ToyNews 171 April 2016 by Future PLC

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Retail 16 Fair play We look at what LEGO’s Minifigure in a wheelchair can do to make toy boxes more inclusive

18 Aido In this month’s crowdfunding focus, we look at Aido, a friendly home robot

No. 171

Licensing

Pre-School

24 Barrel of laughs The most successful pirate to ever grace the toy space, we profile the history of Pop-Up Pirate

April 2016

Marketing 27 Robot wars Last year, BB-8 put Sphero on the map. We talk to the robotics firm about its plans for 2016

One size fits all? We talk exclusively to Kim Culmone, VP of Barbie design at Mattel, who says now is the right time to answer critics of the doll’s original ‘proportions’ with a range of new Barbie body types

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With its colourful chunky bricks, LEGO® DUPLO® is perfect for small hands and big imaginations.

Discover our 14 new sets available now!

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WELCOME

MEET THE TEAM Billy Langsworthy Editor blangsworthy@nbmedia.com

Robert Hutchins Deputy Editor rhutchins@nbmedia.com

Jade Burke Staff Writer jburke@nbmedia.com

Sophia Freeman Senior Account Manager Sfreeman@nbmedia.com

Brenda Normile Sales Executive Bnormile@nbmedia.com

James Marinos Production Executive jmarinos@nbmedia.com

Nikki Hargreaves Designer nhargreaves@nbmedia.com

Andrew Wooden Content Director awooden@nbmedia.com

Mark Burton Managing Director mburton@nbmedia.com

Editorial: 01992 515305 Advertising: 0207 354 6000

CONTENTS Regulars 06 08 08 10 12 14 18 56 74

News Campaign of the Month Playtime NPD Analysis Industry Movers Industry Opinion Crowdfunding focus Toy Shop UK Jon Salisbury

Features 16 News analysis: LEGO’s Minifigure in a wheelchair 20 Big Interview: Mattel 23 Big Interview: Morning Family 24 Anatomy of a Blockbuster Toy: Pop-Up Pirate 27 Big Interview: Sphero 29 AIS preview Licensing.biz 31 News Pre-school (sponsored by VTech Baby) 35 News 39 Sector Guide: Pre-school Retail 55 News 58 Indie Profile: Rules of Play 60 Sector Guide: Games and Puzzles

COMMENT

People power

Whether or not you’re a fan of crowdfunding, and regardless of whether you agree with campaigns like Let Toys Be Toys, #ToyLikeMe or even #WheresRey, our industry is engaging with its public in a way that we should all be proud of.

www.toynews-online.biz

NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 5,771 July 2014 – June 2015 nToyNews circulation is 11.2% higher than its closest competitor nToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.

Great value game boxes available to order now

sales@cartamundi.co.uk +44 1286 511 522 @cartamundiuk

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CONSUMERS TODAY have more genuine control over the toys and games that make it to market than the public has ever had. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo are playing a huge part in making the whole process of what gets onto shelves more democratic, but social media has to take a lot of the credit too. The #ToyLikeMe campaign started a conversation around disability representation in toys and a year later, Playmobil and LEGO have made positive moves to engage with the issue. Let Toys Be Toys stirred the issue of gender neutral toy marketing in stores and The Entertainer, Boots, M&S, Debenhams and Toys R Us all removed ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ signage. Fans of Star Wars: The Force Awakens who felt that Rey was under-represented in toys hit Twitter with #WheresRey and before you can say ‘Chewbacca,’ she was added to a Monopoly set. Elsewhere, people power helped Pie Face become the juggernaut game of recent times. A video of the game being played went viral. Millions of views later Hasbro comes knocking, aquires it and turns the title into its latest blockbuster game brand. More recently, following years of criticism over Barbie’s ‘unrealistic’ proportions, Mattel launched a new range of body types for the iconic doll, along with the hashtag, #TheDollEvolves. It’s a mammoth move for a brand as long-running and iconic as Barbie, a fact demonstrated by Mattel’s choice to break the news via TIME Magazine. For a piece in this issue, we spoke to Kim Culmone, VP of Barbie design at Mattel, about why 2016 is the right time for Barbie to branch out in such a way, and in it she makes the frank admission that two years ago, Mattel had to “take a long hard look at themselves” regarding the doll. You can find the piece on page 20. Whether you agree or disagree with these sort of campaigns is beside the point. The industry is engaging with its public in a way that we should be proud of. And while it seems that the humble hashtag is having serious sway in this industry, let me use this platform is launch #BringBackAtmosfear into the ether. BLangsworthy@NBMedia.com

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NEWS

Jumo to cater for indies with new ‘games-to-life’ title The firm, merging mobile gameplay with physical toys, wants to make sure the High Street is “loved as well,” despite its debut product initially being sold exclusively via Amazon By Billy Langsworthy NEW TOY firm Jumo believes that its new ‘games-to-life’ concept will present opportunities to bricks and mortar stores, despite initially being sold exclusively via Amazon. Infinite Arms is a connected, free-to-play gaming experience that merges mobile gameplay with physical toys. Jumo has created a patented system, dubbed Fast Toys, that allows the rapid release of physical toys to keep up with the content demands of the digital game. For example, if the firm’s data shows a character or weapon is proving popular, Jumo can launch a new physical toy based on these findings while the results remain relevant.

Consumers will initially only be able to purchase Infinite Arms action figures via Amazon, but the firm is “not opposed to physical retailers.” “We want to keep online retail as the main path but if physical stores came to

and consumers at the top of these will be rewarded with special rare toys. In addition to that, we will allow players to set up their own events and tournaments. We can then create custom toys for

We want create a vibrant community around Infinite Arms and we’re looking at doing custom creations for indies. Chris Esaki, Jumo

us and wanted to launch special action figures, we’re thinking about that,” Keiichi Yano, Jumo CEO and cofounder, told ToyNews. Chris Esaki, Jumo’s chief creative officer, added: “We’re hoping to build a vibrant community around Infinite Arms. We have season-long leader boards

those sorts of events. “For retail, that possibility is there as well. For indies that cater to a specific subset, we want to make sure they are loved as well, so we’re looking at doing custom stuff for them.” Jumo is a new company made up of video game and toy veterans.

Jumo CEO Keiichi Yano has previously created music games for Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, while Yasuo Takahama, the firm’s chief Fast Toys officer, has previously designed for the likes of Transformers and Tamagotchi. Jumo’s Infinite Arms will launch in the UK later this year for iOS and Android devices. Jumo: keiichi@jumotoys.com

Cyanide and Happiness flirts with future toy lines following Joking Hazard success The webcomic’s debut card game has become the second most funded game in Kickstarter history By Robert Hutchins SUCCESS ON Kickstarter is just the beginning for badult card game Joking Hazard, according to its creators, Cyanide and Happiness. Cyanide and Happiness is also responsible for the hit webcomic and YouTube series of the same name, and the firm’s Joking Hazard is now the second most funded card game in Kickstarter history, having secured nearly $3,500,000 from over 63,750 backers. With the funds in the bank, Cyanide and Happiness 06 April

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writer and illustrator Rob DenBleyker is keen to see just what the card game can achieve at retail. “Joking Hazard is the kind of game that clicks once

you play it for the first time, and I hope Kickstarter is just the beginning for the title,” he told ToyNews. “It’s a new way to experience Cyanide and

Happiness in and of itself, so I think it will entertain people who don’t already read the comics or watch the animations.” The game challenges players to complete a three panel comic strip by playing their favourite concluding panel. The best panel selected by the round’s designated ‘judge’ is named the winner. Having made a move into the game space, Denbleyker hints that the world of toys and games could be seeing a lot more of Cyanide and Happiness.

“Hopefully we will start to get the game into stores after all the Kickstarter rewards ship,” he said. “We want the whole world to enjoy it. I feel the UK especially would dig the messed up humour and I know we have quite a few readers there. “We have tested the water with collectables here and there, but so far our philosophy has been to make the products we really like. Our next thing might be another game, a book, a video game, or a calendar, it’s hard to say.” www.toynews-online.biz

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NEWS

Revell outlines major changes to “appeal to the modern consumer” With the firm set to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year, consumer research has been the driver behind the company’s bold new direction, encompassing staff changes and fresh kits for casual users By Jade Burke AS REVELL gears up to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year, the company has detailed its major change in direction as it hopes to build on the success of 2015. Revell has revealed that for the first time, children aged four and above will be targeted with the new Junior Kit. “After detailed consumer research, the Revell brand has undergone a major realignment to appeal to the modern consumer,” Revell’s country manager for UK and Ireland, Thomas Randrup, told ToyNews. “Every model kit now features informative, colour-coordinated packaging and full colour manuals for easy reference.”

Elsewhere, casual model users will also be taken care of with Revell’s other major change, as the company is launching a line of simpler models, including Star Wars and a Boeing 737-

800 product, as well as an updated communication and packaging concept titled ‘future made in Bünde’. Like with the Junior Kits, it seems consumer behaviour is key to these changes.

Randrup added: “The modelling hobby needed re-inventing thanks to stagnating sales and changing consumer behaviour. Detailed consumer research

helped direct the brand re-alignment and what the modern consumer wants out of modelling.” In addition, the firm has announced a series of staff changes, which will see the current president Hans Ulrich Remfert and senior VP of sales Bernd Wiegmann retire. But this isn’t all, as Randrup has revealed further developments are expected in the future to mark the company’s 60th anniversary. “Watch this space, as the new management team will announce further celebrations,” explained Randrup. “It’s onwards and upwards in a drive to build on the successes of 2015.” Revell: 0845 459 0747

Build-A-Bear Workshop eyes new UK sites and outlet openings The firm will be opening its new ‘discovery store’ concept in Manchester’s Trafford Centre later this month By Jade Burke Build-A-Bear Workshop has revealed to ToyNews that the company is broadening its presence within the UK with more stores set to open in the near future. Build-A-Bear is currently negotiating six new sites, while new outlet stores are also on the way. Roger Parry, senior MD for Build-A-Bear Workshop, told ToyNews: “We’re focusing on our new discovery store concept, which are going to be opening in Trafford Centre and Arndale in Manchester at the end of March and middle of April. www.toynews-online.biz

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“We are also currently negotiating six new sites and also actually looking at doing some additional outlet stores.” Having entered the outlet market for the first time last year, the company will be extending its presence in this space during the first half of 2016. Elsewhere, Build-A-Bear Workshop is readying a store in the new Shanghai Disney resort, set to open on June 1st. Known for its previous partnerships with Disney, Parry revealed that the new store deal was a natural decision for the company.

Parry explained: “We have partnered with Disney for many years, so there is a natural opportunity for

us to enter that market with somebody we have a longstanding relationship with. We have done a lot

of market research, and it shows the brand and our concept will resonate with Chinese families.” 07 April

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CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH / PLAYTIME

Calling Team Thomas Designed to demonstrate Thomas’ core values, the campaign will see countries across the globe team up to help the tank engine get to the finish line, where fans will be able to unlock brand new content and prizes CONTACT n Mattel: 01628 500 000 n www.mattel.com THOMAS & Friends steams ahead with an exciting new brand campaign based on the tank engine’s core values of friendship, determination and teamwork, as well as a new racing theme that will drive brand affinity and build momentum to The Great Race. The brand will be ‘Calling Team Thomas’ in 2016, inviting fans to power Thomas on a digital journey to reach The Great Railway Show. The UGC based initiative will be driven across www. thomasandfriends.com and Thomas & Friends social channels, engaging parents and pre-schoolers in fun weekly tasks that reinforce the brand’s positive values.

Parents can submit their photos, videos and comments with the dedicated hashtag #TeamThomas helping to

Playtime FOR SOME time now there have been many articles published casting doubt on kids’ TV viewing levels. While kids’ electronic device usage is up, does this mean that they are not watching TV in a linear way and are skipping toys and games ads? While we know 22 per cent of kids aged from seven to 10 are accessing long form content on YouTube via devices such as smart TVs, desktop PCs, tablets, mobiles and games consoles, 17 per cent are viewing Netflix content and five per cent Amazon Prime, this does not mean kids have abandoned linear TV en masse. The latest Youth TGI survey* states that over 99 per cent of kids aged from seven to 10 watch TV and in spite of the market’s concern, this figure

increases to 99.9 per cent for older kids (15 to 19). Despite kids’ measured TV viewing being down by two per cent across all TV channels, the commercial kids channels outperformed the total TV market by 12 per cent year-on-year. Viewing to the children’s commercial channels still represents 30 per cent of all kids viewing with three hours 41 minutes watched in 2015 versus three hours 34 minutes in 2014. These numbers give us confidence that the kids’ commercial TV market has a foreseeable future, but what we really want to know is if kids are still watching our adverts or are they skipping them? Only 13 per cent of all TV viewing by kids was time shifted across 2015, and when we isolate that to toys and games ads, it

power Thomas along his virtual journey. The Calling Team Thomas campaign will be launched across the globe with each

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driving new audiences to join in. The racing fun kicks off with the spring/summer DVD release, Start Your Engines, which sees Thomas & Friends return for several thrilling adventures on the vibrant Island of Sodor. This mini tentpole includes six unseen episodes from series 19, with races,challenges and rescue operations. Product launches across the Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends lines, as well as the consumer products portfolio, will support the brand new content and help bring the themes and stories to life for pre-schoolers.

Generation Media takes a look at the kids’ ad space and whether children still have an appetite for them when watching TV

99.8% of kids 7-10 watch TV

falls to seven per cent, showing kids still have an appetite for watching the ads. While there is no question about the increased use of a second screen, the fact that kids watching TV

Source: BARB 2016 *Youth TGI 2015 Autumn (Oct-Dec ‘14, Mar-May ‘15) 08 April

country working as a team to get him to the finish line to unlock prizes and new content. The Calling Team Thomas campaign will be launched by celebrity mum Frankie Bridge and her son Parker, encouraging UK fans and families to join Team Thomas on new and exciting adventures. Frankie Bridge will lead the conversation through mainstream media and social activity communicating the key message ‘when you race with Team Thomas, friendship always wins’. Paid media, mummy blogger partnerships, PR and retail activation will amplify the campaign

and using a second screen has increased from 33 per cent in 2013 to 72 per cent in 2015 means there is an ‘Attention Apocalypse’. So what are we to do? At Generation Media we

are building tools such as ‘The Aggregator’ to justify investment outside of TV to ensure we are closing this attention gap. Call us on 0207 307 7900 for more information.

ToyNews PlayTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 307 7900 | www.generationmedia.co.uk www.toynews-online.biz

3/22/16 16:50

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NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Properties Best item progression

Plush feels the love in February IN FEBRUARY 2016, the UK toy market continued to grow in value (up nine per cent) and volume (up five per cent), although at a slower rate than in January, with most categories continuing to perform strongly. Only youth electronics and outdoor and sports toys declined in February and the latter might have been influenced by the cold weather. Action figures and plush were driving growth for the month. However, there was a major uplift in week eight driven by half term, when the total toy market grew 12 per cent in value. Plush was a leading growth category - up 20 per cent versus 2015. New properties in plush drove sales in February with Teletubbies, Bing, Paw Patrol and Shopkins items making up the top four best-selling items. February was also a strong month for arts and crafts where doubledigit growth was recorded as up 13 per cent verses the prior year. This was helped by the performance of Play-Doh (growing more than twice as fast as the

category), which has carried on from a very strong 2015. Other properties with a strong performance in February were Aquabeads from Epoch, Beados from Character Options and Wackytivities from Spin Master. Star Wars fever continued in February with sales up three times as much as the prior year. Star Wars secured number one position in top property ranking in the total market with monthly sales at £7.5m, around seven per cent of total toys sales. “The current fascination with Star Wars items on the market has been a tremendous boost for the toys market in general,” said Melissa Symonds, practice director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. “The strong uplift associated with Star Wars is good news for most toys supercategories as the property is now available in all 11 supercategories. Star was number one property in

February 2016

Teletubbies Talking 8” Plush Assortment (Character Options) Teletubbies fandom was in full force in February as Character Options’ line of cuddly talking Teletubbies leap from 188th position in January 2016 all the way up to 11th the following month.

building sets and action figures, accounting for 76 per cent of total Star Wars growth. 2016 is looking like bumper year for Star Wars with full year of The Force Awakens products and Rogue One in December.”

Sales UK toy sales

(value, year-to-date)

YTD 2015

YTD 2016

Source: NPD

Average toy price February ’15: £7.08

February ’16: £7.35

UK RETAIL SALES TRENDS February 2016 (£ sales – value)

February 2016 (Unit sales – volume)

1LEGO Minifigures

Shopkins 2 Pack

Pie Face

Shopkins Pack of 12

Hot Wheels Basic Car Assortment

Paw Patrol Vehicle and Pup

WCS Match Attax 2015/16 Trading Cards

LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon

Shopkins 5 Pack

LEGO

Flair

WCS Match Attax 2015/16 Trading Cards

Topps

Hasbro

Hot Wheels Basic Car Assortment

Mattel

Flair

Shopkins 2 Pack

Mattel

Match Attax UEFA Champions League Cards ‘16 Topps

Spin Master

Play-Doh Classic 4 Pack

Hasbro

Topps

Play-Doh Single Tub Assortment

Hasbro

LEGO

My Little Pony Mystery Bag Assortment

Hasbro

Flair

Premier League 2016 Sticker Collection

Topps

Flair

10. Star Wars Force Attax Cards Packet

10. Shopkins Fashion Deluxe Packs Assortment

Flair

Topps

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.co.uk, Argos, Asda, Boots, Debenhams, ELC, Entertainer, Firebox, Halfords, Hamleys, John Lewis, Mothercare, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, Toymaster, Toys R Us, Whsmiths, Wilkinsons. NPD estimates that the epos now accounts for 75% of the total UK toy market.

