ToyNews Issue 109 September 2010 by Intent Media (now Newbay Media Europe)

Issue 109

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

INSIDE…

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE Full preview of this year’s new three-day event at Olympia

SPEND, SPEND, SPEND Who’s advertising what, in our Q4 marketing budget run-down

BACK FOR GOOD? Jakks Pacific’s new team talks about its return to the UK

FRENCH CONNECTION VTech’s European CEO, Gilles Sautier, parleys with ToyNews

September 2010

s ’ r a e y This t i h h s sma

y l l a t o t w no

www.paperjamz.com

rocks!

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great guitar & drum styles!

Freest yle C ontrol Perfec R t h ythm Play Karaok e

to PLUS add & the style th sound wi mp a straps &

Paper Jamz - Toy of the Year 2010 - France * Holland * Australia * New Zealand

Full range available now to order WowWee / Sablon UK Ltd, Unit 3, Suite 3 Upton Lodge Buildings, Astrop Road, Middleton Cheney, Oxford, OX17 2PJ Tel +44 (0)1295 711 588 Fax +44 (0)1295 211 430 www.wowwee.com

Introducing the ultra thin, play anywhere drums to create some cool solo beats, or synch with friends’ guitars for the total rock band experience. And with the full range of guitars, straps and amp now fully available the 2010 line-up of the band is complete! The Paper Jamz craze is supported by a hardhitting, multi creative kids’ marketing campaign through TV, online, sponsorship, promotions and demonstrations.

So get ready to rock!

Contents REGULARS 4

News

Exclusive NPD analysis

Media Tracker

TV ratings

Appointments

Campaign of the month

LICENSING 22

News

BLE 2010 Preview

FEATURES 17

VTech CEO talks

New Jakks UK operation

Q4 TV advertising

Bikes and Wheeled toys

Spin Master expands

Cartamundi’s winning hand

Games and Puzzles

RETAIL 77

News

Counter Insurgent

Price Check

Retail Charts

New Products

Hero Product

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

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

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 6,043 July 1st 2009 to June 30th 2010. www.toynews-online.biz ■ ToyNews circulation is 15.9% higher than its closest competitor. ■ ToyNews requested or paid for circulation is 23.4% higher than its closest competitor. ■ ToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.

THE QUIET TIME?

I DON’T KNOW what fills me with more excitement, the prospect of a film with the working title Hasbro Factory, described as ‘Night at the Museum in a toy factory’, or the accompanying revelation that Baywatch may also become a feature film? Actually, sorry Hasbro, but if we’re being honest here, it’s easily Baywatch, by a country mile. But I don’t know what I would do with the other 87 minutes of a film based on that. Night at the Toy Factory could have legs though. Except that a night in most Chinese toy factories would not see it quiet and deserted, but full up with workers either asleep or still working. But another film franchise with toys as the central characters would surely be high on the wish-list of anyone in the industry. Fingers crossed that it makes it onto Paramount’s production slate and isn’t just the Alan Partridge-like meanderings of a pissed film exec.

Another film franchise with toys as the central characters would surely be high on the wish-list. We are already not far from the start of show season again. Brand Licensing Europe – a new three day Brand Licensing Europe – is a mere few weeks away and is pretty much the starting pistol for the next crazy, trade-showmungous few months. Which we fear and welcome in equal measure I feel. Check out our biggest ever preview for the event. Did I mention it is three days now? We’ll see how that pans out. At least it will mean something is happening. The summer lull has been just that and yet, we’ve never been busier. How does that work? Shoots of renewal and growth are evident though. In this month’s issue we hear how Jakks Pacific has big plans for the UK; how Spin Master is feeling in an acqusitive mood, and how VTech is looking to grow beyond its educational roots and into straight-out toy products. New retailers are springing up too, bringing fresh impetus to the independent sector and European sales are ahead of the US at half-time. Did I say there was nothing much going on? Ronnie Dungan ronnie.dungan@intentmedia.co.uk

NEWS

Spin Master enters games market Expansion into new area for Canadians, but low-level announcement causes confusion ● Firm eyeing more expansion... by Ronnie Dungan SPIN MASTER has entered the games market with a low-key swoop for some of Imagination Games’ brands but caused a little confusion in the process, forcing Imagination to clarify its position. Reports from Australia revealed that the firm had sold two of its original games – Fact or Crap and Battle of the Sexes – to Spin Master for AUS$24m. However, it appears Spin Master wanted to keep its entry into the games market quiet, leading to some confusion at retail. Spin Master has actually acquired the rights to eight of Imagination's brands – Battle of the Sexes; Beat The Parents; Fact or Crap; Left Center Right; Quelf; Scabs ‘n Guts; Urban Myth and Would You Rather…? It will take ownership and management of all existing open

It’s a lot of money for a cardboard box. Shane Yeend, MD, Imagination Games orders, any new orders and brand marketing initiatives for the acquired brands in the US.

However, Imagination will continue to market and distribute the acquired brands in Australia, New Zealand and the UK under licence from Spin Master, as well as retaining and continuing the direct distribution of existing portfolio brands in North America. David Snow, UK sales and marketing director, explained: “We have completed a deal to sell some of our key brands whilst retaining distribution rights outside America. So as far as Imagination UK is concerned, it is business as usual as we look forward to a strong Christmas with our retail partners furthering our joint growth plans.” “It is a lot of money for a cardboard box,” Imagination’s managing director Shane Yeend added. “It was the first thing that got us into the games business.

“So many people spend their lives trying to take games around the world – we are getting three or four out of ten, so it’s a good average,” he continued. Meanwhile, the Imagination deal looks unlikely to be the last from Spin Master as it looks to further expand its range. In an exclusive interview with ToyNews, UK managing director Kevin Jones, said: “It’s safe to say that in order to grow we need to make acquisitions. If you go back a year ago we weren’t in the girls’ business, but we are now. “Two years ago we weren’t in the boys’ collectable business, but we are now. So you can expect to see us covering a broader base.” To read the rest of the interview, please turn to page 52. Spin Master: 01628 535000

Cox moves up as Turner shuffles by Ronnie Dungan SIMON COX, vice president of Turner Media Innovations, has been promoted to a new EMEA role. Cox (pictured) will now be responsible for driving pan-regional commercial deals, as well as working with Turner Broadcasting’s European advertising sales teams to generate new revenue streams. It means that TMi will now offer pan-regional advertising solutions, enabling advertisers to leverage campaigns in established and emerging markets across EMEA. These agreements will include a range of traditional advertising sales, digital, programming, licensing, retail and creative.

Adam Eagle has stepped up to become head of sponsorship and promotions across EMEA. Eagle and his team will offer both creative and strategic planning for pan-regional advertisers. Cox now reports into Casey Harwood, SVP Turner Broadcasting Europe. Andrew Mallandaine, UK sales director, will take over Cox’s UK-specific ad sales responsibilities, reporting to Pete Flamman, SVP and GM, Northern Europe. Cox will continue to remain closely involved in Turner Broadcasting’s successful UK ad sales market as part of his new pan-EMEA role. Casey Harwood, senior vice president at Turner Broadcasting Europe, commented: “Turner has

built up its EMEA business focusing on individual localised markets. This will continue to form the backbone of our business, but there remains a significant opportunity to exploit our combined EMEA portfolio, and building on the investments we have made in growing new areas of the business, including licensing and merchandising, digital, consumer research, and non linear, non traditional distribution of branded channels. Simon is a fantastic leader who will be an excellent advocate in driving revenue growth for Turner across the region at this pivotal point in our development.” “This move is designed to give clients access to a range of markets via one easy route, offering

PRE-ROLL P RE-ROLL WITH W ITH IT IT

unparalleled effectiveness and efficiency,” added Cox. “Combining Turner’s scale in the market with a nimble approach, we can respond directly to clients’ varying requirements to catapult their campaigns to greater success.” Turner: 0207 693 1000

NEWS

www.toynews-online.biz

New-look Jakks UK aims high Rapid expansion of company’s Ascot headquarters and product range planned as it targets the top four... by Ronnie Dungan WITH ITS Ascot HQ up and running, Jakks Pacific’s new UK operation is looking forward to its first full Christmas and has outlined its ambitions here. Rapid expansion of its operation and product range in the UK is planned. Currently it has five UK staff, lead by sales director David Carscadden, formerly general sales manager of Mattel. He has also been joined by Chris Jones, former international sales and marketing

The Jakks UK team have ambitious growth plans

In the US we are the number five toy company. I would have thought that we would get into the top four in the UK. We have serious aspirations. David Carscadden, Sales Director, Jakks UK

WOWWEE EXPANDS PAPER JAMZ RANGE NEW INSTRUMENTS and accessories – digital drum kits, powered paper amplifiers and guitar straps – have joined WowWee’s innovative range of touch-technology electric guitars. Paper Jamz instruments feature paperthin Active Graphics technology. Each instrument is played by strumming the printed strings or tapping on the drums, allowing kids to produce note-perfect guitar rock riffs or beat out drum solos. The new digital drum kits, meanwhile, include three rock anthems on each kit, offering the choice of both Rhythm and Perfect Play modes. Kids can also turn off the vocals and sing the lead, karaoke style. They can also switch to Freestyle mode and practice a drum solo on the ten-piece drum kit. Backing the band, Paper Jamz amps are compatible with both the guitars and drums. Battery-powered and portable, the amps simply switch on, plug-in and play. In addition to this, the five classic rock guitars can now be accessorised with straps, which are fully adjustable and emblazoned with matching rock designs. WowWee: 01295 711 588

Get G et iin n ffront ront o off a an na audience udience a att iits ts m most ost engaged engaged a and nd rreceptive eceptiive – a and nd g give ive a p powerful owerful boost boost to to your your TV campaign. campaign. It’s not not jus justt tthe he 350k video v pla plays: ys: tthere’s here’s o over ver e 6 million game game plays exploit well every pla ys tto oe xploit as w e –e ell very month. month. So isn’t isn n’t it time you you got got action? in on the the Pre-Roll Pre-Roll acti ion?

manager at Vivid, and former Hasbro senior brand manager Ken Goodisson, who is marketing manager. The range in the UK currently consists of around 20 lines, but the firm expects to increase it to between 50 and 60 in the next 12 months. Leading its Q4 offering are its SpyNet and Real Construction lines, plus TNA Wrestling figures. The firm will have four campaigns on TV for autumn/winter – Real Construction, SpyNet and two within its Disney range – Magic Rise Oven and the Deluxe Cash Register. “In the US we are the number five toy company. I would have thought we would get in the top four in the UK. We have serious aspirations,” said Carscadden. To find out more see page 18. Jakks: 01344 638 900

VTech boss promises nonlearning growth VTECH’S EUROPEAN CEO Gilles Sautier says the firm’s success with Kidizoom means it must expand into non-educational products. While the firm will continue with its educational ranges, Sautier has been encouraged enough by the success of Kidizoom, which has sold 400,000 units in the UK and 1.5m across Europe, to suggest that VTech needs to grow its pure toy offering. “The electronics category is down by around 24 per cent,” said Sautier, “but we are leading it and we are up by around five per cent. It’s still a strong category. This is the way we want to grow. We want to get away from being 100 per cent educational.” But VTech will not stray from its core market in children’s electronics, he said. To read the full interview, turn to page 17. VTech: 01235 555545

Another Ano ther br bright igh ht idea from from

www.turnermediainnovations.com www .turnermediain nnovations.com

NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties

Pocket money toys drive sales in June THE TRADITIONAL toy market grew five per cent in value in June 2010 vs. June 2009, with volume growth an impressive 30 per cent. The average price dropped again, at £4.66 for the month, driven by the large number of pocket money items available on the market, with the top selling item being the Panini Official FIFA stickers at an average selling price of 50p. The last few weeks of the World Cup tournament continued to boost sales for the market, but toy-related merchandise sales stopped pretty sharply once England had exited from the competition. Another pocket money-priced items driving both sales growth and the price decline is the successful launch of the new Lego Minifigures series. Pocket money toys (items with an average selling price of less than £5) account for 55 per cent of all toys sold by volume and has seen growth in 2010. “Pocket money toys have driven the toy market in the last two months into a seemingly little-butoften purchasing phase. This has boosted both value and volume as the collectabilty of these playground crazes encourages children to spend their own money as well as using their ‘pester power’ on their parents,” says Jez Fraser-Hook, director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. Elsewhere in the toy market, arts and crafts had a strong June performance with both value and

Sales (value, year to date)

June 2009

June 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010

number two. Play-set themed dolls continues to grow, with Sylvanian Families the top property in this category and In My Pocket at number two. There has been a number of new ranges, which have added to sales including Vivid’s

-8%

June 2010 1. PRO SPORTS SOCCER 2. BEN 10 3. TOY STORY 4. STAR WARS 5. FIFA

Best property progression June 2010

Mr Potato Head The iconic Toy Story 3 character rocketed up the charts from number 133 to 83 in advance of the film release…

Many exciting new items and expanded ranges have recently been launched in anticipation of the second half of the year, which will hopefully add to the current growth we’re experiencing in the market. seen tremendous growth this year, up 33 per cent year-to-date with Play-Doh more than doubling sales and Plasticine still a favourite. Dolls has also seen growth in June with fashion-themed dolls value driven by Barbie and Disney Princess growth. Barbie It’s a Mermaid’s Tale Doll is the top selling item for the month, with Barbie Fashionista Assortment

Teeny Little Families and Twilight Ponies, Keytween by Bandai and Hasbro’s re-launch of the 1980s favourite Strawberry Shortcake. ”Many exciting new items and expanded ranges have recently been launched in anticipation of the second half of the year, which will hopefully add to the current growth we’re experiencing in the market,” commented Fraser-Hook.

Average price

UK toy sales

Source: NPD

volume growth driven by craft kit sales. Aqua Beads from Flair was the top property for the month, closely followed by Spin Master’s Bendaroos which have been extremely popular since launch last year. Reusable compounds has also

Top 5 properties

Jun 09:

£5.76

Jun 10: £4.66

Best item progression June 2010

JR Activity Gym Evergreen (MGA) Warm weather moved the JR Activity Gym Evergreen up from number 161 to 34…

NPD RESEARCH

www.toynews-online.biz

Retail Sales Trends UK JUNE 2010 (£ SALES - VALUE) 1

OFFICIAL FIFA STICKER COLLECTION

LEGO MINIFIGURES

ZHU ZHU HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT

KIDZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA

SMART TRIKE PLUS GIRLS

FIRST STEPS BABYWALKER

UK JUNE 2010 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME) PANINI

OFFICIAL FIFA STICKER COLLECTION

LEGO

LEGO MINIFIGURES

CHARACTER

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

VTECH

MATCH ATTAX ENGLAND CARDS

MOOKIE

MATCH ATTAX EXTRA 20

TOPPS

VTECH

FIFA WORLD CUP ADRENALYN XL

PANINI

LITTLE TIKES COZY COUPE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

MGA

GOGO’S III EXPLORER PACK

STAR WARS REBEL TROOPER & SNOW TROOPER BATTLEPACK LEGO

CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT

PLAY DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

NEBULUS FOLDING SCOOTER ASSORTMENT

BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK

MATTEL H GROSSMAN

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES - VALUE)

PANINI LEGO MATTEL TOPPS

MAGIC BOX MATTEL HASBRO SPIN MASTER

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

ZHU ZHU HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT

CHARACTER

OFFICIAL FIFA STICKER COLLECTION

KIDZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA

VTECH

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

OFFICIAL FIFA STICKER COLLECTION

PANINI

MATCH ATTAX CARDS

TOPPS

STAR WARS REBEL TROOPER & SNOW TROOPER BATTLEPACK LEGO

MATCH ATTAX ENGLAND CARDS

TOPPS

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGURES

BANDAI

LEGO MINIFIGURES

FIRST STEPS BABYWALKER

VTECH

MATCH ATTAX EXTRA 20

CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT

MATTEL

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGURES

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES

BANDAI

GOGO’S III EXPLORER PACK

SMART TRIKE PLUS GIRLS

MOOKIE

CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT

BIONICLE STARS 2010

PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

LEGO

PANINI MATTEL

LEGO TOPPS BANDAI MAGIC BOX MATTEL HASBRO

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

STATS

Media tracker MARKET VALUE YEAR TO DATE (JUNE)

Behind THE SCREEN By Clive Crouch STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED between the 2010 World Cup final and the 2010 football season, the Argos catalogue kicked off the Christmas season for toys and games. Behind the plethora of commercial messages reaching children on television there are people behind the screens of children’s TV busy ringing up the till on the transmission of every spot. This is a very competitive business and money buys TVRs and a share of voice in a very busy market. So how much is it all worth? Well every time a publisher addresses the issue and presents a set of expenditure figures they are hounded by interested parties. This traditionally takes the form of challenging those figures. For the period 1st January 2009 – 31st December 2009, industry sources estimate toys and games expenditure on TV to have been circa £132m. In the most simplistic terms: The expenditure is calculated back from the number of impressions purchased; Market intelligence trends etc estimates a selling cost for these TVRs; That equals an amount of money i.e. the expenditure. In effect the reverse process of media buying calculates the cost. Hence no two calculations will produce the same figure but they should be reasonably close if the selling cost is well researched. The figure may seem to be high, this is because of the inclusion of the electronic games sector. This was the shape of 2009.

BANDAI WORLDS APART LEGO VIVID IMAGINATIONS Total Estimated Expenditure £65m

ADVERTISER – TOYS & GAMES 2009 HASBRO MATTEL CHARACTER OPTIONS FLAIR FISHER PRICE SPIN MASTER

It is worth bearing in mind that all TV is not the same, hence the scatter effect of expenditure. This year it will be different.

SEPTEMBER 2010

Video Games Nintendo Microsoft Electronic Arts Activision Blizzard Sony Ubi Soft Sega Europe Take 2 Capcom THQ Total Estimated Expenditure £61M Channel 4 is estimated to have taken 25 per cent of the revenue in this sector, without a dedicated children’s programme schedule. Retail advertising (and ‘other’) Argos Toys R Us Tesco Asda Smyths Shop Direct Home Shopping Total Estimated Expenditure £6m

2009 2010 £909,000,000

£606,000,000

£303,000,000

£838.8M

£0

£908.7M SOURCE: NPD/TOYNEWS

TOP MOBILE GAMES (AUGUST) GAME

PUBLISHER

THE SIMPSONS ARCADE

HOTEL TYCOON RESORT

EFUSION

FARM FRENZY WEDDING SALE MADNESS JOJO’S FASHION SHOW 2

UNITED FUN TRADERS DIGITAL CHOCOLATE CONNECT2MEDIA

Of the total estimated expenditure of £132m, the share by broadcaster is as follows:

PREDATORS DOWNTOWN TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

GMTV Channel 4 11.04% Multichannel ITV FIVE

3.31%

MONOPOLY WORLD

63.7% 11.81% 9.8%

SUPER COLLAPSE

www.clivecrouch.com info@clivecrouch.com 07831 670453

BEJEWELED TWIST

SOURCE: JAMSTER/ME

GAMELOFT

GAMEHOUSE POPCAP

STATS

www.toynews-online.biz

TV insight from former GMTV veteran, Clive Crouch; toy market value; top licensed toys and comparative market data on all manner of entertainment products….

TOP LICENSED TOYS JUNE 2010 (VALUE)

TOP FACEBOOK GAMES (JULY)

OFFICIAL FIFA

GAME

PANINI

STAR WARS 2010 LPP

LEGO

CARS CHARACTER ASST

MATTEL

MATCH ATTAX WORLD CUP TIN

TOPPS

FIREMAN SAM VEHICLE & ACCESS

CHARACTER

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES

FARMVILLE

ZYNGA

BRITNEY SPEARS

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM POKER

ZYNGA

LADY GAGA

TREASURE ISLE

ZYNGA

ASHTON KUTCHER

CAFÉ WORLD

ZYNGA

ELLEN DEGENERES

MINDJOLT GAMES

MINDJOLT

BARACK OBAMA

LEGO

BIRTHDAY CARDS

ROCKYOU

JUSTIN BIEBER

BANDAI

SW CLONE WALKER & DROID ASST

LEGO

SW CLONE WARS BASIC FIG 3.75"

DEVELOPER

BANDAI

STAR WARS LUKE’S LANDSPEEDER BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGS

MOST FOLLOWED ON TWITTER

HASBRO TOYS

MAFIA WARS

ZYNGA

KIM KARDASHIAN

PETVILLE

ZYNGA

OPRAH WINFREY

PET SOCIETY FRONTIERVILLE

SOURCE: NPD

TAYLOR SWIFT

PLAYFISH

JOHN MAYER

ZYNGA

SOURCE: INSIDESOCIALMEDIA.COM

SOURCE: TWITAHOLIC

TOP VIDEO GAMES JULY (ALL FORMATS)

TOP HEROES (GIRLS BY AGE)

LEGO HARRY POTTER YEARS 1-4

5-6

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE

RED DEAD REDEMPTION DANCE ON BROADWAY TOY STORY 3 CRACKDOWN 2

1.H. MONTANA

1. H. MONTANA

UBI SOFT

2.CHERYL COLE

2. CHERYL COLE

3. HS MUSICAL

3. JLS

DISNEY INTERACTIVE

11-12

13-14

NINTENDO

1.H. MONTANA

1.JLS

2.CHERYL COLE

2. H. MONTANA

3. ZAC EFRON-TROY

3. CHERYL COLE

SUPER MARIO GALAXY

JUST DANCE

SOURCE:ELSPA COMPILED BY CHART TRACK

3. JLS

MICROSOFT EA

STARCRAFT II

9-10

ROCKSTAR/TAKE 2

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR II

7-8

BLIZZARD/ACTIVISION UBI SOFT

SOURCE: CARRICK JAMES WWW.CJMR.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2010

AIRTIME STATISTICS

Top programmes The top-performing children’s TV shows on terrestrial and multi-channel....

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES JAN - JULY 10 1

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD JULY 10

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

OOOs

16:34

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES

BBC1

215

9.8

AIRINGS

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

OOOs

% AIRINGS

8:29

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

CITV/ITV1

183

17.5

2 16:32

SPORT RELIEF DOES WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS CBBC

205

13.5

2 16:03

WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY-DOO?

