Toyworld sept 2016 by TOYWORLD MAGAZINE

September 2016 volume 6 issue 1

The business magazine with a passion for toys

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The Team...

CONTENTS September 2016 volume 6 issue 1

John Baulch

Publisher and Managing Editor john@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 408 07932 651 207

28 Trolls

44 Games and Puzzles

Mark Austin

Advertisement Manager mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Graeme Thomas

Production Manager graeme@toyworldmag.co.uk 07792 889 919

News

Opinion

Features

05 From the Publisher

35 Talking Shop

22 PokĂŠmon

06 News

42 NPD column

28 Trolls

14 Industry Moves

82 Viewpoint

38 Toy Retailer of the Year Awards

16 Marketing World

114 Allegedly

40 Brand Profile: Magformers

20 Licensing World

44 Games and Puzzles 70 Playground Crazes 86 Pre-Christmas TV Advertising 102 Toy Trust Update

Anita Baulch

Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

104 Radio Control

Clarabel Jones

Assistant Editor clarabel@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

70 Playground Crazes

86 Pre-Christmas TV Advertising

Jonika Kinchin

Assistant Editor jonika@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

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Featuring: Lego, Character Options, Orchard Toys, Flair Leisure, Vtech, Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nex, Jumbo Games, John Adams, Trends, Vivid, & many more...

W from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

elcome to the fifth birthday issue of Toy World. Without wishing to lapse into the level of cliché typically associated with your average Premiership footballer, time really has flown. But it has been a fascinating and hugely enjoyable five years, and launching the magazine was unquestionably the best business decision I ever made. Thanks to all of our readers – both in print and online - for validating my belief that creating interesting, original, engaging content is still the most important factor in the success of a magazine. Thanks also to our advertisers for their fantastic support. We may be firmly entrenched as the UK’s number one toy magazine, but I can promise you that we’re certainly not resting on our laurels: we have several great new developments to share with you over the coming months which will only reinforce our position as the undisputed market leader as we move into 2017. For now, the September edition is jam-packed with all the latest news and opinions from around the trade, including features on two of this year’s hottest licences, Trolls and Pokemon. I’m looking forward immensely to the release of the Trolls movie, having been mightily impressed with the footage I saw at the Licensing Expo a few months back. Meanwhile, Pokemon currently appears to be taking over the world…literally! The launch of the Pokemon Go app has led to scenes reminiscent of the brand’s initial heyday, way back when my daughters were young and huge fans of the property (as indeed I was - I even recently found my original plush Psyduck, who was always my favourite character). Find out how toy retailers are making the most of the craze on page 22. In addition, this month’s issue includes features on both the radio control category and the pocket money collectibles sector, a look at toy companies’ pre-Christmas TV advertising plans and the largest and most comprehensive games and puzzles feature you’ll find anywhere this autumn. Elsewhere around the trade, having attended a number of spring summer previews over recent weeks, it is no surprise that talk turns almost immediately to the ramifications of Brexit, with people keen to understand how other toy companies are approaching it. The primary focus for just about everyone in the short term is on coping with the significant currency swing, which has seen the pound weaken by nearly 15% against the dollar since the EU referendum. The truth is

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that there is no magic wand, nor – as far as I can tell - a ‘one size fits all’ solution. I suspect most companies will be engaged in a comprehensive review of their portfolios, taking it item by item. Can some widget be removed from a product or the packaging to take out some cost? Will a supplier or factory be able to help out with the pricing? Can an individual item take a price rise and, if so, how much? In the end, whatever decision is reached, it has to work for the supplier, retailer and consumer – not an easy balancing trick. Some key price points will almost certainly remain sacrosanct (£4.99, £9.99), but perhaps will we see the emergence of new intermediary price points (£21.99, 23.99) to help make the sums add up? A big challenge, but one where just about everyone is in the same boat; after all, most retailers will be aware from their FOB and own brand programmes of the challenges that suppliers are facing. Thankfully, consumer confidence shows no tangible sign of being dented in the short term. A survey by the British Retail Consortium released last month suggests that consumer spending has not declined in the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum result. According to the results - which mirror the conclusions of other recent surveys by Visa and Barclaycard - shoppers appear to be taking a “life goes on” approach for now. Of course, the true test of consumer confidence is undoubtedly going to be felt in the run-up to Christmas, but despite my deep misgivings about the whole Brexit situation, I do think it’s important to keep things in perspective. I can’t envisage too many parents telling their children on Christmas morning that they haven’t got any toys for Christmas because of Brexit. Neither will retailers stop buying toys, because if they do, they won’t be retailers any more (no wise cracks please…). Of course there are significant challenges to be faced, especially next year when the true effect of factory price increases can no longer be mitigated by forward-bought currency, or by suppliers swallowing increased costs in an attempt to maintain retail relationships and sales volumes. Thankfully I’m seeing relatively few signs of panic thus far, and far more evidence of a considered approach to the situation on all sides, which I hope will continue. We’ll be back next month with a huge licensing special, incorporating an in-depth preview of BLE and a round-up of the hottest new licensed merchandise launching over the coming months. If you are a licensor or a licensee in the kid’s space, it’s a great issue to be part of. If you’re a retailer of any size that stocks character merchandise, you definitely won’t find a more comprehensive guide to the very latest from the licensing world – or at least the part of it which affects the toy market.

News Toy Store in discussion with UK malls

Speaking exclusively to Toy World, Toy Store CFO Mark Handley maintains that the retailer intends to retain a presence in the UK market. He has confirmed that the retailer is currently in negotiation with two as yet unspecified UK-based shopping malls, with a view to opening stores in both locations. According to Mark, one outlet is scheduled to open in 2017, while the second is being targeted for 2018. When asked how buying would be handled for the potential new stores, given the fact that the previous UK buying team has now been dismantled, Mark commented: “Due to the length of time between sites, it did not make business sense to maintain a head office function in the UK. Once the new sites come on board we will build the team up again. In the meantime, one member of the current UK buying team is currently being relocated to Dubai.” We also asked about rumours which have been circulating in recent weeks concerning a possible takeover of the Toy Store’s parent company RM Retail, to which Mark replied: “There is no comment I can make at this stage. The business in the Middle East attracts a lot of attention and has received numerous approaches over the years. I will be happy to update you if anything materialises.”

Wooky Entertainment enters Chapter 11

On 11th July, notice was given to all members of Wooky staff that the company was to enter into administration. The UK office closed on Friday 20th July. Dave Williams of Wooky Europe commented: “Wooky is entering a period of reorganisation, with the primary aim of saving committed orders from customers for 2016 and delivering ordered product as near as normal. Currently, Sam, Oliver and myself remain engaged with the company working from home offices to ensure this happens. If customers wish to contact me for updates then please do so on my mobile phone 07831 682 258, or send me your Skype address details and I will make contact.” Dave’s email connection remains the same. The company reiterates that every effort is being made to deliver 2016 current orders.

Tomy reveals new brand plan for Lamaze

To further Lamaze’s presence as the first choice for new parents, the company will launch a new identity for the brand next month. The new look will support Lamaze’s vision and will appeal to consumers through new packaging and positioning. Tomy has launched an integrated 360 degree marketing plan designed to reach consumers through a celebrity ambassadorship with Coleen Rooney, parenting media partnership, large scale digital and social media, and in-store activation. Tomy has also carried out extensive research to capitalise on the success of its existing range by expanding hero characters such as Freddie the Firefly with a new collection including a rattle, 3-in-1 gym and a high chair toy. Lamaze will also continue its ambassadorship with Coleen Rooney, whose ambassadorship includes social media partnership and product placement as well as a national promotion offering mums the chance to win a Baby Shower with Lamaze. Emma Fryer, head of UK marketing, said: “We wanted to create a campaign that supports parents making important decisions at key milestones of their baby’s life. We have carried out extensive research to look into the behaviour of parents and wanted to provide insights through trusted environments. Platforms such as Facebook and BabyCentre allow us to support new parents as well as communicate our new brand story around sparking little triumphs for babies and parents.”

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Trod admits to breaking competition law

Trod Limited has agreed to accept a fine after admitting using automated repricing software to implement an illegal cartel. The online seller admitted to agreeing with its competing online seller, GB Eye (GB Posters), that they would not undercut each other’s prices for posters and frames sold on Amazon. The agreement was implemented by using automated repricing software, which the parties each configured to give effect to the illegal cartel. The cartel applied to posters and frames sold by both parties on Amazon Marketplace via Amazon’s UK website from 24th March 2011, at the latest, to 1st July 2015, at the earliest. Following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Trod has accepted a fine of £163,371 for taking part in the cartel. This is after deducting 20% to reflect the resource savings to the CMA as a result of Trod’s admission and co-operation with the investigation. Provided it continues to co-operate, GB Eye will not receive a fine, having reported the cartel to the CMA and co-operated with the investigation, in accordance with the CMA’s leniency policy. Stephen Blake, senior director and head of the CMA’s Cartels and Criminal Group, said: “Online pricing tools, such as automated repricing software, can help sellers compete better, for the benefit of consumers. In this case, however, the parties used repricing software to implement an illegal agreement to deny consumers these benefits. Sellers on online platforms need to be aware that agreeing with each other to limit price competition in this way is illegal and can have serious consequences for the companies and individuals involved. The CMA is committed to tackling such anticompetitive behaviour, which jeopardises online markets and consumer trust in e-commerce.”

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Spin Master acquires Swimways Corp

Spin Master says it will pay around $85m up front for the company, and up to an additional $8.5m over four years based on sales growth at Swimways, which would operate as a stand-alone subsidiary. The company said the transaction was financed through its existing credit facility. Swimways, headquartered in Virginia Beach, has a manufacturing and distribution facility in North Carolina, an office in China and a total of 149 employees. It makes a variety of pool toys including squirt guns, flotation devices and pool decor. Ben Gadbois, president and COO of Spin Master, commented: “Spin Master is committed to growth through diversification and innovation, expanding our global presence and making strategic acquisitions. With the Swimways acquisition, we can do all of these. We are well-equipped to significantly grow Swimways’ brands both domestically and internationally through our strong retail relationships and global sales network, while leveraging our internal innovation expertise and our network of inventors around the world to develop new products.” The announcement marks Spin Master’s fifth acquisition since its Initial Public Offering in July 2015.

Bananagrams signs North American distribution deal with Big Potato

Big Potato’s Obama Llama, Mr. Lister’s Quiz Shootout, Bucket of Doom and Scrawl party games are available exclusively at Target and Target.com in the US. The news comes less than a year since Bananagrams began distributing Big Potato’s Linkee throughout the US and Canada, and represents Big Potato’s next major step in taking its games to a wider global audience. Bananagrams’ UK-based CEO, Rena Nathanson, added: “We’re thrilled to further cultivate our relationship with Big Potato. 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of Bananagrams, the game that started it all for us, and we’re continuously evolving and looking for ways to grow our portfolio both internally and with creative partners that share our vision. Fun and fresh, Obama Llama, Mr. Lister’s Quiz Shootout, Bucket of Doom and Scrawl are the perfect complement to our world-renowned word and tile game portfolio, as well as our first venture into the world of party games.”

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Hawkin’s Bazaar announces expansion plans

GP Flair to distribute Rev Racerz in 2017

The company will exclusively distribute Colorific’s Rev Racerz brand, with the first toys launching in the New Year. Rev Racerz opens up the world of micro motorbike racing for kids, as they choose their bikes before reaching scale speeds of 450 kmph with the pushpower motor. Fans can rev by hand or use the Launcher for extra-easy release. Racing, jumping and stunts are all possible, while the motorbikes themselves are highly collectible. The initial launch series will include a variety of bike designs and launcher packs, plus ready to go playsets such as the Launch ‘n’ Loop and Dash ‘n’ Smash Tracks. Nic Aldridge, marketing director at GP Flair, said: “We are delighted to be enhancing our 2017 portfolio with Rev Racerz. We are already previewing the brand to retailers for the coming spring listings, and the response has been extremely positive. Having already achieved great success in Australia, we are looking forward to unleashing the excitement that goes with it to kids in the UK too.”

BrickStix sells out in a week

The first BrickStix shipment into the UK sold out in less than a week. After being a hit at retail in the US, Little Concepts has now brought the product over to the UK. Luke de la Mare, co-founder at Little Concepts, commented: “After previewing the product at Toy Fair, we knew we had a strong product. So many retailers are looking for that complementary add-on sale for Lego and Megabloks. The product is simple in its design with some really strong themes, and the pick-up price point ensures quick turnaround on the shop floor. Our last shipment landed in the UK in late August in time for the back to school season.” Little Concepts will be showcasing BrickStix and the retail display options, including full FSDUs and CDUs, at Autumn Fair on stand 5A65.

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The retailer plans to expand across 50 stores in five years. The chain was among a list of high street retailers that fell into administration in 2011, but the company was later bought by management with private equity backing. It has now made a turnaround by no longer depending on the Christmas peak, and has introduced classic brands such as TY Beanies, Hornby and Star Wars toys. Last year, the company’s turnover was at £14.1m. David Mordecai, head of Hawkin’s Bazaar, commented: “The opportunity is potentially much greater, but we don’t want to open 20 stores in year as that would make it quite unstable”. The company will begin the expansion with 10-12 Christmas pop-up shops, with some potentially becoming permanent.

Rainbow Colours signs deal with QVC

Finalised in July, Rainbow Colours has secured an export contract to the US with the global TV retail giant. The company, which produces colour-coded educational musical instruments, also has a deal lined up with Modern Brands to distribute its products in the Australian market. On top of this, it is set to complete its first order for piano mats for Aldi in Spain. Toy World spoke to Chris Poole, Rainbow Colours’ managing director, to find out more about the company’s increasing overseas presence: “Our deal with QVC resulted in 3,000 units sold in seven minutes, which was amazing, and we have a reorder of 10,000 units for November,” Chris explained. “As for our deal with Modern Brands, one of Australia’s biggest retail distributors, we’re still engaging in talks, but the deal is looking like it will go ahead. “We’ve seen a significant boost in overseas business after securing new orders at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in January,” he continued. “Most of our clients are actually in the US, Switzerland and Belgium. We also have new products launching in November, including a kalimba and a recorder, which we have also secured overseas orders for.” On top of this, the company is also in the process of becoming a Toymaster approved supplier. Products are set to appear in the buying group’s next catalogue, and the company is looking to exhibit at the Toymaster show in Harrogate next May.

The Puppet Company unveils new developments

The Puppet Company has recently launched its newest Sea World collection, as well as the new Hatching Dragon eggs. The company has also unveiled its Dressed Animal collection, in time for the festive season. To support the developments, The Puppet Company has appointed bumpPR to handle all its media relations. The team at bumpPR will be in charge of increasing brand awareness and securing exposure in front of the brand’s key audiences, as well as setting up exciting projects with some of the UK’s leading parenting bloggers. Managing director Peter Lockey commented: “This is such an exciting time to be a part of The Puppet Company. We can’t believe how far the business has come since we started, and we have no doubt that bumpPR will excel in communicating our love of puppetry to our consumers and retailers alike. We’re very excited about what’s ahead.”

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Toymaster announces new members

Kapow, Strickland & Holt, Natural World and Toy & Gift Emporium have all joined the buying group. Strickland & Holt’s address is: 44 High Street, Yarm, North Yorkshire, TS15 9AE. The store’s point of contact, Paddy Morton, can be contacted on 01642 790 011 or by email at enquiries@stricklandandholt.co.uk. Natural World has two stores, one at Unit 207C, The Retail Village, Trentham Gardens, Stone Road, Trentham, Staffordshire, ST4 8AX, and another inside Dobbies Garden World, Nuneaton Road, Mancetter, Warwickshire, CV9 1RF. The store’s point of contact, Jon Richards, can be contacted on 01270 842 340 or by email at jondrichards@ aol.com. The other new member, Toy & Gift Emporium, is located at Dagfields Crafts & Antiques, Crewe Road, Walgherton, Cheshire, CW5 7LG. In other news, Toymaster has announced that More Value has changed ownership. The store is now called J & J Wilson Toymaster, but can be found at the same address

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500 gamers attend Esdevium’s Fantasy Flight Games National Championships

The weekend of 13th and 14th August saw Esdevium Games host the event for a number of titles across its range. The three-day event took place at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre and saw over 500 enthusiasts gather to test their skills against some of the most formidable players in the country. Each player was competing to be named the UK champion of their favoured game, and to win a spot at the World Championships in Roseville, Minnesota this November. With highly sought after prize support and a friendly, inclusive atmosphere, Esdevium’s demonstrations and organised play manager, Mike Budd, was humbled by the response from the FFG player community. “The reaction we’ve had from the FFG community has been amazing,” he said. “To work on an event of this scale and to receive such a positive response from the player base has been immensely rewarding. It was the first time we have organised the Nationals, but the feedback we have received has been really encouraging and will help us make any future events even better.”

VTech and LeapFrog merger could face in-depth investigation Today is a very good day

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VTech could face an investigation over competition concerns arising from its completed merger with LeapFrog. The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) initial investigation found that the companies compete closely in supplying these products to retailers, and there are few other competitors. The CMA also found that, in the absence of the merger, both companies would have been close competitors in the supply of child electronic reading systems. At present, LeapFrog is the only one of the two companies supplying these systems. The CMA therefore believes that the merger could lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the market for these products, which could lead to increased prices and a reduction in quality or choice for consumers. VTech had until 25th August to offer proposals to resolve the CMA’s competition concerns. If VTech does not offer such undertakings, or if the CMA does not accept the undertakings offered, the CMA will refer the merger for an in-depth phase two investigation. Kate Collyer, deputy chief economic adviser and decision maker in this case, said: “VTech and LeapFrog are two of the largest and best known brands supplying electronic toys and learning products for children. Retailers see them as close rivals and rely on competition between the companies to keep prices down. We’re concerned that the merger could lead to prices rising, the quality of products going downhill or the range on offer being reduced. Given this, the merger warrants an in-depth investigation - unless VTech is able to offer suitable undertakings to address our concerns.”

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Cartoonito and Simba Smoby partner with Toys R Us

The deal sees Toys R US sponsor Masha and the Bear everyday on Cartoonito until the 16th September. To coincide with Cartoonito’s special weekend marathon of Masha and the Bear, which kicked off on Saturday 20th August at 8am, a series of 10 second on-air Toys R Us sponsored idents, created by Turner’s in-house creative team, aired across Cartoonito. Generation Media worked closely with Turner’s UK sales team to cement Toys R Us’ sponsorship deal with Cartoonito. To further promote Masha and the Bear, Cartoonito will also be running an online competition with Toys R Us to give away Masha and the Bear themed-prizes. Kids can enter via the Cartoonito website for a chance to win cuddly grizzly bear toys and the opportunity to take home the big prize giveaway, which includes Masha and the Bear playsets and cuddly toys. Andrew Mallandaine, UK sales director, Turner Broadcasting, commented: “We’re excited to be working with Toys R Us to promote Cartoonito’s popular pre-school series, Masha and the Bear. Cartoonito will feature sponsored Toys R Us content across our onair and digital platforms to help further raise awareness for the series and encourage kids to enter our Masha and the Bear competition for a chance to win some brilliant prizes.” Jim Proctor-Blaine, head of marketing & licensing for Simba Smoby, commented: “I’m very happy to have worked with Turner and Toys R Us on this campaign – Masha and the Bear is a fantastic show, and hopefully more children will see it and enjoy it as a result of this activity. It’s also great to have the support of a retailer like Toys R Us on stocking our range of Masha and the Bear toys.”