10 April

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15/03/2016 09:03 3/15/16 15:39

APPOINTMENTS

Industry moves This month sees KD UK welcome a new sales manager, Sambro boosts its new soft play division with a head of sales and Revell details staff changes. Meanwhile, Jumbo Games stars as our Team of the Month TEAM OF THE MONTH: JUMBO GAMES Who’s in the team? We have Stewart Middleton who’s the managing director, Steve Washbourne who’s the national accounts controller, Steven Russell who’s the marketing manager and Mike Hartshorn who’s the national accounts manager. We also have Victoria Allen who’s the sales admin and account manager, Daniel Nicholas who’s the marketing executive, Laura Canzio who’s the product manager, Jackie Sheringham-Ford who’s the sales admin, Jeannette Giles who’s the credit controller, Val Harvey who’s the secretary and Ijsbrand van der Jagt who’s the firm’s finance controller.

KD UK n The toy firm is boosting its sales team with the addition of LEE-ANNE NEALE to the position of sales manager for toys. In her new position, Neale will work alongside the internal sales team and help drive business with majors, independents and online retailers. Prior to her new role, Neale spent 14 years managing various accounts at Re:creation and Goldfish & Bison. SETH BISHOP, MD of KD UK, said: “I’m delighted Sambro n Sambro has revealed that LARA SINGER will be heading up its new soft lines division. As the new head of buying of soft lines at Sambro, Singer will focus on bags, umbrellas and

12 April

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What have the last 12 months been like? In two words, challenging and interesting. It’s been a real year of transition and evolution, with a number of key personnel changes and a back to basics strategy of focusing on the retailer and what we do best. Over the past few months, it’s been great to see big advancements in product development and retailer support. We are looking forward to the next 12 months, and seeing the level the business will be at then. What are you looking forward to this year? We’re really excited about our range of DINO 3D models and puzzles, as well as

releasing our largest range of adult jigsaws – it’s going to be a great year for Jumbo. What’s your favourite part of working in the industry? It has to be working with products that we all grew up playing and still see people playing with today.

the people here at our UK head office.”

to have Lee-Anne join the UK team, both her character and her broad knowledge of the industry will be a great asset to the company. “2016 will see company diversification and expansion of ranges. Lee-Anne’s arrival could not have come at a more opportune time.” hats, as she looks to boost the business within the apparel industry. NIKKI SAMUELS, licensing director at Sambro, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lara to the Sambro team. Our team is growing rapidly and Lara’s appointment reflects the experience and calibre of

Revell n A series of staff changes have been announced at Revell, including the departure of president HANS ULRICH REMFERT, and senior VP of sales BERND WIEGMANN. Remfert will be replaced by STEFAN KRINGS, who previously held the role as MD for Germany and Austria at Giocchi Preziosi. ROGER GUNDEL will also be taking up the role of senior VP of sales, having previously held senior roles at Apple and Nintendo. In addition, STEFAN LUTZ will be taking on the role of VP of marketing and product development, having previously worked at Zapf Creation as marketing director and Simba Dickie Group as the company’s head of marketing.

It’s such a fun and diverse industry with great people in it; you just never know what the next day will bring. What are some of the challenges you face? Increased competition from new players entering the toy market and reduced

Toys R Us n The retailer is welcoming AMY VON WALTER to the team, who takes on the position of VP of global communications and public relations. In her new role, Walter will be responsible for external and internal communications, including crisis management and brand reputation in the press and public. Prior to her new role, Walter worked for Best Buy as VP of communications and public affairs. Dave Brandon, CEO and chairman at Toys R Us, said: “I am confident that she will be a strong collaborator across all of our company functions and that she will provide valuable guidance as we seek to expand the depth and breadth of our communications reach.”

margins on like-for-like licensed products. Who avoids the washing up? Stewart Middleton. Someone has to be driving the business forward after all. Who’s the office heart throb? No brainer, Steve Washbourne.

Vivid n The company has announced several key changes to its R & D department, with the addition of new recruits and promotions. FI MURRAY (pictured above) has been promoted to the newly created role of principal creative, where she will be responsible for identifying new product opportunities and trends. Plus, ROSS COFFIELD has been promoted to the role of senior design engineer. Lastly, LAUREN MAYOR will be joining as product designer having previously worked at TOMY. “These changes are an extremely positive step and strengthen Vivid’s capability of developing new product and cohesive lines,” said JAMES WING, R&D manager at Vivid.

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             

   

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    

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3/10/16 11:09

OPINION

The future of play Mark Palatucci, CPO and co-founder at Anki, explains why the toy industry needs to be embracing the world of entertainment robotics and artificial intelligence with open arms THROUGHOUT the years, technology has changed how children interact and play with one another. Video games have spawned a generation that live and play in virtual worlds. But we have lost sense of the physical world, the satisfaction of touch, and even though video games provide immersive, virtual environments, one could argue that our children may have also lost a bit of creativity and imagination in their day-to-day play. If you were to walk down the toy aisle at your local retailer, you will see the same products that offer the same type of play that have existed for decades.

Even though toys have been stagnant in innovation, you cannot deny that it is still a massive £54 billion a year global industry. But rechnology can truly push the toy industry forward. It can provide richer

entertainment experiences for our children, but also spark their imagination and create a social atmosphere within the home. To bring robotics and artificial intelligence into the living room, we had to solve some exceptionally

difficult problems, and at a price point and reliability necessary for a consumer product like our robotic battleracing game, Anki Overdrive. One of the things that most motivates and inspires us at Anki is knowing just how transformative the right applications of robotics and artificial intelligence can be. These technologies transcend product categories and bring a previously unattainable level of intelligence and purpose to the physical world. It is exactly why the toy industry should welcome technology with open arms. Companies can no longer depend on a popular brand name to make them

successful. They need to embrace robotics to create unique play experiences in the physical world that allows toys to be more aware, interactive and fun. The industry cannot afford to take a back seat while video games continue to propel forward in technological advances as evident with the recent rise and interest in virtual reality. For us, Anki Overdrive represents more than an entertainment product. This is our opportunity to make robotics and AI more accessible to the masses and demonstrate how transformative this tech can be to categories yet to be touched by them.

Mark Palatucci is the CPO and co-founder at Anki. Anki’s latest product, Anki Overdrive, is on shelves now.

Use VR for PR Rebecca Oatley, managing director at Cherish PR, explains why toy firms should be open to using Virtual Reality technology when it comes to marketing their latest ranges IF YOU’VE dismissed Virtual Reality as too expensive, a passing fad or just plain ridiculous, think again. In 2014, Gartner predicted that VR was five years away from becoming a mainstream technology but it’s already here, adopted by business and consumers alike for entertainment, information and marketing. Mattel was the first major toy brand to launch a VR product last year with View Master and we’re waiting for version 2.0 later this year. I’ve just come back from the Wearable Technology Show and almost half of all companies there were promoting new hardware or

software plug-ins that turn even the humblest pair of specs into an immersive VR tool. In the past year alone, we’ve seen Google Cardboard drop the cost of headsets to just a few pounds.

Take Volvo’s XC90 VR test drive ‘Volvo Reality’, a 360 degree experience of their top of the range SUV, optimised for dedicated VR devices like Google Cardboard. The brand

If you’ve dismissed Virtual Reality as too expensive, a passing fad or just plain ridiculous, think again. Access is easy and cheap and this is why VR is fast becoming an exciting marketing tool. The big brands have already stepped in and are investing heavily in 360-degree films for new product launches.

reported 238 million media impressions. That’s a lot of immersive experiences for a new car launch. A test drive may be far away from the latest toy release, but when it comes to VR, the rules are the same.

For effective VR, you need a strong creative concept and a clear message, a great story combined with a unique experience that the viewer is in control of; plus an audience that’s up for new technology of course. The toy industry has all of those things in quantity. Kids will soon have a headset and their demand for exploring the world of new toys will rise. It’s an outstanding opportunity for toy industry marketeers. In my world of PR, VR is also being used effectively with journalists and trade audiences. With VR we can easily offer media and partners an experience that is fun, exciting and

very close to reality, without a product having to leave the warehouse. How about taking a peek behind the scenes, looking at the production process for a product or the testing of it? Or how about virtual events? Recently TopShop used Oculus Rift to let their customers experience a fashion show at their Oxford Street store. Everyone could experience the thrill of being seated at the front row even if they couldn’t be there. These are just a few examples of how VR is being integrated into marketing, but it’s just the start. With new devices and app development, the smart toy marketeer should act now.

Rebecca Oatley is managing director at Cherish PR. For more on Cherish PR, head to www.cherishpr.com.

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3/24/16 10:15

OPINION

Dream job For kids the world over, being a toy designer is the ultimate job. Here, real life toy designer Richard Heayes gives his advice on the skills needed to forge a career in this space TOY DESIGNER is the ultimate job. Spending all day inventing new playthings is the holy grail of employment, right? Spoiler alert: Like all jobs, the reality of working life in a role often doesn’t match the perception. Every job comes with annoyances, and the toy design industry is no exception. That said, designing toys is a lot of fun. The culture it breeds attracts creative, playfully minded people. I’m often asked, “How do I break into the toy business? What qualifications do I need?” So here’s my advice for finding a job as a designer, or hiring your next designer.

Toy design is multidimensional. Having hired many designers over the years, the key qualities I look for are (a) creative flexibility and (b) creative resilience. Most toys start as a blank sheet, so the skills you used last time aren’t always the skills you need this time. Often, it’s harder than it might sound to survive that process, and that’s why resilience can make or break your career. You must be able to develop hundreds of concepts and harsh reality check - expect most of those to never make it beyond concept. Learning to rapidly create, refine, bin and start over is the key skill

possessed by all of the top designers. Great designers respect that they are (usually) not

Learning to create, refine, bin and start over is the key skill possessed by top designers. designing for themselves, but for a unique, fickle consumer who won’t follow the instructions. Or use the product how they’re supposed to.

This all-knowing consumer has a very different value system for deciding if a product is good. Welcome to the world of designing for kids. Increasingly, licensed products are a huge part of our business. It’s essential for good creatives to respect those licences. Learning to embrace a licence, and to add value to it so the end result feels authentic, often delivers the most successful (and financially fruitful) products. Toy designers often collaborate with colleagues around the globe. Therefore, excellent visual and written communication skills are huge plusses. They’re the

difference between an idea falling completely flat or coming to life. Designing toys is a demanding career, but also a rewarding one. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing a child in a toy store, begging their parents to buy them the product that you shed blood, sweat and tears over. Can you understand and tell stories? Do you have (or can you learn) the technical skills that bring ideas to life? Can you spin ideas as fast as a spider spins a web? (And not freak out when they’re dusted away and forgotten?) Do you believe that play can change the world? Then the toy world needs you. Go for it.

Richard Heayes is an award-winning inventor and designer at Heayes Design, and a supporter of all things playful. Contact him at richard@heayesdesign.com

The power of customisation Dan Amos, head of new media at Tinderbox, takes a look at how, with Mattel’s revamped ThingMaker on the way, 3D printing is already disrupting the world of consumer products EARLIER THIS year, toy manufacturer Mattel, unveiled a $300 3D printer, allowing children (as well as young-at-heart adults) the opportunity to create their very own personalised toy figures and jewellery items. The new home device, a revamp of the company’s iconic 1960s ThingMaker, pairs with a series of dedicated apps created by software corporation, Autodesk. Its relatively reasonable price tag makes it the first 3D printing home kit with a true potential to appeal to the mainstream. I am in favour of most technological advancements, but I can’t help but wonder what

impact this will have on the traditional toy manufacturing industry? Research firm McKinsey estimates this fairly newly established industry to reach an approximate annual value of $230 to $550 billion by 2025, $100 to $300 billion of which will be directly tied to toys and other consumer products. Although impressive, these figures do not surprise me. Toys are often small and made of plastic, making them well suited for customisation through 3D printing. In addition, children (at least my own) often have an inherent urge to be creative; they use their imagination to a far greater extent

than most adults, and this process plays an imperative role in their development. 3D printing and other forms of customisation technologies have the potential to change the toy world for the better, as long as companies are smart about how they incorporate

these new innovations to their existing offers. One of the biggest issues with this tech is that it opens up for problems tied to piracy and trademark infringement. As 3D printing devices continue to evolve, they will soon be able to create copies of products that are every bit

as good (in terms of quality and design) as the original. While most companies appreciate the creative work of fans, they are more hesitant to completely cease control as it relates to products created for commercial purposes. However, companies should embrace new technologies as a way to enhance consumers’ experience, trusting the fact that new innovations can create new markets, rather than only steal shares from the existing. Yes, 3D printing is significantly disrupting the toy sector but as long as companies are receptive to change, this can only be a positive thing.

Dan Amos is the Head of New Media at Tinderbox, the digital division of leading global brand extension agency, Beanstalk. For more information, visit: www.tboxagency.com.

www.toynews-online.biz

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April 15

3/24/16 10:15

NEWS ANALYSIS

Big issues, Mini-figures Now that LEGO has unveiled a wheelchair using-figure and a stay-at-home dad in its latest LEGO City set, it seems the toy giant is embracing a true representation of society with its products. Jade Burke speaks to manufacturers and retailers to see what else vendors can do to provide kids with a more inclusive toy collection

TOY GIANT LEGO is well known for its vast selection of play-sets, featuring various real life characters, such as police officers, builders and ferry drivers, but now the vendor has hit the headlines by introducing its very first wheelchair-using Minifigure. During Nuremberg Toy Fair, LEGO touted the new figure, which comes complete with an assistance dog, as part of the new Fun in the Park LEGO City set due to hit shelves in June this year. This certainly marks a notable milestone for the company, as Rebecca Atkinson, founder of the #ToyLikeMe campaign, has been calling for large toy firms to become more socially representative with their toys. Atkinson tells ToyNews: “We are really pleased that LEGO is becoming more socially representative and we are delighted with the new wheelchair figure. It’s a small figure but a massive leap forwards 16 April

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for thousands of children worldwide who use wheelchairs and have until now seldom seen themselves reflected in the toys they play with. “They can now see that the world’s largest toy brand is behind them and wants to culturally include them. That’s an amazing thing.“ This isn’t the first time that LEGO has started to socially represent more individuals though, for example kids can also now get their hands on a LEGO female scientist. Plus, the company also showcased its new stay-at-home dad complete with a pram and milk bottle and a working mum figure, as part of its latest LEGO City line. Commenting on the social ramifications of the new figures, Soren Torp Laursen, president of LEGO Systems, told Fortune magazine earlier this year: “We need to stay in tune with the world around us. We aren’t responding to demand from anyone. We

are trying to portray the world around us and listen to our consumer base.” No doubt these figures go against the stereotypical norms of society and is refreshing for kids to see and play with on a daily basis, as Luan Hall, owner of Fairies ‘n’ Frogs, concurs: “As a teaching

Toy firms have a responsibility to represent the people they are trying to appeal to. Roger Parry, Build-A-Bear

aid, I think these toys are as important to highlight as differing hair colour and male/female job types – it’s just an addition to the world we live in.” Other indie retailers have also begun to express their

gratitude with these types of toys, citing that some customers have started to ask for such products. Paul Wohl, owner of Argosy Toys, explains: “You don’t see many space aliens walking around, although it makes for a great fantasy toy, so it’s nice to have a real-life touch to toys, definitely.” Vivienne Watson, owner of The Cambridge Toy Shop, also agrees: “We do get asked for representative toys, but very occasionally, and it is frustrating to not be able to easily get hold of these products. “I get asked for role play figures of people that children would regularly come into contact with such as doctors, dentists, teachers and family groups.” However, it seems more still needs to be done to make children and parents aware of these types of toys to help drum up more interest for retailers. “We’ve never been asked for more inclusive toys,

despite having a very broad range of customers with specific needs,’ adds Dave Carter, co-owner of Arcade Toy Shop. “We are sure that this inclusion of new characters that are more representative of society can only be a good thing. However, it’s only the customers that will bear this out.” Now that LEGO has started to pave the way to represent all areas of society through toys, perhaps more vendors will adopt this stance. “Toy manufacturers and retailers have a responsibility to make sure that they represent the people they are trying to appeal to,” concludes Roger Parry, senior MD at Build-A-Bear Workshop, a firm that already sells bears in wheelchairs, casts and crutches. “Kids come into Build-ABear with disabilities and it’s our duty to make sure that they feel comfortable in our retail environment and can relate to the products that we are selling.” www.toynews-online.biz

3/24/16 10:21

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CROWDFUNDING FOCUS

Aido: Next Gen Home Robot Pitched as ‘the friendly home assistant you’ve been waiting for,’ Aido can help with chores, handle schedules and play with your kids. InGen Dynamics founder and CEO Arshad Hisham explains the science fiction inspiration behind his creation and why the home robot will make a great companion for children Platform: Indiegogo Goal: $75,000 Campaign status: Funded Where did the idea for Aido come from? As a big science fiction fan, I have always been fascinated by the various robots in popular culture – Serge from Caprica, R2-D2, Data from Star Trek and WALL·E to name a few. I always dreamed about having the perfect robot companion that is useful, affordable and sleek. Over the years, I realised that the cost to build a truly cutting edge robot was steadily decreasing even as the technology was maturing. After doing extensive studies on the feasibility, economics and practicality of building a home robot, I decided that the average home was ready for Aido. How does Aido work? Aido’s interface runs on Android, as this gives users access to millions of apps on the Google Play Store However, Android was not powerful enough for what Aido had to tackle at home, hence the AndroidLLinux hybrid architecture. We also chose a ballbot design for Aido’s mobility as it suited the home environment well. It also uses a combination of technologies to determine its location at home. Why did you choose to use Indiegogo to launch Aido? Indiegogo is a wonderful platform to launch Aido as it has a strong community of backers interested in robotics. What has early reaction so far been like for Aido? Early reaction to Aido has been phenomenal. It raised $150,000 on Indiegogo within the first 12 hours. What are your expectations for Aido? We are looking at Aido being used as a friendly 18 April

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home robot. The market for consumer and business robots is forecast to explode in the next few years, driven by a growing number of smart homes and devices, cheaper and more powerful technology components and rapid acceptance of home robotics products. A recent report from Business Insider Intelligence predicted the market for consumer and business robots to reach $1.5 billion by 2019. This market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17 per cent until then, seven times faster than the manufacturing robot market. We believe a robot like Aido, which has been designed to be used at home, will become an important player in the home robotics space. Aido has smashed its goal on Indiegogo. Has this taken you by surprise?

