News - the latest toy industry headlines

Hasbro influences the judges

Hasbro scooped five gongs at the prestigious Influencer Marketing Awards on June 9, including two gold prizes.

It picked up Gold Awards at the event, now in its fourth year, for Best MultiChannel Campaign and for Best Family and Parenting Campaign, with the gongs centring on its Nerf Upload activity.

The campaign helped the Nerf brand hit its 2021 targets, with a series of YouTube masterclasses helping to teach children about content creation and highlighting to parents the skill involved in Nerf.

It won two further silver awards for its Nerf Upload activity, in the Best Use Of Data and Most Creative Influencer Marketing Campaign, as well as a further silver award in the Best Multi-Channel Campaign for its work on the Play Doh Home Protection Service initiative.

Mattel wheels out new Legends comp

The Hot Wheels Legends competition, which offers UK custom car and modified vehicle owners the chance to have their automobile turned into a Hot Wheels die-cast model, is returning for the fifth year.

And to mark the event, UK car owners are getting double the

chance to have their real-life cars turned into a Hot Wheels to join the Mattel range.

The judging panel made up of assorted experts is looking for cars which “best embody Hot Wheels performance, authenticity and ‘garage spirit’. Entrants need to apply online, with judging for the UK competition taking place at a live event in the autumn in conjunction with Car Throttle YouTube channel, with followers voting for the winner.

The successful UK candidate will then go on to a grand final taking place against 13 other territories in the US in November. Both the international and one regional winner will see their cars getting the Hot Wheels replica treatment

Ted Wu, global head of vehicle design at Mattel, said: “As the Hot Wheels Legends Tour expands around the globe, we have been blown away by the passion, enthusiasm and effort that goes into creating these spectacular cars that fuel popular culture and deserve to be Hot Wheels models. Having seen how fans loved our first winner outside the US, we decided to immortalise a regional winner alongside the overall victor. Two Legends are better than one!”

More details are at www. hotwheelsuklegendstour.co.uk.

Toy Trust calls for runners to tackle The Big Half

The Toy Trust is calling on all keen runners to get involved with a half marathon fundraiser to boost the charity’s coffers. The Trust has 10 free places up for grabs in The Big Half, a halfmarathon due to take place in London on 4 September, with runners in turn pledging to raise a target total of £500 from sponsors after taking part.

The Big Half follows the route of the first part of the London Marathon, kicking off in historic Greenwich, with a festival at the end offering food, fun and loads of healthy activities for all the family.

And as well as taking part and enjoying the fun afterwards with friends and family, the runners will be able to raise funds for the Toy Trust and its chosen charities.

To book one of the 10 places (subject to availability), potential entrants need to contact Matt Jones at the BTHA on matt@btha.co.uk.

More details on The Big Half can be found at www.thebighalf.co.uk

Mattel cashes in on the buzz around Lightyear

With the big screen adventure Lightyear landing in cinemas last month, master toy licensee Mattel is letting fans bring the action home with a range of toys.

The Disney and Pixar film outlines the origins of Buzz Lightyear and Star Command, and Mattel’s range includes action figures, vehicles, roleplay, preschool and plush toys.

It includes the Disney and Pixar Lightyear Laser Blade Buzz Lightyear Figure, complete with sounds and lines from the movie, The big Buzz – standing at 11.5 inches – contains 13 poseable joints.

Other highlights include the Disney and Pixar Lightyear Blast & Battle XL-15 Vehicle, complete with button-activated missiles, landing gear and a Buzz figure.

There’s also a Disney and Pixar Lightyear Zurg figure, featuring the film’s baddie, with Buzz through the ages and other Star Command heroes in the Disney and Pixar Lightyear Core Feature Assortment.

Fans can also sign up to become a Star Ranger with the Disney and Pixar Lightyear Laser Blade DX, a sword-like blade as seen in the movie with authentic swooshing noises.