NATLL

Alf

Ravensburger

DKL Marketing

H Grossman Paladone

Corinthian Marketing

Clementoni

Gear for Games

D Suttons Consumer Products Creativity Int'

Red Robin

Halsall International

Flair Leisure

Paul Lamond Games

Bontempi

James Galt

Jumbo Games

Marbel D Marvin's Magic

Earlybird Educational

Golden Bear

LeToy Van

Star Images

Cassidy Bros.

University Games Halilit

Theo Klein Worlds Apart G

exit

E

David Westnedge

GB Eye

Wow

exit

OP

TLEST

WHIS

ntrance S3

C Britannia Games

exit

exit Entrance S2

Organisers Office

Organisers Office

Entrance S1

A 8th Wonder CH & CRUN ZE E U SQ E

exit

I PANIN TO PRON

CAR PARK TICKETS

EXHIBITOR Just Pals K C Games Kamtronik Games KidKraft Theo Klein Paul Lamond Games Le Toy Van Leapfrog Toys (UK) Learning Resources Lego UK Company Marbel Marvin's Magic Meccano Mega Brands Melissa & Doug

STAND GH41 SM10 GH60 SC40 SG9 SE20 SC10 SJ37 SK15 SC60 SJ20 SJ16 SK29 SJ59 SJ50

EXHIBITOR Micro Scooters Music Sales Group My Wonder Orange Elephant Co Orchard Toys Padgett Bros (A to Z) Paladone Products Playmobil (UK) Plum Products Point Zero Games Ravensburger RC2 Re:Creation Group Red Robin Toys Richard Edward

STAND GH80 GH11 GH7 SN20 SC46 SA39 SG30 SA40 SK19 GH90 SE29 SJ43 SC59 SJ26 SN19

EXHIBITOR Robbie Toys Rolly Toys Russimco The Sales Partnership Schleich Sionica Spin Master Toys UK Star Images Step2 UK Suttons Consumer Products Tailten Games The Bogies The In Thing The Wagon Company ToyNews

STAND SA45 SA45 SG36 SK9 SJ60 GH70 SG40 SA9 SP30 SH25 GH21 SL35 SE45 GH48 SN02

EXHIBITOR

STAND

Toyway Trimex UK University Games UK Upper Deck Europe Vivid Imaginations West Design Products David Westnedge Wicked Vision Wilton Bradley Winning Moves UK Worlds Apart Wow Toys Xanadu Games Yanki Toys Yes! Superbaby

SJ40 GH109 SE10 SN45 SP39 SM29 SG1 SC30 SK20 SP46 SA20 SF1 TBC GH120 GH79

JANUARY 2009

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. Š2009 The LEGO Group. SL3758.

!!!POWERING INTO 2009!!!

A thrilling new theme that combines underground adventure with the enjoyment and challenge of LEGOÂŽ building 6 sets to collect Range of price points suits all occasions Integrated Marketing support includes Cinema, TV, PR and In-store Launches January 2009

8961 Crystal Sweeper

8960 Thunder Driller

8959 Claw Digger

8957 Mine Mech

8958 8956 Granite Grinder Stone Chopper

For more information, please contact LEGO Customer Services on 01753 495001

Dedicated monthly retail coverage

Retail Only News • Data • Opinion

AIS unveils debut show plans ASSOCIATED Independent Stores has announced its first major toy show at Cranmore Park, Solihull.

The exhibition will take place on April 21st and April 22nd, 2009, and all Play-room Cenpac suppliers will be invited to exhibit, with prospective members invited to attend.

Six months after its launch, AIS’s toy division – Play-room – has 35 members, with more than 100 retail outlets, and the company expects to add to this number significantly during 2009.

Terms have been agreed

with more than 90 suppliers and half a million store-specific Christmas broadsheets were designed, produced and then distributed during November 2008.

Play-room has offered both autumn/winter 2008 and spring/summer 2009 FOB import programmes, which have given

members access to more than 700 branded toys at high margins.

The division’s marketing plans for 2009 are already in place, with a window kit system planned for distribution to members in early spring.

A member website for information sharing and selected electronic ordering is also nearing completion.

AIS offers key services specifically designed to meet its members needs such as central payment facilities (CENPAC), marketing, training, logistics, procurement and information technology.

AIS: 0121 713 4487

Magson goes into administration TROUBLED TOY and stationery distributor Magson has been placed into administration.

Neil Bennett and Michael Healy of Leonard Curtis have been appointed as administrators to the business.

The firm acquired the failing Youngsters business back in April, along with the chain of ToyZone stores and the remaining stock.

However, it quickly closed the 20 stores.

First established in 1925, as a local wholesaler of toys, stationery and greetings cards, the business was incorporated in 1959 and, throughout the late 1980s, grew from a regional to a national business, with additional distribution centres in Glasgow, Ipswich, Banbury and Hailsham. It had a customer base of leading independent shops, buying associations and larger multiples.

