Special Feature - Jurassic World

Jurassic World A roaring success

Ahead of the launch of Jurassic World Dominion this summer, Toy World examines the world-leading global franchise that has driven massive sales, and captivated consumers, for nearly three decades.

Movie licensed merchandise has always been a key fixture in toy retail aisles. The excitement generated by the launch of a blockbuster movie, coupled with heavyweight promotional activity, is a longstanding recipe for sales success. Or, at least, it was a recipe for success – until the pandemic struck in 2020. Almost overnight, cinemas were forced to close for prolonged periods of time, and movie audiences needed to look elsewhere for entertainment.

Even before the pandemic, streaming services had begun to impact traditional media channels, especially linear TV. The advent of lockdowns saw platforms like Netflix, Amazon and the newlylaunched Disney+ grow exponentially, driving immediate success for many of the shows and movies that debuted on these channels. Coupled with the rise of YouTube and new social media platforms such as TikTok, kids were being exposed to properties and brands across a wider range of places than ever before.

However, while YouTube and streaming platforms are undoubtedly here to stay, the return of cinemas has been eagerly anticipated – and 2022 promises to be a golden year for fans of blockbuster movies. Many movie studios delayed major releases that were originally due to hit cinemas in 2021, so the pipeline of content for this year is exceptional.

And while cinema-goers are planning which movies to watch over the coming months, toy retailers are also preparing for a surge in interest in merchandise associated with this year’s bumper crop of releases. Arguably, the summer’s major movie event as far as the toy retail channel is concerned is Jurassic World Dominion.

From Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Jurassic World immerses audiences of all ages in a world of wonder and thrills, where dinosaurs and humankind must learn to coexist. Jurassic World is more than a film franchise. At every turn, this $5 billion+ film series delivers a larger-than-life destination for exploration, discovery and epic adventure.

Jurassic World Dominion is scheduled for release on June 10th – almost twelve months to the day after its original release date was postponed. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the latest movie in a franchise which spans nearly three decades sees the return of not only Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard – the main protagonists of the recent Jurassic World movies, but also original cast members Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neill, marking the first time all three actors have been onscreen together since Jurassic Park in 1993.

Excitement has been ramped up by the release of two pieces of content so far: an impressive fiveminute prologue and the most recent three-minute adrenaline-fuelled trailer, which suggests a movie filled with high octane thrills and excitement, a huge dollop of tension and high drama…and even bigger - and more - dinosaurs than before. “Bigger…why do they always have to go bigger?” Jeff Goldblum asks at the end of the trailer. I think we all know the answer to that question. We’re also asked to contemplate whether humans and dinosaurs can co-exist, while being teased that the movie will allow us to “experience the epic conclusion of the Jurassic era.”

The trailer has certainly whetted movie-goers appetites for the film release – and with product hitting shelves in the middle of April, licensees and retailers are getting geared up for product to start flying off shelves well ahead of the movie. Geoff Sheffield, chief commercial & marketing officer at The Entertainer, told Toy World: “Here at The Entertainer, we love blockbuster movies and dinosaurs. Put them together and it’s clearly a recipe for success. Jurassic World Dominion is long anticipated and uniting the original cast with the new is a great moment for parents and children to connect once more over their favourite dinosaur movie. With dinosaurs covering land, sea and air (and bigger than ever), the franchise has offered manufacturers the chance to showcase their creativity with new product development. We are excited to be working with the team at Universal Brand Development and its partners on this franchise. We have some great plans lined up to bring the toys to life for our customers, who have already shown a love for all things Jurassic. The master toy range from Mattel really does have something for everyone, at all price points and sizes. And having had the chance to get hands on with the products, we think kids will love them. Alongside ranges we’ve seen from the Lego Group, Wow Stuff, Character Options, Posh Paws and Funko, it’s set to be an awesome line-up.”

Sinead Byrne is joint head of marketing at Smyths Toys, which is another key retail partner for Jurassic World. She told us: “We are very excited for 2022 - the movie slate is strong, and Jurassic will be an important franchise for Smyths Toys. We have been working collaboratively with suppliers and Universal on the range, as well as marketing campaigns to support the product line-up, and we are looking forward to executing them.”

Jurassic World has long been a staple of the specialist toy retail channel, and Toymaster’s Paul Reader told Toy World: “I’m always excited by a dinosaur movie and the Jurassic World franchise is simply the best. The movies are now so good that you almost feel close up and personal, not that I would like to get that close! The movie product from all of the suppliers that I have seen so far looks amazing, however I’m not sure I can disclose too much given the number of NDAs I have signed recently. We are very much looking forward to the on-shelf date and making our stores a destination for many of the Jurassic World products. We are also hugely excited for our planned Mattel Jurassic World window feature, coinciding with the movie release date.”