Comcast seals DreamWorks deal for $3.8 billion

The animation studio is now part of NBCUniversal Filmed Entertainment Group. In a memo to DreamWorks Animation staff thanking them for 22 years of happiness, outgoing CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg bade farewell to the company he founded. Investors will receive $41 for each share of common stock. Outgoing CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg will now become chairman of DreamWorks New Media, which includes properties such as AwesomenessTV. He will also become a consultant to Universal parent company Comcast.

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Industry Moves Yvolution appoints new group financial controller

Darren Smith has been appointed as the company’s group financial controller and head of finance. With over a decade of experience, he will manage financial information for the brand and its subsidiaries, as well as implement strong internal controls. He will be based in Yvolution’s headquarters in Ireland and will report directly to the CEO. Tasked with financial modelling and analysis, as well as advising management on short and long term financial objectives, Darren will also manage Yvolution’s finance department staff and external financial relationships. “Darren has a proven track record of success, and will be an incredible asset to Yvolution’s management team as the brand continues to expand rapidly,” said Thomas O’Connell, global CEO at Yvolution. “This is a strategic hire to further strengthen the organisation’s financial position as we break into new markets and launch innovative products in a variety of categories.”

Barry Hughes promoted to managing director of Golden Bear

Barry, who joined the company in June 2011, has held the positions of commercial director, and more recently general manager, at the company prior to this appointment. “Barry is a well-respected member of the Golden Bear team,” said John Hales, chairman of Golden Bear. “His promotion to managing director is in recognition of the hard work and commitment he has shown to the company over the last five years. We congratulate Barry on his promotion, and look forward to continuing working alongside him in his new role in what is set to be a busy year for the company.” “I have enjoyed my five years with the company so far, and am honoured to have been appointed as managing director of Golden Bear,” added Barry. “The company has made great strides over this period thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the fantastic employees, and I look forward to helping the company to capitalise on a number of great opportunities to deliver further successes over the forthcoming years.”

Thomas Randrup leaves Revell

Funrise appoints new sales manager

Liz Bailey has joined the team as UK sales manager where, following several years away from the toy trade, she reunites with director, David Martin. Liz started her career in toys at Lego before moving to Playmobil, and then to Crayola, where she worked with David for five years. He commented: “I’m delighted to be working with Liz again. She has a tremendous record of success and will be a major asset to the team as we grow the business. Liz will take responsibility for a number of major accounts, selling the market-leading Gazillion Bubbles brand and the new Tonka Vehicle lines which relaunch for autumn/winter 2016.”

After 16 years with Revell GmbH, the UK and Ireland country manager has left the company to pursue a new opportunity. During his time at Revell, Thomas was part of the successful management buyout subsequently selling up to Hobbico. Thomas’ last operational day was on 4th August. As a result, Jamie Mabbs has been promoted to head of sales for the UK and Ireland.

Darran Garnham heads up MTW Toys

Darran Garnham, former chief commercial officer of Mind Candy and VP EMEA of international consumer products at Universal Pictures, has taken on a new role as CEO EMEA at MTW Toys. The company will initially act as distributor of Thinkway Toys across Europe. MTW Toys has teams in key European markets, and Darran has confirmed to Toy World that he is currently building a team to look after the UK market. The head of the UK team, expected to come from the retail community, will be announced shortly, while other key roles are in the process of being filled. The company is gearing up for a big year in 2017, when Thinkway will be introducing new products based on the new Despicable Me 3 movie. Looking further ahead, Thinkway has high hopes for the Toy Story 4 film in 2018, for which it will be a major licensing partner. Darran can be contacted on darran_garnham@mtwtoys.com.

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Halilit expands sales team

Halilit has appointed Emma Davies as its new sales administrator. Emma joins the company during a period of significant growth, and is looking forward to working with customers both old and new. She can be contacted by email at emma@halilit.co.uk or on 0 1254 872 454.

Marketing World Yvolution’s boost to winter marketing support

Yvolution, the Dublin based scooter company has new additions across the boarding and scooter arena adding to the renowned Fliker series. To ensure consumer awareness, both new brands and existing favourites will all be part of an extensive winter marketing schedule. The Y Fliker LIFT and Y Fliker Air continue to be favourites and with them riders can carve, drift, 360 and perform wheelies. Thanks to the scooter’s revolutionary lift technology, all kids need to do is pick up speed, then simply lean back and lift to pop wheelies forward and sideways. Ensuring kids are in the know about these brands, kids press, blogging and YouTube reviews will all be part of the marketing plan. Yvolution consumers will see the introduction of the new Flyer that brings with it a stepper movement to scooter action. Mastering the art of stepping while scooting will provide motorized pedal power and a forward projection. The Fold and Go system is easy for transporting from one place to another while a hand controlled brake adds to the safety features. The new Neon range has scooters, skateboards and street rollers with kinetic lights that activate as the rider moves along and will be launched with an autumn campaign of kids press and media outreach. Yvolution’s new range of strollers is also to hit the market and will introduce Strolly, the ideal first wheels for tots. With a choice of Strolly Spin and Strolly Compact these are an ideal combination of stroller trike and will be launched with a huge parenting outreach and social media project. Finally and also for the little ones is the successful Y Velo collection. The Y Velo Junior Balance Bike and Y Velo Single Wheel Balance Bikes teach toddlers how to steer and balance whilst building confidence, while the Y Velo Twista transforms and grows as the child’s does. The range is also a favourite with inline mummy influencers and outreach will continue together with parental press coverage.

WBCP UK unveils DC Super Hero Girls programme

A series of promotions and high profile listings will support the UK roll-out of the new DC Super Hero universe for girls. UK retail partners are coming out in force to support the first wave of consumer products. Partnerships with toy stores, grocers, online retailers and more will support the official merchandising programme that covers more than 30 categories. Anchored by master toy partner Mattel, global licensees include Random House Children’s Books as master publishing partner and The Lego Group as the exclusive construction partner.

Hot Wheels set to hit the road this October halfterm

Hot Wheels will embark on the next phase of its high-impact brand campaign with the launch of the Hot Wheels Make It Epic Tour. The brand will be hitting the road and visiting key retailers at 10 different locations across the UK to create interactive racing experiences for children. The hands-on experience will encourage creativity, perseverance and competition where children will be able to build tracks and get behind the wheel. Hot Wheels fans can also take inspiration from the action-packed Hot Wheels YouTube channel, where they can go behind the scenes for exclusive content, see World Record breaking stunts and learn how to perform stunts with Hot Wheels toys. The product range to support the tour includes the TV advertised Ultimate Garage Playset, featuring multiple action zones and parking spots for 36 cars. In addition, the Track Builder range features the Power Booster and Stunt Kits for endless track building possibilities. Wendy Hill, director of brand activation at Mattel UK, commented: “We are really excited about the tour and bringing an immersive experience to boys. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect children directly with the brand, while encouraging them to challenge themselves.”

DKL teams up with cinema chain

To celebrate the release of Disney’s Finding Dory, DKL teamed up with the Savoy Cinema to promote the Finding Dory Scentco Scented Stationery licence. The DKL and Savoy teams worked together on social media, in-store displays, giveaways for visitors and competitions. Emma Damerell, marketing executive at DKL, commented: “We’re constantly looking for new ways to promote our fantastic brands. Teaming up with a cinema chain seemed like a logical step to promote our Disney licence.”

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Marketing World

Living in a digital world Martin Doyle looks into the meteoric rise of the Pokémon Go app and considers its potential longevity

igital online properties regularly cross into the mainstream and gain varying levels of fame - or infamy. From Moshi Monsters to Habbo Hotel, many have had their 15 minutes in the past decade. But since my last column, one property has gained an unprecedented level of coverage. This app allowed Justin Bieber to walk unnoticed through a crowded Central Park, and was blamed by two men who inadvertently walked off the edge of the same cliff. I’m sure you don’t need me to give you any more clues: Pokémon Go has been nothing short of astounding. The app hit the top spot in app charts in 88 different countries and has spawned a thousand news stories. Yet I find it incredible that I can be writing about something that was released on 14th July and feel so late to the party. I have to admit that I was initially cynical about the app’s longevity. Digital properties can often fall into the realm of lies, damned lies and statistics. Without accusing anybody of perpetrating the first two, there sometimes seems to be a conspicuous lack of the latter. So this deeper dive into the numbers behind Pokémon Go is born of my own natural curiosity as much as anything. Undoubtedly Pokémon Go is a phenomenon and almost certainly the biggest mobile game of all time. Officially released in the UK on 14th July, it shot to the top spot of the app charts and there have been over six million downloads, and over 100 million worldwide. But what goes up must inevitably come down. On August 7th Pokémon Go fell from the number one spot that it had occupied for over three weeks. Since then it has moved up and down; at the time of writing it remains the third most downloaded app in the UK. Looking beyond the downloads, regular play is down from peak by 10m users in the US. Whilst 10m is undoubtedly a huge number, it only equates to around 22% of the total users: for comparison, Localytics data tells us that 23% of all apps are only ever opened once. At the other end of the scale, 38%

of all downloaded apps are played more than 10 times. Given the play pattern of Pokémon Go, we can suggest that after five weeks the app is falling into this category, and with a 78% retention rate it’s clear that it is outperforming the market in that respect. In the UK it’s an even stronger picture, with a retention rate of 87%. Pokémon Go players are abnormally loyal. Yet, in the face of this data, I remain cynical. I would like to revisit retention data at Christmas because I believe that for the vast majority of users, Pokémon Go will lose relevancy, partly due to gameplay but also due to the novelty factor being so phenomenally strong. What has replaced Pokémon in the UK top app charts? 8-bit style game Ketchapp Summer Sports, signifying the biggest problem with novelty; there will always be the next novelty. There was much wild reporting of Nintendo’s share price, but as I write it has actually fallen to lower than it was in early September last year. This reminds me of another app launched in an Olympic year: 2012’s Draw Something, which launched on February 6th, was bought on 21st March by Zynga for $180m, and was practically dead by the end of May. Pokémon’s figures have been even more stratospheric: Draw Something peaked at 15m users; in late July Pokémon had over seven times that amount. Yet regardless of Pokémon Go’s fate, Nintendo will still be here when the Summer Games are held in their homeland in 2020 – just ask Super Mario impersonator (and occasional PM) Shinzo Abe. Popular mobile apps are also a further threat to traditional TV viewing, with kids’ attention diverted away from TV shows and advertising campaigns by second screen properties such as this. That said, when CITV aired Pokemon: Girantina and the Sky Warrior, over 75,000 kids tuned in, a feat emulated by another Pokémon movie on CITV Breakfast. For context, these shows exceeded every other broadcast on every other kids channel in July, bar a handful of Milkshake shows. Two

Martin Doyle - Head of digital Tel: 0207 307 7098. martin.doyle@generationmedia.co.uk things are clear here: that linear TV is still a strong platform for reaching kids, and that Digital Online properties can be a great driver to it. The challenge for toy companies is monetising this and building on the franchise before it collapses. Even Hasbro was unable to release the physical Draw Something game before October 2012. Whether Pokémon has a full renaissance in time for Christmas will be dependent on a number of factors but it will be interesting to see who enters the race. If nothing else, Pokémon Go demonstrates the potential of augmented reality – people bought into it both metaphorically and literally: YouGov tells us that 250,000 UK adults have spent more than £15 on in-app purchases – equating to £7m in total. With that level of buried treasure available, we can expect app developers to keep prospecting for the next Pokémon Go, and people to keep walking off cliffs to catch ‘em all.

The Creativity Hub unveils first major consumer campaign

The Creativity Hub, creator of Rory’s Story Cubes, is launching a new summer ad campaign with Cartoon Network. The Totally Random campaign will capture the creativity of StoryCubes, and will introduce the wonders of storytelling to over two million children across the UK and Ireland. With the launch of the new StoryWorlds sets this month, fans will be able to own sets for Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes and Doctor Who. These new releases will increase the collection to five sets, including Batman and Moomin, released previously in 2015. Through a multi-tiered campaign, leveraging TV commercials, online media and traditional print advertising, this heavyweight initiative will put StoryCubes at the forefront of audiences and in the hearts of children across the nation. The TV campaign will be supported by advertising within the Cartoon Network portfolio, including Cartoon Network Magazine, Scooby Doo, Doctor Who Adventures, Spiderman and Marvel Avengers. Candida Corscadden, head of sales and marketing at The Creativity Hub, commented: “We’re excited about launching this new partnership with Cartoon Network, and cannot wait until our ads and initiatives are seen on Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels during prime time slots. We want the world to get together and create stories, and the launch of our new StoryWorlds collection will appeal to audiences outside the traditional fan base.”

Toy World 18

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T THA ON I T C G A RD PIN RWA P E T O ES UF IQU YO UN PELS PRO ME RA EL F E T S VEL E TRA K K IC BRA QU ND OR F HA Y EASAGE DS R FOLD STO AN

Licensing World HTi signs deal with MGA for Num Noms

MGA Entertainment is extending the reach of the novelty scented collectibles range into other product categories. HTi will now manufacture and distribute Num Noms wheeled toys in the UK and Ireland. The range will comprise a skateboard, a selection of scooters, helmet and protection gear, which is in development for launch in spring/summer 2017. Leonie Buckley, HTi’s girls’ product manager, commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to have forged this new relationship with MGA Entertainment, and to be awarded the rights to create an impactful wheeled toys range which will appeal to fans of this successful new collectible phenomenon. As a leading wheeled toy supplier, and with the brand in full swing with fantastic TV support, we’re positive we have a winning combination to scoop up sales this coming spring/summer.”

Gibsons signs deal with The Great British Bake Off

Simba Smoby named master toy partner for Wissper

Wissper is a pre-school CGI-animated series which has seen two million views since October 2015. The programme has had a successful launch in 2016, and as a result will benefit from improved prime time broadcast slots. The show debuted on Milkshake in the 06:40 time-slot, and quickly became the number one show for kids aged four to nine at that time across all channels, with over two million viewers tuning in since October. Subsequently, Wissper has now moved to the peak time of 08:05 on Milkshake, and has also benefitted from additional new runs on Nick Jr Too at 7:45 on weekdays. The master toy licence for Europe is held by Simba Dickie Group, which has developed a full range of dolls, figures, plush and playsets. The range will launch in spring/summer 2017 in selected retailers, and will be supported by a heavyweight marketing campaign. Richard Belford, sales director for Simba Smoby UK, said: “We’re delighted that Wissper has been so well received by UK kids, and we’re thrilled with the new prime time broadcast slots. Spring/summer 2017 is an exciting time for Wissper, and working closely with our retail partners and Nickelodeon, there will be some great activities planned for launch.”

Gibsons has signed a deal with Love Productions to launch a series of jigsaw puzzles based on the award-winning show. The company will be releasing 500 and 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles portraying a montage of classic images from the show, including showstoppers from series one to seven. Also launching next year, as part of its Iconic Brands Collection, is a puzzle presented in an attractive cake tin. Geoff Lee, director of business development at Gibsons, commented: “This quintessentially British show is the perfect match for Gibsons, and we’re extremely excited to see The Great British Bake Off Jigsaw puzzles on our retailer’s shelves.”

Jumbo Games signs Bob the Builder Jumbo Games has partnered up with Mattel to produce a range of licensed children’s jigsaw puzzles and games for Bob the Builder. The three jigsaw puzzles, launching this month, focus on its most popular formats: 4-in-1 Shaped Puzzles, 9-in-1 Puzzle Bumper Pack and a Puzzle Assortment featuring three images for children to collect. Following the launch of the puzzles, the pre-school-friendly Giant Playing Cards will also be available in time for Christmas. “We are thrilled to expand our working relationship with Mattel on such a popular pre-school property. We can’t wait for our product to hit the market in September,” said Stewart Middleton, managing director at Jumbo Games. “There has been great excitement about the new TV series, and demand from retail for our product has been very positive already.” “We are delighted to be working with Jumbo on the Bob the Builder range of puzzles and games,” added Jo Gunn, consumer products category manager at Mattel. “We already have a great relationship with Jumbo, and we’re looking forward to seeing the Bob range launch at retail this month.”

Licensing World 20

KD UK launches new range of Noddy, Toyland Detective products The company has signed a deal with DreamWorks Animation to produce a line of Noddy ELAs. Having launched in August, the key products in the range include Noddy’s WhoWhatWhere tablet that features in each episode of the new TV series Noddy, Toyland Detective, as well as the Noddy Walkie Talkies. The WhoWhatWhere Tablet helps Noddy and friends complete missions through various games. The tablet will help children develop important learning skills such as hand-eye coordination, sound recognition and imaginative role-play. Also new are the Noddy Walkie Talkies that will allow children to enjoy hours of communications and creative role-play. The Walkie Talkies are designed for little hands and range up to 40 metres.

Scooby-Doo returns to the stage

The new family musical opened at the London Palladium on 18th August, and marks Scooby-Doo’s theatrical debut in London’s West End. The show comes to the capital after sell-out tours in North America and Australia. “We’re thrilled to be working with Life Like Touring to bring Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries to London this summer,” said Preston Kevin Lewis, general manager of Warner Bros. Consumer Products UK and Ireland. “As the home of musical variety, and arguably the most famous theatre in London, the Palladium is a fitting match for Scooby-Doo’s heritage, broad appeal and ability to entertain across generations.” The Scooby-Doo consumer products programme continues to attract some of the biggest names in licensing. Lego came on board last year and has reported excellent sell-through of its first range, and master toy partner Character Options continues to develop new lines with an exclusive range in Asda this autumn/winter and a refreshed range planned for 2017. Parragon has also just inked a global deal that will see the company launch a variety of Scooby-Doo book formats and gift products.

PMS International signs deals for The Smurfs and Mr. Men and Little Miss.

Sanrio has appointed PMS International as the new licensee for travel accessories for its Mr. Men Little Miss property. The new deal will see the company develop a range which includes travel pillows, seat-belt buddies, hard case backpacks and trolleys, launching under its GOSH! Designs brand. In addition to this, I.M.P.S. has appointed PMS International as the new licensee for The Smurfs. The deal, brokered by Rocket Licensing, has been made ahead of the new Sony Pictures Animation CG-feature film, Smurfs: The Lost Village, launching in March 2017. The company’s rights extend to the UK and Ireland across pocket money toys, stationery and outdoor play, with an expansive range launching exclusively for the first time at Autumn Fair, marketed under GOSH! Designs.

Gemma signs licence with Animal Jam

In an agreement with Rockpool Licensing, Gemma International has added Animal Jam to its portfolio. The creative studio at Gemma HQ is now working on the new product range across cards, wrap and partyware. Animal Jam is an online playground for kids who love animals and the outdoors. Players create and customise their own animal characters and dens, chat with friends, adopt pets, team up for adventures and feed their curiosity about animals and the natural world. Created in partnership with National Geographic, Animal Jam features classic playground role-playing infused with the life sciences. Players can collect facts in their journey books, learn about Animal Conservation in Kimbara Outback, and talk to real-life scientists. “The popularity of the Animal Jam gaming app and digital following speaks for itself; this is already a brand with a huge international following. The characters are cute, the games are fun, and the educational element adds another dimension, engaging both kids and parents. The toys are already in high demand, and retailers are already asking us when they can place their orders,” said Thalia Clare, licensing executive at Gemma.

