25 Years of Magicbox Toys

chief executive David Bella

Magic Box International Toys is a pioneer in the creation of collectible toys and play sets, and this year marks its 25th anniversary. Still a family-run business based in Barcelona, overseen by chief executive David Bella (whose two sons are also an integral part of the business), Magic Box has had much to celebrate over the years, and has big plans for future growth. Rachael Simpson Jones spoke to David to find out more.

Magic Box’s 25-year history has seen the company transform itself from a stickers and trading cards publisher, kicking things off in 1992 with a collection of trading cards exclusively based on F.C. Barcelona, to a toy company with multiple best-selling ranges in its portfolio. Driven by a formula of innovation and creativity, David shares with me what he feels to be Magic Box’s biggest achievements. Among them are the invention of the concept of collectibles in photography form in 1997, with the company’s first launch in this format featuring the now-iconic UK pop group, the Spice Girls. A huge success, this collection went on to sell 80m units. In 2003, Shoot Out then introduced kids to the joy of collecting and playing with football trading cards, beginning with the FA Premier League. Over five years, 90m Shoot Out packs were sold.

But while Magic Box has racked up numerous wins with licensed collectibles, including with properties such as Pokémon, Digimon and Dragon Ball, as well as The Simpsons and Disney, it’s the company’s own IPs that have catapulted it into the spotlight; the 1996 launch of Gogo’s Crazy Bones is considered by Magic Box to be the start of the collectible figures trend, a phenomenon that has lasted several decades. More than 250m first-generation Crazy Bones units sold between launching and 2000, when the second-generation hit shelves and went on to ultimately sell 100m more, a total of 350m units in eight years. Like its predecessor, the third-generation surpassed expectations yet again, with 400m of the colourful collectible characters making their way into the hands of kids. Magic Box’s second own IP, Zomlings In The Town, then arrived in 2014, introducing blister packs and play sets as a wider part of the collectible play pattern, and Star Monsters launched two years after that. Then came SuperZings.

The hero versus villain format, featuring ordinary everyday food items and household objects, became an overnight hit, with soaring demand for the figures further fuelled by the introduction of larger toys and play sets. To date, SuperThings has sold over 200m units, resulting in the brand becoming the UK’s No.1 Action Figure brand in terms of Share of Units and No.2 in value, and recently achieved the status of No. 1 Toy Property in Spain.

“Retail has been key to our success over the years, as our partners have believed in and supported us from day one,” notes David. “Likewise, we have always made it an important part of our marketing strategy to support our retailers with point of sale, marketing assets and more, which has led to fantastic relationships and mass distribution of our products. SuperThings is currently the leading brand in Spain and Poland, our subsidiaries in the UK, Germany and Italy continue to grow despite the restrictions due to the pandemic, and we have agreements with distributors in France and Mexico, where our brands will be launched this year. Moving forward, we’ll carry on supporting our partners by continuing to launch products that offer a point of difference for our consumers and added value for our customers, increasing traffic to the point of sale and guaranteeing profitability.”

To date, Magic Box has sold over 2b units in 30 countries and is continuously developing new concepts and products in order to keep the offering fresh and exciting. The company aims for two launches per year to allow for full year distribution and brand awareness, and marketing investment remains high. TV support is upweighted every year and Magic Box has dedicated YouTube channels featuring brand webisodes to bring characters to life. Testament to its proven reputation in toy development and innovation, 2017 and 2018 saw Magic Box selected as an Innovative Company by the ‘Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness’, part of the Spanish Government.

“The future of Magic Box is to plant itself firmly in the European toy market,” explains David, when asked what’s next for the company. “New property T-Racers sees Magic Box enter the vehicle category for the first time. With a different product offering, a month after launching, the range is ranked No.2 in the domestic Spanish market, and we are excited to roll this out to other territories in early summer. In addition, we are working on a new launch in the Minidolls category, again another first for the business, and the response has been extremely positive from the retail buyers that have seen it so far.”

Bringing mix & match play to the vehicles category, each T-Racers car is made of five different interchangeable parts. With over 500 possible combinations to discover, the range lets kids build their cars the way they want. Collectability is driven by the promise of ultra-rares to discover featuring chrome paint finishes, while YouTube webisode content will bring T-Racers to life online. In-pack guides included with each car also take collectors deeper into the experience, revealing the four race teams and their unique powers and abilities. The launch, which will be supported by a heavyweight television campaign, YouTube advertising and impactful point of sale material, is just the latest way Magic Box is shaking up the collectibles aisle – and David says more is to come as the company reflects on its landmark year.

“We’re hoping to see the continuing return of normality so that, in time, we can really celebrate our 25th anniversary milestone in style,” says David. “This year, Magic Box will be opening a brand-new HQ in Barcelona which is inspirational in design – at least that’s what the architect says – and the plan is to bring the Magic Box Family together to raise a glass to the next 25 years later this year. We are built on passion and, with this, we will continue to design toys that excite children. We want to be known as a company whose priority is to offer new and fresh products, and to ultimately become a leading brand in the toy industry.”