We are delighted with the response towards Aido. We had been running campaigns and engaging with potential backers over the last month, and knew many of our backers were extremely enthusiastic about Aido.

How can Aido be used as a toy? We would love for Aido to be used by children and we have put in a lot of thought into making Aido a great companion for kids. For example, Aido has a storyteller module that can

Aido has a storyteller module that can perform stories, a range of interactive games and it boasts a built-in HD multimedia projector. Arshad Hisham, InGen Dynamics

The RRP is expected to be around $900. How can toy retailers get on board? As of now, we are looking to deliver an awesome product to our backers. We will be opening up our discussions on the retail front once we first fulfill the demand by Indiegogo backers. Our expected date to deliver Aido to backers is October 2016.

read and perform stories from around the world, a HD multimedia projector that allows kids to research info and see it in a visual format and a range of cool interactive games. While designing Aido’s mobility function, we also factored in accidental knocks and nudges. Aido counters sudden changes to its balance

with a set of retractable legs that spring out from the base to prevent it from keeling over. Users can push Aido, and the legs will spring out to provide immediate support, and the robot will quickly try to stabilise by itself and draw the legs back in. Plus, Aido does not have any removable tiny parts that can cause a choking hazard, and also supports Android parental controls. What’s the next stage for you with Aido? We are looking to fulfill demand by our Indiegogo backers and then explore retail options. We have already received angel investments and leading Silicon Valley venture capitalists have expressed interest in a term sheet. We are also looking forward to a community of developers extending Aido’s functionality through its SDK. www.toynews-online.biz

3/21/16 15:32

Come and see us at Toymaster

©P&Co. 2016

The Best in Character Call for our new catalogue: Tel: 01329227300 Email: sales@rainbowdesigns.co.uk Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

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BARBIE’S NEW BODY SHAPES

Ahead of the curve Mattel hit the headlines earlier this year with the news that Barbie was getting a range of new body types. Billy Langsworthy speaks to Kim Culmone, vice president of Barbie design at Mattel, about whether the doll market has a greater responsibility today to faithfully represent women in all their different shapes and sizes ARGUABLY ONE of the biggest stories of the year so far has been Mattel’s announcement that after 57 years, Barbie was to get three new body types. The original model has been joined by tall, petite and curvy versions in a move that even resulted in Barbie gracing the cover of TIME magazine, alongside the headline ‘Now can we stop talking about my body?’ And after years of being hit by accusations that the original model didn’t promote a healthy body image (analysts have claimed the average US female would need to grow two-feet in height, shrink six-inches from her waist, and balloon five-inches in her bust to achieve the same curves as Barbie), you can hardly blame Barbie (and Mattel) for wanting to but the issue to bed. But why make the move into realistic body shapes now? It seems the power of social media is once again responsible. “As with any 57 year old brand, to stay relevant, evolution, change and reinvention are necessary,” Kim Culmone, vice president, Barbie design at Mattel, tells ToyNews. “Also, the world we are living in is progressing at a much more rapid pace. Consumers now have a more powerful voice than ever because of social media. Millennials, specifically parents, are more loyal to and aligned with brands that lead with their purpose. “Additionally, the world our girls live in is diverse and one that celebrates our differences. Girls want to express their individuality through everything from their interests to their toys. “All these components and more have played a part in why now is the right 20 April

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time to add more diversity into the range.” Culmone has worked on the Barbie brand for over 17 years and led the design team at Mattel in the creation of Project Dawn, the name the firm gave to the introduction of the new body types in the Barbie line. Having been on the brand for almost 20 years, Culmone has long faced questions from the public about Barbie’s body image in a way that no other doll, or toy, has faced. The debates have covered a lot of ground in the last few years. While some argue that Barbie’s proportions set the wheel in motion for young girls’ future insecurities, others state that she’s just a toy and not necessarily intended to be held up as a beacon of authenticity when it comes to the discussions around the female form. In fact, in an interview with FastCoDesign back in 2014, Culmone stated: “Barbie’s body was never designed to be realistic. She was designed for girls to easily dress and undress. She added: “This is a 55-year-old brand where moms are handing clothes down to their daughters, and so keeping the integrity of that is really important. Unless for some reason in the future, there’s a real reason to change the body - because of either a design imperative or functional imperative heritage is important to us.” So why the change in stance? Does the doll market of 2016 have a greater responsibility than perhaps in previous years to faithfully represent women in all their different shapes, sizes and ethnicities to young girls? www.toynews-online.biz

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BARBIE’S NEW BODY SHAPES Culmone reveals that the change in tact regarding Barbie’s body came following a moment where the folks at Mattel “took a hard look at ourselves.” “Two years ago we started an exploratory

journey on the brand,” says Culmone. “We took a hard look at ourselves and a hard look at insights. We learned that while Barbie remained the number one fashion doll in the market, she stood for

more functional benefits versus a deeper meaning or emotional benefit. “Those insights lead us to realise that we need to remind mum about the purpose and power of Barbie - that through open

ended play, storytelling and imagination girls can imagine everything they can become through Barbie. Changing the body hopefully removes a barrier, allowing parents to see the brand for what it is, not just what it looks like.” Culmone tells ToyNews that she played with her Barbie doll everyday when she was younger, and she was also a fan of Hot Wheels, so perhaps a career at Mattel was written in the stars. But did all that time spent playing with the doll in her original form give the current VP of Barbie design insecurities around her own body image or set her expectations around issues of ‘beauty’, as Barbie’s former critics would claim. “No, I don’t believe Barbie shaped my attitudes about body image,” states Culmone. “At that age I didn’t see Barbie

tend to get ignored by the mainstream media. “Historically, women and female images have been subject to body scrutiny in general, but what is important to note is that girls experience Barbie differently than adults,” adds Culmone. “They see the possibilities that Barbie offers them through play. We believe Barbie should reflect a broader view of beauty. These new dolls are about more than just physical appearances. Introducing a more diverse set of dolls allows for more storytelling possibilities.” And perception is the key here. While adults are driving notions of what harm certain toys and games could be doing to children, the kids themselves of course rarely throw their two cents in on the issues. But whether or not these new body types

Two years ago, we started a journey on the brand. We took a long hard look at ourselves. Kim Culmone, Mattel

in that way. That’s much more of an adult filter. For me Barbie was all about the stories I could tell, as well as dressing her up and figuring out which outfit for Barbie to wear.” At this moment in time, the adult filter is the source of a lot of the changes of this sort in the toy space. Whether it’s the addition of a LEGO Minifigure in a wheelchair or the removal of gender specific signage in Toys R Us. In the past, consumers and publications attacking Barbie have come out citing scientific findings such as ‘Barbie’s body size in real terms only has room for half a liver’, but the authenticity of Ken’s shape (and its effect on his internal organs) has come through largely unscathed. It’s something Culmone puts down to a wider social obsession with scrutinising the female form, while similar issues for men www.toynews-online.biz

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will impact on how a new generation of young girls view themselves, the move from Mattel is just one cornerstone of the firm’s ongoing strategic focus on product innovation. “Barbie has always evolved with the times and we are excited about continuing to expand our line with diversity in every aspect of our dolls from occupation to skin tone and shape,” says Culmone. “Our hope is consumers like what we are doing and continue to connect with the brand.” And as more spoof ‘dadbod’ Ken doll images land online, will we see six-pack insecurities trump the thigh gap thanks to a new line of Ken body types? “At this point, we are excited to introduce our three new female dolls and our hope is to expand body variety into other segments for the brand,” is all that Culmone can say on the matter. April 21

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MORNING FAMILY

Morning glory With five new titles to its portfolio, including Kickstarter phenomenon Exploding Kittens, France’s Morning Family is making a major play for the UK market. Robert Hutchins catches up with CEO Timothée Dumain about its former successes, plans for the year ahead and why the firm is a big fan of crowdfunding WITH THE record-breaking Kickstarter sensation, Exploding Kittens, now part of its tabletop gaming clan, 2016 presents a new dawn for Morning Family. A team comprised of gaming enthusiasts, the French board game distributor is the first to admit that the past 12 months presented somewhat of a learning curve, collecting ‘some wonderful customers on the way.’ With five new titles joining its portfolio this year, the firm is expecting to see a very strong 12 months ahead. “The main area of business growth is clearly our board game offering,” explains Morning Family CEO, Timothée Dumain. “But our team is growing too, and with it, our markets. We are in the process of opening two new offices and we are releasing five new titles this year, so everything is looking to be bigger and better than before.” Forming a major part of Morning Family’s plans to hit the UK game scene hard this year is Exploding Kittens, a game that surged to success on Kickstarter when it secured over £8m in funding last year. But with no fewer than five new titles hitting the UK this year, Morning Family is far from a ‘onegame firm’. “It has been thrilling to see the games market in such a resurgence,” Dumain tells ToyNews. “We have the pleasure of distributing Stonemaier Games, which includes titles such as Euphoria, Between Two Cities and the Uwe Rosenberg collaboration Viticulture Essential, as well as the much-anticipated Scythe. “We have also recently moved into the field of www.toynews-online.biz

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party games with titles such as Exploding Kittens and Gobbit, with a Gobbit Angry Birds title launching in late May 2016. “Not only that, but we have been pounding the pavements of the recent trade fairs, tackling Spielwarenmesse, London Toy Fair and France’s Festival international des jeux de Cannes, and we’re seeing a fantastic response to our portfolio.” With such an extensive offering to hand, it’s timely that Morning Family makes its play for the UK gaming market as the sector embraces an ongoing renaissance, kickstarted over recent years and reestablishing itself as a high valued sector. This, of course, has been driven in no small part by gaming communities embracing a rise in the number of the nation’s Board Game Cafes and crowdfunding platforms. “It has been great to see new board game cafes pop up all around the EU,” enthuses Dumain. “We do our best to reach out and create a relationship with them because we strongly believe that the current resurgence is just the beginning.

“With board games dominating the crowdfunding pages and publishers returning to these platforms, we smell a change coming. Exploding Kittens is a great example

For its own part, Morning Family is doing its bit to fuel the gaming community spirit and making the

We believe that the current games resurgence is just the beginning. Timothée Dumain, Morning Family

of the new direction games are being taken in, and after campaigns like that, Fabulous Beasts and Joking Hazard from Cyanide and Happiness, it’s impossible to ignore and certainly forces a change of attitude.” Dumain insists that rather than shying away from these platforms, the industry should be embracing the ‘wealth of ideas’ that many of the success stories are responsible for.

industry more accessible to the newer generation of board game authors. “Crowdfunding platforms have made access easy for people who would otherwise have been unable to break into the board game world,” says Dumain. “We are trying to do our part by meeting with as many games authors as we can, offering our support to those who put their projects on the platforms, if they have

a game that catches our eye.” But what does catch the eye of the Morning Family team? Dumain suggests that “it all comes down to ‘bringing you games that you will love’.” “We want to find game authors who create products that the end-user will want to play again and again, with friends, with family, or with strangers to break the ice; games that are the best quality on the market. “We will in turn help these authors turn their game idea into reality by assisting with the process and publishing the game once it’s ready.” With a forward thinking attitude, it’s no surprise that Morning Family is already peering around the corner and preparing for its next big step in the market; namely, bringing game invention in-house. “We are slowly moving away from just distributing games, we’re searching for great ideas that we can bring in-house,” explains Dumain. “We have game developers who are able to take an idea to the next level and we aim to release four to six new titles a year directly from our publishing arm, Morning Players.” April 23

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ANATOMY OF A BLOCKBUSTER TOY

Anatomy of a blockbuster toy: TOMY’s Pop-Up Pirate has swashbuckled the global gaming scene for the last 25 years, making it a firm favourite with families around the world. With characters from Frozen’s Olaf to Darth Vader lining up to grace the industry’s most iconic barrel, Robert Hutchins takes a look at what’s new for the hit game

THIS YEAR will see TOMY launch a new Star Warsthemed Pop-Up Darth Vader to a market of sci-fi hungry youngsters. The premise of the game, of course, will not deviate far from the same tension building gameplay that has captured the imagination for the last 25 years. And if you’ve ever played Pop-Up Pirate in any of its forms, you’ll know that nothing captures the mood of a games night quite like the feeling of slowly plunging miniature swords into the body of a captured pirate. But while the launch will mark the first time TOMY’s hit family title Pop-Up Pirate has embraced the multibillion dollar galactic franchise, it is far from the first time the firm has licensed the game.

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In fact, no less than 57 variations of the game are currently in existence, including a Pop-Up Hello Kitty, Pop-Up Stitch (from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch) and a Pop-Up Olaf inspired by Disney’s award-winning animated feature Frozen. Delivering varying iterations of the popular family game is all part of TOMY’s plans to keep Pop-Up Pirate fresh for years to come. And it’s the company’s long-term goal, says TOMY’s UK marketing manager, Emma Fryer, to

No less than 57 variations of the game exist, including Pop-Up Hello Kitty, PopUp Stitch and the forthcoming Pop-Up Darth.

support the title through all its necessary stages of evolution and help it retain its place as one of the firm’s best-selling titles across the generations. “The launch of the licensed versions of the Pop-Up Pirate game have proved to be a massive hit and sales continue to go from strength to strength every year,” Fryer tells ToyNews. “Pop-Up Olaf sold units worth

£725,000 in its first year, which in turn fuelled the original game’s success. Looking ahead we will be expanding the range very selectively with the launch of Mini Pop-Up Pirate as well as further licensed versions of the game, like Pop-Up Darth, which we expect to be a huge hit.” Proving to be a perennial favourite among kids and parents alike, by the end of last year, TOMY had sold 172,834 units of PopUp Pirate and 100,945 units of its Frozeninspired Olaf line.

