Company Profile: Zapf Creation

Moving with the times

Zapf Creation’s standout doll brand Baby born marks its 30th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the company is releasing a raft of new dolls that are leading the way in on-trend yet traditional play. Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to Kasia Leskow, Zapf Creation marketing manager, about how else the company is marking this important year, and why the Baby born brand has stood the test of time.

Kasia Leskow, Zapf Creation marketing manager

A leader in the competitive Dolls category, Zapf Creation has entered 2021 on strong footing, seeing YOY growth despite the numerous challenges in the marketplace. Zapf currently holds the No. 1 and 2 positions in the Nurturing Doll subcategory, with the 43cm Baby Annabell topping the list, followed closely by Baby born. 2020 saw Zapf’s sales increase not only in Dolls but also in Dolls Clothing & Accessories, a result of the company’s ongoing strategy to increase its foothold in this area. Altered consumer habits accelerated sales at a time when shoppers were keen to ensure both their existing and new dolls were outfitted in the latest fashions. Kasia says that this year the company expects consumers to continue seeking quality over quantity, with traditional screen-free play patterns, such as doll play, high on the agenda for parents and kids. This trend forecast appears to be reflected by the strong sales Zapf has seen during the first three months of this year across its doll ranges, as well as its growing clothes and accessories line.

“We’re confident that we’re bringing through enough in the way of new and exciting product to cater to the ongoing high demand, and this should result in another excellent year for Zapf,” says Kasia. “We lead the Nurturing Dolls subcategory for a combination of reasons. Our innovative streak means we introduce new dolls with exciting functions into the marketplace every single year, and our clothing and accessory ranges are second to none. We follow fashion trends very closely to ensure doll fans can get their hands on the very latest looks, with colours, fabric types and patterns all reflecting the world kids see around them. My colleague Carmen Leutheuser, one of the heads of design, travels the world to follow the latest fashion developments from across the globe, and bring them back to Zapf’s doll ranges.”

As Kasia explains, Zapf dolls also boast a rich heritage in the marketplace. As mentioned earlier, Baby born is 30 this year, while Baby Annabell is almost 25 years old. Today’s generation of parents are likely to have played with these dolls when they themselves were growing up, and as a result there’s a lot of love out there for both brands. Zapf dolls are also of the highest quality, and are made to last, and this has earned the trust of consumers of all ages. Playing with dolls aids child development by imparting key nurturing and social skills during those formative early years, while the Baby born brand in particular inspires rewarding, imaginative play experiences that last for hours.

“When Baby born first made its appearance in 1991, other dolls on the market weren’t very interactive; they could maybe say a few words or had hair kids could play with,” says Kasia. “Baby born became incredibly popular very quickly, because the dolls could do things no other could. Kids could feed them, they cried, used a potty, slept – all without batteries. This was something really cutting edge in the doll market. The core Baby born range has always been complemented by a wide range of traditional doll-play accessories including changing bags, cribs, pushchairs, bottles and nappies, but from the beginning kids could also get their dolls any number of more imaginative accessories too; we’re talking scooters and bikes, horses and dragons, camping and fishing gear. This is unique to the Baby born brand. Each toy isn’t just a doll, it’s a friend with whom kids can go on adventures. Over the years, we’ve studied very closely the evolving needs of consumers to make sure we’ve moved with the times. Baby born’s wardrobe is also growing all the time, with outfits for any occasion, no matter the season. Kids love to emulate what’s going on around them, so providing a comprehensive assortment of on-trend outfits remains vital to the ongoing success of the range.”