CBBC

170

14.9

3 7:53

PHINEAS AND FERB

CITV/ITV1

200

16.3

3 9:00

PHINEAS AND FERB

CITV/ITV1

168

14.6

4 7:00

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

CITV/ITV1

187

16.4

4 15:57

THUMB WRESTLING FEDERATION: TWF CBBC

154

15.7

5 9:00

TRACY BEAKER RETURNS

CBBC

182

13.0

124

5 9:01

AARON STONE

CITV/ITV1

154

12.4

6 7:54

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

CITV/ITV1

164

15.1

6 17:51

DEAD GORGEOUS

CBBC

152

9.2

7 9:00

MY ALMOST FAMOUS FAMILY

CBBC

162

11.6

7 11:02

SMART

CBBC

146

12.6

8 7:25

POWER RANGERS RPM

CITV/ITV1

161

11.6

8 9:32

HORRIBLE HISTORIES

CBBC

143

13.7

9 7:58

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

CITV/ITV1

160

14.4

9 15:59

STREET MONSTERS

CBBC

141

16.4

10 8:29

BAMZOOKI

CBBC

158

9.4

10 17:16

ROY

CBBC

138

9.4

COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) JAN - JULY 10 1

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

OOOs

% AIRINGS

7:53

PHINEAS AND FERB

CITV/ITV1

200

16.3

COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD JULY 10

TIME

TITLE/DESCRIPTION

CHANNEL

OOOs

8:29

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

CITV/ITV1

183

17.5

AIRINGS

2 7:00

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

CITV/ITV1

187

16.4

2 9:00

PHINEAS AND FERB

CITV/ITV1

168

14.6

3 7:54

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

CITV/ITV1

164

15.1

3 9:01

AARON STONE

CITV/ITV1

154

12.4

4 7:25

POWER RANGERS RPM

CITV/ITV1

161

11.6

4 15:24

HULK

ITV1

137

11.8

5 7:58

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

CITV/ITV1

160

14.4

5 8:34

SHAGGY & SCOOBY DOO GET A CLUE CITV/ITV1

134

13.0

6 7:25

AARON STONE

CITV/ITV1

157

12.1

6 8:17

HORRID HENRY

CITV/ITV1

122

13.9

7 7:01

HORRID HENRY

CITV/ITV1

150

15.6

7 8:11

THE REPLACEMENTS

CITV/ITV1

101

11.6

8 7:31

SHAGGY & SCOOBY DOO GET A CLUE CITV/ITV1

143

14.8

8 7:53

BEN 10

CITV/ITV1

13.7

9 15:24

HULK

ITV1

137

11.8

9 7:50

MAKE WAY FOR NODDY

FIVE

8.4

10 6:00

THE REPLACEMENTS

CITV/ITV1

131

14.2

10 7:22

MR MEN

FIVE

8.1

SOURCE: INFOSYS/BARB.

SEPTEMBER 2010

NOTE: THESE CHARTS ARE BASED ON AVERAGE PERFORMANCE

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APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVES Promotion for ToyNews sales exec, new key account manager for Cartamundi, Dominoes names new marketing manager and former 4Kids and Nelvana executive joins Fluid World… FROM LEFT: ToyNews and Licensing.biz sales manager, Emily Briggs; Ginette Gisbourne from Dominoes; and Sandra Arcan, who has joined Fluid World as brand manager

ToyNews sales executive, Emily Briggs, has been promoted to the position of sales manager. Briggs became sales manager on August 1st, having joined ToyNews publisher, Intent Media, in January, since then she has overseen growth in ToyNews print and online, plus sister site Licensing.biz. “We knew from Emily’s background at ITV and a variety of licensing companies that we had made a good hire, but her progress with the ToyNews and Licensing.biz brands since arriving in January has been just tremendous,” said Intent Media boss Stuart Dinsey. “She deserves the promotion to sales manager for both brands and will be a key part of our further expansion through the rest of the year and beyond.” Chris French has joined Cartamundi as key account manager following continuous growth,

increased market share and new innovation for the firm throughout the past year. French joins the company from the greeting card industry, bringing several years of experience. Cartamundi will be exhibiting at Autumn Fair from September 5th to 8th, stand number A60, Hall 5, where French will be meeting new and existing customers. Former Adams marketer, Ginette Gisbourne, has joined Dominoes as the new marketing manager for its High Street and online business. She joins the growing retailer with over 20 years of marketing experience in the children’s sector, having held previous marketing and retail operations roles with Adams Childrenswear. Gisborne said: “I’m really looking forward to playing a major part in the ongoing success of the Dominoes brand and making it a destination toy

store that not only meets, but exceeds customer expectation. “I will be working closely with some of the most famous toy brands in the world to deliver fantastic deals for our customers”. Dominoes chairman, Steven Sansom, commented: “Ginette’s expertise in marketing and retail display will certainly contribute to our future success. She will take an instrumental role in shaping the marketing strategy for the total business and we are delighted to welcome her to the team.” Former 4Kids Entertainment and Nelvana executive, Sandra Arcan has taken on the role of brand manager at fast growing UK licensing agent, Fluid World. In her role, Arcan will work closely with key retailers, as well as develop new business across the Sanrio portfolio, for which Fluid is the UK licensing agent.

She will also work on upcoming Hello Kitty collaborations and activity planned to celebrate Sanrio’s 50th anniversary. Arcan joins Fluid World from 4Kids Entertainment, where she held the position of senior licensing manager, handling the EMEA licensing programmes for categories including fashion, accessories and home. Prior to this, she worked at Nelvana and also has experience as a buyer at Hamleys and Clinton Cards. “We’re delighted to be welcoming Sandra into the team,” said Fluid brand director, Libby Grant. “Our retail strategy is central to everything that we do and we’re pleased to be able to offer our licensees and retail partners a dedicated person to champion our brands and maximise the potential of our licensed products at retail, as well as developing new business areas with our retailers in mind.”

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CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

Grow with Jumbo Jumbo Jumbo has launched an integrated campaign for Grow with Jumbo, its educational puzzle and game range, including print, PR, online and a schools partnership… THE RANGE is built up in stages rather than concentrating on ages as each child develops at different times. Through the campaign, Jumbo aims to increase awareness of the firm to the entrylevel puzzler, as well as build the reputation of Grow with Jumbo and its educational benefits. As such, the campaign will incorporate PR, sampling, retail activity and, central to the programme, Jumbo has focused on activity in nurseries and schools through the National Schools Partnership. Marketing manager, Kirstie Oliver, explains: “The Grow with Jumbo campaign has got off to a great start and we are really excited about teaming up with schools and nurseries to give children, parents and teachers a chance to interact with our puzzles. “We have already had very positive feedback from retailers and are looking forward to seeing the campaign develop.” National Schools Partnership The firm is increasing awareness for Grow with Jumbo among teachers, parents and children, through work with the National Schools Partnership, which started with over 1,000 schools and nurseries taking part. The National Schools Partnership will develop three lesson plans, which use concepts from the Grow with Jumbo range to target National Curriculum objectives and will also provide

white board games for a truly interactive classroom experience. Parents of the 30,000 children in the participating schools will receive an educational booklet about the range, supported by comment from Dr Gareth Moore on the benefits of puzzling for children’s development. The booklet will also include a money off coupon for Grow with Jumbo puzzles which will be redeemable at Sainsbury’s, Amazon and Wilkinson.

Jumbo is aiming to increase its awareness to the entrylevel puzzler with the campaign. Microsite The company has designed a dedicated microsite (www.growwithjumbo.com) for the Grow with Jumbo range, which is due to launch in September to support the National Schools Partnership activity. The ‘Teachers’ area of the site will offer

lesson plans and learning resources such as work sheets and games to play, while the family section will offer an overview of the games and how puzzling can help a child’s development. There will also be two games for children, based around the Noah’s Ark and Transport puzzles within the range. Much like the puzzles themselves, the online games will have varying degrees of difficulty and families can download a reward certificate once a stage is completed. Print Jumbo will distribute the same eight-page leaflet that is being sent out to parents at participating nurseries, in leading parenting press. These will include the coupon redemption for money off the products. PR The Grow with Jumbo activity will be supported by a comprehensive PR campaign promoting the range of puzzles to key parenting, women’s and online media. This will encompass general product placement, gift guides and competitions, with coverage already secured in popular parenting title, Mother & Baby. The PR campaign will also look to target educational and nursery titles focusing on highlighting the educational benefits of puzzling for young children.

SEPTEMBER 2010

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SUPPLIER FOCUS VTECH

www.toynews-online.biz

Clicking into place VTech’s European CEO Gilles Sautier popped over to the UK recently to update ToyNews on the firm’s progress and forecasts going into the last quarter. Ronnie Dungan was put in the picture… IT’S A LITTLE ironic that in an industry desperately searching for new ideas and innovation, striving to unearth new play patterns and unique experiences, its best-selling item last year was a camera. There are one or two bells and whistles with it, but essentially VTech’s Kidizoom is a camera that doesn’t break a lot of new ground technologically. Importantly though, it shifted more than 400,000 units in the UK last year. And, as the firm’s CEO Gilles Sautier explains, it has become a cornerstone of the UK product range, with a video version of the product out this year. “The main thing that has made a huge difference as far as the UK goes is Kidizoom,” confirms Sautier. “It was introduced in Europe before the UK, but we introduced it a little bit differently in the UK market. The European version had extra features such as an MP3 player, which we dropped for the UK to keep the price down. “We have sold about one million units in Europe a year and 400,000 in the UK.” The new video camera is just shipping and the first week looks very promising. It has become a huge category for VTech. “The electronics category is down by around 24 per cent,” says Sautier, “but we are leading it and we are up by around five per cent. It’s still a strong category and it really shows. This is the way we want to grow. We want to get away from being 100 per cent educational. Kidizoom is not really an educational product.” What it is, is a good example of the toy industry doing what it now needs to do to compete in the modern entertainment industry, by taking an existing product and adding to it to make it child friendly. “Kidizoom is a really simple idea but we found a way to give it a bit of a twist.”

Gilles Sautier plans to move VTech into more new sectors following the success of Kidizoom…

We cannot grow double digits every year with what we have, so we have to enter new categories, like we did with Kidizoom. I’m not saying we will start doing fashion dolls. Electronics is what we know how to do. The success of the Kidizoom camera has re-emphasised to Sautier the firm’s need to expand beyond its purely educational product ranges and look for new categories and increased market share within the electronics market “We are, as a group, taking a small part of the cake, which is three product sectors – infant, pre-school and ELA. But 20 per cent of the cake is in Europe so there is still 80 per cent to grab.

“We cannot grow double digits every year with what we have, so we have to enter new categories like we did with Kidizoom. “Probably for us it is not about moving away from educational products but to expand into other areas. I’m not saying we will start doing fashion dolls. Electronics is what we know how to do. But we are a small player compared to many of the big guys in the electronics market. There is no chance of us

entering the commodity business. The idea for us is to look at bigger products and see if we can add something to them.” But, in fact, as Sautier explains, this method of product development is nothing new to VTech. “This is the way VTech started to be successful. We started off making small and cheap LCD games. The first one to sell electronic products was Texas Instruments. We found a way to do it cheaper and introduce children’s versions. What we want to do is find other products and add a twist to them, at a reasonable cost.” The firm turns over around £250m in Europe with the UK accounting for around 10-15 per cent. But Sautier wants the UK to be the biggest European territory, ahead of France. Currently it isn’t. “UK should be number one across Europe, with France number two and Germany number three. France is a little bit ahead of the UK at the moment. It varies from category to category. France is stronger in infant for instance, with about a 20 per cent market share, where the UK has around 12-13 per cent. “It’s difficult to say what we will see in the UK. The economy is difficult but children are not the first to be squeezed so the toy market is not that much affected. If you have the right product at the right price, it’s not a problem. “The European market is flat. The danger for next year, not just in the UK, but across Europe, is that some retailers are in a dangerous financial position. No problems in France but in Spain some retailers are at risk. “For the UK, from our credit insurance company we have more good news than bad. So it has improved and for the group and the whole industry we are optimistic. The innovation is still there and companies are investing in R and D, every year, there are exciting new products. So I don’t see any gaps.” SEPTEMBER 2010

BRAND FOCUS JAKKS PACIFIC

Jakks’ back Jakks Pacific is making a fresh assault on the UK market with a new office in Ascot, set up by an experienced team of toy pros, looking to make a big impact. Ronnie Dungan visited the firm’s new HQ to find out more… THE STAFF of five rattling around in Jakks’ recently-occupied UK office in Ascot do not struggle to find a parking space in the mornings. But given the firm’s ambitions in the UK, they don’t expect it to stay that way for very long. Jakks has been here before, but financial restrictions put an end to its previous UK presence, and it has since been working with distribution partners such as Vivid, Flair and Character. But with the firm in a more stable position again, it is starting again with its UK operation. Former Mattel general sales manager David Carscadden has been handed the blank sheet of paper with which to create Jakks UK and the picture is rapidly beginning to form. Carscadden has already recruited Vivid’s international sales and marketing manager, Chris Jones, who had been working with the brand there, and earlier in the year marketing manager, Ken Goodisson, joined from Hasbro, where he was senior brand manager.

But it won’t be done alone, as Jones explains: “Because the range is so broad, we’re always going to need distribution partners. We have no plans to stop working with Character Options or Flair. We need them and it’s the same in other territories too.” For now the firm is looking forward to its first proper build-up to Christmas in the UK and with the plans it has in place, its Ascot office won’t be quiet for very long.

Ascot is the firm’s European hub, with Jakks France and Jakks Iberia offices recently established. Plans are in place for further subsidiaries. “It feels very much like a start-up company but with a huge company behind us,” says Carscadden.

There’s also a Q4 launch for TNA wrestling, while Real Construction and SpyNet are the two key launches for the period. Disney Princess and Disney Fairies are also in the line-up. “In the US we are the number five toy company. I would have thought

In the US we are the number five toy company. I would have thought we would get in the top four in the UK. We have serious aspirations. One of the key challenges for next year is to broaden our distribution. David Carscadden, Sales Director, Jakks Pacific UK

Building projects for kids using real tools and Kid Wood… REAL CONSTRUCTION STARTER WORKSHOP Retailing at around £9.99, the set contains a project book, hammer, saw, nails and Kid Wood. DELUXE WORKSHOP Includes more than 120 pieces with eight projects to choose from and comes with a saw, hammer, screwdriver, hole borer, small detail saw, nails, screws and plenty of Kid Wood. In addition, refill packs of Kid Wood are available from £4.99 as well as a range of accessories including a tool belt, mallet, screws and nails.

SEPTEMBER 2010

One of the major factors in Jakks coming back to the UK was its link with Disney through its Disguise dress-up division. Disney expressed a desire to have a local office to ensure closer control of its licensed products. Indeed, Disney’s Club Penguin products have been one of Jakks’ early initial successes in the UK, since its launch in September 2009. “It has been phenomenal. It caught a lot of people by surprise. Every product we sell has a coin, which unlocks online content. Our Puffles are the best sellers and we’re in all the majors.” “The relationship with Disney is really important,” adds Chris Jones. “Disney were very keen that we have a UK presence. That has actually been one of the primary drivers in setting up here.”

we would get in the top four in the UK. We have serious aspirations,” says Carscadden. “One of the key challenges for next year is to broaden our distribution. At the moment we don’t have the indie sector and they are key for us.” The firm will have four TV campaigns for autumn/winter – Real Construction, SpyNet and two within the Disney range – Magic Rise Oven and the Deluxe Cash Register. “This will be our first Christmas with domestically-produced TV advertising and support with PR,” says Carscadden. There are 20 products in the range, but in the next year this will be up to 50-60. Jakks should be in a stronger position 12 months from now, bringing the muscle needed to make a serious grab for market share.

Jakks’ range of realistic electronic spy gear…. VIDEO WATCH The electronic gadget range includes the SpyNet Video Watch, which retails at around £49.99 and includes a hidden video camera and audio system with onboard memory to store over 20 minutes of video and more than four hours of audio. It can also store more than 2,000 still pictures which can be displayed on its 1.4-inch TFT screen. A USB connection allows users to upload files to spynethq.com to analyse ‘evidence’ with the lie detector software. They can also download video missions from the site as well as briefings and special reports. FLEX NECK SNAKE CAM Retailing at around £24.99 the flexible camera can be connected to the video watch and a computer to bend around corners and record secret footage. VOICE RECORDING SPY PEN The pen can record, save and play back audio which can also be uploaded to the spynethq.com site for analysis. Also in the range are the Laser Strike laser tag system (£24.99); Voice Changer (£9.99); Night Vision Infrared Stealth Binoculars (£49.99); Micro Alarm with motion sensor (£9.99) and Rear View Spy Glasses (£7.99).

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Showfloor fillers With an extra day, this year’s Brand Licensing Europe will see more properties than ever appearing at Olympia. ToyNews takes a look at what some of the key licensors and agents will be offering...

LICENSINGNEWS

COMMENT OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS YOU MAY feel like you only returned from Licensing International mere weeks ago, but in about four weeks’ time chances are you’ll be heading down to Olympia for Brand Licensing Europe. And what you’re likely to find is one of the most varied line-ups of licensed properties the show has ever hosted. Having put together the previews for ToyNews and our sister website Licensing.biz, I’ve put together a selection of my own highlights (although there’s no scientific method, it’s just simply things I like the look of). If popularity in Vegas is anything to go by, BBC Worldwide’s newly-designed stand will be worth a visit, with the full range of product for new pre-school hit ZingZillas, plus Wow Stuff’s adult gift lines for Top Gear and Doctor Who, being particular highlights. Kudos to JCB, too, which has managed to turn the 65 year-old digger maker into a key pre-school toy line, as well as producing more adult-based items. The growth in the number of Lego licensees has meant the firm has doubled the amount of space it has

JCB has managed to turn a 65 year-old digger maker into a successful preschool licence. on the showfloor compared to 2009 – and there’s much more to it than the standard blocks. Mattel’s Monster High is worth a look to fill the current gap in the tween girl sector, while the work Target Entertainment has been doing with the PlayStation brand has resulted in a strong programme. In sports, Ultimate Fighting Championship and the NBA have made great strides in Europe over the past few years, while CPLG Sport probably can’t be beaten for its varied line-up – from football all the way through to equestrianism. Sanrio’s 50th celebrations, Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention, Yoga Dogs from Allsorts, Hasbro’s return to the showfloor, an increased showing from the museum and heritage sector, a mooted major announcement from Lucasfilm regarding Star Wars and, following its recent deal with TLC, the appearance of Skechers are all of interest on a wider level. And if Fox could just arrange an appearance from the cast of Glee that would be the icing on the licensed celebration cake. Samantha Loveday Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk SEPTEMBR 2010

Six-month Dora push hits Argos Fisher-Price and Vtech involved in special catalogue promotion for NCP property... by Katie Roberts NICKELODEON CONSUMER Products is teaming up with Argos for a six-month catalogue and online promotion to back the retailer’s range of Dora the Explorer products. The two firms will run the unique first to market promotion in the retailer’s autumn/winter catalogue and on www.argos.co.uk. The promotion runs until December 2010 on a dedicated Dora product page in the catalogue’s toy section. A puzzle mechanic encourages children to count images of Dora’s friend Boots on the page and visit the Argos website to enter the competition. Prizes will be won on a monthly basis, leading up to the main prize in December; a family holiday for four at the Nick Hotel in Florida. Licensees involved in the promotion include master toy Fisher-Price and VTech. Nickelodeon will support the promotion through marketing activity including 30second TV ad slots exclusive to Argos across Nick Jr and Nick Jr 2 throughout August and November, highlighting the product range and competition mechanic and driving viewers to the Argos website.

Two full colour page ads have been booked for Dora magazine in the September and November issues. Digital support will come from banners on www.nickjr.co.uk. Fisher-Price is also featuring the competition in a mail-out to over 50,000 subscribers to UK parents of pre-schoolers. Clare Piggott, VP of NCP UK, said: “Argos has been a long standing supporter of Dora. It is fantastic that we have jointly developed such a strong promotion to support Argos’ range of products in her special birthday year.” The promotion is part of Dora the Explorer’s tenth anniversary celebration, the theme of which is Explorers Wanted. In the UK, the theme runs across all areas of Nickelodeon’s output including on-air, online, in-store with both retail and licensing partners, events, PR and other marketing initiatives. NCP: 020 7462 1000

Space seeking toy partners at BLE SPACE ENTERPRISES is on the look out for key toy licensees for two of its properties at this month’s Brand Licensing Europe. New CGI series The Hive leads the firm’s line-up and the toy sector is a major target. In addition, following the closure of Martin Yaffe, Space is looking for a new master toy partner for Pinky & Perky. “The Hive has all the elements of a true evergreen pre-school property, with Playhouse Disney on board in over 150 territories and a strong terrestrial broadcast platform emerging,” Mark Hurry, Space’s director of licensing, told ToyNews. “We are looking for licensees to work with us whose product lines are of the highest quality, with a good sense of creativity and who have strong distribution and marketing strategies, for both domestic and international situations. “In addition, following the sad news in regards to Martin Yaffe, we are looking for a

new master toy partner for Pinky & Perky, as the property continues to have great TV ratings. New broadcast partners have also come on board showing the pigs to new viewers worldwide.” Space Enterprises will be on stand BO35 at Brand Licensing Europe. Space: 020 7734 1965

LICENSINGNEWS

www.licensing.biz

Toy firms eye up awards glory Vivid Imaginations, Wow Stuff, HTI and Great Gizmos all in the running for accolades... by Samantha Loveday A NUMBER of toy companies will have their hearts set on bringing back an accolade from this month’s Licensing Awards, with HTI, Wow Stuff and Vivid among those picking up nominations. The Best Licensed Toys or Games Range category includes: Science Museum range from Great Gizmos, Peppa Pig role play from HTI, Vivid’s Timmy Time line (pictured), Wallace & Gromit Cracking Contraptions from Wow Stuff, and Character’s Doctor Who and Peppa Pig ranges. In addition, Wesco’s Top Gear Stig line and Underground Toys’ Star Wars gifts will be among those fighting it out for Best Licensed Giftware Range, while Worlds Apart is nominated in the Best Licensed Home Décor Range for its Disney Princess bedroom furniture. The Dress-Up category is also set to be highly contested, with

Christy’s, Rubies, Smiffy’s and VMC all nominated. Wow Stuff’s Wallace & Gromit Fetch-o-matic has also been given the nod in the Innovation category. “Participation in the awards at every level was at an all time high – over 5,000 products were entered, over 60 retail buyers formed the judging panel and nominations for the retailer and licensed property awards were up by 35 per cent,” commentd Ian Hyder, director of the Licensing Awards.