In late 2007, the business was acquired from the Magson family and the purchasers have made major efforts to modernise the business.

The current financial climate, with reduced consumer spending, has not helped this business.

Turnover for the ten months to October 2008 was £20.2 million.

“The current financial climate, with reduced consumer spending on the High Street, combined with poor weather over this last summer, badly affecting toy sales, has not helped this business,” commented Neil Bennett.

“The business has spent heavily, streamlining systems and reducing the staff levels by almost half.

“Unfortunately the timing has not been good – hence our appointment as a protective measure. We have had to make the majority of the employees redundant; we have retained a small number to assist in the administration. ” Magson’s HQ, showroom and a 150,000 sq ft state of the art warehouse are in the Clifton Moor area of York, where the 200 staff are based. The additional warehouses elsewhere have been disposed of and distribution was contracted out.

“This is a company that had recently undergone a substantial transformation but was still, owing to the current credit crunch, unable to find a purchaser,” concluded Bennett.

Magson: 0845 3000 376

High Street Page 60 In-store promotions, price watch and Counter Insurgent…

Charts Page 61 This month’s retail charts feature: WH Smith, The Entertainer, Amazon, Mail Order Express, Hamleys and John Lewis…

New products Page 62 Look out for offerings from Character Options, Hy-Pro, David Westnedge, Hasbro and Manhattan Toy…

58

RETAIL SCENE LUTZ MULLER

Champion Giochi This month our US correspondent Lutz Muller ruminates on Italian toy giant Giochi Preziosi’s move into the North American market and examines the chances of a successful Gormiti launch…

FOUNDED IN 1978, Giochi Preziosi is the biggest player in the Italian toy market and, by its own definition, it is also the fourth largest toy operator in the world.

Giochi markets and distributes toys under its own brands. In Italy the group has a direct presence in the retail sector, with its 434 stores under the names of Amico Gio, Giochetta and Giochi Preziosi, which makes it the largest toy retailer in Italy. The company is owned by three parties – Bank Intesa Sanpaulo owns 40 per cent, the Italian buy-out firm Clessidra owns 15 per cent and the founder, Enrico Preziosi, owns the balance of 45 per cent.

The company had sales of €723.4 ($1,065) million worldwide in 2007 and is running at an estimated €850 ($1,071) million clip in 2008. This turnover is split up between toys (52 per cent), retail (28 per cent) and others (20 per cent). Italy accounted last year for 88 per cent of the sales and the rest of Europe 12 per cent.

The firm’s mainstay is the action figure range first released in Italy in 2005 under the brand name Gormiti, now representing something like $150 million in sales this year and, in the words of Marathon International, “the fastest growing boy’s brand that ever hit the world, having sold, to date, more than 100 million action figures.”

JANUARY 2009

The Gormiti brand shows a similar level of online popularity to Spin Master’s Bakugan

Today, Gormiti is one of the UK’s bestselling toy ranges on the strength of very heavy television backing, supported by PR efforts, in-store merchandising and point of purchase activities.

Giochi is present in all European countries including Germany, where until recently it had a joint venture with Simba Dickie, Germany’s largest toy manufacturer.

This joint venture was designed to exploit the potential of Gormiti in Germany and it was successful in doing so. Toys R Us Germany rates Gormiti as one of its fastest moving action figures, which is not a bad feat in a year when Batman: The Dark Knight and Star Wars: Clone Wars are battling it out on the shelves. In fact, Giochi claimed that it has already sold more than a million sets in Germany in the nine months since the launch of the range in January this year.

However, the collaboration between these two European toy manufacturers came to an end

because of strategic conflicts.

Basically, Giochi decided that it wanted to paddle its own boat in Germany in anticipation of a major marketing effort throughout Europe and the US scheduled to break next year for Gormiti.

With the same objective in mind, Giochi established its own presence in the UK earlier this year when it acquired 95 per cent of Flair Leisure.

The two businesses already had a relationship through Gormiti, which Flair had been instrumental in launching into the UK in November 2007. Today, Gormiti is one of the UK’s best-selling toy ranges on the strength of very heavy television backing, supported by PR efforts, in-store merchandising and point of purchase activities.

The impending worldwide major marketing effort mentioned here has as its backbone, an animated TV film series called Gormiti, the Lords of Nature. The film was co-produced by the Italian Mediaset broadcast group and the French TV network M6. It is in a 26-minute format with 52 episodes. It was showcased in Cannes at MIPCOM in October this year and turned out to be one of the most watched presentations at the event.

Worldwide TV and video sales are handled by Marathon International, whereas Giochi Preziosi handles worldwide marketing and merchandising. Negotiations are already ongoing for the film rights in the US and Canada. The movie is expected to be released in Italy in December and in the US in autumn 2009.