Noddy celebrates Enid Blyton’s birthday

Noddy is teaming up with Spin Master, DreamWorks Animation and Gaumont Animation to celebrate the author’s birthday, which was on 11th August. To mark the special occasion, Noddy, one of Enid Blyton’s most famous characters, is undergoing a transformation in the newly created series, Noddy Toyland Detective. The CG-animated series, co-produced by DreamWorks Animation and Gaumont Animation, has the character reimagined with a new look, ready to appeal to a whole new generation of children. In addition to this, Spin Master has developed an imaginative new range of Noddy toys. Products include the Noddy Remote Control car, Noddy’s House Playset, Noddy & Friends Collectible Figures, Rev ‘n’ Go Pullback Vehicles and Noddy Talking Plush characters line. To further celebrate his creator’s birthday and the new show, Noddy visited the home of Enid Blyton, Green Hedges, replicated in Bekonscot Model Village in Buckinghamshire, followed by a visit to the Spin Master offices to meet the creators of the new range of toys.

Licensing World 21

Feature

Pokémon

quite a catch! It will come as no surprise to anyone that sales of anything and everything Pokémon have shot up since the launch of the Pokémon Go app. Shares in Nintendo have more than doubled since the launch on 6th July, and it is predicted to be the first mobile game to make $1bn. Jonika Kinchin finds out how toy companies and retailers can make the most of this phenomenon, and what they can do to attract customers and make sure they catch‘em all.

nyone would have thought it was 1999 with the number of people who have been overheard talking about Pikachu, Poké Balls and Hyper Potions. Whether The Pokémon Company, Nintendo or Niantic anticipated the reaction it has received is unknown, but it can only be imagined that they are nothing short of thrilled with the way that Pokémon Go has completely and utterly revived their brand. However, excitement seems to have been brewing way before the app was launched into the public eye. Ben Hogg, marketing manager at Esdevium Games noted that before the app launched, the company’s Pokémon sales were over 100% up year-on-year and Q2 2016 was its

biggest-ever sales quarter. “Since the launch of Pokémon Go, interest in the trading card game has been at an unprecedented level, so the future is very exciting”. Anyone around in the 90s will remember the absolute frenzy that a new pack of Pokémon cards caused, especially if there was a rare shiny in the mix. The trading card game is perhaps one of the most popular and successful areas of Pokémon merchandise. David Middleton, owner of Midco Toys, has been supporting the brand for the last 15 years. He believes that the trading card game, along with the video games, is the backbone of the brand and has always been steady, but has enjoyed the recent uplift in sales: “Midco has seen a great boost in the trading cards since the app launched. We are

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.co.uk Tomy International has been the master toy licensee and distributer for Pokémon in categories including figures, figure accessories, plush, playsets, role-play and more since 2013. New for 2016 is the Throw ‘n’ Pop Poké Ball Assortment, players can burst in to battle as they throw their Póke Ball and watch as their favourite Pokémon compete. With four different styles, the range consists of Pikachu & Poké Ball, Chespin & Premier Ball, Fennekin & Great Ball and Froakie & Ultra Ball. Plush has been a focus for Tomy this year and the toy giant has paid tribute to the bestloved character Pikachu by translating it into a feature plush. The brand new My Friend Pikachu plush is complete with sound, animated ears and light up cheeks. Tomy has also just announced the global launch of the Pokémon Z-RING. This product synchronises with Pokémon’s latest video game series for Nintendo 3DS Family Systems: Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Launching across Europe in November to coincide with the games’ release, the Z-RING allows players to enhance their play experience and features sounds, lights and vibrations.

Toy World 22

now doing approximately 10 times the sales, but in the months leading up to the launch we probably sold around four or five times more than last year”. NPD data shows that in weeks 28 – 31 of the year, sales of Pokémon toys were up by 188%. It must also be noted that prior to the app, which was launched at the end of week 27, sales were already up by 100%, probably due to the buzz that teasers of the app created. The Pokémon licence has survived and thrived for an impressive duration. Even members of Toy World have succumbed to the nostalgia, with lunch hours dedicated especially to visit the PokéStop down the road. One of the many attractions of the app is that is doesn’t appeal to just children, or adults who were fans of the brand when it first came out, it appeals

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Pokémon to all. Many people remember the funny creatures their children and grandchildren were fascinated with. Tomy reported that its UK YTD Pokémon EPOS sales were up by 144% in comparison to the first quarter of 2015. “Pokémon Go has reignited fans’ passion, but has also attracted a new generation to the brand,” commented Camilla MacQueen, UK brand manager at Tomy. “This has expanded consumer interest to the licence as a whole. Over the last few weeks our EPOS has been at its highest this year, usually we would expect to see peaks like this at Christmas”. When a particular brand shoots to popularity so quickly, it can become a challenge for retailers to get hold of stock, at the right quantity and in the right mix. It is a licence which translates well into most categories, particularly trading cards, plush and action figures. Store owner David Middleton commented: “I cannot complain about receiving stock, Tomy and Esdevium, among other suppliers, have been great with all things considered”. As mentioned, excitement had already been growing prior to the app being launched, which meant that well-prepared retailers were already stocked with enough product. “The challenge we have for the rest of the year is to ensure we have enough stock to satisfy ongoing demand”, commented Ben. “We’re lucky that Pokémon was already very well supported across retail channels before the app launched, but now the challenge is to make sure we can maximise this opportunity”. The Pokémon licence also lends itself well to areas such as apparel, stationery, collectibles and posters, which can provide useful add on sales for toy retailers. Joanne CopleyDunn is the commercial director at GB Eye. The reaction she has seen to the launch has been phenomenal. “Our existing stockists of Pokémon almost instantly recognised the huge sales potential but Pokémon Go has opened many new doors”, she commented. “Enquiries have been coming thick and fast from major retailers and distributors in new and existing markets at home and across Europe”. With so many suppliers distributing Pokémon products, and a lot of those being overseas, lead times and shipping costs can sometimes get in the way, especially when stock is needed so quickly. GB Eye is a believer in buying British, therefore the majority of the company’s products are manufactured in the UK, meaning its stock situation is excellent. “Mugs and collector prints are manufactured in-house and we are making every effort to ensure stock levels are in line with demand, this also includes our poster and multi-product FSDUs and other display options which are available free on loan”, explained Joanne. The release of the app and the resurgence that has followed mark the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in 2016. Interest in the brand from the licensing community has been increasing year-on-year over the past few years. “Pokémon

has seen a significant spike in interest from licensees, however this is not a wholly new phenomenon”, commented Peter Murphy, senior director of marketing at The Pokémon Company. “The brand’s broad appeal to both kids and adults has allowed Pokémon to reach beyond its traditional demographics, and as a result toys, video games and the trading card game have seen phenomenal sales growth”. For retailers to fully engage with the opportunities that the app offers, they must first understand how the app works. Getting your head around Poké Balls, Lures and the different types of Pokémon can become quite a task. However, the sheer number of fans currently engaged with the app means there is often someone not too far away to offer an insight. “I have downloaded the app to find out what it’s all about, but one of my assistants is a keen Pokémon fan and has been giving me the lowdown”, commented Nigel Halesworth, co-owner of Halesworth Toys. “Our shop is a PokéGym which has bought in the keen players, who range from teens to older adults. Some of the customers are now older people who are reliving their youth through the new app”. The in-app features provide many opportunities for retailers, including Lures. A Lure is an item that can be used on a PokéStop to attract more elusive Pokémon. As the app uses GPS navigation, any other player in that area can then see that a Lure has been put onto a stop and reap the benefits. PokéStops are placed at landmarks and special areas all over the world, and are where players can pick up Poké Balls, Potions and Eggs to hatch. Dunblane toyshop Toy Hub has fully

GB Eye 01142 767 454 | www.gbeye.com As an original Pokémon licensee in 1999, GB Eye knew that a second coming for Pokémon merchandise was something the company had to be part of. GB Eye has a range already at retail which includes Posters, Collector Prints, Card Holders, Mugs and Coasters. Sales were going well, but since the launch of Pokémon Go the orders have been coming in thick and fast. Thankfully, due to the company’s in-house production and local UK sourcing, it has been able to meet this demand. The company’s design teams have also brought out a seasonal gifting range, which has been well received.

PokĂŠmon XY11 Steam Siege - Toy World.indd 1

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Pokémon immersed itself into the world of Pokémon Go, by putting on Lure events, utilising social media and giving fans somewhere to charge their phones. “We are lucky that our shop is sandwiched in between two PokéStops, and there is a PokéGym just behind us”, commented Gerard Gourley, co-owner. “When we realised that the app was going to be really big, we got straight on to it and worked out the ins and outs”. Gerard named his character ‘ToyHub’ and began to set Lures around his shop, so players would know to come over. “We offer a free Pokémon charging station where people can come and charge their phones”, he added. Gerard also utilised social media by broadcasting when Lures were going to be set, and for how long. He also created a poll for customers to vote what team the store’s character would go on, using hashtags. With more and more customers coming in, Gerard has had to make sure he has enough stock to satisfy demand. “We’re looking to get in more Pokémon merchandise such as mugs, hats and apparel. We have a mixture of kids and adults getting involved, and it seems as if parents are seeing Pokémon purchases as a necessity as opposed to a treat”. As PokéStops and PokéGyms are positioned at notable places, it is purely chance if they happen to be near toy shops. “We could see a great collaboration between retailers and the game developers if they were to offer up purchasable PokéStop locations”, suggests Joanne Copley-Dunn. “Retailers could turn their outlets or venues into PokéStops and drive footfall to their location. They could also look at the possibility of exclusive content at their location, to make it a must-go area for players”. Joanne is not the first person to suggest this, but with so many varying pros and cons to the

concept, only time will tell if Niantic can, or will, make it happen. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, there is a huge influx of new product launching into the market. New video game releases Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be the key focus for the rest of the year for The Pokémon Company. “There will also be breakout announcements for the animation and trading card game side of the business”, commented Peter Murphy. “We are also working on some very exciting licensing activations that will be revealed in the coming months”. Master Toy Partner Tomy offers a range of limited edition action figures and plush. It will be supporting the launch of the new video games with a first of its kind toy, the Pokémon Z-Ring. The Z-Ring will be compatible with the latest game titles and can interact and synchronise to enhance game play. “We are now looking to enhance our marketing and communication plans to support our long term retail partners, as well as key products for the Christmas period”, commented Camilla MacQueen. With the Pokémon brand having endured the last 20 years, it will be interesting to see how long the app will stay in the limelight. Now, off to the PokéStop at the Post Office down the road…

Esdevium Games 01420 593 593 | www.esdeviumgames.com In the year The Pokémon Company celebrates its 20th anniversary, the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is at an all-time high. 2016 has been a landmark year with growth of over 100% year-on-year, even before the launch of Pokémon Go. On top of this, there is still a wealth of product yet to launch in 2016, most of which features characters from the hit app. Following on from last month’s launch of the latest expansion in the series, Pokémon TCG: XY – Steam Siege, comes the highly-anticipated Pokémon TCG: Battle Heart Tins, launching in October. Kids can choose from Volcanion-EX, Magearna-EX or Pikachu-EX. Each tin contains a Pokémon-EX, in addition to four Pokémon TCG booster packs and a code card to unlock a playable deck in the Pokémon TCG Online. Q4 will see a host of special boxed product releases, the most popular of which will be the Pokémon TCG: Red & Blue Collection boxes. These products are available in four styles, each featuring a foil promo card of a different character. Fans can choose from Charizard-EX, Blastoise-EX, Venusaur-EX or Pikachu-EX, and each boxed set comes with four exclusive Pokemon TCG: Generations boosters that are not available on general sale. In addition, from now until Christmas fans will have their choice of more exclusive character gift boxes, including the Mega Beedrill-EX, Mega Garchomp-EX and Mega Salamence-EX Premium Collections. In addition to the regular product launches, there will also be the monthly Mythical Collection Boxes.

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Feature

Trolls

Flying colours With a stellar cast and original music from award-winning musician and actor Justin Timberlake, DreamWorks Animations’ Trolls will be hitting cinema screens in a burst of colour later this year.

aunching worldwide in October and November, DreamWorks’ smart, funny and irreverent animated comedy will star the voice talent of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Russel Brand, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Russell Brand, Zooey Deschanel, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Quvenzhané Wallis, John Cleese and Gwen Stefani, amongst many others. As well as penning original music, Justin Timberlake also serves as executive music producer for the film, where he has overseen all creative direction for the film’s music, as well as performing multiple songs on the soundtrack. The artist also stars as Branch, a hardcore survivalist who hides his surprising true colours, in the upcoming comedy. Having a world-renowned star such as Justin Timberlake playing such a large part in the film’s content and production undoubtedly adds a great deal of value to the Trolls franchise, successfully spreading its appeal over a wide age demographic. “Justin is an amazingly versatile artist and producer whose unprecedented creative talents provide a unique voice and sound for our movie,” explained DreamWorks Animation’s co-presidents of feature animation, Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria. “Trolls is a comedy with fantastic music at its core, and we can’t think of a more perfect artist

to elevate this soundtrack to incredible heights.” To further celebrate the film debut of the globally iconic Trolls, DreamWorks has aligned with top brands across many categories, led by global master toy partner Hasbro. A host of licensees working across toys and games, publishing, arts and crafts, food and many more will be bringing the film to life. Speaking at the Licensing Expo in June, Richard Hollis, Dreamworks’ head of international consumer products UK, told Toy World: “I’m delighted with the response we have received from the retail community to the Trolls franchise. The top toy retailers are all behind the brand with individual product and marketing initiatives. Toys was effectively the first category to go live with the launch of the Argos catalogue in July, and the whole licensing programme steps up a gear in September, six weeks before the launch of the movie.” “Trolls is an incredible film filled with amazing characters, a colourful new world and fantastic storytelling,” Jim Fielding, global head of consumer products at DreamWorks Animation reaffirmed. “We’re very excited to bring that quality and innovation to life in products across the globe. With our strong relationships with our best-inclass partners, we’re delighted to bring fans of all ages a delightful assortment of offerings this autumn. The products programme for this film will be DreamWorks Animation’s biggest to date,

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and we look forward to supporting the brand for years to come.” Over the next few pages, Toy World presents a selection of the hottest Trolls products and ranges that will be hitting the market in coming months.

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Trolls

Just Play 0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk To celebrate the release of Trolls, Just Play is launching a range of hair play and dress-up lines based on characters from the film. Just Play’s hair play collection will enable children to create wild and wacky hairstyles for Poppy, themselves and their friends. The Poppy Styling Head comes with a hairbrush, hair clips and accessories, and the Trolls Wig comes complete with a hairband. Also in the collection is the Poppy Dress-Up Set and the light-up Trolls Hug Time Bracelet, which plays Poppy’s favourite phrase. Just Play’s hero product, the Trolls Charms Collection Jewellery Box, features button-activated lights, dancing Trolls figures, charms and music. There’s also hidden storage in the cupcake-shaped jewellery box, and a rainbow display for the charms that come included.

MV Sports 01217 488 000 | www.mvsports.co.uk The company’s best-selling inline scooter is bright and bold, and features main character Poppy along with a gradient hair design adorning the stem. With two bikes to choose from, both the 14” bike and 16” bike have already proven to be popular. Complementary colourways utilise the style guide, with electric purple, bold orange and turquoise. The bikes also feature the four main characters from the film: Poppy, Diamond Guy, DJ Suki and Smidge. MV Sports also presents a pair of inline skates, with an all over character print sock and character graphics. Also complementing the collection and keeping kids safe is MV’s Trolls safety helmet. The helmet features three character favourites and an all over print with bright colours to tie in with the whole range.

Pyramid International 0116 284 3645 | www.pyramidinternational.com Based on the 50s toy phenomenon, DreamWorks’ Trolls is likely to be one of the biggest animated movies of the year. Trolls headlines with an allstar cast including Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Cordon and Russell Brand. Pyramid International is supporting the film with a full range of products. The expertly designed range will include posters, mugs, canvas wall art, key rings, badges and other associated merchandise, providing opportunities to capitalise on the licence at all levels of retail.

Ravensburger 01869 363 800 | www.ravensburger.com Ravensburger has developed a range of jigsaw puzzles to coincide with the cinematic release of DreamWorks’ Trolls next month. The range of puzzles include a colourful 3 x 49-piece, 4-in-Box, XXL100 and a 72-piece 3D Puzzle. Each jigsaw has been designed to encourage young children to develop problem solving skills and manual dexterity whilst having fun. The 3 x 49-piece is a classic Ravensburger puzzle format, and contains three 49-piece jigsaws in one box. The 4-in-Box contains four jigsaws, cut into 12, 16, 20 and 24 pieces respectively. The XXL100 features a colourful group image of all the favourite Trolls characters. The jigsaw measures 49 x 36cm when complete. The 72 piece 3D Puzzle has plastic shaped puzzle pieces that fit together to create a spherical puzzle. When complete, the puzzle measures about 13cm in diameter and comes with a display stand. Ravensburger will also be launching a film-related 3 x 49-piece jigsaw in time for the cinema release.

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Trolls

Topps Europe 01908 800 100 | www.toppsdirect.com Topps is presenting new stickers and trading card collections based on DreamWorks’ upcoming animated comedy, Trolls. DreamWorks’ Trolls stickers will be available to collectors from 1st October, and the new sticker album is packed with 32 pages. The collection will include over 170 stickers including large, shiny and fuzzy designs. The sticker collection includes all the characters from the film, including Poppy, Branch, the Snack Pack and the Bergens. Sticker Starter Packs include an album and 31 stickers. Topps will also be launching a new Trolls Trading Card Game on 6th October, which will let collectors get creative with colour-me-in cards as well as the colourful hair chalk in Trolls Trading Game Starter Packs. There are a variety of cards to collect, from fun fuzzy cards and movie story cards to super shiny cards. Starter packs include activities such as scrapbooking ideas and fun facts about the characters, as well as a collector binder, game mat, picture checklist, hair chalk and a limited edition card. Packets contain eight trading cards.

Vivid Imaginations 01473 322 000 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk Crayola has aligned with DreamWorks Animation in launching a new range of arts and crafts products to coincide with the forthcoming Trolls movie. Crayola has a range to complement and give life to the film’s colourful characters. The line-up covers all needs and price points, from the Colour and Sticker Book and Giant Colouring Pages, to the Small Art Case featuring 40+ pieces of all the Crayola tools kids will need to colour up their favourite Trolls. Kids can also add extra colour with a mix of Crayola paints and watercolours with the Trolls Deluxe Painting Kit.

Spearmark 01480 213 633 | www.spearmark.co.uk Spearmark’s range of Trolls licensed products include an insulated rectangular lunch bag with a 3D lenticular panel, bringing the characters from the film to life. Complementing the bag is a coordinated drinks bottle, as well as a twisty straw tumbler. The company has also created a full figurine of Poppy which measures 11cm in height. The figurine doubles up as a colour-changing night light, which comes ready to use with batteries included.