A wide range of brands have been nominated at the awards this year, ranging from pre-school hits such as In The Night Garden, Peppa Pig, Waybuloo and Thomas & Friends, through to tween/teen brands like Barbie, Star Wars, Hello Kitty and Spongebob Squarepants, plus sports and celebrity properties. The Licensing Awards takes place on September 9th at the Lancaster London Hotel. For further details, visit the official website: www.thelicensingawards.co.uk

Bear League looking for UK growth THE BEAR LEAGUE has revealed some ambitious expansion plans, including adding to its range of football mascots with new clubs, as well as making a move into the UK. The range of plush mascots, complete with outfits, launched in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland in April, and has so far notched up sales of 40,000 units. There are currently five different mascots for six clubs, as well as accessories: Manchester

United, Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus. Further teams are being introduced for Christmas 2010/spring 2011. The next target for the ambitious company is to secure retail distribution in the UK, and then across the rest of Europe. Bear League is also looking to add more English Premier League and European clubs to the line-up and believes it could get up to 50 on board in a year from now.

“We see the UK market as the motherland of football,” Allan Jorgensen, sales and marketing manager at Bear League explained to ToyNews. “The interest is high and people are dedicated fans of their favourite club. We believe we can get a good response with this unique concept.” Inspired Gifts and Toys is the UK agent for the brand. For further details contact leecrocker@igt.gb.com.

IN BRIEF BLE LAUNCHES LICENSE THIS A Dragon’s Den-style challenge will be aiming to seek out new entrepreneurs looking to break into licensing at this month’s Brand Licensing Europe. License This: The Next Big Thing is open to any new property with its roots in publishing, art and design or television. Entrants will pitch to a judging panel, which will determine who has the most exciting new property or product idea for the industry. Its commercial potential will be examined, along with its creativity and cross product licensing opportunities. The winner will receive a fully furnished stand at BLE 2011. License This: The Next Big Thing will be held in The Licensing Academy at 1pm on Thursday September 30th. www.brandlicensing.eu

SCREENING SUITE ROSTER REVEALED FOR BLE 20th Century Fox, Dreamworks, Warner Bros, Paramount, Lucasfilm and Vertigo will all be showing highlights from their upcoming movie portfolios in BLE’s Screening Suite. Invited visitors will be able to get a glimpse of films including Ice Age 4, Green Lantern, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rio, The Smurfs, The Adventures of Tintin, Footloose, Rango, Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2 among others.

SANRIO EXTENDS TY UK TIES Ty UK is to produce beanies for Sanrio’s five new characters, Kuromi, Badtz Maru, Chococat, My Melody and Keroppi. They will launch alongside Hello Kitty in key retailers from October. www.sanrio.com

E1 BECOMES EONE Entertainment One (eOne) is the new brand identity for all entertainment and distribution divisions of E1. The company has also moved from London’s Alternative Investment Market to the Main List of the London Stock Exchange. eOne: 020 7907 3797

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SEPTEMBER 2010

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE PREVIEW LICENSING

2010

Brand and deliver Now running for three days, this month’s Brand Licensing Europe is shaping up to be the biggest yet. As usual, ToyNews will be there (stand CO38), and over the next five pages we highlight what to expect from just some of the key exhibitors. Check out our sister website, Licensing.biz, for even more coverage… 20TH CENTURY FOX (STAND DO55)

4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT/4SIGHT (STAND DO60)

Fox Consumer Products will be extending the merchandise programme for James Cameron’s Avatar to include home goods, social expressions and costumes this year. Meanwhile, moving into the family genre, the firm is looking to lay the groundwork for Rio, the next 3D animation from Blue Sky Studios. Toys, games, apparel and publishing will be the lead categories initially. FCP will also be aiming to build on the appeal of Ice Age and Alvin and the Chipmunks with refreshed art, new designs and line extensions. Plans to expand the offering for Diary of a Wimpy Kid are also on the cards, with the line including apparel, accessories, games, puzzles and select novelty items. Glee mania is also likely to continue, while The Simpsons and Family Guy will also get strong billing on the stand.

Highlights for 4Kids will include recent global acquisition Penelope, which already has a successful licensing drive in France and Japan. BRB’s Suckers will also be a key focus, with 4Kids eyeing up the digital media, gift, collectibles and video games areas. The series of twominute shorts depicts the world through the eyes of a group of toys which are attached to the rear windows of cars. Dinosaur King remains a consistent performer, with a further five licensees recently joining the programme, while Yu-Gi-Oh is gearing up for its tenth anniversary. Meanwhile, 4sight Licensing Solutions will showcase a number of art and fashion-led brands including Chicaloca, The Dog and new addition Hokusai among others.

AARDMAN RIGHTS (STAND FO10) Aardman will be previewing Wallace & Gromit’s latest venture A World of Invention. Premiering on BBC1 in November, the format is a combination of animation and live action. Publishing deals have been signed with HarperCollins and Titan, while 2entertain has DVD rights.

Meanwhile, Timmy Time is due to launch in the US in September, while a third series is planned for the UK. Shaun the Sheep also remains key, with the property currently enjoying a move into digital, with more than 275,000 fans on social networking sites, over 75,000 community members and receiving more than 40 million plays of its latest online game, Home Sheep Home, in its first six months. Finally, Aardman will also be launching Canimals with coproduction partners Vooz and BRB, previewing a full episode of the show for the first time.

BLE will be the first major opportunity for BBCW to showcase its wide range of ZingZillas product. BBC WORLDWIDE (STAND EO30) Along with a newly designed booth to provide visitors with a ‘walkthrough experience’ of the firm’s brands, BBCW is also incorporating a private viewing theatre. A key focus will be ZingZillas, with the event being the first major

opportunity for the firm to showcase a wide range of product from the 17 licensees. The line is lead by Vivid which has musically-themed and talking plush, play-sets, outdoor products and games. In the Night Garden continues to be important, with BBC Worldwide currently working with partners in the US to build the brand in the territory following its sale to The Hub earlier this summer. UK licensing for Top Gear also continues to go from strength to strength, with over 25 licensees working on the brand including Wow Stuff. The refresh for Doctor Who, meanwhile, is already proving successful with the toy line showing impressive initial figures. More lines from other licensees are due to roll out shortly. Other properties on the stand will include the evergreen Teletubbies, new pre-school brand Wibbly Pig and eco-based kids’ property Dirtgirlworld. SEPTEMBER 2010

LICENSING BRAND LICENSING EUROPE PREVIEW

BULLDOG LICENSING (STAND CO72) Collectible hit Gogo’s Crazy Bones will form a key part of Bulldog’s lineup at the show, lining up alongside Thumb Wrestling Federation: TWF and new acquisition Roobarb and Custard. Design-led properties Little Ewe and Goochicoo, plus 1980s TV icon Roland Rat complete the company’s offering.

CHAPMAN ENTERTAINMENT (STAND EO70) Chapman will be showcasing new properties Little Charley Bear and Raa Raa The Noisy Lion, as well as its preschool hits Fifi and the Flowertots and Roary the Racing Car. “A real life Little Charley Bear will make his first appearance,” confirmed director of licensing, Valerie Fry. “We are looking forward to introducing licensees and retailers to our new imaginative and playful little bear,

along with our other exciting new property, Raa Raa The Noisy Lion, and, of course, our popular preschool favourites.”

CHORION (STAND EO50) Headlining BLE for Chorion will be two new pre-school animated TV shows, Octonauts and Gaspard & Lisa. With broadcast launches set for the autumn, the firm is looking to sign new licensing partners for both properties. Plans are underway for the 40th anniversary of the Mr Men and Little Miss franchise in 2011, including the launch of a brand new character, unveiled exclusively at the show. Chorion will also debut Noddy’s fresh branding and packaging, and is hoping to launch a new broadcast partner in a key new market. The roll out for Olivia will begin with product from Spin Master in the US and Australia this autumn, followed by the UK and other key territories in 2011. Finally, The World of Beatrix Potter will welcome new animation for Peter Rabbit – including a TV series and specials – in 2012. An expanded style guide will be introduced at BLE.

CLASSIC MEDIA (STAND DO70) New properties Tinga Tinga Tales and Guess with Jess have got off to strong starts, and Classic will be looking to build on the licensing programmes for both at the show. Postman Pat SDS, meanwhile, has now been sold to over 80 territories SEPTEMBER 2010

worldwide, while Where’s Wally? has sold over 50 million books worldwide, having been published in over 38 countries and in 27 languages. Classic Media is now aiming to expand the brand outside of the publishing sector.

COOLABI (STAND DO10) A big focus for Coolabi will be Poppy Cat. A publishing hit in a number of territories, a TV show will arrive on Nick Jr UK from early 2011 with the firm showing a full episode to potential licensees at BLE.

eOne will be looking to develop the international potential of its portfolio at the show. Teen/tween lifestyle brand Scarlett & Crimson will also be a heavy focus, as will the classic Purple Ronnie which is currently proving to be a big hit in the digital space. The programmes for Bagpuss, Clangers and Ivor the Engine are also being expanded, while the Hammer Films brand continues to attract a strong audience.

CPLG/CPLG SPORT (STAND DO40) Back on the showfloor after a six-year absence, CPLG will be presenting a strong line-up of entertainment brands. These will include Sesame Street, Peanuts – which is celebrating

its 60th anniversary this year – Strawberry Shortcake, The Jungle Book and Tinga Tinga Tales (which it handles in all European territories outside of the UK). “We wanted to take the opportunity to have all our European offices on hand for licensors, licensees and retailers at one event,” explains head of international marketing and new business, Karen McNally. “We’re delighted to be returning to BLE as an exhibitor.” Meanwhile, highlights from the sports side of the business will include Rugby Football Union, The FA, West Ham, St Andrews Links and the FIA World Rally Championship to name just a few.

ENTERTAINMENT ONE (STAND GO05) The recently LSE listed firm will be using the show to further boost Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom and Twilight. As part of this, it is looking to develop the international potential of its portfolio, as well as building relations with FMCG companies. Growth of the Peppa Pig franchise will be supported by new episodes currently in production and themed attraction, Peppa Pig World, which is launching at Paultons Park in Hampshire next Easter. Meanwhile, discussions for a second series of Ben & Holly are underway, with eOne opening up a number of new licensing categories. Finally, with Twilight fever still running high, the firm is aiming to grow it into a long-term movie franchise in the merchandise arena.

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LICENSING BRAND LICENSING EUROPE PREVIEW

FREMANTLEMEDIA ENTERPRISES (STAND CO40) With The Adventures of Merlin back on air in the UK this autumn, FME will be looking to add to the licensing programme. It already includes a publishing range, toys and multiplatform products. Rebecca Bonbon also remains a priority for the firm, while BLE will be the first European outing for new acquisition Mashimaro. The X Factor, of course, will continue to be key, while FME will also be presenting its collection of third party brands such as H20: Just Add Water, The Elephant Princess, American Chopper, Miami Ink and LA Ink.

GIOCHI PREZIOSI (STAND EO75) Having already made a splash in the boys market with Gormiti, Giochi Preziosi is now turning its attention to the girls sector with the launch of Puppy In My Pocket Adventures in Pocketville.

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Already a successful toy brand, the company is now eyeing up other potential licensing categories. The property will be supported by a 52x13-minute TV series which will launch internationally in 2011. Meanwhile, the third series of Gormiti will see the introduction of new heroes and villains and will be a key focus for the firm throughout the three days.

HARI’S WORLD (STAND AD66) Making its second BLE appearance, the children’s safety brand is already a hit in the publishing sector and has hired Dowman Soft Touch to produce plush based on the six characters. Hand and finger puppets are set to follow. The company is now eyeing up various other sectors.

HIT ENTERTAINMENT (STAND DO25) Now in its 65th year, Thomas & Friends has been the UK’s number one pre-school property for the last decade (source: NPD). 2010 has so far seen Fisher-Price become the brand’s global master toy licensee, launching its Take n Play range, while Mega Brands is rolling out construction toys in the autumn. A new show will begin touring in September, while a 60-minute special – Misty Island Rescue – will introduce new characters and locations. Meanwhile, Mattel is launching Angelina Ballerina product to tie in with the new CGI animation in early 2011 in the UK, followed by launches in major European territories.

A third CGI DVD is due in November and the new look Angelina magazine is now on sale every month in five different countries. Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder continue to be key – indeed, the

Mike the Knight has been developed from start to finish by Hit and is due to air in autumn 2011. former has become the number two pre-school boys brand YTD (source: NPD), while the latter is enjoying success with Ready, Steady, Build. Finally, Hit will showcase new preschool property Mike the Knight. Due in autumn 2011, it has been developed from start to finish by the company.

JCB (STAND FO25) The digger maker is celebrating its 65th anniversary and will be underlining the growing breadth and

diversity of its licensing programme at the show. Pre-school brand My 1st JCB launched in 2008 and a new style guide will arrive at BLE, complete with a new packaging look and format for spring/summer 2011 onwards. As well as master toy partner Golden Bear, JCB has added ten new licensees to the pre-school programme in the last 12 months. Outside of pre-school, HTI has role-play, vehicles and wheeled toys for boys, while JCB is also looking to grow its interactive and live experiences.

LEGO GROUP (STAND DO05) Lego currently has 61 active partners in categories covering publishing, video games, apparel, accessories and consumer electronics. The growth in the number of licensees has meant the firm has doubled the amount of space it has on the showfloor compared to 2009. However, there are still areas the firm is looking to explore, including room décor, stationery and partywear,

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE PREVIEW LICENSING

while retail is another area of significant interest. Lego has been involved in a number of retailer collaborations including being part of a feature wall in Toys R Us in autumn/winter 2009 and spring/summer 2010.

LISLE INTERNATIONAL (STAND EO72) Already a successful toy line, Lisle is now looking to build Zhu Zhu Pets into a more rounded brand. The firm is a newcomer to BLE and is promising a DVD launch and ‘Zhu-niverse’ tour, as well as interactive games and publishing among other categories to drive the property forward.

LUDORUM (STAND FO50) The firm has now secured over 150 licensing deals for Chuggington. Global master toy Learning Curve launched its die-cast range in March, followed by its Interactive Railway in August.

The second series is currently scheduled to air in autumn 2010 on Cbeebies. Ludorum has also licensed the second season to the Playhouse Disney programming block in the US. A number of new characters will be introduced, including twin trainees Hoot n Toot, Speed the steam engine (voiced by Warren Clarke) and two human characters, Dr Ling and the Mayor of Chuggington (voiced by Floella Benjamin). New rolling stock and machines (including the Chug Nav) will debut, along with a new City destination. The original series is repeated on Cbeebies every weekday, while the new Chuggington Badge Quest miniseries recently debuted.

MATTEL CONSUMER PRODUCTS (STAND DO80) Mattel will be presenting a strong portfolio of brands across multiple categories at the show.

Monster High is a new franchise from the firm targeting teen and tween girls. An interactive website has already been launched, while a range of fashion dolls is being planned for autumn. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will publish a series of titles by Lisi Harrison, with the first book launching in September. On top of this, Universal Pictures is looking to bring the brand to life with a live action film. The Barbie brand continues to build momentum in the adult fashion category, while the core licensing

The growth in the number of Lego licensees has meant the firm has doubled the amount of space it has on the showfloor compared to 2009.

programme sees the introduction of new role-play lines, feature and premium plush ranges, as well as gaming accessories. A significant launch is being planned in the beauty category for 2011, while plans are taking shape for Ken’s 50th. The success of Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 has given the toy and vehicle property a significant boost, while infant and pre-school brand FisherPrice continues to grow its babygear, publishing and outdoor toys business.

NELVANA ENTERPRISES (STAND FO40) The big news from Nelvana at the show is that Beyblade is back with 51 new TV episodes and a revamped toy line from Hasbro featuring a metal gear system. Beyblade: Metal Fusion is due to appear on Gulli in France and Nickelodeon in Germany this September, with the series already airing on Nickelodeon in the UK, Telecinco and Factoria de Ficcion in Spain, M-Net in South Africa and Noga in Israel. Meanwhile, the European licensing programme for Babar and the Adventures of Badou will be rolled out shortly, with the TV series due to launch in various territories by winter 2010/spring 2011. Finally, Franklin and Friends will form part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for the character.

NICKELODEON CONSUMER PRODUCTS (SUITE 1) Nickelodeon Consumer Products will be showing off a host of new properties including its live action shows Big Time Rush and Victorious, plus pre-school animation Team Umizoomi. In addition to this, the company will be revealing a number of new updates for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Further developments for evergreens Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer will be presented, along with updates for iCarly, Go Diego Go, Wonder Pets, Ni Hao KaiLan and South Park.

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LICENSING BRAND LICENSING EUROPE PREVIEW

RAINBOW S.P.A (STAND EO20) Winx Club will be launching on a leading kids network in the UK shortly, and Rainbow will be using the three-day event to seek out new licensing partners. The girls brand has enjoyed significant success across Europe already, including four TV series (and a fifth planned to air in 2011), two films, two live shows and over 600 global licensees. PopPixie has also been snapped up for TV in the UK, while master toy licensee Bandai will begin rolling out products soon including action figurines, plush, play-sets and accessories. Finally, the company now holds the global rights to Huntik, Secrets & Seekers. The show has been sold to over 30 countries to date.

RDF RIGHTS (STAND GO28) Pre-school programme Waybuloo continues to enjoy success both on and off screen. The series now airs in 79 countries worldwide, with RDF securing 34 licensees to date in the UK. Waybuloo was the number one new pre-school property in 2009 in terms of plush, according to NPD. Popular arts and crafts show Mister Maker and live action property Yo Gabba Gabba will also be on the stand. Other key brand highlights will include Mr Bean – which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year – plus Simon’s Cat, the newest addition to RDF’s portfolio. SEPTEMBER 2010

Warner Bros is making significant investment in new content to support its portfolio. SANRIO (STAND BO30) Returning to the show for the second year, Sanrio will be kicking off its 50th anniversary celebrations. The milestone birthday gives the firm the opportunity to relaunch some of its classic icons, adding a contemporary touch to their style, as well as introducing new characters to the market. Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, Badtz Mary and Keroppi will all be featured on the stand. A special anniversary style guide has been developed, as well as limited edition products.

SPACE ENTERPRISES (STAND BO35) Space is making its BLE debut and will be focusing heavily on The Hive. The pre-school series will be aired on Playhouse Disney in a variety of territories from early 2011, while a terrestrial deal has been struck with GMTV for the UK. A number of licensees have already been signed, with Space now looking to move the brand into toys and publishing. Monty Python will also be on the stand – master toy partner is Re:creation – along with Spamalot, which is on a 400-date nationwide tour, and Pinky & Perky.

START LICENSING (STAND BO10) Start will once again have a wide range of properties on display, including The Beano and The Dandy, plus other evergreen DC Thomson characters Dennis and Gnasher, Bananaman and Desperate Dan. The firm also represents Jacqueline Wilson, with a new style guide available utilising cover art from her books, including Tracy Beaker. Elsewhere, the firm will be looking to build on the Honey Monster and Britvic brands, while Kindle’s Big & Small and Bang on the Door are also handled by Start.

TARGET ENTERTAINMENT GROUP (STAND EO60) TEG’s main focus will be on the PlayStation brand, plus a range of its software IPs. Opportunities available for the brand – which includes the PlayStation logo, the format logos, wireless controller designs and a number of symbols and phrases – include stationery, apparel, luggage, gifts and homewares. IPs such as Sackboy from LittleBigPlanet, Invizimals and EyePet are all being built into standalone brands. Other properties on the stand will be fashion and lifestyle property Brit Chicks and pre-school animation Fluffy Gardens.

TURNER CN ENTERPRISES (STAND EO40) TCNE is confident that this year’s show will be its biggest ever.

The company will be showcasing licensing opportunities for the likes of Ben 10 (with further details available on the 10.10.10 celebrations) and Generator Rex (which will be officially launched to the European trade at the event), plus third party properties Bakugan New Vestroia, Hero 108 and the Total Drama franchise. The recent agreement with Spin Master will also see the firm push properties including Liv, Zoobles and Tech Deck.

WARNER BROS CONSUMER PRODUCTS (STAND EO28) WBCP will be using BLE to showcase its ambitious plans for the growth of the business, which is being driven by investment in new content to support its portfolio. The Looney Tunes brand will be moving into 3D animated shorts, as well as a new half hour series, The Looney Tunes Show, while the DC Comics’ portfolio will be bolstered with the arrival of The Green Lantern movie in summer 2011, plus further developments for Batman and Superman. The long-term growth of the Harry Potter franchise and its future as an entertainment evergreen is a key priority ahead of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New licensing opportunities will also be presented for Happy Feet 2, Thundercats and UEFA, while completing the line-up will be Scooby-Doo, Pucca, Tweety, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries and its large vintage catalogue.

SECTOR GUIDE CHRISTMAS TV

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Stay tuned The industry now has its Christmas product line-up in place, so ToyNews found out which lines will be backed with TV advertising in the all-important fourth quarter… SPIN MASTER The launch of new limited edition ‘special treatment’ Bakugan in redesigned Starter and Booster packs, plus the 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid, new Bakubowl Arena and new Traps/Special Attack, will all be featured in Bakugan’s biggest ever TV campaign this autumn. Mighty Beanz Star Wars launched in August along with the TV advertised Slam n’ Smash race track, while the Air Hogs Laser Zero Gravity, Vectron Wave and Motor Frenzy motorbike will all have their own TV spots during the Christmas run up. Tech Deck will be TV supported with a new creative showcasing finger boarding stunts with Tech Deck boards and, also within the boys’ sector, there will be TV advertising for Tron action figures and vehicles to tie in with the

01628 535000 launch of the new Disney film, Tron Legacy in December. The Liv TV campaign will be featuring the new themes of School’s Out and It’s My Nature from midSeptember showcasing the ‘It’s My Nature’ Nutmeg Horse, Maple Lodge Play-set and dolls, while the Party Animals TV campaign highlights the collectability of the bears with costumes to wear. In arts and crafts, the award winning Bendaroos TV commercial will be highlighting the new Bendaroos Creativity Centre. The launch of Moon Dough is supported by a TV campaign through to Christmas with the primary focus being on the Barn play-set, while Moon Sand has two new commercials featuring the Construction and new Sweet Delights ranges.