To facilitate its entry into the US market, Giochi Preziosi opened its own subsidiary earlier this year – Giochi Preziosi USA in Irvine, California. It then appointed toy veteran John Sinclair as president and CEO early this year. John Sinclair knows the toy market in the US very well – he was with Playmates

LUTZ MULLER RETAIL SCENE

www.toynewsmag.com

Giochi Preziosi has already begun to get traction in the US market.

from 1988 to 2006, rising through the ranks to become de-facto CEO of the US operation.

The Playmates connection becomes clearer when we consider that in July 2008 Giochi Prezisio and Playmates entered into a joint venture with the objective of exploiting the Gormiti business potential in the US and Canada.

Giochi owns 55 per cent of the deal, Playmates 45 per cent.

Giochi provides three of the five managers, including the CEO (the aforementioned John Sinclair), with Playmates providing the other two.

Playmates has an extensive marketing, sales and distribution operation in the US and Canada and is expected to provide the overall

infrastructure – marketing, sales, distribution, and administration – for the joint venture for all of North America. Incidentally, Playmates lost the Strawberry Shortcake licence to Hasbro with effect as from January 2008 and Gormiti is obviously expected to make up for this loss.

There may also be a pay-back motivator at work here given that Hasbro’s second largest toy category is action figures.

Playmates is an effective but so far not overwhelming participant in the action figures scene. It has had the Turtles licence for years and just garnered the Star Trek licence in time for the movie release in 2009 (and obviously Giochi did not regard this as a major conflict). It has good

distribution with the majors: WalMart, Target and Toys R Us. Probably as a result of this collaboration with Playmates, Giochi Preziosi has already begun to get traction in the US market. As an example, it just placed seven SKUs with Toys R Us. These are plush items under licence from Disney.

However, the success and failure of the Giochi Preziosi effort in North America will stand and fall with the Gormiti range, which will probably be introduced at Toy Fair 2009. The launch will likely be accompanied by massive TV advertising support, (echoing its successful UK introductory model) to be further strengthened by the release of the animated film series in autumn 2009.

59

The introductory line will include collectible battle figures with cards, a feature-driven playset and a starter set with an original animated DVD that introduces the Tribes, their leaders and their struggle to save their once peaceful island of Gorm.

The product line will expand to feature additional collectible figures, playsets, and more in autumn 2009.

Each figure includes a card with a code that enables collectors to discover exclusive Tribes, characters, stories and island environments on the GormitiClub.com website. The website also offers a 3-D Island of Gorm to explore fast action flash animation games, downloads, strategy tips, character power profiles and more.

The target group for the toys is boys aged five-to-eight, the same as for the TV series. The product range will probably consist of a fairly extensive assortment of 1½-inch to two-inch action figures.

There is already a fairly brisk trade in them on eBay, where currently 112 different figures are featured, ranging in prices from $6.37 to $69.99.

All in all, I would not be surprised if we saw in Gormiti a repeat of Spin Master’s Bakugan success story.

Bakugan is now running at $100 million at retail in the US, on the strength of great product, excellent merchandising and on the back of a successful animated TV series.

It would seem that its toys are already strongly out there in cyber space and the marketing effort has not even started yet...

Lutz Muller is a Swiss who has lived on five continents. In the US, he was the CEO for four manufacturing companies, including two in the toy industry. Since 2002, he has provided competitive intelligence on the toy and video games market to manufacturers and financial institutions coast-to-coast. www.klosterstrading.com JANUARY 2009

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RETAIL ONLY

HIGHSTREET

Dispatches from the retail front line...

At the beginning of the year, I said it was going to be a bumpy ride. I think a year equivalent to riding the Pepsi Max at Blackpool would have been a better prediction.

I said there would be high profile busts and I had Woolies in my mind when I wrote it. With Youngsters/ Toyzone it was a blow to the stomach, but this month has followed up with a double whammy to the head of both Woolworths and now, to a lesser extent, Magson. I can only hope that this isn’t the final nail for a few suppliers.

Some suppliers have been bowing to Woolworths’ demands because of the distribution it could offer. 800-plus stores is a difficult figure to turn down. I’ve been staggered by the exclusives and deals that have been made for Woolworths over the years, and some of it seems to be all about getting your brand seen. But the chain didn’t show the same loyalty to brands as it should have. ‘Parallel Marketing’ is a term that springs to mind. Be honest, the only brand that Woolies cared about was Woolies.

Do suppliers chase the supermarket pounds? Tesco is flexing the muscle and paying later (please don’t tell me that is cash flow), but that doesn’t sell ranges.

Do suppliers look at other markets? A few have tried that – the gift market wants to buy in ones, no carriage paid and have a 200 per cent mark-up, so that ain’t going to work. The computer games sector only wants something that makes you want to go to the loo and by the time the toy industry has brought something out that might work, the price is a joke and it is six months, no, sorry, 12 months out of date.