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ANATOMY OF A BLOCKBUSTER TOY But perhaps the bigger score to champion is that last year’s total helped take overall sales of the Pop-Up Pirate brand to over 13 million worldwide since its original launch back in 1975. Of course, back then Pop-Up Pirate went by another name, and when it was first introduced to a Japanese market in the mid-70s, it was known as Kurohige Kiki Ippatsu which translated quite literally to Blackbeard in Danger. By 1991, the title had adopted a more familyorientated moniker and the newly branded Pop-Up Pirate quickly shot to international fame across the US and the UK. Today, the hit game can be found in no fewer than 47 countries, making a very familiar face at family games nights the world over. “During its launch, Pop Up Pirate proved to be a great hit with the millennial generation, but we are also seeing that the game is hugely popular with children of today too,” continues Fryer. “Games and puzzles is the second largest category in the toy market at the moment, proving the importance of quality playtime. Family games night is an important tradition in every household as it is a time to strengthen

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the family unit and helps children get in the habit of communicating with their parents and siblings.” It is the family element to the game, as well as TOMY’s wider gaming portfolio, that Fryer believes has helped the firm maintain its position within the market over so many years. “Products from TOMY’s games range support family time as each toy is carefully designed to encourage bonding through play,” explains Fryer, who

also believes that the firm’s ability to incorporate humour into its games goes some way to help children build relationships and trust. And that’s not as much of a left field comment as it may first appear. In fact, a recent study conducted by researchers at Newcastle

Pop-Up Olaf sold units worth £725,000 in its first year, which fuelled the original game’s success. Emma Fryer, TOMY

University appears to have confirmed Fryer’s belief, listing the benefits of the game when it used Pop Up Pirate as part of a therapy trial to help improve hand function in children with a form of cerebral palsy. “The research proved that the game play of Pop-Up Pirate helped support children’s grasping, picking up, holding and putting down small objects and co-ordination,” says Fryer. “Simplicity is another contributing factor

to Pop-Up Pirate’s success as the main action is for players to take turns to slide the coloured swords into the barrel, meaning it’s very easy for youngsters to pick up.” With a rich 25 year history behind it, it’s no surprise that Pop-Up Pirate has extended far beyond the confines of its single game to expand the brand into board games and video games. The board game PopUp Pirate Treasure Island challenged players to become the first one to collect six gold coins from a treasure chest guarded by the slumbering Blackbeard. Only one key would open the treasure chest, while the others would stir the gold-loving Pirate into action. By 2008, Blackbeard had made the leap into the digital age as TOMY released a video game version of Pop-Up Pirate for the Nintendo Wii. Called Party Fun Pirate, the game included a single player logic puzzle mode and allowed players to replace the Blackbeard

pirate with their own Wii Avatar called Miis. Whatever guide it has taken over the years, Pop-Up Pirate has remained a staple of the family gaming scene, providing entertainment across the decades. So, what’s the next chapter for TOMY’s Pop-Up Pirate? The firm believes that its future in the licensing space looks bright. “Pop-Up Pirate will always remain a classic in households and we have seen great success from Pop-Up Olaf following its launch in 2015,” continues Fryer. “We hope to see the same success with Pop-Up Darth following its launch later this year. We also have some exciting plans in the pipeline for 2017 from a product development and marketing point of view, as well as a strategic PR campaign.” With that in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this little Pirate popping his head up a heck of a lot over the next 25 years too.

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SPHERO

Mr Roboto Last year’s BB-8 toy put robotics company Sphero firmly on the toy industry’s radar. Billy Langsworthy talks to Sphero CEO Paul Berberian about his vision for putting an entertainment robot in every home Has your BB-8 fulfilled its potential in the toy market yet? We still haven’t seen the impact of the children’s market on BB-8. Kids have seen The Force Awakens once, maybe twice, but it’s only when the DVD comes out that they’ll start to see it five or six times and start falling in love with the characters. We think BB-8 will have tremendous legs in 2016 and beyond because of all the other movies that are coming out. The Force Band will also create a whole new experience. We want it to be a standalone product but our view is that if you buy one of our products, you should have an awesome experience. If you buy two, they should be able to work together, but also independently.

How long has Sphero been in operation? The company was founded in 2010 with the idea to create things in the real world that could be controlled from our smart devices. What emerged was the notion of connected play. We wanted to build fun robots that you could control and play with through smart devices. Last year we launched BB-8 and it’s been a tremendous success. It was a number one toy and we’ve sold well over one million units. It’s a great success. New from us is the Force Band, coming out this autumn. It will work with BB-8 and it allows you to control it using gestures. Is licensing a major focus for the company now? Where it makes sense. We don’t want to become a pure licensing firm. We want to find IP that could really benefit from a highend play experience. We’re looking for those opportunities and Disney has the best IP out there so we’ll continue to work with Disney. As a robotics firm, how have you been welcomed into the toy industry? We don’t see ourselves as a part of the toy industry. We had a small booth at New York Toy Fair but our big booth was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. We came to the toy fair because it’s one of the channels of distribution for us but it’s not the only one. If you look at where we sell our product, we achieved top toy status without actually being in mass market or toy stores. Do you want Sphero products to be in more toy stores? We want to be in stores that will properly promote and sell the product and that have the right clientele www.toynews-online.biz

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for the price points that we’re trying to hit. We’re targeting people that appreciate high quality technology. We’re a premium product that will see people investing in a really unique play experience that makes the tech disappear and brings characters to life. What are your big plans for this year? Our big vision is to put an entertainment robot in every home. It means advancing the technology and introducing it to the marketplace at a measured pace so that everyone starts becoming comfortable with having robots in the house. You may have a vacuum cleaner in your house that’s a robot but you won’t have a relationship with your vacuum cleaner. We want to put characters in your house and we want those characters to uniquely

We still haven’t seen the impact of the children’s market on BB-8. Paul Berberian, Sphero

understand the different members of your family and adjust its behaviour based on your interests. We’re trying to advance the play

experience and the Force Band is an example of exploring issues around control. We’re also going to be doing a lot with voice recognition and image recognition in future products. How far can your technology take toys? We’re not designing our own chips in Silicon Valley. We’re not that kind of tech company. What we do better than anyone else is stitch together the latest and greatest technology to build an experience that the world hasn’t seen before.

How important is it to have an educational aspect to Sphero products? Half a million kids have already used the Sphero ball in the classroom. Education is a critical component of our business. To bring this technology into classrooms, you need fantastic software and we’ve invested millions of dollars into our software development. We’ve designed a product that fits with the concept of the classroom. The battery lasts for the length of a class, you can put a dozen robots into a class inexpensively and you get great support from a software standpoint.

April 27

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INDEPENDENT TOY & GIFT SHOW

Play date This year marks the Independent Toy & Gift Show’s fourth event, and exhibitor-wise, it’s set to boast ‘the strongest line-up ever’. Jade Burke catches up with Miles Penhallow, head of toys and children’s gifts at plaY-room, to see what visitors heading to Cranmore Park can expect from next month’s show Can you tell me a brief history of the show? We formed in April 2008 and held our first show in June 2008, where we invited our first 40 suppliers to show upstairs. We now have over 90 stands, which fills all our downstairs space here at Cranmore Park. It has grown, although we try and keep the number of suppliers to a reasonable level, and it’s fair to say this is by far our strongest lineup ever this year. What can guests expect from this year’s show? The first thing is they get a friendly welcome and they get a tasty, free hot lunch. I think also the impressive line-up of suppliers. Given the clash of dates with Nuremberg this year, our show will actually be the first opportunity that UK buyers will be able to see Hasbro, LeapFrog and MGA here in the UK. We’re also encouraging all the suppliers to offer special show deals on an actual showstopper item, which is a ‘while stocks last item’ for all buyers to take advantage of. This year’s theme is games. Can you tell me more about this idea? We thought that rather than have a fairly benign type of entrance area, it would be nice to have a different theme each year and work with suppliers around that theme. We already had a conversation with Mattel who are going to sponsor our coffee lounge, and had the idea of having a Scrabble café, so from that we thought we’ll theme the whole show games. We’ll have displays of different games, and even our evening party has a games theme because it’s www.toynews-online.biz

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a casino evening. I think each year we will try a different category, which helps to create a little bit of interest in areas that are strength areas for our members. Are there any first-time exhibitors this year? LeapFrog is showing for the first time. We also have a lot of areas we are developing including gifts, as well as toys. Other first time showers include Engino, Magformers, Wicked Vision, Stepping Stones and Big Potato, who will be holding games demonstrations in the entrance area. Which exhibitors are returning this year? Returning to the fold as they say are Wooky Entertainment, Spin Master and Peers Hardy. Did you expect to receive such a positive response from exhibitors this year? We had a great response last year, and it was last year where we saw people

were booking really early This year, we even beat the record of selling out in 12 days, and we had to create more space for some of the new suppliers that we bought on. We’re absolutely blown away by the support we get

buyers from everywhere, spanning museums to garden centres, so they get in front of buyers that they wouldn’t normally be able to. The appeal for them is that they just don’t know who’s going to walk through the door next.

We’re absolutely blown away by the support we get from our suppliers. Miles Penhallow, plaY-room

from our suppliers, but we never take it for granted. We like to think we work hard all year trying to work with suppliers, and it is a good value show for them compared to what they have to pay at some of the major exhibitions. What’s the show’s biggest appeal to suppliers? It gets suppliers in front of a more eclectic mix of buyers because we attract

We’re really pleased with that response. What aspect of this year’s show are you most looking forward to? I think the buzz on the first day around 12 and three o’clock, which is when it’s at its busiest. It does bring its headaches with car parking and coffee queues, but there’s this feeling of a busy, buzzy

show. That means it’s a job well done. What sets this year’s show apart from the previous Toy & Gift shows? I think the biggest message I would put out is the fact that we have Hasbro and LeapFrog here, and maybe people haven’t had the chance to speak to them this year. The main difference is that we have all the best, major key accounts for independent buyers here under one roof, and we’re situated in the middle of the country, so I think we have done as much as we can do to put on the best show. Now it’s just getting the message out there that all independent toy retailers are welcome, you don’t have to be a member and we’ll be doing our utmost to do that.

This year’s Independent Toy and Gift Show takes place on April 12th and 13th. April 29

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News Media

Dedicated monthly licensing coverage for the UK

Opinion

The Oddbods juggernaut is in motion, says master toy RP2 The animated series is enjoying strong ratings and is now expected to strike gold in toys, games and more

By Robert Hutchins THE ODDBODS juggernaut is in motion and the hit series is primed to take the global market by storm, according to the property’s master toy partner RP2. Having recently launched its long-form, seven-minute episode content to UK broadcasting partner Boomerang, the brand has been tipped to make a big splash across the gaming, apparel and toy landscapes. The animated series started life as a run of one to five minute shorts on YouTube, but quickly shot to success both online and in its longer-form TV content, which has reportedly topped the bill as the highest rating show every day it has been on air. The brand is now expected to see the same success in the toy space when Golden Bear introduces an extensive www.toynews-online.biz

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line-up of plastics and figures, plush, interactive play-sets and blind bagged Oddbods collectables this June/July. “Early response to Oddbods and the Oddbods toy line has been nothing short of exceptional,” Simon Cox, managing director of RP2 told ToyNews. “We already have distributors lined up across the EMEA, which is unusual this early in the process. “Retailers are seeing a wider, bigger toy range coming through and broadcasters are seeing a deeper level of content, so our expectations for Oddbods in the UK and on a global scale are very high.” Targeting kids aged four to nine, Oddbods is the brainchild of children’s entertainment studio One Animation and follows the slapstick adventures of a cast of seven characters.

The series has already been met with international acclaim and RP2 believes that one of the biggest drivers for UK audiences

Early response to Oddbods and the accompanying Oddbods toy line has been nothing short of exceptional. Simon Cox, RP2

will be its accompanying line of collectables, geared at pointing youngsters towards its Oddbods TV and online content. “There might only be seven Oddbods, but there are 50 Oddbods blind bag toys in the range to collect,” said Cox.

“We will feature each of the seven Oddbods in six different poses, which all relate to the different episodes, prompting kids to YouTube to find their character in a particular episode. “It’s all about using the marketing to prompt an increase in YouTube viewers and show viewership, which we all know is going to sell more product.” The move from short form YouTube animation to long-form TV episodes – with Boomerang airing three back to back in half hour slots – has fuelled demand for the Oddbods property that, under the guidance of the UK licensing agent ITV, is expected to achieve big things in the wider licensing space. “One Animation has taken a one-minute concept with no dialogue to seven minutes with no dialogue,” added Cox.

“This allows for a huge range of opportunities for products and huge potential in the wider licensing space. “There is no doubt that – along with toys – Oddbods will achieve some big things in the digital space, in the gaming sector and in the apparel market; all of the major licensed lines that you’d normally expect. “But the biggest appeal of Oddbods is that everyone has a real vested interest in it. We are working closely with Golden Bear, with One Animation and with all the broadcast partners to drive audience from the product to the broadcast stream. “The higher the ratings, the more kids will buy it, the happier the retailer. We are already seeing ratings success and we are now in a unique position. The Oddbods Juggernaut is in motion,” he concluded. April 31

3/23/16 16:56

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NEWS

“We’ll last longer than Moshi,” says Animal Jam creators WildWorks’ online playground has made its move into toys courtesy of Jazwares, and the firm sees the UK market as a source of success for a brand it has deemed ‘the next major player in toys for young girls’ By Robert Hutchins WILDWORKS believes its digital playground, Animal Jam, will avoid the same pitfalls as Moshi Monsters as it prepares for consumer products to land in the UK. Developed with the National Geographic, the firm has stated that while comparisons to the Mind Candy brand are inevitable, Animal Jam’s approach to the toy space will be its biggest point of difference. The virtual world has rocketed to success over recent years with over 50 million players across the globe joining the platform, and one new player account being created every 1.4 seconds. In the UK, its growth has been labelled ‘exponential’ over the last few years, and demand for the brand

has been so high that WildWorks now expects Animal Jam to be the ‘next major player in the toy space for young girls’. “Drawing parallels with Moshi Monsters is something people naturally do,” Clark Stacey, CEO at WildWorks, told ToyNews.

“There are a lot of major differences, but the biggest at this point in going to retail is that the WildWorks team held off on launching at retail until the brand had a strong foothold in markets. “Moshi Monsters was a number one player in the UK and saw great success

Mr. Men crafts big future in arts space with Nutty Putty Alphabet Pie expects the kit to be a bestseller for the year ahead By Robert Hutchins MR. MEN will put Nutty Putty firmly on the map, the firm behind the range of moldable crafting putty has told ToyNews. Alphabet Pie expects the Mr. Men line to become its bestselling product for 2016 as early reaction to the Nutty Putty play-set has been ‘phenomenal’. “Partnering up with Sanrio has been great for us as the Nutty Putty product has been trading for less than a year,” Eliana Perdios, director of Alphabet Pie told ToyNews. “It is a testament to how good the product is and www.toynews-online.biz

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how it’s just the absolute perfect fit for Nutty Putty. This partnership will put us firmly on the map and the public will get to see first hand how unique this product really is.” The Mr. Men Nutty Putty set launches with a Make Your Own Mr. Men boxset including a play mat and instructions on how to

make ten characters from the hit franchise. “We have taken orders from independent retailers and have seen interest from big names like The Toy Store on Oxford Street,” continued Perdios. “We are sure that any big stores, especially ones already carrying Mr. Men products, will be quick to follow The Toy Store.” While it’s early days for Alphabet Pie in arts and crafts, the firm believes Nutty Putty’s licensing potential is huge and is eying growth in the Middle East and the US. Alphabet Pie: eliana@alphabetpie.com

there, but that didn’t translate in the US where their player base simply wasn’t engaged. “We have been cautious and strategic as we hope to see this property last significantly longer than Moshi Monsters has.” The firm is also very confident in Jazwares’ track

record and believes it to be the perfect partner for bringing the Animal Jam toy line to the UK. “Jazwares has a strong history in the girls toy category,” said Stacey. “The characters and online play patterns translate effortlessly into offline play and the toys will feature exclusive codes that unlock content so that the play experience is fully integrated. “There is no doubt that Animal Jam will be the next major player in the toy space and considering that our average player spends over 75 minutes a day in Animal Jam, we are certain that those engagement numbers will translate well to retail.” WildWorks is also in talks to develop an animated Animal Jam series. Jazwares: 0203 598 0270

Collectables are the key to Petra’s Planet toy success By Jade Burke FANS OF Petra’s Planet may soon be able to get their hands on toys, according to Blonde Sheep Licensing. Petra’s Planet has been able to expand from publishing into various categories, from apps to educational software designed for classrooms, and now it seems toys could be the next venture for the brand. “We are definitely looking to launch toys, as many of the social elements within the virtual world translate into toys,” said Natasha Dyson, MD of Blonde Sheep Licensing. “Collectables are key as the pets in the virtual world are collectable and can be personalised through dress

up. They are also perfect for plush. “Games and trading cards are also target categories and will help promote learning, which is key for all our products.” Currently, the property has three licensees, including an editorial partnership with Kennedy Publishing, an apparel deal with Print on Demand and an agreement with Event Merchandising Live. April 33

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Events

Newborn line to cement Little Tikes’ place in pre-school The company has billed the launch of its Newborn range as “the final piece of the Little Tikes puzzle” and believes the range of pram and tummy-time toys will secure its place in the burgeoning pre-school market By Jade Burke LITTLE TIKES has revealed to ToyNews that the company ‘has high hopes’ for its latest Newborn line; a collection of products designed support a baby’s development during their first six months. According to Michelle Lilley, marketing manager for Little Tikes at MGA Entertainment, the range has garnered positive feedback during its initial

final piece of the Little Tikes jigsaw puzzle.” The line boasts a wide range of baby products and accessories, from pram toys to tummy time toys, all of which have been designed to soothe a baby’s needs while stimulating and strengthening their development. Prices range from £5.99 to £69.99. “This means there are toys which can be purchased for new baby

Newborn is our first handshake with parents and gifters, it cements our whole infant range. Michelle Lilley, MGA Entertainment

reviews, which has now got the pre-school specialist excited about what the collection will achieve when it launches to retail later this year. Lilley said: “We are extremely excited about our new baby line and have high hopes for its success, based on the range’s unique features and positive feedback from its initial previews. “To date, our new infant pre-school launches have proven to be fantastic additions to our burgeoning portfolio and we see the launch of Newborn as the www.toynews-online.biz

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gifts and baby showers, through to more considered parent-purchases,” explained Lilley. With seven TV ads scheduled in the pre-school space this year, Little Tikes is hoping that the new line will help the firm continue its investment within the well-populated arena. “For us the range is our first handshake with parents and gift buyers,” Lilley added. “It cements our whole infant pre-school offering, ensuring we are a true player from birth onwards.” MGA: 0845 0533 333 April 35

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NEWS

Pre-school market to boost Mattel’s Mega Bloks momentum “The range inspires creativity, imagination and discovery, which appeals to mums,” says Mattel’s Wendy Hill By Jade Burke THANKS TO new brand collaborations, Mattel believes Mega Bloks will gain even more traction in the pre-school market this year, as it helps to encourage early learning development through building, colours, counting, letters and patterns. The firm is expanding its Mega Bloks portfolio, with the addition of an expansive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) range. Three new TMNT segments are being introduced for fans, including Nickelodeon’s TMNT series range, a Half-Shell Heroes range and a range based on the upcoming film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Mattel believes the new collection will tap into different age groups and fan bases of the brand, but TMNT isn’t the only fresh collaboration for

Mattel, as new for AW16 is a Mega Bloks collection with Kubros. “Kubros allows builders to build and collect pop culture icons from movies, video games and TV including characters from popular franchises such as Halo, He-Man, Terminator and Masters of the Universe,” Wendy Hill, director of brand activation at Mattel, told ToyNews.