LEGO

Celebrating its first birthday, Lego Games will be supported with nearly 1,000 TVRs targeting kids and mums. Running over the key holiday periods and focusing on hero lines Harry Potter Hogwarts Challenge and Minotaurus, Lego Games will also launch a digital strategy at the same time to drive engagement amongst target audiences. Lego City Airport and Trains themes are supported across the summer holiday, back to school and half-term weeks with 995 TVRs focusing on the new Passenger and Cargo Trains, along with the new Airport and Truck sets. In addition to the ad spots, a ten-week sponsorship of ‘Your City on the map’ campaign will feature on Nickelodeon. New concept Hero Factory will be launched with a strong in-season TV

MATTEL Barbie will benefit from constant on-air presence through to December with a multi-platform programme of activity. Autumn/winter entertainment property Barbie A Fashion Fairytale will kick off the TV programming with a twomonth partnership with Nickelodeon that will bring the storyline and products to life through a mix of interactive content, competition spots and online activity. This will be complemented by a TV ad campaign supporting five key items. A further five products will be featured during the run-up to Christmas including Puppy Swim School, an inflatable Barbie-sized pool that features a swimming dog as well as two puppies, Barbie and Tawny Horse. In September, Mattel will unveil its new property Monster High – an entertainment and toy brand for tween girls. It will launch with an

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campaign running until the first week of November. Targeted at six to nine yearold boys, the TV campaign consists of over 780 TVRs. Alongside the TV spots, four 22minute, CGI animated cartoons will air on Nickelodeon from the beginning of October and a sponsorship deal has been negotiated with Nick Toons’ weekend strand from 7 to 10am. Lego Atlantis continues its momentum in with 922 TVRs running across the summer, back to school and half-term periods. A six-week TV ad campaign will support newly launched Classic and Clone Wars based sets and will see sponsorship of the TV series. Finally, a big movie year for both the Toy Story and Harry Potter franchises sees hero products supported with TV ads.

01628 500000 interactive sponsorship campaign with Nickelodeon featuring TV spots and integrated online content and culminate in the TV placement of the first segment of Monster High programming. The doll collection will be supported by a TV campaign kicking off in October. Polly Pocket will see increased support by TV advertising three items and interactive TV sponsorship activity with Milkshake. TV will run from September to November for the Rockin’ Tour Bus and new Polly Pocket House. The Mattel Disney Princess collection will be backed by three TV campaigns, featuring the Magical Roses Belle doll from Beauty & The Beast, released on DVD on November 1st, plus the Collectable Castles and Rapunzel Hair Braider doll. My Baby will also see increased activity with two TV campaigns. Hot Wheels TV campaigns support lead products including the Colour Shifters Dr Bones Colour Lab and Trick

Tracks Bionic Battle. These programmes are complemented by a Cartoon Network sponsorship programme. Mattel’s Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear and collectable buddy figures receive TV support throughout the final quarter. The Radiator Springs gang from Disney Pixar’s Cars enjoys TV support for the Monster Truck Wrastlin’ Ring play-set. And Terrordactyl joins 2009 hit Screature on TV in the run up to Christmas. Kids’ games receive TV backing for Whac a Mole and Piranha Panic, and Mattel is also introducing Scrabble Trickster. Pictionary celebrates its 25th anniversary. Mindflex will be showcased throughout Q4 and is joined in the portfolio by Loopz musical memory game. Fisher-Price infant lines receiving TV

support include the Amazing Animals Sing and Go Choo Choo, Bounce ‘n’ Spin Zebra and new collection, Roll n Racers. In pre-school, Little People welcomes the introduction of Wheelies and the Imaginext range receives major TV support with three campaigns including Big Foot, a large scale remote control yeti. New construction range, Trio benefits from support through both TV advertising and Milkshake sponsorship as well as a promotional programme. Fisher-Price also adds the Misty Island 2-in-1 Adventure play-set, to its Take n Play collection, and the Zip n Zoom Logging Adventure Trackmaster track set. Yippety Yay Jess feature plush is based on Guess with Jess, while other licensed brands making up the 16 lines on TV include Winnie the Pooh, Waybuloo, Dora the Explorer, Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

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SECTOR GUIDE CHRISTMAS TV

BANDAI 08456 028782

Bandai is launching its most extensive marketing campaign to date in the run up to Christmas. All brands will be supported with consumer print, PR, product sampling, online and TV ads. Ben 10 will see TV spots for the new Ultimate Alien toy line including the Disk Alien Ultimatrix, Ben’s Car and Alien Collection Figures. Power Rangers RPM will benefit from eight different spots. Advertised products include the High Octane Megazord, Cycles, Transporter Vehicles, Cell Shift Morpher and various action figures. New boys role-play concept Armouron will be supported with TV and an online campaign on Cartoon Network. Harumika, the arts and crafts fashion toy will see two new ads air this autumn. Featured items include the Runway Show Stopper Set and Designer Dress Form Sets.

VIVID IMAGINATIONS The boys category kicks off with 400 TVRs across the Thinkway Toy Story Definitive range. Vivid’s new arts and crafts brand, Klip Kitz will be TV advertised launching with the Toy Story 3 range, followed by a campaign on Cars from October half-term. Action vehicle brand, Stunt Riderz will continue to be backed in the autumn/winter with a focus on the Demolition Dangerzone play-set. TV for the girls category will focus on core brands Teeny Little Families and Twilight Ponies with nine weeks of TV. With a 700,000 unit forecast for 2010, the Animagic brand will be backed by over 600 TVRs with a focus on the Tendercare Twins, Fluffy, Peanut, Honey, Hoppers and the Newborns. Nickelodeon’s iCarly will continue to air in prime time slots and the toy range will be TV supported. Vivid will be bringing the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing into the living room this autumn with Dress up and Dance Learn the Steps DVD. The firm will support the launch with 250 TVRs. Fabtastic Food range has 350 TVRs behind new launches Spaghetti Ice Cream and Chocolotta Fun Factory, along with Cool Cookie Creations and the Sandwich Maker.

SEPTEMBER 2010

FLAIR

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Sylvanian Families ads have a storytelling style all of their own and 2010 will continue this tradition with 30second snippets of life in Sylvania throughout the autumn until Christmas. The campaign will feature the new Field View Mill, Motorcycle and Side Car, Regency Hotel, Beechwood Hall and the new family, the Meerkats. Other favourites such as the Caravan and Car will add to the assortment of TVCs. Also attracting girls is the Disney Fairies collection based around this autumn’s theatrical release of Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue. All key brand segments will be TV promoted with ten and 20-second TVCs during September, October and November featuring micro, mini and fashion doll sizes with particular emphasis being given to new lines such as the Magical Fairy Talents Play-set. September and October will feature TV for Toffee the Pony. For nurturing of a

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ZingZillas will be TV supported with 16 weeks of TV across the Sing Along Microphone, Big Zing Guitar, Play and Groove Zingzillas and the Big Zing Playset. Autumn/winter campaigns also include a focus on new launches Tumbletot Fifi, Roary’s Loada Race Day Truck, and the new Timmy Time Dancing Timmy and Timmy’s Playtrain. Crayola has a 2,500 TVR campaign in the autumn. Forecasted to be up 15 per cent year-on-year, Crayola will lead the way in the mechanical design category with TV to launch new products, Doodle Penguin, Paper Fantastic, Glow Dome and Magic Light Brush. Creations sees the launch of Lumi Lock Secret Diary and Fashion Design Studio backed by TV, along with continued support across Illumination Station and 3-in-1 Sticker Studio.

different kind, cheeky Cicciobello Tinkle Time will provide amusing on-screen entertainment during autumn. Gormiti will once again have significant TV presence featuring autumn’s hero product, the Supreme Luminous Play-set. The Armband of Light and the Magic Egg will also be TV promoted. GX Moto and GX Skate will also have heavyweight TV ad support. The stunt skateboards and motocross bikes perform high-speed stunts and tricks, all of which are portrayed in the ads, which will also feature GX Moto Monster Loop Jump Set and GX Skate Quarter Pipe. Flair’s new hand-held robots, Zibits, are another boys’ brand that will have a strong TV schedule, together with Creepy Crawlers, the new activity brand. Flair’s Creative Play brands will benefit from a heavily increased level of TV support this autumn/winter. Support runs until half-term and into November.

HASBRO Hasbro kicks off its autumn TV advertising schedule with over 50 different TV campaigns, which will run alongside TV sponsorship programmes. The firm will also be supporting ten new launches across its games brands. Pre-school sees a new launch campaign on Pop Goes Froggio for the fast paced active matching game. Kids’ games will be supported with a new advert for Crocodile Chomp, while Family games will feature the new electronic Boggle Flash and Nab It. Monopoly will have a campaign dedicated to the 75th anniversary, while Adult games will run a new push for Trivial Pursuit and Cranium. Pre-school has a campaign for In The Night Garden Goodnight Friend Iggle Piggle. The return to market of Weebles will include a push for the Weebles Tree House. Tonka Chuck and Pals has two new campaigns backing the Stunt Park and Rumblin’ Chuck. Play-Doh will TV advertise the Mega Fun Factory.

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Meccano’s award-winning Xtreme range is set to appear on five TV stations throughout October, November and December. GMTV/GMTV 2, Cartoon Network/Boomerang, Nickelodeon/Nicktoons, Disney XD and CITV will each run 20-second adverts to reach the target market of boys six to eight years old. Xtreme features a range of off-road racing vehicles made using a fusion of plastic and metal parts and incorporates an innovative threaded assembly method which requires no nuts. The day-glo colours and chrome effect metal blend together to create a striking new look appealing to its core audience – children aged seven years upwards. Models in the range include a Buggy with sound effects, a Dragster with a pullback motor function, a 6V Power Motor vehicle and the Xtreme 4x4 which was awarded Best Building Set at Toy Fair 2010. The 4X4 set comes with 110+ pieces to construct two unique model variations and a remote control to manoeuvre the vehicles across a various terrains.

020 8569 1234 Boys toys to be TV advertised include Star Wars Lightsaber and Boba Fett Helmet. Ads for Iron Man will showcase the Iron Man Helmet and the 3-in-1 Wrist Repulsor role-play items, and a separate campaign will focus on the Real Walking Iron Man RC. Transformers ads feature Battle Ops Bumblebee and Power Core Combiners. The Nerf TV ads will focus on The Stampede ECS, while the return of Beyblades will include Beystadium and Super Vortex ads. Within vehicles, Hasbro will advertise Tonka Mod Machines and the Ricochet, while Speed Stars Transformers will run Stealth Force Optimus Prime TV ads. The girls segment sees campaigns for Baby Alive Bouncin’ Babbles and Changing Time Baby. Furreal Friends will push Gogo My Walking Pup and the Furry Frenzies. Finally, Littlest Pet Shop will have four ads including the Paw Powered Cruiser and Rescue Centre.

SECTOR GUIDE CHRISTMAS TV

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Focusing on activity around its Chuggington ranges pre-Christmas, Learning Curve has developed an advertising package to hit key periods in the retail calendar. Covering both the die-cast and newly-launched interactive ranges, Learning Curve will be supporting its new Chuggington portfolio with over 1,100 TVRs targeting both pre-school children and mums. Running over the key holiday periods and focusing on hero range items: Training Yard with Loop Set, Interactive Talking Engines and All Around Chuggington Train Set, the TV advertising programme is a 19week campaign that will air across both terrestrial and satellite channels. Offering immediate impact (for the interactive range) and support to retail, the TV advertising campaign sees a significant investment into the brand by the company, and will feature a mix of ten and 20-second ads to highlight the collectable engines and play-sets based on the Cbeebies animated series.

VTECH VTech is continuing to support its biggest 2010 launches by investing in TV campaigns in the run up to the key pre-Christmas sales period. The push is set to include 4,000 kids aged four to six TVRs and 3,000 housewife TVRs. The campaigns will highlight Storio, an E-Book reader for children, the Kidizoom VideoCam, an addition to the Kidizoom brand, which gives children lots of filming play with stamps, video effects and facetracking technology and the MobiGo Touch Learning System, the latest touch screen portable educational gaming system allowing children to tap, flick, spin and drag the screen to interact and learn. The ads will also support the V.Smile Motion and Kidizoom Plus products.

SEPTEMBER 2010

MEGA BRANDS

Launched in July 2010 and building on the original series (voted one of the Top 12 Dream Toys for Christmas), Mega Brands is focusing its pre-Christmas advertising on the ‘second generation’ of Metal XS. The TV campaign includes 1,000 TVRs throughout the UK and ROI, via a mixture of generic and retailer tagging. The 20-second ads will be shown across the core target audience TV channels including Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Cartoon Network, Cartoontoo, Boomerang, Jetix, CITV, KIX, GMTV/ GMTV2, Disney XD, POP, RTE 2 and INick throughout main season. Supporting the TV campaign, Mega will also include trade press for advertising and editorial; a one-week long ‘Battle to XS’ Retailer Tour; and a sponsorship on Cartoon Network of Ben 10 Alien Force (7.30 and 5pm) between September 6th and 24th (mix of on air and online campaign elements). The firm has also refreshed the brand’s microsite (www.battlestrikers.com) and will embark on online Swapit activity including a homepage display, auction, competition, videos and E-Newsletters.

01235 555545 There will also be a bespoke Nickelodeon TV campaign running through from September to November, including sponsorship spots for Kidizoom VideoCam, MobiGo and the ELA range. Featuring the Challenger Laptop (available in pink and blue) and Progress Laptop – all designed to each ensure reading, spelling and maths are at the forefront of learning. The campaign will also offer viewers the chance to win products and partake in a number of activities, providing links to retailers to encourage sales. All activity will be supported by a targeted PR push, print advertising and an increased focus on web activity and in-store point of sale.

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Marking Mega Bloks 25th birthday, Mega will be running an extensive pre – Christmas TV campaign for the new range of boys’ action toys, Dragons Universe, aimed at boys aged six to ten years old. The 20-second advertisements will be running throughout the UK and Eire during main season with 1,000 TVRs including a mix of generic and retail tagging. Targeting a core audience of boys aged six and over, the ads will be aired on the TV channels Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Cartoon Network, Cartoonitoo, Boomerang, Jetix, CITV, KIX, GMTV/ GMTV2, Disney XD, POP, RTE 2 and INick. Trade press activity including homepage sponsorship, advert and editorial will support the TV campaign, along with sponsorship on Cartoon Network between October 11th and 31st. Mega Brands has also launched a new microsite (www.dragons.megabloks.com) and will work with Swapit, including a homepage display, auction, competition, videos and E-Newsletters. PR and in-store activity will also support the range.

DRUMOND PARK

Drumond Park is putting a substantial spend behind all its major children’s, family and adult titles during the runup to Christmas. Drumond Park did not cut its marketing budget during 2009, in fact spending more than ever on TV advertising, PR and sampling across its brand roster, with more than 4,000 network TVRs achieved. “Our bold strategy paid off for our trade customers last year,” says cofounder and marketing director Claire McCool. “For instance, at the end of the year, Logo came out as the number one best selling board game, and retail sales of Pig Goes Pop exceeded all expectations. This year buyers will be delighted to know that we are increasing our TV spend universally.” In addition to ongoing TV, online, PR, sampling and promotional programmes for many of its existing games and

RE:CREATION 0118 973 6222

This autumn/winter, Re:creation will be focusing its TV advertising on more targeted TV channels to gain the best reach for the consumer . The firm will be TV advertising 13 products with over 2,500 TVRs. Battle Machine will be TV advertised until December with 300 TVRs. The Impulse brand, which includes Bionic Putty, MadBalls, Armeez, Koosh and Yada Yada Yada, will also be advertised from August to December with over 1,000 TVRs. Phlat Ball and Chatman will be advertised from August to November with nearly 200 TVRs. The Razor brand has five TV advertised lines including the PowerWing, Spark scooter, RipRider, Siege scooter and RipStik from August til December with around 1,000 TVRs.

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puzzles (including the Rubik’s brand), new TV commercials are being produced for five of the titles now going into the consumer market place – Animatazz, Best of British, Don’t Laugh, Pumpaloons and Wordsearch. “One of the keys to our success in the mainstream, as well as the children’s media, is that our TV creatives are all individually and professionally produced, appealing both to children and their parents. They are always upto-the-minute, memorable, attractive and hard-hitting – a winning combination,” adds McCool. “This year, as in previous years, we have started our publicity programmes very early to ensure maximum longterm awareness within our target markets. Several of our multi-station TV and PR campaigns kicked off in August, with each product’s schedule running well into December.”

SECTOR GUIDE CHRISTMAS TV

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GOLDEN BEAR TOYS 01952 608308

Golden Bear has launched its new Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom TV campaign featuring the magical characters Ben, Holly and Gaston. The 30-second ad showcases the Little Magical Castle Play-set, which includes five play elements. Also featured is Gaston’s Cave which is really messy, but with a wave of the magic wand it is clean again. Holly and her fluttering wings is also featured – with six fairy phrases, its wings flutter when you touch the crown with the wand. The new My 1st JCB ad features the diggers Joey JCB, Doug Dumptruck, Rex Roller, Larry Lodall, Freddie Fastrac and the new characters for 2010 Marty Mixer and Tommy Truck. All vehicles have different phrases, sounds and flashing lights at the press of a button. Following on from the summer bursts, the advertising schedule will continue airing across terrestrial and digital channels throughout the autumn/winter season.

RAVENSBURGER 01869 363800

Ravensburger’s new children’s game Jolly Octopus launched earlier this summer. The game scooped the BTHA’s Best New Game at the 2010 London Toy Fair. The Jolly Octopus TV ad first appeared at the end of July, but the main focus will be in the key October/November period. MD Tim Hall explains: “We’ve invested in a very strong 640 TVR campaign to support the launch of Jolly Octopus, and are confident that the fun game play combined with this strong TV launch will deliver some great results for our retailers.” The firm is also backing 3D puzzleball, with the ad highlighting key designs including Hello Kitty 96piece, Me to You 240-piece and the World 540-piece. The 300 TVRs will run through October and November.

TOMY

This year sees Tomy launch TV advertising across all ranges, including nursery and infant, girls, boys, arts and crafts, and licensed products. The main focus of the advertising is on the newly launched Tomica range. Tomy has planned a 14-week ad campaign which will see the World of Tomica feature across several channels. This pre-Christmas campaign will focus on the Tomica range as a whole, with emphasis given to hero products such as the Mega Station and the Hyper City Rescue Police HQ. Aquadoodle is also a major focus in the pre-Christmas period. Advertising is scheduled to appear on children’s channels throughout November and

WORLDS APART

Worlds Apart will be introducing its new Dream Town role-play sets – Strawberry Stables and Puppy Lane Cottage – with TV ads scheduled to run throughout the pre-Christmas months of October to December. Having integrated the plush category into its role-play formula, the two sets share a common pet theme, With items recently added to its successful Go Glow range, Worlds Apart has scheduled significant preChristmas TV advertising for its Disney Princess and Thomas Go Glow Story Projector, plus the new Toy Story Go Glow Pal. The lead up to Christmas also sees the final few months of Worlds Apart’s 365-day TV sponsorship deal with Nick

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December for the new Animal Magic Sounds Aquadoodle and Toy Story 3 Aquadoodle, together with continuing SKUs, Classic Aquadoodle and Rainbow Aquadoodle. Tomy is also focusing on its infant toy, Mr Colour Maker, an educational developmental toy, aimed at children aged two to five years, which teaches tots about colours with lots of colours and the opportunity to sing along. Mr Colour Maker ads will appear on preschool channels throughout November, with over 300 TVRs planned in total. There are also TV ad campaigns planned for Tomy’s Harry Potter toys, K’Nex range, MicroPets-i and Spongi ahead of Christmas.

CORINTHIAN 01494 462640

Corinthian’s TV support for the autumn is being driven by ads for the new In My Pocket play-sets, most notably the Baby Mansion and the Ocean Coral Reef. Both commercials will be appearing on screens at regular intervals from the beginning of September through to early December and will also showcase the collection of figures available in each range. There will be a seasonal theme to the Jungle In My Pocket TV campaign as the new Winter Mountain Lodge spot is shown during October, while Puppy In My Pocket will also be given plenty of airtime in the run up to Christmas, with rotation of the Pocketville Fashion School and Pocketville Hospital play-set adverts. The Pony In My Pocket Pony Arena will also be advertised during bursts in September and November.

INTERPLAY 01628 488944

0800 389 8591

Jr Bedtime. Supporting the Worlds Apart Home bedroom sets across two key licences, Disney Princess and Toy Story, the eight TVRs per day during the 6pm bedtime slot have resulted in considerable growth in sales of its key bedroom items, such as the popular Go Glow Light. The firm is confident that this advertising deal will prove highly effective in the pre-Christmas period, as 6pm is a mutual viewing time for children and their parents. The heavyweight autumn TV advertising campaign will be coupled with PR activity, including the company’s annual Ready for Bed Week campaign in October.

Interplay continues to increase its TV advertising for Q4 2010 to reach a wider audience. In particular, Wild Science for Girls kicks off with a campaign in the autumn, following on from results achieved with the 2009 campaign in UK and Eire. The push will reflect the refreshed lifestyle packaging for Interplay’s Perfect Perfume Laboratory, Luxury Soap Science and Bath Bomb Factory. Similarly Wild Science for Boys, including Hyperlauncher Rocket Ball Factory and Weird Slime Laboratory, will both benefit from additional TV support driving popularity for the range. The Wild Science Ant-O-Sphere is a kit that has been popular in Australia and is now launching in the UK. The futuristic kit allows children to experience the inner workings of an ant colony. The product launch is also supported with TV campaigns and promises to be a best-seller.