So is there a platform for suppliers to go with all these exclusives and deals they offered Woolworths? Of course there is.

An indie in every town would be something we can only dream about. I just hope that indies will join me in thinking this is an opportunity and not a time to get back at the suppliers who have supported the Woolies brand like lemmings for years.

JANUARY 2009

IN STORE PROMOTIONS Toys R Us is offering a free gift when customers spend over a specified amount on a range of brands. The promotion includes a free Fold and Go Easel with every £50 spent on Thomas and Friends, a free Iggle Piggle blanket when £40 is spent on In The Night Garden, and a free Omnitrix Alien Viewer with every £40 spent on the Ben 10 range, among others.

The retailer is also offering a ‘buy two, get the third free’ promotion on MB and Parker Games and a number of competitions. Customers have the chance to win a Nintendo DS Lite console with a Disney Fairies: Tinkerbell game to promote the new movie and toy line-up. To promote the HSM range, Toys R Us is running a competition to win a Nintendo Wii with High School Musical game and microphone.

Customers can save 25 per cent off the price of a variety of brands including Scalextric, Bob the Builder, Puppy In My Pocket, Fisher-Price, Disney Princess, Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive and Baby Born at Argos.

The store is also offering a selection of £10 toys on a ‘two for £15’ promotion.

A chance to save 25 per cent on Hasbro games and puzzles, Bratz toys, Bob the Builder toys and Power Ranger toys, and a massive 50 per cent off Kung Fu Panda toys is available to Tesco Direct’s customers.

Any purchases of Leapfrog’s Tag Reader will be discounted by £10 and Tesco is running a competition to win a dance masterclass with the UK cast of High School Musical: Live on Stage.

The Entertainer is offering 50 per cent off MB and Parker games and the Crayola range.

A competition to win a range of Match Attax TCG products is also available online.

From left: Ben 10 watch; Power Rangers: Mystic Force figure; Kung Fu Panda Kicking Po and the Crayola Spinaroo…

PRICE CHECK: JANUARY TOY

COUNTER INSURGENT

STORE

Roll to the Rescue Sleuthin’ Tigger Mattel

FurReal Friends Biscuit My Fun Lovin’ Pup Hasbro

Power Rangers Operation Overdrive Mega Lasers IMC Toys

Magnext i-Coaster Mega Brands

Animal Hosp. on Location Ice Rescue Station Vivid Imaginations

£33.74

£124.94

£29.99

£69.99

£24.99

£42.99

£140.00

N/A

£59.99

£24.99

£48.99

£118.99

N/A

£71.99

£22.99

£44.97

£129.99

£14.99

£79.96

£29.97

£35.99

£129.99

£19.99

£69.99

£29.99

RETAIL ONLY

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RETAILCHARTS CHART DATE 17/11/08