“As we continue to bring innovation to the

the pre-school range, or by acquiring new licences

We continue to bring innovation to Mega Bloks, whether it’s via the preschool range or through new licences. Wendy Hill, Mattel

brand, whether it’s by enhancing pre-schooler’s developmental skills with

with the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and video gaming brand,

Kubros, we expect to see positive momentum.” “The characters are fantastic and feature a cool retro design inspired by the era of classic gaming.” Hill concluded: “The pre-school market for Mega Bloks is our core category, plus the range also inspires creativity, imagination and discovery, which appeals to mum.” Mattel: 01628 500 000

Clementoni looks to grow market share with new range After a strong 2015 in pre-school , the company has debuted its new baby line spanning plush and ride-ons By Jade Burke CLEMENTONI is putting a strong focus on the infant and pre-school market with new additions to its Baby Clementoni line. With a range of launches lined up for autumn this year, children will be able to get their hands on two new characters known as Sandy Cuddle and Learn Bear, which the firm says boasts quality and innovation at the right price. After a strong 2015, Michele Marziliano, UK country manager for Clementoni, has revealed the company wants to continue its success in the pre-school arena. 36 April

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“After the first successful year we want to keep growing in the market and become a strong manufacturer in this category,” said Marziliano.

“We are number five in Europe, according to NPD, in this segment and we want to grow our presence in this market.”

Sandy Cuddle and Learn Bear have been designed for babies aged six months and over, while a pink version of the well-known

T’Rex will also be available for those aged 12 months and older. “We are proposing different types of infant toys including plush, ride-ons, activity tables, IR cars and dinosaurs,” Marziliano added. Also in the line-up is Clementoni’s new Firetruck, which has been designed to teach babies numbers, shapes, letters and colours, while the Rally Tumbling Car will teach numbers through rhyme. “This is a big focus for the company internationally and we feel to have the right products to compete in this market,” Marziliano commented. Clementoni: 0208 782 1134 www.toynews-online.biz

3/22/16 15:08

ToyNews_Teletubbies_V2.pdf

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New Teletubbies Range! Water-ﬁlled Jumbo Pat Mat

Night Light

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Launches July ‘16 Pre-or your stder ock for TV laun ch RS

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Heavyweight TV marketing campaign for the UK launch, airing on major kids TV channels across the peak selling period.

trade@bladeztoyz.co.uk / www.bladeztoyz.co.uk / +44 (0)2392 658259 TELETUBBIES and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of DHX Worldwide Limited. © 2016 DHX Worldwide Limited. All Rights Reserved.

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL

Crawl intentions With new educational and coding themes bursting onto the pre-school market, alongside hit character brands and big sector names, the arena has remained as competitive as ever. Jade Burke explores some of the latest products to grace the burgeoning market, all of which are set to help line retailers’ pockets CHARACTER OPTIONS Ben & Holly, Princess Peppa and Paw Patrol are all part of a magical assortment of pre-school perfection from Character Options for 2016. Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom is set in a tiny enchanted magical world and centres on a little elf called Ben and his friend Princess Holly. The property became part of the Character Options pre-school line-up in 2014 and has seen two years of considerable growth since its launch, with this trend set to continue this year. This year will see new characters added to the selection of Ben & Holly twin figure packs, scaled to fit the other vehicles and playsets available. The mischievous Ben Elf will launch to outer space this autumn when the Elf Rocket play-set joins the successful Thistle Castle and Elf Tree Play-sets. Ben Elf will take on his space adventure dressed as an astronaut and his tripletiered space rocket will take him to other planets. Inside the rocket, there are many fun features for children to discover, such as the distress beacon, torch, magic spinning jelly and control room. With a special blast off sound and phrases from the show, it’s a fun, feature-packed toy, and even comes complete with a carry handle to enable easy transportation from a to b. In its third year as part of Character’s pre-school portfolio, the Weebles collection is also set to wobble to new heights with the arrival of Paw Patrol. This year sees the introduction of six new Weebles based on the main Paw Patrol character line-up, including Chief Marshall,

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Chase, Zuma, Skye, Rubble and of course the ever popular Rocky. In July, a hero play-set will join the range complete with the exclusive Everest Weeble. The Pull & Play Seal Island play-set will be the setting for many a wobbly adventure for the Paw Patrol crew and has a host of unique features that only Weebles can offer. A rock and wobble path will lead down to the jetty, plus there’s a dock where a pull and retract tugboat will help the heroes get to the mainland. Kids can press the seal’s head and the boat moves back to the island. Children can also press

the lever down to move the fun swing in the tower and watch Everest wobble around. There’s also room in the lookout tower to keep watch over the ocean, ready for the next rescue. The Peppa Pig collection has also seen major development for 2016 with new themes including Princess and Classic for autumn. The Classic Peppa range of figures, vehicles and playsets reflect

instantly recognisable themes within the show and include Peppa’s House & Garden Play-set, Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat, Miss Rabbit’s Train, plus many more. The hero of

the Princess collection will be Princess Peppa’s Palace, packed full of royal characters and regal furniture for youngsters. 0161 633 9800

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL TOYS CHICCO

After a hugely successful 2015, which saw Chicco demonstrate a 25 per cent increase in year-onyear sales, the nursery brand is set for an exciting year ahead as it readies for the launch its Fun of Development concept. The introduction of this concept sees Chicco position itself as a key provider of pre-school toys, promoting both fun and growth among youngsters. This year will see a number of exciting new additions join the firm’s product range, each expected to delight the preschool space. Leading the line up this season, Chicco’s Fit ‘n Fun combines motor development and new skills with social play, allowing children to not only improve balance and coordination but also enhance their self40 April

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esteem and self-confidence. New to the Fit ‘n Fun range is the Jungle Rugby; a threein-one toy that encourages motor and socialising skills through three different play modes for kids. The rugby match format, training mode session and stacker toy function work together to create a fun filled toy that any budding rugby fans will enjoy getting active with. Elsewhere, Chicco’s innovative Rodeo can be used as a rocking horse, sit and ride toy or interactive activity centre to provide hours of fun. The character comes to life thanks to interactive sensors, which activate moving eyes and neighing sounds. In addition, when kids feed Rodeo his carrot, his jaw will move in a chewing motion. The bright and cheerful three-in-one Shopping

Trolley is the perfect toy to help get children on the move. The removable shape sorter helps to develop kids’ cognitive skills and the interactive scanner offers melodies and phrases to keep them entertained for hours. It also features a removable basket, which means children can always take their shopping with them on the go. Robo Chicco is the latest addition to Chicco’s popular Turbo Team family. It is also the first transformable RC car in the pre-school range. The sylish toy converts from a car into a futuristic looking robot in three simple steps, by pulling down the arms, the head and then the body, giving little ones hours of fast and furious fun. Robo Chicco is suitable for kids aged two to six-years-old and is available now. 0121 454 9707 www.toynews-online.biz

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL MATTEL Fisher-Price brings exciting innovation to the preschool category with new product launches and hot new licences supported by a roster of extensive marketing campaigns. Inspiring little learners to be big thinkers, Fisher-Price launches its new Think & Learn pre-school range that encourages development and experimentation through fun, interactive, hands-on play. The new line is set to be the next generation in learning toys teaching those key foundational skills to coding and sequencing. Two innovative products, the Think & Learn Codea-Pillar and the Counting Colours Chameleon, will be the first additions to the range engaging preschoolers in a fun and unique way. Building on the success of Toy of the Year 2015 winner BeatBo, Fisher-Price will expand the interactive range this year with BeatBelle, BeatBark and the Bright Beats Dance Mat. Thomas & Friends steams ahead with a new brand campaign based on Thomas’ core values of friendship, determination and teamwork as well as a new theme of racing. The brand will be ‘Calling Team Thomas’ to power Thomas on a digital journey, while 2016 also sees the release of the 11th feature film The Great Race. The popular Thomas & Friends toy range from Fisher-Price continues to build momentum with an exciting new set based on the tentpole release, the new TrackMaster Thomas Sky-High Bridge Jump play-set.

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At over 38-inches tall, this play-set sees Thomas fly over two feet in the air in a first for the toy line. The Thomas & Friends Minis collectable engines will also grow with the introduction of the multitrack adventure Motorised Raceway play-set, each with exclusive racing deco, a 360 degree loop, and inverted sky track. Meanwhile, the new My First All Around Sodor playset expands the current My First Thomas range. Following the launch of 52 new episodes of Bob the

Builder on Channel 5’s Milkshake, now also airing on Cartoonito!, FisherPrice introduces its highly anticipated toy range bringing construction to life for pre-schoolers. The range includes vehicles from Diecast and Talking Friends to the fully interactive Full Throttle Scoop that features movement, motorised digging action and theme song sounds. For role-play fun, the new range includes the 17 piece Bob’s Ultimate Toolbox and pre-schoolers can also immerse themselves in the Mash & Mould Sand Play-set featuring kinetic sand. Fisher-Price’s character brands continue to grow with the arrival of the FisherPrice Go Jetters range. The line takes preschoolers on geographical adventures through play and key to the line is the new Jet Pad Headquarters play-set fully equipped with a projector and the Ubercorn Talking Plush,

a disco-dancing unicorn that is sure to be a hit with Go Jetters fans. Fisher-Price’s Bing range success is set to continue with the introduction of new characters in to the plush range and new play-sets including Day at the Creche with Bing & Sula. Also part of the new range will be Best Friends Bing & Sula, a plush item featuring special technology allowing them to talk, sing and play. The popular Fisher-Price toy range based on the Nickelodeon series Blaze and the Monster Machines continues to focus on driving collectability alongside speed, stunts and storytelling with the launch of the Monster Dome play-set. This track set can be configured into multiple layouts and can also connect up the Pit Arena play-sets. To support the Fire-Blazing tentpole from Nickelodeon, a new Transforming Fire Truck Blaze races into the line.

Imaginext turn on adventure with new action themed play-sets and figures expanding the DC Super Friends range, including key TV driver Super Hero Flight Gotham and new Deluxe Batmobile. The Power Rangers line introduces the R/C Green Ranger and Dragonzord. Elsewhere, Mega Bloks showcases an impressive range in 2016 featuring innovations brought to life through an extensive marketing and PR programme, communicating the brand’s proposition. The pre-school range, encouraging early learning, discovery and development through construction play, features the Lil’ Vehicles Assortments, the Build n’ Learn Table and continuation of the popular Block Scooping Wagon, combining wagon play and construction for kids. The Thomas & Friends range also adds the 1-2-3 Count with Thomas Train. 01628 500 000 www.toynews-online.biz

3/23/16 13:26

UNLEASH THE

LAUGHTER

NEW Sort & Pop Spinning Top Octopus Jumbo Jamboree

NEW Fix & Load Tow Truck

Foam Cone Factory

No.1 new Bath toy in 2015*

NEW

Mix & Match Motor Boat

Paddling Puppy

TOMY TOYS INSPIRE LAUGHTER AND ACTIVE, OPEN-ENDED PLAY TO ENGAGE CHILDREN AS THEY GROW AND DEVELOP. EACH TOY FEATURES MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY AND LOTS OF HIDDEN SURPRISES. CALL THE SALES DEPARTMENT ON 01392 281928 | OR EMAIL UKCUSTOMERSERVICES@TOMY.COM *Source: NPD 2015 EPoS Value sales

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL GOLDEN BEAR As the UK’s number one manufacturer in licensed plush (NPD, Full Year 2015), Golden Bear is known for delivering quality to the preschool sector. Following the launch of the Run-Along Twirlywoos at the start of the year, the popular Twirlywoos range will expand further this autumn with Interactive Musical Chick and Chickedy plush toys, which feature poseable arms, music, sounds and twinkling lights. Also joining the range is Dancing Peekaboo, which spins and dances to music as well as playing the Twirlywoos theme tune and sounds from the show. The In the Night Garden line will also see new introductions this autumn, led by hero product the Explore and Learn Musical Plinky Plonk. Packed full of features including music, sounds, a rotating picture window, moving propeller, shape sorter figures and lots more, the product remains true to

GP FLAIR

the iconic Plinky Plonk from the hit TV programme. My Best Friend Igglepiggle is also new to the range offering pre-schoolers the perfect companion day or night, while the Mini Soft Toys and Talking Soft Toys are being refreshed for autumn 2016. The Hey Duggee collection has expanded with a new Duggee Talking Soft Toy, along with Duggee and Enid the Cat joining the soft toy assortment. Super Duggee will join the line this year, alongside the Squirrel Club Activity Set.

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Flair has an extensive Doc McStuffins range topped off with the new Toy Hospital themed line of role-play toys. TMNT’s Half-Shell Heroes range blasts into action with a Turtles and Dinosaur theme inspired by the TV special: Blast to the Past. Flair’s wider pre-school range includes Thomas & Friends wooden games and puzzles and Ferrari Play and Go Racing Cars. 0208 643 0320

Tiny Tears 50th Anniversary Doll last year, John Adams is giving the UK’s most recognisable doll a makeover for 2016. This year, the refreshed Classic Tiny Tears doll models a new outfit, featuring a specially designed patterned fabric that is unique to Tiny Tears. The new Classic Tiny Tears doll comes complete with a host of accessories, including a bottle, a potty, a

pacifier and a hairbrush for classic kids’ role-play. Also new for 2016 is the Teeny Tiny Tears softbodied doll, a line that features dual function packaging that can be turned into a cute cot. Both dolls will be available from May this year and the range will be supported by a heavyweight TV campaign as well as benefiting from PR support. 01480 414361

JOHN ADAMS

HIPPYCHICK

For educational and highly interactive wooden toys, look no further than Hippychick’s BoiKido range. The brand boasts a collection spanning ride-on toys, musical instruments and construction toys, each aimed at helping kids develop key motor skills.

Following a successful London Toy Fair launch, the Justin’s House play-set will sit alongside the Something Special toy collection under the Mr. Tumble brand. New products for A/W 2016 will include Mr. Tumble’s Car, Mr. Tumble with Tumble Tapp and Mr. Tumble Lights and Sounds. The company’s expanding pre-school portfolio will also include plush items under the new Messy Goes to Okido license, as well as the Stacking Stanley Mega Truck from My First JCB. 01952 608308

From big brands to big builds, Flair has something for everyone this year. After decades of success, Stickle Bricks is back and a major focus for Flair this year. The range includes a Big Red Bucket with assorted bricks that doubles as a container and the Stickle Bricks Beginner’s Box. The Doc McStuffins line is set to grow with the new Toy Hospital range joining the Pet Vet theme.

The Giant Xylophone produces musical instrument quality sound and is designed to help kids develop rhythm, melody and key motor skills, while its rocking motion makes music time even more fun for youngsters. 01278 434440

2016 sees John Adams add new introductions to its Pip Ahoy! pre-school line up. The popular pre-school show, currently airing on Cartoonito and Channel 5’s Milkshake with a new prime time weekend slot, continues to build momentum, with a third series of 26 new episodes in production for 2016 and a further 26 planned for 2017. The range reflects the characters and key themes from the TV series, which includes problem solving, looking out for others and the importance of taking care of their community. New to the collection for spring/summer is Pip’s Playground Play-set, designed to encourage creative play with a host of features to engage fans, including a stair ramp, slide, swing, crow’s nest roundabout and rotating steering wheel. It also includes an Alan figure, compatible with other items in the range. Following on from the

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Toddler Collection

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info@letoyvan.com

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0208 979 2036

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL VIVID My First Crayola Light Up Sand Scribbler (RRP £19.99) lets little ones draw in the sand, whether on the move or at home. Budding young sand sculptors and artists can use the magnetic easy grip stylus to scribble in the sand, then, when they are done, give the unit a shake to start all over again. With endless drawing and 12 different coloured background lights, little ones will be kept busy and amused for hours. Meanwhile, Chuckle Ball (RRP £19.99) is a motorised, self-rolling ball for preschoolers.

