ToyNews Issue 104 April 2010 by Intent Media (now Newbay Media Europe)

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

INSIDE…

WORLD CUP WINNERS Football lines that will help retail score big this summer

HUNGARY FOR SUCCESS Report from the BLCEE licensing show in Budapest

JUMBO’S BIG IDEAS Games and puzzles specialist talks about expansion plans

MALE ORDERS EXPRESSED Our sector special spotlights the best of the upcoming boys toys

*DPH RQ

Contents REGULARS 4

News

Exclusive NPD analysis

Appointments

Campaign of the month

TV ratings

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

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

COMMENT Katie Roberts Deputy Editor Katie.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

Emily Briggs Sales Executive Emily.Briggs@intentmedia.co.uk

LICENSING 18

News

Kids’ magazine special

Budapest Licensing show

Bob keeps on building

FEATURES 30

Hasbro’s boys offering

Jumbo keeps growing

World Cup special

Boys market special

Games and Puzzles

Track and Train products

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

Jon Salisbury Contributor jon@wotkidzwant.com

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

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

RETAIL 84

New Products

Counter Insurgent

Price Check

Retail Charts

Hero Product

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 6,011 July 1st 2008 to June 30th 2009. www.toynews-online.biz ■ ToyNews circulation is 17.3% higher than its closest competitor. ■ ToyNews requested or paid for circulation is 21.7% higher than its closest competitor. ■ ToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.

GET UP FOR THE CUP

IT’S AMAZING how outside events can influence what goes on in the trade. It goes without saying that the weather can have a huge effect on retail footfall and, for the toy trade in particular, on sales of certain outdoor items. This year, we have a World Cup and a good run from England can easily generate extra millions in sales right across retail, some of which will be in toys and accessories. It’s a genuine opportunity for smart retailers to add new revenue or even just extra value to existing sales. Therefore let us pray (the industry seems to like a prayer) that nothing happens to Wayne Rooney or any other England player between now and the big kick-off. And pray for a quick recovery for Ashley Cole (now there’s a sentence

A good run to the semis and you’re on the phone ordering more of those England wigs. I never thought I would write. Not without replacing the words ‘recovery for’ with ‘end to the career of’) and Tottenham’s jet-heeled genius Aaron Lennon. In football terms, losing Beckham is not a disaster, but I wonder how much female spending power has now gone because the one player most of them would recognise won’t be there? How many Beckham-associated products will remain unsold now because of his exploding achilles? Or will his misfortune actually heighten interest? In this media-obsessed world it is easy to translate headlines into pounds and pence. The problem for retailers is that investing in that World Cup bonanza is a gamble. Your stock could be one kick away from becoming instantly worthless. Conversely, a good run to the semis and you’re on the phone ordering more of those England wigs and stocking up on football stickers. Little is certain. But as long as you don’t bank on England winning the thing and cut your cloth accordingly, there’s extra sales to be had. One thing is for sure – ignoring it will only see someone else benefit. Our World Cup guide starts on page 35. Come on you sales! Ronnie Dungan ronnie.dungan@intentmedia.co.uk

NEWS

Microstars back on TV Range returns to TV ahead of World Cup 2010 ● New campaign to run from Easter weekend through until June by Ronnie Dungan CORINTHIAN’S RANGE of collectable miniature football figures has been boosted by a return to TV advertising ahead of this year’s World Cup. After an enforced absence due to the ban on advertising confectionery to children, MicroStars, which traditionally have been packaged with sweets, will be promoted around the tournament with a new TV campaign to announce the arrival of 40 new WorldStars figures. The figures are now available in a new format of blind, single figure sachet packs without jelly bean sweets. The TV marketing starts this month (April) on all the popular boys’ channels, with a theme tune and terrace-style “Football Crazy, Football Mad” tagline chant. Marketing manager Vicki Elmer said: “Our marketing strategy for MicroStars WorldStars has certainly been given a massive lift this year and we can’t wait to spread some World Cup fever of our own by bringing the brand back to TV. “We have always worked very closely with the weekly football magazines to promote MicroStars to the dedicated and passionate

football fan but we also want to capture the imagination of other children who might not yet know about our figures. TV is the most effective way to introduce them to the game play and encourage them to challenge their mates to see who has the best collection.” The MicroStars WorldStars series includes figures of England stars Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Rooney alongside other world class heroes such as Fabregas, Messi, Drogba and Tevez. The TV campaign gets underway over the Easter weekend and runs at regular bursts until June. Corinthian: 01494 462640

We can’t wait to spread some World Cup fever of our own by bringing the brand back to TV.

ENTRIES OPEN FOR THE TOYNEWS FIVES THE TOY industry's annual fundraising five a side football tournament, the ToyNews Fives, is now open for entries. The tournament takes place on Friday July 9th at the Power League site in Barnet, North London (there are no World Cup games on that day). Around 24 teams are expected to compete, with £100 of every registration going to the Toy Trust. Turner Broadcasting was triumphant in last year's Cup competition, beating off strong challenges from Lego, Firebox and Mattel, with Grant and Bowman winning the Plate tournament. Some £1,600 was raised for the Toy Trust on the day.

APRIL 2010

It costs £575 to enter a squad for the event (up to a maximum of ten players), which includes a free gourmet barbecue. There is also a bar. Anyone who thinks they have a team to beat the best footballing talent from across the toy and licensing industry (or just enjoy a day

having a kick about), should call 0207 700 1888 or log on to www.topcorner.co.uk/toynewsfives Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information contact Ronnie Dungan on 01992 535646 or email him on ronnie.dungan@intentmedia.co.uk

WowWee chiefs to take over parent WowWee is set to become a private company again after founders, the Yanofsky brothers, launched a takeover of its parent. The Yanofskys – Richard, president of WowWee Canada – and Peter, president of WowWee USA, have set up a company to buy out the current shareholders of the Optimal Group, of which WowWee is a wholly-owned subsidiary, and have the support of Optimal's directors.

If the takeover goes through, Optimal will go from being a public to a private company. The offer of $2.40 per share represents a premium of approximately 50 per cent over the closing price of the Class A shares of $1.60 on the NASDAQ, on March 16th, 2010.

www.wowwee.com

NEWS

www.toynews-online.biz

Geomag returns to the UK Magnetic construction range returns to UK ‘home’ with original distributor, Treasure Trove, after four-year hiatus by Ronnie Dungan TREASURE TROVE has been resigned as the distributor for relaunched magnetic construction line, Geomag and believes the range can once again become the sector’s leading brand. Trove is once more exclusive distributor of the line in the UK and Ireland, having initially launched it here in 2001 and lost the distribution in 2006, when the Swiss firm fell victim to the difficulties which hit many in the sector, after a number of safety scares. Geomagworld now has a new management team in place and a redesigned product line with a new global distribution network. “The UK and Ireland are instrumental to the success of our business,” said Geomagworld’s general manager, Filippo Gallizia. “Treasure Trove has a proven track record with Geomag and will play a key role in re-building the brand as the UK’s leading magnetic construction system.” Treasure Trove’s business director, Liz Nield, added: “Treasure Trove launched Geomag into the UK market in 2001. “Its success here is well documented, and we are very confident that the market will

Treasure Trove is once again distributor of the line in the UK, having initially launched it here in 2001

welcome this fresh, new approach to the construction sector.” Gallizia continued: “Geomag was the first magnetic construction brand on the market. The emphasis was always on safety and quality and Geomag always conformed to the most rigorous safety standards. “We have further developed and improve the safety of our brand. We welcomed the alignment of new safety legislation and have adapted our new and improved product to the new toy safety standards: 88/378 CE, EN71/2009.”

Nield believes the range can now regain its standing as the number one magnetic construction range in the market. “We are convinced that by drawing upon the brand’s integrity and core values, we can establish it once again as the primary player in the magnetic construction sector.” A new development under the Geomag brand is the Wheels line, a collection of magnetic construction car kits which will be shown at the Playroom and Toymaster shows in April and May.

For older model builders, the original Geomag is also available as the Pro Line. Nield concluded: “Over the last two years the construction category has seen only the usual players, but Treasure Trove is now in a strong position to shake up this category with both its promoted construction brands. We believe that retailers will welcome the new and exciting ways that Treasure Trove has to increase profits for the retailer in the category.” Treasure Trove: 01285 762039

Gogo’s launches England line PLAYGROUND HIT Gogo’s Crazy Bones is set for another spike in popularity with the launch of the latest addition – Gogo’s Crazy Bones England 2010 collection. The new range features a total of 27 pieces to collect, with 20 of England’s top players transformed into Gogo characters. Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard and Terry will also be available in rare ‘laser’ editions. The collection also includes an England three lions crest and England manager Fabio Capello in Gogo form. In addition, a Gogo’s Crazy Bones England Dugout will accompany the

collection allowing fans to display and store their collection. Packets of Gogo’s Crazy Bones England 2010 will contain two players

and a checklist and will be priced at £1.50. The Dugout, including one packet of Gogo’s, will be priced at £4.99. The range launches in April. “We are incredibly proud and excited about this new collection. The England players and manager have been superbly transformed into Gogo characters and we think that this new collection has enormous potential. Retailer and consumer interest is already massive and we are having to work hard to meet the demand,” said Ben Harper, UK director of distributor Magic Box. Magic Box: 01403 251286

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NEWS

Tomy signs Chuggington Firm joins burgeoning licensing programme ● New arts and crafts range to include Aquadoodle and Megasketcher

Circa expands offering with distribution arm

by Ronnie Dungan TOMY HAS inked a deal with Ludorum as pan-European licensee for arts and crafts Chuggington products. The Chuggington arts and crafts range will be available in major toy retailers and online retailers throughout Europe from 2011. The range will include a Chuggington Aquadoodle, the preschool drawing system that combines no mess and drawing with water. The Megasketcher will also be available as part of the line-up. Julian Day, VP of UK consumer products, Ludorum said: “We are

delighted to have secured such a prestigious partner as Tomy for Chuggington arts and crafts.

We are delighted to have secured such a prestigious partner as Tomy for Chuggington arts and crafts. “Tomy is world-renowned as a leader in creative play and we look

forward to working with them in developing this exciting range of Chuggington products.” Ruth Williams, senior brand manager for arts and crafts at Tomy, added: “Tomy is looking forward to working with Ludorum to develop an arts and crafts range for the pre-school favourite Chuggington. “With the inclusion of the wellknown and hugely popular brands Aquadoodle and Megasketcher into the Chuggington range, we have no doubt that these will prove to be successful additions to our arts and crafts range.” Tomy 0208 722 7300

TOYMASTER MAY SHOW SELLS OUT ALL EXHIBITION space has now been filled for Toymaster’s May show at the Majestic. Some 116 suppliers are signed up to exhibit including Mattel, Hasbro, Lego, Meccano, Re:creation, Tomy, Vivid, VTech and many more. The Toymaster May Show is open not only to Toymaster Members, but other independent retailers as well. The 2010 exhibition will take place over three days from May 18th - 20th at the Barceló Majestic Hotel, Harrogate. Toymaster: 01604 674477

CIRCA CIRCA, manufacturer of About Time, has launched a new range of learning board games under the new Circa Distribution label. The new range expands on the firm’s original games with products from a number of independent publishers worldwide. Circa Distribution’s sales director, Dave Norton said: “One of my key objectives this year is to increase substantially the customer base for About Time and our new games offer and increase the profile of the Circa Circa brand. Circa Distribution will also look to take on complete range offers for exclusive distribution in the UK and Ireland. “The toy and game industry will show rapid and valuable growth over the next two to three years and my intention is to make Circa Circa and Circa Distribution a leading player in the industry.” The new range includes Topple Tree and iQube, from New Zealand’s IQ Ideas; Fast4Words from Basic Concept of Hong Kong; Consensus: Movie Edition from US firm Mind Logic, and Crunch from Terrorbull Games, suppliers of War on Terror. Also new are King of Chicago, a Risk-style board game set in the world of Chicago mobsters; New Amigos, from the firm which introduced Cranium; a new English version of Classico – the trivia game for classical music lovers; Abracadabra, a range of four dinner party games and 3D pop-up adventure board games – The Haunted Ruins and Treasure of the Lost Pyramid – again from Basic Concept of Hong Kong. Circa Circa: 07967 319482

NEWS

www.toynews-online.biz

Mega goes heavy on Metal

Suitors circle Hobbycraft

Firm to support the latest addition to the Battle Strikers range with an integrated marketing campaign... by Ronnie Dungan MEGA BRANDS is backing the second series of Battle Strikers – Metal XS – with a cross-platform marketing campaign, to include TV, online and retail promotion. Series two launched in January and has already added 12 new striker designs to build on the customisation and collectability factor of the toy. The new superior series features durable metal armour making the turbo tops more powerful. The armour creates a metal clashing action and sounds during battle and the new outer weighting improves momentum of the Strikers for longer battles. In addition, all extra five components of the Metal XS Strikers are compatible with the original Battle Strikers Series 1 and 2, so products from each series can be combined in order to make the ultimate Striker.

The tops in the Metal XS series feature durable metal armour

The Metal XS Starter Pack has an improved Turbo Boost Launcher with a customisable face plate for battle launches and DLX Controller with improved ergonomic grip and adjustable length for finger size. Also new is the unofficial Battle Striker Blog www.strikeraxis.com where fans can create their own blog and be involved with forum pages. In addition, the main www.battlestrikers.com website has been upgraded to contain even more information about the Strikers, instore events and other local activities with its new Striker Society area. Marketing support includes heavyweight TV advertising,

sponsorship, PR and direct communications. The TV campaign runs from March 27th for three weeks, with more than 600 TVRs throughout the Easter holidays. In addition, it has secured the sponsorship of the afternoon programming on Cartoon Network which will include a combination of break bumpers together with 30second and ten-second adverts through Easter. A number of retailers will also be carrying out in-store demonstrations including The Entertainer which will be organising demonstrations and Striker Clinics. Mega Brands: 01844 350033

Microsoft woos toy shops with new controller MICROSOFT IS thought to be looking to target toy retailers with its new Xbox motion sensor accessory. Microsoft’s much anticipated motion sensor peripheral, codenamed Project Natal, is expected to move Xbox beyond the games industry in much the same way as Nintendo’s Wii. A recent Project Natal launch event targeted consumer media and toy titles, with various celebrities including Jonathan Ross in tow, suggesting that its retail

positioning will be broader than just games retailers. Xbox 360 is already stocked in retailers such as Toys R Us and Smyths and it seems likely that the new motion-sensor add-on will make further inroads into the trade. Project Natal has been designed to dispense with the need for traditional hand-held controllers, making it more accessible for casual gamers. It is due for launch by Christmas 2010 and is expected to retail at £50. www.xbox.com

Project Natal has been designed to dispense with controllers...

THE FIELD to buy the arts and crafts superstore retailer, Hobbycraft, has been narrowed down to six serious bidders, according to reports. Private equity firms Exponent, Bridgepoint Development Capital and TA Associates are among the firms chosen to enter the second round of bids due in April. The first round of bids attracted up to 20 indicative offers last month. It is unclear if Lloyds Development Capital is still in the frame to acquire the 47-store retailer. Isis, Phoenix Equity Partners and Graphite Capital are no longer believed to be in the running. Hobbycraft has been valued at £75m, but it is now thought it could fetch up to £100m. The retailer has few direct competitors and has been cited as having the potential to grow from 48 to 180 stores. Despite an initial interest, it is thought Halfords did not enter the first-round bid, but it is unclear if it has since held talks with Grant Thornton, which is running the sale. It is likely that whoever buys the retailer will retain the current management team, led by Chris Crombie, the chief executive, who is also understood to be preparing a possible MBO of the company. Hobbycraft: 01202 596100

NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties

Industry shows early signs of growth in 2010 JANUARY SAW a positive start to 2010, with the total traditional toy market up three per cent in value versus January 2009. For the first time since the Woolworths closure, the market is showing growth driven by an increase in average price, now £5.67 versus £5.20 a year ago. Despite the challenging economic conditions in 2009, the high price points (£20+) continued to grow and this trend has carried over into January with £20-plus price up eight per cent on last year. “Consumers don’t see price as a major barrier to purchase, but there has to be a strong element of play value involved for high valued items to succeed,” commented Jez FraserHook, director of The NPD Group’s Toy Business in the UK. Building sets continued growing and was the fastest growing super category in January, up 90 per cent on last year. This was driven by the continued success of Lego with a wide variety of ranges including the Lego Star Wars and Lego City ranges remaining popular. The launch of new Lego Atlantis and Lego Toy Story also proved popular this month with Woody and Buzz Rescue number three in the top selling building set items for the month. The largest category, infant and pre-school, also grew in January, up 12 per cent in value with growth driven through a number of properties including Peppa Pig, Vtech Baby and Playmobil. In The Night

Garden made a strong start to the year and was the number two preschool licence across total toys, behind Thomas and Friends. However, the top selling item remains the Vtech First Steps Babywalker, with the Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies Lights a close second. January was a strong performing

Sales

Average price

UK toy sales (value, year to date)

62,280,270

64,399,580

2009

2010

Source: NPD

APRIL 2010

Top 5 properties January 2010 1. BEN 10 2. STAR WARS 3. TRANSFORMERS 4. THOMAS AND FRIENDS 5. IN THE NIGHT GARDEN

Best property progression January 2010

Lego Atlantis The new underwater theme from Lego launched in January and is already selling well. Over the month it moved up from number 269 to position 25…

There’s a strong feeling of optimism for the toy market going into 2010 and certainly initial indications are that it’s translating into sales. Hopefully, this will continue for the rest of the year. month for dolls, with the play-set themed dolls category up 37 per cent. The top three items show the strength of this category with the Littlest Pet Shop Collectables Assortment the top item, Sylvanian Families Car and Caravan number two and In My Pocket Ocean Mum and Baby Assortment number three.

Jan 09:

£5.20

In fashion dolls, Barbie continues to rule and is the top property, up 30 per cent versus January 2009. “There’s a strong feeling of optimism for the toy market going into 2010 and certainly initial indications are that it’s translating into sales. Hopefully, this will continue for the rest of year,” continued Fraser-Hook.

Jan 10:

£5.67

Best item progression January 2010

Toy Story Woody and Buzz Rescue (Lego) Ahead of the summer movie release, the Toy Story product has stormed up the charts from position 1153 to number 16…

NPD RESEARCH

www.toynews-online.biz

Retail Sales Trends UK JANUARY 2010 (£ SALES – VALUE) 1

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES

BAKUGAN STARTER PACK

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGURES

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE DELUXE FIGURES

KIDIZOOM CAMERA

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

7 8 9

BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK

STAR WARS CLONE WALKER AND DROID

UK JANUARY 2010 (UNIT SALES – VOLUME) BANDAI

MATCH ATTAX CARDS

SPIN MASTER UK

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

BANDAI

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE LEGENDS ASSORTMENT

HASBRO

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGURES

TOPPS MATTEL HASBRO BANDAI

VTECH

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES

MATTEL

PLAY DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

SW CLONE WARS BASIC FIG 3.75-INCHES

HASBRO

GOGO’S CRAZY BONES EVOLUTION BOOSTER

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE LEGENDS ASSORTMENT

HASBRO

LITTLEST PETSHOP COLLECTABLE PET ASSORTMENT

SPIN MASTER UK

PLASTICINE 8 PACK

BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK

LEGO

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES – VALUE) 1

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES

BAKUGAN STARTER PACK

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGURES

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE DELUXE FIGURES

KIDIZOOM CAMERA

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

7 8 9

BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK

STAR WARS CLONE WALKER AND DROID

BANDAI HASBRO MAGIC BOX HASBRO FLAIR SPIN MASTER UK

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES – VOLUME) BANDAI

MATCH ATTAX CARDS

SPIN MASTER UK

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

BANDAI

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE LEGENDS ASSORTMENT

HASBRO

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGURES

TOPPS MATTEL HASBRO BANDAI

VTECH

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES

MATTEL

PLAY DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

STAR WARS CLONE WARS BASIC FIGURES 3.75”

HASBRO

GOGO’S CRAZY BONES EVOLUTION BOOSTER

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE LEGENDS ASSORTMENT

HASBRO

LITTLEST PETSHOP COLLECTIBLE PET ASSORTMENT

SPIN MASTER UK

PLASTICINE 8 PACK

BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK

LEGO

BANDAI HASBRO MAGIC BOX HASBRO FLAIR SPIN MASTER UK

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: Amazon, Argos, Asda, Boots, ELC, Firebox, Freemans, Grattan, Hamleys, HMV, Halfords Littlewoods, Mailorderexpress, Modelzone, Mothercare, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, Toymaster, The Entertainer and WHSmith. The approximate coverage is of 60%

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

APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVES New faces in the sales department at Wow Toys, Tomy reshuffles marketing department and appoints a new PR agency, Leapfrog chairman departs, new offices for Kids@play and ex-Chorion man joins NVCP… FROM LEFT: Wow Toys’ David Foster, NVCP’s John Collins and Ellen Heathershaw from Wow Toys...

WOW TOYS has appointed David Foster and Ellen Heathershaw to its sales team. Foster will be based in London, taking responsibility for international sales (all markets outside of the UK). He has spent 20 years working with Hasbro Europe and Hasbro International, including a stint of ten years as director of emerging and developing markets. Ellen Heathershaw has also recently joined the company as account manager. Heathershaw has over thirty years experience in the toy industry with over ten years at Playmobil as territory manager. She has looked after a number of accounts with previous roles including Britains, Dakin and Russ Berry. Sarah Davies has returned to Tomy as senior brand manager on arts and crafts and girls’ toys. Davies has experience working with Flair and Character Options and in the arts and crafts category in her previous role at the company. Ruth Williams, senior brand manager, will move over to the newly created pre-school/three to six years

category where her primary focus will be on creating the company's new 'superbrand', Tomica. She will execute the integrated marketing campaign behind the brand, along with the longterm strategic planning. Williams will also be responsible for Rah Rah the Noisy Lion, the newly acquired pre-school licence from Chapman, which will launch in 2011. Tomy is also strengthening the nursery and infant area and Antonia Rainbow will become marketing manager of the category with Amanda Loveday (brand manager) reporting into her. Their focus will be on expanding the core nursery range and developing the new Be Baby range of baby toys, as well as maintaining Tomy's stronghold with it's Play to Learn and Aquafun infant toys. Paul Batchelor (senior brand manager) will continue to manage the boys and construction portfolio, with many new initiatives to manage including A-Team, Harry Potter and Sonic the Hedgehog. With immediate effect, Tomy has also employed So PR to handle trade and consumer PR.

Chairman and CEO of Leapfrog, Jeff Katz, has left to take up a position with online shopping firm, NexTag as its new chief executive officer. Katz joined Leapfrog in 2006 from online travel site Orbitz, a position he assumed after many years working in the airline industry. Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products has hired John Collins as its new retail marketing director for EMEA. Collins, who reports to Kate Schlomann, VP brand management international, has broad brand management experience having most recently worked for Chorion, where he managed all European retail operations and launched The Mr Men Show and Olivia. He has also held positions at BBC Worldwide, where he launched and managed properties including Tweenies and Balamory, as well as consulting roles with Walker Books, Happy Films and MJTV. In his new role, Collins will look to build long-term relationships with multi-territory retailers such as Carrefour, Auchan, Amazon, Tesco,

MediaMarkt Saturn and Toys R Us across the NVCP portfolio. He will work with local consumer product teams (Benelux, France, Germany, UK) as well as EMEA agents across the region. Following expansion, Kids@play has moved to new premises at Riverside Court in Chepstow. From start-up, the outdoor toy specialist has established a manufacturing base in Eastern Europe and has now moved its UK HQ to larger premises. The firm has also opened a new services division and warehouse in Caerphilly. Malcolm Evans, MD told ToyNews: "The move to new offices is a significant landmark in our five-year plan. Our business has seen unprecedented growth which has enabled us to expand. The new details for Kids@Play are: Riverside Court, Beaufort Park, Chepstow, NP16 5UH. Phone: 01291 635551 Fax: 01291 627680 Customer services: 01291 429000

Come play with us Excellent rewards packages to attract the best Based Stockley Park, Middlesex Serious fun. That’s what life at Hasbro is all about. Yes, we’re a global leader in leisure time entertainment products for children and families. An ambitious and growing business that’s brought enjoyment to millions of people through brands like Monopoly, Play-Doh, My Little Pony and Mr Potato Head. But we like to enjoy ourselves too, bringing creativity, imagination and inspiration to everything we do. It all goes to make this a great place to be - and that’s before we even mention the terrific career development opportunities on offer.