Click Distribution 01604 877 888 | www.clickdistribution.co.uk Trolls is set to be a huge release in UK cinemas late in October and will be accompanied by a selection of products that Click will be stocking. Topps, Icon and Zuru all have a range of products in different categories that will be available in September and early October. The Icon range consists of accessories including Alice bands, hair sets and jewellery with Zuru’s range made up of keychains and capsules. Both will be supported with in store POS systems. Topps’ Trolls Sticker Collection is set to launch at the end of September with the Trolls Trading Card game arriving in the first week of October. Both collections are expected to sell in great volume due to the popularity of the licence. The Trolls products will be supported by a marketing campaign which will include TV advertising, cover mounted magazines, press and social media advertising and lots of in store activity.

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Trolls

Hasbro 0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk Ahead of the release of DreamWorks’ Trolls, Hasbro has a range of Trolls figures, dolls, plush and playsets on offer. The company’s product line includes the Hug Time Poppy doll, which is set to launch on 1st October. Featuring hair which sparkles and lights up, the doll stands at 36cm tall, speaks 25 phrases and sings Poppy’s song from the film. Collectible figures include the Troll Town Collectible Assortment. Each Troll comes with a comb. The Troll Town Multipack Assortment features four collectible Trolls, and fans can also collect 12 Mystery Bags which each have a colourful secret 6cm figure hidden inside. Also launching are Hasbro’s Trolls Hug ‘N’ Plush and Jumbo Hug ‘N’ Plush dolls. The Talking Troll Assortment Plush also features fun sound effects. Hasbro’s playsets include the Troll Town Coronation Pod, which comes complete with a light-up spinning dance floor, Poppy and Branch figures, and a change of outfit for Poppy. The Troll Town Pod Station contains 12 accessories, and the Troll Town Biggie and Smidge Critter Skitter Boards comprise two Skitter Board vehicles. Also available is the Story Pack range, with Poppy’s Party, which has everything fans need for a Trolls celebration.

Gemma International 01264 388 400 | www.gemma-international.co.uk Gemma International has recently signed a licensing deal with DreamWorks Animation for the Trolls movie. The company’s new range of Trolls cards and wrap feature Princess Poppy along with other characters in a number of poses, against backgrounds adorned with flowers. The card range includes ages, relations and a no-age favourite, die-cut with flitter for extra sparkle. For gift packaging, there is roll wrap, two sheets, two tags and a variety of gift bags. The company is currently developing an FSDU for retailers to showcase this new range in store.

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Talking Shop A shop for all seasons With the better part of the summer now behind us, Clarabel Jones speaks to retailers about how they’ve made the transition from summer to the back to school period, and what changes they’ll be making this month in preparation for the festive season.

Emma Dadswell Toys ‘n’ Tuck, Southend

Back to school trade is a tricky one for us; kids have stopped spending on the bigger toys, as by this point they’ve mostly spent their summer money and are using their parents’ funds. Where we are positioned we have WH Smiths, Rymans, Argos and discount stores all only a five-minute walk away, so we don’t stock backpacks, pencil cases or lunch boxes, as there’s no point us trying to compete. Instead, we focus on the things which other stores don’t. We will ensure we are well stocked on Smencils and Iwako erasers, for example. It’s also important to make sure we have plenty of trading cards and blind bags, as these are the pick-me-ups that kids buy with their own pocket money. Once the kids are back at school, we make sure that parents have Christmas on their minds. In store we run a Savings Club whereby our customers can reserve items with a deposit and pay them off in instalments. This is by far our most vital selling tool during the run-up to Christmas. We already have around 80 accounts open this year; last year by Christmas we had just over 300. The Savings Club system is all about helping our customers spread the cost of Christmas, which in turn helps us spread our sales over a longer period and leaves us less reliant on November and December for our sales. We like to move things around throughout the year, to freshen up displays and keep the store looking different every time our regular customers come in. For Christmas, our biggest move will be repositioning our games area to the front of the store. This will give it more space and will ensure that every customer that walks through the door knows we’re the best place in town to buy them. This is an important move for us, as during the Christmas period we will sell at least three times as many games as any other point in the year. Other changes in store will be minor, but will always help highlight key lines such as the offers in the Toymaster catalogue. We will also get out the Christmas decorations to make everything a bit more festive. As it stands, we’re doing very well with Season Five of Shopkins; we’ve not seen any drop in demand for it, so we hope this will continue with the new releases later in the year. As well as Shopkins, we are also doing well with Grossery Gang from Flair. With a handy tip from another Toymaster member, we now display these two lines side by side, and children are

picking up both together. The new range we’re most pleased with at the moment is Lion Guard, as it wasn’t expected. We see this performing strongly through to Christmas, although are expecting some shortages in supply so have put in our pre-orders. Also, Mattel’s Go Jetters have come in and sold out just as quickly, so hopefully when we see some more stock it will sell just as well. Something which is not out yet, but which I think might be a winner, is Twozies from Character Options. I saw it at the Toymaster show in May and we have had quite a few customers mentioning it already and asking when it will be available, so that seems like a good sign. The biggest challenge for us in the run-up to Christmas is keeping on top of what is selling. No matter how much planning you think you’ve done, there’s always that one product that will catch you out and everyone will be fighting for stock. Christmas for us is all about getting customers to spend that little bit more. Whether it’s on batteries, cards, wrap or our gift wrap service, it’s an add-on that just bumps up their spend that little bit. We don’t have any other toy shops in town, but there’s always competition from Argos, supermarkets and customers price checking on the internet. Instead of trying to match their prices,

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we try to make sure we stock different lines to their offers rather than getting into price wars. The high profile, high priced items are tricky because every year someone will cut the price. We tend to take in small quantities so that we can show we do them and so that our regular customers are satisfied, but it’s not our main focus. Overall, 2016 has been very positive so far. At the moment we’re over 30% up on last year which is being driven by our pre-school and girls’ departments. Our boys’ section is not performing quite as strongly in comparison; all the old themes like Marvel, Turtles and Minecraft are doing well, but nothing has been stand-out. It would be nice to get something for the boys’ category that was new and exciting. Lego is always up year-on-year so there’s no surprise there, and our Pokémon department is 162% up on last year so far. The company’s 20th anniversary year and Pokémon Go clearly doing the trick there . Beyond going to Toy Fair, which is always a highlight of the year, we have no major plans for 2017. We have a great team of staff here so Alan is planning to start having a few more days off. No firm plans means more spontaneity, and I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings for us.

Steve Tipping

Store Manager, Marlow Toys, Marlow

Our transition to the Christmas season normally begins around September when we start getting our FOB stock through from Toymaster. A lot of our customers will start to think about Christmas by late September, as people are definitely thinking about buying gifts earlier each year. Our summer fixture is near the front door at the moment, so soon that eight-foot block will be integrated into the range of seasonal lines which come in. The new learning toys for younger children and the top 10 toys for Christmas, which Toymaster has listed for us, are definitely products which we’ll be thinking about merchandising at the front of the store. The new DC Super Hero Girls, which have just hit stores, are popular at the moment. The great thing about this range is it’s unique; there haven’t really been any female superheroes in doll form before, and that’s something which we’ve had an upturn in sales for. There’s a film coming out soon too, which will further propel sales. In addition to this, there’s also a Ninjago film launching soon which we’re fully on board with; when the film hits cinemas we’re hoping it will increase sales on our Lego Ninjago products. A range

Phil Heath

Owner, Heath’s Toymaster, Cumbria

We will be getting a huge amount of stock through this month for the Christmas period.

Phil Kemp

Halesworth Toy Shop, Halesworth

The transition from summer to the back to school period involves clearing out all the summer lines and reduced items and making space for the FOB Christmas lines which are displayed separately. The shop front is being redecorated at the end of the summer holidays, so that should brighten things up a bit. We’re also going to increase the area available for sports goods, as we have been doing well with these since the local dedicated sports shop closed a couple of years ago. I feel this is an area we can do well with in the future.

which is looking to be big in the girls’ category is Flair’s Kitty Surprise, Puppy Surprise and Pony Surprise, which has little babies inside for kids to collect. Sales for these have been really strong. Another collectible which looks like it’s going to be strong for Christmas is the new range of Shopkins which hit stores in July. We’ve also noticed that Epoch’s repackaging of Sylvanian Families has led to increased sales. So far, sales in 2016 have been on par with last year. Brexit has made a lot of people very cautious with their spending. We don’t like uncertainty in the retail market – we always like to know what’s going to be around the corner. We’re quite lucky in Marlow as it’s quite an affluent area. On top of this, we have a lot of tourism, so even when local people go away for the summer we tend to have strong sales. One challenge which arises in the run-up to the Christmas period is trying to work out whether manufacturers are going to have the quantities for the orders which we place in advance. What we have unfortunately found to be a problem in the past is the popularity of certain products, meaning that

We’ll be mainly focusing on pushing Ty’s Beanie range, Sylvanian Families and our games and puzzles to the front of the store, as these are always extremely popular around Christmas. We have a few new games coming in for Christmas which we’re excited about, and which we think could replicate the success of Pie Face last year. One of these is Hasbro’s Shout About, which we think has the same viral quality that Pie Face saw success from last year. Mattel’s Gas Out is another one, which has quite a simple play concept, and Pie Face Showdown is another game which we think will be successful, but not necessarily as successful as last year’s edition. We’re also increasing our RC car range, as this is always a popular category during the festive period. One of the biggest challenges for us is Lego, as although this is a number one brand for us all year round, it often seems like the company is struggling to keep up with demand. Products are often quite hard to get hold of for independents such as ourselves, as despite making our orders for the Christmas period six months ago, we’re already being told that they’re cutting back on orders. Another challenge for us is identifying which of the must-have items are going to be

The new ranges that are doing well are Finding Dory and Grossery Gang. We always do well with Ty Beanies; the new Halloween ones should be delivered soon and these sell through very rapidly. The biggest challenges in the run-up to Christmas are to make sure we have enough of the right stock and clear out any old lines. There is a lot of local competition, especially with the large B&M store just half a mile away, so I try and keep prices fair and stock items they don’t sell. Overall, 2016 has been mixed but overall slightly ahead of last year. Plans for next year involve organising more competitions, which always go well and bring extra customers into the shop, and to increase the selection of sports goods for sale.

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manufacturers haven’t been able to keep up with the demand. That was a challenge last year, but I’m hoping if we pre-order early enough this year, we won’t have the same problem. In 2017 we’re going to try and focus on looking at smaller manufacturers who can offer us something different. What we’d like to try and do more as an independent trader is look for different products and exclusive lines that larger retailers don’t stock, giving our customers something they won’t find at the major toy stores.

available early enough in the year. It’s also tough sometimes to know which products and ranges the major toy retailers are going to discount heavily, as obviously there’s no point us trying to compete with them. We’re trying to pick out products which we think the big retailers won’t be so keen on stocking, so that we have something a bit different to offer. This year has been tough for us, and it’s been tough for the High Street in general. We recently voted for a BID (Business Improvement District) to try and do something about the town centre where we’re based. It will run for five years, so hopefully from next year we’ll start to see some success. We’ve made good use of the Toby Toymaster costume in the last few weeks; we’ve had staff dressing up and handing out leaflets around the town centre, which is raising awareness about Toymaster and about our store. On the weekend of 6th and 7th August we held an event at a local venue which saw Disney Princess characters, including Elsa from Frozen, Toby Toymaster and 100 or so enthusiastic children having lots of fun. We advertised this through our Facebook page, and we’ll be putting on something similar closer to Christmas.

indie viewpoint

Paddy Morton

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

Manager, Strickland & Holt

We have two seasonal displays at the front of our shop that we transfer to back to school and end of summer themes. We start by taking out summer lines such as water bombs and water pistols, replacing them with everyday lines or winter lines, such as glow in the dark items. Our two window displays have also moved to an end of summer/autumn theme. Mini rubbers seem to be coming back, so we’re looking at making a fun display of those for the back to school period. We tend to start gearing up for Christmas from the beginning of September. There always needs to be a balance between having product available for early shoppers, whilst protecting the festive spirit and atmosphere until closer to Christmas. From this month, we’ll start making Christmas displays at shelf level and introducing Christmas gifting lines and ideas, gradually increasing the space we give to Christmas up to October half term. At half term we’ll go fully into the Christmas spirit, with full seasonal displays and shop decorations. It’s important to make sure our displays have that wow factor. With competition from the internet and out of town shopping, undoubtedly there will be someone selling products cheaper than us. Therefore, we have to give our customers a reason to buy from us. We do that by creating a fantastic and exciting shopping experience, with a great dollop of Christmas spirit and excitement. Our customers want to feel inspired to buy great presents, and then they feel good themselves. I’m confident many would choose that over a soulless warehouse experience. We’ve always been successful with pocket money toys and ranges, Galt toys and puzzles and Orange Tree Toys’ products. We anticipate that Lego will continue to sell steadily, as well as Airfix, and we’ve also been recommended Schleich animals and figures and Sylvanian Families, which we will look at. 2016 has been mixed so far. We’ve had a slightly slow start, exacerbated by the building work we’ve had done to the shop front, which has undoubtedly interrupted business. However, July was quite positive. We have a large number of staff, and the living wage has already had a significant impact on our cost base. It’s going to be a challenge to manage that during the year, and we will have to be very focused on margin, bold on price and at the top of our game service-wise to be fit for the future and to grow the business in uncertain times. Coupled with a weak pound, I’m also concerned about pressure on prices in general, and what effect this will have on customers’ disposable income. We’ve had a whole new shop front built and two new shop windows, which is probably all the excitement we need this year. However, without a doubt we’ve improved our visibility on the high street and have the ability to make great window displays. We’ve also increased the display area, so hopefully we should see a boost as people return to see what we’ve done. In the long run it should have a positive effect on the business, but there’s a bit of catching up to do in the short term. We’ve also recently joined Toymaster, which is a central plank in our plan to increase toy sales this year. We are really looking forward to working with them, and seeing what this can do for our business.

Hotspots and hidden gems

i all. As we write this in the middle of the kids’ summer holidays, for the second year running summer has not really arrived (yet). We think it may have packed its bags and gone off to Europe. Overall for July, sales were better than we anticipated following the Brexit vote the previous month. After the initial shock of the result, for a lot of people there has been no significant change yet in their lives. However, we do feel as though people are being a bit more cautious in how they spend their money. The biggest change so far has been the currency fluctuation. We have been keeping a very close eye on the dollar rate, which is important to us for toys obviously, but also for Mark’s holiday spending money… As a consequence of the poor weather, turnover of pick-up lines and collectibles has gone through the roof. Firstly, Shopkins Series 5 has continued the strong pattern of previous Shopkins launches, and with the new Happy Homes range launching this month, this craze looks set to continue. The Fash’ems and Mash’ems from Character have also sold really well, with the My Little Pony Fash’em being the bestseller. A new collectible this month has been Grossery Gang from Flair. After a slow start, it has really started to move, and will hopefully fill the gap for a boys’ collectible. Also launching this month is Twozies from Character, which we really liked at the Toymaster show, and are hopeful will sell well. However, you cannot mention crazes without talking about Pokémon. It has been a strong year so far for the brand already, but the launch of Pokémon Go has sent it to a new level. The cards are more popular than ever before and the impact has spread to related products, with plush and figures selling well. Although our shop is not a Pokéstop, the park near us is a hotspot, apparently. Another category that is performing extremely well for us this year is games. Still selling well are Pie Face and Splat, along with several other evergreens including Rubiks Cube, which seems to have been a craze over the summer, and Dobble from Esdevium, a really good independent line. From September, we extend our games space in store and bring it to the front. New lines we like the look of include Silly Sausage from John Adams, Pie Face Showdown and a new version of Bop It from Hasbro. In puzzles, we always take an extensive range from Ravensburger; their 3D building puzzles especially are popular gifts at Christmas. They also have a new range of 3D jewellery box puzzles this year which have sold very well for us. Looking forward to Christmas, we are finding it very difficult to highlight what is going to be the hot seller this year. Without a key licence that stands out, such as Star Wars last year, and Frozen the year before, it is going to be interesting to see what fills the gap for 2016. The Teksta Toucan from Character, along with the new Furby Connect, looks impressive, but it will be interesting to see what captures the imagination of kids and ends up on their Christmas lists. We anticipate that Lego will still be strong as ever, with the new Ninjago, Nexo Knights and Friends lines expected to be our bestsellers. Otherwise, we are both struggling to predict any real standouts. Partly as a consequence of this, we will be making a last minute trip up to Autumn Fair to pick out anything we may have missed. Here’s hoping we find some gems up there.

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Feature

Awards

Enter the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards 2016 Since 2009, the British Toy & Hobby Association has presented the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards as part of the industry’s principal accolades - the Toy Industry Awards. Clive Jones has been Chair of the retailer judging panel since the retailer awards were first presented by the BTHA seven years ago. With the annual Toy Retailer of the Year Awards entry process fast approaching, Toy World spoke to Clive to find out what is behind the awards and how retailers of all sizes can get involved. TW: What information should retailers include when submitting their entry? Clive: It may sound obvious, but entrants should read the category criteria clearly and then answer the entry question directly. Judges check all entries against entry criteria before considering a winner. It’s also crucial to make sure the entry is well laid out. The length and structure of your entry is important in catching and keeping the judges’ attention. I would also suggest that applicants should ensure their entry is not too long – entries must be kept within the 600-word limit. Retailers should aim to detail any special activity they have put on for their customers in the last trading year. This will help judges distinguish an outstanding retailer from other entrants. Special in-store promotions, local community initiatives or media- related activities are all good examples of the sort of the initiatives which the judging panel is looking out for. We’ve also introduced a brand new feature for this year’s Awards entry process; we have widened the entry criteria with the additional option of independent and smaller multiple retailers being able to include short testimonials from their suppliers. This won’t guarantee a win, but it is intended to strengthen an entry for the benefit of the retailer and the judges when assessing the entry.

TW: As Chair of the judging panel, what are the key criteria that judges are looking for when considering a winner? Clive: We are looking for retailers who are outstanding in their field. Ultimately judges are trying to find the very best retailers within the selected categories – we are seeking the best from high street independents to the larger multiples and all that is in between. Innovation, excellence, customer service, in-store theatre, breadth of range offered and promotions are all considered. A full breakdown of the criteria is available online when retailers come to take part. The successful retailers are usually the ones who have communicated to the judges just what it is that makes them stand out from their competitors, this is what tends to catch their attention. It’s good if they can include additional supporting information as to why they should be considered; previous examples have included social and marketbased evidence of successful campaigns that have taken place that year. TW: How can retailers enter the Awards? Clive: Taking part has been designed to be a straight forward online process for retailers. Simply go online to www.btha.co.uk/awards/toy-industry-awards and follow the link to enter. All the information you need is here.

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TW: Why do you believe retailers should enter the Awards? Clive: Entering the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards is a great opportunity to demonstrate success and excellence to customers and suppliers. Not only is it a great marketing tool, but it also provides valuable industry recognition. There is a great opportunity for smaller retailers to embellish their entry with support from suppliers via the addition of our new testimonials section, and by taking the short time required to participate, retailers could walk away with a prestigious industry award.