W.H. Smith 1

Through the Seasons Jigsaw Collection

2

R/c Range Rover Sport

3

Giant 24-piece Noddy Floor Puzzle

4

Only Fools and Horses Board Game

5

Games Compendium

6

Wood Worx Steam Train Kit

7

Christmas Village Jigsaw

8

R/c Land Rover RockCrawler

9

Bop It! Extreme Pink

The Entertainer WHS

1

FurReal Friends - Butterscotch Pony

Hasbro

New Bright Industrial

2

Ben 10 - Alien Laboratory Playset

Bandai

Jumbo

3

FurReal Biscuit My Fun Lovin’ Pup

Hasbro

Toy Brokers

4

Baby Born Doll with Magic Eyes

WHS

5

Power Tour Electric Guitar

Hasbro

Colorific

6

V Beat Air Drum

Silverlit

WHS

7

Hot Wheels Speed Rache Sky Jump Grand Prix

New Bright

8

Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera - Blue

Hasbro

9

Li’l Luvables Fluffy Factory

10 Number Snap

Amazon 1

PicooZ helicopter

2

100-piece Ben 10 puzzle

3

Top Trumps – Top Gear

4

CHART DATE 20/11/08

WHS

Zapf Creation

Mattel Vtech Spin Master

10 High School Musical 3 Got the Moves Dance Mat

CHART DATE 17/11/08

Vivid

CHART DATE 17/11/08

Mail Order Express Silverlit

1

Fireman Sam Jupiter Ride-on and Sound Helmet

Martin Yaffe

Pressman

2

Bob the Builder Clicker Construction Set

Martin Yaffe

Winning Moves

3

Fireman Sam Firestation Playset

Martin Yaffe

20Q Version 2

Radica

4

Academy Desk and Chair

Martin Yaffe

5

Bop It Extreme 2

Hasbro

5

Spykee the Wi-fi Spy Robot

6

Original Rubik’s Cube

Drumond Park

6

Disney Princess Vanity Table

7

Pictureka

Hasbro

7

Pink Cosmic Light Scooter

8

Guess that Pokemon Game

Pressman

8

Baby Annabel Happy Holiday Set

9

Bath Bomb Factory

Interplay

9

Fireman Sam Firefighter Set

10 High School Musical Sing Along Microphone

Hamleys 1

50 Greatest Magic Tricks

2

Vivid Imaginations

Martin Yaffe Ozbozz Zapf Creation Martin Yaffe

10 Fireman Sam Friction Action Jupiter

CHART DATE 20/11/08

John Lewis

Marvins Magic

1

FurReal Biscuit My Fun Lovin’ Pup

Hamleys Bear Timothy

Hamleys

2

Mini Micro T-bar Scooter - Blue

3

AA batteries four pack

Energiser

3

Playskool Kota Triceratops

4

Hamleys Infinite Bubbles

Hamleys

4

Mini Micro T-bar Scotter - Pink

5

Picco Z Helicopter

Silverlit

5

Evergreen Country Cottage

6

Insecta

Silverlit

6

Wooden Labrador Baby Walker

7

Nail Jazz Kit (matt)

RDM

7

Circus Ring

8

Magic Drawing Board

Hamleys

8

Digital Camera - Pink

9

Nail Jazz Kit (Metalllic)

RDM

9

FurReal Smore Pony

Flair

10 Baby Driver 4

10 Rainbow Art Sticker Scratcherz

Meccano

Martin Yaffe

CHART DATE ( Year to Date)

Hasbro Micro Scooters Hasbro Micro Scooters Little Tikes Hibba Playmobil Girl Gear Hasbro Smoby

mobile.toynewsmag.com The latest news straight to your phone

BOOKMARK US TODAY JANUARY 2009

62

RETAIL ONLY

PRODUCTNEWS

Character crowns Peppa The Peppa Pig range is set to grow in 2009 with a new royal-themed line…

NEXT SPRING and summer will see the launch of Princess Peppa and her Ladies in Waiting, along with Princess Peppa’s Royal Family figures.

Other launches in early spring include a six-inch talking Sir George, a seven-inch talking Princess Peppa and Princess Peppa’s Royal Train.

David Westnedge Rocks out DAVID Westnedge has gained exclusive UK distribution rights for card game Rock. The game was designed by a resident of Cornwall, but has proved successful in the US and the rules are now being translated into Spanish, German and French.

Rock is a fast and furious version of the evergreen game Rock, Paper, Scissors. Players flip over cards and race to name the winning card. Each card has a different design, so the game requires a sharp eye and a very quick wit.

David Westnedge: 020 8871 2654

JANUARY 2009

This month sees the introduction of the Royal Carriage, which is a horse-drawn carriage featuring Susie Sheep, Princess Peppa and Sir George figures.

A fold-away Princess Peppa Palace will launch in May, including thrones, guardsman figures and

Princess Peppa, along with a range of furniture. There will also be a Sir George and the Dragon Playset featuring a treasure chest, articulated dragon and push-along horse.

Further products will roll-out throughout autumn/winter.

Character Options: 0161 633 9800

Hy-Pro scores with new range THE TABLE football series from Hy-Pro is the official range of many of the premiership’s leading teams, including Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Each table recreates the scope and scale of each team’s home ground with detailed designs and is branded with each team’s emblem. The lineup retails from £59.99.

Hy-Pro: 01582 670100

New Millennium Falcon blasts off HASBRO HAS launched a detailed replica of the rebel spaceship from Star Wars: Clone Wars – the Millennium Falcon. Measuring over two and a half feet long, the spaceship features light-up headlights and a variety of electronic vehicle and weapon sounds, including engine boast, cruise mode, fly-by and firing cannons.

The ship is complete with Han Solo and Chewbacca figures and

can fit up to 16 more inside the smuggling compartments, pivoting gunner station and missile-firing mini fighter vehicle.

Further sounds that bring the vehicle to life include movie phrases, lightsaber noises and deployment sounds.

Hasbro: 020 8569 1234

Manhattan Toy gets groovy THREE NEW characters are joining the Groovy Girls RSVP.com range of interactive dolls from Manhattan Toy. The new dolls include Amelina, Alesa and Amara, are all 33cm high and retail at £10.99 each.

Also new to the line-up are five pets, including three puppies – Lilac, Locket and Luckie – and two cats – Liola and Lunna. Each toy features a code that opens up a virtual party experience on the groovygirlsrsvp.com website and enables girls to interact with other owners around the world.

Manhattan Toy: 020 8944 3160

HERO PRODUCT

www.toynewsmag.com

63

Meccano Spykee Mini Vox The Spykee Mini Vox is only one member of this unique family of robots

A resurgent Meccano launches its latest electronic construction innovation – the Spykee Mini Vox – next month…

SPYKEE MINI VOX is the latest self-build robot from Meccano. The small warrior robot has an expressive face like its bigger brother and is voice activated, responding to eight different voice orders including movement, dance and attack.