Set it off and it will roll around the floor, emmiting silly sounds as it goes. Children will also love the monster characters that adorn the Chuckle Ball. Oodlebrites (RRP £16.99) are light-up plush characters that come to life and change up to seven different colours when kids tap them, making the toys perfect for a game of catch. There are five characters to collect; Moodles the Mouse, Choodles the Monkey, Foodles the Dog, Noodles the Unicorn and Purdles the Cat. The line is available now. 01483 449 944

HTI

IMC TOYS

From role-play, music and bubbles to wheeled toys; HTI offers a wide range of toys featuring some of the biggest pre-school brands. A global phenomenon loved by millions of preschoolers, HTI is launching Teletubbies role-play and musical instruments toys for 2016. New role-play lines feature sounds and light effects and include a My First Kitchen and Tea Set as well as a musical range that is comprised of a Guitar, Xylophone and Keyboard. HTI provides an extensive range of Peppa Pig role-play toys, prams, music toys and bubbles as well as pocket money lines. As an evergreen licence, HTI’s Peppa Pig House Kitchen is modelled on the character’s own kitchen and offers little ones multiple features such as a fully accessible fridge, cooker, rotating cooker hob and toaster, ‘flipping’ pancake

As master toy partner for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, key lines from IMC this year include To the Rescue Fire Station, the Tree House Adventure Set, Minnie’s Magic Restaurant and Minnie’s Dress up Dolls. The team has also developed new interactive magnetic tech to feature in the play-sets.

pan, a clock with moveable hands and a turning ‘click click ding’ timer. The role-play range also includes several character cases such as the Super Hero George Case and Peppa’s Bedtime Case. Meanwhile, the Peppa Pig musical toy range includes a sing-along Microphone, Big Band Station and First Pianos, while the Peppa Pig doll’s prams feature a new fabric design ready to launch to retail this autumn/winter 2016.

Through this tech figures can activate lights and sounds when placed inside the play-sets, all in prep for the arrival of Mickey’s Roadster Racers next year. In addition, IMC is expanding its Miles from Tomorrow range with Flying Miles, Walkie Talkies and a whole lot more. 01904 720 908

New for the second half is an extensive range of musical and battery operated bubble toys based on Paw Patrol, including a guitar and piano featuring iconic characters sounds and the show’s theme tune. Elsewhere, HTI provides a range of Thomas the Tank Engine pocket money toys, Bing-inspired wheeled toys, Blaze and the Monster Machines wheeled, musical and bubble toys and a host of Disney themed toys. 01253 778 888

Meet Jack, Jules and Nestor New from the best selling Nattou range ww w. h i p pych i ck . co m 46 April

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL LE TOY VAN Designed for children aged 12 months and upwards, Le Toy Van has unveiled a preschool offering it believes will be big business for the firm this year. A toy firm historically known for its efforts in the three years and upwards market, Le Toy Van is making the leap into the pre-school market from this month, tapping into a younger consumer.

LEARNING RESOURCES Le Toy Van’s Fire Engine Stacker and Bunny Train will be leading the new line up for the year ahead. With four chunky wooden pieces to stack onto the sturdy wheelbase, kids can create a fire engine which arrives as part of the Garages Collection. It boasts a moving ladder allowing kids to stack and roll. The new Bunny Train joins the popular Petilou

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Learning Resources’ New Sprouts range has expanded with a collection of new sets for 2016. Kicking off in style, fashion fans can express themselves with Style It!, a colourful collection that features a hair dryer and mirror, all sized perfectly for little hands and its handy storage bag. Meanwhile, the Clean It! set includes a duster, dustpan, spray bottle, sponge, bottle of cleaner, and hand vacuum that rattles and rolls as it is pushed along.

Children are also inspired to go green and create a garden full of imaginative play with the Grow It! kit. Complete with flowers, veggies, watering can and a shovel, young gardeners can nurture an early appreciation for nature. Elsewhere, Puppy Play! is perfect for encouraging role-play and learning the responsibilities that come with caring for pets. The set features Sprout the dog, a dog bed, dog bowl, bone a tin of dog food and more. 07872 337 302

£8.99 to £79.99, there is something for every budget in the range. Little Tikes Wheelz unveils a unique range of fast and fun vehicles, including the Tyre Twister RC (RRP: £39.99) that can move back and forth, spinning 360 degrees and perform flips. Alongside this is the brand new My First Flyer Helicopter for children aged four and upwards (priced at around £34.99).

My First Flyer is the only helicopter for pre-schoolers that flies, turns and lands with one-touch control, making it easy to use for the youngest fliers. In addition, Tumble Train (RRP: £24.99) has been supported by a heavyweight TV ad campaign, digital activity and parent website partnerships. It has also proved to be a best-seller in the pre-school sector. 01908 268 480

LITTLE TIKES

BLADEZ TOYZ

2016 marks the beginning of a new venture for Bladez Toyz, as it makes its debut in the pre-school market. “With the majority of the UK toy market being preschool, and a large chunk of that being licensed, it made sense for us to make the move into this sector,” said Bladez Toyz’s Iain Morgan. The firm enters the sector with the “innovation and skill” to create toys that will educate both kids and parents.

Collection and comes complete with six interchangeable pieces including three carrots, two baby bunnies and one mummy bunny. This pull-along toy encourages basic counting as well as hand eye coordination and manual dexterity, and is ideal for children aged from one to three-years-old. 020 8979 2036

Following the release of a new Teletubbies series on CBeebies, Bladez unveiled its own new range during the year’s toy fair season. Available to retailers this summer, the line includes Inflatable Boppers, Sleep Trainers, Tummy Time Playmats, Nightlights, Outdoor Activity Toys and Radio Control Inflatables. The pre-school range also includes Peppa Pig and Thomas the Tank Engine. 02392 658 255

Little Tikes is excited to present a brand new innovative pre-school range for autumn 2016 known as Light ‘n Go. This collection of five wild animal-themed infant toys uses lights to inspire babies from six to 36 months to walk, cruise and as Little Tikes puts it, bust-a-move. The cute characters, including a monkey, tiger and panda, each have their own interactive play elements, while the threein-one Activity Walker (RRP: £39.99) and Activity Garden Treehouse (RRP: £89.99) are packed with unique features, which aim to keep baby entertained for hours. Lil’ Ocean Explorers continues to cement its place in UK homes as the range discovers and celebrates a baby’s milestone achievements. Using eight sea creatures, the toys help develop motor skills, coordination and confidence in babies from six to 36 months and with price tags ranging from

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SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL LEAPFROG With over 20 years of experience in the industry, LeapFrog continues to use its signature blend of fun and education to create electronic learning toys. The Number Loving Oven is the first toy to bake early maths into fun and engaging play focused on cooking and sharing, giving kids a first glimpse into how numbers and maths skills are a part of everyday life. The oven talks, sings and gets number skills cooking through more than 30 songs and phrases, 16 fun ingredients and exploration. Children can divide the pre-sliced food onto two plates for a friend or parent and learn about sharing, while also developing an early understanding of equal parts and parts that make up a whole. The number slider on the front of the Number Loving Oven allows them to practice number recognition and learn about the value of numbers through cooking times and temperature.

GIBSONS

Scout’s Build & Discover Tool Box, meanwhile, lets toddlers interact with Scout as he introduces them to their first step-by-step building project through counting, measuring, and colour matching. Children get a chance to see how these concepts apply to the grown up world through pretend play as they construct Scout’s house from the ground up, talk with the pup himself, sing their favourite songs or simply tinker around with the five tools included with the set.

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The My World range teaches children about the world around them and encourages development of essential skills such as vocabulary, numeracy and motor control. Designed in conjunction with child psychologist Dr. Amanda Gummer, each product supports Early Years Goals and the National Curriculum, as well as offers handy tips for parents on eductional play. Joining the portfolio, My Wheels is a special bumper pack containing eight vehicle puzzles.

Children can progress from piecing together the four-piece digger to eventually tackling the whopping 16-piece train. The nature of the puzzles themselves also encourages parents to open up conversations with their children about real world scenarios, explaining the role of each vehicle in the set, discuss what they carry and can also make for a good game of eye spy on their next journey. All My World products are manufactured in Britain. 020 8661 8866

The pre-school show Kate and Mim-Mim launched on CBeebies in August 2014 and has since been hugely successful in the space. Just Play’s master toy collection will launch this year and the interactive Magic Twirl Mim-Mim feature plush is tipped to be the ultimate companion for any pre-schooler and fan of th series as it boasts multiple phrases from the show. And like the series, each phrase is activated when he Mim-Mim is twirled around.

Finally, Sheriff Callie resides over on Disney Junior and is set in the Wild West town of Nice and Friendly Corners. Just Play’s toy collection brings animated characters from the show to life through collectable figures and plush toys, while for girls or boys who want to sing along with Sheriff Callie, the dress up and musical accessories line includes a sing along microphone and guitar. 0208 643 0320

JUST PLAY

RE:CREATION

Re:creation’s Inkredibles range has been given some real clout, thanks to the addition of some of this year’s hottest licences. Featuring Paw Patrol and the evergreen hit Thomas & Friends, Inkredibles by Hinkler comprise a range of activity style books featuring ink effects, a 96 page colouring book, a magic pen and doublesided write and wipe board featuring a Water Wow scene as well as a water wow pen and marker.

Elsewhere, Word Whammer gets kids jamming on phonics skills as they spin, push and twist the handles to identify letters and build words in three funfair themed, activity games through five learning levels that adapt as they play. Kids can push the toy’s handle to blast a rocket into letters and spell more than 100 words. Learning adapts automatically as children play, keeping them challenged, motivated and engaged as they progress. 01895 202 840

Elsewhere, Re:creation’s Stretchkins plush success continues with the new ‘purple and pink bear’ joining the line. The plush range is bolstered further as Pop Out Pets brings reversible characters into the mix. Meanwhile, the Razor Junior portfolio grows with four new junior scooters, while the Party Pop line welcomes new additions with Lil’ Pop and Lil’ Tek, boasting light-up decks. 0118 973 6222

GP Flair’s Just Play division is bringing popular pre-school characters from TV’s The Lion Guard, Kate and MimMim and Sheriff Callie to toys with a raft of new lines. The firm has already expressed its excitement in launching its master toy line for Disney’s The Lion Guard and with the pedigree of the studio’s The Lion King behind it, Just Play expects the new cast to resonate with its younger audience. Collectable foil bag minis, collectable figures and accessories all join the line-up, with larger play-sets based on in-show settings to follow. All this will be joined by a collection of high-quality plush and feature plush boasting roar and pounce features, each one ready to wrestle the market later this year. The brand will benefit from heavyweight marketing support across TV, PR and the digital space, ensuring kids are engaged with on multiple platforms.

www.toynews-online.biz

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Lil’ Ocean Explorers™ Infant preschool toys encourage and celebrate active gross motor play at every primary physical milestone during a baby’s first 18 months. Our brand new range will help parents to encourage and reward each reach, crawl and step.

15+ ways to play

More than

Heavyweight media campaign including TV

rewarding sounds and tunes

exciting toys in the range

Imaginations In Motion™ Call us: 0845 0533 333 www.littletikes.co.uk

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Email us: Uklittle.tikes@mgae.com

MGA Entertainment UK Ltd, 50 Presley Way, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0ES

3/15/16 15:41

SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL BANANAGRAMS

Bananagrams is celebrating its tenth bananaversary by launching a brand new game for pre-schoolers and early readers this year dubbed My First Bananagrams. A new title for the younger player, the iconic Bananagrams pouch is now a ripening green and, in response to customer requests, contains colourful lower-case letter tiles.

REVELL

The collection of fun games caters to a wide range of reading abilities among kids. There are ten curriculumbased mini games and word game challenges for kids, each growing in difficulty as their skill level advances. This culminates in a simplified version of Bananagrams, and introduces children to the

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modelling to young craft makers, designed to bridge the gap between play-sets and construction toys. Large parts connect with screws and child-friendly tools, and once completed, each robust model kit transforms into a durable, fully functioning toy. The Fire Truck, Cabriolet, Racing Car, 4 x 4 Vehicle and Police Car each set new standards in construction. Revell Junior will be supported with a heavyweight TV campaign. 0845 459 0747

Meanwhile, the PlayDoh Town Ice Cream Truck play-set lets kids press out pretend soft-serve from the ice cream cone, or use the book mold to shape up giant Play-Doh treats. Kids can even get the ice cream figure ready for deliveries by creating stylish bowties using the feet stamper. When it’s delivery time, place the figure in the truck for a ride around town.

In Play-Doh Town, kids make the rules with figures, vehicles, and sets like the Play-Doh Town Firehouse. Lastly, the colourful Pop! Pop! Piñata game sees players take turns hitting the button on the base to send a disk spinning toward the donkey piñata. A gentle hit releases a few prizes to collect while a hard hit will see it burst right open. 020 8569 1234

classic game which sees players racing to complete their own word grid. My First Bananagrams uniquely includes new double-tiles with vowelteams, word families and diagraphs, which the company says makes it the perfect game for children as they learn to read and spell. Winning Moves: 020 7298 9500

HASBRO

RAINBOW DESIGNS Paddington, The BFG, Miffy and Shaun the Sheep each take a starrng role in Rainbow Designs’ preschool feature plush line up this year. Celebrating the centenary year of Roald Dahl in 2016, the team has launched a full collection of plush featuring the author’s most famous characters. The whizzpopping BFG produces eight different sounds and has already proved a hit, scooping a ‘Best New Toy’ award at Toy Fair this year. Rainbow Designs has also launched a collection of soft toys including Matilda and Willy Wonka. Following the hit 2014 movie Paddington and the first Talking Paddington, Rainbow unveils two new feature plush lines: My Name is Paddington and Talk to Me Paddington. My Name is Paddington is a 21cm soft toy, which talks and growls when his

Revell‘s burgeoning track record for global toy ranges is boosted with two Best New Toy awards for the Revell Junior Kit. It was voted the British Toy & Hobby Association’s ‘Best New Toy’ in the construction and building sets category for London Toy Fair 2016. It also won the coveted Toy Award in the pre-school category (ages three to five) at Nuremberg Toy Fair 2016. The Revell Junior Kit is a new concept that introduces the world of

tummy is squeezed, while Talk To Me Paddington boasts five phrases as well as a recording function. Shivering Shaun and Baahing Shaun from Rainbow’s Shaun the Sheep range both arrive with comedic value for kids. New for 2016 is an interactive Miffy designed to help children learn about the body with a touch of Sensory Miffy’s hand, foot, tummy, ear, mouth, eye or head as the character names each body part as it is pressed. 01329 227300 Kids can cook up some outrageous ideas with the Play-Doh Cake Party. Shape some crazy cakes, cover them in make-believe frosting, and finish them off with all kinds of topsyturvy toppings, all before delighting in a tea party worth attending. Ramping up the fun, this creative bakeshop comes with a colourful Confetti Play-Doh compound.

www.toynews-online.biz

3/24/16 09:39

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3/17/16 12:51

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3/10/16 10:44

Retail Only

News Data Opinion

Dedicated monthly retail coverage

Living wage hike puts toy indies in ‘challenging position’ The move by the Government will see the current minimum wage upped from £6.70 per hour to £7.20 this month. But the news has our indie retail panel calling for a reassessment of ‘already squeezed margins’ By Robert Hutchins THE LIVING wage increase will present a challenge to independent retailers that will force the hand of many to reassess current suppliers and operations. The recent move by the Government to up the current minimum wage of £6.70 per hour to £7.20, and a proposed eventual £9 per hour by 2020, has left a number of UK indies fearing for the future of their business. The concern has arisen owing to the fact that owners of High Street independent retailers claim to be earning “nowhere near the minimum wage, let alone the living wage”, while in the early stages of their business. The wage hike will result in a number of retailers taking a closer look at the suppliers they currently work with, all in the battle for what have been called “very squeezed margins”. “Wages are our biggest overhead and in order to run a profitable business we are already tight on staff hours,” Brian Simpson, general manager at SMF Toy Town told ToyNews. “Employment law is also heavily weighted against

the retailer in terms of getting rid of useless staff, and now I am going to have to pay them more for the privilege of standing around scratching themselves. “Margins are so tight in retail that our entire operations will have to be looked at in order to minimise the effect of this increase.” Indies have told ToyNews that they will have to alter their approach to staffing and the suppliers that they work with. Steve Kerrison, owner of Norfolk’s Kerisson’s Toys, added: “This makes it very

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Stuart Grant, The Entertainer

Geoff Sheffiled, The Toy Store

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Linzi Walker, Argos

difficult for us small guys. What with all the extra cost that small businesses seem to be facing, it’s only going to get harder and harder. “We try to manage and pay a fair wage already, but this doesn’t make life easy for anyone. And with so many suppliers doing crazy deals with discounters and many more in cahoots with the big boys who can handle these kind of increases, nobody knows where that extra margin is going to come from.” It’s a concern echoed up and down the country,

including in Scotland where Toy Hub founder Helen Gourley is already looking at employing more under 25s, whose rate will remain unchanged, in order to balance the books. “In terms of staffing, we will have to look at how many extra hours we use staff for, further stretching our own working hours no doubt,” said Gourley. “We have also chosen to employ younger staff as a result for particular shifts to try and keep our outgoings to a minimum. We always paid above

minimum wage, but with margins being squeezed even further in the industry, it is making us look more at our product mix and ultimately our profit margin to make sure we can continue to operate. “There are certain suppliers we struggle to deal with as a result and we are replacing their products on our shelves with more profitable lines.” Online competition and business rate increases appear to formulate a battleground in which the struggle for the indie to survive is ongoing, and while the bigger players on the toy retail scene may escape the impending wage increase relatively unscathed, it’s a matter they can sympathise with. Geoff Sheffield, director of procurement and licensing at The Toy Store, told ToyNews: “The increase in the living wage is a tricky subject. It is important to pay people the right wage to cope with increase cost of living. “But with retail being squeezed by online and business rate increases on the horizon, where does a brick and mortar retailer catch a break?”

ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are:

Brian Simpson, Toytown

Clare Barton, Sainsbury’s

Neil Mitchell, Shop Direct

Annalise Quest, Harrods

Steph Strike, Asda

Ben Redhead, Firebox

Alphonse Madamombe, Maplin

Helen Gourley, Toy Hub

Miles Penhallow, Play-Room

Karla Mitchell, XBite

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INDEPENDENT SURVEY

“Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have become important sources to discover new products for retail.” As a medium, crowdfunding has been a gamechanger in the toy space, responsible for bringing a raft of new titles and companies to life in the industry over recent years. This month, ToyShop UK takes a look at this birthing ground for independent toy designers, and asks indies, is this the future of the toy industry?

THE LAY of the toy industry land is shifting, and recent years have seen online platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo become instrumental in bringing new products to market from the independent toy inventor. The notion of crowdfunding is certainly one that has taken off with young designers and the toy start-ups of tomorrow,

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so much so that it has even spawned off shoots such as Toy Backer, a platform that specifically targets the toy market What Cards Against Humanity brought to the market, when it achieved its Kickstarter goal way back in 2011, has inspired a new wave of creators to take to crowdfunding to turn their ideas into the next big product.

Where else would you find a wooden playset that teaches kids coding? Or a card game about combusting cats?

But just how beneficial is crowdfunding to the wider retail landscape? There’s no doubt it has become integral in pushing and highlighting the creativity of those in the toy space. Where else would you expect to find a wooden toy play set that also teaches toddlers the basics of computer programming? Or a stacking game that brings its characters to

life via an app game? Or simply a card game about combusting cats? However, just how well does this all translate to High Street sales? Here, Toy Shop UK puts the topic to its listing of independent toy retailers to find out what the toy seller thinks about crowdfunding as the breeding ground for the toys of tomorrow.

www.toynews-online.biz

3/24/16 09:30

INDEPENDENT SURVEY

“Platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have certainly become more important to the toy industry. I am more than happy for startup companies to utilise Kickstarter and the like to fund new ideas. However, it does irritate me when established companies use it, especially when they already have a lot of product on the market.” Matt Booker, Automattic Comics and Toys

“I completely agree that these platforms are good for the industry. They are a good source for new products. Not only that, but they are a good indication of what to avoid too if the project gets no support.” John Guiver, Models R Go

“I feel these are short term flash in the pan type platforms, as by definition a pretty substantial portion of the projects will not be viable, and therefore the backers will lose their investment. Equity investors are prepared for this and understand this, however, the more public type backers that Kickstarter attracts tend to invest with the expectations that ‘they will’ receive their return.” Sandra Patterson, Kids Bee Happy Sand Art

“Kickstarter is absolutely a great source for finding new products. Crowdfunding is also a production by pre-sales and customer validation tool that allows small businesses to thrive in the toy industry. It’s such a welcomed platform, we love how it encourages much needed meritocratic diversification. I think it’s just the beginning.”

“It’s difficult for me to agree with this one as I have never used the site myself, nor have I ever visited it.” Lisa Clay, Armadillo Toys

Alicia Peyrano, Little Citizens Boutique

Toy Shop UK is a consumer-led, online directory that helps toy suppliers, retailers and licence holders promote their businesses to an audience of up to 10,000 unique visitors per day. Popular weekly giveaways, the esteemed Independent Toy Awards and special supplier listings are just three of the ways that Toy Shop UK can help you increase your online presence and complement your other marketing activities this year.

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CONTACT Michael Hawkins michael@toyshopuk.co.uk 07786 295756 for more information. www.toyshopuk.co.uk

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INDIE RETAILER FOCUS

Rules of Play Ian Davis’ Rules of Play is Cardiff’s go-to gaming haven and, as well as titles spanning every genre under the sun, the store even hosts a weekly ‘Board Game Bar’. Jade Burke find out why the retailer is keen to spread the ‘board game love’ with customers young and old and what expansion plans are up Davis’ sleeve Tell me a bit about the origins of Rules of Play. Around five years ago, Cardiff’s only tabletop game shop closed. We realised there was a huge pool of tabletop players and families who no longer had the ability to buy great games from people who know their stuff – so that’s where we stepped in. Five years on, we pride ourselves on selling a huge range of board games and card games, for everyone from children, to students, to families, to the more serious gamers. Can you tell me a bit about your Board Game Bar? Our Board Game Bar came about when we realised that Cardiff’s game-lovers needed a regular weekly spot to play games. We opened it in October 2014 and it takes place every Monday night, from 5 to 10pm. Entry is £3 and players can come alone or with friends – we’re a brilliant bunch. It also doesn’t matter if you know games or not, as we’ll teach you whatever you want us to teach. We’d love to expand this concept into a more permanent location in the future. What differentiates your store to other board game shops? We’re proud to be Cardiff’s go-to gaming haven, and we’ve got a real emphasis on being bright and welcoming for every single customer who walks through the door. We also know our stuff about games, and our advice and help is a big factor in giving a great customer experience. Plus, our regular events (in-store and elsewhere) mean we’re a true gaming hub with a lot going on for everyone. 58 April

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You say you’re keen to ‘share the board game love’. How do you guys do this? We think that games sell games; spreading the ‘lurrrv’ gets more people to play. Once they do, they remember how much fun and sociable the activity is. So many of our now regular customers have stumbled into our shop and discovered the fun of gaming once again. How important is it for you to have an online hub as well as a physical store? Having an online store is important for us because it’s important for the customer. For many, it’s the channel that they want to use, therefore we have to provide that channel for them to interact with our brand. We have a huge number of Cardiff

customers, but our reach is now extending across the UK, so being able to provide a nation with great games is fantastic.

Why do you think board games are still as popular as ever? Board games are more popular than ever because

Board games are more popular than ever. You can’t go one week without seeing a board game article in The Guardian. Ian Davis, Rules of Play

What was your favourite board game as a child? As a kid, I played all the usual suspects such as Cluedo, Monopoly, Downfall, Stratego and Escape from Colditz. That said, my absolute favourite was Scotland Yard, which we sell in the shop and I still now play with my family.

of things like ‘geek chic’ coming back in, but also, the huge embrace from popular culture; you can’t go one week without seeing a board game article in The Guardian or elsewhere on the Internet. Plus, families are straying away from unsociable electronics and rediscovering the brilliance of board games.

What other services do you offer in store? We offer customers honest and expert advice about games and our gameplaying experience. We also offer a pre-order service, so customers can ensure they get copies of games as soon as they arrive in store. We also sell gift vouchers and have a huge range of regular events planned for the community. What plans do you have for the future? Not wishing to divulge anything, but there are plans for expansion, while still keeping our core service proposition. After all, there are so many other places in the UK which need the same board game love as Cardiff So all I can say is, watch this space. www.toynews-online.biz

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3/22/16 14:45

SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES

Cheque mates The game and puzzles market is still in the throes of a renassaince and the UK continues to embrace the family past time. Robert Hutchins explores the latest titles bringing big business to the industry this year. HASBRO With a rich heritage of games to its name and a history of innovating in the sector, it’s no wonder Hasbro enters 2016 with an exciting portfolio of titles that promise to keep the family gaming for hours. Leading the line up this spring is the new Simon Air game, a title that delivers a modern twist to the classic Simon gameplay. Incorporating touch-free technology, kids can play solo against Simon Air or team up with a friend and work together to remember the sequence, repeat the pattern and conquer Simon. The new title has the ability to sense every hand motion and register correct sequences as it challenges kids to conquer its speedincreasing levels, but if the pattern is copied incorrectly, a buzzer will sound and signal the end of the game. And that’s not the only classic game to undergo a tech makeover this year, as the new Bop It game encourages kids to Hammer It, Sing It, Selfie It and a

whole lot more, with ten new voice commands to react to. The game contains three modes that can be played solo or socially as kids take on the Classic challenge, Action play (featuring ten unique new ways to play with motion sensor tech) and Beat Box, a sound based game mode for the wellpracticed player. This autumn, fans will be able to ‘own it all’ with the new Monopoly Ultimate Banking game, a new title that unlike the Monopoly Electronic Banking, allows players to use all the playable cards with the Ultimate Banking Unit. For the first time ever, bank cards, event cards and title deeds are all readable with the Ultimate Banking Unit, allowing players to track their wealth, buy properties and collect rent. Completing the line-up this season is the new Pop! Pop! Piñata, a game that challenges players to send a disk hurtling towards the Donkey Piñata and release

either a bundle or all of the prizes kept within the character. The player with

the biggest pile of coveted Piñata treasure at the end of the game wins.

The range is available for retailers to order now. 0208 569 1234

as they race around the board washing and grooming the critter. But be warned, if

you get wet when the doggy shakes, off you go back to the start to do it all again. The Soggy Doggy game includes Soggy Doggy in his bath, one grooming brush, one shampoo spray bottle and one game board with four pieces, four tokens and a dice. Soggy Doggy is joined by Splashy the Whale, a game featuring one friendly, hungry, whale who will consume everything he discovers out at sea. Players must take turns to remove the objects from his mouth with their fishing rod while the creature bobs up and down. The person who

removes the most objects is declared the winner. Elsewhere, for puzzle addicts and Rubik’s Cube fanatics, the new Rubik’s Spark is an electronic version of the classic cube puzzle and features six challenging games to test memory, speed, dexterity and logic. The puzzle delivers a new dimension of games control: simply tilt and turn the cube and enjoy an interactive play experience guided by its colourful LED lights. The range is available now, so give your games portfolio a boost this season. 01480 414 361

JOHN ADAMS John Adams is expanding its well established games portfolio this year with a host of innovative products, including a new take on the Rubik’s Cube, a Silly Sausage and one wet dog. Following ‘rave reviews’ from this year’s Toy Fair season, Silly Sausage looks set to be a ‘weiner’ as it challenges players to twist it, shake it, stretch and poke it to keep up with the Sausage character as he shouts instructions. Silly Sausage features ten varying games to play, challenging you all to ‘beat the banger.’ 60 April

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Meanwhile, Soggy Doggy sees players brush, bathe and dry off the little pooch

www.toynews-online.biz

3/24/16 09:38

Great NEW Games from Cheatwell Pass The Pen

Draw before the pen tip disappears!

www.cheatwell.com

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Tell-a-Tale

Pre-School Story telling game

Telepaths

Do you see what I see?

For more information and a copy of our latest catalogue please contact mark@cheatwell.com or call 02392 524098

3/10/16 10:03

SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES MORNING FAMILY French board games distributor and publisher Morning Family is making a play for the UK market with a carefully curated portfolio of titles. The first edition of the Kickstarter sensation Exploding Kittens, complete with its own ‘meowing’ box, is ready to take to the UK and Europe and is available exclusively from Morning Family this year. Having made a splash since breaking records on the crowdfunding platform last year, the firm has high hopes for Exploding Kitten’s prospects at retail this year. Following this felinethemed titled, Morning Family also holds the distribution rights to Stonemaier Games’ Viticulture Essential, Euphoria and Between Two Cities, as well as the most anticipated game of 2016

– according to Board Game Geek – Scythe. For those of you who never thought you’d see the day Sudoku met with wooden

JUMBO GAMES

As the UK’s leading manufacturer of adult puzzles, Jumbo Games is bolstering its offering with the launch of over 35 new jigsaw puzzles across its Wasgij, Falcon de luxe, Jan van Haasteren and licensed puzzle portfolio. The Falcon de Luxe brand is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with the launch of over 40 new puzzles through 2016, having already launched 25 in time for spring. The new releases cover the themes of nostalgia, cottages, scenery, transportation, animals and more. Meanwhile, the Wasgij range continues its success story with four new releases that include the Wasgij Imagine…? 2: If the Wheel Had Not Been 62 April

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play sets, then let Morning Family introduce Colorku, a kids’ game that is just that. However, this simplified version of the game replaces

numbers with colours, a number of puzzle cards as well as a ‘legend’ that lets players transfer any Sudoku puzzle to the game board.

Elsewhere, Kumo Hogosha is an abstract strategy game that brings chess and the world of graphic novel illustrations together. Morning Family’s Gobbit is a fast-paced snap style card game that works for both children and adults. Based on the food chain, the game challenges players to snap or ‘eat’ cards representing animals lower down in the chain than their own cards. The player who holds all the cards at the end of the game wins. Completing Morning Family’s expansive line up of games this season is V-Cubes, a collection of puzzle cubes boasting something ‘a bit different.’ Available in both the familiar ‘flat’ shape and the new ‘pillow’ shape, V-Cubes are created ad manufactured in Greece. 020 3445 0919

PAUL LAMOND GAMES

Invented, Destiny 16: Old Time Rockers and Mystery 12: The Unusual Suspects, 1,000 piece puzzles and a 300 piece Wasgij Original 1. New April launches across Jumbo’s exclusive Jan van Haasteren and Pieces of History puzzle range include the 1,000 piece Pop Festival and Jan’s 80th Birthday puzzle, as well as The Pirates 1,000 piece puzzle. The firm’s Childen’s DINO puzzles have proved to be a roaring success, with the most popular proving to be the 3D Foam Puzzle Models. This range gives consumers the chance to create eye-catching dinosaur models, including the T-Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Plesiosaurus. 01707 289 289

Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Dr Eureka and Stinky Pigs; Paul Lamond has it all this season and is bringing them to you via its extensive games portfolio. Escape Room challenges are becoming one of the country’s fastest growing crazes and Paul Lamond’s Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor Escape the Room game will be available this June. The game will see players locked in a room where they have to use team skills, observation and initiative to find clues, solve a series of puzzles and escape from the room in a set time limit. The game is for three to eight players aged ten and upwards and takes around 90 minutes to play. This will be the first in a line of new Escape the Room titles hitting the market courtesy of Paul Lamond this year. New for this Autumn is the Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway Board Game in which players must take on the Ant vs Dec challenges and perform to their friends in the End of Show Show to win the Ads.

Meanwhile, Stinky Pig promises to be ‘one of the funniest games around,’ as players pass the little pig around while he sings catchy songs. The player holding the pig when it stops singing and lets out a ‘parrp’ noise loses the round. For budding young scientists, Dr Eureka challenges players to solve scientific formulas by mixing the molecules from tube to tube without touching them.

The line is completed with the addition of Squeak, That Flipping Word Game and a new Murder Mystery dinner party game: The Diamonds, The Dagger and One Classy Dame to its 2016 selection. On the puzzle front, Paul Lamond Games is equally jam-packed. The firm has 100 and 250 piece puzzles featuring Danger Mouse, Jacqueline Wilson and even Where’s Wally available. 0207 254 0100 www.toynews-online.biz

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11/03/2016 11:53:20

SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES ESDEVIUM

Esdevium Games is looking to build on its success in the kids’ and family games sector with a wide range of new titles for 2016. Following the successful launch of its family picture trivia game Disney Pictopia in 2015, the games specialist is growing the Pictopia range. The Disney game tests players’ knowledge on the studio’s history, from animated classics to new movies and theme parks.

BANANAGRAMS

Disney Pictopia will now be a ‘huge focus’ for Esdevium this year and the brand will receive a boost in Q3 with the launch of Star Wars Pictopia for A/W. Star Wars Pictopia will closely follow the awardwinning gameplay of Disney Pictopia, quizzing players on their knowledge of images from the sci-fi franchise. Both games will receive wide-reaching exposure from online TV advertising, print and online reviews as

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This new Banagrams Party edition features 13 Party Power tiles and challenges each player to race to complete their word grids, as they face challenges and forfeits during the game. From balancing the pouch on your head to destroying an opponent’s word grid, the new Party Power tiles add energetic and hilarious new dimensions to the classic game.