SEPTEMBER 2010

SECTOR GUIDE CHRISTMAS TV

CREATIVE DESIGNS / JAKKS 01344 638 900

MV SPORTS

Creative Designs International, a division of Jakks Pacific, will be supporting its Disney Princess collection with an autumn TV schedule bursting with TVRs for its two hero lines. The Disney Princess Magic Rise Oven will be TV advertised from October to December. 350 TVRs will be delivered, targeted directly at girls ages three to seven. The Magic Rise Oven turns creates perfect pies with a wave of the magic wand. The pies or cupcakes rise, ready to be decorated with icing and toppers, which light up with another wave of the wand. Also heading to TV is the Disney Princess Royal Cash Register. The play-set comes with treats for a princess to buy, such as tiara, necklace and bottle of perfume and will be supported with 350 TVRs. The Disney Princess TV plans will coincide with a print advertising push aimed at children and their parents, plus a packed schedule of other PR activity including competitions, reviews and a National Princes Tea Party campaign.

MGA ENTERTAINMENT 01908 268480 The Moxie Girlz Magic Snow range will be supported by a TV campaign, which brings winter wonderland themed fashion to the line. The dolls, dressed in snow fashions, come with a winter sports accessory and handbag. TV supported accessories include the Moxie Girlz Magic Snow Cabin, with glowing fireplace and magical snowing chimney; and the Moxie Girlz Winter R/C Vehicle with roof rack for storing snow gear. The new Bratz Party segment range marks the Bratz tenth anniversary relaunch in October and is supported by an extensive marketing drive including TV advertising. Bratz Party joins in the celebrations along with new additions Bratz Boyz. Also promoted in the ad is the Bratz Party Play-set, with colour changing dance floor and sassy accessories.

SEPTEMBER 2010

Fronting MV’s wheeled toy TV advertising campaign are the secret scooters. The scooters come complete with a secret pull-out compartment containing authentic collectable toys. The Ben 10 Alien Force secret scooter comes with eight Alien Force figures including Swampfire and Spidermonkey. Star Wars The Clone Wars scooter has movie graphics and comes with six authentic character key chains including everyone’s Jedi Master, Yoda. MV’s Thomas and Friends Tri-scooter comes with a secret drawer containing the four vehicles, Thomas, James, Percy and Harold. The Bob the Builder Triscooter also has a special compartment with Muck, Roley, Lofty and Scoop vehicles. Completing the range is the chic and stylish Moxie Girlz scooter packed with 15 beauty treats. Leading the plush campaign is the Goochicoo range of interactive dolls.

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The collection includes 16-inch soft and cuddly dolls with each character performing seven role-play functions. Girls can feed them, tickle them, wind them, play peepo with them and put them to bed. In addition, a selection interact with their own pets. 14-inch Luvable dolls adore giving hugs and kisses to both their owner and pets, and are guaranteed to melt the hearts of little girls everywhere. Each doll has six interactive role-play functions and comes with a special pet. Talkback Tots are smaller ten-inch Goochicoo dolls which retail at a collectable price point. They allow girls to record a message and hear it repeated in the voice of a baby Goochicoo doll. MV’s advertising campaigns rolled out over summer, with the second blast of coverage airing from October through until December.

UNIVERSITY GAMES 01359 243900

ZAPF CREATION 0845 0533 333

University Games is investing in TV advertising for two of its board games – Smart Ass and Five Little Monkeys. This will be the first TV advertising for these games and the adverts will be aired in the UK and Ireland. Bursts are scheduled for autumn/winter. The first player to shout out the correct answer in Smart Ass wins the round and takes a step closer to being the ‘ultimate Smart Ass’. The game is suitable for ages 12 and over. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed is a simple game that introduces children to counting and strategy while developing fine motor skills. It is based on the award-winning illustrator Eileen Christelow’s Five Little Monkeys book series. The object of the game is to get all of your monkeys onto the bed, but they may jump off the bed at any time. The game is suitable for ages three and over, with two or more players.

Key ranges supported by TV advertising include Baby Born Magic Feeding girl and boy dolls, which have a colour-change feature. When fed from their ice cream cone they will get a messy face. The dolls also have drink and wet functions, and eyes that cry real tears. They are aimed at girls aged three and over. Baby Born Mummy Pick-Me-Up doll is a toddler version of Baby Born. The toy has blonde hair, giggles and gives kisses. The doll can say Mama and lifts up both arms to encourage the child to pick her up. Aimed at girls aged three years and over. Chou Chou Mummy Make-MeBetter doll babbles and giggles. When she doesn‘t feel very well she cries and her throat and cheeks turn red. She will also open her mouth to take her medicine. The doll is aimed at girls aged three and over. The range of five collectable Disney Princess fully articulated dolls, including Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Belle and Sleeping Beauty, will also be fully TV supported.

GROSSMAN 0141 613 2525

Grossman’s TV campaign started early with the ads airing from August and then continuing all the way through until December. With all of its TV ads tagged to support retailers, the company is concentrating on its range of scooters. In particular the Lightning Strike Scooter, the Cosmic Light Scooter and My First Scooter. The My First Scooter is a three-in-one concept that changes from a four-wheeled sturdy scooter for toddlers, to a three wheeler and ultimately to a twowheeled scooter. The other major focus for the company is the Ben 10 line, which includes the Ben 10 Dart Board, the Ben 10 Pogo Stick, a new Igloo Tent, the Ben 10 chair and the Ben 10 gift set which boss Martin Grossman believes will be a top Christmas gift line. The gift set includes a Ben 10 glider, Light up YoYo, two Ben 10 wrist bands, a Ben 10 Omnitrix wrist band and four Ben 10 jet balls. The campaign will run on satellite channels continuously and be supported by a PR campaign.

LITTLE TIKES 01908 268480 Little Tikes will be supporting its key new item from the range – the 3-in-1 Trike – with substantial TV advertising during the pre-Christmas spend months. Designed to grow with the child, the new 3-in-1 Trike offers three toys in one, providing a push-along option for babies and pedal power for beginner riders. Its three development stages see the toy start off as a ‘parent push trike’, before moving onto a ‘parent guided trike’ and finally becoming a ‘kid powered trike. Little Tikes will support the preChristmas advertising schedule with PR and marketing activity.

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SECTOR GUIDE BIKES

The wheel thing Bikes, trikes, wheeled toys and accessories provide a strong offering for toy retailers. With both licensed and generic models on offer, ToyNews found out what are the latest additions to the lucrative ride-on sector…

MOOKIE The Smart Trike range is exclusively distributed by Mookie and is now being added to with the latest SKU – the All In One Smart Trike. The new product is designed for babies from birth to 48 months-old. The trike is a multifunctional model, designed to exceed European safety standards and, in seven stages, grows with a child into a ride-on and then into a scooter. A full marketing campaign, including TV, supports the product. Also new to the range is the Zoo Collection. Available in a variety of colours inspired by nature, animals and creatures. The exclusive range has all the aspects of the Smart Trike, plus Mookie has upgraded all the features. UrbanX is a safe children’s bike, kart and scooter collection. To support the range, Mookie will be TV advertising the new UrbanX Shox and Stride scooters throughout the year. Also new is Street Cruz, a range of scooters including Mini, Lightning and Extreme, plus a new Retro low rider style scooter. The Scuttlebug and Scramblebugs are folding tricycles designed for children aged one to three. The inspiration is from insects including

RE:CREATION

01525 722722 ladybirds, beetles and bees and features a three-step folding action. Mookie’s Peppa Pig range has been boosted by the addition of several new items. The line now includes a 12” wheeled bike, trike with foot rest, trike with canopy, scooter, deluxe light ‘n’ sound ride-on, 5-in-1 rock ‘n’ ride-on, basic and carousel ride-ons. Other sit ‘n’ ride products available include the Fisher-Price pre-school rideons with a variety of characters and themes and the new Racing ride-on from Ecoiffier with a traditional take on the sit ‘n’ ride theme. Mookie recently acquired distribution rights for the YBike. The bike has been developed to improve motor development, co-ordination and balance. The product makes the transition to learning to ride a bike easier for children as young as two. The YBike marketing programme will include a programme for schools and nurseries. The new YBike extreme will also be coming soon. Mookie’s core generic range is listed in all major retailers and the firm will continue to support its outdoor toy and wheeled range with ongoing PR and marketing activity.

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Turbospoke can be attached to an everyday bicycle to give it the look and sound of a real motorbike. The engine-like sounds are made by a thin plastic Motocard, which is held against the spokes of your wheel. The product also resembles an exhaust pipe, so gives the bike the look of a motorbike too. Each Turbospoke comes with three Motocards, which can be tuned for up to six different sounds. Sound travels up the exhaust pipe and is amplified, so the faster children pedal, the louder the sound becomes. Turbospoke is 100 per cent pedal powered and the product requires no batteries, encouraging active, outdoor play for children. The motocard can also be removed from the Turbospoke so that the look of a motorcycle remains without the sound. Turbospoke can be fitted to a bicycle in under five minutes and is compatible with 95 per cent of bikes on the market.

SEPTEMBER 2010

SECTOR GUIDE BIKES

MV SPORTS

0121 748 8000 MV Sports’ portfolio of character bikes includes products ranging from a child’s first 10” bike, through to a 16” bike for older children. The line also features a wide variety of character licences to choose from. Leading the range is the Ben 10 collection, which ranges from a 10” bike for kids taking their first steps into cycling, all the way through to a 16” bike for the older, more competent child. The firm’s 12” and 14” bikes are supplied with removable stabilisers to ensure safety while riding. MV’s range of larger bikes are available in a range of properties for boys and girls. The Star Wars: The Clone Wars 16” bike comes with foil Clone Wars movie graphics. For the girls, there is the Moxie Girlz 16” bike. With floral decals, shimmering streamers and a twotone pearl paint finish.

JOHN CRANE

01604 774949 The First Bikes collection from Branching Out offers three different designs. The First Bike in pink is decorated in hearts and flowers and is ideal for girls, while the racing red version has scarlet swirls decorating its wheels and for boys, there is the First Bike in royal blue. The First Bike has a padded seat and comes with easy grip handlebars. The pneumatic tyres also help ensure a safe ride. Each wooden bike has height adjustable seats so they can grow as the child does. Each version boasts a carry handle and a bell. There is also a First Bike stand, ideal for toy retailers who need a hand to make the bikes stand out on displays. Made from natural wood, the stand will keep the First Bike upright and show it at its best. John Crane’s newly added SES Creative range also includes the Bike Decorations hobby kit. Containing ribbons, pre-cut foam board and full instructions, it includes all that is needed for kids to personalise their bicycle. All of the contents are weatherproof and colourfast so will remain in tact as long as the bike does.

SEPTEMBER 2010

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SECTOR GUIDE BIKES

BIGJIGS

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New to the Bigjigs collection of wooden toys are the Classic World bikes. The bikes are available in natural wood, pink and blue. The retro-styled Auto Bikes are a simple yet stylish shape, simulating the design of a Vespa scooter. They are ideal for children learning to walk as they can exercise the child’s hand-eye coordination and balance. The Auto Bikes are available in a choice of pink and blue. For those who prefer a more traditional toy, the Wooden Bike offers the classic off-road feel, complete with go faster stripes and a brightly coloured flag. The bike also has a fabric bag at the back to carry toys and a bell mounted to the front of the bike. The contrast of the natural wood and the bright colours of the accessories give a bright and attractive design for children of three years and over. For the younger rider, the Bigjigs Tricycle offers greater stability. With a blue rear mounted bag, the tricycle is crafted from solid wood and finished in a natural wood, red and yellow design. Also available from Bigjigs is a range of ride-ons, with designs including a zebra, a bunny, a cow and a giraffe. The base of the ride-ons are hollow and have shapes cut out of the sides. The bikes are supplied with shaped blocks to be posted through the corresponding holes.

MARBEL The I’M Toy ride-on range features five products, which are designed for different age ranges, each with two colour variations. First in the line is the Quad Ride-On for younger children. The quad is ideal for children to begin with as the four wheels offer stability. The ride-on is available in wood with blue, red and yellow design or in wood with pale pink and purple for girls. The Pedal Trike is the next stage up and is also available in a choice of red/blue or pink/purple colourways. The Walk Me Motorbike is next and, finally, the range offers the Debut Scooter. The scooter is available in a choice of either blue or red models. Each of the products in the I’M Toy ride-on line will help improve children’s physical development across a wide range of ages. Also available from Marbel is a range of Paddie Riders – animal designed quad ride-ons with padded seats. The Paddie Riders are available in three options - Lamby, Tigger or Calffy – and feature the animal’s face between the handlebars at the front of the ride-on. Marbel’s I’M Toy products are produced from sustainable rubberwood and finished with nontoxic and preservative free colours.

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LITTLE TIKES 01908 268480 Little Tikes continues to encourage active play for physical development, coordination and motor skills with its move into the first bike sector. The firm’s new 3-in-1 Trike offers three development stages – a parent push trike, a parent guided trike and a kid powered trike – allowing the child to grow with the tricycle. Safety features include a fivepoint seat belt harness and a protective safety bar. Non slip pedals keep kids’ feet in place, the seat adjusts to four positions and the sun shade canopy is pivot adjustable. For full parental control in the early stages, the handle locks into position so it turns the wheels and the pedals can also be fixed in position. The trike features a bottle holder and a storage bucket, which has a dumping feature. The 3-in-1 trike is available in lilac/mauve or red and yellow, is manufactured from durable metal and plastic, and features hardwearing oversized tyres. To ensure maximum awareness, Little Tikes is supporting the 3-in-1 Trike with a PR campaign and marketing support, including TV and press advertising.

SEPTEMBER 2010

SECTOR GUIDE BIKES

VIVID IMAGINATIONS The VX Shark is the next generation micro scooter from Vivid, combining bike and scooter play. There are more than six ways to ride the scooter – the kneelie, the scoot, the cruise, the side ride, the tight rope and the cross-over. With a platform seat, front and back foot pegs, neon styling and easy fold action, it is ideal for children aged six and over. Meanwhile, the Timmy Trike features a removable parent handle for added safety, chunky wheels for stability and a storage bucket. The trike grows with the child, with settings to allow parents to switch from free wheel mode to pedal mode once the child is old enough to be able to pedal for themselves.

SEPTEMBER 2010

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KIDDIMOTO 01749 871175 Kiddimoto has launched its Kiddimoto Emergency Services range. Based on the firm’s Scrambler model, the three new designs feature liveries based on Police, Fire and Army. Kiddimotos are a child’s first bike and a tool for developing balance, steering and co-ordination at an early age. They don’t have pedals or brakes, letting the child control their own movements, which helps them to progress to a bicycle or starter motorcycle without using stabilisers. All Kiddimoto wooden balance bikes are constructed from recyclable, natural birch plywood and are very safe as a form of supervised educational play.

SUPPLIER FOCUS SPIN MASTER

Top Spin Having cemented its status as one of the UK’s top ten toy firms, Spin Master is looking to push on to the next level and compete at the top table. Marketing spend has greatly increased, licensing has been brought into the mix and the firm is in an acquisitive mood. Ronnie Dungan spoke to MD Kevin Jones and marketing director Phil Hooper to find out more… HAS IT REALLY been five years since Spin Master bought Kevin Jones’ start-up company, Feva? Apparently, it has. And five years down the line, the UK division of the firm is sitting pretty much where it wants to be – as a top ten toy company with the momentum to propel it yet further as a player in the global toy market. It has sourced and developed its own successful IPs and is now a player in the licensing market too, with ranges based on Disney’s Tron, Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon and M Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender. New product sectors are always in its sights and it has just entered the games market with the purchase of several lines from Imagination Games. The firm’s marketing spend has increased by 50 per cent in the UK with activity both above and below the line with tours, sponsorships and road-shows. In short, Spin Master is a company on its way to becoming a much bigger proposition. Kevin Jones, the firm’s UK MD, says being part of a bigger group enables it to act with a long-term view on licences and IP. With the Disney film Tron, for instance, the firm is not looking at a one hit wonder, with plans for another movie and a TV series in the pipeline, plus, of course, the second sales spike with the DVD release next spring. Marketing manager Phil Hooper says: “The franchise is building over a number of years, not just one hit. It’s a good, strong toy range and there’s some nice innovation in there.” But, Disney though it may be, Tron is not a flagship film release and you might say the same about The Last Airbender and How to Train Your Dragon. But Jones believes Spin Master is not only competing for second tier licences. “Up until last year, maybe. The stuff we are pitching up for is the stuff Mattel and Hasbro are after and you would expect us to be involved SEPTEMBER 2010

The stuff we are pitching for is the stuff Mattel and Hasbro are after and you would expect us to be involved in any major pitch now. It’s a turning point. Kevin Jones, UK MD, Spin Master

in any major pitch now. So it’s a bit of a turning point.” But licences are not about to dominate the Spin Master business and the success it has had in building Airhogs and, more recently, Bakugan, has increased confidence in its own IPs and its ability to create a longterm proposition. “The benefits to us are that we own the process end to end from manufacturing to consumer – product, pricing and marketing – which gives us more control,” explains Jones.

“We’re pretty nimble as a company. We have close relationships with the inventor community, who work pretty closely with us. That hasn’t changed. Owning products end to end gives us more control over product development. Retailers probably benefit from knowing there is more longevity in the brands too. Some distributed brands tend to be viewed as short-term propositions.” “That’s where you maybe would draw some parallels with the bigger guys, in our ability to build brands,” adds Hooper.

“If you look at Tech Deck and Bakugan for instance, we have a long-term investment in those. They are core brands, so we take a longerterm view on how we build them. “Retailers should be able to buy into the company and the proposition with more confidence,” comments Jones. “Whereas Feva was based upon distribution opportunities, we have the luxury of great brand development through relationships.” Jones says the company’s owners are not interested in a public offering – not at this stage anyway – but it needs to continue to grow at a steady pace and move into new and fresh product areas. Acquisitions are a more likely proposition. Spin Master has also moved into the games market, buying eight games from Imagination Games, but has licensed them back in the UK. More deals like this are likely. The company has also acquired the worldwide rights to Stratego from Hasbro for instance. “It’s safe to say that in order to grow, we need to make acquisitions,” continues Jones. “If you go back a year ago we weren’t in the girls’ business, but we are now. Two years ago we weren’t in the boys’ collectable business, but we are now. So you can expect to see us covering a broader base.” The UK marketing spend increase is also part of those expansion plans and has seen the firm spread its message across a number of different mediums as well as on TV. “We spent more on marketing. So there is sponsorship on Bakugan, GMTV, tours, retailer events, below the line support for skateboarding events for Tech Deck, sampling programmes for Mighty Beanz and so on. “We’re not sparing the horses. And we can do with confidence, because we know the mothership in Toronto has the money,” Jones confidently concludes.

COMPANY PROFILE CARTAMUNDI

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Pack mentality Card manufacturing and design specialist Cartamundi has a long and rich history in its particular niche, but is also expanding both its third-party manufacturing business and its own in-house brands and products. Ronnie Dungan spoke to general manager Paul Roberts about dealing cards…. FIRSTLY, CAN you give us a brief history of Cartamundi? Our company ancestry dates back to the time of the French revolution, in those days master printers handpainted and hand-made playing cards. A deck would take approx six months to complete and cost in today’s money up to £10,000 per deck. Cartamundi is still a privately held company and remains in the hands of the descendants of those original playing card makers. So we can safely say that after several generations of the same families owning our company we have stability, direction and a clear strategy. The only difference being that six months lead-time has drastically reduced to a few weeks and the price of £10,000 per deck unfortunately also. What is the current make-up of the firm? How many staff do you have? We have an executive board, which is split 50/50 between two families, and they appointed our chief executive officer Chris Van Doorslaer. Chris takes care of the day to day running via a management team – of which I am proud to be part – and this is also split 50/50 with a mix of Belgian/international management who all decide and direct the major decisions that affect our global company.

controller allowing you to fly buzz through a series of hoops in a classic CGI flying game format. This one product illustrates our direction, focus and dedication to bringing what essentially is a 2,000 year-old product bang up to date.

Cartamundi is in the entertainment business. We want to develop, produce, market and sell products – third party or our own brands – that are fun to play, engaging and collectable. Paul Roberts, General Manager With currently have seven factories in three continents (we also plan to start a presence this year in Asia) and sales offices covering most of the major markets on four continents. We employ more than a 1,000 people worldwide. What would you guys categorise yourself as? Are you more suppliers for third parties or more manufacturers and suppliers of your own brands? I think the answer is Cartamundi is in the entertainment business. What I mean by that is that we want to develop, produce, market and sell products – irrespective of third party or our own brands – that are fun to play, engaging, and collectable. Our goal is to always help our customers and us to use our cards innovatively and in a marketrelative way.

From playground to mobile phone to web applications, linking people playing together in a multienvironment situation via the use of our cards is our objective. A great example of this innovation is our new Toy Story 3 Space Ranger flying game. In conjunction with Disney we have developed a card game with the added element of being able to create a complete working 3D model of Buzz Lightyear. Buzz magically appears via use of our card and a web-cam on your computer screen. Playing with a 3D Buzz while seeing yourself and Buzz together on screen is cool. Adding to that, the functionality of being able to take your photo with Buzz to share with your friends online is also a great feature. The best of all though is we have also added a game element where the card becomes a game

What are your best selling lines? I would say that it splits 50/50 between our classic key core playing card ranges Stratus, Royal Flush, Diamond, Copag, Childrens card games and Ace Trumps, versus our licensed portfolio of products. Are you moving more into creating, marketing and selling your own products? Not so much moving, more what I would say is that all areas of our business are growing and naturally when you grow so do your activities in all the markets you are present. We have of course our own Cartamundi-branded products and licensed card games, which through a highly focused strategy we have benefited from significant growth in both sales and market share. Where will the company be in five year’s time? We will still be the number one playing card and card game manufacturing business in the world, but will have added manufacturing facilities in all continents and an increased sales presence in territories where we are not currently, and it makes sense to do so. Our products and services will become more innovative and, ultimately, so will the products we make for our customers and ourselves. Following this strategy I feel will also significantly increase our market share in those sectors. SEPTEMBER 2010

PAUL LAMOND GAMES LIMITED 31 Newington Green, Islington, London N16 9PU Telephone 020 7254 0100 Facsimile 020 7254 3400 Web: www.paul-lamond.com

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

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Playing to win While the games and puzzles sector notches up most of its sales during the Christmas run in, there is still growth to be had during the rest of the year. Indeed, in the 12 months to March 2010, the sector was worth £223m. NPD delivers more stats here, followed by our guide to what some of the main players are offering...