General Sales Manager

Ref: 191 The challenge: • Deliver direct and focused leadership across a portfolio of key accounts • Develop and implement strategies that drive sales growth • Lead a large team and build powerful working relationships with grocery-sector customers The individual: • Proven senior sales experience within FMCG/consumer durables across multiple channels • Excellent people skills and the ability to manage channel P&L • The hunger to take on a high-profile role offering great opportunities for career development

Marketing Manager

Ref: 192

The challenge: • Work closely with the Marketing Director to drive through proactive Category strategies that build growth • Develop both the department and the people around you • Inspire and energise the marketing team as you fuel their development and career progression The individual: • Proven marketing experience demonstrating progression and a strong track record of managing brands and profitability • Experience of managing a large team • First-rate leadership skills and the ability to thrive in a senior role

Customer Strategy Manager (Tesco) Ref: 193 The challenge: • Ensure that our marketing strategy within Tesco is delivering the best possible results • Analyse in-store data and monitor consumer and marketing trends to create the best deals that maximise sales • Develop a clear shopper engagement and trade marketing plan The individual: • A successful track record within FMCG/consumer durables • Excellent analytical, organisational and presentation skills • The ability to influence, persuade and sell ideas at senior level

Be part of Hasbro’s future success. Apply now by sending your CV to hasbro@pursuitnha.com or go to www.pursuitnha.com/jobs quoting the appropriate reference no. Alternatively telephone our retained consultant, Mark Akehurst on 0118 940 5112.

CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

Jolly Octopus Ravensburger This summer sees the launch of Ravensburger’s new 3D action game Jolly Octopus. The game has gained recognition at Toy Fair and will be backed with a heavyweight 600 TVR campaign later in the year… HAVING BEEN named among the best new games by the BTHA at the Olympia Toy Fair, Ravensburger is expecting big things from its new pre-school product, Jolly Octopus, this year. MD Tim Hall said: “We’re so pleased that Jolly Octopus has been recognised as a fantastic new game this early on. We developed it especially for the UK market to ensure it ticked all the boxes for children, parents and retailers, while offering consumers the quality they would expect from a Ravensburger product. “We conducted detailed play testing and packaging research during development to ensure that the game was right for our target market. It came through this research with flying colours, with parents and children both saying they would buy it in preference to other marketleading titles,” continued Hall. Ravensburger’s research showed that the packaging combined with the play pattern were a favourite among parents and children. Game play Game play is centred around a spinning, waving, giggling octopus called Jolly. Using the tongs provided, the aim of the game is to be the first player to catch the coloured crabs hiding under its tentacles. The game has two different play settings, so as children become more expert with the tongs, the game becomes more difficult. “Jolly Octopus is tremendous fun for children aged four and upwards and we’re all excited to be involved with such a wonderful game,” added Hall.

APRIL 2010

Our aim is for Jolly Octopus to be one of the top childrens games in 2010 and in future years.

Marketing The game is backed with a significant TV campaign around its launch. “We appreciate that new games must be supported with TV advertising and marketing. We plan to run a heavyweight TV advertising campaign (around 600 TVRs) to help ensure that everyone is aware of the game and all the great fun it offers. Our aim is for Jolly Octopus to be one of the top childrens games in 2010 and in future years,” explained Hall.

AIRTIME STATISTICS

The ratings game The top-performing children’s TV shows on terrestrial and multi-channel....

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES JAN - FEB ‘10

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD FEB ‘10

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

OOOs

8:59

TRACY BEAKER RETURNS

CBBC

225

13.8

2 16:34

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES

BBC1

215

9.8

2 11:58

TRACY BEAKER RETURNS

CBBC

199

12.5

3 18:24

SUITE LIFE ON DECK: LOST AT SEA

DISNEY CH. 213

10.1

3 17:49

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES

CBBC

196

10.2

4 17:04

MI HIGH

CBBC

192

11.7

4 17:04

MI HIGH

CBBC

191

11.7

5 17:49

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES

CBBC

188

9.8

5 8:32

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

GMTV1/CITV 174

14.9

6 16:05

HORRIBLE HISTORIES

BBC1

179

11.8

6 8:29

CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS

GMTV1/CITV 174

13.4

7 17:48

SPIRIT WARRIORS

CBBC

171

8.0

7 8:28

DA DICK AND DOM DIARIES

CBBC

168

10.2

8 8:28

DA DICK AND DOM DIARIES

CBBC

168

10.2

8 9:00

POWER RANGERS RPM

GMTV1/CITV 168

11.7

9 16:35

MI HIGH

BBC1

167

9.5

9 16:33

SCOOP

CBBC

162

10.1

10 16:32

HOTEL TRUBBLE

CBBC

166

9.3

10 16:05

HORRIBLE HISTORIES

BBC1

161

10.8

AIRINGS

COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) JAN - FEB ‘10 1

OOOs

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

OOOs

18:24

SUITE LIFE ON DECK: LOST AT SEA

DISNEY CH 213

% AIRINGS

10.1

COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD FEB ‘10

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

% AIRINGS

8:29

CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS

GMTV1/CITV165

13.3

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

OOOs

8:32

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

GMTV1/CITV 174

AIRINGS

14.9

2 8:32

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

GMTV1/CITV 164

15.1

2 8:29

CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS

GMTV1/CITV 174

13.4

3 9:00

POWER RANGERS RPM

GMTV1/CITV 163

11.6

3 9:00

POWER RANGERS RPM

GMTV1/CITV 168

11.7

4 10:31

FILM: THE BFG (1989)

CITV

162

10.4

4 10:31

FILM: THE BFG (1989)

CITV

162

10.4

5 18:49

PLUTO – FOOD FOR FEUDIN'

FIVE

143

5.0

5 18:49

PLUTO – FOOD FOR FEUDIN'

FIVE

143

5.0

6 8:28

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

GMTV1/CITV 141

11.8

6 8:02

THE REPLACEMENTS

GMTV1/CITV 143

15.3

7 7:58

THE REPLACEMENTS

GMTV1/CITV 128

15.0

7 8:28

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

GMTV1/CITV 141

11.8

8 7:25

TOONATTIK LINKS

GMTV1/CITV 117

12.9

152

8 7:25

TOONATTIK LINKS

GMTV1/CITV 132

13.2

9 8:04

FIFI AND THE FLOWERTOTS

FIVE

111

9.0

9 16:00

HORRID HENRY

CITV

117

7.6

168

10 16:00

HORRID HENRY

CITV

111

7.2

274

10 8:05

FIFI AND THE FLOWERTOTS

FIVE

116

9.2

SOURCE: INFOSYS/BARB.

APRIL 2010

NOTE: THESE CHARTS ARE BASED ON AVERAGE PERFORMANCE

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Did Advanstar work its trade show magic in the Central and Eastern European region? ToyNews asks exhibitors and visitors to Budapest for their views…

Aardman teams with Fairy, Fifi and the Flowertots’ Asda promo, Fiesta moves into licensing with Horrid Henry, BBC buys 2entertain stake…

Still only spending your marketing budget on TV? Print magazines have many factors working in their favour too. We take a look at some of the key players…

LICENSINGNEWS

COMMENT NEW HORIZONS IT SEEMS like we were only off the trade event merrygo-round for a few days before the licensing industry was swept up in it again: New York, Austria (for The Light Fund Bobsleigh Challenge) and Budapest were all on the agenda. And there’s still Bologna, Kazachok and MIPTV to get through before we’re allowed to catch our collective breath. On top of all this, planning for Licensing International in June is, of course, continuing apace. Indeed, the team at Advanstar will barely have had time to acknowledge the congratulations on the success of Brand Licensing Central and Eastern Europe before switching its focus away from Budapest to the distinctly different landscape of Las Vegas. It’s more than up to the challenge though. The event organiser even took itself by surprise with the impact BLCEE had. Jessica Blue admitted that they were expecting 200 visitors over the two days in March, so to reach almost 300 was a bonus. Half of those attending on the first day also returned for the second.

Would Poland be a better choice of host country for Brand Licensing Central and Eastern Europe? The Licensing Academy sessions were well thought out and well received, particularly the Planet Retail presentation, which was described as ‘unmissable’ by many. It was also encouraging to see representatives from the likes of E1 Entertainment, Classic Media, Aardman, RDF and 4Kids attending, offering their support to their local agents in the region, while Turner CN Enterprises took its own stand. Of course, the awareness is there that CEE is not an easy market and will take time to build. Suggestions have also been made that perhaps Poland would be a better choice of host country, or even considering a multi-national approach, taking in Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia meaning more clients would be able to attend the show. There will always be niggles – look at how long it took Brand Licensing Europe to become the show it is today, or the seemingly minor complaints about the signage in Vegas last year. The fact is as the traditional countries become more saturated, we need to explore areas such as CEE to see the licensing industry progress. Samantha Loveday Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk APRIL 2010

Timmy Time cleans up with Fairy promo Aardman Rights’ pre-school character to front national campaign from April, reaching over 20 million UK households... by Samantha Loveday AARDMAN RIGHTS has secured a promotional partnership which will see its pre-school brand Timmy Time fronting a major campaign with Fairy Non Bio and Fairy Fabric Softener. The promotional push kicks off this month and will give consumers the chance to collect three Timmy Time books by redeeming their receipts for Fairy products. The books were created especially for the promotion by Egmont UK’s dedicated customer publishing department, CanDo. The campaign is expected to reach more than 20 million UK households and will be backed by TV and press advertising, POS across major retailers and a bespoke microsite.

“We are really excited to be working with Fairy to provide UK families with exclusive Timmy Time books that we hope will encourage parents to sit down and share warm moments with their little ones,” said Sean Clarke, head of Aardman Rights. “Fairy is a strong fit for the Timmy Time brand and provides us with the opportunity to reach our target consumer, the primary purchaser, perfectly.” Amy Dawson, marketing manager at Fairy, added: “Fairy understands the importance of everyday moments of togetherness, such as sharing a story, so are delighted to be partnering with Timmy Time to offer free books.” Aardman: 0117 984 8956

Fifi teams with Asda for Easter push CHAPMAN ENTERTAINMENT is joining forces with Asda to launch its first ever Fifi and the Flowertots Easter Giveaway. Running from April 6th to April 18th, the character will be visiting four key Supercentres across the country. All Asda stores nationwide will be inviting customers to play a Fifi ‘match and win’ game, matching two cards from a choice of six to win gardening activity packs. These will include Fifi and the Flowertots sunflower seeds, crayons, Fifi activity sheets, a headband and stickers. “Fifi’s Easter Giveaway provides a fantastic opportunity for children to see Fifi for free during the school holidays, as well as receive loads of great prizes,” commented Melissa Brown, director of marketing at Chapman Entertainment. “We are sure that her young fans will enjoy this Easter experience at Asda.”

Debbie Johnson, Asda’s licensing events manager, added: “The Fifi gardening packs are a great way of helping mums keep children entertained over the Easter holidays.” Chapman: 0870 403 0556

LICENSINGNEWS

www.licensing.biz

Industry thumbs up for CEE event IN BRIEF Advanstar’s inaugural show for Central Europe attracts 292 visitors ● Good starting point for further growth, says trade... by Samantha Loveday THE FIRST Brand Licensing Central and Eastern Europe show has been hailed a success by the trade, with Advanstar already looking ahead to how it can evolve the event in 2011. Held last month in Budapest, the show attracted 292 unique visitors. “We were expecting around 200 visitors over the two days, so it did exceed our expectations,” said event director Jessica Blue (pictured). “Exhibitors commented on the good cross section of product category buyers and licensees, as well as the number of new contacts they made. Many exhibitors commented on the impressive number of countries represented in the aisles and the organisation of the event as a whole, which is always nice to hear.” A number of exhibitors also stepped forward to praise the show. “Our two days in Budapest were extremely busy meeting new

prospective clients and existing licensees and retailers who shared news of significant business developments, not only for our properties, but the licensing industry in the CEE region which continues to develop rapidly,” said Lindsay Pearl, territory manager for CEE, Greece and Turkey at Turner CN Enterprises. “We look forward to returning next year.” Morten Geschwendtner, director of Kidz Entertainment/EEMC, added: “The show was excellent for us, we met up with a lot of new clients and made some very positive connections; trade in general certainly seems to be picking up. Overall, we were very pleased and will definitely attend again in 2011.” Retailers made up 15 per cent of the audience. Karen Saunders, buyer at Tesco, commented: “We found the show to be interesting and of great use in introducing us to contacts and licences that we had not been

exposed to beforehand. We now have a number of different leads that we are able to pursue which will hopefully aid us in selling the right licences tailored to our market.” Advanstar now turns its attention to Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas – which runs from June 8th to 10th – and Brand Licensing Europe (September 29th and 30th). www.brandlicensing.eu

Puppets and magnetic reward charts to launch for Horrid Henry brand...

FIESTA CRAFTS is making its first foray into the licensed product marketplace, striking a deal with agent CPLG for the popular boys property, Horrid Henry. The firm is planning to add both Horrid Henry and his brother, Perfect Peter, to the ranks of its range of Tellatale puppets. Fiesta will also be introducing large and small magnetic

star charts themed around Henry and the other characters in the stories. Each chart will feature 18 activity pieces and magnetic stars. The sets will also include blank pieces for parents and children to write their own tasks. Rob Trup, marketing manager at Fiesta Crafts, commented: “We are delighted to have signed up our first

BBC Worldwide has spent £17 million to pick up the stake of DVD firm 2entertain previously held by Woolworths. The deal secures the future of the company, which publishes DVD and Blu-ray titles for a number of BBC shows including Top Gear and Doctor Who. BBC Worldwide: 020 8433 2000

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Fiesta makes licensing move by Katie Roberts

BBC BUYS UP WOOLIES 2ENTERTAIN STAKE

licence in many years with Horrid Henry. “Already we have had some incredible interest from retailers and are aiming to get the first products on the shelves by June. Our children are massive fans of the books and TV show and they are ecstatic that we are going to be making Horrid Henry toys.” Fiesta Crafts: 020 8804 0563

A raft of new firms have pledged support for September’s Brand Licensing Europe. Hasbro is returning to the event following a six-year absence, while Paramount, Hallmark, Dream Entertainment, Biplano and King Features are also on board, among others. Several exhibitors have also increased their stand sizes including Mattel, Lego, Classic Media and Start Licensing. Over 130 firms have now signed up, making it the fastest selling BLE show to date. www.brandlicensing.eu

FORMER PPC DUO FORM SPACE ENTERPRISES A new licensing agency has emerged – former CEO of PPC, Steve O’Pray, and legal and commercial director of PPC Enterprises, Mark Hurry, have formed Space Enterprises. The duo have acquired PPC Enterprises from its group company, retaining its stable of brands including Monty Python, Pinky & Perky, Little Britain and The Hive. The firm will based in Soho.

CHORION INKS MARMALADE DEAL FOR PADDINGTON Chorion has signed with Premier Foods for Paddington Bear to feature on Robertson’s Golden Shred marmalade. Consumers will be able to purchase a range of collectible badges of the character. Premier Foods is hoping to attract a younger audience to marmalade with the promotion, as well as reintroduce adults who grew up with Paddington. Chorion: 020 7061 3874

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APRIL 2010

LICENSING KIDS PRINT MEDIA

The power of print More interactive than TV and still ably holding their own at retail, print magazines have many factors working in their favour. Samantha Loveday offers an overview of some of the key publishers so toy firms can be sure their ads are in the right place and being seen by the right audience... BBC MAGAZINES 020 8433 2000 www.bbcmagazines.com

REDAN 01743 364433 www.redan.co.uk

BBC Magazines publishes over 40 BBC consumer titles in the UK. These range from adult titles such as Top Gear, Lonely Planet and Gardeners’ World through to specialist magazines like BBC History and BBC Wildlife and children’s titles.

Redan says it is the leading independent publisher of characterled children’s magazines in the UK. It publishes titles in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and has a company in North America which publishes for the US and Canada.

Current portfolio BBC Children’s Magazines were up period on period across the portfolio in the latest round of ABCs (July to December 09), with notably strong performances in some pre-school titles following a restructure and marketing review. Bob the Builder magazine was up 21 per cent YOY and two per cent POP to 49,183; Waybuloo made a solid debut with 38,908 and Cbeebies Weekly rose slightly YOY to 54,158. Match of the Day Weekly also continues to perform well (63,980), as do Top of the Pops (107,576) and Girl Talk (68,026).

Coming up With the new series of Doctor Who beginning at Easter, BBC Magazines is expecting Dr Who Adventures to bounce back in terms of its ABC. “We’re doing loads to promote the magazine at retail, it will be everywhere, the covermounts look amazing, and we’ve redesigned the magazine obviously there’s the new logo - so it will look very fresh and very new,” says Toni Round, MD of BBC Children’s Magazines. Match of the Day, with the World Cup running through the summer, is also likely to experience an uplift.

Advertising options available “We’ve got such a range of things that we do. A lot of clients now, particularly in the pre-school market, want advertorials. They’re using our magazines to really educate children and parents for new brands they’ve got coming up,” Round explains. “Stickers, in all markets from pre-school to teen, are really popular and really work, as are mini magazines and posters, while we can also look at creating a board game off the page or even a covermounted game. “What our team are briefed to do is really work with the client and find out what their objectives are and what they are trying to achieve and what would the creative solution be.” BBC has worked with the likes of Lego, Mattel and Tomy.

Why print magazines? “It is a complement to TV and it’s very different; it’s very interactive and more enduring. You’ve obviously got a lot more time to communicate with the reader when you’ve got it on a magazine page. Kids learn more about the product when they read about it in a magazine,” Round concludes.

APRIL 2010

Current portfolio It has a stable of eight titles in the UK, featuring over 30 licensed characters. Highlights include Fun to Learn Peppa Pig which is the number one preschool title in the UK (ABC Jul-Dec 09: 82,498) and Fun to Learn Friends, which is the number two (76,946). Sparkle World is also performing well with a current ABC of 70,265. Fun to Learn Favourites, Peppa Pig Bag-O-Fun, Fun to Learn Bag-O-Fun, Fun to Learn Discovery and Littlest Pet Shop are also in the portfolio.

EGMONT 020 7761 3500 www.egmont.co.uk Egmont UK sells nearly 13 million magazines a year - every child in the UK apparently has an average of three Egmont books on their shelves and it is the number one children’s book publisher in the UK. In terms of magazines, as well as a growing own brand portfolio, the firm also publishes an extensive range of licensed titles.

Current portfolio The firm has over 16 magazines in total – two are own brand (Toxic and Go Girl), plus 14 licensed titles. Barbie magazine was the star performer in the latest set of ABCs (up 20.2 per cent YOY and 12.7 per cent POP), while Ben 10, Disney Princess and Disney Tinkerbell also did well. Playhouse Disney posted a strong debut ABC.

Coming up

Coming up Following its success with Peppa Pig, Redan will be launching a standalone magazine for E1’s Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom in July. There are also plans for a dedicated Sparkle World website in May.

Advertising options available “Besides the usual single/double page ad options and inserts, we will work with the advertiser to come up with the best possible solution,” publishing director Julie Jones explains. “We offer sponsorship of workbook sections, extra miniworkbook sections, posters, wall murals and sponsored perforated press-out activities.” Redan worked with Mattel and its Barbie brand to create an extra 12-page mini-workbook in Sparkle World, followed by a poster in the next issue to promote its DVD releases. Similar activity has also taken place with Disney. “We also do contra deals where we feature a licensed product on a licensed character page, and in return the website for that character gives Sparkle World a mention,” adds Jones.

“We are always on the look out for new licences and opportunities,” says Egmont’s Sam Vernon. “We have a very exciting launch coming in the summer. We’re also continuing to invest in and develop our digital offering, relaunching the Toxic and Go Girl websites this year.”

Advertising options available “All our magazines carry cover gifts,” Vernon continues. “Increasingly we also work with clients who want to sample their products via our magazines. It’s also sometimes possible for clients to sponsor one of our gifts and have their branding on the item.” On top of this, a variety of different creative packages are available. Ideas include advertorials, A5 mini magazines, sponsored sticker sheets, gatefolds, sealed sections, branded trading cards and sponsorships. Egmont has worked with a wide range of toy companies including Mattel, Disney, Hasbro, Lego, Spinmaster, Flair and Corinthian among others, while it also has contacts in the video games space such as Sega, Nintendo and Activision.

Why print magazines?

“Magazines add great value and weight to a TV campaign. Children love magazines - they are produced for them and the child usually decides which magazine to have, they feature their favourite characters who they see as their friends, they interact with them. “Parents love them too as they are a positive alternative to TV. Furthermore, TV is very passive while magazines encourage the child to interact and engage by completing activities,” Jones continues. “Advertisers can often reach more of their target market by working with, and advertising in, magazines.”

“Highly targeted, portable, quality of engagement. Magazines are endorsed by parents because they encourage children to read due to magazines’ bitesized content. Magazines are a ‘lean forward’ medium – kids have to get involved and actively participate. “Magazines are also packed full of activities to keep children entertained, so represent good value for money and are intrinsically educational, without being obviously so. We only carry a max of three ads per issue in any of our licensed titles and a max of four pages in Toxic or Go Girl, so advertising really stands out.”

LICENSING KIDS PRINT MEDIA

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TITAN MAGAZINES 020 7803 1922 www.titanmagazines.co.uk Titan Magazines is part of the Titan Entertainment Group, which also incorporates Titan Books and the Forbidden Planet retail stores. It specialises in licensed magazines and comics which fall into two main categories, cult TV and sci-fi, as well as publishing kids titles.

Current portfolio The children’s stable consists of 11 titles across ten licences. Titan has three pre-school/early years titles (Fifi and the Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car and LazyTown); and eight titles covering its core market of boys aged six and above. These include The Simpsons Comics (ABC 101,466) and Simpsons Comics Presents (68,344). Other highlights include Spongebob Squarepants (37,091), Transformers Comic and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

DC THOMSON 01382 223131 www.dcthomson.co.uk DC’s two main home grown titles are The Beano (for primary boys) and Shout (tween girls), while strong licensed titles include Bratz and WWE Kids. DC Thomson has been publishing for over 100 years and The Dandy is the UK’s longest running comic.

Coming up February saw the first issue of the new Jacqueline Wilson magazine hit newstands, while DC is also planning to launch additional titles throughout 2010.

Coming up Aardman’s Timmy Time will arrive in April to complement Titan’s existing pre-school portfolio, while Warner’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold targeting five to ten year-old boys launched in March. The firm is also at an advanced stage with a number of other kids projects, both in print and new media.

Advertising options available “We are fortunate enough to work with licensors who understand the importance of third party advertising within their titles,” says Patrick Steel, key account manager at Titan Publishing. “Within the portfolio we have opportunities for all types of advertising or advertorial and also offer sampling opportunities through covermounts and inserts.” Titan has worked hard to develop the toy company aspect of its business and has partnered with firms including Hasbro, Character, Vivid, Bandai, Playmobil, RC2 and Re:creation. Creative highlights from last year include storyboard DPS’ for Character’s HM Armed Forces line (which also included a pack of three different character cards spot glued to each spread); and Re:creation’s Ultra Pro Tricks Scooter campaign, which saw two ads run in consecutive issues of relevant titles in the portfolio. Some of the pre-school clients prefer the more traditional display route, although others are open to more creative ideas. A good example was Titan’s work with RC2’s Caring Corners Mrs Goodbee’s Interactive Dolls House (below), where it created a worksheet-style ad to show off the product’s USPs.