The fun doesn’t end there and Bananagrams has also recently launched a new, revamped version of its travel game Zip It. Compact in its travel pouch, kids can play this title on the move as they throw the cubes and use the letters to make a word grid as fast as they can, all while keeping score. Winning Moves: 020 7298 9500

RAVENSBURGER

CHEATWELL GAMES

Cheatwell Games enters 2016 with an attention grabbing array of titles including the Toy Fair favourite, Pass the Pen. The family title garnered a lot of excitement over the Toy Fair season thanks to its simplicity and ‘devilish twist at the end.’ Players pick a card and roll the dice to determine what they’ll be drawing, before sketching the image while the nib of the pen slowly retracts before disappearing completely. Fellow players must then guess the drawing.

well as demonstrations at events across the second half of the year. Other additions to Esdevium’s Disney range include two special licensed versions of Dobble, featuring Star Wars and Disney’s Cars. Introduced in 2011, Dobble has been a smash hit for Esdevium and fans will now get the chance to test their eagle-eye skills in various Disney scenarios. 01420 593593

Pass the Pen will be available form this June and will retail at around £21.99. Joining the title for 2016 is Telepaths, the matching game of crazy connections and logical links. Meanwhile, the preschool line is bolstered by the co-operative storytelling game, Tell-aTale, that sees players take turns to roll the dice and use them to decide what happens next. The game arrives in three themes including Pirate, Fairy and Farmyard. 02392 524 098

There’s something for every consumer this year, says Ravensburger, as it details its 2016 games and puzzles portfolio featuring hit properties Teletubbies, Angry Birds, The Secret Life of Pets, Go Jetters and Finding Dory. Among the 14 new properties joining the children’s licensed puzzle selection, Ravensburger welcomes Dora the Explorer, My Little Pony, Moana, Emoji, Star Darlings, The BFG, The Lion Guard and Marvel’s Avengers Assemble. Meanwhile, adult puzzle sales grew in spring/ summer 2015 for the firm and Ravensburger fully expects to see this continue this season as it launches a host of new titles including the Limited Edition Christmas Puzzle Santa’s Christmas Party, What If? Christmas Day and What If? The Wedding. These join additions to the popular Best of British, Colin Thompson and Country Cottages ranges.

Autumn also sees the launch of Puzzle Handy, a foldaway puzzle board. Family games were also a hit in 2015, with sales up a whopping 34 per cent for the firm. This year, the category remains a key focus and Ravensburger’s best sellers Labyrinth, Scotland Yard, Bugs in the Kitchen and Eye

Found will all be supported with heavyweight TV campaigns throughout. 3D is also a thriving market with year-on-year sales continuing to grow. The light-up Chrysler Building and Statue of Liberty will lead a substantial launch in the sector for 2016. 01869 363 800 www.toynews-online.biz

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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES FLAIR

Flair enters 2016 with a portfolio of competitive games including classic action titles for the whole family as well as a range of traditional wooden games featuring perennial favourite Thomas & Friends. Geared towards kids aged 18 months and upwards, the Thomas & Friends wooden games range includes new and familiar play concepts. Kids can choose from the Sodor version of noughts and crosses with Tic-TacToe, while a Wooden Clock

MATTEL

Game comes complete with 12 double-sided, selfcorrecting puzzle pieces. Egg thieving and chicken screaming finds its place in the games sector this year, all courtesy of Squeaky Chicken, a game in which players must compete to take as many eggs from the coop as they can, without waking up the chicken. Every time an egg is taken, the chicken will give a squawk. But take too many, and the chicken will wake up and scream. 0208 643 0320

Mattel continues to provide the family entertainment with an extensive portfolio of games for 2016. This autumn/winter sees the introduction of Gas Out, a game that ‘will provide hours of laughter for the whole family’ as it challenges players to pass Guster the Gas Cloud from player to player, before he breaks wind. Players take turns playing Gas Out number cards in

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family games night, and this year the card game comes with a digital marketing campaign, Wild4UNO, communicating the game’s new custmisation feature. A strong product range for A/W16 includes the TV advertised UNO Wild Jackpot, UNO Cards Get Wild and UNO Junior, while Scrabble completes the Mattel roster with Junior, Travel and Deluxe. 01628 500 000

GOLDEN BEAR

BIG POTATO GAMES From quiz games to party titles the team at Big Potato brings a portfolio of addictive, home-grown concepts to market. Having shot to toy industry fame with the launch of Linkee, Big Potato has expanded its portfolio to cover titles such as Obama Llama, Qwordie, Mr. Lister, Bucket of Doom, Rainbow Rage, Scrawl and OK Play. Created by national radio DJ Matt Edmondson and crafted by Big Potato, Obama Llama challenges players to find celebrity rhymes like ‘Tom Cruise in his platform shoes’. Meanwhile, Qwordie has often been described as the ‘love child of Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit.’ It’s part quiz, part word game and complete fun, as players build the answers to quirky questions using letter tiles they have collected or stolen. Spell an answer first to win the tiles. Mr Lister’s Quiz Shootout is like an old-style Western

their hand and pressing Guster as many times as shown. If he passes wind during your turn, you’re out. Meanwhile, this year sees the launch of the next in the Bounce Off dynasty: Bounce Off Rock n Rollz. The rocking and rolling version of the hit title sees players choose their teams and aim to land their team’s ping pong balls in the board. Of course, UNO continues to be a popular face at

shootout that replaces gun powder with brain power. Each player faces a strange question, such as ‘What are the ingredients in a Ginster’s Cornish pasty?’ They must then shout out a correct answer to stay alive and in the game. Elsewhere, Bucket of Doom puts players in some very strange hypothetical

situations, just to see how they would survive, while Rainbow Rage has them lunging to grab the colours of the rainbow. Scrawl has them guessing at each other’s attempts to draw bizarre scenarios and the Big Potato line is completed with the popular travel title OK Play. hello@bigpotato.co.uk

Golden Bear takes to the games and puzzles sector with a new offering of character driven lines featuring the likes of In the Night Garden, Mr. Tumble and Sooty. The In the Night Garden Pick ‘n’ Place Wooden Puzzle features six pieces designed for little hands,each shaped like a different character from the hit pre-school show. Elsewhere, the Wooden Dress Up Mr. Tumble aims to get little ones mixing

and matching, challenging them to create their own Something Special characters, while the Something Special Roll and Play is a plush cube featuring 36 activity cards. Golden Bear’s Something Special line expands further with the new Mr. Tumble Fun Felts. Rounding up the range is the Sooty Mischief and Magic Set, designed to cause mayhem and available frm this July. 01952 608 308 www.toynews-online.biz

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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES WINNING MOVES

This season sees Winning Moves welcome a host of new additions to the Top Trumps family, with the likes of the Top Trumps Match: The Crazy Cube Game making its first appearance. The all new Match is launching with a Disney Princess edition alongside Marvel’s The Avengers and challenges players to be the first to match five of their favourite characters in a line, while facing an

TRENDS UK

onslaught of mystery Trump cards such as the nefarious ‘steal’ card. Peppa Pig joins the Monopoly universe thanks to the Peppa Pig Junior Monopoly title. The game sees players drive from house to house and discover what surprises Miss Rabbit has in store for them, or what Mr Fox has in his van. Elsewhere, Winning Moves introduces the new Top Trumps Quiz with a Star

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Suspense, tension and the chance of a good old fashion soaking: Trends UK has it all thanks to its new water roulette game of chance, Wet Head. The game has already become an internet sensation in the US with celebrity YouTubers taking part in the Wet Head challenge, securing millions of views in just months.

The title is making its UK debut this spring, and is well placed, says Trends, to be the next game sensation, “reaching fame of Pie Face proportions.” The game comes with a free app with trivia questions and a function to record the ‘getting wet’ moment and share it on social media. 01295 768 078

accent, and can now earn extra points by identifying the movie and the film’s year of release. There are 30 different accents from around the globe to select from and the new game is compatible with the existing Film Quotes Expansion Pack, priced at £8.99, which manages to deliver a further 90 movie lines. Whether it’s “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti” delivered in a strong Brummie brogue,

or “Say hello to my little friend,” in an out of context Cornish, the game is sure to provoke a giggle or two. Quotes from movies spanning the decades, including the likes of My Fair Lady, Ghostbusters, Jaws, The Graduate, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Casablanca and Back to the Future, all feature. The line doesn’t end there as this year sees the launch of the new Song Lyrics Expansion Pack, too. 0330 400 4162

ACCENTUATE

CARTAMUNDI

Not content with its hold over the playing cards sector, recent years have seen Cartamundi take some giant strides in the games category too. Following a major acquisition of Hasbro’s manufacturing locations in the US and Ireland, the firm is now able to position itself as the major global manufacturer of board games, puzzles, bespoke games, digital games and card games for own brand and private labels.

Wars themed edition leading the line and challenging players to tackle 500 questions designed to test each players’ knowledge. Shopkins is one of the hottest character brands of the year and with the new Shopkins Guess Who? fans have the chance to prove their own passion as they distinguish their Gran Jams from their D’Lish Donuts and Lippy Lips. 0207 298 9507

Monopoly, UNO, Yu-GiOh, Guess Who? and Trivial Pursuit are just some of the household names Cartamundi makes for a market extending to over 185 countries. But the firm is not just looking to support the best-known game brands. Cartamundi is aiming to help and mentor smallscale initiatives through its incubator service that develops and brings to life the best new game ideas. 01268 511 522

A hilarious accent-guessing party game, Accentuate not only thwarted the Dragons of BBC’s Dragons’ Den, but has taken the games market head on to deliver something new. Backed by Peter Jones, Accentuate now features 90 different quotes from famous movies and challenges players to pick a card and read the movie quote in a randomly selected accent. Teammates have just 30 seconds to guess the

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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES SPIN MASTER Spin Master continues to see year-on-year success with its burgeoning portfolio of games including the number one seller, Hedbanz. The popular range of What Am I? quick question games now boasts three lines, including the original Hedbanz, Disney Hedbanz and Hedbanz Adults to cater to families and children alike.

HTI This year will see the line receive continued support with a strong TV campaign running throughout the fourth quarter. But back to this spring, and the new season will bring Paw Patrol fans a healthy dose of their favourite show with the launch of no fewer than 14 new products. The range simply adds to the ‘phenomenal success

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Whether it’s big name brands or its own in-house range, HTI has the games sector covered. The firm’s own in-house range provides an extensive selection of traditional board, family and strategy games from Draughts, Chess, Ludo and Snakes & Ladders to Bingo & Lotto. HTI’s own Wood Works range of traditionally crafted, premium quality

wooden toy lines includes puzzles for children of ages 18 months upwards. The Wood Works preschool offering features alphabet and number puzzles, dominoes, an abacus, chalk board and jumbo floor puzzle. All Wood Works puzzles have been designed to help develop recognition of numbers, letters, shapes and colours. 01253 778888

The firm has also now rereleased Wembley, a classic that has been given a 21st century makeover. The packaging has undergone a complete redesign and the new edition takes players back to the 100th anniversary of the FA Cup to vie for the trophy. Players must draw the team cards and manage their teams to the top.

Will they invest their hard earned cash in star players or hope the odds are in their favour when they roll the cleverly weighted dice? Gibsons’ Hare & Tortoise board game is a cunningly designed race to the finish in which your fuel (carrots of course) must run out at the moment you hit the finish line. 020 8661 8866

GIBSONS

UNIVERSITY GAMES

Whatever the weather this spring, there’s always time to get your board gaming play on and University Games has a portfolio of titles to deliver family fun to all. Leading the line-up this season is Bunny Jump, a game that challenges players to catch bunny when he randomly jumps from his burrow to protect the carrots growing in his garden. Meanwhile, pirates and penguins join forces in the Don’t Rock the Boat game as kids take turns balancing

of its existing range of toys, plush and pre-school games,’ says the firm. The Paw Patrol Pups in Training game will bring home the adventure of the series, allowing kids to get behind their favourite pups. The new range also includes lenticular, wood, 3D and foam puzzles as well as tic-tac-toe and memory match games 01628 535 000

birds on the ship without making it tip. Elsewhere, Seagull Splat is the mischievous children’s game that challenges them to dodge the bird poo. It should be easy to name three breeds of dog, but can players manage to do it in just five seconds? Five Second Rule puts you to the ultimate test, giving gamers just seconds to answer a whole host of questions without getting too flustered. 0333 4050 120

Experienced in the art of a good board game, Gibsons has been entertaining families and kids for almost a century. Leading the line this year, the Sherlock Holmes inspired 221B Baker Street game challenges players to solve individually written cases by travelling the streets of Victorian London searching for clues.

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SECTOR GUIDE: GAMES & PUZZLES LEARNING RESOURCES

Educational gameplay is the name of the game at Learning Resources, a mission statement championed by the firm’s expansive gaming portfolio this season. Help Sophie the Otter find shells to eat in the patternmatching title Sophie’s Seashell Scramble. Joining other hit titles such as Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel and Happy Floppy, Sophie is an exciting new addition to Learning

VIVID

Resources’ range of early skills games. Players spin the spinner and use the Sophie squeezer to pick up a shell with a matching pattern. Fun for all the family, children will develop critical pre-reading and strategic thinking skills while playing. Meanwhile, Mental Blox 360 is a brain-boosting point-of-view game, challenging players to build 3D puzzles from different visual perspectives.

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Crayola enters the game space this season with its 3,2,1 Draw title, challenging players to guess the drawings against the count down of the sand timer. Meanwhile, the action packed Scribble Scramble is a team game for four to eight players, where you have to guess the doodle before it disappears.

Elsewhere, Thunderbirds takes off in the puzzle sector thanks to a new range of Thunderbirds Are Go 3D effect puzzles, complete with 200 puzzle piece and 3D glasses. Drumond Park’s 2016 portfolio aims to continue the success of last year with the likes of Pickin’ Chickens, Crazy Claw and Dig In. 01483 449 944

CLEMENTONI

ORCHARD TOYS Orchard Toys is building up its games portfolio this year with the launch of a new collection of mini games, targeting the lower price point market of under £5 each. Based on its traditional family favourites, the range gives classic gameplay an Orchard Toys makeover in a line up that includes Dinosaur Dominoes, Little

40 double-sided cards feature puzzles on the front, with solutions on the back. Colour Cubed completes the line up as a colour matching title in which players match as many colours as they can when placing their game tiles. This strategy games aims to reinforce a variety of skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and addition. The game ends when all cards have been played. The player with the highest score wins. 07872 337 302

Bus Lotto, Jungle Snakes and Ladders, Build a Beetle, Crocodile Snap as well as Penguin Pairs. The company has detailed its own excitement at entering the new market and believes that its range of compact, travel size mini games will appeal to all those game fans who want to play on the go. 01953 859 525

Clementoni is making the impossible possible with its new Impossible Puzzles. This line of puzzles features images of well known characters, with the centre of the puzzle and the edging being the only clues on how to put the pieces together. Designed to involve the whole family, each puzzle contains 1,000 pieces and is

bound to cause frustration and joy at the same time. Popular licences including Frozen, Minions, Finding Nemo, 101 Dalmatians, Penguins of Madagascar and Trolls will all grace the new line. Impossible Puzzles previewed at the London Toy Fair and Clementoni claims the range had an extremely positive reaction.

The firm is excited to launch the new series to the UK and has told ToyNews it’s ‘already proving to be a big hit with kids and parents alike’. “With the added element of fantastic licences, we see Impossible Puzzles being introduction being a great extension to our portfolio,” said Clementoni. 0208 782 1134

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OBSERVATIONS 0F A TOY INDUSTRY SURVIVOR

Jon Salisbury CURRENTLY I’m filled with both joy and trepidation: excitement that the fruit of my loins is just about to present me with a granddaughter, but unnerved because it means that I will finally have to admit to myself that I am over the hill and old enough to become a Bampa. Let me explain: I called my dad’s dad Bampa and my kids call my dad Bampa. It’s a Welsh thing. I’m half taff, half English, you see. Before you get defensive on my behalf at my choice of language,

Follow me on Twitter @jonsalisbury

This month our columnist, nervously awaiting the birth of his granddaughter, looks at some toys which have stood the test of several generations

system, which quite frankly cost an eyewatering sum of money. It is more than a generation since I last bought kids’ equipment, so I am bound to have lost touch. Heck, even the price of a Mars Bar now makes me gulp. My 1970s economic barometer is so yesterday. And when did pushchairs and car seats become ‘travel systems’? Time to pass the baton on to a new generation? Average disposable income in the UK is now about £300 per month.

Our Cozy Coupe stood the test of time: we first had one in 1987 that lived outside for years and was used by all three of my kids. we taffs can call ourselves that. My daughter had already chosen her daughter’s name before her birth - Marnie - and the baby shower should have happened by the time you read this. Now, I chose my daughter’s name after the Warhol superstar Edith Sedgwick, the beautiful model who died tragically prematurely aged just 28. I’m not sure why she chose Marnie but it’s very Hitchcock-esque. Of course, grandparental disposable income comes into play now and we’ve already contributed a travel

You can bet that new grandparents spend more than that on their progeny’s progeny and toys must be high among the beneficiaries. Our Cozy Coupe stood the test of time: we first had one in 1987 that lived outside for years and was used by all three of my kids. Other toys that had enough of a half life to be used by all of my brood included Brio trains and die cast vehicles, and then there were the toys buried in the garden only to be unearthed years late. Action figures in particular. In fact, Ghostbusters comes to mind.

Jon Salisbury has written about the toy business since 1985, editing magazines and running toy media events in New York and London. He can be contacted at jonsalisbury@icloud.com or @JonSalisbury www.toynews-online.biz

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