TOTAL GAMES and Puzzles was worth £223 million in the 12 months to March 2010 (source: NPD Consumer Panel), and is heavily weighted toward Christmas time, with 58 per cent of total sales in the October to December period. Gifting, along with family and group time together, is very important to the category and despite heavy competition from video games over the last few years, Games and Puzzles remains a popular category accounting for eight per cent of total spend on toys. It is also the most popular category for older age groups representing 24 per cent of sales purchased for recipients aged 18-plus and 21 per cent for ages ten to 17, showing there is a wide appeal of Games and Puzzles and needs to fulfil for today’s games. For YTD June 2010, the biggest category within Game and Puzzles is

Less than a year after it first launched, Lego Games has become the number one property in the Children’s Games sector.

Children’s Games, growing a remarkable 49 per cent. This growth is driven by the popularity of Cuponk by Hasbro, which is the number one item in total Games and Puzzles. In addition, Lego Games, less than a year after it first launched, has become the number one property in Children’s Games, and the number two property across total games (behind Monopoly).

Games & Puzzles Value % (12M to March 2010)

(source: NPD)

34.8%

Total Traditional Toys GAMES & PUZZLES 24.1%

18.4% 13.9%

12.7% 11.3%

12.7% 10.0%

9.3%

10.4%

9.7%

8.7% 6.3%

8.8%

5.9% 3.1%

0-3 Yrs

4-5 YRS

6-7 YRS

8-9 YRS

10-11 YRS

12-17 YRS

18+ YRS

Multiple Recipients

Within Games, Adult games are also showing growth, with Drumond Park’s The Logo Game, Articulate and Cranium all strong. However, Travel and Card games have struggled this year after a bumper time in 2009, despite a strong Top Trumps performance boosted by the World Cup in June. The puzzle market is extremely healthy with both Adult and Children puzzles in growth, with Children’s Puzzles up six per cent in value driven by licences. Peppa Pig is still growing, as well as Disney Princess, while the launch of Toy Story and Waybuloo puzzles also helped. The Games and Puzzles category is one of the most enduring areas of toys and there has been some much needed innovation in the last year, with new games adding to a healthy traditional game collection available to consumers. SEPTEMBER 2010

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

MATTEL

Mattel’s Games’ portfolio features fresh takes on its classic brands, innovative new launches and a major anniversary for Pictionary planned throughout the festive season. The launch of Scrabble Trickster, a new incarnation of the word game, scooped unprecedented press coverage across the globe. A major marketing campaign will continue to support the new edition, which adds a new level of play to the game. Players can now boost their score using the unique Trick

JUMBO

Jumbo is launching a new puzzle from the popular Falcon range, Home for Christmas. This will include two 1,000piece puzzles depicting a traditional, family Christmas day and a Christmas snowy scene. It will also launch Ladybird Christmas puzzle in a collector’s tin. The adult’s licensed puzzle category is bolstered with puzzles to celebrate the Carry On film series and Shoot. The release of the Coronation Street 50th anniversary Wasgij puzzle has boosted the brand, plus there is a Wasgij microsite and a new game launching later on in the year. Jumbo also has a 352-piece Harry Potter Wasgij puzzle due in September. The Around Britain range will feature illustrations from around the UK, while each i-spy jigsaw contains cards with illustrations from the puzzle so once the

SEPTEMBER 2010

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cards, allowing them to spell words backwards, steal points, use proper nouns and break all the usual Scrabble rules. Scrabble Trickster is TV advertised and supported with PR and online activity throughout the final quarter of the year. Another classic in the portfolio, Pictionary, enjoys celebrations this year as 25 years of the game of ‘quick sketches and crazy guesses’ are marked with the launch of a new edition. Pictionary Family Edition has a

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jigsaw has been completed the player must then find them in a game of i-spy. The Things You Love to Hate features comical drawings from a new artist. Jumbo will also be extending its range of puzzle accessories with a new fashion Porta Puzzle. This will feature a fabric checquered design. In the children’s category, Jumbo has enhanced its portfolio with the introduction of games and puzzles for pre-school properties Guess with Jess and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom. Jumbo also has refreshers to its Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam and Chuggington collections, plus new products for the Disney Princess range. Grow with Jumbo, the educational generic puzzle range aimed at children aged up to six, will also add a further two games to its range.

new look and is complete with two sets of clue cards of differing difficulty levels so both adults and kids can play together. A full marketing campaign will support the launch in the final quarter including TV and online. Mattel is also introducing two new items to the portfolio. Mindflex takes gameplay to another dimension combining advanced technology with the power of thought to create an interactive experience. Players can compete in five game modes, using the

LEGO Following its launch in 2009, Lego Games is back with a new range of products in time for Christmas 2010. Over the last year, Lego Games have proven popular with gift givers and children. August saw the first year anniversary of Lego Games – a concept that allows kids to make the game. Players can change the format of the game, using the Lego pieces and the build-able dice to create new challenges. Bringing innovation to the games category, the Lego Group gained a 10.5 per cent market share just four months after launch. Lego Games continues to innovate in this sector. The new Harry Potter Hogwarts, recommended for children from eight years, has been launched to coincide with the launch of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows. The game challenges players to graduate from the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and

wireless headset to read their brainwave activity, as they navigate their way through an obstacle course travelling up and down simply using the power of thoughts Loopz launches 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 fast reactions with knock-out rounds for up to four players. Both Mindflex and Loopz will be supported with heavyweight TV and PR campaigns. Hit game in the US, Apples to Apples, has arrived in the UK and will be supported with a major PR and marketing campaign. This fast paced card and party game encourages players to compare objects, people and adjectives among other things. New titles are also set to join Mattel’s growing kids’ game portfolio including Toy Story 3 Junior Scrabble and Thomas & Friends My First Scrabble, and in autumn a Thomas & Friends board game, Race Around Sodor, will be launched. The Mattel games portfolio, including Uno Extreme, Piranha Panic and Whaca-Mole, will be supported with a marketing campaign, including TV and PR throughout the year.

01753 495000 Wizardry. Opponents visit different school areas and strive to pass magical exams in the hope that a bit of the Harry Potter magic can rub off on them. The game includes five new mini-figures – Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore. Lego Games remains a top priority for the company and will be receiving extensive marketing support. Atlantis Treasure and Orient Bazaar have also been developed.

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

PAUL LAMOND GAMES The award winning Chimp and Zee pre-school educational games range continues to sell well with Silly Socks, Little Mermaids and Jolly Holidays becoming favourites. In the licensed preschool area both The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Gruffalo are also proving successful. The classic children’s games Hedbanz for Kids, Don’t Say It, Charades for Kids and Yes/No are up year on year. The successful skill and action games Chairs and Hot Potato have been joined this year by Jumping Monkeys, a fun game of catapulting monkeys onto a tree to win bananas. Classic Paul Lamond family games Perudo, Who’s in the Bag, Make Your Own Opoly, The Last Word and Murder Mystery Party range all continue. At Autumn Fair this year (Hall 5 Stand B30), Paul Lamond Games is launching five new products all of which will be available to stores in September/October. Complementing the game Dragonology and based on the latest book in the series, the firm is also

IMAGINATION GAMES

Imagination Games has unveiled its biggest and best product line for 2010. The company’s double-digit growth in 2009 has continued into 2010, with growth coming from its core brands and licensed portfolio. Many of the games continue to perform well at retail and continue this year, including Top Gear Ultimate Car Challenge, Gogo’s Crazy Bones board game, Beat The Parents and Chav. This summer, Imagination launched two new Doctor Who games in partnership with BBC Worldwide, The Time Wars Family game and Save the Universe Children’s game. Play That Tune (a winner of the Best New Toy in the Games and Puzzle category at Toy Fair 2010) is a new

SEPTEMBER 2010

0207 2540100 launching Vampirology, a game that involves players taking the part of Kraik with the aim of eradicating vampires from the world. Having signed the licence for the Tinga Tinga Tales, Paul Lamond is launching the first of a number of games and puzzle products – a Giant Floor puzzle and a 4-in-1 puzzle. 2011 will be the 20th anniversary of the original interactive board game Atmosfear, first launched by Spears and more recently taken up by Vivid Imagination. This classic game is available from Paul Lamond from September. The company has signed a licence for games and puzzles based on The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This publishing phenomena in the US has been launched by Penguin in the UK and is already the fourth biggest fiction brand for children aged nine and over. In August, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid film hit screens in the UK, with a second planned for 2011. Paul Lamond will be launching The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cheese Touch Board Game.

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addition to the family games line; so simple any age can play. If you remember the film Big with Tom Hanks, imagine having the giant floor piano at home and playing a tune on it and letting you opponents guess the tune you’re playing. Well, now you can with Play That Tune. Quelf, already a top seller in the US and winner of The Good Toy Guide Silver award, arrives in the UK shortly. It’s the ultimate game of random silliness – just obey the card to play. Mysteries of Old Chinatown sees a new detective game hit the shops with 40 missions to solve via special clue reveals including 3D glasses, mirror writing and many more. Players get to solve a clue every turn.

ESDEVIUM GAMES

Wallace and Gromit is set for a return to television screens later this year and the board game, Fleeced, is available from Esdevium Games. Designed by the creator of the animation, Nick Park, the game has a choice of six characters from previous films, including the duo themselves. The game challenges players to find and rustle as many sheep as they can and take them back to their home without being ‘fleeced’ by other players or losing their flock in other ways. Fleeced is one of the many games exclusive to Esdevium, which also stocks popular titles such as Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride, all winners of the German Game of the Year Award. Newer titles from Esdevium include Jungle Speed and Buzz It.

WINNING MOVES Dragons’ Den – The Board Game features more than 300 real life ideas and inventions to choose from, all players have to do is choose which ones were goldmines, hits or flops. All inventions are genuine, including some from hundreds of years ago, as well as some real-life pitches made in the Den. The aim of the game is simple – to make as much money as you can. Each person has six inventions in every game to decide upon – two per round. Players must determine whether the invention was a Goldmine (a huge success), a Hit (made it to market, with moderate success) or a Flop (a disaster) and place a bet on the appropriate square on the board. The maximum bet is £250,000, and a successful ‘investment’ will double the money, but any funds placed unsuccessfully will be deemed as lost. To add more of a challenge to the game, each player is given three ‘Dragon Cards’. These are a way to make more of your money. Played well, they can be the difference between victory and bankruptcy, so use them wisely. The game is suitable for ages eight and over and can be played with two to six players. Top Trumps Tournament comes with six exclusive Top Trumps packs (Top

01420 593500

Esdevium Games is able to offer a large range of board, card and specialist games due to its relationships with manufacturers including Hasbro, Mattel and Drumond Park. Classics such as Scrabble, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit continue to generate strong sales, with updated versions of the standard games also available, bringing them into the 21st century. Esdevium also deals in collectables such as Pokémon, Yu Gi Oh and Match Attax as well as new crazes Gogo’s, Silly Bandz and Club Penguin. It is able to offer deals to retailers, such as next day delivery and the choice of buying in bulk or hand picking a specific number to meet the retailer’s needs.

020 7298 9500 Toys, Pop Stars, WOW, TV, Sporting Heroes and Movies) and a Hub. The aim of the game is simple – be the first to fill the Top Trumps score bar with pegs and win the Top Trumps Tournament final. Players achieve this by playing and winning the Tournament mini-games: Head to Head, My Pack, Shoot-out, HiLo, Steel A Peg and Win Two Pegs. Once a player has filled their score bar with all nine pegs, the final begins. Every Top Trumps pack ever made fits into the Top Trumps Hub, so players can choose their favourite pack, slot it in the Hub and play it in the tournament. The game is suitable for ages six and over and is played with two to six players. Harry Hill’s TV show is breaking into the world of gaming with the new TV Burp Board Game. The aim of the game is to reach the End space on the playing board, but first each player must take part in a variety of challenges and activities to moves through the board. All activities and question cards are based around the world of television past and present, including TV stars, trivia knowledge, acting skills and channel-hopping abilities. The game is suitable for ages seven and over and for two or more players.

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

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DRUMOND PARK 01506 855577

In the Family Games sector (age eight to adult) there are three new titles – Best of British, sister product to Logo, which light-heartedly delves into our everyday life. Backing this up is an electronic joke-telling board game called Don’t Laugh, which includes a microphone, which emits farts and laughs and changes players voices, plus Word Search – another title brought up to date for 2010 as a word-seeking race. Drumond Park’s adult games selection is bolstered by the introduction of Articulate Your Life, complete with new lifestyle categories and an electronic random timer. There’s also the opportunity to play C4’s Countdown at home. The firm has also just won the rights for a Come Dine With Me game, which will be in-store by mid-October.

RAVENSBURGER Ravensburger has a host of new games and puzzles launching for the autumn/winter season. Key games include Jolly Octopus, the 3D action game aimed at children from four years-old and upward. The game won the award for Best New Game at the 2010 London Toy Fair, and the company is backing the launch with a TV campaign. New to Ravensburger’s children’s puzzle range are Toy Story 3 jigsaws, including a 3x49 piece and four in a box, a giant floor puzzle and a 100-piece puzzle. Alongside these is a range of jigsaws based on Dreamworks Shrek Forever After movie – including a 3-in-abox, a 100-piece puzzle and a Giant Floor Puzzle. Other children’s puzzle launches include items based on Barbie, Dora the Explorer and Me to You for the girls and Hot Wheels, Doctor Who and Disney Cars for the boys. The company is also wooden puzzles based on Thomas and Friends.

01869 363800 There are over 20 new autumn launches in Ravensburger’s adult puzzle range. Puzzle Store is a puzzle workstation, which includes sorting trays, a jigsaw assembly board and storage all in one. New puzzles include the Christmas puzzle, Top Gear ‘Where’s Stig’, Me to You 2-in-1 heart shaped puzzle and the first in a new cartoon comedy series entitled Best of British. Ravensburger’s puzzleball 3D jigsaw range sees launches of new formats and shapes, alongside new licence introductions. Puzzlepyramid is a 3D jigsaw which builds to create a pyramid; designs for this include colourful Egyptian and underwater scenes, and a Christmas story design. Also new are licensed items based on Twilight Eclipse, Me to You, Disney Fairies, Miami Ink and Avatar. Finally, there’s also a Toy Story Spaceship puzzleball, which fits together into a space rocket-shaped design.

COILEDSPRING GAMES Forbidden Island requires players to work with others to collect four treasures and get off the Island before it sinks. Launched in the US this summer, it has already sold over 50,000 copies and won the top MENSA award 2010. It is available exclusively from Coiledspring in the UK. The aim of the wooden sailing game, Regatta, is to sail wooden boats around a course by playing cards to steer port, ahead or starboard. Coiledspring Games is partnering with national newspapers to promote its new game, Kakuzu. Up to four players compete while solving a Sudoku grid together. Whoever gets the most answers correct, wins. 2010 brought the launch of a new family quiz game – Brit Quiz. Game designers, David and Margaret Allis wanted a family game that was also educational, so they designed and launched Brit Quiz. The game has questions set at four different ability levels, so that participants of all ages and abilities can all play together. There are 400 cards in Brit Quiz, with four questions and answers on each card. The questions range from relatively easy (Q1) to relatively hard (Q4). The cards are full of information – where space permits, extra information has been added to make the game even more educational. Brit Quiz is designed for two or more players from age eight. The new Purrfect Games & Puzzles brand has just hit the UK market with a

UNIVERSITY GAMES 01359 243900

Based on the BBC TV quiz show Pointless, University Games has developed a new board game. Pointless brings the best features of the game show into the living room. The game closely follows the format of the TV show, where all players are asked the same question and the best score is the least obvious answer. Following the success of Sort it Out, University Games has developed a junior version, Sort it Out Jr. Sort it Out Jr has questions based around four items and players have to put them in the appropriate sequence – the tallest, the oldest, the fastest, etc. It is a fast-paced game where knowing just a little about something can help you win everything.

0870 4461515

range featuring elegant international artwork, religious architecture, photography and Celtic imagery. The puzzles are produced in The Netherlands and won the Dr. Toy’s Best Green Product 2010 in the US. The varied puzzle pieces are thicker than standard, use linen paper, are glare-free and well fitting, and supplied in a compact durable box. There will be four collections in the Purrfect Puzzles range – Celtic, Architectural, Pre-Raphaelite and

Heritage Collections. All are available in 1,000 pieces. The first collection will feature images from Rachel Arbuckle, an Irish Celtic image artist and architectural photographer, Achim Bednorz. Also in cooperation with the British Tate Gallery, there is a series of PreRaphaelite paintings including The Lady of Shallott by John William Waterhouse and Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais. The final collection captures the essence of the Irish countryside in

paintings from John Faulkner and James Richard Marquis. Finally, Rory’s Story Cubes includes nine illustrated cubes. Roll out the cubes, begin with Once Upon a Time, and tell a story that links together all the face-up images. There is no wrong answer; the goal is to simply let the images spark imagination. Rory’s Story Cubes is a non-competitive game for one or more players. It can be played alone or with groups and is suitable for ages six and over.

SEPTEMBER 2010

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

GREEN BOARD GAMES 01494 538999

The Right Start Best Toy Guide 2010, due out in early October, features BrainBox ABC. The illustrated memory recall game has been highly commended in the games and puzzles category of the Right Start Best Toy Awards. Young players have ten seconds to study a picture card before answering alphabet related questions. The game is a very interactive way of achieving an important learning outcome. BrainBox ABC is presented in a bright, sturdy container and each case of BrainBox (12 units) comes with a free point of sale display.

JOHN CRANE

John Crane’s colourful Chunky Puzzles have become a favourite with both retailers and children, with the arrival last year of the Chunky Puzzle Safari and the Chunky Puzzle Farm completing the set. The range also includes the Chunky Puzzle Pets and the Chunky Puzzle Transport. Each puzzle is a host of chunky pieces housed in a brightly coloured board for matching.

SEPTEMBER 2010

GIBSONS GAMES

Gibsons has recently launched seven new puzzles including Mike Jupp’s I Love Christmas. The tenth puzzle in the popular I Love... series is full of Jupp’s signature detail and humour. Gibsons’ best-selling Limited Edition Christmas Puzzle is also now available: Santa’s Little Helpers shows Father Christmas and his elves preparing the sleigh for the big night ahead. Gibsons has partnered with RHS Chelsea Flower Show and has produced a 1,000-piece puzzle depicting the best bits of the event. Each of the new puzzles come from talented artists and are made using thicker, recycled board. The range now tops 250 designs and includes the My World children’s puzzles.

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The four puzzles achieved a Gold Practical Pre-school Award, gaining recognition for their innovative design. Each puzzle piece is ideal for small hands to hold, and the thickness means they stand alone for added play value. The pieces can be used as drawing templates, too. All Chunky Puzzles are aiming to capture young imaginations to encourage new vocabulary and hand eye co-ordination.

020 8661 8866

New games joining the collection include three Party Games, which were children’s favourites back in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Gibsons has re-launched its most popular of these games, with an active twist. Shopping Madness, Railway Romp and Donkey Derby are party games where children must race around, challenge their memory and use their imagination. All games are flexible, with rules offering easy, harder and larger party versions and are packaged in gifting tins. Also new is Hare & Tortoise – the ‘most ingenious race game ever devised’. With over two million copies sold, this game of skill and cunning is based on the fable.

CIRCA CIRCA

Circa Circa is now into its third edition of About Time, the family board game, with the new Friends and Family Edition being picked up by Happy Puzzle. In Germany, About Time Das Zeit Spiel, the German edition of the board game in association with Die Zeit newspaper, goes from strength to strength, with Circa Circa’s distribution relationship with Californian Products continuing to bear fruit in the German marketplace. Circa Circa director Iain McGill comments: “Californian Products, and

JC GAMES 01323 647886 The New York games company, Pressman Toys, has launched the travel word game Qb under licence in the USA and Canada. The distinctive vacuum pack is proving to be popular with retailers. JC Games, through its UK distributors, Launch Products, is also in discussion with High Street retailers regarding marketing Qb in the US-style packaging. Qb continues to be available in the boxed version through Launch Products. The advantage of Qb is that you play with letter cubes – not tiles – giving you more possibilities on each turn to make words. This enables all players, whatever their skill level, to enjoy Qb. Start by laying down a word using any side of your cubes. After the first word is placed, players build crossword-puzzle style and try to score as many points as they can for the finish.

07984 623159

the national retailers they work with, have shown great enthusiasm for the Die Zeit edition of About Time, and we have recently agreed our biggest order to date – it is a number with four zeros in it and we are very happy about it.” In the US, About Time USA edition has gained plaudits following its launch last year in Barnes & Noble. “We had a very exciting and busy New York trade fair and we feel optimistic about our presence in the US market going forward,” adds Matt Gould, fellow director of Circa Circa.

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

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CREATIVITY INTERNATIONAL 01384 485550

HASBRO

Creativity International has expanded its own brand range and also now stocks Trend lines. The Fun to Know puzzles have been developed to educate and stimulate children to learn as they play, reinforcing childhood topics with hands-on activities that challenge young minds. The format adapts to abilities and features soft connecting puzzle pieces with photographs for easy recognition and retention. The puzzles are suitable for ages three and over. The durable puzzle pieces are 75x75mm and are supplied in a sturdy storage box. The firm also has Mister Maker Paint Your Own Puzzles, plus Mr Men and Postman Pat Make Your Own Reward Charts, Mr Scatterbrain Reward Chart and Paint by Numberjacks.