On sale from February, Mini Vox is constructed from 20 pieces with both instructions and tools included. Suitable for ages sevenplus, it is priced at around £49.99.

The robot has several inbuilt sound and light effects, enabling it to move, attack and dance while playing music. It stands 16.8cm high and carries many of the same stylistic design features as Spykee Vox to create a warrior-like look

that differentiates it from the other members of the Spykee family.

Sue Barratt, country manager for Meccano UK, says: “The Spykee family is going from strength to strength. With demand coming from a wide audience, we are continuing to offer the mini Spykees as easy-to-build little brothers that have some key functions to offer good play value to our younger consumers.”

There is on-going trade and consumer PR support, a dedicated Spykee helpline to deal with consumer enquiries, and online support in place for 2009.

Further robots are due out this year to form a Spykee family of eight by the end of 2009.

The Spykee family is going from strength to strength. We offer the mini Spykees as easy-to-build little brothers.

Release date: February The eye-catching box will turn heads

RRP: £49.99 CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: 01844 278 888 www.spykeeworld.com

JANUARY 2009

The place for business

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0207 381 2302

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01827 54551

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01702 295110 08700 134 411

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01728 745300 01869 363800

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01442 250130

FT Creations Voila (Agenta Marketing) WOW Toys

procedures to preserve its high standards.

Its toys come packed with exciting features such as friction motors, winches and secret compartments for children to discover. A truly modern selection of toys with traditional play values.

WOW supports its customers by developing new and exciting promotional tools every year to assist the independent retailers who champion the WOW PreSchool concept range throughout the UK. The WOW toy range is a highly innovative and individual concept. Thanks to WOW’s unwavering and dedicated approach to producing the highest quality toys for the under-fives, the line-up makes for a refreshing and creative approach to play. Both trusted and safe, the toys have no need for batteries thanks to their clever designs, and promise sheer fun and lasting play.

For further information please contact customer services on: 020 7381 2302 or email info@wowtoys.com www.wowtoys.com

01727 763700

Ravensburger

Thumbs Up

British-designed and award-winning WOW has been producing toys with true 'WOW' appeal for over ten years.

A pre-school favourite and a consistently strong seller at retail, the range has grown to over 40 lines, much to the enjoyment of boys and girls in over 36 countries worldwide.

WOW’s famous vehicles, pushed by little hands, provide real, longlasting play value and stimulate learning through creative play and discovery. They are a firm favourite with children and mothers as well as nurseries and playgroups.

Each toy from WOW is designed by its own toymakers, who produce awardwinning toys every year. Vibrant in colour and extremely durable, WOW only uses the highest grade raw materials and employs rigorous quality control

01582 849 000

Plastics for Games

The Puppet Company

SUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER

01462 446 040 0845 466 8880 020 8965 7087 01536 401128 0207 381 2302

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01268 511522

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01728 745300

Richard Edward

0208 311 8888

Sambro

0161 707 5555

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RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS SUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER

020 8254 5300 Rainbow Productions has over 25 years’ experience in creating high quality, bespoke costume characters for brands and organisations within the toy industry – such as the Toy Fair Bear and Doll on behalf of BTHA. These bespoke brand characters are commissioned for use in photo calls, at product launches and to provide added entertainment in brand experience campaigns.

As a licensee, Rainbow Productions also represents over 90 properties, offering an unrivalled portfolio of licensed characters, available to book for Meet and Greet guest appearances (examples include Bob the Builder, Noddy and Postman Pat). A number of licensed characters will be attending photo calls at the 2009 Toy Fair.

Licensed character appearances help raise awareness of that particular property in the mind of the end target user, by children and families interacting

Dublin was also visited by five HIT Entertainment properties: Bob the Builder, Pingu, Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam and Barney. Licensed characters also supported the West End VIP shopping event in Oxford Street, all playing a role in promoting licensed merchandise and brand loyalty. with the TV star at events – whether in-store, within a shopping centre or at places such as nurseries.

Examples of pre-Christmas licensed character appearances – booked to help promote merchandise and generate instore theatre – include visits to the Peter Jones Toy Department in Sloane Square by Peppa Pig and the Little Princess. Hamley’s in

To find out more about commissioning Rainbow Productions to create you a bespoke brand character for promotional use (PR, trade shows etc) or for advice on licensed character appearances, please call 020 8254 5300 or email info@rainbowproductions.co.uk Further information is also available at www.rainbowproductions.co.uk

Marketplace

www.toynewsmag.com | Advertising: +44 (0)1992 535 647 ■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.

■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.