Brand Profile Magformers

Demonstrating success Magformers has recently appointed a full-time demonstration manager who has been putting on special Demonstration Days for retailers across the UK and Ireland. Clarabel Jones caught up with the company’s UK managing director, David Kelly, to find out why in-store demonstration is so important to the brand, and how retailers can take advantage of this service.

ormer Hamleys demonstration sales manager and department manager Matthew Donald has already helped one retailer sell 75% of its Magformers stock in just one day after taking his roadshow to its store, and similar results are being achieved everywhere he goes. In his first two weeks with the company, Matt spent time at Magformers’ headquarters in Korea, working alongside the international building team where he learned how to demonstrate the key moves that bring Magformers to life. He is now combining these skills with his inimitable fun and entertaining routines, bringing the products to life in his own special way. “Our fully-branded Demonstration Days are effectively part of what we call the Magformers Tour, where we travel the country setting up our demonstration area to support sales of our products directly to consumers in that particular store,” David Kelly told Toy World. “All sales go through the participating retailer’s tills, and this is at absolutely no cost or investment from the retailer. All they need to do is give us the space, ensure they have enough stock to fulfil sales on the day, and then sit back and watch the magic of Magformers unfold.” Retailers such as Fun Learning, Daniel’s of Windsor and Fenwick have already seen an uplift in sales since they held the events, with many stores selling a large proportion of their total stock holding

in just one day. Toy World spoke to Clea Ewing, director at Fun Learning, to find out just how successful the events have been for them: “Every week we run a weekly report on the top 50 items sold in our store, and since the demonstrations we’ve had at least three or four Magformers items in the top 50, which is great,” she said. “We found that when Matt got a customer to engage with a product, they generally stayed for another half an hour. Our staff are very knowledgeable of Magformers’ products as we have a lot of stock on display, but I think the best part for us was that Magformers’ Demonstration Days improved our staff’s knowledge of the products, and how best to demonstrate them to our customers, even further.” So what other benefits can retailers expect from the events? “Apart from hundreds of pounds or euros through the till in a day, our Demonstration Days are the best way to bring our brand to life,” David explained. “Although we have in-store POS with video screens, nothing beats Matt’s live demonstrations in letting consumers actually see what our products do and communicate the benefits to their children. The demonstrations also show that Magformers is not just a cool toy; you can see the learning principles behind the net flat shape of a product, and how a 2D plan can be transformed into a 3D geometric shape in one simple movement.” Warren Du Preez, buyer at Daniel’s of Windsor, agrees that an educational product such as Magformers needs to be professionally showcased

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for customers to see its full potential. “Having held the events fortnightly for several weeks now, we would definitely recommend that other retailers take part, as customers welcome more information about the products they are buying, especially about the safety and educational aspects,” he told Toy World. “The Demonstration Days are very important for interacting with customers, and for giving them the information they need. With the growing amount of online competition, this is one thing that online retailers certainly can’t replicate.” This feedback underlines just how important it is to properly demonstrate the features and benefits of Magformers. “In order to generate sales, you have to commit to the product and engage the consumer to gain a high level of interest - and then this converts into a sale,” David continued. “I recently spent a week with Matt in Ireland and saw the sales uplift with my own eyes at Easons on O’Connell Street and Dundrum and at Banba Toymaster, amongst others. We’ve also had tremendous success at Jarrolds in Norwich, Fenwick, Howleys, Daniel’s of Windsor and Fun Learning.” With events currently taking place all across the country, the company is optimistic about the remainder of the year. Retailers who want to get involved should contact their Magformers account manager who can then discuss opportunities for 2016 and 2017. Alternatively, the company can be contacted by email on sales@magformers.co.uk or through Twitter at @Magformers_GB.

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NPD Column Rising to the challenge The NPD Group’s Rory Partis considers Brexit on the UK toy trade is encouraged by UK the Toy effects MarketofGrowth/Decline Over Lastand 10 Years the industry’s historical resilience in the face of economic uncertainty.

he last couple of months in British politics have been somewhat interesting to say the least. On June 23rd, the UK decided to leave the EU and this kicked off a pretty tumultuous month where everyone was wondering just what exactly was going on. Now I am definitely not about to get into the rights and wrongs of the Brexit vote, but what I can discuss is what this means for the toy market. We have been inundated with questions on Brexit here at NPD since the result was announced, so have been working hard to try and pull out some conclusions from the data we’ve had since then, as well as looking back to see how the market has stood up to other testing time periods. Can we learn anything from the past and what does this mean for a toy market that has been very strong so far in 2016? If we start by looking back over the last ten years, the first thing that jumps out from the data is that the UK toy market was worth £700m more in 2015 than it was in 2005, which is a pretty impressive amount of growth over the time period. During that ten year period we have seen only two years of decline, in 2008 and 2009. In 2008 the bail out of Northern Rock in September signalled the start of a tough financial period in the UK and there was a -2% value decline for toys in 2008 overall. In 2009 the toys EPOS data saw another year of decline, which was much more severe at -5%. However, the demise of Woolworths right at the end of 2008 puts that -5% figure into context a little, as the toy market lost its second biggest retailer in 2009. That -5% equated to around half of the size of Woolworth’s turnover so, in fact, the rest of the market was doing pretty well in a tough climate, with a particularly strong performance from high price point items. Since this time in 2009 the toy market has not seen another year of decline, with year on year growth every year from 2010. That is in the face of a credit crunch, Eurozone struggles and the period of austerity under a coalition government. Through all of this, the toy market has performed solidly, with great licences ranging from Toy Story in 2010 to Frozen in 2014, great innovation with such items as PS tablets in 2011 and blind bags in 2012 and also some value adding crazes like loom bands in 2014 and stickers taking advantage of football fever. So to sum up, history suggests that the toy market is well equipped to handle whatever is

Yr/Yr %Toy Chg Market Growth/Decline Over Last 10 Years UK Value UK Toy Market Growth/Decline Over Last 10 Years 10 Yr/Yr % Chg 8 Value Yr/Yr % Chg Value 6 10 4 10 8 2 68 0 46 -2 24 -4 02 -6 -20 -2 -4

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2010 2011 2012 Source: NPD Consumer Panel

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-4 -6 -6

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential

Document classification: Internal Only

thrown at it. on consumers’ toy spend is difficult but the data certainly Bringing ourselves back to the present, it’s worth doesn’t suggest that people have stopped spending. Source: NPD Consumer Panel The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential Document classification: Internal Only reminding ourselves that the UK toy market is in a very The weeks and months ahead will certainly be Source: NPD Consumer Panel The NPDYTD, Group, Inc. | Proprietary and confidential healthy state. interesting, as we see how the impact of Brexit starts to take Document classification: Internal Only June toys is +6% in value and +12% in volume versus the same period in 2015 and adding in the effect. But with the all-important Q4 period to come, I latest data to week 29, the YTD figure is still +6%. So in the think we can say with some confidence that the toy market is few weeks of data we’ve had since the Brexit vote, it would in great shape to stand up to any challenges that it will come appear that consumers are still spending money on toys. If up against. we look a little closer we can see that in week 26, the first week after the Brexit vote, the toys data was -17% in value; which is quite a large decline. However, in the same week in 2015 we were basking in temperatures above 30 degrees, which we didn’t have this year, so in fact most of that decline is actually weather related. If you exclude Outdoor Toys from the trend, the market is in fact +16% for that week, which is a lot more positive. Since week 26, the weekly trend has been somewhat up and down but the latest data, week 29, was +15% - which again was weather related as consumers invested in pools and other toy items to make the most of the sunshine. Therefore, drawing conclusions on whether the Brexit vote has had much of an impact

Rory Partis executive director

The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food/food service, home, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, video games, and wireless. To monitor what’s happening in the ever-changing toy market, NPD collects point-of-sale information from all major toy retailers. This information, combined with our analysts’ industry perspectives, delivers a comprehensive view of what’s selling and where. We also field over 12m consumer surveys annually to help industry leaders understand why consumers shop where they shop and why they buy what they buy. For more information visit www.npd.com. Follow NPD on Twitter @npdgroup

Toy World 42

Feature

Games & Puzzles

Game on

This year has seen the games and puzzles market perform particularly well away from its traditional pre-Christmas peak season. NPD data shows that the games and puzzles super category collectively grew 15% YTD Jan – Jun 16, with the biggest boost coming in the form of strategic trading card games, which has more than doubled its sales. Jonika Kinchin finds out what lies in store for the games and puzzles sector in the coming months.

“I

t’s fantastic that the games category has had such a strong start to the year”, commented Simon Pilkington, managing director at John Adams. “Parents recognise and value the benefits that games can offer away from the abundance of screens, whether it’s as simple as learning to take turns with fun action games, or encouraging more strategic thinking and problem solving with products like Othello and the Rubik’s Cube”. The category is widely known for being most successful at the back end of the year, when games and puzzles are seen as a Christmas tradition and are used to get the family together. “It’s great to see such buoyancy in a market that is traditionally known for being strong in the last quarter of the year,” commented Mary Wood, marketing director at Vivid. “One of the obvious standout products

has been Pie Face; it performed exceptionally well in autumn/winter 15 and has enjoyed continued success into spring/summer 17”. This seems to have had a knock on effect on the rest of the category, with renewed consumer interest in action games year-round. Tomy has recently shifted its focus back on to the games market, and has already reaped the benefits. It has moved up two places to be the third biggest children’s games manufacturer, according to NPD. Its hero product Pop Up Pirate has jumped from ninth to the sixth best-selling game in the UK, with Screwball Scramble up 64% compared to last year. Emma Fryer, head of marketing at the company, observed: “It has always surprised me that games haven’t been stronger sellers throughout the year, but this year we have had an excellent start to the year with games at Tomy. Traditionally Christmas always provides a good opportunity for gifting, but we know that children and families play

Toy World 44

games all year. “ With such a positive performance so far, it will be interesting to see how the category fares in the run up to the all-important Christmas season. Industry professionals are feeling optimistic about the rest of 2016, including Mary Wood. “There is no reason to think that it won’t be another strong season”, she told Toy World. “Just looking at what’s on offer to consumers, there are traditional favourites that are loved year in year out such as Articulate and Logo, but there are also quite a lot of new games, particularly for younger children”. The growth that the category has seen so far could suggest that parents are starting to put greater importance on the value of games. “I think this growth will continue well into the winter period when the nights are longer too,” added Emma Fryer. The games category is one of the most highlycontested in the toy industry, which means companies have to maintain a competitive edge

Games & Puzzles to make sure their product is picked up first. In order to produce a game that will sell brilliantly, and which every family will have a traditional Christmas argument over, the game must suit its intended market. Vivid offers a wide range of games for all ages and occasions. “The game has to be suitable for, and appealing to, the right target audience,” explained Mary Wood. “For example, a pre-school game has to be simple, without the need for the child to be able to count too much or know their alphabet, but it also has to be fun and have a fairly short play duration so the children don’t get bored and lose interest”. She also explained the benefits of games which include all the family, such as Vivid’s Pickin’ Chickens, which offers game play for both pre-schoolers and older children. Some of the main objectives of games are communication, understanding strategy and general enjoyment. People play games for fun, on which John Adams places heavy emphasis. “Our whole ethos is about bringing people together through play and this is what we aim to do in every game we produce”, commented Simon Pilkington. This year John Adams is focusing on fun action games such as Silly Sausage, Soggy Doggy and Splashy the Whale, which sit alongside its other action games such Doggie Doo and Gooey Louie. Tomy also ranks fun and enjoyment as a key priority. Emma Fryer explains: “There is a lot of variety out there, and we like to ensure there is an element of surprise or anticipation, encouraging the social element of game play to enable communication, and embrace the quirkiness or silliness that you cannot help but laugh out loud at”. More traditionally, John Adams offers heritage brands such as Rummikub, Othello and Triominos which are perfect for a “healthy competition between family members, encouraging skill and strategic thinking”, according to Simon. He also acknowledges that games must cater for a variety of ages to maintain interest. “John Adams aims to offer something for everyone, for example the new Rubik’s Spark is being aimed at a slightly older age group who like the latest technology, but is still something which families can play and enjoy together”. Over in the puzzles category, Jumbo has seen such success that it has doubled the number of new introductions across its key adult puzzle brands, such as Wasgij and Falcon De Luxe. “As history shows, there will be a big increase in sales during the run up to Christmas – it’s the perfect season for the category”, commented Stewart Middleton, managing director at Jumbo. Licensing is essential to the puzzles category, especially in the children’s market. There has already been a number of licences showing good growth this year, and Stewart expects that to continue into the Christmas season. “The product launch for Bob the Builder is one that we are very excited about and will benefit the market”, added Stewart. “We’re also expecting big things from the new Disney movie Moana, and will be releasing a range of puzzles to meet consumer demand”. Puzzles appeal to all ages, from simple floor products with large pieces to puzzles with thousands of tiny tiles that can take hours of hard work. Stewart believes that the image is the most important factor when it comes to puzzles. “It is something Jumbo works extremely hard on, to

Vivid ensure that every detail is carefully considered to make it the best possible. Piece count also plays a massive part and we have extended our range to include everything from 200XL to 5,000 pieces”. Jumbo has recently seen a strong demand for its pre-school games, with easy-to-play formats, so that even the youngest players can pick up the rules without the help of parents. “We’re also seeing an appetite for games with interactive elements to encourage social interaction, and most importantly making it fun”, added Stewart. With the category already doing so well this year, and with almost every sub category showing improvement from last year, exactly where are the opportunities for growth? Tomy is now going to be turning its attention to licences as a way of taking Tomy games to the next level. “When working with licences we make sure that we focus on top properties that fit in with DNA of our games,” commented Emma, who stressed the importance of keeping old favourites and classics relevant, as well as introducing new games that have a quirky edge that stands out to consumers. Stewart Middleton believes there are strong growth opportunities in making sure the pricepoint for games and puzzles is right, “to make it an easy purchase for consumers”. One of the main advantages that puzzles offer is that they are relatively quick to produce. This makes it less of a risk to try licences out, and to make sure that the price point is correct. Jumbo will be continuing to focus on developing new and interesting themes and images across its adult puzzles. It will also be differentiating its ranges and offering something different on Disney and other licences. “We will also be further developing products with added play value, like our Puzzle & Colour and Bath products,” added Stewart. It would appear that the only way is up for games and puzzles – but what is next for the category? With the debacle of Brexit already having an effect on consumers, it will be

Toy World 46

interesting to see if it casts a dark cloud over traditionally reliable sales. Mary Wood points out that it will be a challenge to the whole sector, with costs rising as opposed to previous years. However, innovation will continue, which will appeal to consumers. “It’s still quite early in the development schedule for games for next year, but I can tell you that Vivid has a few cracking items which we think will be really appealing”, she commented. “We have been extremely successful with Articulate, Logo, Rapidough and Wordsearch due to the high levels of investment and know exactly what needs to be done to keep these games performing to the very best levels,” she added. “So for the games sector there are the established games which will continue, but there will always be new launches, and we are all hoping to find that stand out product the captures the hearts and minds of consumers”. Likewise, Tomy is looking forward to the coming months and 2017, following the success it has seen this year. “I cannot see any signs of Tomy games slowing down, so I’m optimistic”, commented Emma Fryer. Also very positive, Simon Pilkington believes that the demand for games this year will continue to flourish: “The signs so far are encouraging, so it should hopefully be a good year. We’ve got some fantastic new products so we’re looking forward to seeing how it plays out”. With exciting new developments as well as many highly anticipated new licences and properties on the way, there is potential for impressive growth in the category. “Based on the number of new licences/ movie releases and increased retailer support, we are expecting to see further growth in 2017 for the games & puzzles category”, agreed Stewart Middleton. Over the next few pages, products from games & puzzles companies across the toy industry are displayed.

Games & Puzzles

Accentuate 01420 593 593 | www.accentuategames.com Accentuate features 90 different quotes from famous movies. Players must pick a card and read the movie quote aloud in a randomly selected accent. Teammates have 30 seconds to guess the accent, and can also earn points by identifying the movie and the film’s year of release. There are 30 different accents from around the globe, a third of which are homegrown British accents. The new game is compatible with the existing Film Quotes Expansion Pack, which features a completely different set of 90 movie lines. To keep the game challenging and to appeal to a broad age range, the quotes have been taken from a spread of movies spanning eight decades, including My Fair Lady, Ghostbusters, Jaws, The Graduate, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Casablanca, The Devil Wears Prada and Back to the Future.

Bananagrams 0207 298 9500 | www.bananagrams.com The Re-Gifter, The Thief, Switcheroo and Pouch Head are just some of the 14 Party Power tiles in the new Bananagrams Party edition. Each tile gives the receiving player the power to unleash a special action on the opponent of their choice. Whether it’s making them play without using their thumbs, or forcing them to do a lap around the table, each action will cause mayhem while players race to use all their letter tiles and complete their word grids. A sociable spin on the classic anagram game, Bananagrams Party helps mark the company’s 10th anniversary, along with another new game, My First Bananagrams. A new title for the younger player, the Bananagrams pouch is green and, in response to customer requests, contains colourful lower-case letter tiles. The collection of games within caters to a wide range of reading abilities; there are 10 curriculum-based mini games for early learners, and word game challenges which grow in difficulty as the child’s skill level advances. This culminates in a simplified version of Bananagrams. My First Bananagrams includes new double-tiles with vowel-teams, word families and digraphs, making it the ideal game for children as they learn to read and spell. The Bananagrams Challenge, a primary school tournament for children in Key Stage 2, is now entering its third year in the UK.

Big Potato 020 3620 9495 | www.bigpotato.co.uk This year Big Potato is adding three new games to its range. New for 2016 is Rainbow Rage, the second game creation from DJ and TV personality, Matt Edmondson. Players must race to grab the colours that have swapped places and build their own rainbow, but must watch out for traps which can instantly wipe out their rainbow. Also new for this year is OK Play, which can be played anywhere and with anyone. Players simply grab a stack, throw down tiles and block their opponents until someone sneaks a line of five. New game Scrawl instructs players to start off with a loaded phrase, doodle it, and then pass it on. Also on offer are Mr. Lister’s Quiz Shootout, Bucket of Doom, Obama Llama, and Qwordie. Every game is supported by the new Big Potato mobile app, which offers extra tools to enhance the game play, from timers and scoring systems to additional content to lengthen the lifespan of the games.

Toy World 48

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Games & Puzzles

Gibsons 02086 618 866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk Plop! is Gibsons’ newest addition to its games range. This tongue-in-cheek family game requires players to use their own derrières as a means of transport, by picking up the various deposits and scoring in the flushing plastic toilet. The aim is to be the first player to successfully drop the five deposits into the loo, also known as a Wipe Out. Players are encouraged to adopt their own style whilst playing, and to share the results on social media platforms with the hashtag #PlopsAway. With 40 challenge cards to mix-up the game play, Plop! is presented in a clear acetate box. Pass the Pud, a tried and tested favourite of the Gibsons range, will test players’ nerves to the limit as they press the button on the Pud to set off its little jingle. The timer could go off at any point, so players must think of an answer quickly and Pass the Pud to the next player before the time is up. There are four different categories to choose from, and each will have players scrambling for an answer as they try to recall obscure knowledge from the depths of their memories.

