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Hot stuff in 4K

The Hot Wheels brand used stateof-the-art technology to highlight its product at key London sites in the run-up to Christmas. The brand teamed up with Disturbed Media Group, using 4K Ultra-HD 3D technology to bring holograms to life.

Sited at London’s Kings Cross Station and Westfield at White City, it brought product to life floating in the air without apps, headsets or anything else. Consumers could also interact with it.

Kelly Philp, marketing director, Mattel UK, said “This technology has allowed us to bring Hot Wheels products to life in a unique way and is a first for the brand. In these busy consumer footfall areas, we have been able to cut through and capture consumers’ attention. Hot Wheels is the perfect brand to use this holographic technology, allowing us to bring the highoctane fun to life and create an experience that is both immersive and captivating to consumers.

Jake H Cass, co-founder of Disturbed Media Group, said: “In the hyper-competitive landscape of screens and messaging, brands are constantly competing for the attention of their audiences. We introduced HyperGram in the UK, in the run-up to Christmas, to allow brands to break through the clutter and excite consumers in an innovative and interactive manner that encourages relevance and brand retention.

“We believe that as technology evolves, we too need to step into the next generation of digital advertising that disrupts traditional out of home (OOH) advertising and communication.’’

The Fence Club truly is Santa’s little helper!

This Christmas the Fence Club delivered more than 400 cartons of individually wrapped gifts to 73 different children’s charities, and from the letters of appreciation the club receives it’s clear the Fence Club truly does make a difference.

Joe Kissane said: “The Character team are extremely proud of their contribution, however more importantly it’s a great example of how the toy and gift industry pulls together donating cartons and cartons of toys to less fortunate children. The Fence Club only has 45 members, however the Christmas toy appeal always feels like an industry-wide initiative. it’s extremely humbling to read letters of appreciation on how the Fence Club truly does make a difference. The toy appeal has been running for longer than we can remember and has now become a key event in the Club’s charitable calendar, and if anything, it’s getting bigger and bigger every year.”

The Fence Club wanted to thank every toy company who has donated over the years, and to request all companies that your support and generosity will make a huge difference next Christmas, so please, please ‘Think of the Children’ and do everything you can by donating toys for Christmas 2023!

A REVIEW OF 2022 AND A LOOK AHEAD FOR THE U.S. TOY ASSOCIATION

From inflation weighing on consumers and supply chain obstacles at ports and on rails, to exploring new areas for innovation, Jennifer Lynch says that 2022 highlighted The U.S. Toy Association’s steadfast commitment to serving as a unifying force for the global play community.

When a national railroad strike with a projected economic impact of $2 billion per day threatened to derail a successful holiday toy-selling season, we joined more than 400 other US trade organisations and corporations imploring the US government to intervene. On December 2, Congressional legislation was signed into law, thereby avoiding the strike. With one less supply chain threat looming over our member companies, they can focus on 2023/2024 planning, product development, and bringing joy to children through their playful products. We continue to monitor the prolonged West Coast port labour negotiations and ongoing concerns in both rail and trucking sectors to protect member interests.

The Toy Association’s year-round commitment to product safety and serving as a global leader in safety standards remains steadfast. Our advocacy on Capitol Hill helped secure passage of Reese’s Law, a bill that applies the longstanding safety requirement for child-resistant closures on battery-operated toys to other consumer products that use button or coin cells. The Toy Association has also continued to speak out against the threats of unsafe counterfeit toys sold in ecommerce marketplaces, which threaten the wellbeing of children and the livelihood of responsible toy businesses that adhere to the more-than-100 safety and regulatory standards.

US sales growth through the first three-quarters of 2022 softened in the closing months of the year. While final holiday results are not yet in as I write this, hit brands and properties such as Squishmallows, LEGO, Magic Mixies, and Pokémon, among others, underscore that both content and innovation are driving factors for today’s consumers to open their wallets. Keep an eye out for our trends team’s annual Q1 trend report and briefing, which will offer even more exciting new insights into the influences on the toy space for 2023.

As we enter a new year, our commitment remains to protect and promote all those across the broad toy and play community. While, in years past we’d now be preparing for the next edition of Toy Fair in New York, 2023 will bring a new era for this global toy event as it moves to a new autumn timeframe (September 30-October 3, 2023, in New York City) that better aligns with today’s retail buying cycles and accelerated delivery times. Toy manufacturers have already committed to 93% of booth space at Toy Fair 2023, reinforcing the event’s impact on the play community.

As you’ll see on full display at Toy Fair and in the months ahead, The Toy Association is deeply committed to unifying our great industry but also to driving it toward the future. Through our advocacy work on a global scale; partnerships with like-minded organisations that drive change and innovation; and our support for member companies through events, resources, research, and more, The Toy Association is dedicated to the success of all.