Prominent Toymaster member Dave Middleton from Midco Toys echoed Paul’s sentiments: “Jurassic World has seen great success since the release of Fallen Kingdom in 2018. Even in nonmovie years, the range has performed well. The Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series on Netflix has also succeeded in keeping the brand as a staple in the action figure aisle. From what I have seen of the Jurassic World Dominion product from various suppliers, the new ranges look extremely strong, and I expect further growth in the brand. After all, what kid doesn’t enjoy dinosaurs?”

Described as a bold, timely and breath-taking new adventure that spans the globe, Jurassic World Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world.

This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

It’s been fascinating to see just how much the brand has continued to grow in non-film years, sometimes even greater than previous film years. Many retailers we spoke to felt that a key driver of the brand’s performance in recent years has been the popular animated series, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, created in partnership with DreamWorks Animation, is the first ever animated series from the franchise. It became an instant fan favourite when it debuted in Autumn 2020, adding energy and excitement in non-film years. This series, plus engaging content on the Jurassic World YouTube channel, are what keep the brand in the consumer consciousness and alive in the boy’s aisle at retail. Additionally, key licensees, including Lego and Mattel, as well as publishing partners and more, have created new product lines that are specific to the animated series – helping fuel fan demand. Retailers have credited the show for maintaining product sales and creating demand for new and refreshed ranges.

The show follows the adventures of six teens who are invited to attend a state-of-the-art adventure camp on Isla Nublar, who must band together to survive when the dinosaurs break out of captivity. Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous delivers on the wonder, thrills, discovery and epic adventure for which the brand is known and loved. It has also broadened the brand demographic to include younger kids and a strong girl audience too.

The success of the franchise has driven an expanded footprint at retail, with Jurassic World becoming a true evergreen, 365-day brand that you can find not just in the toy aisle, but apparel, home, food, care, publishing, seasonal offerings, video games and many more categories.

There is an impressive toy partner line up for Jurassic World, with an immense variety of toys and games coming from award-winning partners. The licensing programme spans every age demographic, from pre-school through to collector, and it covers all price points and toy sub-categories. The toy line up is anchored by master global toy partners Mattel and Lego, who include action figures, feature plush and construction in their lines. There are also innovative lines developed in partnership with Wow Stuff, as well as games and puzzles from Tomy, Hasbro, Funko, Asmodee, Ravensburger and Spin Master. Posh Paws will be adding to its range with new Jurassic World Dominion plush lines and RMS International, Toy Master, Basic Fun and Heroes of Goo Jit Zu will be creating novelty products in line with the new movie. There will also be be Youth Electronics from Kid Designs, Vehicles from Jada, Costumes from Rubie’s, Infant & Feature product from 8th Wonder and Outdoor lines from Plum and Mondo.

Other EMEA partners include Bandai, Cartamundi, Clementoni, Lron studios, Imaginext, Rubber Road, Noble Collection, Danilo, Pyramid, Design group, Alligator and Amscan.

On the gaming front, Universal’s partners have continued to develop a portfolio of Jurassic World games and digital offerings that speaks to different genres. The focus continues to be following the fans to where they play, engage and interact, whether it’s on console/PC, mobile or VR.

Universal firmly believes that the demand for Jurassic World goes beyond films – whether that is content, or experiencing it through product, or through digital, or in-person experiences. Consumers are undoubtedly looking forward to more of those real-world experiences coming back – both at the theme parks, but also with live entertainment and touring shows.

Speaking to Toy World ahead of last year’s BLE show, Paul Bufton, Universal Brand Development Vice President EMEA Consumer Products, commented: “2022 is going to be a really significant year for us, because we have two absolute juggernauts in Jurassic World and Minions. I believe there is huge pent-up demand for movie-going audiences, which augurs well for our business.

“Jurassic World has enjoyed an outstanding performance in both 2020 and 2021 – from a consumer perspective, we have the definitive dinosaur brand. It’s not just one-dimensional; it reaches across multiple categories and touchpoints, providing different experiences and products. It helped us tremendously when Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous debuted. The sales curve when the series launched was phenomenal.

“Now we finally have the movie to kick things up a gear. It genuinely offers something new, because it brings back the original cast, so it will have crossgenerational appeal. Movie-going audiences and fans are looking for those big event movies to get back into cinemas – it’s going to be amazing.”