Company Profile
Bandai 40th Anniversary
Bandai celebrating a legacy Bandai UK celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, marking four decades of innovation, reinvention, and evolution with a raft of product launches and activities that reflect the company’s roots – and where it’s headed. Toy World’s John Baulch and Rachael SimpsonJones paid a visit to the Bandai UK team at its Richmond office to find out more. Left to right, Kirsty Mackenzie, Fredrick Wolff & Nic Aldridgs
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andai UK turns 40 on 29th April, having been officially incorporated in 1982. The company’s original director, Michael Loveland, played a pivotal role in the formation of the UK operation four decades ago. Tasked by the Japanese parent company, founded in the 1950s, to set up a UK subsidiary, Michael and his brother Nigel successfully established the operation with its first UK office in Guildford. Michael went on to become Bandai’s European marketing director, was part of the team that first
brought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the UK and European markets, and was also instrumental in Bandai becoming the original distributor of the Nintendo range of electronic and video games. Sadly, Michael didn’t get to see his company reach its 40th anniversary milestone - he passed away in May 2021 but his legacy lives on in the UK team. The Bandai UK operation has much to celebrate. The 40th anniversary of Bandai UK coincides neatly with a number of other 40th celebrations: Gundam,
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one of Bandai’s biggest own-brands, celebrated its 40th anniversary recently, as did Pac-Man, and two members of the UK team (who will remain anonymous) also celebrated their 40th birthdays at the beginning of March. The landmark comes only a few years after the loss of Saban’s Power Rangers from Bandai’s portfolio, a brand with which the company had enjoyed a long and prosperous master toy relationship for some 25 years. At its height, around 80% of the business