Why print magazines? “Put simply, because cross media campaigns work better than single medium campaigns,” says Steel, “and magazines have been proven to provide a media multiplier effect that, either on a pound for pound or eyeball for eyeball basis, outperforms both the internet and TV, especially in the primary market.”

Advertising options available “We can deliver display advertising pages, advertorials, reviews, competitions, editorial added value, posters and wallcharts to name a few,” says Alison Zak-Collins, head of advertising at DC Thomson. “Our titles/brands have a strong online presence and we actively propose joint press and online packages whenever viable. This can be utilised via banners, skys, mini skys, buttons, videos and games.” The firm has worked with a raft of toy companies including Bandai within its boys titles, Character Options and Wrestlingshop, while Lego will have key activity running throughout 2010 incorporating advertorials, competitions and editorial added value. It has also worked with the likes of Topps on covermounts.

Why print magazines? “Read by over 80 per cent of children in the UK, magazines and comics are a well loved and popular medium,” explains Zak-Collins. “With over 60 different children’s titles on the UK newsstand, magazines provide a targeted audience for advertisers, limiting wastage. Adverts can be created to fit into the design of the title, ensuring that advertising forms an essential part of the overall reading experience. “It is because of this ability to become integrated into the title that magazines are seen as the ‘least annoying’ form of advertising and also the advertising that ‘best fits into the content’ of the medium, compared to ads within TV, radio, cinema, newspapers and the internet.”

PANINI 01892 500100 www.paninionline.com The Panini Group was established almost 50 years ago in Modena, Italy with subsidiaries throughout Europe and Latin America, as well as in Arlington, Texas. In 2008, the group has sales of over $900m having grown three-fold over the previous five years.

Current portfolio The firm has 23 titles, plus the Marvel Collector’s portfolio. Key licences include Scooby-Doo, Spectacular Spider-man, Disney Make It, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Doctor Who, Postman Pat, Marvel Heroes, Bliss and Mizz.

Coming up “It’s essential that we remain innovative in a children’s publishing market which continues to develop,” says Jessica Tadmor, head of marketing at Panini UK. “A new series of ScoobyDoo is set to hit our screens in 2010, so we will be capitalising with bumper specials and some amazing competitions. Likewise, Postman Pat’s nationwide live tour has started, creating an even bigger hype over the magazines.”

Advertising options available “We covermount every issue of all of our titles - with the exception of the collector’s portfolio,” says Tadmor. “We offer the consumer a wide range of products from interactive exclusive DVDs, retail quality cosmetics and innovative toys and games. We often promote and look into opportunities with fellow licensees.” Panini has worked with Bandai, Spinmaster, Binweavils, EA Games and PlayStation. Notably, it worked extensively with PlayStation at the end of 2009, producing a range of advertorial spreads across Scooby-Doo, Marvel Heroes and Spectacular Spiderman. Campaigns included dedicated reverse outside back covers, exclusive sticker sheets, spreads and DPS advertorials. Panini has also recently worked with Wammy from Flair and covermounted every copy of issue one of Disney Make It with sample product.

Why print magazines? “Research by the PPA has shown that magazines are still the most intimate and exclusive form of media,” Tadmor offers. “Ads on TV or online can be seen as irritating and disruptive, but ads in magazines are a part of the editorial offering, they are seen as informative, not invasive.”

OTHERS TO WATCH Bauer Media: 020 7295 5000, www.bauermedia.co.uk John Brown Media: 020 7295 5000, www.johnbrownmedia.com Future Publishing: 01225 442244 (Bath) 020 7042 4000 (London), www.futureplc.com Skyjack Publishing: info@skyjackpublishing.co.uk, www.skyjackpublishing.co.uk

APRIL 2010

LICENSING BRAND LICENSING CEE

www.licensing.biz

From small beginnings… It may not be able to boast the same visitor and exhibitor numbers as Licensing International or Brand Licensing Europe – yet – but Advanstar’s first foray into the Central and Eastern European marketplace last month was still well worth a visit. Samantha Loveday reports… THE GROWING importance of the Central and Eastern European territories was underlined last month, as Advanstar hosted its first trade show in the region. Some 292 retailers and manufacturers visited the Corinthia Grand Hotel in Budapest over the two-day event, exceeding the organiser’s expectations. “We were expecting around 200 visitors over the two days,” event director Jessica Blue explains to ToyNews. “However, our focus has always been on attracting the right mix of countries, product categories and organisation types. If our exhibitors are satisfied, then we are too. “As event organisers, there were a few surprises. The number of people that turned up on the day without registering in advance was far in excess of what we expected and many more people than the trade show average returned for a second day. “The final surprise was that the number of people pre-registering and attending was 73 per cent, and it’s normally around 50 per cent for a trade show.” Exhibitors were also impressed with the quality and amount of visitors: “The show was excellent for us, we met up with a lot of new clients and made some very positive connections,” says Morten Geschwendtner, director of Kidz Entertainment/EEMC. “Trade in general certainly seems to be picking up. There was a large number of licensors supporting the event and it was good to meet up with our own licensors and share some thoughts.” Hakan Durdag, MD of European Licensing Company, adds: “Overall we were happy with the show’s organisation and the team supporting it - it certainly benefited from the Advanstar touch. We were happy with the turnout, with some visitors

Advanstar was pleased with the mix of countries, product categories and organisation types the show attracted...

The opportunity to discuss commercial opportunities face to face with partners is a rare one in Eastern Europe for many of us. I can see the event growing and gaining momentum in subsequent years. Andrew Kerr, Classic Media coming from as far afield as Turkey and Russia. We definitely plan to support next year’s show and hope it will receive more coverage in the local press and media in 2011.” Turner CN Enterprises will also be returning next year: “BLCEE was an extremely positive, worthwhile experience for us and our agents working in the marketplace,” Lindsay Pearl, territory manager for CEE, Greece and Turkey offers. “Advanstar should be congratulated on organising a great

show and for recognising that Central and Eastern Europe as a region is deserving of its own trade event.” However, there was still acceptance that the marketplace still has a long way to go. “These are not easy markets and will take time to build,” points out John McInnerny, MD of Allsorts Licensing. “Attendance has to be seen as an investment for the future. However, the presence of so many different nationalities indicated that the organiser’s had done their job.”

“It was interesting,” adds AT New Media’s Paul Comben, “but the companies we met seeking licences have a long way to go. They need educating about the disciplines, expectations and processes of licensing and their economies lead to modest sales forecasts.” Kidz’s Geschwendtner adds: “We would have liked to have seen more retailers present and my recommendation going forward would be that the show adopts a multi-national approach, taking in Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia and spending two days in each country.” From a visitor’s point of view, 30 per cent were completely new to licensing, while 15 per cent of the audience was made up by retailers. “The opportunity to discuss commercial opportunities face to face with key partners, including retailers, is a rare one in Eastern Europe for many of us, and I can see the event growing and gaining momentum in subsequent years,” Andrew Kerr, EVP international marketing and consumer products at Classic Media, offers. “The intimate scale and social atmosphere makes for a terrific opportunity to begin key relationships and cement others.” Head of licensing and merchandising at E1, Andrew Carley concurs that the show created that all important buzz. “Whilst business by many standards is small we see this as very much nurturing a potentially much larger opportunity and the timing of the show fits very much within that philosophy.” For Advanstar, the task is now to build on the initial success: “The event will continue to evolve and reflect the size and shape of the CEE market that it serves,” says Blue. “We are canvassing opinion from visitors and exhibitors as to how they would like to see the event evolve in 2011.” APRIL 2010

LICENSING BOB THE BUILDER

Hammer time Bob the Builder’s popularity among the pre-school audience sustains beyond its tenth year, with a new series location and CGI animation. ToyNews spoke to Hit’s Lesli Zador and Martin Yaffe’s Kristian Johnson about plans for the brand... WITH A TENTH anniversary last year and new CGI-animated series this year, the Bob the Builder brand shows no sign of slowing its momentum. In fact, the all new Bob is set for one of its busiest years and the licensed range keeps growing. “Everything will kick off with the debut of the new series on the BBC in the spring, followed quickly by the launch of the brand new DVD special, Legend of the Golden Hammer, with a star-studded premiere at Vue Cinemas,” says Hit’s international brand manager, Lesli Zador. “Bob will be supported by a number of retail campaigns and new listings across all major retailers,” adds Martin Yaffe’s Kristian Johnson. “Not only will Martin Yaffe’s great range feature, but there are also other new licensees signing on, including Zap with new bedding and Halsall with a die-cast range. This offers both the trade and consumer more Bob options than they’ve seen in a while.” The new Bob CGI series, Ready, Steady, Build!, features two new additions to the machine team – Scratch – a mini tracked digger, and Rubble – a huge dumper truck. Also new are human friends Dickie Olivier, the local thespian, Brad Rad, the surfer dude, and Brickbeard the Pirate. They’ve come about because of the new location, Fixham Harbour – a waterfront town that needs a lot of work to restore it to its former glory. “In the past year there’s been lots of investment from Hit and our licensees,” adds Zador. “For example, Zap created a fantastic line of bedding and homewares that have a fresh look and make great use of the investment Hit has made into three new style guides in the last 18 months.” The series’ look may have changed, but the essential element of the Bob story – teamwork – is still the building block on which it is based. “Bob’s core message is one that is timeless,” says Zador. “It’s all about APRIL 2010

Bob moving into CGI gives us the opportunity to refresh current product ranges using new style guides and also to develop products based on the new characters and locations introduced. Kristian Johnson, Martin Yaffe team work, friendship and the benefits of a can-do attitude. The adoption of Bob’s ‘yes we can’ catchphrase by great figures in the last couple of years shows that he’s as relevant as when he first appeared on our screens over ten years ago. “Bob keeps his finger on the pulse of the changing world, for example he adopted green building techniques well before most other builders did and passed this message on to his fans – and that’s something he’ll continue to do in the future.” Yaffe’s strong working relationship with Hit has enabled a strong flow of products to retail and the expansion of new and existing categories. “Plush toys and friction vehicles were the first products to hit the

shelves when Bob launched ten years ago,” explains Johnson. “Friction vehicles continue to be the most popular products year-on-year. New fans get to know the characters and vehicles and naturally want to own their own Scrambler or Scoop, while existing fans eagerly collect new additions to the Machine Team, such as Splasher and Scratch. “New additions to the range roll out every season in line with marketplace and technological trends. Our Interactive Construction Site and Tool Time Bob

products used innovative technology as a USP – the latter having an educational slant. “The new autumn/winter 2010 product range continues with the themes of innovation and education. Load Up Muck talks to little ones and helps them to recognise shapes and colours; Read Along Bob tells his favourite story and encourages children to read and play along. “Bob moving into CGI gives us the opportunity to refresh current product ranges using new style guides and also to develop products based on the new characters and locations introduced through programming. Our newest friction vehicle, Scratch shows how our product development strategy works side by side with Hit’s brand and programming strategy.” With the continual introduction of new characters, vehicles and locations in the show and strong character licensed products running alongside this, Bob will probably be around to celebrate in another ten years.

Yaffe’s toy range now feature’s new characters and a new location, Fixham Harbour...

Tangled, Disney’s take on the classic Brother’s Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel, hits cinemas at Christmas 2010. The film sees the kingdom’s most wanted - and most charming bandit Flynn Rider taken hostage by Rapunzel, a feisty teen with 70 feet of golden hair who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years. The unlikely duo set off on a hair-raising escapade filled with adventure, heart, humour and hair. Lots of hair....

Rapunzel This princess may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but Rapunzel is no damsel in distress. The girl with the 70 feet of golden hair is an energetic, inquisitive teenager who fills her days with art, books, and imagination. Rapunzel is full of curiosity about the outside world, and she can’t help but feel that her true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower walls. Rapunzel has always obeyed Mother Gothel by staying hidden away and keeping her magical hair a secret… but with her 18th birthday just a day away, she is fed up with her sheltered life and ready for adventure. When a charming thief seeks refuge in her tower, Rapunzel defies Gothel and seizes the opportunity to answer the call of the kingdom. With the unwilling Flynn Ryder along for the journey, Rapunzel leaves the tower for the first time, and begins a hilarious, hairraising journey that will untangle many secrets along the way.

Mother Gothel She may be controlling, manipulative and over-protective, but Mother Gothel is the only mother Rapunzel has ever known. By stealing Rapunzel as an infant and raising her in the tower, Gothel ensured that she alone would have access to Rapunzel’s magical hair, which she uses as her personal fountain of youth. Gothel loves Rapunzel more as a possession than as a daughter, and uses every weapon in her arsenal – including a constant flow of subtle jabs, backhanded compliments and over-the-top guilt trips – to keep Rapunzel hidden away. When Rapunzel finally defies her wishes and ventures out into the world, the delightfully deranged Gothel will to stop at nothing to get her little girl back into the tower.

©Disney

Release date: 17th December 2010 A wide-ranging consumer products programme launches in autumn/winter 2010 DVD release: Easter 2011

Pascal Flynn Ryder The ultra-confident Flynn Rider is his own biggest fan, and he has long relied on his wit, charm and good looks to get out of even the stickiest situation – and Flynn’s life just happens to be full of sticky situations. Flynn is a thief looking for the one last, big score that will allow him to finally live the life he’s always dreamed of. He's never been closer to having it all when he meets Rapunzel, an odd girl with ridiculously long hair. Rapunzel seems to be the only girl in the world immune to Flynn’s moves, and for the first time ever he seems to have met his match. An unlikely alliance with this girl from the tower sends Flynn on the adventure of a lifetime, and helps him realize that sometimes you don’t know what you want… until it hits you over the head… literally.

Rapunzel’s one true friend is her silent, color-changing sidekick, Pascal. Pascal may be just a small chameleon, but he plays a big role in Rapunzel’s life. Confidante, coach and cheerleader, Pascal is a driving force behind Rapunzel’s decision to leave her lonely tower. This supportive and encouraging companion’s true colors just might hold a key to unlocking a royal mystery.

Maximus The Captain of the Guard’s horse, Maximus, has made it his personal mission to capture the wanted criminal, Flynn Rider. Fearless in his pursuit, the horse defies danger to follow Flynn where other guards refuse to go – it seems nothing will stop this “tough-guy cop” from getting his man. Once Maximus meets Rapunzel his heart softens, and he begins to see the world differently. What started as a relentless pursuit may just be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Jumbo Games Limited, 2 Carters Row, Hatfield Park, Hatfield, AL9 5NB T: 01707 289289 E: uk.saleshotline@jumbo.eu W: www.jumbo.eu

JO JO TORCH Activate the torch to hear sounds and melodies that will comfort your child when the lights are off.

JO JO CAR

JO JO FOLLOW ME

JO JO PHONE

JO JO SUBMARINE

The car drives around the room with music, flashing headlights and wobbly wheels. But look out, if it hits an object you will hear the crash and Jo Jo will be thrown from the car!

Place the carrot bracelet on your child’s wrist and JoJo will begin to follow your child around the room and they become interactive companions.

JoJo mirror phone has several fun functions that activate character sound effects and an interactive feature that allows personalised voice recordings to be saved as messages for your child.

The submarine sails in the bath or playpool squirting water and playing a tune. It starts automatically when put in the water and powers off when dry.

COMPETITION COMPETITION COMPETITION COMPETITION COMPETITION Win a case of Jo Jo Phones from Jumbo Games. To be in with a chance of winning please answer the following question…

What animal is Jo Jo? Send your answer, name, company name and address to: toynewscompetition@intentmedia.co.uk by Friday 30th April.

SUPPLIER FOCUS HASBRO

Boys owned Hasbro’s 2010 line-up for boys contains plenty of new innovation in products, proven licenses and the return of some classics. Ronnie Dungan spoke to marketing manager, Sara Westby about this year’s range… BOYS HAVE always been central to the Hasbro offering and this year is no exception, with a huge line-up of big-name brands, including some old favourites that are making a resurgence. Hasbro marketing manager Sara Westby, comments: “2010 is going to be a great year, the Hasbro boys toys portfolio is incredible and we are all extremely excited about it. “We are relaunching Beyblade – one of the biggest playground crazes of all time and toy of the year twice in a row. The new range is fantastic – it’s definitely going to be a hit.” Iron Man 2 “Iron Man 2 is going to be a huge movie this May,” says Westby. “Our supporting toy line is very strong around the launch with some really innovative products lined-up for later in the year like the R/C Walking Iron Man. It’s got to be a candidate for boys toy of the year.” The film hits cinemas this spring and Hasbro has three new role-play items to accompany it. The new Iron Man Helmet includes mission directives from Jarvis and a ‘slow release’ visor that slides into place. Also available will be the Iron Man 2 3-in-1 Repulsor, which is outfitted with projectiles, lights and sounds to replicate the Super Hero’s battles. Lastly, kids can also attach the Iron Man Arc Chest Light to their shirt. The R/C Walking Iron Man fires projectiles from its hands and shoulder rockets. Villain Ivan ‘Whiplash’ Vanko is included in the line of 3 ¾-inch action figures and lastly, Rocket Boost Iron Man, with an appearance that mimics the popular Super Hero Squad animated series, is a 10.5 inch figure that features lights and sounds, a pop-up rocket pack and a flight and weapons mode. APRIL 2010

Star Wars “Our evergreen brands such as Transformers and Star Wars go from strength to strength – Transformers was number one action figure again in January and the new Star Wars range is one of the best yet with the AT-AT and General Grievous Spinning Lightsaber creating lots of excitement.” This year, Hasbro also commemorates the 30th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back with toys, special packaging and promotions. This year sees the release of a number of different lightsabres, including the spinning General Grievous Lightsabre. The Star Wars At-At is large enough to hold up to 20 action figures. Inside, the vehicle features LED lights, authentic movie phrases, projectile-firing cannons, a deployable speeder bike, and a retractable zip-line in its belly to recreate one of the signature scenes from the movie. Lastly, the Boba Fett Helmet features key phrases from the trilogy and includes a light-up tracking scope. Tonka “Tonka has had a serious make-over with the brand new Mod Machines Systems where boys can really get to grips with customising and modifying their vehicles. Everything across the range is interchangeable including the engine unit – it will provide hours of play value. We also have a brilliant new RC vehicle in Ricochet. It’s a double-sided stunt car that can flip in mid-air and take on any terrain. Kids and dads will love it.” Included are the Tonka Garage Ricochet R/C vehicle and the Garage Die Cast vehicle assortment featuring interchangeable parts such as monster truck suspension and supersized tyres.

Nerf “Nerf was massive for us last year and we are building on that success with some great new blasters like the Deploy. We’ve also got some very special activities planned for the summer with a new product launch but that’s still top secret – watch this space.” The Deploy CS-6 Blaster is the latest blaster to be introduced into the Nerf N-Strike range. It converts from a flashlight to a mission ready blaster and features an expandable shoulder stock to improve aim and also a tactical rail which is compatible with most of the accessories from the N-Strike range. Beyblades Hasbro is re-introducing Beyblades under its Beyblade: Metal Fusion line, this autumn. Featuring a new metal gear system and the introduction of an online virtual battle component, each top in Hasbro’s Beyblade: Metal Fusion line comes with five interchangeable parts. The Performance Tip determines competitive method (how aggressive a top will be in battle), the Fusion Wheel determines the weight of the top and the Spin Track determines its movement patterns.

Transformers The Transformers range has new offerings including action figures and role-play items. The new Battle Ops Bumblebee action figure showcases two sides of Bumblebee. When serving as a guardian, Bumblebee features more playful phrases along with authentic engine sounds and lights. Then, when converted into battle mode it has missile launchers that pop out and a converting plasma cannon that lights up. Role-play items include the Optimus Prime Cyber Sword toy which features lights, battle and conversion sounds, as well as key phrases from Optimus Prime.

SUPPLIER FOCUS JUMBO

Big ideas Dutch-owned Jumbo is expanding beyond its traditional niche as a games and puzzles company into pre-school, licensing and other areas. Ronnie Dungan spoke to MD Gray Richmond about the firm’s continued resurgence… Firstly, can you give me a little bit of background on the firm and its restructuring? I was appointed MD in September 2008 and Kirstie Oliver took over as marketing manager halfway through last year. I think the team is probably more settled than it has been in a long time, something I was particularly keen to achieve. Jumbo is a Dutch company which is wholly owned by the M and R De Monchy Group. We operate throughout Europe – under either the Jumbo brand or through our sister company Diset. How is the firm different now? What difference has it made to the range and sales? We have become much more focused on strategy and playing to our strengths. We have a long tradition, in this country, for the quality of our puzzles in both adult and children’s ranges and it’s important we respect and embrace that. We have actively targeted the pre-school games market with low price points, but good value for money, lines. This has seen us move to number two in pre-school games in NPD data for 2009. During 2009 we experienced growth of 31 per cent as a company, which is something we are very proud of. How has it changed in terms of personnel and the size of the operation? In the UK office, we are a team of ten controlling marketing, sales, finance and order control supported with a team of six sales agents. As a business unit we have gone through a period of de-centralisation, which has given us much more control of our destiny and allowed us to look at trends and opportunities in the market. We are also well supported by our head office team in Holland, especially with regards to logistics and product development. APRIL 2010

What is the firm’s main focus now? Are you broadening out of puzzles? Puzzles will remain a vitally important part of our business and we have big plans to continue growing in this market. As I mentioned before, we have had a great deal of success with our pre-school games range and we plan to continue growing this side of our business too.

What is the thinking behind the new lower pricing? I think everyone would agree that money is tight and for us it is important to offer value for money in our range. With both our puzzles and our games, the hours spent playing, when measured against cost of buying, represents very cheap entertainment. We also believe that

The Jumbo team hopes to continue to strengthen its puzzles and games sector in 2010, while expanding into the infant and toddler market with its range of electronic products

Where does Grow with Jumbo fit into the plan? Is that all about customer retention? We felt that it was important to introduce children to the Jumbo brand early, and our Grow with Jumbo range allows us to do just that. Grow with Jumbo – through our work with the National Schools Partnership – will allow us to assist in children’s development. Puzzles can help improve motor skills, problem solving abilities and aid with colour recognition. That is why, with this range, we have placed product quality at the top of our priorities. Going forward, we will also look to help children develop the social skills they will need as they grow and get bigger, through a range of Grow with Jumbo games.

there is a definite shift in parents going back to basics when buying. Licensing has become a bigger part of the firm’s plan now, how is that working out? Licensing has always been a big part of our plan, we have just looked at how we can make it work better for us. For example, we have had a fantastic year with Peppa Pig in 2009, as many manufacturers have, but we have achieved this by putting a lot of time, effort and innovation into getting a range of products that are on brand with Peppa as well as offering a solution for all retailers. NPD measured us as the number three licensee on Peppa, something you rarely see in a puzzle and game licensee. We also had a good year

with Mr. Men last year and with Fireman Sam, Guess with Jess, Ben and Hollies Little Kingdom and Big and Small in 2010, we hope to really build on the success of last year. I believe you’ve even moved into electronic products, with the Infant range? Is that not a complete departure? In some ways, yes, however JoJo does mirror our desire to bring innovation into the market. JoJo has been a proven success throughout Europe. We are working with Silverlit on this and are very excited to be its chosen partner in bringing JoJo to the UK. Again, by targeting the infant/ toddler market, we hope to introduce the fun we believe Jumbo can offer, into homes much earlier. What is Jumbo these days? Are you now a toy firm rather than a games and puzzles company? Can we say both? Puzzles and Games will always remain our core business and priority, but for us it is important that we look to spread our wings when the time is right. By bringing electronics into our stable of products this year, we are without doubt signaling our intent of becoming a successful toy company in the future. What is the firm’s future direction? Good question. We aim to continue the growth of 2009 by continuing to gain market share in games and puzzles, as well as establishing JoJo in the market. We will continue to look at other opportunities as and when they arise, but the most important thing for us is to continue to strive to improve and try to do everything that little bit better. We have a great team in place and through its hard work and dedication we have every reason to view the future with excitement, rather than trepidation.

www.toynews-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE WORLD CUP 2010 SPECIAL

Football focused

This year’s World Cup in South Africa will trigger the usual avalanche of official licensed and associated products, giving suppliers and retailers a great opportunity to add additional sales. ToyNews has a run-down of what’s on offer overleaf. But first, the important stuff as our industry’s amateur pundits add their two cents to the debate who will do what at the greatest show on Earth… Roland Earl, Director General, BTHA

Alex Kovacevic, Brand Manager, Hy-Pro

Phil Ratcliffe, Sales and Marketing Director MV Sports

Winner: Spain Runner-up: England Dark horse? Denmark Over rated flop: France Headlines: James Milner (good ones of course) Number of times commentators will use the phrases ‘rainbow nation’; ‘high veldt’ or ‘dark continent’; during the tournament? Less than you may fear I hope Pundit most likely to embarrass their self through display of casual racism? Hopefully someone not from the UK commentary team.