Esdevium Games 01420 593 593 | www.esdeviumgames.com 2016 has seen the Dobble Card Game go from strength to strength. Dobble has continued to increase sales, and the property is set for a boost with three new licensed versions. Finding Dory Dobble and Cars Dobble have already launched and are available from Esdevium now, whereas the highly anticipated Star Wars Dobble is set to launch before the end of September. The Timeline Card Game has enjoyed a successful year in 2016, with sales of the five original games increasing sales by around 75%. In the game, players take turns to correctly position their cards in a timeline of events on their preferred subject. The game is set for a new version this Q4, with the imminent launch of the British History Edition. The new set includes 110 original artwork cards based on some of best and most entertaining moments of British history. Also available from Esdevium will be licensed versions of the creativity game, Rory’s Story Cubes. In Story Cubes, players are tasked with rolling the nine cubes and developing a story from the images before them. The available licensed versions are Doctor Who, Batman, Moomins, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo, with each set featuring original designs carefully crafted around its property. Esdevium will release all five licensed versions of Rory’s Story Cubes towards the end of September.

Coiledspring Games 020 3301 1160 | www.coiledspring.co.uk Phil Walker-Harding’s big box sequel to Sushi Go! is available now from Coiledspring Games. Sushi Go Party! is a party version of the best-selling card game. The game includes the original and is expanded to include more cards, allowing up to eight players to join. A deluxe pick and pass card game that can be taught in minutes, players can still earn points by picking winning sushi combos, but now can customise each game by choosing from a menu of more than 20 dishes. With a variety of new cards offering new opportunities, the strategy changes from game to game. Wrebbit 3D’s licensed Harry Potter collection is expanding with the 460-piece Diagon Alley. The sturdy model includes famous landmarks from the popular films and complements the Hogwarts Express, Astronomy Tower and Great Hall. Coiledspring Games offers free Hogwarts Express displays to retailers purchasing a Hogwarts Express case and any other case from the collection. Four 500-piece 2D Poster Puzzles have been released to coincide with the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Four Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Puzzle Posters will arrive in time for the November film release. Fresh for autumn, new images are available in Schmidt’s Premium Quality jigsaw range. With collages, panoramic puzzles and licensed images from landscape photographer Stefen Hefele, there are piece counts from 500 to 2,000.

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Games & Puzzles

Ginger Fox 01242 241 765 | www.gingerfox.co.uk Ginger Fox is adding the classic TV game show Blockbusters to its already successful licensed TV game show range. Players must use their knowledge and strategy to answer the questions and try and cross the classic Blockbusters grid. The winner of the first three rounds goes on to play the Gold Run and has the chance to be crowned the ultimate Blockbuster champion. The range already includes hit family favourites such as Catchphrase, The Chase, Deal or No Deal and The Million Pound Drop card games. Moving from TV to radio, there is also a new quiz game based on the long running Radio 4 comedy panel show, The Unbelievable Truth. The object of the game is to lie on a subject whilst trying to include the truth without being detected. Also to be released is the new fast-paced emoji game, which will challenge players to take a second look at these familiar faces. Players must be the first to collect a full set of emotions before their opponents, but even regular emoji users will be tested by the action cards, or their opponents’ ability to challenge them and steal cards, in their quest for a full set.

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com The In the Night Garden Pick ‘n’ Place Wooden Puzzle includes six chunky pieces, each shaped as a different character from the TV show, and is designed for little hands, helping to develop manual dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination skills. Something Special Roll and Play is also ideal for early learning. The plush cube contains a bell which gently sounds when the cube is rolled, and comes complete with 36 activity cards. Children can roll the cube, pick up a card and follow the instructions. Great for either multiplayer or individual play, each card relates to either emotions, numbers, recognition, colours, Makaton signs or activities. As part of a brand-wide refresh, the company’s Something Special portfolio is set to expand further this autumn with the new Mr Tumble Felt Fun. The set comes complete with over 50 colourful felt characters, outfits and accessories to choose from, helping to encourage youngsters to experiment with creative play. The Sooty Mischief and Magic Set features a Sooty hand puppet dressed in a magician’s outfit complete with magic wand, colour changing hanky, whoopee cushion and a booklet.

John Adams 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk Silly Sausage, the speedy reaction game, features three play modes: single, party and turbo. Silly Sausage is suitable for solo or competitive play, and features 10 games. Joining the company’s action games portfolio is Soggy Doggy. Players must race around the board washing Soggy Doggy, but if they get wet when the dog shakes, it’s back to the start. The game includes Soggy Doggy in its bath, a shower attachment, a game board with four game pieces, four tokens and a dice. Also new to the action games portfolio is Splashy the Whale. Players must take turns to remove objects from the whale’s mouth by hooking an object with their fishing rod. Splashy the Whale comes complete with a motorised Splashy, 13 pieces of sea debris and a fishing rod. Rubik’s Spark is the latest introduction to the Rubik’s range. Featuring bubble control, a new dimension of games control which involves no buttons and no touch screen, players control the Spark by tilting and turning the cube to enjoy an interactive experience guided by LED lights. Complete with six interactive games, including Seek & Destroy and Tilt n Zap, Rubik’s Spark features both single player and multiplayer modes. With over 50 years of heritage, Triominos adds a third dimension to the classic game of dominoes. The Triominos range includes Triominos Excel, Triominos Classic De Luxe and Triominos Travel.

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ENTERTAINING JIGSAW PUZZLES

CONTACT YOUR JUMBO SALES REP FOR MORE INFORMATION Jumbo Games, 2 Carters Row, Hatfield Park, Hatfield, UK, AL9 5NB Telephone: 01707-289289

Email: uk.saleshotline@jumbo.eu

www.jumbo.eu

Games & Puzzles

Jumbo Games 01707 289 289 | www.jumbo.eu Jumbo is launching three Bob the Builder jigsaw puzzles this September, focusing on its most popular puzzle formats: 4-in-1 Shaped Puzzles, 9-in-1 Puzzle Bumper Pack and a 35-piece Puzzle Assortment featuring three images for children to build and collect. To support the launch, Jumbo has also produced its Giant Playing Cards, which include four traditional card games. One of Jumbo’s biggest preschool launches this year is the new Peppa Pig Party Time Race Game. The aim of the game is to be the first player to get to Susy Sheep’s party with the invitation card, however there is only one invite and plenty of obstacles along the way. To support the release of Disney’s new movie, Moana, Jumbo will have an offering of jigsaw puzzles available to order from October. The range will include the 4-in-1 Puzzle Box set and an assortment of three Moana-themed puzzles. Jumbo’s adult puzzle range of licensed properties will see new additions from Autumn Watch and Star Trek. The first puzzle in the Autumn Watch range includes a variety of autumnal wildlife photographs and is available in a 1,000-piece format. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, Jumbo has developed two collectible jigsaw puzzles. The 1,000-piece puzzle features commissioned artwork for the anniversary, and the 500-piece puzzle focuses on the most popular TV series of the show: Next Generation.

Hasbro 0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk The Monopoly Ultimate Banking game presents a modern banking version of the Monopoly game, in which Monopoly money is no more. Featuring an Ultimate Banking unit with touch technology, players can instantly buy properties, set rent, and tap their way to fortune. The Ultimate Banking unit also scans the game’s property and event cards, and can boost or crash the market. Now with touch-free technology, the Simon Air game is a different take on the popular Simon game. Players can choose to play solo or with a friend. Either way, the goal of the game is to repeat the light pattern for a long as possible. The Bop It! game features 10 new commands to keep players on their toes. The game uses motion technology to test player’s reaction time. The Pie Face Showdown game brings friends and family together. Once the arm is loaded, two players, side by side, mash the button nearest to them. The suspense builds as players try to get the arm to move toward their opponent, and when it gets too close, it’ll spring up, and that player will get pied. In Speak Out, players try to say different phrases while wearing a mouthpiece that won’t let them shut their mouth. The timer counts down as players try to say phrases.

Kidicraft 01282 505 988 | www.kidicraft.com Autumn Fair will see the launch of a further seven Kidicraft 3D lenticular puzzles, including three Animal Selfies, each with 48 pieces which further enhance the company’s existing range of products, which are all in stock now. One of the features of a Kidicraft’s 3D lenticular puzzle is that each retail box has a fully representative and working magic motion smaller version of the puzzle inside, which can be cut out and framed if required. All of Kidicraft’s puzzles are tested to be safe for children as young as three years. The range features puzzles with 48, 63, 100, 150, and 500-pieces, and the company uses images from both the National Geographic Kids and National Geographic libraries. Kevin Walsh is best known for his nostalgic paintings showcasing old-world British scenes. Kidicraft has six 3D puzzles based on scenes from the artist, including Windsor Castle, the Flying Scotsman, Rail and Canal, Beside the Seaside, The Queen Mary and Down by the River. Howard Robinson’s paintings showcase his love of both domestic and wild animals and birds, and feature everything from puppies and kittens to tigers and macaws.

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Games & Puzzles

Ravensburger 01869 363 800 | www.ravensburger.com Ravensburger’s autumn/winter 3D Puzzle Collection includes 16 new items, including two ranges of original, creative and practical gift ideas. The new range comprises four collectible 3D puzzles, which build into practical items girls can use in their rooms. The 54-piece Pencil Holder measures 9.5cm x 7.5cm, and the 108-piece Jewellery Tree measures 35cm x 15cm x 12cm. The main decorative panel has hanging hooks, and is surrounded by a frame that looks like the branches of a tree. The 216-piece Vanity Box measures 22.5cm x 13cm x 15cm, and to complete the collection there is also the 216-piece Vase. Measuring 24cm in height, this item has a solid water reservoir hidden inside the jigsaw puzzle shell. The 3D Puzzle Collection offers two different designs: Unicorns and Funky Owls. The launch is also being backed with a 450 TVR campaign. Amongst Ravensburger’s new autumn/winter launches is the company’s 20th anniversary edition of its Limited Edition 1,000-piece Christmas puzzle. Four family games included in the company’s TV campaign are: Bugs in the Kitchen, Scotland Yard, Labyrinth and Disney Eye Found It! Bugs in the Kitchen will see players trap the Hexbug by twisting the plastic knives, forks and spoons that form the play arena. Scotland Yard gets players to work together in order to capture the criminal Mr X as he makes his way across London. Winner of many awards, Labyrinth’s moving walls mean that players never get the same game twice, and Disney Eye Found It! has a six-foot long illustrated game board, depicting 12 different Disney Realms.

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Mattel 01628 500 111 | www.mattel.com Mattel is expanding its children’s games category with the launch of the TV advertised Gas Out. Players must be the last player to pass Guster the Gas Cloud without him passing wind. Game-changing Gas Out cards like Skip and Reverse add more fun to the game. Bounce Off sees the launch of the new TV advertised Bounce Off Rock n Rollz, a new version that features a game tray that rocks and rolls. The original Bounce Off game continues this year. Uno sees the new launch of the TV advertised Uno Wild Jackpot. Other Uno classics within the range continue, including Uno Cards, Get Wild and Uno Junior. Scrabble continues to remain a popular choice. A strong range for the full year includes Scrabble Original, Scrabble Junior, Scrabble Travel and Scrabble Deluxe.

Vivid Imaginations 01473 322 000 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk Following the successful launch of Og on the Bog, Shh… Don’t Wake Dad and BBQ Party in autumn/winter 2015, four more games have joined Vivid’s Drumond Park portfolio for autumn/winter 2016. Dig In is the game of instant frantic and finding fun, whilst Stoopido is the game of 1,000 silly faces. Pickin’ Chickens requires players to help Farmer Giles keep his chickens safe from the fox. Also featured will be Crazy Claw, the crazy arcade action game. Additionally, Rapidough is expected to have another strong year, whilst the TV gameshow games, Catchphrase and Family Fortunes, go from strength to strength. For adults, Articulate and Logo are expected to be at the top of the best-seller list once again, driven by strong TV advertising, PR and sampling programmes. Crayola has three new creative games. 3,2,1 Draw! is ideal for on the go fun with a variety of play options in one stow-away set. Scribble Scramble is a team game where players have to guess it before it disappears. The family board game Doodle Delirium is an adventure against time with creative challenges to complete on the Doodle Delirium board, including Paper Mashups, Model Madness, Scribble Riddles and Doodle Dummies.

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Games & Puzzles

Learning Resources 01553 818 062 | www.learningresources.co.uk

Paul Lamond Games 02072 540 100 | www.paul-lamond.com Now available alongside the UK’s first-ever Escape the Room-style party game, Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor, is Dr Gravely’s Retreat. Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway board game is also now in stock, as well as the new Who’s in the Bag 25th Anniversary Edition, with over 850 characters included. More Who’s in the Bag provides more cards for the main game. A new edition to Paul Lamond’s Murder Mystery series is The Diamonds, The Dagger and One Classy Dame, the 10-12 player sequel to The Brie, The Bullet and the Black Cat. There is also a new version of the Gogglebox board game available, as well as new games for all the family including Grabbit, After Dinner Trivia, Headline Charades and Stinky Pig. For younger board game fans, Paul Lamond’s new titles include Don’t Say It, Tyrannosaurus Rex, It’s a Chicken, What’s Up and Charades for Kids. New titles available this autumn also include Dr Eureka, Dalmatian Dominoes, Squeak and Balance Beans. The company has 100 and 250-piece jigsaws available from famous brands such as Jacqueline Wilson, Danger Mouse, Where’s Wally, Scooby Doo, Rainbow Magic and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New to this line-up are three 250-piece Danger Mouse Mystery Puzzles. Paul Lamond also has 24-piece Jumbo Floor Puzzles and 4-in-1 puzzles sets available for Noddy, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Guess How Much I Love You, Dinosaur Roar and Boj.

Learning Resources’ family games for young players will help them learn key skills, from identifying coins and money addition to giving change. All games include the HM Treasury-approved play money. Little Banker is the coin matching and value game. This travel size money bank features realistic illustrations and play money to provide an early introduction to money maths. Two levels of game play focus on coin recognition and addition, while short simple games keep young learners engaged. The game includes one spinner, 70 coins and 50 double-sided game cards. Children can practice identifying and adding coins together with Pocket Money Bingo. Players spin the spinner and develop coin recognition as they identify coins by their artwork. The first player to cover three objects in a row is the winner. The game box includes a game spinner, four bingo cards, play coins and instructions. Buy It Right is the shopping game that encourages financial awareness in young learners. Players set prices, buy and sell items, calculate change and learn place value as they move their player piece along the illustrated game board. It features three skill levels to support continual development. The game includes an illustrated game board, 20 play money notes, 120 plastic coins, four shopping trolley cards, four shopper markers and stands, 40 item cards and three number dice.

Orchard Toys 01953 859 526 | www.orchardtoys.com For parents looking for a game that is both educational and fun, What’s The Time Mr Wolf? is an ideal board game to develop children’s analogue and digital timetelling skills. This time-telling game can be played in two different ways for both younger and more advanced players, first by matching clock hands and then by matching digital and analogue times as children progress. Follow That Car is a transport-themed matching game. The aim is to build a road by matching either the colour, animal or vehicle type. The game also includes other fun cards which can change the layout of the road, from roadblocks to roundabouts. Once Upon a Time is a first jigsaw for younger children. The collection of six three-piece jigsaws features characters from popular tales such as Goldilocks and Red Riding Hood. These wipe-clean, sturdy puzzles are ideal for little hands.

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Games & Puzzles

Puzzles and Play 01354 669 733 | www.puzzlesandplay.co.uk

Premium World 01483 429 119 | www.super11.co.uk Super 11 is the Ultimate Football Strategy Game for players of all ages. Taking on the role of a football manager and guiding a team of 11 footballers on the pitch, players must try to outscore their opponent through dice-rolling and the use of power play cards. Super 11 has quality replay value, as the flexibility of formations and dice-rolling ensures that no two games are ever the same. Super 11 will be exhibited in October at Spiel â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 in Essen and at Kidtropolis in London. Both shows will provide an opportunity to engage with members of the public, and increase awareness of the game, helping to supplement the exposure which Super 11 received during a TV advertising campaign which ran in May, June and August. The Super 11 TV commercial was forecast to be viewed over two million times across the campaign, with the advert being aired on channels with a high percentage of boys as viewers. The Super 11 product range is also expanding in the near future, with a new 5-a-side version of the game in the final stages of development. This version of the game retains all the excitement of Super 11 in a more compact format. With faster game play and a lower price point than the original Super 11 game, Super Five a Side is the ideal gift for younger fans looking for a different football board game.

Puzzles and Play has seen a successful year in the puzzles market with the Eurographics and Castorland ranges. This has been expanded upon since gaining the exclusive distribution of Heye Puzzles in the UK. The Heye range brings humour and cartoons to the market, with images from renowned international artists. Some of the more popular products include Audrey Hepburn, pop-art cycle images and wildlife and landscape panoramas. New to the Heye range is the Puzzle Pad, a jigsaw roll large enough for puzzles with up to 2,000 pieces. The Puzzle Pad measures 147 x 75cm, and is secured with three straps. Creative Educational Aids has been producing educational games for the past 25 years. Its catalogue includes a library of games for early years, pre-school, school age and for the whole family to play together. There is a vast selection of different games in the range, each aimed at developing a key area of development. The game gift packs contain a mix of books, puzzles, board games, colouring books and more. Also new is the Popar Toys range of charts and puzzles, with a digitally enhanced bonus experience. When kids complete the jigsaw puzzle, an added layer of digital information is visible through their smart phone or tablet, just above the puzzle pieces. The range includes a large range of topics from princesses, bugs and the solar system to dinosaurs.

Rummikub 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk The Rummikub range aims to bring people together, offering a variety of different ways to play. In addition to Classic, Travel and Premium versions, John Adams also offers new variations which include Junior, Xpress and Word versions. Classic Rummikub is the original fast-paced family game. In order to win, players must place all of their numbered tiles from their rack onto the table. The game comes complete with 106 plastic tiles, four two-tier racks, eight rack holders and instructions. Aimed at younger players, Rummikub Junior has a simpler format where the aim of the game is to collect as many stars as possible. Stars are awarded when players make a run of tiles or add to an existing run. Rummikub Junior comes complete with 40 tiles, plus a set of star tiles and instructions. The Rummikub collection also offers two player gameplay in the form of Rummikub Xpress, which is designed for players to go head to head, using dice instead of tiles. The object of Rummikub Word is to form the longest words to score the most points. Players must pick up tiles from the draw pool until they are able to place a word onto the table of at least six letters. The Rummikub range will be supported with strong advertising and PR campaigns in the run up to Christmas.

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Games & Puzzles

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.co.uk Leading the way in new releases is Greedy Granny, a new toy that launched last month. The game challenges players to collect each of Granny’s coloured biscuits before she wakes up. The new game will be supported by a heavyweight marketing campaign with TV, cinema advertising, an online video and social and traditional media promotion. Tomy will also celebrate its launch with a Greedy Granny Takeover at Hamleys flagship store on Regent Street early this month. Tomy has further strengthened its existing portfolio by expanding on the success of family favourite Pop Up Pirate, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016. There is also a new travel version, Mini Pop Up Pirate. Following the success of Pop Up Olaf in 2015 is the new autumn/ winter release, Pop Up Darth, which features four sounds effects and Light Saber style swords. To tie it all together, Tomy has unveiled a new house style and refreshed packaging across the range, which also includes Screwball Scramble, Crunching Croc and Mr Mouth.

