10 minute read
Special Feature - DreamToys
Toy World wakes up to DreamToys 2024
It was an early start for the Toy World team on Tuesday 12th November, which heralded the unveiling of the DreamToys top 20. Here, we report back on another great day out.
On a sunny day in December, London’s Goodenough College welcomed the return of DreamToys, the grand unveiling of the products the industry’s most informed people believe will be the hottest toys this festive season, to attending media including The Guardian, The Sun, ITV, Associated Press and many more. It was the second time the venue had hosted the event, and the organisers, the Toy Retailers Association, had upped the Christmas ante, covering the portraits in the hall with seasonal scenes – with the exception of Frederick Craufurd Goodenough, the college’s founder, who oversaw proceedings from behind the DreamToys sleigh.
According to Geoff Sheffield, chairman of the Toy Retailers Association, DreamToys is the Christmas starting pistol. He told Toy World: “We’re really pleased with today’s turnout; the fact DreamToys is chosen by a panel of toy retailers really brings it home to attending media that this is what the industry is all about, and the timing makes it a positive, good news story at the end of what has been a challenging year.”
DreamToys 2024 saw a number of companies join the line-up for the first time ever (more on them later), while Richard North at Wow! Stuff was delighted to have made it into the selected 20 toys. That the Real FX Stitch ‘puppetronic’ toy made became a DreamToy this year won’t have taken anyone by surprise. It’s been a phenomenal launch for the company and has already taken home several accolades this year as well as featured on a number of top toy lists. However, Richard told Toy World that to bag a DreamToy award was something special.
“We always hope to get recognition when we’ve made a wonderful toy, whether that’s from consumers or retailers,” he explained. “It’s very possible to have a best-seller but miss out on the ultimate honour, the DreamToys official list, which is something we’ve experienced in previous years. And since the Toy Retailers Association changed format, ditching the longlist, it’s become even harder to become a DreamToy – and that is what makes being here even more special. Wow! Stuff has created something unique with puppetronics and you’ll see much more of this coming through in 2025.”
The lovable blue alien also made a second appearance in the DreamToys 2024 top 20, with Lego’s Disney Stitch construction set one of three toys the company took home an award for; Lego Icons Tiny Plants and the Lego Speed Champions McLaren F1 Race Car appeared alongside Stitch on the company’s stand.
Christian Pau, vice president & general manager for UK & Ireland at the Lego Group, told us: “We are delighted to have three toys included in DreamToys 2024 list, showcasing the variety of passions and play experiences that the Lego Group has to offer. From our hugely popular Lego Speed Champions McLaren Formula 1 Race Car and Lego Stitch to Lego Tiny Plants, this year’s list truly reflects the hours of building fun we offer for kids and adults alike, with gifting options available to suit anybody you are looking to treat this Christmas.”
One of this year’s DreamToys first-timers was Just Play, with FurReal Peanut the Playful Monkey. Although Just Play is well established in the USA it’s only been operating in the UK for two years, so receiving a DreamToy is a real milestone for the team. Amy Saunders, UK country manager, and Tess Parsons-Broome, UK Marketing manager, were clearly delighted when Toy World stopped by to speak to them. Tess said: “When you look around at the company we’re in, amongst some really big players, you start to feel like it’s all paying off and helping to put Just Play on the map. It’s a privilege too. FurReal has some real heritage behind it; Hasbro did a great job with the brand before we took it on and breathed new life into it. Peanut reflects the innovation that FurReal is known and loved for; the influencer kids here have adored her.”
From big animals to small ones, the Littlest Pet Shop Pet Shop Play Set has also become a DreamToy, marking Bandai UK’s event debut. Kirsty Mackenzie, the company’s head of Marketing, explained that the brand Moose Toys also secured a DreamToys with a diminutive animal, the very cute Little Live Pets My Walking Penguin, which was one of three toys from the company to make this year’s top 20. It’s been a strong year for licensed product, and with Bluey remaining a firm favourite among pre-schoolers (and their parents) and Despicable Me 4 officially making the Despicable Me franchise the biggest animated franchise of all time, the inclusion of Moose’s toys felt very well deserved.
“This year, more so than ever, we’ll see that one person’s stocking filler may be another person’s main present, so offering a wide range of price points is important,” said Maddi Tiscoe, Moose’s head of Marketing UK & Distributors. “Consumers are a little more wary this year, and they want to see the value in what they’re spending on – and our toys offer plenty of value for money, whatever the RRP.”
Another hit with the kids was Zuru’s Mama Duck Surprise. The company, another DreamToys first-timer, delighted the crowds with the adorable, waddling mummy duck and ducklings, which can be hatched before placing them carefully to trail along behind one another. Combining surprise unboxing with nurturing play and an evergreen animal theme, at an RRP of £29.99, the product certainly looked ‘quacking’ on Zuru’s stand.