Winner: Brazil Runner Up: Spain England's fate? Semi-Final loss to Brazil Dark horse? South Africa Over-rated flop? Italy/Argentina Which England player will grab the headlines? Rooney Number of times commentators will use the phrases ‘rainbow nation’; ‘high veldt’ or ‘dark continent’; during the tournament? 5,768 Pundit most likely to embarrass themselves through display of casual racism? None

Winner: Spain Runner Up: Brazil England's fate? Knocked out in Semi-Final Dark horse? Netherlands Over-rated flop? Argentina Which England player will grab the headlines? Rooney Number of times commentators will use the phrases ‘rainbow nation’; ‘high veldt’ or ‘dark continent’; during the tournament? 10 Pundit most likely to embarrass themselves through display of casual racism? Andy Gray

Bruno Gallone, Sales Director, John Adams & Toy Brokers Barry Hughes, Marketing Director, Corinthian Winner: Argentina Runner Up: Brazil England's fate? A penalty shoot out victory in the second round causing mass hysteria and belief that “this is the year” followed by a kind quarter-final draw England lose to South American opposition in the semi-finals. Dark horse? Honduras Over-rated flop? France as a whole. Which England player will grab the headlines? Rooney. Either through impressive performances, losing his head, or injury and tiredness. Number of times commentators will use the phrases ‘rainbow nation’; ‘high veldt’ or ‘dark continent’; during the tournament? 2010 Pundit most likely to embarrass their self through display of casual racism? Don’t know what you mean, but it will likely be some sophisticated Italian, efficient German, naïve African or hot-headed Latin American that the TV companies decide to employ during the course of the tournament. Other thoughts? England will not win it unless they get the tournament moved from South Africa to England and employ their own linesmen again.

Winner: England... of course Runner Up: Spain England's fate? Winners Dark horse? USA Over-rated flop? Brazil Which England player will grab the headlines? Crouch Number of times commentators will use the phrase 'rainbow nation', ‘high veldt’ or ‘dark continent’ during the tournament? 27 Pundit most likely to embarrass themselves through display of casual racism? Alan Brazil on Talksport

David Snow, Sales and Marketing Director, Imagination Games Winner: Spain Runner Up: England England's fate? See above Dark horse? Algeria Over-rated flop? Italy Which England player will grab the headlines? John Terry Number of times commentators will use the phrases ‘rainbow nation’; ‘high veldt’ or ‘dark continent’; during the tournament? At least a hundred Pundit most likely to embarrass themselves through display of casual racism? Nick Griffin? Not sure if he is commentating this year.

Kristian Johnson, Marketing Manager, Martin Yaffe Winner: Spain (Torres to score the winner after already helping Liverpool to a top four finish in the league) Runner Up: Brazil (Liverpool's Lucas to carry the Brazilian side all the way to the final) England's fate? Knocked out in the quarter finals following another soul-destroying penalty shoot out Dark horse? France. Despite only sneaking in through the backdoor, I think they'll rise to the occasion Over-rated flop? Ronaldo and his ‘fancy footwork’ Which England player will grab the headlines? JT has this one in the bag. Number of times commentators will use the phrases ‘rainbow nation’; ‘high veldt’ or ‘dark continent’; during the tournament? I suppose it depends on how long South Africa stays in the competition, so probably not many. Pundit most likely to embarrass themselves through display of casual racism? Do references to Gary Lineker’s orange tan count here? APRIIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE WORLD CUP

CORINTHIAN Corinthian is marking the World Cup with the release of a WorldStars MicroStars collection. Nearly a decade on from the first MicroStars series, which introduced football fans to miniature player figures with confectionery, the firm is now about to release its 19th series with a further 40 players to collect. In a change to previous MicroStars series, figures will also be available in single sachet packs without the confectionery, a move which was made to allow the range to return to the TV screens. The range will be TV advertised in the build-up to this year’s World Cup. Each figure will retail for £1.29, but the triple packs, which include a guaranteed gold base, will be available at £3 per box with the jelly bean sweets. The carry-case MicroDome Playset opens up to reveal a football pitch and will also be released in May to allow kids to stage their own tournaments. The play-set comes with 16 figures and retails at £29.99. Also in time for the World Cup is Soccer Marbz. The collection of 370 marbles features the head shots of over 100 players from the Premier

ESDEVIUM GAMES

In the run-up to the World Cup, Esdevium is offering a Match Attax England 2010 Tin. Each tin contains 40 cards and one exclusive card. Also on offer are Soccer Suckers – collectible vinyl caricature figures of England players, with a patented suction cup on the back. The characters will stick to a computer monitor, fridge, car window, or nearly any smooth surface. There are 28 players in all, each randomly packaged in a miniature football and priced at £1 each. There are also five Fabio Capello figures, which act as golden tickets, those who find one, will win a prize. Profilx: Premier League Autograph Edition are miniature flick books, each

APRIL 2010

01494 462640 League and Europe, with each player carrying a Power Pointz rating between one and ten. Ten rare black marbles have been added to the latest series, which have an unbeatable Power Pointz rating of 11. Each Marbz pack contains one large marble and four small marbles for 99-pence. The collection will be TV advertised from late spring.

01420 593500

focused on one of 96 players from Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. When the book is flipped through, you see a ‘video’ of a football moment, turn it over and then see another clip. Also included on each page are facts and trivia about the featured player. Each Profilx pack contains two flick books and is priced at £1.49. Gogo’s Crazy Bones England 2010 extends the playground craze into the football world. With 27 figures to collect, each pack contains two Gogostyle caricatures of England players and is priced at £1.49. The characters can be stored in the Gogo’s England dugout, retailing at £4.99.

TARGETIZER

Following the launch of its target goal brand, Targetizer, the eponymous company has now introduced a value brand called Striker Goal. The two-part range includes a one target disc entry level model called Pro Shot, retailing at £11.99 and a four disc model called Pro Shot Ultimate, retailing at £24.99. Striker Goal takes all the features of the Targetizer, including the movable and interchangeable target discs, but is a goal attachment, used as an addon to an existing goal. It features the same colours and a new Quick-Strap system that allows children to attach and detach Striker Goal quickly. Striker Goal is aimed at boys aged four to nine and a national marketing campaign called the National Campaign To Score Goals will run until September.

0800 756 9835

The campaign will feature a football road show with a Striker as the main attraction for kids to come along and get free goal scoring coaching and win prizes. The campaign aims to create a viral effect with the announcement that whichever town casts the most votes is where the road show will begin. Voters will be able to see how their town is performing and how to take part in the road show events at the microsite www.HowToScoreGoals.co.uk The winning town or city will see a 500 balloon release and one balloon with a golden ticket will win a Striker Goal signed by the top strikers from the Premiership. The microsite will also feature free video goal scoring coaching that will educate the viewer on how to use Striker Goal to get the best out of it.

SECTOR GUIDE WORLD CUP

www.toynews-online.biz

FIESTA CRAFTS

020 8804 0563

The Doowell Magnetic Football Table contains all 92 teams in the top four English football leagues supplied as individual magnetic pieces. Fans can follow the ups and downs of all four competitions by moving the pieces according to their league positions after each match. There is also space on each team piece to record the points accumulated using a dry wipe pen. The set is also supplied with the teams from the conference league as well as spare blank write-on pieces so the chart can be kept up to date with team promotions. Also available from Fiesta Crafts is the fabric Football Leagues Table, which features each team in the top four leagues with their own fabric pieces. The first column has clear pockets to keep scores with the number cards provided. The new teams entering League Two can be ordered each summer to keep the chart up to date.

HY-PRO

Licensed sport and football specialist, Hy-Pro, has put together its largest ever range of World Cup merchandise ahead of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament in South Africa. Already well-versed in the football industry, with a portfolio of licences including England, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and UEFA Champions League, Hy-Pro will launch an extensive range for the World Cup.

01582 670100

The offering will include stitched footballs in various designs, rubber playground balls, PU foam and stitched foam mini-balls, as well as an extensive array of water bottles, wristbands and shin guards. In addition, a variety of flags will be available, plus four different types of back-garden football flags and inflatable chairs, many with built-in drinks holder.

JOHN ADAMS AND TOY BROKERS

Total Action Football is a fast-paced, table-top game providing magnetic action with each player able to pass, trap or shoot the ball. The Power Strike Edition includes several pieces to enhance game play. A Free Kick Ramp and Corner Ramp enable set-piece specialists to deliver the ball into the danger zone.

01480 414361

Each team comes with Power Strikers to deliver hard and fast shots, plus a Diving Keeper to deflect and save strikes. Total Action Football is suitable for two to four players aged six-years and over. The game is supported by extensive TV advertising and retails at around ÂŁ24.99.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE WORLD CUP

POPITBALL

0845 555 0860

JOHN CRANE

Popitball acts both as a training aid and a game helping the user to improve their skills. The ball features 12 red rubber discs, that when moistened stick to the ball and the aim is to play keepy uppy

MV SPORTS

and kick them off. They will only come off when hit directly. The ball is supplied in a presentation box with 16 red popits, one green popit, a pump and a stopwatch. Numerous games and challenges can be played.

The new Footballer Height Charts from The Toy Workshop will be available from John Crane in time for the World Cup. Each chart features a footballer in the middle of a throw-on manoeuvre and

APRIL 2010

is available in red and blue team colours. The World Cup and footballs act as magnetic markers to chart heights. The height charts are hinged in the middle and come flat-packed.

0121 748 8000

MARTIN YAFFE MVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kickmaster range has evolved over the years to suit the requirements of players from grass roots to pitch performance. With high-spec footballs, plus an extensive range of goals and training-

01604 774949

sets, power, accuracy and control are developed. This year the brand has grown with a Kickmaster England range, featuring distinct England-inspired designs across a variety of football products.

Born to Play is offering a range of seating for the World Cup. Its fold-up chair is made in England colours, with a printed fabric design and sturdy metal frame. Also available is a two-seater England sofa, with official England branding on the fabric seat and

01706 717800 backrest. The red, white and blue sofa features a metal frame and folds away for easy storage. To complete the range, there is an inflatable sofa decorated in the England teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colours. The sofa features a built-in cup holder. The full range is available to order now.

SECTOR GUIDE WORLD CUP

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JUMBO

Jumbo has produced puzzles featuring England players and action imagery to mark the FA World Cup. The range includes mini 54-piece puzzles, a 200-

HIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Hive will be stocking FIFA World Cup Gacha Footballs and the FIFA World Cup Gacha Tournament Shirt and Launcher ranges. The footballs contain a mini football emblazoned with a country’s flag. Each box will contain 32 mini footballs for £1.99 per ball. All 32 qualifying nations are available in the range. The 2010 FIFA World Cup Gacha Tournament Shirt and Launcher contain

01707 289289

VIVID 01483 449944

TREASURE TROVE 01285 762039

Vivid will launch Mickey and Minnie Mouse plush in football kits showing the England flag. World Cup Mickey and Minnie will be available from May at around £5.99 each and are suitable for all ages.

Hair-ee Magno-z are characters which feature varied faces and magnetic hands and feet. Treasure Trove’s latest collection sees some sporty characters – Hair-ee Sportz Magno-z – joining the range just in time for the World Cup. They can be posed in a range of positions and can stick magnetically to any metal surface.

piece team photo and a 150-piece puzzle showing the team celebrating qualification and the Road to South Africa.

01706 242070

a mini replica team tournament shirt and a shooting disc with each national team’s flag on. Each box will contain 18 random capsules for £2.49 each.

FACTORY Factory has an officially licensed World Cup Magnet Set available to the UK and Europe. Out now, the set will feature 56 different image designs – 32 of the participating nations, five of the

0208 236 9060 Official Mascot, Zakumi, and 18 of the previous World Cup winners. An accompanying hard cover folder containing a match schedule and competition wall chart will be available in April.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE BOYS

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Let’s hear it for the boys... Although toys appeal to all children, the market is undoubtably dominated by the boys with brands releasing items that have strong male appeal. While older lads demand video games, it’s the two to five-year-olds taking the crown in toy town. Our NPD analysis takes a looks at the numbers... TRADITIONAL TOYS purchased for boys accounted for approximately £1.5 billion in 2009 (source NPD Consumer Panel), representing over half of total toy sales. The peak age group for boy’s toys is now two to five years with video games rapidly taking preference after the age of eight years old. However, toys aimed at boys tend to dominate many of the top sellers throughout the year with 12 out of the top 20 items sold last year having strong boy appeal. Vehicles, action figures and building sets are the key supercategories for boys, accounting for over around 40 per cent of total value spent on boys in 2009. Action Figures share of boys’ spend reaches a high at five to nine years of age and then drops rapidly while vehicles, although not as strong, remain popular up to the ten-14 years age group. Building sets has a higher age group profile and is the strongest category for boys aged ten-14 years.

Boys look set to continue dominance of the toy market in 2010 with larger ranges and licenses Licenses is very important to the boys’ market especially within action figures, where there is a lot of movement each year through the latest TV shows and films impacting boys’ buying behaviour. Action figures is the most heavily licensed category with 68 per cent of sales being a licensed toy. Last year was key for Ben 10 with new TV show, Ben 10 Alien Force, and the related toy line helped the property reach a peak in March and finish the year as the number one property across total toys. Transformers was also a key property with two peaks through the year, first in July after the film release

Boys Supercategory Spend Per Cent by Age Group

of Revenge of the Fallen and again in December after the DVD release for Christmas. Other strong growth properties within action figures included Bakugan which finished the year as the fourth largest brand in the category and HM Armed Forces from Character Options which was the top new property launch for the year in the toys market. Toy Story also grew in the final quarter as the first film was released at cinemas and is expected to make a big impact in 2010.

(source: NPD)

Vehicles remain popular with boys and is the second biggest category after pre-school and infant. Last year was a strong year for vehicle play-sets which grew by 12 per cent, driven by the new Hot Wheels and GX Racers items. While building sets has shown strong growth, up 18 per cent in value on 2008 driven by Lego’s performance, who had success with the launch of Lego Power Miners in

Boys toy categories Top sellers 2009 All Ages INFANT/PRESCHOOL 20.3 VEHICLES 15.4 ACTION FIGURES 13.4 OUTDOOR AND SPORTS 12.1 BUILDING SETS 11.4 GAMES/PUZZLES 8.4 ALL OTHER TOYS 7.2 ARTS & CRAFTS 4.3 PLUSH 3.6 YOUTH ELECTRONICS 2.9 DOLLS 1

(source: NPD) 0-4 Yrs 41 12.2 9.3 14.1 5.8 3.5 4.4 3.6 4.1 1.3 0.6

5-9 Yrs 6.3 15.7 21.7 11.8 18.4 7.3 7.5 4.7 2.6 2.9 0.9

10-14 Yrs 3.2 14.3 8.9 11.7 19.1 13.4 13.2 6.4 2.9 6.6 0.5

15 + Yrs 3.2 25.6 10.2 6.9 5.3 22.3 10.5 3.7 4.9 4.2 3.2

January 2009 as well as continued high sales from the Lego City and Lego Star Wars ranges. Lego continues to dominate the building sets market and has made a strong start to 2010 with the launch of Lego Atlantis and Lego Toy Story driving January 2010 sales in the category up 90 per cent in 2009. Boys look set to continue their dominance of the toy market in 2010 with larger ranges and more excitement in terms of licenses, items and variety, but also additional competition and turnover. APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE BOYS MARKET SPECIAL

HASBRO Iron Man 2 hits cinemas this spring and Hasbro has three new role-play items to accompany it. The new Iron Man Helmet includes mission directives from Jarvis and a ‘slow release’ visor that slides into place. Also available will be the Iron Man 2 3-in-1 Repulsor, which is outfitted with projectiles, lights and sounds to replicate the super hero’s battles. Lastly, kids can also attach the Iron Man Arc Chest Light to their shirt. Other items from the film range include the R/C Walking Iron Man, which fires projectiles from its hands and shoulder rockets. The villain, Ivan ‘Whiplash’ Vanko, is available in a line of 3 3/4-inch action figures. Finally, Rocket Boost Iron Man, with an appearance that mimics the popular Super Hero Squad animated series, is a 10.5-inch figure that features lights and sounds, a pop-up rocket pack and a flight and weapons mode. Staying with Marvel, the Spider-Man action figure line will be featured in 3 3/4-inch scale for the first time ever. The toy line includes multiple vehicles such as the Spider-Man Triple Battle Truck with electronic lights and sounds and a projectile-firing web cannon. The Super Hero Squad 2010 toy line features new vehicles including the Super Hero Headquarters. Marvel Universe Transformers Crossovers change from action figures into vehicles.

0208 569 1234 This year, Hasbro also commemorates the 30th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back with toys, special packaging and promotion. 2010 sees the release of a number of different lightsabres, including the spinning General Grievous Lightsabre. The Star Wars At-At is large enough to hold up to 20 action figures. Inside, the vehicle features LED lights, authentic movie phrases, projectile-firing cannons, a deployable speeder bike, and a retractable zip-line in its belly to recreate one of the signature scenes from the movie. Lastly, the Boba Fett Helmet features key phrases from the trilogy and includes a light-up tracking scope. Tonka is one of Hasbro’s key lines this year, lead by the Mod Machines line of customisable vehicles. In addition, there’s the Tonka Garage Ricochet R/C vehicle and the Garage Die Cast vehicle assortment featuring interchangeable parts such as monster truck suspension and supersized tyres. The Deploy CS-6 Blaster is the latest blaster to be introduced into the Nerf Nstrike range. It converts from a flashlight

to a missionready blaster and features an expandable shoulder stock to help steady your shot and also a tactical rail, which is compatible with most of the accessories from the N-Strike range. Hasbro is re-introducing Beyblades under its Beyblade: Metal Fusion line this autumn. Featuring a new, metal gear system and the introduction of an online virtual battle component, each top in Hasbro’s Beyblade: Metal Fusion series comes with five interchangeable parts. The Performance Tip determines competitive method (how aggressive a top will be in battle), the Fusion Wheel determines the weight of the top and the Spin Track determines movement patterns. The Transformers range has new offerings including action figures and role-play items. The new Battle Ops Bumblebee action figure showcases two sides of Bumblebee. When serving as a guardian, Bumblebee features more playful phrases along with authentic engine sounds and lights. Then, when the figure is converted into battle mode it has missile launchers that pop out and a converting plasma cannon that lights up.

MATTEL The Hot Wheels animated TV series, Battle Force 5, is slated for UK broadcast on Cartoon Network from June. Featuring CGI animation, the show follows a group of elite drivers in five vehicles. On the back of the show, Formula Hot Wheels is back this year for another season. 2009 saw over 60,000 boys sign up and 2010 will see four new team cars based on the new die-cast product, a refreshed website and

APRIL 2010

Power Core Combiners deliver an interchangeable system of robots, vehicles and weapons. Role-play items include the Optimus Prime Cyber Sword toy, which features lights, battle and conversion sounds, as well as key phrases from Optimus Prime himself. If fans can’t wait until 2011 for the next Transformers movie, they can watch online webisodes of Cyber Missions, which finds the Autobots working with humans in the N.E.S.T. global alliance to defend Earth against the revenge-seeking Decepticons. There will be 12 webisodes in total, which are airing online at www.transformers.com.

01628 500000 five planned races throughout the year. Also among the product line-up, Colour Shifters continues to innovate. Spring sees the launch of Colour Shifters Power Creatures, featuring memory paint and the TV driver Octobattle play-set. Autumn brings another key playset, the Dr Bones Colour Lab, which allows kids to perform colour shifting experiments in a scientist’s laboratory. It features three new ways to transform cars, including a launch and loop, sending cars through a water splash. New for Hot Wheels in the 2010 robot theme for the Trick Tracks starter sets is the Bionic Bash Play-set. The TV driver features multiple movements sending cars into highflying stunt action. Matchbox’s Mega Rig Line continues to grow in 2010 with the launch of Stinky the Garbage Truck, which comes with sensors, lights, sounds, phrases and dance moves. The Toy Story range will see additions to the action figure collection, including

six-inch action figures, new two-inch figures and TV-driver Action Links play-set. There will also be Toy Story twists in other categories, from games to vehicles, showcasing key scenes from the new movie. The WWE collection has a range of new products in spring with rings, belts and a figure collection. Building on the Flexforce line-up, autumn brings the Flexforce Ring Talkers, featuring key phrases from the wrestlers. TV driver and new play-set for the second half of the year is the Money in the Bank Ring. A high impact campaign featuring press, TV and PR will continue to support the launch throughout the year. Batman: The Brave and the Bold sees new collectable figures for 2010 including Plastic Man. The second half will see a new character – Batbot – which fires multiple projectiles and features lights and sounds. The Disney Pixar Cars collection is now in its fourth year and continues to

expand. The second half of 2010 introduces the Frightning McMean Wrastling Truck and Monster Truck Wrastlin’ Ring, which capitalise on a new autumn Toon release. Terrordactyl joins the Prehistoric Pets collection for autumn, featuring sensors and two surprise attacks. The Imaginext line from Fisher-Price is also growing. The latter half of the year sees a new theme, Sky Racers, including an Aircraft Carrier, Large Plane and an assortment of small Sky Racer planes with figures. Autumn brings the launch of Big Foot the Mega Monster. The remote control allows boys to walk Big Foot backwards and forwards and control his emotions, while the interaction buttons control his tummy, mouth and hand.

SECTOR GUIDE BOYS MARKET SPECIAL

MOOKIE 01525 722722

Mookie Toys is distributing Danbar’s new Flash and Dash R/C car range. Based on a TV series, already successful in China and aired in the UK every Saturday on Cartoon Network, the cars offer interactive play. The cartoon follows the adventures of Frank and Karl, who have moved to a new area and are becoming involved with the local R/C racing world. Each R/C toy in the Danbar range comes with a numbered token, which can be entered online to allow kids to customise cars and race against each other online. Flash & Dash is suitable for ages four to 13 years.

VIVID

New to Stunt Riderz is the Big Air Jump Zone play-set with Brad Knox and ramp. The Freestyle Trick Zone set features Axel and Scratch. Midnight Racerz launch in autumn with eight figures. Demolition Danger Zone play-set features launcher, a wrecking ball and Yoshi. The Dinosaur King 2010 range includes lines inspired by season two of the show. The figures are refreshed and the Deluxe Bracer is added. Autumn sees Auto Armour Dinos and the Raging Volcano Play-set, featuring spinning lava pit and two Dino figures. New characters will also be added to the Roarin’ Transformin’ Dino’s and 15cm Deluxe figure assortments. The 2010 Thinkway Toy Story line, distributed by Vivid Imaginations includes new characters, vehicles, robotics and novelties.