Tactic Games 01483 332 070 | www.tactic.net Tactic Games has joined ranks with Illumination Entertainment to launch three The Secret Life of Pets games, including a 3D Snakes and Ladders game, Kimble Popping Fun game and Giant Floor Dominoes. The company has plans to TV advertise the range during the third quarter with print adverts to support the campaign. With the party season and Christmas period fast approaching, Tactic Games’ new party games will soon be on shelves and online. They include Colourology, Alias Women Versus Men and Party Draw Out. Colourology is a game of luck and chance in which players relate colours to words. Alias Men Versus Women is a game in which a player can only win if they know how the opposite sex thinks, and Party Draw Out is the party version of Draw Out. The object of the game is still to guess what is being drawn, but there are challenges that have been added to the game such as drawing with the less dominant hand, drawing upside-down and many more.

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Spin Master continues to develop new games for kids and adults in 2016. There are three new games to look out for this autumn including The Wave, The Game About Wikipedia and Bellz. The Wave is a revolutionary hands-free interactive game experience. Players simply wave their hand over the game to control the coloured lights. There are five fast game modes: Join, Remember, Catch, Follow and DJ Mode. The Game About Wikipedia contains three games in one: WikiTrivia, Wiki-Ranks and Disambiguation. Players can collect tokens for correctly answered questions. The player with the most tokens at the end wins. The game contains 300 Wiki Topic Cards, four White Boards, four White Board Markers, 100 Tokens and a Sand Timer. Bellz is a magnetic game that is deceptively simple and challenging at the same time. Players simply open up the travel pouch to reveal 40 bells in four colours and three different sizes, with a magnetic wand. Players can use the magnetic wand to pick up bells, and must collect 10 bells of the same colour to win. Once again Hedbanz will be TV advertised this autumn/winter.

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Games & Puzzles

University Games 0161 686 5520 | www.university-games.co.uk New games include the drawing game, Googly Eyes. With its visual nature, the game will be supported with TV, PR and will also benefit from organic growth on social media through players sharing pictures of their drawings and wearing the glasses. There is also a frantic race against time, with the new Word Has It. Also new is Red Herring, which is based on guessing correct definitions of words and determining the origin of a well-known phrase or saying. Continuing on the success of 5 Second Rule, University Games is launching 5 Second Rule Jr. Featuring the same game mechanics, with questions adapted for children, the game also benefits from TV advertising. The company’s pre-school games are going from strength to strength. In addition to the TV advertised Bunny Jump and Don’t Rock the Boat comes the launch of Yeti in My Spaghetti. Major TV campaigns supporting Googly Eyes, 5 Second Rule, Bunny Jump and Don’t Rock The Boat will run in conjunction with a full PR campaign.

Trends UK 01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk The Megableu range includes titles such as Ghost Hunt Evolution, Alien Mission Evolution and Creepy Hand, all supported by impactful TV campaigns this autumn. New games from Megableu include Giraf’fun. In this board game, players race their giraffes around the jungle to eat fruit, collect a hat and then race back to the finish line. Break Out is a new two player strategy game. Convicts Billy Breakout & Harry Highjump are attempting to scale the prison walls. To assist them, each player has to try to free their prisoner, while foiling the attempts of the other convict. Name That! is a quick thinking word game for the whole family. Packed in a small tin can, Name That! has been featured in The Guardian and Prima magazine as a top travel game for families. Megableu and Trends UK are supporting the existing portfolio of Megableu games and new titles with TV advertising running from summer to Christmas. Wet Head is the water roulette game which has become an internet sensation, with celebrity YouTubers taking the Wet Head challenge, securing millions of views in the UK. The aim of the game is to stay dry for as long as possible. Wearing the water-filled Wet Head hat, wrong answers oblige players to pull out a rod. If they choose the wrong one, the drenching commences. The game comes with a free app with trivia questions and a function to record the getting wet moment and share it on social media. Wet Head is available through Trends UK and Wind Designs.

Trefl 07850 779 797 | www.trefl.com Trefl’s range includes over 500 SKUs in nearly 20 jigsaw puzzles lines. In addition to these, the company also produces board games, playing cards and arts and crafts items. The products are targeted at adults as well as children, and are based on wellknown and popular characters. In the next few weeks, Trefl will be extending its range by two new lines: the 1,000-piece Panorama and the Christmas special edition puzzles. This year, the company has released its new product line, Trefl Little Planet, which is a series of products for children designed to support their development and provide parents with ready-made and well-tried play ideas.

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Games & Puzzles

Re:creation 0118 973 6222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk Recent addition to Re:creation’s portfolio, Who Tooted by Goliath Games is packed with light-hearted fun and toilet humour. Who Tooted has already proven highly successful in the Netherlands, where it achieved Game of the Year status, and in the US where it launched last autumn. The game, which includes mini whoopee cushion-style play pieces, sees players attempt to work out who tooted through guessing and bluffing. Word of mouth and viral online coverage have been instrumental in achieving the results seen overseas, with dozens of YouTube reviews achieving well in excess of one million views. Re:creation will continue to drive awareness throughout the second half of the year with heavyweight TV and ongoing PR, including blogger and vlogger outreach.

Winning Moves 0207 298 9500 | www.winningmoves.co.uk New from Winning Moves this year is Avengers Assemble Top Trumps Match and Disney Princess Top Trumps Match. Also new are Star Wars Top Trumps Quiz, World of Sports Top Trumps Quiz and the World of Animals Top Trumps Quiz, which all feature 500 questions to test knowledge in a long or quick game. The Top Trumps Twist feature also challenges players to remember what they heard just moments ago. The Christmas 500-piece round puzzle from Winning Moves features a Victorian household with toys, food being prepared and a choir singing festive tunes. The 1,000-piece puzzle has the 12 days of Christmas hidden within. Players are challenged to find the calling birds, the French hens and more. The image has been specially commissioned by Waddington’s of London, and will bring a contemporary twist to any traditional Christmas.

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Games & Puzzles

Smart Games

Little Concepts 07870 132 595 | www.littleconcepts.co.uk

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From Little Concepts comes the Avenue Mandarine selection of games and puzzles. The best-selling Pop Up Knight and Dollhouse puzzles continue to be popular. Each puzzle features pop-out pieces, three characters and a magnetic storage box. The Scaled Creatures XL puzzle continues to perform well, with large puzzle pieces that are easy to hold. The Avenue Mandarine card games that were launched earlier this year feature classics such as Snap and Happy Families, putting a new twist on memory and recognition games.

Clementoni 0208 782 1134 | www.clementoni.com Clementoni is expanding its puzzle category with the addition of two of this year’s hottest licences: Trolls and Num Noms. Trolls will feature on a range of Clementoni puzzles which launch in September and will feature the added extras of glitter and velvet. Num Noms, from MGA, is a fast-growing playground phenomenon that lends itself to puzzles. The products will see Clementoni add scents to puzzles for the very first time, in keeping with a key feature of the brand.

This year, 14 new games have been added to Smart Games’ awardwinning range, including new IQ games, premium games and a new compact game format. Children can discover a new world of Asian animals with SmartGames Jungle - Hide & Seek. Featuring 80 multi-level challenges and a double-sided game board, players can complete each challenge by only showing certain animals and hiding the rest. Jungle - Hide & Seek has two games in one, with daytime animals on one side and nocturnal animals on the other. This makes it an educational game that stimulates key cognitive skills, including concentration, visual perception and problem solving.

DKL Marketing 01604 678 780 | www.dkl.co.uk The Scratch range from DKL offers a variety of games and puzzles. Best-sellers include the Magnetic Darts, reversible hanging darts boards which are packaged in tubes. The Magnetic Darts FSDU holds both the small and large sized dartstubes. Also available is the sea-themed Button Puzzle and the Classic Fishing Game, which is packaged in a fish-shaped box. Scratch offers over 30 games and puzzles, all with different designs. Miniland offers a range of On the Go travel games, featuring six fold-away games which include magnetic pieces, with all six packed in a CDU. On the Go boards feature themes such as Crazy Faces and Crazy Zoo.

Marbel 0845 6000 286 | www.marbel.co.uk From Marbel, wooden toy brand Hape has a large range of puzzles. The wooden puzzle collection starts with the entry puzzles and increase in complexity throughout the range. Each puzzle has a different learning outcome and theme which can be anything from letters and numbers to vehicles, pets and a tell the time clock puzzle. There is also a magnetic puzzle range which helps to develop hand eye coordination and motor skills, as these puzzles require the child to guide the magnetic pen around the themed maze. Themes within this range include vehicles, fish and a butterfly.

HTi 01253 775 544 | www.htigroup.co.uk HTi’s in-house games range provides a selection of traditional board, family and strategy games from Draughts, Chess, Ludo and Snakes & Ladders to Bingo & Lotto. The range also includes playing cards and snap cards, as well as compact magnetic compendium travel games that offer four board games in one. HTi’s own Wood Works range of traditionally crafted wooden toy lines includes puzzles. The Wood Works pre-school offering comprises chunky shape sorters, a learning clock, alphabet and number puzzles, dominoes, an abacus, chalkboard and jumbo floor puzzle. Assorted peg puzzles provide little ones with hours of shape sorting fun.

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Feature

Playground Crazes

Pick a pocket or two NPD data shows that the collectibles category in general has shown massive growth in the last year. All sub categories have grown by over 25%, with the biggest boost coming from non-strategy trading cards and collectible stickers, showing improvement of an impressive 136%. Jonika Kinchin finds out why the sector has seen such a boost, and exactly what is it that makes a good craze.

he summer holidays are almost over and parents have been busy making preparations for the new school year. However, school kids have been doing their best to prepare for the playground and their classmates. Products such as stickers, trading cards and pocket money collectibles can help with making friends and developing existing relationships, which is just one of the reasons they are also popular with parents, as well as their attractively low price point. Predicting what will be a hit in the back to school period can be crucial. Evergreen properties and licences do particularly well in schools year on year. Chris Rodman, vice president and group managing director at Topps believes that the sector will see continued growth in brands that were successful last year such as the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Star Wars and WWE. “However, new properties such as the Trolls movie look set to generate massive interest and the success of Pokémon Go will continue to fuel the ongoing success of the trading card game”, he added. Gerard Gourley, co-owner of Toy Hub, told Toy World about how he’s using the Pokémon Go app to encourage more customers in store: “Our store is sandwiched

in between two Pokéstops, and we set off Lures using Toy Hub’s name so that players know that we are involved”, he commented. “Together with social media, this supports our popular trading card events.” With many high profile sporting events this year and a number of new properties released, it’s no surprise that the trading card and sticker sub category has seen such a boost. “It’s been a record breaking year for Euro 2016 stickers which has again reiterated how important this category is for retailers,” commented Mark Hillier, chief executive officer at Click Distribution. “In addition to the Euro Championship we have had some very strongly performing entertainment licences such as Tsum Tsum, Paw Patrol, Shopkins, My Little Pony and WWE. I also think Trolls will be a big hit and we have a great range of pocket money lines that we think will sell in volume”. NPD data shows that the sub category of Playset Dolls and Collectibles grew by 40% YTD Jan – Jun 15 to Jan – Jun 16. Flair expects to see kids return to school in September talking about its new collectibles, with the popular Shopkins range continuing to see impressive growth year on year. Season five has just been launched and has been the strongest and most successful launch yet. The new Shopkins Happy Places range also launched in

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August, while another new Shopkins segment will be launching in October, keeping the momentum going. To complement Shopkins, Flair has also recently launched a collectible aimed at boys: The Grossery Gang. “The range is showing really strong signs of success already,” commented Nic Aldridge, marketing director at Flair. “We also have high hopes for Ooshies, the heroes from DC and Marvel universe that have been ooshed”. One of the main attractions of collectibles is the low price point, and the fact that children can easily carry, swap and play with the items, as well as how doing so requires interaction and communication. Nic believes that the collectible category will always do well because kids love having the opportunity to collect huge ranges, and the price point makes them accessible to everyone. “I think kids also like the degree of mystery of blind bags and the chase to collect the rare characters,” he added. In such a full and competitive category, it can be hard for companies to make something new stand out and catch on as a craze. Ben Harper, UK director at Magic Box believes that what makes a craze successful starts with fun, interesting and innovative products. “A good collectible combines a lot of different qualities – concept, design, rarity, creativity, and play value, to name just a few. However, the very

0330 123 2559 click@clickdistributionuk.com www.clickdistribution.co.uk Trolls Toy World Ad.indd 1

Playground Crazes best crazes have an almost indefinable magic quality that can rarely be predicted”. Whatever the craze is, it is important that children can relate to it. Chris Rodman believes that for a craze to be successful and to endure, there must be a brand that resonates with children because it has a great narrative as well as positive and engaging characters that mean something. “At the same time it has to have the ability to build a large and loyal fan base”, he added. There must be also room for growth, whether with new characters, new outfits or simply refreshed versions. Nic Aldridge is convinced that a range must have a simple concept, which is easy to understand and fun to collect, to make the perfect craze. “The range also has to be easily expandable so fans always have an exciting new release to look forward to,” he added. In a hugely crowded market, each new collectible and craze must stand out and offer something unique, so what are companies doing to make sure their ranges are picked up first? “The product itself is the most important thing”, insists Ben Harper. “It needs to be compelling and engaging so that collectors want to keep collecting more. The range needs to have milestones that collectors can build towards and it must have all-important rare

characters for them to hunt”. Magic Box’s range of Star Monsters has just seen the second series released, and includes a new set of rare characters called Shadow Star Monsters. “We still invest heavily in marketing activities and in September we will be continuing our TV investment, as well as undertaking massive sampling and social media activities. It’s key for us to let the kids know that the new series is here”. Other strategies can successfully attract budding collectors to a range. Last year, Topps ran a series of free collector events which added enormous value to its consumer offering and in the process engaged with over 100,000 of its passionate collectors. “Product development is at the centre of what Topps does, and we will continue to lead the category through innovation and creative execution, not only with our physical sticker albums and trading card products, but also in the digital space,” commented Chris Rodman. “Digital is an area where we have made enormous progress, launching some of the top performing collector apps in the market, with the Kick app for football, Star Wars Card Trader, WWE and many others across iOS and Android devices”. With the number of children that now use smart phones and tablets, maximising digital interaction has

opened more doors for opportunity. As well as digital, social media has become massively important, providing the perfect platform to communicate with fans and consumers. Click Distribution generates a lot of interest in its products through Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. “This is becoming more and more important to us with every launch”, comments Mark Hillier. “We work very closely with our suppliers, from arranging swap events in stores, to placing POS and such”. As one of the leading suppliers in the category, Flair has developed strong marketing techniques and keeps its collectible ranges fresh and regularly updated with new themes, to ensure fans stay loyal. “In the months ahead, we have new surprises coming up which are sure to keep our loyal fans enthused whilst also attracting new collectors, which is essential”, explained Nic. “We are fortunate to be working with design powerhouses such as Moose Enterprise who deliver fresh ideas for their collections time and time again”. Over the next few pages, products from the pocket money collectibles and playground crazes categories are displayed.

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.co.uk Presented in shadow boxes that can be stacked or mounted, Twozies are new collectible babies and pets. There are over 140 different pairs to collect in the range. The Twozies Surprise pack holds one surprise baby and one pet with a shadow box and scene card. Alternatively, the Friends Pack includes three babies and three pets. Throughout the packs, a number of limited edition Twozies can be found including Two Precious Metallic Twozies or Ultra Rare Neon Twozies. Character Options’ Mash’ems and Fash’ems are massing millions of YouTube views. With licences including Marvel Avengers and Batman, children can mash, twist and play with their favourite heroes and villains. Pre-school licences are key with Paw Patrol Mash’ems, and Peppa Pig Mash’ems will be joining the portfolio later this year. Girls are also catered for in the form of Fash’ems, featuring top licences including Disney Princess, My Little Pony and Frozen. Mash’ems and Fash’ems come in a blind capsule displayed in a CDU. The company also offers Squishy Pops, mini characters with tiny sucker bases which can be collected as standalone mini treasures. This autumn sees the launch of Series 3 My Little Pony Squishy Pops. New characters will be available for fans to collect. There are also new Finding Dory Squishy Pops. Dory and Nemo are created in both opaque and crystal versions, and each Squishy Pop is accompanied by a clam-shell display capsule. Single and triple packs are available, as well as a playset.

Corgi 01843 233 500 | www.corgi.co.uk This year Corgi celebrates its 60th anniversary. In 60 years, the company has produced models of virtually every type of car, bus and truck and plane. Some of the most sought-after model cars include the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally Mini Cooper S, the 1966 The Man from U.N.C.L.E’s Thrushbuster Oldsmobile and the 1959-61 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop, with pale green body. Models are in mint condition and come complete with a box. Today, the majority of Corgi cars, trucks and buses are produced as once-only Limited Editions and are often sold out within weeks of release. A range of limited edition anniversary models has been introduced for 2016 to echo the company’s history and heritage. Each of the 60th anniversary models are presented in exclusive 60th anniversary packaging. New anniversary products from the aviation collection include The BAE Hawk RAF Red Arrows, Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 and the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1. These will feature alongside celebrated road vehicles designed to appeal to Corgi fans and collectors alike: Morris Minor 1000 (in distinctive highway yellow), Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico (in diamond white), Rover P6 3500 VIP, Classic and New Routemaster London Transport Bus models, and Eddie Stobart Volvo FH Curtainside Trailer.

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Click Distribution 01604 858 480 | www.clickdistribution.com September boasts a strong line-up for both the sport and entertainment market, with the release of Topps’ Match Attax. Other key releases for September include the Trolls Sticker Collection, which ties in with the film release in the second half of October, the Champions League Sticker Collection, Slam Attax, which is entering its ninth series, Panini’s FIFA 365 Trading Card Game and the Disney Princess Sticker Collection. October will see a range of launches, with Topps’ Trolls Trading Card game and Zuru’s keychains and capsules arriving early on in the month. The Star Wars: Rogue One Trading Card Game also lands early in October and is gearing up for the eagerly anticipated movie release in December. Shopkins’ Sparkle Sticker Collection will be available this month, and Tsum Tsum series two and three will arrive from Zuru alongside blind bags from Jakks Pacific. All products will be supported by strong marketing campaigns, including TV advertising, nationwide sampling, press and social media advertising. In-store activity for a number of releases will consist of POS systems, Swap Shop and demonstration days.

HTi 01253 775 544 | www.htigroup.co.uk

Dracco 0845 365 30 30 | www.dracco.co.uk Dracco is the exclusive distributor to the toy trade of Lego Ninjago Trading Cards, which launches in September. Products available include the 24 count Booster Box Multipack, containing an exclusive card and Starter Pack. The company’s licensed Blind Bags range continues to grow with lines including Care Bears, Charm U, Kitty Club, Kitty in My Pocket, Littlest Pet Shop, the Magiki range, Marvel, My Little Pony, Ooshies, Star Wars and Trolls. Yo-kai! Watch is selling well, with a range of products available including blind bags, feature figures and board games. Following the release of Pokémon Go, Pokémon plush and action figures have been flying off the shelves. Dracco has over 90 lines of toys, plush and action figures with new products being added regularly. The success of Pokémon trading cards continues with Steam Siege Boosters currently in stock. Pre-orders are now being taken for XY12 Evolutions Boosters, Theme Decks, Elite Trainer Boxes and XY 2016 Fall Tins. Yu-Gi-Oh! Mega Tins were released on 1st September and will contain the highest number of variant cards ever included in a tin. Also included are Tournament Legal Egyptian God Cards, which is expected to be the bestselling Yu-Gi-Oh! tin to date. Surprise Eggs and bags are now in stock with licences including Disney, Marvel, Secret Life of Pets, My Little Pony Transformers and many more. With new products added daily, Dracco provides a broad range of bestselling licensed pocket money products. Orders placed before 5pm will be delivered the next working day (UK mainland).