The new number one in the games category, Cuponk, is a play-anywhere, anyhow game, which turns the whole house into your arena. The aim of the game is to get your ball into the cup – a feat rewarded by sounds and flashing lights. Trick cards are included, which tell players precisely the mega-shot they have to take. This year sees a new addition to Elefun and Friends – Froggio. Pop Goes Froggio is an active matching game. Kids have to spread lily pads of Elefun and his friends around the room, spin the spinner and race to find the matching picture. The first one to match the Elefun and Friends character to the right lily pad gets to stomp on the big

JOHN ADAMS AND TOY BROKERS

The Krypton Factor is an interactive DVD board game, building on the brand heritage of the TV series, which returned to screens for ten episodes in January 2009 and consistently pulled in 3.5 million viewers a week. The game itself is a mind-bending, challenging board game for the whole family. There are two skill levels – allowing mixed age/ability play – across Mental Agility, Observation, Intelligence, Physical Ability and General Knowledge. Players answer questions, solve puzzles and take physical challenges to progress around the assault course. The game comes with interactive DVD content for each round, including observation clips from ITV show footage, including Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hell’s Kitchen. The game is available now, suitable for ages eight and over. Total Action Football is a table-top football game, providing ‘magnetic

action’, with each player able to pass, trap or shoot the ball. The Power Strike Edition includes Free Kick ramp, Corner ramp, Diving Keepers and Power Strikers. Total Action Football is suitable for ages six and over and is TV supported. The Cube is an electronic board game, based on the ITV series hosted by Phillip Schofield. The game replicates the show’s format, including around 60 challenges, which can be simplified, as per the TV version. New Scotland Yard – Crime Scene: The Family Board Game puts players on the evidence trail in London, journeying the capital’s streets as a Crime Scene Examiner. Secret tests must be used to reveal clues. The game includes a UV light, magnifier and special evidence decoder devices. The New Scotland Yard –The Puzzle of the Kensington Mews Murder is a 250-piece jigsaw puzzle with a

020 8569 1234

green lily pad launcher and send Froggio for a triumphant leap. Crocodile Chomp challenges kids to get their frog hopping before the Croc starts chomping. Players can have some fun in the sun while the Croc snoozes, but if they wake him they will get caught up in the feeding frenzy. Kids aim to be the last frog to survive the Croc’s jaws. Nab It is the family game of stolen words. Any surface can become a board game in this word puzzle for up to four people. Create words using coloured letter tiles in a crossword fashion and then stack tiles on top of each other to form new words. Everyone is on equal footing with Nab It, because every word

01480 414361

difference. Once assembled, forensic techniques must be used to reveal 12 clues and solve a murder case. The set includes UV light to spot invisible marks, a magnifier to highlight tiny clues and rubbing tools to reveal hidden impressions. Dream Phone is an interactive board game, which allows up to four friends trying to uncover the identity of their own secret admirer. Players operate a battery-powered phone to receive texts and calls, all providing clues to reveal a mystery boy who has a crush on them. The sleek new Dream Phone comes in a pink design, looking and feeling just like a real mobile phone. As the game heats up, players make their way around the board, encountering various situations and getting ever-closer to discovering their geeky or gorgeous suitor. Dream Phone will be supported with heavyweight TV promotion.

is worth just one point. The player with the highest letter built on each word wins the point, so stack wisely. This year Monopoly is celebrating its 75th anniversary. To celebrate, Hasbro has revolutionised elements of the classic game. Monopoly Revolution edition includes a new round game board and an electronic game unit that keeps track of your location on the game board. It also features song clips and sound effects including Celebration by Kool & The Gang and Drive My Car by The Beatles throughout the game to mark your progress. Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It is the most inclusive Trivial Pursuit game yet with every player involved on every turn. This new version introduces coloured chips to the game so you can bet on whether your opponents will answer their questions correctly or not. Bet wisely and you could earn enough to buy a wedge, bringing you even closer to victory. There are no lulls in the gameplay with everyone playing at once, and with 1,800 questions, there are plenty of things to keep you talking. Finally, Cranium has been reinvented for 2010. The game that now has 600 new playing cards and an innovative folding game board that gives you three ways to play so you can choose how long the game will be.

CARTAMUNDI 01268 511522

Cartamundi has developed a new game using groundbreaking technology, which it hopes will change the way we play card games. The new Toy Story 3 Buzz Lightyear gift tin contains themed playing cards, the trade up 2-in-1 game and The Buzz augmented reality card. The special Buzz card enables players to bring Buzz Lightyear to life through the help of a computer. Simply hold up the card in front of a webcam and Buzz will appear on screen with you. This new software allows you to take pictures, make your own movies and enjoy a space ranger flying game on your PC. For the girls, to coincide with the release of Disney’s latest Princess film Tangled, Cartamundi has a range of themed products, gift set with card games, Happy Families playing cards and a Pairs game. A lockable tin is available with two card games enclosed.

SEPTEMBER 2010

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563

Dr Baffler’s Muddle Puzzles launched last year and feature colourful repeating patterns, which, on the face of it, appear quite easy to solve but are harder than they look. The Muddle Puzzles are available in Knight, Princess, Sealife and Farm designs. Each theme comes as either puzzling nine-pieces or tricky 22pieces. Free point wooden effect display available. Suitable for ages five and over.

HTI

HTI’s Wood Works range of traditionally crafted wooden toys includes many pre-school wooden puzzles for 12 and 18 months upwards. The collection includes chunky shape sorters, peg puzzles, learning blocks, alphabet and number puzzles, building blocks and jigsaws. All Wood Works pre-school puzzles have been designed to help develop recognition of numbers, letters, shapes and colours, as well as enhance hand-eye coordination and cognitive abilities and stimulate visual development. New Peg Puzzles include three assorted colourful cartoon

SEPTEMBER 2010

RE:CREATION

0118 973 6222

Ready to go and easy to store, according to the firm, Disney Games on the Go are a range of mini game boxes, each the size of a pack of cards. Four Toy Story 3 games are available which include Disney Winks, Dominoes, Escape from Sunnyside – a magnetic flip out board game and Secret Powers UV card game. Each game is a classic children’s game with a Disney twist. The collection fills a gap in the Disney board game market providing impulse prices for retailers.

01253 778888

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

Re:creation also believes it is offering a complete solution for all pocket money needs. Stylus pens are new toy and game pens, which enable kids to mix and match colourful beads to create new designs every time you write, including licences from Lego. Games 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, while Lego Star Wars includes R2-D2, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, X-Wing Pilot and Yoda.

TOMY Tomy’s Harry Potter range of Deathly Hallows and World of Harry Potter toys, includes two types of puzzles. The new 300piece Glow in the Dark Puzzles allow fans of the films to recreate Harry Potter movie moments, including classic scenes of Harry and his comrades, the evil Lord Voldemort, and Voldemort’s Army. Suitable for children aged six and older, these puzzles come with an optional ‘glow’ layer which can be applied once the puzzle is complete to give a glow in the dark effect. There are four to collect in the assortment. Another one for the collectors is Tomy’s range of six 150piece micro puzzles, suitable for children age six and over. Each puzzle builds into a recreation of the Harry Potter movie posters from films one to six. Once finished, the micro puzzles can be framed ready for display, and fans can

TOPPS 01908 561588

All the biggest WWE Superstars are back inside the new sticker collection from Topps. WWE Icons is filled with Raw, SmackDown and NXT Superstars including Randy Orton, Edge and Sheamus. Relive the action from the biggest events in the WWE calendar including WrestleMania XXVI and Extreme Rules with a new page design that captures the energy of bouts. There are 250 stickers to collect, available in packets of six, plus a competition in the album, prizes include live event tickets and signed merchandise from Mattel.

020 8722 7300

create a movie montage by connecting the individual frames together. Tomy’s Harry Potter puzzle range will be available from this month, ahead of the release of the penultimate film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One, in November.

Game On

...and On

Imagination Games just keeps on getting bigger and better with new innovations, new titles and a whole range of games that sell. If you want to ďŹ nd out more call David Snow on 0776 4466573 for further information.

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

www.toynews-online.biz

HIVE ENTERTAINMENT 01706 242070

Hive Entertainment offers the new Nintendo Puzzle range, which is available for the first time in the UK. The Nintendo Puzzles are available in two designs: Super Mario Bros Wii and Super Mario Galaxy. When completed, each 550-piece jigsaw puzzle measures 18 x 24in. Both designs will be available this month, exclusively through Hive. Also available is a Super Mario collector’s chess set. Each comes with 32 detailed individual two-inch vinyl figures of all the Super Mario characters from the video games series. Each figure comes on a labelled coloured stand indicating the piece they are in the game. The set also includes a Super Mario chess-board and comes presented in a tin box.

INTERPLAY

The 4D Cityscape Time Puzzle was recently awarded Gift of the Year. The new jigsaw puzzle, which recreates the city of London, not only has three dimensions of length, width and depth, but an added fourth dimension of time. A Time Poster included with the puzzle guides the player through history, 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 devastating Fire of London in 1666, with a map overlaid showing the streets of modern day London. The Cityscape Time Puzzle includes over 1,200 jigsaw pieces with the first

IMC TOYS

01904 720908

The Toy Story 3 Air Hockey is a tabletop game for two players. It is battery operated making it portable, as is the Galactic pinball, which features an electronic score board, lights and sounds. In The Toy Story 3 DriveThrough game, players have to race Buzz around the track and avoid crashing into the obstacles against the clock or to beat opponents. The Ben 10 Mega Laser Set and Ben Guessing Game are set for launch in time for Christmas. The Mega Laser set contains two laser guns with light and sound effects. The object of the game is to use up your opponent’s lives before they take yours, and render your

01628 488944

layer creating 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 Bridge, which is due for completion in 2012 – giving puzzlers an insider view of how this new super structure will affect London’s skyline in two years time. The Cityscape 4D Time Puzzle range also currently includes New York and will soon be launching in Chicago, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Paris and Toronto versions.

laser useless. The Ben 10 Guessing game is a twist on a classic and features all of the TV show’s characters. IMC also has a guessing game in its range of Clone Wars items. Two other games in this range are Repairing R2D2 and Star Cruiser Attack, which are both TV advertised through November. R2D2 has been knocked about in battle and the task is to put him back together by following the instructions as they are given. If R2 emits one of his famous sounds, players have to start again. Target the enemy’s battle cruisers to win in Star Cruiser attack, which includes two clone helmet shaped boards and miniature battle cruisers.

BIGJIGS

Not So Noughts and Crosses is a new noughts and crosses range, which gives a modern twist on the classic game. The game is now available in two new designs: Pirate and Fairy & Frog. The play pieces are crafted from solid wood and, as with all Bigjigs products, finished with non-toxic paints, stains and lacquers. The board is a colourful square metal tin that doubles as a carry case. The pieces are also magnetic, making the game ideal for travel. With the new Classic World breakfast puzzle, Hard Egg or Soft?, children can learn the names and shapes of all of the components that make up breakfast.

RAINBOW DESIGNS 0870 758 7700

Rainbow Designs is staying true to its literary heritage roots with the launch of a collection of new Elmer wooden puzzles, a brand which is already a big success within the publishing sector. Targeted at both boys and girls, the new Wooden Peg Puzzle and Dominoes will take parents, gift buyers and retailers back to days gone by and the products are manufactured from high quality materials. These new arrivals make the perfect companions to the Elmer soft toys and Rainbow’s selection of colourful board and paperback story books, along with the new 28cm Colour Me Elmer toy. Also new from Rainbow Designs is the Spot Wooden Peg Puzzle and Dominoes.

01303 250400

Designed for children of two years and over, the breakfast puzzle can also help to develop a child’s understanding of how to use a knife and fork, as well as learning table manners. Again, it is made from solid wood and finished with pastel coloured non-toxic paints. The new games compendium offers four games in one. Contained within a wooden red carry box is Snakes & Ladders, Draughts, Tiddlywinks and Tic Tac Toe. The selection of games gives a wide range of learning potential from ages three and over. The traditional Snakes and Ladders game has even been given a modern twist, and is themed around 18 nursery rhymes.

SEPTEMBER 2010

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525

Orchard Toys is adding three more products to its range of awardwinning games and jigsaw puzzles. The games, Jack and Jill and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, will need little introduction to most children, so they can recite the words while playing the games. With the Olympic Games coming up, the illustrated jigsaw puzzle, Animal Games is also being added to the Orchard Toys range. These three products join the Little Puzzles range launched in April – Little Diploducus, Little Tractor, Little Bus and Little Triceratops. All these products are in the three plus age range and are designed to help children in the Early Years Foundation Stage with their hand-eye coordination, colour matching, numeracy and literacy skills.

SEPTEMBER 2010

VIVID New to Vivid’s pre-school jigsaw collection is ZingZillas, available in sets of four or ten per box. With the set of four jigsaws, piece together two, four, six and eight piece puzzles to reveal the characters. Also available is a set of ten jigsaws, with puzzles ranging from eight to sixteen pieces. Children can piece together to reveal ten ZingZillas island scenes and then connect the puzzles together to create one giant floor puzzle. Vivid’s pre-school puzzle range also includes Fifi, Roary and Timmy four in a box varieties. A new addition to the Vivid pre-school games arena is ZingZillas ‘Zak on Tour’ Pop Up Game. It’s a game of skill as players load Zak up with his instruments until he pops up and drops it all. Also available are Timmy’s Pop up Game, Fifi’s Stack a Cake and Roary’s Pitstop Panic games. Now kids can play games on the move with the Mini Games Carabiner Assortment. Games include mini-Bop It – pull the blue knob

01483 449944 to wake up Bop It, then press the Bop It button to start the game. Yell out anything for Shout it and make sure you respond quickly and correctly to all commands or you’ll be out and have to start again. Simon the classic memory game is also included in the assortment, so challenge yourself to repeat the ever increasing sequence of flashing lights and electronic sounds.

MARBEL 01208 873123

George Luck has been designing and manufacturing wooden puzzles for over 30 years. The Rainbow range retails at £4.99 and is designed for children between the ages of two and four. The puzzle includes seven different shaped pieces and is sized at 15cm x 15cm. The colourful puzzles are a great way of developing children’s hand eye co-ordination. The more advanced puzzles come with multiple layers, such as the Snail and Friends (£7.99). The puzzle features two layers to help children to develop logical thinking processes. The Space Pinball game from I’M Toys features spinners, bouncers and sounds. Try and score the most points with the three pinballs you shoot from the launch pad.

Major TV advertising campaign in

October & November

The World : 540 pieces 11118

Santa’s Midnight Snack : 240 pieces 11529

Discover the World : 540 pieces 11133 The Simpsons Cast : 240 pieces 11036

Spongebob Squarepants : 240 pieces 11514

Hello Kitty : 96 pieces 11336

Me to You : 240 pieces 11530

Sales Hotline 01869 363800

sales@ravensburger.com

SECTOR GUIDE GAMES & PUZZLES

WOW STUFF 0870 054 6000

Wow Stuff is looking to increase its share of the puzzle market with its flagship Mensa brand. Since launch three years ago, the Mensa brand of puzzles and games has stormed to the top of the puzzle market with major retailers including Debenhams and WH Smith. The Mensa puzzles and games cover all price points from £4.99, £9.99, £14.99 up to £19.99. Mensa covers a range of popular puzzle games, from chess to solitaire and wooden to metal traditional puzzles.

RICHARD EDWARD As a manufacturer of card based products, and a strategic partner to many well-known games brands including Top Trumps and Monopoly, Richard Edward works to get products in consumers’ hands, when they need them, at the right price point. Richard Edward has the capacity to produce in excess of 40 million decks of cards per annum using its fully integrated in-house facilities. The firm produces trading card sets, card components for board games, stand alone card games, and playing cards for promotional and conventional use and delivers throughout Europe and worldwide. Richard Edward offers a range of specialist printing and innovative finishing processes to ensure that we meet the most demanding creative brief.

SEPTEMBER 2010

SONIC GAMES

01743 363 888

The third and latest puzzle in the (IAS) Isis adventure series is partly named after and based on the De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), the seminal work on the heliocentric theory of the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The Copernisis puzzle provides the third key required to help solve Isis V, which will be released in 2015. The metal puzzle has five rotating rings, each one representing one of the planets in the solar system, which need to be aligned perfectly in order to release the key chamber through one

0208 311 8888

of eight different keyholes on the side of the puzzle. The puzzle also has secret compartments containing information on how to solve the rings. Once the Copernisis has been solved, enter the unique key number found engraved inside the key chamber and play the star map game on the www.copernisis.com website which contains cash awards for those that can crack the star map codes. The booklet also contains important information within the narrative that will help players progress through the key stages of the puzzle.

HABA

DKL 01604 678780 Children from age three can enjoy Wonderworld’s range of boxed games for two or more players. Included in the portfolio are Eco Town Game, a classic dice game, and strategy game Traffic Domino. The Eco Town Game teaches kids how to save the environment. A town can be created with houses, trees, bicycle, recycle bin and a rainwater tank. The towns on each playing board can be joined together for more creative play. Transport 3D Dominos offers a version of the traditional dominos game with a modern twist. The aim is to make a road network by matching the coloured vehicle parts in front and rear sections on wooden squares. The winner is the first to get rid of their pieces. All Wonderworld games are designed to stimulate and challenge children, whilst promoting concentration and strategic thinking. Also in the portfolio is Build a Village where children make up their own village complete with houses, trees and cars. The game allows up to four players at a time.

0161 304 9555

From foiling, to glow-in-the-dark or creating inks that react to temperature, to randomised collation and unique coding within trading card sets, the processes enable many different effects. And because everything the firm does is carried out on one site, it offers flexibility to work to its clients’ needs. The company’s environmental credentials include FSC and Green Mark, together with scope to reduce its clients’ carbon footprint by purchasing a British product. Richard Edward is also audited to Global Sourcing Principles (and can be found on the SMETA database), the ETI base code, and hold both Investors in People and ISO 9001 accreditations. The latest new range of Discovery Puzzles encourages children to look into the depths of a picture to see each intricate detail which truly brings the story behind the puzzle alive. The puzzles have magnified detail motifs around the edge and kids will need to find where they are repeated in the puzzle. There is also a story supplied with each puzzle for reading aloud. Wiggling Cow is a balancing game with wooden cow, Elsa, standing on a heap of grass represented by wooden tiles on a colourful board. Using the wooden fork included, children have to pull the bales of grass out without toppling Elsa off. Haba’s Sleepy Princess is a wobbly,

piling game for two to four players and is based on the story of the Princess and the Pea. Players have to pile up cushions, blankets and mattresses for the bed test. Finally, encouraging children to play and develop together, Haba’s Orchard game evolves with the children who play it, with eight versions suitable for different ages and abilities. The Orchard is a co-operative dice game, with the objective to race to collect fruit before the raven beats the players to it. The largest and more complicated version, the Orchard Floor game is a 70 x 70 cm board complete with large wooden fruits and a basket incorporating an element of imaginary play.

If you think you need a brand, contact... Roger Dyson, Ian Edmunds or Colin Farrow on +44 (0)1604 674477 is a 100% Members-O Owned mutuality

Dedicated monthly retail coverage

Retail Only News • Data • Opinion

NPD figures show Europe is out-performing US Revenue growth in Europe’s top five toy markets shows five per cent increase so far... by Ronnie Dungan NEW STATS from ToyNews’ exclusive media partner, NPD, show the European market ahead of the US in the first half of the year, with the UK leading the way. Toy sales in the US remained largely unchanged during the first half of 2010, while revenue growth in Europe’s five largest toy markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK) experienced a five per cent increase. Though strong economic pressures persist in most countries, and the prospect of a consumer recovery is not yet clear, consumers have increased their spend on traditional toys. US revenues topped $7.771bn during the first half of this year (JanJune) against $7.748bn generated during the same time period in 2009. Of the European toy markets during the same time period, the UK

lead the way with eight per cent growth, followed by Spain with six per cent growth, Germany with four per cent, France with three per cent, and Italy with two per cent. In Europe, sales for the first half of the year only represent approximately 30 per cent of annual toy sales, but this performance is a positive indicator of a good peak season to come. “With a strong first half like the one experienced in 2010, we are confident that 2010 will record solid single digit growth in Europe,” said Frédérique Tutt, EuroToys analyst at NPD. “We are currently seeing growth in each of our five key markets, and consumers seem to react well to impulse categories

perhaps indicating a greater confidence into economic recovery.” For the first half of this year, NPD has noticed market growth that is driven, in part, by sales of outdoor and sports toys. Overall consumer reaction to the dry weather experienced throughout Europe in June bodes well for the industry, since sales of products within this category are largely weather-dependent. Another good indication of a general recovery within the industry is the continued popularity of properties such as Bakugan and Star Wars. In the coming weeks, analysts anticipate continued growth from the Toy Story 3 brand. For the year-todate (Jan-June), Europe’s five largest toy markets show Star Wars as the number one licence for traditional toys, with Toy Story being the year’s fastest growing licence. NPD: 01932 355580

Third Barnhaus indie store opens Another indie springs up from the ashes of Woolworths with new toy outlet… by Katie Roberts TWO FORMER Woolworths managers have opened up a third outlet of their independent toy chain in Epsom. Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes opened the doors to Toy Barnhaus, in the Ashley Centre, Epsom. The partners opened their first store in Crawley in March 2009, following the demise of Woolworths. The second shop followed earlier this year in the Belfry Shopping Centre in Redhill, Surrey.

The co-owners, who have more than 25 years experience in retail between them, have enlisted the help of former Woolworths employees who were victims of the chain’s downfall in 2008. Jill Stevens, who was assistant manager

of Woolworths in Epsom High Street, will run the new store. Commenting on the opening, Buschhaus said: “We are employing a lot of the Woolworths guys we always used to work with. We always liked Epsom, and we always said we’d vow to be back in Epsom. About four different Woolworths stores are clubbing together. It is all very close-knit; we used the Woolworths website to see who is on there and who we could get.” Barnhaus: 01737 789089

Comment Page 78 Counter Insurgent asks why the potential of Toy Story 3’s Ken hasn’t been maximised...

Charts Page 79 This month’s retail charts feature John Lewis, The Entertainer, Amazon, Play.com, WH Smith and Mail Order Express...

New products Page 80 On the way this month are offerings from Bandai, Learning Curve, Street Surfing and Crazybandz...

Hero Product Page 81 Mega Brands’ Halo UNSC Arctic Rocket Warthog…

RETAIL ONLY

HIGHSTREET COUNTER INSURGENT Dispatches from the retail front line... HAVE YOU seen it yet? A film that has great humour for kids and adults and, on a totally different level, the toy industry? I am of course talking about Toy Story 3. I did wonder how they could better the previous two movies, but Pixar once again surpassed itself. The animation is just sheer brilliance and the story tugs at the heartstrings more than anyone will admit. As I tried to explain to my teenage daughters who refused to come and be embarrassed by me after I showed them up during Toy Story 2, it is dark in the cinema so no one can see you when you are the only one laughing at a joke. Jokes that only we in the industry would understand or the little jokes that don’t

translate across the Atlantic, unless you have sold toys for many years. My wife and I were the only ones laughing at the See n Say roulette wheel, I snorted at the Lincoln Logs and as soon as I saw Lotso I booed before anyone else. Once again the full potential of a film solely about toys hasn’t been exploited nearly enough by the amount of stock coming into the UK. Hopefully it won’t be cocked up again in time for the DVD. I was one of the few who ordered big 15 years ago. A film about toys coming alive had to be a hit, didn’t it? But once it took off and the dreaded ‘allocation’ came into force, my orders were cut to a fraction of what I wanted. However, there is a glaring omission. As one small child who obviously watches movies other than Toy Story, pointed out, when he stood at the Toy

Once again the full potential of a film solely about toys hasn’t been exploited nearly enough. Story display, turned to his mum and asked: “Where the fuck is Ken?” Almost word for word the question I asked a few months back. Ever since the first trailer 12 months ago, it was obvious Ken was going to steal the show. Maybe Mattel didn’t

want Ken portrayed like that, but how about giving kids a bit more credit and stopping someone in marketing worrying about the ‘brand image’ for a change, because you know what? For the first time ever, a boy came into a toy shop wanting a Ken doll.