01483 449944

Jessie the Yodelling Cowgirl is an interactive doll featuring phrases. Bullseye comes with saddle, rag doll legs and display stand and features phrases and sounds. Mr Potato Head responds to sound with voice, movement and facial expressions. The Shrek Forever After range includes Wise Cracking Shrek plush, which features phrases and sounds. Barrels of Swamp Figures are articulated figures in a barrel of swamp goo. The Swampfull of Shrek Mini Figures packs come with five mini rubberized figures, plus a launcher. Finally, the Shrek Trojan Disco Ball includes six ogres and a launcher. The Roary the Racing Car Pitstop Playset has ten pieces, revolving control tower and garage doors. Rescue and Recovery features a winch. The Roary friction car range is also expanding.

LEGO

The Animatazz creative activity kit from Drumond Park allows kids to create clay animations. Children just need to plan a story, photograph the clay clothed characters in a sequence of poses and then upload the videos to the website. Designed by a professional animator, the kit includes a CD with quick start instructions and a video guide and a background for the animations within the box. Further backgrounds are available to download from the Animatazz website. Claire McCool, marketing director, says: “We are putting a huge multimedia advertising, PR, promotional and sampling budget behind Animatazz and our TV campaign will be starting in August to get the word of mouth going as soon as the product goes into the shops.”

01753 495000 Lego will expand its buildable action figure line-up in 2010 to appeal to a wider age range. Bionicle has bought back new editions of the six most popular figures. Each figure features a special golden element to drive collectability and boys will need to collect all six cans to turn Tahu into the Golden Toa. New to Lego’s licensed portfolio is Ben 10 Alien Force. The buildable action figures are easy to construct and suitable for boys aged five and over and feature six of the most recognisable aliens from the TV series. Launching in the second half is Hero Factory, a new IP that allows kids to build heroes and send them on missions. Six new heroes will be introduced and the product is aimed at boys aged six and over. The action figure category will be supported by TV and online plus in-store promotions and activities. New to the Technic range is the Buggy – a four-wheel suspension dune buggy featuring a moving V4 engine, functional steering and opening cab. The buggy transforms into a tractor. The Helicopter is also new to the line-up and features spinning rotors and a working winch. The helicopter can be rebuilt into a seaplane. Finally, the Log Loader returns due to popular demand, featuring a trailer that can be hitched and unhitched, while two pneumatic valves operate the

APRIL 2010

DRUMOND PARK 01506 855577

articulated crane arm and the grabber. The Log Loader can be re-built into a log handler. Lego Atlantis sees a new underwater setting based on the familiar theme. There are new minifigures and fantasy creatures, including the Guardian of the Deep. In vehicles there are the Seabed Scavenger and the Typhoon Turbo Sub, both equipped with weaponry. The new play-set in the range is the Gateway of the Squid. With snapping jaws and flailing tentacles, the squid guards the underwater temple. Lego Star Wars has new play-sets, vehicles and minifigures. The Droid Tri Fighter is equipped with blaster cannon and flick bomb and includes two rocketpowered battle droids and one rocket battle droid commander minifigure. The latest and most advanced TIE fighter design is the TIE Defender, featuring six flick firing missiles and a cockpit that rotates when the model turns. It includes one stormtrooper and one new TIE fighter pilot minifigure. The ARC-170 Starfighter has folding wings and missile firing capabilities. It includes two clone pilots, Jedi Master Kit Fisto and R4-P44 astromech droid mini-figures. Luke’s Landspeeder is the vehicle Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi drive into the Tatooine spaceport of Mos Eisley. It includes Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, C-3PO and sandtrooper guard.

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VTECH 01235 555545

The Baby My First Tool Box has two different modes for play and learning, along with a removable hammer, screwdriver, wrench and saw. The set includes two sing-along songs and six melodies and kids can tap the nails, twist the bolts, turn the screws and saw while learning numbers, shapes and colours. The Baby 1-2-3 Measure Tape is a role-play toy with three chunky easyto-press buttons that introduce colours, numbers and tools. The tape features seven melodies and singalong songs. Pull the tape to watch the colourful spinning disk and hear melodies increase in tempo with excitement.

HTI

01253 778888

HTI supplies a range of toys under its own Teamsterz brand, offering die-cast, radio control, special feature and plastic vehicles and new track sets. New for pre-school boys in autumn/winter, the firm will introduce scale die-cast toys for Bob the Builder, Postman Pat and Fireman Sam. HTI is also introducing Bart and Homer Simpson Micro Speedster Vehicles. For ages four and over, they can be directed forward, backward and will turn and speed randomly for added play value. Bart’s sports car has a dare devil flaming design with skull and cross bones. Homer’s vehicle is based on the family’s pink car. R/C products include The Simpsons Family Car and Skateboarding Bart. The range also includes a Bart Folding Scooter, large and small Bart Skateboards and a Bart Mischief Case. New JCB lines include a freewheeling R/C Eight Wheel Mobile Crane with light and sound effects. There are also the 1:16 scale replica R/C Dumptruck and Backhoe Loader vehicles, with moveable parts, lights and sound effects. A Heavy

Load Transporter comes with Backhoe Loader and Fastrac vehicles, while new construction play-sets comprise replica JCB vehicles, 30cm crane and accessories. HTI will also launch role-play JCB DIY toys. New battery-operated Power Tools include a Drill, Jigsaw and Nail Gun, all with interchangeable power pack, realistic design detail and ‘try me’ functions. A JCB Workbench comes with all the tools and accessories for construction role-play. New JCB wheeled lines include a Tow Truck Trike with rear towing hitch, chunky wheels and front plaque and a 14-inch bike with BMX-style frame. Also offered is a battery operated Digger Ride-on with Trailer. It features horn sounds and controls to move the arm and bucket. HTI provides wheeled toy ranges for other licences including Gormiti, Toy Story and Spectacular Spider-Man and a Folding Scooter for Gogo’s Crazy Bones, supplied with a pack of Gogo’s Crazy Bones and a zip-up bag to store them. Finally, the firm is offering inflatable and summer toys with Ben 10 and SpiderMan, available throughout Europe.

RE:CREATION

BANDAI Ben 10 returns to TV this spring with new episodes on Cartoon Network and Bandai is introducing a collection of action figures and accessories. The Laser Lance is a light and sound weapon and the Plumber’s Communicator features phrases and a projected image of Grandpa Max. Easter sees the DVD launch of the live action movie Ben 10: Alien Swarm and Bandai will complete its toy line with the Action Cycles, featuring a water firing action. Ben 10 will be supported by a multitouch point marketing campaign including TV trade advertising, PR, online and consumer print. A new toy line will be introduced in the autumn to coincide with the new series, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien.

08456 028782 The 17th instalment of the Power Rangers saga hits screens this spring, with a corresponding toy range, which will include new collectible action figures, Racing Performance Cycle and Riders, High Octane Megazords, Turbo and DX Vehicles, a Cell Shift Morpher and Nitro Blaster, which transforms from blaster to sword mode and features engine cell keys to activate sounds and phrases. The new releases for Pokémon for 2010 include the Pokémon Yo-yo, Battle Poké Ball and Digital Poké Ball. Finally, August sees the launch of Armouron. The futuristic lightweight suit of armour combines construction with role-play, allowing children to attach pieces together using Snapperons. Four skus will be available by the end of the year.

WORLDS APART 0800 389 8591

Worlds Apart has expanded its Toy Story range ahead of the release of the third movie. The Go Glow range has several new Toy Story items that are supported by the firm’s investment in a 365 day TV sponsorship slot on Nick Jnr Bedtime. The Toy Story Go Glow Story Projector is a 3-in-1 rechargeable night light, torch and projector with two discs of 12 images to create stories with. The plush Alien Go Glow Pal has three light-up eyes that come on when its hand is squeezed. After 15 minutes, the lights automatically shut off. The Go Glow Pal also has its own TV ad. There is also a new range of MDF furniture items including a Desk and Stool and Toy Box, alongside a Storytime Bed with storage drawers and bedside self that transforms into a seat.

0118 973 6222

New for 2010 in the Lego lights range is the City Workers range of torches and plush, with characters including police, construction, Lego men and fire workers. A new range of playmates and zipbags will also be available to store Lego and build on. Introductions to the Razor range include the Siege Caster Scooter, PowerWing and Hello Kitty licensed E100 scooter and Pocket Mod. There will be four Razor TVadvertised lines – PowerWing, Spark, Riprider and the Siege Caster Scooter. Battle Machines is new to the UK market following a successful launch in the US. Battle Machines is an R/C laser tag game. All vehicles include lights, sound effects and movement that mimic video game play. Available in a twin pack. Supported by a TV campaign in autumn/winter, with 500 TVRs. New licences in the pocket money toys range for boys include Ben 10, Bakugan and Marvel figure key rings, which feature Spider-Man, Venom and Wolverine. WWE thumb wrestlers are now available, as well as Toy Story 3 and GoGo’s Zeebeez.

APRIL 2010

New

for 2 010

8409 Spidermonkey

8410 Swampﬁre

8411 ChromaStone

8517 Humungousaur

8518 Jet Ray

8519 Big Chill

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SPIN MASTER

SCHLEICH 01279 870000

Schleich is launching a new tribe for 2010 – Arelan. Each figure has an animal companion and is partly mutated with its animal. For example, Apricum, meaning sunlight, has antlers protruding from its shoulders, like its stag companion and holds a sword around its waist in a scabbard. Noctis is the night and reflects its companion, the panther. Noctis has a lit torch in front and carries a bow and arrow on his back. Gregis has fur on its back and arms to represent its wolf companion, while Arelan has wings like a falcon.

08708 508408

Bakugan began the year with season two, New Vestroia – featuring Special Attack Brawlers and Traps. From autumn, the 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid introduces new shapes, trick shots and new game play. The brand will be supported with TV advertising and a sponsorship campaign. Spin Master is also moving into movie licensing with three new master toy licences. These begin at Easter with Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon, followed by Paramount/Nickelodeon’s The Last Airbender in August and Tron Legacy at Christmas. Each range will feature action figures, vehicles, playsets and role-play.

JOHN ADAMS AND TOY BROKERS

Mighty Beanz can be swapped, collected and raced, with hundreds of characters to choose from in year one alone, including the rare Mr Moose Bean. The range is supported by TV advertising. Air Hogs features new lines including the Laser Zero Gravity, Jackal, Sharpshooter, Cargo Commander, Vectron Wave and the Motor Frenzy R/C Stunt Bike. TV advertising for the line is back in the autumn. Tech Deck and Flick Trix will continue with refreshes of their licensed boards and bikes as well as new ramps and skate parks.

MAPS TOYS 01483 776006

The Doodle-Track Car from Maps features a patented technology, allowing it to follow a track that you draw. The car includes an optical sensor that reads a bold black line drawn by any marker or crayon on white paper. The Doodle-Track car can also be customised with the colourful, stickon decals included. The car comes with a play mat and extra race tracks can be downloaded and customised from www.doodletrackcar.com.

01480 414361

JUMBO John Adams and Toy Brokers has added two new products to its boys range. Science FX contains 20 science experiments, producing a seemingly magic effect that comes with a scientific explanation. The set comes with instructions and FX include Bermoulli Balls, which rise and hover, Planet Vortex, a meteor that appears to move through string, and Infinity Coils that seem to stretch to infinity. The set is aimed at ages seven and over and retails at around £19.99. Mr Creepy Magic contains 30 illustrated magic tricks, each with a horror theme and step-by-step instructions. Tricks include chattering

teeth, severed ear, gory guillotine and grotesque head. The set is aimed at ages eight and over, retails at £19.99 and will be available from June, supported by TV advertising.

Jumbo is adding a range of new licences in 2010. The new Horrid Henry line-up will include a 100-piece Discovery Puzzle, two 70-piece puzzles with stickers, giant playing cards and a Slide and Find game. The FA World Cup series will feature puzzles picturing England players and action imagery. The Gormiti line will include a fourin-a-box format featuring the four main characters, two puzzles in a box, which will also include a collectible figure and a 100-piece puzzle with stickers. The firm will also introduce Gormiti Playing Cards and games for autumn/winter.

01707 289289 Finally, the firm will launch a range of puzzles to tie in with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. The puzzles will feature familiar characters from the property and new imagery from the film.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE BOYS MARKET SPECIAL

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

The emergency services series from Pintoy has been expanded to include an additional Fire Series Collection and a new Police Series. The new Police Headquarters features a jail. Also in the collection is a team of officers, a criminal and a Police Vehicle. The new City Fire Series complements the original Pintoy Fire Series, at a lower price point. The new collection includes a Fire Station, Fire Fighters and a Fire Engine.

TOMY

Tomy recently secured the rights to develop and distribute Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise. The new toy lines will tie in with the forthcoming Sonic games including the newly released Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing. The line-up will include a range of collectable figurines featuring the classic Sega characters. The range will include six-inch Super Posers – highly detailed poseable action figures with over 25 points of articulation, seven-inch Soft Figures – plush characters, and a Sonic the Hedgehog Comic Book Pack – a collector’s edition 200th issue comic book featuring Sonic and Knuckles, complete with two exclusive 3 ¾-inch action figures. Tomy will also distribute a line of A-Team branded action figures in various sizes, vehicles and role-play items in time to support Twentieth Century Fox’s release of the film in July 2010.

APRIL 2010

MECCANO

01844 278888

New from Meccano for spring/summer is Xtreme, the new range of off-road racing vehicles made from plastic and metal parts. The new threaded construction range requires no nuts, and is suitable for children aged seven years and over. Fluorescent colours and chrome effect metal blend together to create the new look. Models include sound effects, pull-back motors, power motors and remote controls. The Xtreme 4x4 comes with 110-plus pieces to constuct two models and a remote control to manoeuvre the vehicles. The Xtreme range will be supported with TV advertising, PR and a new website.

Also new for spring/summer is the Rescue Team range, which is designed for children aged from five years upwards. The four sets consist of more than 40 pieces to construct and there is a choice of Fire ATV, Police Car, Police Helicopter or Fire Truck. At least one figure is included with each of the models and all sets include accessories and stickers to customise the models and incorporate Meccano’s new clip system. There are also new additions to the Construction Boxes with a Starter Tool Box and a new look Police Bucket. Featuring more than 60 parts, the large plastic pieces create five models.

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563

New for 2010 from Fiesta Crafts is the Knights and Dragons Colour-in Play Scene. The magnetic playboard comes with over 50 knights, horses, armour and other story pieces made from colour-in paper that sticks magnetically. The playboard is double-sided and has two picture scenes. The pieces pack away inside the magnetic board and the kit is suitable for children aged three years and over. Knights and Dragons Colour-in Play Scenes is available for £7.99.

020 8722 7300

The toy line will include 3 ¾-inch action figures in an A-Team assortment, villain assortment and army assortment, and 12-inch BA Baracus and Hannibal Smith collector figures with voice and vehicles including the classic A-Team van, tank and helicopter that will be available in a three vehicle pack. Tomy is master toy licensee for the two-part Harry Potter movie finale, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. The firm also has the rights to launch product from the World of Harry Potter style guide, which will be non-movie specific. The firm will launch a new range of action figures, role-play items, electronic toys and puzzles from July onwards. Key items will include the Harry Potter Ultimate Battling Wand and the Harry Potter Monster Book of Monsters, both available from September. The Harry Potter range will be supported with a marketing campaign including TV and cinema advertising.

MEGA BRANDS 01844 350033 Metal XS is Mega Brands’ second series in the Battle Strikers range and the firm has added 12 new striker designs to build on the customisation and collectability factor of the toy. The new series is made of durable Metal Armour, making the turbo tops more powerful. The heavier armour creates a clashing action and sound and the outer weighting improves momentum. The Metal XS range introduces specific weapon designs and new tips for increased customisation and boasts a new selection of Metal XS Striker personalities including Raptor, Sentinel, Minotaur, Firehawk and more.

In addition, all five components of the Metal XS Strikers are compatible with series one and two, so can be combined to make a new striker. The Metal XS Starter Pack has an improved Turbo Boost Launcher with a customisable face plate for battle launches and DLX Controller with improved ergonomic grip and adjustable length for finger size. Also new to 2010 is the unofficial Battle Striker blog, where fans are able create a blog and even get involved with forum pages. The range will be supported with TV advertising, sponsorship, PR and direct communications.

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GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308

Marty Mixer is joining Joey JCB and friends. Also new to the My 1st Talking range is Tommy Truck. Both characters have their own unique phrases, sounds and movements. Launching in autumn/winter is the Sit n Ride Talking Elvis Excavator, which features ten phrases, horn, engine sounds and lever scoop. 2010 also sees the characters featured in a new wooden range. Made from chunky wood, there are various puzzles and Digger Dominoes on offer. All puzzles feature one or more of the My 1st JCB team and help children develop their hand-eye co-ordination. Bath toys are also new to the line-up. The My 1st JCB Squirters are available in Joey JCB, Doug Dumptruck and the new Marty Mixer character.

HIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Hive’s Nintendo Super Mario figures, key rings and plush toys are available now. The figures are available in 5cm, 12cm and 23cm vinyl statues and a multitude of characters. The key rings range features six characters including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and Toad. Each 4cm key ring has a unique pose compared to the figures range. Each has a child friendly safety clip, which easily fixes. The plush toys series one range features Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad and Koopa. Each plush is approximately 25cm. Also new to the portfolio are SpongeBob and Sonic the Hedgehog mini figure ranges. There are six 5cm figures available to collect and the product is supplied in mixed cases of 12 units. Characters available in series one include Patrick, Gary, Squidward, Mr Krabs and two versions of SpongeBob.

LEARNING CURVE

Britains has a range of 12 new models in the 1:32 scale tractor offering. Highlights include the John Deere 8295R and 8345RT Tractors, replicas of the OEM’s new family of R series. A new Massey Ferguson 7480 Tractor, Case IH Puma 225 CVX Tractor and Case IH Magnum 335 Tractor have all been reproduced in detail. Introduced in 1972, the John Deere 7520 Tractor has been down-scaled for the Britains collection. The Steiger Panther is a reproduction of the 1976 III series, which was unveiled as a new series of 4WDs in 1976. Production of Steigers was taken over by Case and to reflect this, Britains has created a model of the Case IH Steiger 535 Tractor. In 1:32 scale agricultural vehicles, Britains extends its reputation and

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choice with three new offerings – the Case IH 8120 Combine Harvester and in the New Holland stable, the CX8090 Combine Harvester and BB9080 Big Square Baler. Also new for spring are three new Big Farm tractors. In 1:16 scale and featuring easy to operate R/C handsets, are the Case IH 140 and New Holland T6070 tractors. The tractors feature chunky tyres, under-bonnet detail, cab detail, moveable parts and steering. The new Massey Ferguson 6480 also features all of the lights and sounds effects of any Big Farm model. New implements include a New Holland BB9080 Square Baler, Flatbed Trailer, John Deere Mower Conditioner and the Case 621 Wheeled Loader.

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Great Gizmos’ 4M kits provide educational play. The Green Science Dynamo Robot kit turns everyday rubbish into a robot powered by a hand-driven generator. Similarly, the Green Creativity Plastic Bag Monster turns plastic bags into robots. There are also more practical products on offer, like the Green Creativity Bottle Light kit, which enables boys to create their own recycled bedroom lap using leftover bottles.

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Series one of the Sonic the Hedgehog range is taken from the classic video games. There are three of the most popular figures available – Tails, Knuckles and Sonic. Finally, the firm is offering Funko Wacky Wobblers range. Funko is a firm that manufactures and produces Wacky Wobblers or bobbleheads. The latest Funko Force range is described as ‘vinyl with attitude’ and the characters feature oversized heads, hands and feet. The characters come in different licensed ranges including a Star Wars range and The Land of the Lost range, with Marvel comic characters Master Chief, Hanna Barbera and Iron Man 2 ranges coming soon. Also offered are the Funko Computer Sitters, smaller scale bobbleheads, which sit on top of any PC monitor or TV, with Star Wars models available now. Coming soon are Star Wars Monsters and the new Rock Legends ranges.

MARTIN YAFFE New to Born to Play’s Bob the Builder friction vehicle line-up is Scratch, which marks the arrival of the firm’s new Bob range, inspired by the new series, Ready, Steady, Build. The range includes Interactive Load Up Muck, which helps kids to recognise shapes and colours. There’s also a series of mini play-sets with vehicles, play mats and accessories that bring Bob’s world to life. Read Along Bob tells a story and engages with children as they read along. The Scoop and Scrambler remote control Mini Stunt Vehicles complete the range and spin, turn and pull wheelies.

01706 717800 New Ben 10 PVC balls, foam balls, rubber play balls and playground balls arrive in spring, along with an inflatable chair, featuring Ben and the alien heroes. The new Lazytown line-up features a Sportacus blue skateboard, skates, bike and trike for the boys. The new wheeled toys are joined by racquet and ball-based outdoor sports ranges. New and refreshed Thomas outdoor furniture includes single chairs, tables and patio sets. The patio chairs in the range feature a patented locking mechanism and, along with the new parasols, are made using a UV protective fabric. Entry-level bedroom and playroom furniture is also new to the range.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE BOYS MARKET SPECIAL

REVELL 01442 890285

Revell’s portfolio of model kits, flying machines and slot cars is growing. The Ferrari 458 Italia contains one model with paints and glue sold separately. Alternatively, the increased ranges of the Star Wars Easy Kit and Easy Kit Pocket are ideal as gifts and new Star Wars: The Clone Wars models will be available later in the year. The recent line extensions into R/C helicopters include the Aquilla Helicopter RTF with infra-red, MHz and GHz technology and easy-tooperate controls. The 2.4GHz range is aimed at more experienced pilots and carries three exclusive designs, including the RAF Tigermeet Ouma, Bell Huey and a Kamov K58.

MV SPORTS

FLAIR

0208 643 0320

Flair has increased its boys’ range for 2010. Gormiti launches Supreme Eclipse Era, with TV scheduling for the cartoon series, a TV campaign and a growing licensing programme. Supreme Eclipse Era toys emulate features from the TV series, with chunkier figures and microchip sound technology, like the Elemental Fusion line. The new series also has light in the form of the Eye of Life feature included in the larger figures and play-sets. Two new tribes will be added, which band together to form a superpower to defeat the Lord of the Volcano. Key drivers in the run up to Christmas will include the Temple of Light and Guardian Creature play-sets.

Following on from GX Racers, Flair has introduced GX Skate. The Skaters Assortment features 2D riders, which perform stunts. A new division, GX Moto, will introduce two-wheeled stunts in autumn. The GX Moto Monster Loop play-set features the 360 loop-the-loop stunt and GX Moto Double Blaster Mega Set allows kids to race two riders over a jump ramp. Creepy Crawlers allows boys to create bugs with the Creation Station, while the Creepy Crawlers Extermination Station is a two-piece virtual torture chamber. Finally, Zibits are desk top distractions. There are 12 to collect and additional accessory sets to enhance the robot wars game-play. The brand will be supported with TV in autumn.

APRIL 2010

Safsof rubber foam toys are designed and produced to support children’s learning and sports skills. The cricket bat and ball features a 61cm soft cricket bat. The Super Torpedo is a throw and catch game for the park or beach. The Plan Toys Wooden Fire Engine is a chunky fire engine, which comes complete with two firemen, fire hose, fire extinguisher and an extendable ladder. The engine is part of the Plan Activity range of large scale vehicles, which also includes a crane, bulldozer, excavator, bulldozer, motorhome and more. All Plan Toys are produced from sustainable rubberwood and finished with preservative and chemical-free rubberwood.