WHAT GETS SEEN GETS BOUGHT Costume Characters Point Of Sale Props Giant Promotional Plush Event Management Storage and Maintenance Costume Hire

Constantly striving to offer more services to our clients, we recently began working with some high profile Clients such as Warner Brothersand Disney Consumer Products to provide lifesize plush toys made in the UK by our own skilled production team. This has proved a great success offering our clients much shorter lead times and first class products.

As well as this, the launch of our Event Management Department will offer clients the opportunity to have us maintain and store your costumes plus organise character appearances, arrange staff and chaperones, storage and Millennium cleaning in the UK and FX is the Award abroad.

Winning Special FX Company behind the Doctor Who monsters Not and Jellyhead 3d are an officially forgetting what we do approved agent to provide public best and that's to produce appearances for these iconic high quality, long lasting character characters! costumes for hire, events, trade fairs and promotions. Our clients include Procter and Gamble, 4 Kids Entertainment , Tesco, Asda, and Motorola.

Danny Smith Doctor Who logo © BBC 2004. Cyberman image © BBC/Kit Pedlar/Gerry Davis 1966. Licensed by BBC Worldwide Limited.

Contact - Kelli Bromley, Sales Manager T: 0208 441 2158 M: 07760270209 www.jellyhead3d.co.uk sales@jellyhead3d.co.uk

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Lunar Pool Table

Innovation in modern table design

Built-in MP3 System

LED Under Cloth Illumination

Ball Storage Bays

From the UK’s No 1 games table supplier, Debut introduces the Lunar Pool Table. ,QQRYDWLYH VW FHQWXU\ GHVLJQ %XLOW LQ 03 V\VWHP /(' XQGHUFORWK LOOXPLQDWLRQ %DOO VWRUDJH ED\V

Contact Debut on T: 0117 966 8889 E: info@debutsport.co.uk or visit www.debutsport.co.uk

© Copyright Debut 2008

Marketplace ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

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No. 1 in the UK for model kits and accessories

Fax Order Hotline: 01442 245619 Revell GmbH & Co. KG, 64-66 Queensway, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 5HA. Tel: 01442 250130. Email: ukbranch@revell.de

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Marketplace â– Toy Suppliers

â– Toy Suppliers

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â– Toy Suppliers

r TM & Š 20 0 8 T h e L a r

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Sambro International Limited Unit L1-3 Lyntown Trading Estate, Lynwell Road, Eccles, Manchester, England, M30 9QG. T: +44 (0)161 707 5555 Contact Nikki Samuels on E: Nikki@sambro.co.uk T: +44 (0)7802517303 Contact Paul Cook on E: paul@sambro.co.uk T: +44 (0)7769900901

Marketplace

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Advertisers Index ■ Character Costumes & P.O.S. JellyHead 3D