But you know, the best thing about the movie was how it showed that children can use their imaginations to create an exciting adventure with whatever toys they have. Boys’ toys, girls’ toys and preschool toys all in one big adventure together. If anyone watching the opening five minutes of this movie doesn’t understand the joy and excitement this industry can bring to children of all ages then, sorry to be blunt, they shouldn’t be part of the toy industry.

PRICE CHECK: SEPTEMBER 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010

Top Gear Board Game (Imagination Games)

Lots-o’-Huggin Bear (Vivid Imaginations)

Flying Scotsman Train Set (Hornby)

Golden Coin Maker (John Adams)

Talking Zingzilla (Vivid Imaginations)

£19.99

£39.97

£139.99

£16.97

N/A

£39.99

£111.95

£17.99

£16.99

£24.01

N/A

£130.00

N/A

£10.99

£44.99

£123.00

£8.49

£19.95

N/A

£44.99

£140.00

£18.00

RETAIL ONLY

www.toynews-online.biz

RETAILCHARTS CHART DATE 17/08/10

John Lewis 1

Minifigures

The Entertainer

CHART DATE 17/08/10

Lego

Air Hogs Vectron Wave – Red and Black

Mini Micro T-Bar Scooter, Blue

Micro Scooters

Toy Story 3 Buzz Lightyear Deluxe Film Replica

Vivid

Mini Micro T-Bar Scooter, Pink

Micro Scooters

Toy Story 3 Lotso Huggin Bear

Vivid

Maxi Micro Scooter, Black

Micro Scooters

Sylvanian Families Lakeside Lodge

Flair

Maxi Micro Scooter, Purple

Micro Scooters

Moon Dough Barn

Evergreen Country Cottage

Little Tikes

Toy Story 3 Woody the Sheriff

Vivid

Scuttlebug Dragonfly Trike, Blue/Green

Mookie

Sleeping Bag Set – Girls

RMS

Walkie Talkies

John Lewis

Moon Dough Puppies

Scuttlebug Flowerbug Trike, Pink/Purple

Mookie

Toy Story 3 Woody’s Horse Bullseye

10 30th Anniversary Edition Cozy Coupe

Amazon

Little Tikes

CHART DATE 17/08/10

Toddler Balance Bike

Kidizoom Plus Multimedia Digital Camera, Pink

Bananagrams

Nerf N-Strike Clip System Dart Pack (36 darts)

Medical Carrycase

Kidizoom Plus Multimedia Digital Camera, Blue

30th Anniversary Edition Cozy Coupe

Toy Story Woody and Buzz to the Rescue

Tool Carrycase

10 Nerf N-Strike Maverick

WHSmith.co.uk 2

Sylvanian Families Nursery School Bus

Dog Family

Spin Master Vivid

10 Nebulus TX Scooter, Blue

Grossman

CHART DATE 17/08/10

TP Toys

Born to Play Craftsmen Academy Desk and Chair

Martin Yaffe

VTech

Born to Play Fireman Sam Fire Station Play-set

Martin Yaffe

Winning Moves

Born to Play Fireman Sam Friction Venus with Penny

Martin Yaffe

Hasbro

Family Camper

Peterkin

Born to Play Craftsmen Table and Two Chairs

VTech

Fire Station

Little Tikes

Born to Play Fireman Sam Helicopter with Tom

Martin Yaffe

Lego

Born to Play Fireman Sam Friction Action Jupiter

Martin Yaffe

Peterkin

Red Corsair

CHART DATE 17/08/10

Ben 10 Magnetic Board

Spin Master

Mail Order Express

Hasbro

Spin Master

Playmobil

10 Kingdoms Kings Castle

Play.com

Martin Yaffe

Lego

CHART DATE 17/08/10

IMC Toys

Rubik’s Cube Classic

Flair

Toy Story 3 Space Single Rotary Duvet Set

Playmobil

Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6

3 in 1 Creator Mini Helicopter

Lego

Finger Printing Art Set

Science Eerie Eyeball Kit

Galt

Meerkat 8-inch Soft Toy

Aurora

Sylvanian Families Rainbow Nursery Figure Set

Flair

Nerf Clip System Darts

Hasbro

Lego Star Wars Pen Assorted

Hasbro

Nerf N-Strike Maverick

Hasbro

Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Game

Jumbo

Nerf Mega Dart Tag Refill

Hasbro

Sylvanian Families Nursery Playground Swing Set

Flair

Toy Story 3 Mr Potato Head – Spud Lightyear

Hasbro

Lego

10 Toy Story 3 Buzz Lightyear Deluxe Film Replica

10 Creator Mini Jet 3 in 1 Model

Drumond Park Character World Hasbro Worldwide Co

Vivid

SEPTEMBER 2010

RETAIL ONLY

PRODUCTNEWS

Street Surfing adds Whiplash scooter to range The new scooter combines the motions of surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding… THE WHIPLASH is a self-propelling new wheeled toy, which rides like a scooter and carves and drifts like The Wave – Street Surfing’s award winning patented casterboard. Using The Wave’s caster design and torsion technology, Whiplash’s flexible deck and lightweight handlebar merge to provide riders with a side to side, whip-like ride. The handle folds for storage and portability and the frame features a reinforced, lightweight design. Torsion technology in the Whiplash provides enough momentum to keep the board moving without the riders’ feet touching the ground.

The activity blends the three major board sports – surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding, using a high tech casterboard. Oliver Webb, MD, Street Surfing UK, commented: “The Whiplash is the type of product that can start a ‘recreational movement’ much like the Hula Hoop, skateboard and casterboard did. “It gives kids a reason to lose the remote, get off the couch and go.” The scooter offers a full body workout, using core strength to twist the hips and torso and propel the board forwards, improving balance, stability and coordination. Street Surfing: 01202 650009

Billionaire Tycoon board game launches in Harrods DEVISED BY two entrepreneurs from Mayfair, Billionaire Tycoon encourages entrepreneurship and the designers believe it may have the potential to create millionaires through the sharing of ideas, skills and strategies. Players must take risks, make deals and negotiate, while keeping a solid poker-face.

Founder Seth Surya said: “We always wanted to share the skills, secrets and know-how to become seriously business savvy, while having fun at the same time.” Billionaire Tycoon is available exclusively from Harrods or at www.billionairetycoon.co.uk and is suitable for ages 12 and upwards. Billionaire Tycoon: 020 3151 1610

Learning Curve expands Early Engineers line TWO NEW trains, Salty and Thomas, have been added to the collection of train accessories available with Early Engineers, the train play concept for kids aged 18 months and over. Salty is a dockside diesel with a red body and square, weather-beaten face. Thomas features in all the Early Engineers play-sets and the character is now available as an accessory. Other single engines in the range include Percy, Stanley and Rosie. Engines with tenders include Henry, Gordon and James. SEPTEMBER 2010

The engines feature a chunky design for small hands, and can be easily kept on the rails. All engines and sets are compatible with Thomas Wooden Railway systems. Learning Curve: 01392 281900

Crazybandz hits the UK CRAZYBANDZ ARE shaped wristbands, which return to their original shape once they are removed. There are many different shapes, such as a sun, star or heart (in the Basic Shapes set) or a cat, dog or butterfly (in the Animal Shapes set). Each pack contains 12 bracelets in six designs. This allows children to wear one set and swap the other shapes. Crazybandz are trademarked, tested and certified. The bands are made of 100 per cent silicone, allergyfriendly and each shape has a breaking point. The range is exclusively distributed by Global Promotional Solutions. Crazybandz: 0292 022 7955

Bandai unveils new dress-up line BANDAI HAS officially launched Armouron, winner of the best role-play category in the Toy Fair Best Toys. The futuristic styled, lightweight suit of armour combines construction with roleplay, allowing children to attach pieces together using Snapperons to create their own outfit. The Starter Set, available in red or blue, comes with helmet, chest body armour, shield and Snapperons, which can be customised using the various accessory and Snapperon sets featuring neat spikes and visors, available in gold, silver, blue and red colourways. The launch will be supported by a marketing campaign including TV advertising, consumer print advertising, PR, online and in-store activity. Made from high density foam, Armouron is suitable for children aged four and over, with a height of 104-130cm. Bandai: 08456 028782

www.toynews-online.biz

HERO PRODUCT

Mega Brands Halo UNSC Arctic Rocket Warthog Mega Brands’ construction range, based on the massive-selling video games franchise Halo, taps into the cult appeal of the games with collectability and playability. It is backed with a print and online campaign designed to attract new and existing fans of the series… MEGA BRANDS boasts the only officiallylicensed construction toy series based on the best selling video game franchise, Halo. The UNSC Arctic Rocket Warthog is a buildable UNSC Light Anti-Armor and Covenant Rapid Assault Vehicle with approximately 226 pieces. It features allnew arctic white blocks for sub-zero camouflage; four real-working detailed wheels and treads, and a new and improved Covenant Ghost design for a faster and more sturdy build. It also comes with two UNSC white Spartan-II soldiers with M6D pistols, and one Covenant Elite with plasma energy sword. Launching from this month at a price of around £19.99, marketing to back the product will include trade press coverage, online social and viral campaigns. Halo Toymation will be used in-store, on websites and at exhibitions. It will feature on the official website for Halo Waypoint (the next instalment in the video game series) exclusively for two weeks. After that, it will hit YouTube and Megatube among others. Print marketing will include adverts, product placement, competitions, editorial in consumer publications and websites, all focused on the late teens/early twenties age group magazines such as FHM and Zoo, plus video games titles and newspapers with gaming/toy sections. In addition, Mega Brands is constructing a micro-site at halo.megabloks.com, featuring new product information, 360 degrees images, downloads, a blog, videos, wallpapers and more.

Release date: SEPTEMBER – Price: £19.99 CONTACT DETAILS: Phone:01844 350033 Web: halo.megabloks.com

SEPTEMBER 2010

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Revell claims to be the largest model kit brand in Europe and has a pedigree for producing extensive ranges of model kits. While perhaps best known for its model-making heritage, Revell has expanded its offering over the years to encompass a wide spectrum of toy products and age ranges. This includes a line of R/C products, from helicopters to tanks and boats; a series of toys for boys and girls of different ages, including the Gee

Gee Friends range, the newly released X-ray anatomy models and MyStyle – a selection of craft and jewellery toys for young girls – and EasyKit models based on the Star Wars: Clone Wars property. Looking ahead, Revell will soon be releasing the Da Vinci model range. The range brings to life some of Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous inventions which had, until now, remained only as drawings on paper. The kits themselves have a

raw wooden look to reflect the historic nature of the inventions. The fourth quarter of the year will see Revell launch a new model range based on the sport of Formula One. Revell has a strong track record in producing accurate model kits of modern Formula One cars, and the recently announced range will include models of the 2010 Mclaren MP4-25 F1 cars, currently being powered around the circuits by world champion Jenson button and his team mate Lewis Hamilton. There will also be versions of the Mercedes GP1 and the 2010 Ferrari F1 cars available. Thomas Randrup, UK country manager for Revell commented: “Our popular model kits continue to go from strength to strength, and we hope that together with our expanded offerings, they will cement Revell’s position as a quality model manufacturer and innovator.” For more information on Revell, go to www.revell.eu or call 01442 250130

GAMES WORKSHOP SUPPLIERS/MANUFACTURERS

0115 900 4633 Games Workshop claims to be the largest and most successful tabletop fantasy and futuristic battle games company in the world. Its major brands include Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000. In addition, the firm holds a global licence from New Line Cinema for a tabletop battle-game based on Peter Jackson’s BAFTA and Academy Award winning film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. At its Nottingham HQ the company designs, manufactures and distributes the range of Citadel Miniatures, plastic

and metal soldiers and rule books, which are the foundation of the hobby. Games Workshop offers a wide range of products which have a proven sales record across independent trading outlets throughout the UK and the world. At the heart of the hobby are the millions of gamers aged 12 upwards, who

return to stores to purchase their games, models and hobby supplies from the varied range. The other advantage of the hobby is that it offers year-round sales, helping to mitigate the overwhelming dominance of Christmas sales on an annual turnover in the toy industry. spend many waking hours collecting, creating, painting and building armies, which they will go on to command on a carefully prepared tabletop battlefield. As the firm’s products are based around a hobby, loyal customers tend to

For further details please contact: Neil Coombe, UK Trade Dept., Games Workshop, Willow Road, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2WS www.games-workshop.com

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TOY TALK

Flair, Meccano and GoGo’s head to Goodwood, Big Brother showcase for Gelli Baff and Cuponk is viral hit...

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

THE LATEST twist in the Bratz drama seems to have swung the balance back in favour of MGA. But it would be a foolish person who assumed that this was the end of the matter. MGA will find it an uphill struggle to reclaim shelf space from a re-invigorated Barbie brand and the new slot created for Liv. And then there’s round two of the litigation. You get the feeling that Mattel might not be too concerned and still be congratulating itself for putting the kibosh on a competitor, leaving the way clear while it rethought the strategy for its flagship brand. Of course, litigation and toys are certainly not strange bedfellows. As recently as 2006, the boot was on the other foot when a federal court in Delaware dismissed a patent lawsuit brought against Mattel’s Fisher-Price subsidiary by LeapFrog, revolving around Fisher Price’s PowerTouch. The judge dismissed that case and it prompted a bout of righteous indignation from Neil Friedman, then president of Mattel Brands. “As a company that invests significantly in the development of innovative products and intellectual property,” he said, “we respect the IP rights of others and conduct our business with the utmost integrity.” Integrity seems to have been one of Mattel’s bugbears with MGA and court proceedings have certainly been a colourful affair after anti-Iranian racist comments by a juror. MGA boss Isaac Larian, of course, is an Iranian American. Someone once said to me that you counted your fingers after shaking hands with him. A grossly defamatory statement, I’m sure, but he certainly drove a hard bargain when he negotiated the price of a stand downwards at a show I was organising in New York. As the darts commentator Sid Waddell once said of a thrilling game of arrows: “You might get Shakespeare on BBC2 but you cannae beat this for drama” and the Bratz theatrics look set to intensify again when another retrial happens on January 11th, 2011.

BIG BROTHER TAKES A BAFF IT WILL surely be gone from our screens for good by the time you read this, but the cultural cold sore that is Big Brother did provide a sort of useful bit of coverage for the In Thing and its Gelli Baff goo product recently. The housemates had a weekly task which was linked to nominations. Instead of casting their vote in the safety of the diary room as usual, housemates were forced to tip a bucket of Gelli Baff over the person they wished to nominate. To kick start proceedings, the nervous housemates were lined up in a row in the Big Brother garden dressed in white boiler suits. Housemate Steve, was first to receive the pail of Gelli Baff over his head, which meant he was nominated. John James and Josie, both escaped the bright Green Swamp Gelli Baff over their heads, and of course skipped eviction. The In Thing now says its goo is attracting a more mature audience. Daily Sport girl Verena Twigg, (nope, me neither) was spotted recently at a Gelli Baff Party in a hot tub with her model friends. Which was nice.

AGENT PROFILE George and Brenda Prentice Who are your current clients? Re:creation on a domestic basis; Global (domestic); Amav from the Middle East on an FOB basis and RYO Electronics from the Far East for FOB. What ranges do you deal with? Re:creation covers everything from impulse and pocket money product to Razor wheel toy innovations and a quirky back to school lunch bag products range. Amav is arts and crafts. RYO Electronics include chess, Sudoku, naval battle and brain training games and Global includes the new Pooh 100 Acre Wood and Friends collection and the latest collectable craze Freaky Flickers. Regional area covered? Re:creation, global; Amav, all of Ireland; for RYO Electronics we cover Ireland and the UK.

SEPTEMBER 2010

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

How many retailers do you deal with? We peddle our wares outside the toy trade box to sports, gift and garden centre outlets, so have a broad base. But we only have around 60 actual buyers to visit. What do you enjoy most about being an agent? The freedom of determining your own destiny. We love developing new innovations, which incorporates a bit of marketing and in-store promotional activity, which breaks the ‘just sell-in and hope for the best’ scenario. What car do you drive? The work horse is a Mercedes, which is Brenda’s car and does all the mileage, and my weekend car is a Jaguar XK8. What’s your selling secret/top tip? You should know your customer, location or catchment and don’t over-sell to them.

Any funny/strange/ interesting stories from the road? When we were with Tiger Electronics, we introduced Furby to the toy trade. As Furby was small, the marketing department created a six-foot replica at the stand entrance with a plethora of cables emanating from his rearend to demonstrate Furby’s features. Having presented it to a certain, very rural, Irish customer I produced the order form indicating the target RRP and the pack quantity of 12 assorted. Looking up at the six-foot replica, she exclaimed, “Son, you know my shop well and we couldn’t get 12 of these things into it, never mind what I would do with all of those bloody wires.”

TOY TALK

GOODWOOD GOOD FOR TOYS IT SEEMS like the toy industry has discovered a new destination event at Vintage Goodwood. You might expect one toy company to turn up, as Bandai did at Camp Bestival recently, but Vintage Goodwood had three – Flair, Meccano and GoGo’s Crazy Bones all plying their wares there. Flair created a meet and greet opportunity with three of the most popular Sylvanian Characters, with the opportunity to have photos taken with them next to a life-sized version of the Sylvanian Families Caravan and Holidays in Sylvania Theme. GoGo’s was chosen as part of the Future Vintage section, which celebrates iconic brands that are so popular now, that they are set to be the collectable classics of tomorrow. Meanwhile, Meccano was invited by co-organiser Wayne Hemingway cofounder of Vintage at Goodwood, to get involved in the festival celebrating five decades of British cool after he recalled fond memories of playing with Meccano as a child. Hemingway commented: “Meccano is one of Britain’s most enduring

My Favourite Things Chris Jones, Vice President of European Sales, JAKKS Pacific

inventions that has inspired and encouraged creative minds for generations. “The idea that every visitor to Vintage at Goodwood can contribute to an architectural Meccano artwork is truly in the participatory spirit of this festival.”

CUPONK GOES VIRAL TO THE untrained eye, it may look like someone is seriously attempting to sell chucking a ping-pong ball in a cup as an off-the-shelf game, but we’re assured there’s much more to Hasbro’s Cuponk than that. June NPD data has it that it is selling 14 per cent more units than any other game in the UK. This could be down its success as an online viral. Official videos of Cuponk tricks have received over 140,000 hits on YouTube in under a month and consumers are uploading new tricks daily. Kids must try to master the Blind Hook, Karate Krane, Stairing Contest, or any of the 30 trick shot cards included in the game. Players are also creating their own shots by bouncing the Cuponk ball off just about any object. Craig Wilkins, UK brand manager for Cuponk, said: “Once you start, it’s hard not to obsess over each trick shot until the ball makes it into the cup. We know that players will have fun coming up with their own custom tricks and we are delighted to see some of the high skill demonstrated online.” They’ll be trying to sell juggling a football as a game next.

SEPTEMBER 2010

Favourite album: Currently enjoying In A Heartbeat by the Rebs - they were amazing at Guildfest earlier this summer. ------------------------------------------------------------Film: The Blues Brothers -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Book: Anything by Roger Hargreaves -----------------------------------------------------------------------------TV programme: MasterChef or The Day Today on DVD -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Magazine: T3 ---------------------------------------------------Holiday destination: Antibes, south of France. I lived there during my University placement year. ---------------------------------------------------Expression: “… school boy error” -----------------------------------------------------Gadget: iPhone 4 ------------------------------------------------------Tipple: Bitter or wine -------------------------------------------------------Food: Sausage, beans and mash -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Sport and sports star/club: Rugby and F1 ----------------------------------------------------------Sweet/snack: The crisps with the little blue bag in them -----------------------------------------------------------Guilty pleasure: Fur TV on MTV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FEATURE PLANNER

OCTOBER Brand Licensing Europe Issue ● Dora the Explorer Special Wooden Toys ● Electronic Toys & TV Games As the industry heads to Olympia for BLE, ToyNews will feature an expanded licensing section in October – headed up by a dedicated guide to Dora the Explorer, and the key products being launched to celebrate the Nickelodeon character’s tenth anniversary. In addition, expect an interview with a twist with two high profile entertainment licensors. Also featured in the issue will be a look at what’s coming up in the traditional wooden toy sector, and the newer category of electronic toys and TV games, as well as the usual mix of news, NPD data, people moves and new products.

Editorial deadline: Call for details

Advertising deadline: September 8th

FORTHCOMING EVENTS AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FALL TOY PREVIEW October 5th - 8th Dallas Market Centre, TX www.toyassociation.org

TOY FAIR January 25th - 27th 2011 Grand Hall, Olympia, London www.toyfair.co.uk

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

SPIELWARENMESSE February 3rd - 8th 2011 Nuremberg www.toyfair.de

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

HONG KONG TOYS & GAMES FAIR January 10th - 13th 2011 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre www.hktdc.com

SPRING FAIR February 6th - 10th 2011 The NEC, Birmingham www.springfair.com

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR February 13th - 16th 2011 Javits Center, New York www.toyassociation.org

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

SEPTEMBER 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: 6,043 July 1st 2009 to June 30th 2010. SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90 The international cost applies per subscription and covers airmail dispatch of 12 issues

To order your subscription via Visa, MasterCard, Amex Switch or Delta contact toy.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883 848. Alternatively visit our website www.toynews-online.biz Subscriptions Manager - Lindsay Banham Lindsay.Banham@intentmedia.co.uk

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