“We are thrilled with Mama Duck & Baby Surprise making the Dream Toys list,” said Lucy Figg, senior Marketing executive UK & Ireland at Zuru. “From going viral on TikTok at launch to placement in the top 20 toys, we are absolutely delighted to see the recognition it is getting for being such an all-round great product that appeals to a wide audience. It’s clear that parents love all it has to offer, and children adore the surprises and using their imagination to discover their own play patterns.”
Youngsters at DreamToys also got hands-on with Hasbro’s Beyblade X Xtreme Battle Set. Hasbro, like most of the companies at DreamToys, was generously gifting product to attending children to spread a little joy ahead of Christmas, in the form of single Beyblade packs. Julia Swan, Regional Communications manager at Hasbro, had to admire one keen kid influencer, who returned to the stand to enquire as to where he was supposed to play with his gift, clearly hoping he might just be allowed to take home one of the Xtreme Battle Sets themselves. Maybe he’ll put it on his Christmas list.
Spin Master dominated this year’s list with no less than five DreamToys: the Hatchimals Alive Mystery Hatch Pufficorn Egg, Hex Bots Wall Crawler Gecko, Kinetic Sand Squishmotion, Paw Patrol Rubble’s Bark Yard Deluxe Bulldozer, and Unicorn Academy Interactive Rainbow Light-Up Wildstar.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have not only one but an incredible five toys selected as part of the DreamToys top 20 Toys for Christmas,” said Spin Master’s general manager, Richard Dickson. “DreamToys is widely regarded as the ultimate guide to the best toys for Christmas and the inclusion of five products highlight the diverse and innovative range of products we offer.”
MGA Entertainment, meanwhile, created some magic at DreamToys 2024 with the Miniverse Make It Mini Harry Potter Potions Class. Live demonstrations of the build-and-play experience drew many to marvel at the miniature toy range, which Pamela Justice, Marketing manager at MGA Entertainment, told Toy World is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the range has to offer (more will be revealed at Spielwarenmesse 2025).
“We’re so proud to be back at DreamToys for the second consecutive year,” enthused Pamela. “MGA’s Miniverse continues to go from strength to strength, with kidults in particular fuelling brand growth. The DreamToys award, as well as the incredibly positive feedback on the Miniverse range we’ve received so far, just goes to show that combining creativity with iconic franchises is a winning formular, expanding the appeal of both exponentially.”
Mattel took home two DreamToys this year: one for the Hot Wheels Ultra Shark Car Wash Play Set, and the other for Uno Show ‘Em No Mercy. While both proved very popular with the media, they also went down very well with television presenter Helen Skelton, who, despite her very busy schedule, stayed for a whole game of Uno. Sarah Allen, PR manager for Mattel UK, said Helen also enjoyed playing with the Hot Wheels set; as a mum of three boys, she appeared to appreciate its many features and exciting, adrenaline fuelled action features.
Helen was also able to travel in style at DreamToys, thanks to a specially hand-decorated, unique London Black Cab completely covered in cute Sticki Roll stickers in celebration of the Sticki Rolls Sticki Book DreamToys win. The cab took pride of place in the courtyard outside the venue, and Helen was spotted behind the wheel.
Mark Hunt, Marketing director at Character Options, the company behind Sticki Rolls, said: “We’re honoured to have the Sticki Rolls Sticki Book recognised by DreamToys and its panel of retail experts as one of the top toys of the year. It was so exciting seeing the press and content creators discover Sticki Rolls at this year’s event, not to mention seeing their reaction to the Sticki Rolls London Taxi we had stationed outside.”
Toy World also caught up with Play-Room’s Rosie Marshall, who joined the board of the Toy Retailers Association earlier this year. Speaking to us mid-morning, with the event in full swing, she said the DreamToys 2024 exhibitors had done a ‘fantastic job’ with their stands and product displays, all of which helped create a joyful, festive feeling. She also highlighted this year’s wide assortment of play patterns and categories, which she feels is representative of the toy industry at large.
She added: “This year, we’ve also been very conscious of price, which is why the top 20 goes from £9.99 to £79.99. The average price is £42, and 14 toys on the list are under £50, offering a good mix for all consumers. As we’ve seen in previous years, Christmas might come late, but I think it’s going to be good when it does come and that retailers might come into 2025 nice and clean, something they struggled with coming into 2024. That will be a huge positive.”
DreamToys chairman Paul Reader told us DreamToys 2024 seemed busier than in previous years – a sentiment echoed by many of the winners – with a number of TV crews on-site generating all-important news content as attention turns to the big day. We also discussed how the move from top 12 to top 20, as mentioned earlier, has given the Toy Retailers Association the scope to explore more categories and products than ever before, something he feels is reflected by this year’s list.
“It’s always been a struggle to pick the ultimate DreamToys, and it’s become even harder since we took away the longlist,” he admitted, noting the industry’s vast range of major players and top-quality toys. “We think it was a very positive move, and if our winners are happy then so are we – we’ve achieved our goal. I’m hoping shoppers will see all the DreamToys content and get down to their local toy shop ASAP to start stocking up.”