0121 748 8000

WOWWEE

MV’s Ben 10 line has been extended with new Alien Force products. The Secret In-line Scooter features a secret compartment containing eight authentic Alien Force figures. The new older boy portfolio features three licences – Doctor Who, Iron Man 2 and Star Wars. The Doctor Who range has been designed using new aliens that will accompany the 11th Doctor on his time travels. The Iron Man 2 range is heralded with a brand new scooter concept incorporating an Iron Man 3D head with interactive lights and sounds. The Star Wars range is pioneered by the Clone Wars Secret In-line Scooter,

MARBEL 01208 873123

equipped with a secret compartment containing authentic Clone Wars characters. The firm’s pre-school range is led by the trio of Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam. MV is reviving all of these ranges with new concepts. For example, the new Thomas Full Steam Ahead range allows the rider to generate engine sounds. The Bob the Builder range has been refreshed to represent its new CGI programming, while the Fireman Sam series has been boosted by a working Fire Extinguisher tri-scooter and a broader range of products with lights and sounds.

Paper Jamz is a range of new guitars and drums with unique technology that makes playing music easy, portable and affordable. Launching in May, the guitars are designed to look like a real guitar, with detailed graphics, but are light and thin with no strings. To play, kids run their fingers over the printed strings, frets and neck of the guitar. In August, the range will be expanded with Paper Jamz Drums, which feature the same innovative technology as the guitar and a Paper Jamz Amp, made from cardboard, but with full sound. The range will be supported by over 1,500 TVRs and five million online impressions from May to December. Kicking off at Easter, the campaign will start with a seeding campaign, placing the products in the hands of 500 children to build word of mouth and anticipation. Denkosekka is the new action game based on a futuristic storyline. The game consists of collectible Denkosekka catchers and Denko-

01295 711588 Stones. Used similarly to a yo-yo, players use the catchers to pick up the stones, each with different levels of difficulty and points. Available from August, the new range will include four Denkosekka Catcher assortments, a selection of Denko Stone Booster Packs, a Playmat and a Battle Pack. The line will be supported by a marketing campaign featuring product demonstrations, PR, a micro-site and a 400 TVR campaign in the lead up to Christmas. The Spy Gear line is a range of intelligence and surveillance toys, including crime fighting gear and gadgets. The range covers a selection of price points including £5.99 impulse toys, £9.99 blister packs and £14.99 boxed gift sets. The range will be supported by a 485 TVR campaign featuring the new Evidence Kit, Lie Detector and Security Scanner and a sponsorship of Aaron Stone on Disney XD, the new crime-fighting show.

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SECTOR GUIDE BOYS MARKET SPECIAL

HABA 0161 304 9555

WICKED VISION 0208 870 1470

THE PUPPET COMPANY 01462 446040

Haba’s Terra Kids range of toys has new additions this year. The Experiments for Explorers are experimental boxes, which explain and demonstrate different contexts and stimulate the user to conduct experiments and observe different phenomena. Experimental Box Colour Savvy teaches about colour and comes with eye glasses, two colour filter discs and colour cards and instructions. The Experimental Box of Wind Knowledge has a windmill construction kit, a Savonious construction kit and a wind flow meter. The Experimental Box Knack of Knots will allow boys to develop knot tying skills. Complete with instructions, strings and snap links, this kit will teach a variety of different knots. The Terra Kids range also includes an assortment of items from microscopes and telescopes to fishing kits and boomerangs, plus a range of key rings.

Duncan Yo-yos retail from £3.99 to £300. As the sole UK distributor of Duncan, Wicked Vision is unveiling what it claims to be the world’s most expensive yo-yo – the Duncan Mg at £300 – and new technology-filled yo-yos including the light-up colour changing Duncan Pulse and the autoreturn Duncan Reflex. The firm will also be announcing a new style of yo-yo play – counterweight yo-yoing with the Duncan FH Zero, which includes three counterweights, a collectible figure, dice, and ball. Also on offer in the run up to the World Cup is the special edition Duncan Soccer Ball Yo-yo.

The Puppet Company Monster was launched at the Harrogate Gift Fair. Each large puppet has an air filled squeaker in its mouth to provide sound. Some of the monsters have felt teeth, while others just have gums. The original concept for this collection came from the firm’s desire to develop and build on its Large Bird collection. The company used the same day-glow colours and materials and created characters even bigger than the original range.

DKL 01604 678780

MANHATTAN TOY 0208 944 3160

BIGJIGS 01303 250400

Suitable from two years onwards, DKL’s latest additions to the Wonderworld vehicles include the Mini Garage, Mini Taxi and Mini Sporty Car and are made of wood with rubber tyres. The Mini Taxi and Mini Sporty Car are a perfect size for kids to push around. Also available are the larger Heavy Duty Trucks. The Mini Garage features a ramp and elevator and is suitable for 24 months and over. Wonderworld vehicles are made of wood from a replenishable source and come boxed in packaging made of 70 per cent recycled paper.

APRIL 2010

Manhattan is distributing the Quadrilla range of marble runs, musical toys and accessories this year. Founded in Germany in 2002 by Wilfried Braun, the wooden toys are suitable for adults and children alike. All the marble run sets are extendable and expandable with available accessory sets. Inventor Wilfried Braun, of Quadrilla, comments: “Manhattan Toy’s commitment to high quality products and its focus on the specialty toy and gift market really makes this a perfect match.”

Bigjigs recently signed an exclusive deal to distribute the Classic World range in the UK and Ireland. New additions include the Wooden Toolbox and Carpenter’s Trolley, both suitable for children of three years and over. The toolbox includes a hammer, two screwdrivers, a wrench, a spanner, a saw and a mallet, as well as nuts, bolts and screws. The box has hinged doors, which open out to reveal a free-standing display. The Carpenter’s Trolley also comes complete with necessities such as a hammer, wrench and screwdriver, as well as nuts, bolts and screws.

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Citiblocs are wooden construction blocks made from pine sourced from sustainably managed forests. Each piece has been engineered to exactly the same shape and size. Building requires no glue, mess, connectors or magnets, just gravity, balance and imagination. The toy promotes creativity and problem solving whilst helping children develop motor skills. Citiblocs will be available in packs of 50, 100, 200 and 300 blocks.

HORNBY 01843 233500

The latest Airfix launch for boys is the Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary Set 1:72. 2010 sees the 70th anniversary of the famous battle and the four most recognisable subjects from the summer of 1940 are included in the set, the Spitfire, Hurricane, Messerschmitt and Heinkel New from Hornby is the Blue Rapier train – a Hitachi class 395, which was introduced to commuter travel in 2009. Corgi has introduced the limited edition Messerschmitt BF110c-1 ZG26 Horst Wessel, which recreates the German aircraft that featured in the Battle of Britain. The 1:72 Horst Wessel commemorates the vessel that crashlanded in Cobham Farm after a ferocious battle with FAF fighters. Finally, Scalextric is introducing the Scalextric Start range as an introduction to those getting into slot car racing. The set features skill level control hand throttles, multiple circuit options and easy-to-connect track to get drivers up and racing in no time.

SECTOR GUIDE BOYS MARKET SPECIAL

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WOW TOYS 020 7471 0980

INTERPLAY 01628 488944

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Suitable from 18 months onwards, Wow’s Dudley Dump Truck is part of the construction range of frictionpowered toys. The truck tips, drives and shakes and features engine sounds. This eight-piece set includes barrels and traffic cones, a driver figure and a carry handle. Jonny Jungle Plane is an airplane with friction-powered, rotating propellers and a click and turn cargo hold with three secret compartments. A pilot adventurer figure and a pet tiger complete this play-set. All Wow toys are designed to work without any batteries. Each year Wow launches special edition friction-powered Sports Cars, which are available for one year. This year the two Sports Cars come in new colours and designs.

Interplay’s Weird Slime Laboratory is a chemistry set which allows children to create blood clots and exploding slugs, grow tapeworms, make tadpole soup and more. Each kit contains enough material for the experiments to be repeated several times. Suitable for ages ten and over. The Wild Physics and Cool Chemistry Laboratory is two kits in one that teaches boys about the science of elasticity, polymers, energy and motion, while they create Cosmic Ray Launchers and Supersonic Bouncers. The Hyperlauncher Rocket Ball Factoy contains everything needed to make colourful bouncy balls and launch them into space.

JHS is expanding its SpongeBob range of musical instruments. New to the offering is the Flying V Ukelele, the SpongeBob Blaster Amp and SpongeBob Drumsticks. Also new is a portfolio of percussion instruments including shakers, maracas and a tambourine. Finally, the firm has expanded the range into the adult market by adding a full-size electric guitar with SpongeBob graphics and SpongeBob guitar straps and picks.

The Maisto-Tech R/C range kicks off its collection with the Rock Crawler. The truck has articulated suspension, three motors, a trichannel controller and re-chargeable battery pack and charger. Other new products include the Blade Rover R/C buggy and helicopter combination. The Monster Drift R/C car features PVC tyres, which allow the car to drift around corners and bends, plus the Audi R8 V10 will also feature in the 1:10 and 1:24 R/C collections. The Maisto die-cast collection also has new releases this season, including the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 and Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. There are extensions to the Assembly Line Kit Collections, including the Ferrari 458 Italia.

DANBAR 01707 260111

MANTIC GAMES 0115 933 8444

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IMC TOYS 01904 720908

Already successful in China, Flash and Dash is Danbar’s new property, launched at the end of 2009. The animation airs on Cartoon Network and follows the story of twin brothers who move to a new area and become part of the remote control racing world. The supporting toy line includes 1:60, 1:40 and 1:32 scale cars, a stop watch, a race track and a special edition 1:32 scale tin box, including a premium pro-car, which is faster than the others in the range, with built-in tool box. Danbar supports the Flash and Dash range with marketing and PR, including interactive tournaments, competitions and media partnerships.

Mantic Games released its first products in September 2009 and recently became a Toymaster supplier. Founded by two ex-directors from Games Workshop, the goals of the company are outlined by the MD, Ronnie Renton: “We believe there is an opportunity to bring to a much wider audience what has traditionally been a niche product, and in a far more retailer focused way than in the past.” Kings of War is Mantic Games’ range of fantasy miniatures, designed for collectors, modellers and gamers of all fantasy war games. Each of the plastic sets are designed to be easy to use, offer modelling and weapon options, include extra accessories and are supplied in boxes that double as carry cases. The firm will provide the complete set, including the models, messenger bags and paint sets but without a vast sprawling range.

To tie in with the Iron Man 2 film, Cesar is offering new dress-up styles based on the film’s armoury. The range includes costumes at all price points. Also in Cesar’s Marvel collection is Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America and Hulk, who all feature in Marvel’s new Superhero Squad – a stylised cartoon brand aimed at younger children, which has just launched on Nicktoons. The Ben 10 range is also being extended to include more costumes based on the character’s alien counterparts. New for 2010 is a range based on Bakugan. The dress-up offering includes an outfit based on the lead character, Dan, including a jumpsuit with attached belt, fingerless gloves, card holder and Bakugan spheres pouch. Also available is a deluxe duo set featuring Dan and his battle brawler Drago.

The Toy Story 3 Stellar Circuit includes the space ship and Buzz Lightyear. There are two ways of playing: standard, which has no time limit, or competition, where you play against the clock. The fastest player in this mode wins. The circuit includes lights and sounds to add to the play value.

PLAYMOBIL 01268 548111 The Playmobil Fire range features fire engines and ladder trucks along with a Fire Chief in his car and fire fighters to put the flames out. Also available is a fire helicopter and a fire boat. The Construction range includes a front-end loader, a trolley on the conveyor and a mega dump truck. Also on offer are the construction workers and a mega crane.

APRIL 2010

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tel: 01628 488944

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES AND PUZZLES

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Trading the boards The games and puzzles sector is under a growing threat from video games and online games, which have gained ground as socially cohesive experiences. Despite this, the market is still holding its own with reworked classics creating volume sales and a constant influx of smaller innovators providing fresh ideas. ToyNews takes a look at what’s new… MATTEL

Pictionary celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with more TV campaigns planned than ever before. The celebrations will get underway with marketing support and a new game will launch in the second half – Pictionary Family Edition. The game is complete with two sets of cards offering differing difficulty levels. Scrabble will also see a new edition in autumn with the launch of Scrabble Trickster, which introduces twists and turns to the classic. Players will be able to boost scores with trick cards allowing them to spell words backwards, steal points, use proper nouns and break all the usual rules. Mattel is also unveiling Mindflex, which combines advanced technology with the power of thought to create a new interactive experience. Up to four players can compete in five challenging modes, using the wireless headset to

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read brainwave activity, travelling through an obstacle course using the power of thought. Loopz will launch in the second half and features gesture technology. The game of lights, music and memory recognises hand movement and comes with seven skill and action modes, testing reactions with knock-out rounds for up to four players. Also new for autumn, Blokus is a strategy game for the whole family and players have to take turns matching colours and squares. The kids’ game portfolio is also adding new titles with Toy Story 3 Junior Scrabble and Thomas and Friends and new for autumn is Thomas and Friends My First Scrabble and new board game Race Around Sodor. The games portfolio will be supported with a marketing campaign including TV and PR throughout the year.

DRUMOND PARK

Pumpaloons is a pre-school actionexercise game, created by Drumond Park’s in-house creative development team. The object is to jump on the pump until the Pumpaloon reaches full height and blows its whistle. The company is also launching a number of new family games, including a new sister product to Logo, called The Best of British. The aim of the game is to race around the board, answering questions about the unique things that make Britain British. Wordsearch is the multi-player version of the word game, where up to four players vie to find words in one of

HASBRO

2009 saw Hasbro’s games portfolio achieve a five per cent increase in market share, moving to 31 per cent. The firm finished the year with 11 of the top 15 games in the market with Bop It at number one, closely followed by Monopoly and Monopoly City in second and third respectively. The Family Game Night campaign will continue over Easter and again in September with TV support, a celebrity spokesperson, extensive PR support, full in-store POS, third party

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the forty pre-printed puzzles, rotating the board so that everyone has a turn at seeing the puzzle. Countdown is Drumond Park’s new board game take on the TV show. The purpose of the Don’t Laugh game is to make the other players laugh, with assistance from the chipmunk voicechanger which also emits a wide variety of electronic burps, giggles, farts and shrieks. Articulate also now has a longawaited twin, Articulate Your Life, with new categories about life and lifestyle, home, work, holidays, entertainment and more.

020 8569 1234

partnerships and further activity to be confirmed. Monopoly’s 75th anniversary will also be a highlight with activity planned throughout the year. The firm will launch a range of new games in 2010 including Monopoly Crazy Cash and Guess Who Reinvention, which are already on the market. Further new launches will be added to pre-school, kids, electronic, card games, family and adult categories. Pop Goes Froggio is suitable for three years and over and launches in

autumn/winter. Kids have to spread lily pads around the room, spin the spinner and race to find the matching picture. The first to find the pad, stomps on the lily pad launcher to send Froggio flying into the air. Monopoly Crazy Cash is suitable for children aged five and over. Kids have to build as many houses and hotels as possible and catch the cash as it flies from the Crazy Cash machine when they use their Monopoly Credit Card. Crocodile Chomp is a new skill and action game for children aged five and over and will be available in autumn/winter. Children have to try to be the last frog to survive the Crocodile’s jaws. Monopoly Revolution launches in autumn/winter and includes a new round game board and an electronic game unit that keeps track of players’ locations. It also features song extracts and sound effects throughout the game to mark progress. Suitable for ages eight and over. Boggle Flash features five digital tiles displaying a randomised letter in each and players have to put together as

many words as possible out of them against the clock. The technology used in the product recognises the letters on the tiles either side of it and the built-in dictionary determines whether it’s a word or not. The tiles also remember how many words you have been successful with and will give players a total score when time is up. The game can be played in solo or group mode. Suitable for ages eight and over and available to retailers from autumn/winter. Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It involves every player on every turn. This new version introduces coloured chips so players can bet whether their opponents will answer correctly. If players win enough chips, they can then buy wedges. The game is suitable for 16 years and over and will be available in autumn/winter. Cranium has been reinvented for 2010. The game now has 600 new playing cards and a folding board that gives three ways to play so there is a choice as to the length of the game. Cranium is an adult game, which launches in autumn/winter.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES AND PUZZLES

IMAGINATION GAMES

Imagination saw double-digit growth in 2009 and will launch its largest games range so far for 2010, including family games and a range of licensed titles. Top Gear Ultimate car challenge experienced strong sales in 2009. The TV series continues to achieve viewing figures of around seven million each week, keeping the brand strong for the coming year. The Gogo’s Crazy Bones game was launched in late 2009 and sold out within four weeks. The game is now available again. Beat the Parents also showed growth in 2009 and will continue for 2010.

ESDEVIUM GAMES 01420 593500

Sales of the Pokémon Trading Card Game have been growing for the past several years, with a 20 per cent increase in the UK in 2009. Spring sees a new Pokémon video game – HeartGold/SoulSilver – and to support it, Esdevium will be offering themed decks, booster packs and ancillary products like poster packs. In addition to the quarterly sets, the line includes tins in spring and autumn and ancillary formats such as collectors’ boxes providing a range of price points for retailers. The firm also continues to offer its specialist board game range, which includes titles like Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and Carcasonne and has seen increasing sales of such titles over 2009. Charles Ryan, marketing manager at Esdevium said: “Just three or four years ago, if a speciality game sold more than 1.000 copies a year, that was something to write home about. In 2009 there were scores of speciality games hitting that level, with standouts such as Carcasonne busting through 5,000, 10,000 and nearing 15,000 copies a year. The trend is very solidly upward.”

APRIL 2010

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Launches for autumn/winter include two new games for the new Dr Who series, available from July. Play That Tune was a winner of best new toy in the games and puzzles category at Toy Fair 2010 and is aimed at the whole family. The game includes an over-sized step-on keyboard and players have to try and guess what tune their opponents are playing. Available from July. Quelf is already selling well in the US and is now being unveiled in the UK. It’s a game of random silliness – just ‘obey the card’ to play. The game will be supported in Q4 with TV advertising.

LEGO 01753 495000 Lego games allow players aged five and over to build a game, play a game and then change the format. The games feature a unique dice that can be built upon using different coloured tiles to adapt to each game. The new Shave a Sheep game challenges players to get the biggest pile of wool from taking the sheep to the barbers. The trick is to stockpile wool, while opponents attempt to scare the wool off your sheep using the big bad wolf. In UFO attack, the aim is to collect the most resources, stored in rock modules, to take back to the home planet. The first to collect seven rocket modules wins the game. Extra terrestrial terrors wait to hinder you in the quest with avenging aliens and sinister UFOs. In Magma Monster, players attempt to build a path across a lava field to defeat the guardian of the treasure, avoiding the lava wall, flying bats and the monster on the way. Finally, Pirate Plank pits players against opponents in order to be the last crew member to fall from the plank into the shark-infested waters below. The dice will control players’ moves along the plank.

JUMBO Jumbo is launching a new generic puzzle range, Grow with Jumbo. Aimed at children aged up to six, the concept is based on stages rather than ages. Within the range, there are step-by-step puzzles, shape sorting puzzles, colour and copy puzzles and story puzzles. Each box includes a certificate and stickers to help motivate and reward children. Grow with Jumbo will be accompanied by a marketing and PR campaign, including a dedicated microsite for the range. The firm has also enhanced its children’s licensed puzzle category with offerings from the new-look Fireman Sam and new properties including Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and Guess with Jess. The Disney licensed portfolio is to include Toy Story 3, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny and Prince of Persia. Further developments for the Peppa Pig range include the Muddy Puddles

RE:CREATION Re:creation is offering eight Toy Story 3 lines in the Disney Games on the Go range, which is a line of mini game boxes the size of a pack of cards. Each game concept is a classic children’s game with a Disney twist, which include dominoes, winks, and an electronic buzz game. Re:creation is also introducing Stylus pens – a range of toy and game pens, which enables you to mix and match colourful beads to create new designs every time you write with it. Games available in the range include Barrel of Monkeys, Boogle, Play Doh, Trouble, Monopoly Pinball and Super Soaker. The Lego Stylus range includes designs in the City, Rescue or Police theme and Lego Star Wars stylus options includes R2-D2, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, X-Wing Pilot and Yoda.

01707 289289 Game. Featuring all the main characters, the game is a race around the board to get home from school, while avoiding Muddy Puddles. New from the Wasgij range is a limited edition Destiny puzzle to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Coronation Street. Containing two puzzles, players are able to puzzle the box image as well as the puzzle’s solution. The Falcon brand is launching licensed puzzles to celebrate the Carry On film series, including a 1.000-piece puzzle and a puzzle in a tin. Other additions include Home Sweet Home, a triple pack containing 500, 750 and 1.000piece puzzles, generic puzzle range Travelling By and many more images. Jumbo has also commissioned artist Trevor Mitchell to paint a Christmas Puzzle for 2010.

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SECTOR GUIDE GAMES AND PUZZLES

GREEN BOARD GAMES

01494 538999

New for 2010, Joggle is a strategy board game consisting of a board, 16 black marbles, 16 white marbles and a coloured dice. Players take turns to roll the dice and place one of their 16 marbles on the board in a corresponding colour space. The aim of the game is to be the first player to form a six-ball rectangle (3x2) while preventing opponents from doing the same. Once all 32 marbles are on the board, game play continues by moving existing marbles around the board.

VIVID IMAGINATIONS

Based on the ITV show hosted by Jasper Carrott, Vivid’s Golden Balls Electronic Game is a game of luck, intuition and bluff. Players must race to get to Bin or Win. Grab the cash and avoid the Killer Balls. The firm has also extended its preschool games and jigsaw portfolio including the Timmy Time Pop Up Game. Carefully load up Timmy with toys before he pops. Also available are Fifi’s Stack a Cake and Roary’s Pitstop Panic games. Take

WINNING MOVES Winning Moves will be releasing a range of Olympics and FIFA products this year. The FIFA range will include a standalone World Cup Top Trumps pack, World Cup Monopoly and a FIFA Top Trumps Tournament. Tournament is a new way to play Top Trumps, where players can customise the game with different packs. The FIFA edition has exclusive packs featuring the best World Cup players, goals and moments and will continue Top Trumps existing alliance with the sport. In addition, there will be a Marvel Heroes Tournament on offer. New Top Trumps titles for the year include Power Rangers RPM, Prince of Persia, Doctor Who 4, Iron Man 2 and Baby Animals. For younger children, the Top Trumps Activity Packs range expands further with a new Chuggington edition. Winning Moves is also now exclusive UK distributor of the Bananagrams, Appleters and Pairs in Pears games.

APRIL 2010

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it in turns to build Fifi’s cake as high as possible without it falling over. Meanwhile boys have to construct Roary the Racing Car as quickly as possible before the time runs out and the pieces pop off. All of Vivid’s pre-school games are designed for two to four players of three years-old and over. The company’s pre-school puzzles include Fifi, Roary and Timmy four-in-abox varieties. Suitable for ages three and over.