0208 441 2158

sales@jellyhead3d.co.uk

www.jellyhead3d.co.uk

Rainbow Productions

0208 254 5300

info@rainbowproductions.co.uk

www.rainbowproductions.co.uk

01827 54551

info@daytonavisual.com

www.daytonavisual.com

■ Point of Purchase Manufacturers Daytona Visual Marketing

■ Safety Testing CMA Testing

(852) 2698 8198

info@cmatcl.com

www.cmatcl.com

SGS

0208 991 3410

gb.cts.sales@sgs.com

www.uk.sgs.com

STR

0118 939 8700

toys@struk.co.uk

www.struk.co.uk

www.applepietoys.com

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers Applepie Toys

0207 490 7694

info@applepietoys.com

Bachmann Europe

0870 751 9990

sales@bachmann.co.uk

www.bachmann.co.uk

01279 821333

sales@cambridgebrainbox.co.uk

www.cambridgebrainbox.co.uk

Danbar International Ltd. Debut Sport

01707 260 111 0117 966 8889

sales@danbartoys.com info@debutsport.co.uk

www.debutsport.co.uk

Esdevium Games

01420 593 593

sales@esdeviumgames.com

www.esdeviumgames.com

01702 295110

sales@flyingtoys.com

08700 134 411

uktradesales@games-workshop.co.uk

www.games-workshop.com

01536 200925

sales@earlybirdtoys.co.uk

www.agenta.demon.co.uk/sand_water.html

Cambridge Brainbox

Flying Toys Games Workshop Gowi (Earlybird Educational Toys) Logiblocs

www.danbartoys.com

01727 763700

sales@logiblocs.com

www.logiblocs.com

01582 849 000

magic@marvinsmagic.com

www.marvinsmagic.com

Plastics for Games

01728 745300

sales@plasticsforgames.co.uk

www.p4g.co.uk

Ravensburger

01869 363800

sales@ravensburger.com

www.ravensburger.com

Marvin’s Magic

Revell

01442 250130

ukbranch@revell.de

www.revell.com

The Puppet Company

01462 446 040

info@thepuppetcompany.com

www.thepuppetcompany.com

Thumbs Up FT Creations

0845 466 8880 020 8965 7087

sales@thumbsupuk.com info@ftcreations.co.uk

www.thumbsupuk.com www.ftcreations.co.uk

01536 401128

sales@agentamarketing.com

www.agenta.demon.co.uk/voila.html

0207 381 2302

enquiries@wowtoys.com

www.wowtoys.com

Voila (Agenta Marketing) WOW Toys

■ Toy Suppliers Carta Mundi

01268 511522

info@cartamundi.co.uk

www.cartamundi.com

Plastics for Games

01728 745300

sales@plasticsforgames.co.uk

www.p4g.co.uk

0208 311 8888

enquiries@richard-edward.com

www.richard-edward.com

+44 (0) 161 707 5555

sales@sambro.co.uk

www.sambro.co.uk

Richard Edward Sambro International

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74

TOY TALK

TOY TALK Lego up in arms, Binnie upping sticks (?) and some slick moves from the buying team at John Lewis…

LEGO JOINS WAR ON TERROR Lego UK has hit out at a US firm which modifies its Mini-Figs into controversial ‘terrorist’ figures.

Following some ridiculously over-the-top press reports in the good old Daily Mail and the Telegraph, Lego UK was forced to distance itself from the figures made by US firm, BrickArms, clarifying that it is not affiliated with Lego and did not receive permission to create the modified toys.

BrickArms, which specialises in creating “custom molded weapons and custom mini-figures” from Lego blocks, sells the ‘terrorist’ figure branded “Mr White the Bandit” - for $14. It comes with a miniature pistol, machine gun, rocket launcher and grenades.

“Lego UK is not associated with the toys being sold by BrickArms, which have been customised without Lego UK’s knowledge or permission,” a Lego spokesman said.

“BrickArms is not licensed by Lego UK to customise Lego figures and has no links to the Lego brand.”

So there you have it. Terrorist = bad. You want one though, don’t you?

JL TAKES THE BISCUIT Crafty buyers at John Lewis have snapped up Woolies’ stock of Hasbro’s Fur-Real Biscuit My Lovin’ Pup. According to reports, buyers at the chain have bought up all stock of Biscuit which was destined for Woolworths.

John Lewis apparently sold nearly 1,000 of the £129.95 dogs in a week.

BINNIE ON THE MOVE? Rumours abound that Warner Bros Consumer Products’ UK general manager David Binnie is about to depart from the licensing giant as part of a reshuffle. No confirmation as yet, but WBCP’s silence on the matter might be a good indicator…

EVA SALTMAN Hamleys has announced the passing away of Eva Saltman who was the marketing manager at the store group for over 11 years.

A statement from the firm said: “Eva was a great personality which, added to her amazing fashion-style, was her hallmark. Everyone loved working with her, both internal and suppliers who Eva worked very closely with.

“During her time with Hamleys Eva was pivotal in introducing and developing the retail theatre that is today enshrined into the Hamleys culture. Eva had a network of contacts which allowed her to deliver fantastic events, giving visiting children and families lasting memories.

“In addition to her work with Hamleys, Eva was a very active member of the Regent Street Association, finally becoming a member of the Board. Eva will be sadly missed by both her colleagues at Hamleys, but also her friends and acquaintances in the press and media business from where Eva came before joining Hamleys.”

Circulation & Subscriptions

www.toynewsmag.com Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

AUDITED CIRCULATION Average Net Circulation: 6,069 July 1st 2007 to June 30th 2008, ToyNews is published 12 times a year by Intent Media ~ Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648 © Intent Media 2008 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.

ISSN: 1740-3308

SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90 The international cost applies per subscription and covers airmail dispatch of 12 issues To order your subscription via Visa, MasterCard, Amex Switch or Delta contact toy.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883 848. Alternatively visit our website www.toynewsmag.com Subscriptions Manager - Hannah Short Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk

JANUARY 2009

MY No.1s Suzanne Panter, PR & Communications manager, Re:Creation Number one album: It changes regularly, but this week, most played on my iPod is Only by the Night, Kings of Leon.

-------------------------------------------------Film: It’s got to be Dirty Dancing.

Pure cheese.

-------------------------------------------------Website: Now that would be telling.

Recently though I’ve been on www.sprigtoys a lot!

-------------------------------------------------Hero: I really admire anyone that makes the most of their life and doesn’t let anything hold them back.

-------------------------------------------------Book: I like thrillers. Sue Grafton’s alphabet series is easy to read, intelligent and exciting.

-----------------------------------------TV programme: Greys Anatomy. Patrick Dempsey. Say no more.

------------------------------------------Number one single when you were born: If I told you that, you would all know how old I really am. It was Without You by Nilsson.

-------------------------------------------------Pet: I’ve got three cats. The most beautiful creatures in the world.

-------------------------------------------------Magazine: I’m a mag junkie and buy far too many. There are two that I never miss – Heat as it satisfies my celeb gossip requirements and the second is Spirit and Destiny.

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