Zapf has major plans to celebrate Baby born’s big year. The pandemic has meant organising retail activations has been tricky, and when I spoke to Kasia some plans were still being firmed up with the likes of Smyths, The Entertainer and several Toymaster members. However, the exciting new doll range is very much ready for launch. The three new Baby born Magic dolls let kids twist the dolls’ dummy to open or close its eyes, giving them complete control of deciding whether their Baby born is awake or asleep. The new feature means the best-selling dolls, available as boys and girls with a variety of outfit colours to choose from, now boast 10 lifelike functions including crying real tears, eating, drinking and needing nappy changes. A special Happy Birthday range will also be released this anniversary year, with three lines in spring/summer followed by new additions for autumn/winter. The Baby born Deluxe Happy Birthday Set comes with everything kids need to throw a birthday party for their dolls, from a party dress and pair of gold sandals to a purple and gold birthday crown. Even a birthday cake is included. Completing the range is the Baby born Deluxe Happy Birthday Outfit, a pretty dress decorated with purple sequins, while the new Baby born Happy Birthday Changing Bag is star-spangled in bright gold, with contrasting pink straps and handles, in keeping with the celebratory theme. TV advertising campaigns and digital marketing will highlight Baby born’s heritage in the marketplace as well as the extensive options for clothing and accessories, in order to drive footfall at retail and demand for product. To complement the advertising activity, competitions will encourage consumers to cast back on the previous 30 years of Baby born, and why they love the brand so much.

In addition to the Magic and Happy Birthday launches, Baby born will also welcome four new fashion-led dolls for autumn/winter, each of which can eat and drink but also stand on their own and have bendable knees for easier dressing. The core 43cm Baby Annabell and Baby Alexander are joined by new sibling Baby Leah, while Zapf’s range of smaller, lighter dolls for younger kids aged 1+, Baby Annabell Little, is also expanding. This range saw strong growth in 2020, giving it momentum to launch a new functional doll in one of the most popular doll themes. The 36cm Baby Annabell Little Sweet Princess, which comes dressed in a glittering princess gown and gold shoes, blushes when she is kissed and makes a range of cute sounds including sleeping noises when she is laid down. And as any princess needs a noble steed, Zapf is also launching the Baby Annabell Little Sweet Pony, which makes trotting and neighing sounds and wears a pink bridle and tiara. A major marketing campaign will support these new launches.

“One of the big differences between Baby Annabell and Baby born is that Annabell is softbodied, and her functions require batteries, whereas Baby born is battery-free and can therefore be bathed and played with in water,” adds Kasia. “Our research has shown us how important the bath play pattern is to our consumers – it’s a vital part of looking after a real baby, after all – so this year we’re also unveiling Annabell with a pretend-bathing feature, which we’re sure kids are going to absolutely love.”

Following the success of Baby born Surprise, Zapf is also introducing a new range, Mini Babies, to the Collectibles aisle this autumn. Children can unwrap their toy to reveal either twins or rare triplets and find out which new characters will be joining their Baby born Surprise family. The new line will be enhanced with a surprise play set that transforms from a moving bus into an impressive playground complete with swings, a seesaw and more, due to launch later in the year.

As reported back in January, Zapf kicked off 2021 by revealing new plastic-free packaging across core product ranges and new lines, announcing a pledge to be plastic-free across all its ranges by 2022 at the same time. A company that cares deeply about both children and the planet, Zapf’s decision to move away from the use of plastics in its packaging coincided with a notable upswing in demand for more sustainable toy and packaging options from consumers. As the leading brand in the Nurturing Dolls category, Zapf felt strongly that it had to lead the way by being first to market with its innovative packaging overhaul.

“As well as wanting to remain a sustainable and environmentally friendly company, when we set about redesigning our packaging there was also a strong focus on giving kids an exciting and frustration-free unboxing experience,” explains Kasia. “Any parent or gift-giver will know what it’s like to be asked to unpack a delighted child’s new doll, only to be faced with multiple plastic cable ties and other things that need to be snipped away with scissors. Our new boxes are nothing like that; kids can open the beautiful box to reveal their gorgeous doll, with all its accessories wrapped in soft tissue paper. The new boxes mean retailers can offer a heritage doll range with huge on-shelf presence and a really positive sustainability message to share.”

Retailers stocking 2021’s new Zapf dolls will be provided with marketing assets to drive sales, both online and in-store. A new Baby Annabell Little Sweet Princess POS display is available to support this major new launch, while heavyweight campaigns will run across TV, digital and social media, alongside retail competitions and ongoing fan engagement to raise awareness of Baby born’s 30th anniversary.”

Kasia finishes: “We are very excited on behalf of our retail partners that their stores are starting to reopen, and that consumers now have the opportunity to return to the unbeatable physical shopping experience in search of the latest Baby born and Baby Annabell dolls.”