0207 298 9500

GIBSONS GAMES Gibsons is adding four new puzzles to the My World range for spring. Head and Tails Jobs features eight puzzles of everyday jobs. Pieces are interchangeable and each puzzle includes two or three pieces. Suitable for ages two and over. My Town features six interchangeable puzzles to create different scenes within the town puzzle. Including 30 pieces, the game is suitable for ages three and over. Above and Below, In the Country is a 30-piece wildlife puzzle suitable for ages three and over. Finally, My Body includes two puzzles, one 36-piece and one 40-piece, which help children learn about different parts of the body. The puzzles are suitable for children aged four and over. Six new puzzles will join the Thomas Kinkade range for spring 2010. Each of the new images is a 1,000-piece puzzle from America’s most collected living artist. The new titles include Gingerbread Cottage, Lamplight Manor, Blessings of Christmas, Nanette’s Cottage, Friendship Cottage and A Peaceful Time. In partnership with The National Gallery, Gibsons will launch six 250piece puzzles and two 1.000-piece puzzles featuring works from the gallery this spring. The puzzles are made in Britain from 100 per cent recycled board. Titles in the 250-piece offering include A Wheatfield, with Cypresses, 1889, by

020 8661 8866 Vincent Van Gogh; The Hay Wain, 1821, by John Constable; Surprised, by Henri Rousseau, 1981; The Water-Lily Pond, 1899, by Claude-Oscar Monet; Venice: The Grand Canal facing Santa Croce, by Bernardo Bellotto, c.1740 and Bathers at Asnieres, 1884, by Georges Seurat. The 1,000-piece puzzles include The Impressionists – a montage of works from Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Rousseau, Van Gogh and Manet– and Masterpieces, which features works from Van Eyck, Titian, Monet, Turner and Velazquez. Further new puzzles for spring include the Cutty Sark 1,000-piece puzzle, a celebration of the 2006 Cutty Sark Conservation Project. Cutty Sark Trust, Greenwich, licenses the product. Gibsons will also be publishing the official Robert Opie collection jigsaw puzzles. The titles will include Shopping Basket – four 1,000-piece puzzles each taking a look back at what might have been in shopping baskets in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. The puzzles will also be available as 250-piece puzzles in gifting tins. The Sweet Memories puzzles take a look back at sweets we remember from the same four decades in 1,000-piece offerings as well as the 250-piece tins. Finally Toy Box Memories are four new 1,000-piece puzzles looking back at the favourite toys of the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

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Available June 2010 Sales Hotline 01869 363800

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JC GAMES 01833 347886

Qb is the unique travel word game based on 48 cubes incorporating the most common two-letter combinations, which can be played on any small surface. It is suitable for ages eight to adult and solo or group play is possible. Launched at Toy Fair 2009, the game has sold 10,000 during its first year. Pressman Toys recently launched QB as the licensee in the USA, Canada and South America. Launch Products are the official distributors for the UK and Ireland. JC Games is now developing sales of Qb worldwide and is seeking interested parties to act as distributors and licensees.

HTI

MARTIN YAFFE

01706 717800

Born to Play is offering a range of wooden puzzles under the Waybuloo licence. The Peg Puzzles feature the Piplings and Nara Bugs and introduce shapes to pre-school children with chunky peg pieces. The Peeka Puzzle features a reversible pull-out board so the game can be changed as kids search for the Piplings. The product features ten Peeka holes to uncover. The Waybuloo Chunky Puzzle has eight reversible 2D pieces, encouraging children’s understanding of shapes and

DKL 01604 678780

Wonderworld’s range of boxed games is designed for children from three years of age and for two or more players. Included in the range are Eco Town Game and Traffic Domino Game. Firstly, the Eco Town Game is a dice game for little ones to learn how to save the environment. A town can be created with houses, trees, bicycle, recycle bin and a rain water tank. The towns on each board can be joined together for more creative play. Traffic 3D Dominoes offers a version of the traditional dominoes game with a modern twist. The aim is to make up a road network by matching up the coloured vehicle parts in front and rear sections on wooden squares. The winner is the first to get rid of their pieces. Build a Village allows children to make up their own village with houses, trees and cars. This is a classic dice board game and is suitable for up to four players. The board is illustrated with greenery, roads and roundabouts.

colours. When the pieces have been correctly placed inside the wooden board, creating a picture of all four Piplings, they can be tipped out and reversed to start a new game. Two Lift Out puzzles are also available as part of the Waybuloo wooden puzzle range. Born to Play has also developed a set of Waybuloo Activity Dice. The round edged printed dice display numbers and actions and once they have been rolled, kids have to perform the action a number of times.

01253 778888

JOHN ADAMS AND TOY BROKERS HTI’s Wood Works range of toys includes many pre-school wooden puzzles for 12 and 18 month-olds and upwards, such as chunky shape sorters, peg puzzles, learning blocks, alphabet and number puzzles, matching cards and jigsaws. Over 50 per cent of the range is new for 2010 and all the pre-school puzzles have been designed to help develop recognition of numbers, letters, shapes and colours as well as enhancing handeye coordination, cognitive abilities and stimulate visual development. New Peg Puzzles include three assorted cartoon scenes of farm

animals, jungle animals and vehicles. The new Animal World puzzles assortment of farm or dinosaur shapes with name spaces also feature added scene boards for extra play value. Suitable for all ages, HTI’s five new Animal Jigsaws feature photographic images of dolphins, lions, elephants, puppies and kittens. The traditional games range from HTI provides an extensive range including everything from classic board games and bingo to towering blocks and educational games to travel games and magnetic compendiums.

The Krypton Factor is an interactive DVD board game, building on the brand heritage of the TV series, which made a comeback for ten episodes in January 2009. The new product is a challenging board game designed for the whole family. There are two skill levels, allowing mixed age and ability play, across mental agility, observation, intelligence, physical ability and general knowledge. Observation clips withing the game are taken from a range of ITV show footage including Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hell’s Kitchen.

01480 414361

The game is available now and retails at £19.99. The Cube is an electronic board game based on the ITV show, hosted by Phillip Schofield. The game replicates the show’s format, including around 60 challenges, which can be simplified as per the TV version. Available from June, the New Scotland Yard Board Game puts players on an evidence trail in central London, as a Crime Scene Examiner. Secret tests are used to reveal clues in various locations. The game includes a UV light, magnifier and special evidence decoder devices.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES AND PUZZLES

COILEDSPRING GAMES 0870 446 1515

Regatta is the latest offering from the Coiledspring Games portfolio – a yacht racing card game featuring little wooden yachts. Other new Gigamic titles include Wazabi, a dice and card game and Rok, a fast rock throwing game. Also offered is Matt Leacock’s latest game, Forbidden island, following up last year’s hit game, Pandemic. Drago is new from Tactic. It is red, wooden and most easily understood as ‘shove ha’penny with dragons’. Finally, there are six new artists for the jigsaw collection including 48piece puzzles, which come in their own frame.

HABA

RAVENSBURGER

Ravensburger is introducing a new Discover and Develop games and puzzles range. Using guidance from early years teachers and drawing on its pre-school games experience, the range combines education and play. The eight puzzles and eight games target key stages, specifically for the UK market. The Discover and Develop puzzle range includes Nursery Rhymes, Look and Find Farm, Shaped Tractor and Trailer (complete with two drawing templates), Fairytale Castle and The Animals Came in Two by Two.

01869 563800

Also available is the Alphabet Puzzle and a Jigsaw clock, both of which come with activity sheets packed with ideas to ensure children get the most out of the products. All puzzles are made from thick recycled board. Ravensburger’s Discover and Develop games range includes titles to develop colour recognition, numeracy skills, social interaction, spatial awareness and observation. The designs within the range include Checkout Chase, Dodge a Dinosaur, Pack Your Bags, Tip the Ship and Fun on the Farm.

APRIL 2010

The Super Mario Chess Set Collectors Edition from Hive comes with 32 individual 2” vinyl figures of all the Mario game characters from the Nintendo video games. Each figure comes on a labelled coloured stand indicating the piece they are in the game. The set also includes a Super Mario chessboard and comes presented in a tin box. Hive’s new Nintendo puzzles will be available in three designs – Super Mario Bros Wii, Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid taken from the Nintendo video games. Each 550-piece jigsaw puzzle has a detailed design and when completed, each puzzle measures 18 x 24”.

0161 304 9555

PAUL LAMOND GAMES

New to Haba’s 2010 catalogue is a range of Discovery Puzzles that feature magnified motifs around the edge, which are also repeated in the puzzle. In addition, there is a small story supplied with each puzzle. The Orchard game comes in eight versions suitable for different ages. The game is a cooperative dice game and the objective is for players to race to collect fruit before the raven beats them to it.

HIVE ENTERTAINMENT 01706 242070

The new range starts with First Orchard for younger players aged two and up and evolves to the largest and most complicated version, the Orchard Floor Game. The floor game features a large board with wooden fruits and a basket, while the smallest version of the game, The Mini-Orchard comes in a compact tin with little wooden fruit tiles. Mini Orchard is suitable for children aged three to eight.

Joining the Chimp and Zee pre-school range are three new games including Happy Holidays and Trolley Dash and there are two new puzzles joining the range too. In the children’s area, the firm is adding a Gruffalo licensed board game, along with Turtle Shells, Give a Dog a Bone and the classic skill and action game Jumping Monkeys. A new Happy Play date range of activities is being launched, each box contains everything needed to host a play date for up to six children aged three to six. You be the Judge is joining the tinned game range with 200 real court

0207 2540100 cases that players have to guess the outcome of. In family games, a new version of The Last Word is added as well as Tip of the Tongue where teams try to guess a well-known phrase or saying as it is slowly revealed backwards. The Red Rose Murders is also being added to the Murder Mystery range. The adult puzzle range is being added to with Dalmatians joining the World’s most difficult puzzle range along with three 1,000-piece Photomosaic puzzles. Finally, there are two 100-piece and two 250-piece Where’s Wally children’s puzzles to add to the existing range.

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SECTOR GUIDE GAMES AND PUZZLES

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BIGJIGS 01303 250400

Bigjigs Toys recently signed a distribution deal for the Classic World range of wooden toys in the UK and Ireland. New additions to the range include two puzzles aimed at children aged one and over. The puzzles are designed to develop childrens’ handeye coordination as well as their fine motor skills. The Transport Sound Puzzle is a wooden shape sorter. The scene features six lift out vehicle shapes and as each piece is replaced in the correct slot, a sound is heard – a whistle for the train, a siren for the fire engine, etc. The Transport Puzzle is a similar product, with chunky vehicle pieces, but without sound, offering a different price point in the range.

UNIVERSITY GAMES

INTERPLAY

01628 488944

Interplay is launching a 4D jigsaw – the Cityscape time Puzzle. The puzzle features the three dimensions of length, width and depth, and an added fourth dimension of time. A Time Poster is included with the puzzle and guides the player through the history of the city, adding buildings along the way in their correct chronological order. For example, the first jigsaw layer represents a map of old London town prior to the Fire of London in 1666, with a map overlaid showing the streets of modern day London.

The first layer of the puzzle includes over 500 pieces and creates the landscape, while the second support layer provides the location of key areas including historical buildings and parks. The third layer comprises the buildings, including one of Europe’s highest skyscrapers – The Shard at London, due for completion in 2012 – giving puzzlers an idea of how the building will change the landscape. The Cityscape range currently includes New York and will soon be launching Chicago, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Paris and Toronto.

FIESTA CRAFTS 0208 804 0563

Fish N Spell is a fishing game that promotes literacy and learning in children and has now been updated to include four languages. Made from wood and fabric, the game involves players picking a word card and then racing against opponents to fish the correct letter from the fabric pond using a magnetic rod to spell the word. Supplied with 100 picture cards each with its name printed in English, French, Italian and Spanish, the game helps children to learn foreign languages as well as helping to develop co-ordination.

01359 243900

ORCHARD TOYS 01953 423422 University Games is launching a new version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire this autumn, including themed question card packs in the categories of sport and entertainment, plus a pack for children. Also new is Callisto, a game of strategy, which is joining the family games range. Smart Ass, Murder Mystery Mansion and Who, What, Where Jr will also continue. Sort It Out, the US Game of the Year 2010, is the game of putting things in the correct order and sees the introduction of a junior version this year.

The game of Mr and Mrs is already selling well and Pointless will also be added to the licensed range in autumn. The game is based on the BBC2 TV game show hosted by Alexander Armstrong, in which the least likely answer is the best answer. New lines also include Find It, a tubular game where dozens of objects are hidden within a sea of plastic colour chips and all you have to do is find them. There are three different themed editions, sports, glitz and glamour and one for kids.

A couple of Orchard Toys’ latest games are designed around two well-known songs, Row, Row, Row Your Boat and the Wheels on the Bus. If You See a Crocodile is designed to help children of three years and over develop colour matching and speaking and listening skills and links with early learning goals in creative development. Round and Round is designed for three to six year-olds. The board game features four red, green and yellow 3D double decker buses with coloured

passenger cards. Players roll the dice and move their bus in any direction and slot in a colour card to the top of their bus corresponding to their landing space. Everybody then sings the lines from the song written on the card. The first player to pick up a passenger card from each of the bus stops and arrive back at the bus stop is the winner. The game helps develop colour matching and counting skills, links with early learning goals in creative development.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES AND PUZZLES

RICHARD EDWARD

Richard Edward is a manufacturer of cardbased products and a strategic partner to many well-known games brands including Top Trumps and Monopoly. Established for thirty years, the firm has the capacity to produce in excess of 40 million decks of cards per annum using fully integrated in-house facilities. The company produces trading card game sets, card components for board games, stand-alone card games and playing cards for promotional and conventional use. The firm is also able to deliver products throughout Europe and worldwide.

JOHN CRANE

0208 311 8888

The firm offers a range of specialist printing and finishing processes from foiling to glow-in-the-dark or creating inks that react to temperature to randomised collation and unique coding. All processes are carried out on site, enabling it to offer flexibility to work to client’s needs and forecasts. Working practices offer environmental credentials at the company including FSC and Green Mark, together with a low carbon footprint. The firm is also audited to Global Sourcing Principles, the ETI base code and holds both Investors in People and ISO 9001 accreditations.

01604 774949 Magic Magnets is a new puzzle in the Branching Out range from John Crane. The puzzle features a wooden magnetic playing board and around 70 magnetic playing pieces. The board has a background for use in making pictures, featuring rolling hills and a rainbow, however many other household items can be used for play, such as the fridge door. Each set comes with an ideas booklet, showing shapes and pictures that can be constructed.

LEARNING RESOURCES Freeze Up is a word name game, which asks players to identify an animal, sport, place or similar, all starting with a particular letter. Quick answers ensure you stay in the game and if

BANANAGRAMS Bananagrams is adding two new word games to its existing Bananagrams game – Appleters and PairsinPears. Appleters is a domino-like game for ages six and over where players connect letters in lieu of dots. The game comes in an apple-shaped cloth pouch containing 110 ivory-like tiles. In addition to the version for a younger audience, the game also includes instructions for games more suitable to adult players – Apple Turnover and Applescore.

APRIL 2010

TACTIC GAMES

Tactic has been designing, developing, manufacturing and distributing board games since 1967. The portfolio spans action games, chase games, traditional games, learning games, travel games and more. 2010 has seen the launch of a new range from Tactic, which includes many titles: Keeping Up With the Jones’s, Draco, Tivoli, Faqir, the What

01483 751267

Everyone Should Know range, Logiko card games, Travellers Dictionary games, The Three Little Pigs, Europe Trivia, Family Ludo, Battleships and a new range of children’s learning games. The range of games will be supported by the company throughout the year with a marketing campaign targeting key consumer demographics.

0845 241 0484 time gets short, players must select another category or letter. The game contains over 170 categories and two modes of play with two to eight players.

020 8876 3013 PairsinPears is a word construction game for ages six and up where players race to make pairs of connecting words in matching patterns. The game comes in a pear-shaped pouch, containing four alphabet sets in four distinct patterns. The UK and Ireland distribution of Bananagrams was recently taken over by Winning Moves, the firm also responsible for Top Trumps, Regional Monopolies, Waddington’s Number One Playing Cards, Top Cards, Pass the Pigs and Sequence.

1745 TRADING COMPANY To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Coronation Street, 1745 Trading Company is launching the latest addition to its Quest trivia board games – Coronation Street Quest. Following the same format as English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh Quest, the game features facts about the soap. For two to six players from

07775 505143 age eight, players race around Weatherfield, passing destinations such as The Kabin, to Underworld, answering questions to collect the letters to make up the word QUEST, and being careful of cobble cards that may help or hinder the journey. The game will be supported by a marketing and promotional campaign.

SECTOR GUIDE TRACKS AND TRAINS

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Right on track Popular with collectors and children alike, track racing and trains remains a strong, niche sector in the industry. New licences and technologies are being introduced this year. ToyNews provides a round-up of what is coming round the corner… MATTEL

Fisher-Price is adding to the Take-n-Play range of die-cast vehicles. New themes and multi-packs for autumn include Bill and Ben, Percy and the Sweet Train. Additional characters will join the Talking Die-Cast collection including Diesel and Toby. Each character features real voices, lights and train sounds as it is pushed along. Autumn sees two new playsets joining the Take-n-Play line-up. The Knapford Station Playset and Misty Island 2-in-1 Adventure Playset are fold-up, preassembled track sets complete with diecast vehicle. The new additions can be

01628 500000

used separately or joined with other playsets and track. The Misty Island Playset has 2-in-1 play factor with one side featuring a scene from Misty Island and the other side Thomas’ home of The Island of Sodor. Also launching in autumn is the 22-piece Take-n-Play track pack, including a combination of straight and curved track pieces. The Fisher-Price Trackmaster collection launches in autumn and features a range of characters and collections at varying price points. From the free-wheeling

Construction Vehicle Assortment, to push-along play to the motorised Big Friends assortment, which chug along on their own and the new Talking Motorised Assortment featuring signature phrases and sounds. The range of Trackmaster playsets showcase scenes from Thomas’ world. The Arthur at Copper Mine Playset lets kids send motorised Arthur through the mine where his cargo fills up with copper. Lead playset in the collection, the Zipn-Zoom Logging Adventure allows children to take on turns, climbs, tunnels and a zip-line with the motorised

engines. Trackmaster accessories will include expansion packs for new playset variations. Also new from Fisher Price this autumn is the Thomas Bedtime Plush Engine. Pressing on the roof activates lullaby sounds and sleepy Thomas phrases. A series of games will complement the collection with autumn launches including Thomas and Friends My First Scrabble and the Thomas and Friends Race Around Sodor reschool game. Fisher Price will support the range with a marketing campaign in conjunction with Hit Entertainment.

APRIL 2010

SECTOR GUIDE TRACKS AND TRAINS

SCALEXTRIC

01843 233500 Scalextric is continuing its worldwide exclusive licence partnership with Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team. The contract runs until the end of 2011 and grants the firm to the image rights of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. A range of new Mercedes GP Petronas products will launch throughout the year, including the 1:64 scale Micro Scalextric GP Legends set and the 1:32 scale Race of Champions Scalextric Start set. Paul Chandler, marketing manager for Scalextric says: “We enjoyed a successful partnership with Brawn GP in 2009 and we are pleased to be working together again with the new Mercedes GP Petronas team. We are looking forward to an exciting 2010, with some fantastic new products to look forward to.”

BIGJIGS

01303 250400 New to the Bigjigs Rail collection is the Industrial Turn Table. The new accessory allows the trains to make high speed changes of direction, heading in any of six directions. It features a bridge over the track to house all the cabling required for the smoothrunning of the turn table. Also included are No Entry signs and hazard warnings, as well as an operator’s shed complete with chimney. The parts are durable and brightly coloured. The Turn Table is compatible with all leading wooden train brands. Designed for children from birth to eight years-old, the Bigjigs rail range is fully tested and features starter kits, engine repair sheds, stations, cranes and coal mines.

HORNBY

Hornby Digital Sound is a range of locomotives where the sound is emitted from the vehicles themselves, meaning changes in sound dynamics as they travel around the track and through tunnels. Trains in the range include the LNER Herring Gull Class A4, priced at

APRIL 2010

01843 233500

£234.99, the Diesel Electric Class 50 ‘Illustrious’ available from £209.99. Amplified sounds include the shovelling of coal into the steam locomotive’s firebox and its whistle. Each class of locomotive has its own individual sound recorded where possible from the full size locomotive.

All Hornby Digital Sound locomotives can be operated straight out of the box. No parameters have to be changed as the right operating mode is selected automatically. Simon Kohler, marketing manager at Hornby, comments: “The digital sound locomotives are an exciting addition to

the Hornby range and one enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating. “The quality of sound and realism of experience with the digital sound locomotives is unmatched and nothing is more evocative of the railway experience than the sounds of locomotives building up speed.”

SECTOR GUIDE TRACKS AND TRAINS

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BRIO

Treasure Trove is the official UK and Ireland distributor for Brio. This year will see some new products joining the Brio Railway range. Initial focus will be on two freight sets and six SKUs of engines and rolling stock that will be launching in May. Each Wagon in the set contains a piece of freight which has holes to

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locate it securely on the chassis. In turn it is magnetised so that the freight remains in the container when lifted from the chassis by crane. Treasure Trove has adjusted the pricing of the range to ensure the best possible margins are delivered. Brio’s new road and rail sets will be available to purchase for the first time this autumn.

JOHN CRANE

The Branching Out range by John Crane, is releasing its City of London Train set which features over 50 pieces. The set contains familiar London imagery including the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Harrods and Canary Wharf.

LEARNING CURVE Learning Curve is unveiling its Chuggington range this year. Each of the key characters from the series is available as a die-cast engine, including Wilson Brewster and Koko along with Old Puffer Pete, Dunbar, Zephie, Hodge, Frostini and Action Chugger. Calley’s Fire and Rescue Cars, Irving’s Rubbish and Recycling Cars, Frostini’s Ice Cream Cars, Mtambo’s Safari Cars and Hodge with Popcorn Cars are all available as twin packs. The 3D Wilson Carry Case retails at £14.99 and holds up to 17 characters and features free wheeling wheels. The Trainee Roundhouse Playset retails at £19.99 and launches in May. The set recreates the trainees’ home from the series, with four engine bays and a moving launcher, which also activates the doors. The set also includes a rotating turntable for each train to exit or enter and comes with a die cast Koko engine. The Repair Shed Playset incorporates a moving chug scanner where engines are checked to see what is wrong, then placed on the tilter and fixed, before being cleaned in the Chug Wash. The set comes with a die-cast Brewster engine. Finally, the Training Yard Playset with Loop retails at £39.99 and launches in

01604 774949

The train set fits with the other Branding Out train sets and other popular sets on the market. It has also extended its train collection with the addition of a new Level Crossing, adding further dimension to role-play activities.

01271 336155

June. The set features a spiral track and Chuggingtom sounds from the series and comes with a die-cast Wilson engine. The Thomas Wooden Railway System encourages traditional role-play for toddlers and has a number of new additions. New collectible engine characters from the new Hero of the Rails DVD include Stepney, Mavis and D99 and from series 1200, Charlie – each retailing at £15. Other new vehicles include Terence the tractor, Bulgy the bus and George the steamroller and retail at £10. The range

also sees additional Express Coaches retailling at £15. For the first time, Thomas also comes to life in July in the form of Talking Thomas, retailing at £15. Push the funnel down to activate three phrases. The train also includes a working headlamp and whistle sound. Toby’s Windmill Story Pack retails at £40 and features Toby engine, barrel car and flour, Knapford covered bridge and track pieces, a spinning Windmill and built-in barrel loader. The 65th Anniversary Thomas and Bertie Story Pack launches in July and

retails at £40. The set re-tells the classic story of the race between Bertie and Thomas and includes a storybook from Egmont, Thomas and Bertie engines, a Fat Controller figure, a stone bridge, a stacking riser and an ascending track. The portable Thomas Carry Case Play Mat retails at £15 and unfolds to reveal a map of the Sodor Destinations. The Racing Down the Rails set is available from July at £70 and features spiral play with elevated layout, obstacles and a new sinking track. Makes 1.2m when fully laid out.

APRIL 2010

May Show 18th - 20th May 2010 Toymaster would like to invite all Independent Toy and Model Retailers, both in the UK and Ireland, to attend the 2010 May Show. Over 100 suppliers will be in attendance at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, on the 18th - 20th May and we hope you are able to join us in making the most of the opportunitties offered. For more details or to register, please 4 (0)1604 674477 contact Jo Skelton on +44 or email jo.skelton@toymaster.co.uk

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AIS all set for second spring showcase

Hero Product Page 88 John Adams’ Fuzzy Felt is this month’s highlighted product...

Toy buying group hopes to build on last year’s debut show with second buyers’ event at Cranmore Park HQ by Ronnie Dungan AIS’ TOY buying group Play-Room will host its second Play-Room at the Park show this month, looking to build on last year’s inaugural event. This year’s show will take place from April 20th-21st at Cranmore Park, Solihull and, with the increase in membership, plus initiatives which have been put in place to boost visitor numbers, the Play-Room team believes the event will become a cornerstone of the independents’ buying calendar.

Only PlayRoom emerged into 2009 as a credible force within the industry. Miles Penhallow, AIS

The show is open to all independent toy retailers. Those interested in attending can register at www.cranmorepark.co.uk/events.php The site features toy suppliers who have already booked to attend the show and are listed with links to their own websites. AIS is keen to encourage any independent retailers that might be interested in membership to take the opportunity of visiting the show. Based at Cranmore Park, just off junction four of the M42 near Solihull, facilities include a contemporary

conference and exhibition centre. The buying group utilises the strengths of its parent company, AIS, which is the largest non-food buying group in the UK, including in-house services such as marketing and IT, plus 50 department stores with wellestablished toy departments. Members can also use the AIS central payment agent, Cenpac, which can process upwards of 23,000 invoices every week. In addition, members have access to their own members.net through which marketing materials can be accessed and they receive a weekly newsletter containing trading updates, product offers and progress reports. Suppliers signed up to Cenpac receive a monthly newsletter. Toy division manager, Miles Penhallow, told ToyNews: “Forming new buying groups became quite the vogue following the demise of Youngsters in the Spring of 2008. Contenders such as Magsons and Leading Edge struggled to become established in the challenging financial climate of 2008 and only Play-Room emerged into 2009 as a credible force within the industry; the first new toy buying group to be successfully established in the UK for decades.” AIS: 0121 711 2200

Charts Page 87 This month’s retail charts feature The Entertainer, Amazon, Play.com, WH Smith and NPD’s licensed toys...

New products Page 84 On their way this month are offerings from Corgi, Tomy, Lego and Learning Curve....

Events Page 98 All the latest trade shows to pencil into your diary...

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PRODUCTNEWS

Lego adds Farm line to City range THE NEW Lego City Pig Farm retails at £24.99 and comes complete with a water and feeding trough, a shelter, straw, a tasty meal of Lego carrots, and a wheelbarrow and broom for mucking out. The colourful tractor includes front loader, lights and cab and there’s also a trailer to help transport the animals and crops around the fields. The essential Farm Set is priced at £52.99 and is packed with Lego extras. The tractor and trailer are

fully equipped to move all the hay bales into the barn and have a winch to help move them into place. The

silo stores a summer’s worth of corn. With lots of accessories including themed minifigures, animals and tools, it is a complete set. The Lego City Farm sets are suitable for ages five to 12 and will be available now in toy stores and online at www.lego.com. Lego: 01753 495000

Tomy introduces the latest Micro Pets MICRO PETS-I, are miniature collectable pets from Tomy, which measure just 35mm by 45mm. The palm-sized pets were originally a hit in 2002 under the name Micro Pets, and over one million of the products were sold in the UK. Now, the second generation Micro Pets-i are smarter than before with advanced features like artificial intelligence (AI) sensors so they can move and think like they’re alive. Available in nine different models including cats, dogs and bears, each pet moves,

communicates and sings by responding to hand movements. By tapping a ball in front of them, Micro Pets-i can be trained to dodge things and follow you. The pets can also interact with each other.

The toys retail at £9.99 and have five interactive modes. The modes include avoiding, following, singing, communication and fortune telling. Tomy: 020 8722 7300

Corgi launches Spike Milligan’s Mini Firm reproduces last car owned by the comedian in limited edition 1:36 scale model Corgi has brought together two British icons with the release of the limited edition Mini. The new addition to the Corgi portfolio is a limited Argos exclusive, consisting of only 2,000 pieces, and comes with a limited numbered certificate. The 1:36 scale model of the classic Mini, based on the last car owned by comedian and Mini enthusiast, Spike Milligan, also comes with a brief history of Milligan and the car, still owned by his daughter, Jane. APRIL 2010

Milligan’s daughter comments: “Dad had a real passion for those little cars and it’s a wonderful tribute to him that Corgi have been able to

reproduce his last Mini in such great detail." Martin Weaver, marketing manager for Corgi added: “We are delighted to be able to honour one of Britain’s greatest comedians and offer fans the opportunity to share a bit of history with the limited edition Corgi Milligan Mini.” The limited edition Corgi models are priced at £19.99, and are available exclusively at Argos. Corgi: 01843 233502

Learning Curve boosts train offering

THE CHUGGINGTON 2010 range from Learning Curve includes collectible die-cast engines and play-sets. The die-cast engines include characters Wilson, Brewster and Koko alongside Old Puffer Pete, Dunbar, Zephie, Hodge, Frostini and Action Chugger, retailing at £5.99 each. Calley’s Fire and Rescue Cars, Irving’s Rubbish and Recycling Cars, Mtambo’s Safari Cars, Frostini’s Ice-Cream Cars and Hodges Popcorn Car, are available as twin packs, retailing at £8.99. Kids can transport Chuggington engines in the new 3D Wilson Carry Case, priced at £14.99, holding up to 17 characters and featuring free rolling wheels. The Trainee Roundhouse playset retails at £19.99 and will be introduced in May. The set contains four engine bays and a moving launcher that activates the doors. The set includes a rotating turntable and comes complete with a die-cast Koko engine. Featuring three play areas, the Repair Shed play-set retails at £24.99 and has a moving chug scanner where trains can be fixed, and a Chug Wash. Includes a die-cast Brewster engine. The Training Yard play-set with Loop retails at £39.99 and launches in June. The set has a track where engines can race, then shoot through an accelerator and around the loop. It features sounds from the series and includes a die-cast Wilson engine. Learning Curve: 01271 336155

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HIGHSTREET COUNTER INSURGENT Dispatches from the retail front line... Here we go again. It’s always the same at the start of the year. Phone call after phone call of time wasters and people who can’t understand the word ‘no’. Trouble is I am too polite and will at least listen to them in the hope they might have something worthwhile to say. But I am getting quite good at getting rid of them without offending them too much. So far this year I’ve had companies call me saying ‘I called on the stand at Toy Fair/Spring Fair’ and ‘Would I be interested in’; ‘I've sent you an email to clog up your inbox’; ‘Have you seen the catalogue we put in post’. And on. Some companies I’ve never heard of and others so random that you know they are trying it on. One claimed I

even called on the stand in Nurnberg, before I told them I never went. However, there is one group of callers I really struggle with. In the last week I must have had 20-30 phone calls from Government Funded training schemes. If there is a genuine or useful one among them I wouldn’t know as I switch off after the first sentence. After telling them I’m not interested, the caller demands to know why you would give up the chance of funding. It costs me more than the funding to get cover for the person on the course, which are normally so basic they only teach them what I expect an employee to know anyway. One course offered was to train a person in how to use social networking websites. I asked the caller if she was seriously telling me someone can get funding in how to learn how to use Facebook.

Politely point out the Government doesn’t fund anything, the taxes we all have to pay fund the schemes I think I have discovered a good way to get rid of these calls. Politely point out the Government doesn’t fund anything, the taxes we all have to pay fund the scheme and every time they get someone to sign up it costs them, me

and any other working person more in taxes. The PRS (Performing Rights Society) are back as well. Renewal time. And this time they sent a form, which was filled in by someone who thought I had enough to do

Next thing we get is a phone call telling us our new renewal amount, which had increased by six times. As we have less staff this year, we pointed out the bill should have reduced. They even wanted us to fax a time sheet over so they could see how many people could hear music on the premises. I had heard enough, took over the call and politely pointed out nothing had changed since last year, and anyway I would rather throw the radio under a moving bus than pay them more money. She said she would send another form out. I asked, for the umpteenth time, for proof that the money goes to the artists they represent. I don’t know if I will ever get that as she put the phone down. I am sure every reader has had a call from them. Just ask the same questions I do. Ask for the proof, because it all seems one big con to me.

PRICE CHECK: APRIL 2010

APRIL 2010

Barbie Fashionista Doll Mattel

Logo Board Game Drumond Park

First Steps Baby Walker – pink VTech

Gormiti Elemental Fusion Forest Play-set Flair

My Puppy Pal – Scout Leapfrog

£9.99

£29.99

£26.99

£24.99

£19.99

£9.99

£29.99

£26.99

£24.99

£19.99

£13.92

£26.61

£18.00

£30.99

£25.99

£8.99

N/A

£28.99

£24.75

£9.97

N/A

£18.00

N/A

£19.56

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RETAILCHARTS Amazon 1

Medical Carrycase

Bananagrams

CHART DATE 16/03/10

The Entertainer

CHART DATE 16/03/10

Just for Fun

Speed Stacks Wild Cups

Bananagrams

Sylvanian Families Lakeside Lodge

Sylvanian Families Toy Shop

Flair

Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Double Your Darts

Lego Star Wars Luke’s Landspeeder

Lego

Disney Club Penguin Igloo Play-set

Jigsaw Roll

Paul Lamond Games

Pig Goes Pop

Lego Star Wars Clone Walker Battle Pack

Lego

Forest Growable Acorn Swing Set with Quadpod

Brainbox All Around the World

Green Board Games

Halo Wars UNSC Warthog

Tag Reading System

Leapfrog

Hello Kitty Scooter

Halsall

Gogo’s Crazy Bones Gold Series Limited Edition Tin

Magic Box

Quadpod

TP Toys

10 Die-cast Chuggington Wilson

Learning Curve

CHART DATE 16/03/10

Play.com

Character Flair Hasbro Jakks Pacific Drumond Park TP Toys Mega Brands

10 Star Wars Clone Wars Clone Trooper Helmet

Hasbro

CHART DATE 16/03/10

Mail Order Express

Waybuloo Peek and Pull Jo Jo

Mattel

Wind Up Floating Neptune/Penny

Born to Play

Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Double Your Darts

Hasbro

Table and Two Chairs

Born to Play

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster – Jilly

Character

Fireman Sam Five Articulated Figures

Born to Play

Jigsaw Roll

Paul Lamond Games

Fireman Sam Friction Venus with Penny

Born to Play

The Gruffalo Floor Puzzle

Paul Lamond Games

The Princess and the Frog Tiana Single Duvet Set

Fireman Sam Friction Action Jupiter with sound and figures

Born to Play

Character World

Fireman Sam Rescue Vehicle with Tom

Born to Play

Meerkat 8” Plush

Aurora

Fireman Sam Helicopter with Tom

Born to Play

Boggle Slam

Hasbro

Family Camper

Waybuloo Peek and Pull Lau Lau

Mattel

Lego Star Wars The Battle of Endor

Hasbro

10 Red Corsair

10 Nerf N-Strike Maverick Double Your Darts

WHSmith.co.uk 1

Perudo

Spot the Intro CD Music Game

CHART DATE 16/03/10

Playmobil Lego Playmobil

CHART DATE Jan 2010

Licensed Toys – NPD Paul Lamond Games

Ben 10 Alien Force 15cm DNA Figures

Bandai

Cheatwell Games

Ben 10 Alien Force 10cm Figures

Bandai

MC-36 Electronic Keyboard

WHS

Star Wars Clone Wars Basic Figure Assortment

Hasbro

Dinner Party Games Collection

WHS

Star Wars Clone Walker and Droid Assortment

Lego

Smart Ass

University Games

Star Wars 2010 Lego Rebel Trooper and Snow Trooper 2010

Lego

Junior Pass the Bomb

Gibson Games

Toy Story Woody and Buzz Rescue

Lego

Nintendo DSi Black

Nintendo

Star Wars The Battle of Endor

Nintendo

Star Wars Saga Legends Figures 3 ¾

Sylvanian Families The Caravan and Family Car

Nintendo Wii Console and Wii Sports

Call ‘Em All Game

WHS

10 Categorically Speaking

WHS

10 Star Wars Luke’s Landspeeder

Lego ”

Hasbro Flair Lego

APRIL 2010

HERO PRODUCT

John Adams & Toy Brokers Fuzzy-Felt Following the successful re-launch of Fuzzy-Felt last year, John Adams & Toy Brokers is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the brand with further expansion of the range throughout 2010... THE PRODUCT The Fuzzy-Felt 60th Anniversary Set builds on the format of the existing range. The limited edition set contains two large-format boards in contrasting colours, 500 high-quality felt pieces and its own storage drawer. The specially commissioned set includes pieces adapted from some of the original FuzzyFelt shapes, conceived by inventor Lois Allan during the war, prior to the brand’s official launch in 1950. Fuzzy-Felt Craft Tubs are a new twist on an old favourite, allowing ‘on the move’ creativity. The tubs include 400 felt pieces plus an innovative, large-format Fuzzy-Felt Flexi-Board, which is rolled up and stored inside, before unfolding as a flat surface to act as a background for the pieces. The range features printed and silhouette shapes across three ranges. Offerings in the range include Things that Go – a selection of vehicles; Animals – including farmyard favourites and pets, and Pink & Sparkly – designed specifically for little girls. THE BRAND An instantly recognisable heritage product, Fuzzy-Felt not only appeals to today’s children but also provides an emotional draw for parents and grandparents. All Fuzzy-Felt sets contain familiar shapes, with colourful and tactile surfaces, engaging themes and ever-changing play patterns. They are also specifically designed to aid coordination, imagination, recognition, counting and storytelling. The sets are as relevant today as ever, having engaged and entertained millions of children since the brand’s inception in 1950. MARKETING To support the 60th anniversary, John Adams & Toy Brokers is undertaking an extensive PR campaign, targeting consumer and parenting press and engaging target consumers through social media channels.

APRIL 2010

Release date: APRIL 2010 Prices Fuzzy-Felt 60th Anniversary Set: Around £14.99 Fuzzy-Felt Craft Tubs: Around £9.99 CONTACT DETAILS: Email: sales@toybrokers.com

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Cambridge Brainbox

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■ Toy Suppliers Carta Mundi

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Richard Edward

0208 311 8888

WITH THE SILVERLIT Heli-Mission awarded the ultimate Top Flying Toy on The Gadget Show for Christmas 2009, and an unprecedented three products placed in their prestigious top five, visitors to The Spring Fair were anxious to see what’s taking off from Flying Toys in 2010. Offering twenty brand new introductions from Silverlit Electronics, the latest remote control innovations from Interactive Toy Concepts and Jamara, together with exclusive ranges of outstanding outdoor and pocket money toys from leading manufacturers Quercetti, Lanard, De Ruymbeke, Whitewings and The Kite Factory.

Flying Toys sensational new releases from Silverlit include a remarkable new selection of two, three and four channel choppers, with the more sophisticated semi-scale helicopters featuring Piezo Gyros for exceptional and outstanding stability. Also in the line-up is a fantastic ready to fly aeroplane with four engines and an innovative vertical take-off jet incorporating a unique swing wing facility. Following the phenomenal success of the current Heli-Mission Swat Truck, a colourful Firefighter version will also be offered by Flying Toys, with the futuristic new Heli-Racer combo tipped as the Top Toy for Christmas 2010.

An entirely new collection of Marvel-licensed lines from Silverlit includes the Spiderman Insecta, Iron Man 2 Skybot and two special customised styles of ducted fan Thunder Jets. All the latest product images, technical specifications and promotional videos will be available to Flying Toys customers upon request, and a full PR campaign has already been put in place to ensure continued and ever-present coverage for the Flying Toys line-up. For further details please contact: Tel: 01702 295110 Fax: 01702 294640 www.flyingtoys.com

WOW SUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER

020 7471 0980 BRITISH DESIGNED and awardwinning Wow has been producing toys with true Wow appeal for over twelve years. A pre-school favourite and a consistently strong seller at retail, the range has grown to over 45 lines, much to the enjoyment of boys and girls in over 40 countries worldwide. Wow’s famous vehicles, pushed by little hands, provide real, long lasting play value and

stimulate learning through creative play and discovery. They are a firm favourite with children, mothers, nurseries and playgroups. Each toy from Wow has been designed by its own toymakers, who produce award-winning products every year. Vibrant in colour and extremely durable, Wow uses only the highest grade raw materials and employs rigorous quality control

procedures to preserve its high standards. The toys come packed with exciting features such as friction motors, winches and pulleys and secret compartments for children to discover. This range of toys is truly modern yet has 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 way 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: Tel: 020 7471 0980 Email: info@wowtoys.com www.wowtoys.com

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FRIDAY JULY 9 TOYNEWS FIVES RAISING MONEY FOR THE TOY TRUST

HEIR FAMILIES T D N A N E R D IL H C DISADVANTAGED G IN T R O P P U S T TO THE TOY TRUS S E O G Y R T N E Y R £100 FROM EVE

2009’s all-conquering Turner team with ToyNews Fives Cup

Grant & Bowman took the Plate home in 2009

GET YOUR KIT ON FOR THE 2010 TOYNEWS FIVES TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY WILL GATHER FOR A CRACKING DAY OF FIVE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL ACTION

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TOY TALK

A new agent profile brings double-bubble for the Todhunters and there’s more from our industry survivor...

Jon SALISBURY Observations from a toy industry survivor....

THE LINES between a toy company and a broader-based entertainment provider keep on blurring and Hasbro has taken another giant leap forward in the direction of ‘entertoyment’ with the launch of its television network, The Hub. Think new comedies and animated adventures, live-action and game shows. And think loads of toy spin offs, no doubt. Simultaneously, on the bigger screen, Hasbro Studios will create more movies based on Hasbro brands. With Transformers 3 and GI Joe 2 already in the pipeline, it has partnered with Sony to develop Risk, the board game, into a motion picture. In further news, Twilight heart throb Taylor Lautner pulled out of a role in Mattel’s Max Steel to play the lead in Hasbro’s Stretch Armstrong because, according to one insider: “When you sign up to make a movie with Hasbro, you know it will be in theatres a year later.” The movie revenues that Hasbro’s toy characters have generated have been substantial in recent years and Mattel must rue the day that it passed on the chance to include Barbie in the original Toy Story. “As we continue to execute our strategy to re-imagine, re-invent and re-ignite our global core brands, we believe we should be able to grow revenues ... and absent a deterioration in consumer spending, global economic conditions or the value of foreign currencies,” said Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner. In other words, entertoyment is a top recession busting tip. Despite the obvious fillip to toy sales that movies and TV can generate, the vast majority of Hasbro’s revenue still comes from toys without tie-ins. In 2009, out of $4.1 billion in total revenue, only $720 million were related to major movies. The slightly self conscious stating of that fact might be an attempt by Hasbro to reassure cynical commentators. “We are still a toy company at the end of the day,” is the message.

SILVER JUBILATION Rob Todhunter has marked his 25th year of working for the company in some style, winning the annual Salesman of the Year award from Learning Curve/RC2. And while we’re on the subject of the Todhunter family.....

AGENT PROFILE Kate Todhunter Who are your current clients? Vtech, Spinmaster, Drumond Park, Corinthian and Worlds Apart. What ranges do you deal with? Various as per above, from baby and pre-school to adult games. What regional area do you cover? North of England down to the Midlands How many retailers do you deal with? Around 80. What do you enjoy most about being an agent? Being out on the road and not confined to an office. Especially on a sunny day. Visiting different people everyday, there’s always something to talk about. What car do you drive? Audi A4

APRIL 2010

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

What’s your selling secret? To build a relationship of trust with your customers. When they trust you, they will accept your product recommendations. What’s your favourite service station? I begrudge buying petrol from service stations as they charge a fortune. I do like to stop at a Little Chef and am very fond of an omelette breakfast, although I would like to try one of the chefs that Heston Blumenthal has had his hands on. Do you have any funny/strange/ interesting stories from the road? When I first became an agent I worked with my dad Rob, and I was very excited about the fact that he insured me to drive his car. The first time I drove it was in the Lake District, we’d stopped at the Little Chef for an omelette breakfast, and afterwards, I got in to drive for the first time. Whilst driving along a dual

carriage way a grouse ran out onto the road with five baby chicks behind her, so I swerved across the road at 60mph. Dad was rather unnerved, but no one was hurt. Later, I couldn’t remember the name of the bird, and, as I was new to the sales industry, I was also unaware of the other term for ‘144’ of a line. I proceeded to tell all my customers that I’d nearly run over a gross, which my dad found highly amusing.

TOY TALK

TRIATHLON FILLS UP Tomy, Spinmaster, Character Group, Aardvark Swift, Golden Bear, Skew Design, MGA/Zapf, Learning Curve, VTech, BTHA, Vivid, Hasbro, BBCW and Flair are among the firms that have already signed up for this year’s Toy Trust fund-raising extravaganza, which they are already calling the Toy Trust Alternative Costume Triathlon. The event, at Rutland Water (below), will start and finish for all contestants on the same day, Saturday 5th June and will commence 11am and complete by 4pm Each team can be made up of any number of people between four and ten. And each team member should aim to raise £500 in sponsorship. The triathlon consists of a 25k cycle ride, 5k run followed by a 500m raft build and race. Not all members of the team have to compete in any of the events But it is recommended that at least four take part in the raft race (maximum of ten) If a team does not have four members for the raft race, it can combine with another team to make the minimum number. There are a number of prizes for the fastest time during the run and cycle ride with a team prize for the fastest raft. There will also be an overall team prize which will consist of the fastest combined time across all three events. To make things a little more interesting, the raft race must have a character from the toy industry on board, either a mannequin or a member of the team. For more info contact: robert.mann@tomy.co.uk

My Favourite Things Laura Hodge, Marketing and Team Co-ordinator, Disney Consumer Products

APRIL 2010

Favourite album: The Fame, Lady Gaga ------------------------------------------------------------Film: Obviously Princess and the Frog (in cinemas now!) Outside of Disney all of the classic American Pie movies never fail to make me laugh -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Book: Time Traveller’s Wife -----------------------------------------------------------------------------TV programme: Desperate Housewives -------------------------------------------------Magazine: Grazia --------------------------------------------------Holiday destination: Marbella so far, but I’m off to Miami this year so that may well change ---------------------------------------------------Pet: My parents’ cat Pudding, has reached the grand old age of 15 and is in a world of his own -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Heroes: Reese Witherspoon -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Way to spend a weekend: Lie-ins, catching up with friends and family and a good Sunday roast -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Game/toy: Toy Story and Princess swinging figures from Tomy Gacha (not that I’m at all biased) -------------------------------Tipple: A glass of red --------------------------------Food: Roast ---------------------------------Piece of advice: Don’t let things you can’t change get you down and if you really want something, make it happen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FEATURE PLANNER

MAY Action Vehicles (including R/C & Diecast) ● Pre-School Large Dolls ● Toy Story 3 Special ● Toymaster Show Special The April issue will include a run down of what exhibitors at the Toymaster May Show are planning. Ahead of the movie release, we will also find out what licensees have in store for Toy Story 3 ranges. Also included in the April issue is a look at what’s new in action vehicles, large dolls and the all-important preschool sector.

Editorial deadline: Call for details

Advertising deadline: April 9th

FORTHCOMING EVENTS PLAY-ROOM AT THE PARK April 20th and 21st Cranmore Park, Solihull www.cranmorepark.co.uk

TOYNEWS FIVES July 9th Powerleague, Barnet www.topcorner.co.uk

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE September 29th-30th Grand Hall, Olympia www.brandlicensingeurope.com

TOYMASTER MAY SHOW May 18th-20th Barcelo Majestic, Harrogate www.toymaster.co.uk

THE LICENSING AWARDS Thursday September 9th Lancaster London hotel www.thelicensingawards.co.uk

CHINA TOY EXPO October 12th-14th Shanghai New International Expo Centre www.china-toy-expo.com

TOYZERIA November 25th - 28th Istanbul World Trade Centre, Turkey www.toyzeria.com

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

www.toynews-online.biz Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

APRIL 2010

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 2010 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

Circulation & Subscriptions AUDITED CIRCULATION Average Net Circulation: 6,011 July 1st 2008 to June 30th 2009, SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90 The international cost applies per subscription and covers airmail dispatch of 12 issues

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