HTi provides an extensive selection of licensed pocket money toy and bubbles ranges, including Disney Princess, Finding Dory, Disney Frozen, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Thomas & Friends, Blaze, Spider-Man Avengers and Star Wars. The firm has also recently signed licence deals for Bing and Shimmer & Shine ranges, which will be available from spring/summer 2017. HTi also offers an extensive portfolio of domestically stocked ranges, from Teamsterz vehicles, Jokes & Gags, Razzle Dazzle and My Princess girls’ gifts to Bubblz, FunSport outdoor toys, Pirates, Knights, Groovy Tunes Music and more. Over 100 new lines are added to ranges every year. All pocket money toy ranges feature fully branded and merchandised packaging and CDUs. Offering a quality range of bubble solution and bubble toys across all value price points, HTi’s licensed and own brand portfolio includes assorted solution bottles, wands, swords, guns and playsets. Teamsterz, HTi’s extensive diecast metal vehicle collectible range, offers high levels of detail, play value and new lines across replica vehicles, from emergency, military and construction themes to city, racings cars and transporters. The new Teamsterz assorted monster trucks provide diecast vehicle play value at pocket money prices.

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Topps Europe 01908 800 100 | www.toppsdirect.com The Match Attax collection returns for its 10th edition in September, including up and coming players and rare cards of Premier League legends. Topps will also be releasing the official UEFA Champions League sticker collection early this month, featuring the top players from Europe’s greatest clubs. The latest instalment of WWE Slam Attax Takeover will also be available from 22nd September. New packs feature a wide range of WWE superstars including John Cena, Roman Reigns and AJ Styles as well as NXT favourites, Finn Bálor and Samoa Joe. Topps’ new Star Wars collectible is a classic trading card collection based on the new Rogue One: A Star Wars Story movie. The new packs feature bios on new characters and villains, as well as introducing overlay cards. Shopkins fans can look forward to a new release in October with the latest sparkle edition, including over 200 stickers with new characters from seasons four and five. New to the Topps brand is a trading card game based on the upcoming DreamWorks film, Trolls. With over 180 cards including colour-me-in and super shiny cards, fans will be treated to starter packs including fun activities for kids to dress up like their favourite Trolls. The collection hits shelves in October, and a sticker collection will also launch on 22nd September. The Topps Festival will also be reaching out to existing and new collectors. With numerous dates and locations across the country, there will be competitions, prizes and activities for kids to enjoy.

Vivid Imaginations 01473 322 000 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk Batch 2 of Fungus Amungus has arrived, with over 100 new sticky figures to collect. Each figure is made from a material that can be stretched, squished and stuck to almost anything. New for this year is the Batch 2 Specimen Collection, Vac Pack and Bio Buster Super Set. The range will be supported with a number of role-play and playset lines including the Toxic Chamber storage container, the ExGERMinator and the Yuck Truck. Fungus will be supported with a heavyweight TV campaign throughout 2016, alongside comprehensive online and digital activity. There are over 60 charms to collect, wear and display in series one of Charm U. The four pack, eight pack and Schoolhouse Playset each come with a bracelet and charm, as well as a quick clip clasp to make adding and removing charms easy. The Charm U Blind Bag is ideal for starting off the Charm U collection. Vivid is also introducing Care Bears Blind Bag Figures this autumn. The collection is made up of 13 Care Bears and Cousins, each measuring around 6cm, including a special sparkly Cheer Bear. Kitty Club carries forward with collectible Blind Bags and Accessory Packs. These collectible kitties have soft flocked fur, blinking eyes and come with interchangeable hat accessories. AniMagic Rescue Hospital will launch series four in autumn/winter 2016, introducing over 40 new figures to collect. Figures are available in both Blind Bags and Collector Packs.

Magic Box Toys 01420 593 593 | www.magicboxint.com Series one of Star Monsters launched in February 2016, and has seen great success and reaction from consumers and retailers. Star Monsters are bright, colourful, tactile and collectible. Each character has been formed from a star that has fallen to earth. The star transforms into a Star Monster, taking shapes and characteristics from the environment it lands in. Star Monsters series two introduces 72 new characters, each with its own personality and origins. They will be available in new transparent crystal colours, as well as regular and essential colours. Series two Mini Capsules and Capsules will also be in the new transparent crystal colours. New rare silver, gold and evolution Star Monsters will be available for collectors to hunt, and series two will include the first-ever Star Monster with Evolution Level 3. A new family of Shadow Star Monsters has arrived for series two. With a special metallic-style finish, the Shadow characters are sure to be highly sought after by collectors. A new and extensive TV and marketing campaign is scheduled to complement the launch of Star Monsters series two commencing on 1st September.

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Creative Toys Company 02086 643 484 | www.soccerstarz.com Creative Toys Company is celebrating the fifth anniversary of SoccerStarz with its SoccerStarz 2017 season mini figure range, launching this month. These 2” collectible licensed mini figures will be available in both foilbags and singlefigure blister packs, and will cover players from the top Premier League and European league clubs. The SoccerStarz 2017 Edition Elite foilbag assortment includes 35 SoccerStarz to collect, with five players in special away kits. 30 single-figure blister packs will include a mini SoccerStarz Top Trumps card.

H Grossman 0141 613 2525 | www.ozbozz.co.uk The success of the Ghostbusters move has fuelled the demand for Grossman’s Ghostbusters Slime, with various movie characters hiding in the green ooze. The Secret Life of Pets has been another summer hit, and Grossman has a full portfolio of pocket money items including flying discs, balls and bubble wands. Alien Eggs and Fizz Pods continue to sell in vast quantities. With the Megasaur Growing Egg available in two sizes, kids can grow their own Megasaur by dropping it in water and watch as it hatches over the next five days. New sand sets allow children to build an indoor castle made from sand. More traditional items such as Gliders are now available in packs of four.

The Smencils collection from the Scentco Scented Stationery line from DKL is a range of scented pencils in various themes, scents, colours and merchandising options. The Breyer Model Horses brand offers a selection of collectibles. The range has plenty to offer with three different model horse collections and three different scale sizes. One of Hama Beads’ most popular lines is the Small Blister Pack which comes in six various themes. Each pack contains a pegboard, ironing paper and enough beads to make three creative designs. Each PlayMais kit contains natural maize pieces which are used to make colourful 2D and 3D creations.

Funrise 01908 555 640 | www.funrise.com Funrise’s Tonka collection of diecast mini vehicles has price points to suit all pockets. The Tonka Diecast Assortment is full of miniature vehicles including a Tow Truck, Steam Roller, SWAT Car and Vintage Bike, to name a few. Kids can act out adventures with the UK Emergency Vehicles Assortment that includes a Fire Engine, Police Car and Ambulance, all of which match the colours and markings of the real-life emergency teams The entire range is created from the traditional Tonka Metal to make them ultra-tough.

Lego 01753 495 000 | www.lego.com The new Lego Minifigures series 16 collection features 16 new characters with accessories. Characters include a Desert Warrior, Penguin Boy, Ice Queen, Spy, Hiker, Boxing Champ, Babysitter, Wildlife Photographer, Cyborg, Dog Show Winner, Spooky Boy, Rogue, a Mariachi and Banana Guy. Each minifigure comes in a sealed mystery bag, together with one or more accessories, plus a display plate, collector’s leaflet and a unique game code that can be used to unlock the included minifigure’s character in the online minifigure game. The range will be available at retailers nationwide from 1st September.

Little Concepts 07870 132 595 | www.littleconcepts.co.uk Dreamt up by a nine-year-old boy who wanted to use stickers to bring his creations to life, BrickStix are reusable, removable and re-stickable decals designed to fit plastic bricks from brands such as Lego and Mega Bloks. Kids can change their Stix as often as they like. The decals are ideal for add-on sales and also for retailers looking to cover the gifting sector. There is also full BrickStix POS support available to retailers.

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Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Based on the popular sketch-based series, Golden Bear’s new Oddbods range has been designed to reflect the fun ethos from the show, with an emphasis on character collectability. The Oddbods Blind Bags each contain one of the 50 different figures in the collection. The blind bag range also includes eight rare figures, plus one rare gold character for kids to collect. Collectible figures are also available in the character figurine pack, which provides a great way for kids to kick-start their Oddbods collection. The pack includes all seven characters: Bubbles, Fuse, Jeff, Newt, Pogo, Slick and Zee. Each character has a unique facial expression to match their personality. The range sits alongside the Oddbods soft toys, which are also available in all seven characters, as well as the Oddbods Face Changers, which come in Fuse or Pogo character options and feature three different facial expressions from the show. The Oddbods toy range will be supported with strong ATL TV and digital activity to year end.

Panini 01604 877 888 | www.clickdistributionuk.com/

Just Play 0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk

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This year Just Play re-introduced Puppy In My Pocket, the detailed puppy and kitty collectibles, to the UK market. With more than 100 miniature puppies to collect, including glitter pups, each soft character has its own name and bio based upon realistic dog breeds. The launch collection for Puppy In My Pocket includes blind bags for the ideal entry level purchase, a Clip-On Pocket Pouch to proudly display puppies on a child’s bag or pencil case, and a soft bag for collectors to take their puppies wherever they go. Kitty In My Pocket will follow next month, with litters of cat breeds with their own collector’s checklist. Sets available in the Kitty range will mirror the Puppy range. The new Lion Guard TV series debuted earlier this year to great success, and Just Play’s master toy range, which launched in July, has already received success with many retailers, selling out in the first few weeks. The Blind Packs also make the ideal entry level purchase in this new collection.

Panini’s UEFA Euro 2016 Sticker Collections have broken previous sales records for a Euro collection. Aided by a strong TV, social media, PR, newspaper and heavy retail campaign, the collection fast became the must-have accompaniment to the tournament, and dominated the toy NPD charts by volume and sales value. Sticker collections such as Finding Dory and The Secret Life of Pets are delivering great sales for retailers over the summer period. The launch of the My Little Pony sticker collection was supported by a heavyweight marketing campaign, and has firmly positioned itself as a top collection for retailers with sales ahead of forecast. The marketing campaign is set to continue to support the collection. Panini’s autumn schedule is packed with new collectible releases including FIFA 365 Stickers and Trading Cards, the new Peppa Pig Sticker Collection and the Dream Big Princesses sticker collection. These launches will be supported with multi-media marketing campaigns which include TV advertising, nationwide sampling, press advertising, magazine cover mounting and key listings at retail.

GP Flair 02086 430 320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Following its launch this summer, the Grossery Gang is establishing itself in the boys’ collectible market. From the world of The Trash Pack, the Grossery Gang parodies popular items kids know and love from their local grocery store. Appealing for its fun, squishy textures and characters, each character is modelled on items that are past their use-by-date. Series one has over 150 Grosseries for children to collect, with rare and limited editions hidden in some packs. Also new from Flair are the Ooshies range of pencils toppers. The toppers include a host of heroes and villains from the world of DC Comics’ Justice League and Disney’s Marvel Heroes. There are over 80 pencil toppers to collect, including rare glow in the dark and titanium Ooshies, as well as goldplated limited editions. The new Shopkins series five charm bracelet is the must-have piece of jewellery for kids this autumn, as they collect five-packs and 12-packs looking for new charms. The charm bracelet can be found in the five-pack, whilst both packs include charms to collect, swap and wear.

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Marbel 0845 6000 286 | www.marbel.co.uk

MGA Entertainment 01616 865 520 | www.mgae.com

Bullyland from Marbel has recently released a new range of collectible Disney Pixar Finding Dory characters. Also available under the Finding Dory licence is a four character gift set, a two character twin pack and a 24-piece assortment POS set. Autumn/winter will see the launch of the popular characters from the new Disney Junior Lion Guard, Disney Fairies and Disney Moana movies. Other licences are available under the Comansi range of collectible figurines. These include Shaun the Sheep, Masha the Bear, Monster High, Care Bears, Spiderman, Turtles, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.

Num Noms series two sees the introduction of new savoury themed treats including Brunch Bunch themed, Pizza Party, Diner Food and Sushi. The range has also been expanded, with Fair Foods and Freezie Pops being added to the collection. Individually scented, each Num and Nom character is full of surprises. Nums are the outer, hollow characters that nestle on top of Noms, which are either scented stamps, motorized or lip glosses. The launch of series two is backed by a major PR, TV and digital campaign, including media activities, brand partnerships, sampling and more.

Schleich 01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com Trends UK 01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk The second wave of Shopkins Kinstructions will be available from October, introducing even more popular Shopkins Kinstructions sets to build and collect. Featuring Mix and Match buildable Shopkins figures and scenery from the best-selling brand, the Shopkins Kinstructions range enables children to build their favourite Shopkins scenes and sets. The Wave 2 collection includes the deluxe supermarket food court, frozen treats stand, food fair truck, baby shop and a bakery. All the sets can be added together to create the ultimate Shopkins world. Trends UK is supporting Shopkins Kinstruction with TV advertising, PR and marketing activity throughout the year, including competitions in magazines such as Shopkins and Sparkleworld.

Tobar 0844 573 4299 | www.tobar.co.uk Tobar’s Noisy Putty is available in five bright colours, and is ideal for pulling pranks. Another favourite is the Squishy Mesh Ball, which is filled with luminous, colour-changing goo. As the netting is squeezed, kids can watch the goo change colour as it pops between the holes. The Twist and Lock Blocks create a whole host of different geometric shapes from the colourful, strung-together wooden blocks. Also available are Silly Socks. Available in a variety of themes, including stripes, toe-socks, Christmas characters and more, these make ideal memorable gifts.

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The Horse Club range from Schleich includes all the favourite breeds, accessories and playsets for children to collect as they build their own horse world. The Dinosaur range has strengthened its offering, with many new dinosaurs to collect including some of the earliest dinosaurs known to man. The Mini Dinosaurs have proved popular and include eight figurines to collect. Further characters will also be available in the DC Comics collection, with Batman V Superman leading, along with Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg. With new branding and point of sale for 2016, all products are presented in the most eye-catching way possible.

I Andy Clempson

Toy industry sales and commercial expert

Follow the Leader

Viewpoint

t has been an incredibly busy time recently for headline writers commenting on the various public leadership contests and high profile personnel changes taking place - Donald Trump vs Hilary Clinton, David Cameron out, Theresa May in, Jeremy Corbyn clinging on and a new England football manager being appointed. This has been accompanied by a whole plethora of claims about what qualities and ideals the people involved will bring to the roles in question. I suppose the toy industry is not really so different from this: people come and go and move around and we all like to read the breaking news e mails and “industry moves” section of Toy World to keep up to date on events. The diverse nature of this industry demonstrates a real variety of different leadership styles and approaches: generally, the cream manages to rise to the top, helping the industry to keep developing positively. Old traditions of leadership involved a “law of the jungle” approach, where the strongest and loudest would be the leader, or the “tribal gathering approach” where the wisest (often aka the oldest) and most experienced would run the show. Nowadays it is different, thank goodness, and is much more about suitability, combining role model and right fit with relevant experience and leadership skills, with the best leaders ready and able to inspire and motivate people to achieve at their highest level. So why is it important to have great leaders in the toy trade? Put simply, because people work for their manager but do their best for a leader. There is a big difference. This philosophy is the same whether you are one of 30,000 employees working for a big company or one of five people in a start-up or smaller concern. Great leaders I have worked with have shown the following traits: • They build and mend relationships, both inside and outside the company. • They have a human side and empathy and understand that people are not machines (Philip Green take note!) • They show innovative and entrepreneurial flair. • They have the ability to stay calm, composed, level headed and positive.

They have ambitious, but reasonable, expectations. They are effective delegators through skill and sound judgement, identifying who should do what. • They have the ability to select and integrate talent to build strong teams. • They can make timely effective decisions based on experience. • They know where they are heading and are able to share their vision, so the team is pulling in the same direction. Effective leaders understand that people need to be working towards a task, and need to feel responsibility as part of a working team, while at the same time needing to be motivated as a unique individual. They also recognise that everyone has the ability to show some selfleadership and not just wait for others i.e. you don’t have to have a title to be a leader. Of course there have also been a few leadership examples along the way that have not been so positive (luckily very few for me.) These have happened when: • the leader starts to get an over-inflated ego and considers themselves above everyone else. • favouritism starts to creep in and the level playing field becomes not so level. • over control and demands lead to loss of team respect. All of these things had a habit of leading to reduced success and the leader moving on to pursue other interests. Fortune Magazine’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders 2016 has Jeff Bezos (CEO Amazon) at number one, with Angela Merkel and Pope Francis both making the top five. (Slightly curiously, Bono, lead singer with U2, is sitting at number 14.) There are no toy industry personnel in the top 50 just yet, but never say never. What this shows is that recognised leadership can come in all shapes, sizes and personalities, which got me wondering whether the BHTA Toy Industry Awards should not start to include an annual category award for Best Leader as voted for by the industry - and of course anyone could be nominated for this. As some intellectual once said, leadership is about action not your position or job title.

t’s been a busy few weeks here at Threepipe, as we have recently completed the acquisition of a SEO agency to widen and improve our digital capability. Essentially, what this allows us to do is better understand what consumers are searching for and then work with our clients to develop content to meet this demand. Creating marketing campaigns with the knowledge of what search trends are on the rise is crucial. Having an insight into what people are searching for on Google, and when, is key to success. Having experts that can help us identify these trends and shape our client content is key, as well as having the ability to distribute the information effectively to the target audience. It has also been an interesting few weeks in terms of experimenting with new social advertising formats for some of our toy and parenting clients. We have been running several highly impactful campaigns using Facebook’s canvas and carousel advertising, which really is a bit of a game changer in terms of allowing brands to showcase the full product experience to parents. The new ad formats allow us to offer a mix of video and photography in a hugely immersive experience that gives parents a huge amount of information about the product before they purchase.

We have also been working with a company that is introducing a new toy range later this year. The company is entering the market behind another one that has already built up a successful social media following across a number of channels including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. We now have the tools available to us to actually target UK consumers that are following this competitor across these social channels. This ability to target people that we know are already interested in this new toy category is a fantastic way of building the brand much more quickly and in a hugely cost effective way. Rewind just a couple of years ago and this really wasn’t as possible on the scale it is now. The social media targeting now available that we can use to grow brands quickly is still being under used by the toy industry. When we meet with toy brands, there is still surprise that these techniques are available to them. Other industries, especially fashion retail, have been doing this for a while now and building businesses very quickly. As we go into planning season for next year, my hope is that marketers within the toy industry put at least a percentage of budget aside to test some of these techniques so their success can be evaluated against the other channels in which they are running their campaigns.

I Jim Hawker

co-founder of Threepipe PR and digital marketing agency.

Right on target

Toy World 82

• •

hat an amazing commercial kicker for the global toy market Pokémon Go is fast becoming: the number one hot topic on Wired.com for the past month. In many ways it is the perfect concept and a much coveted Holy Grail amongst toy & gaming companies alike: a game concept that encourages and rewards activity for kids and adults alike. It is very rare that an app or videogame has a format that mobilises people of all ages and richly rewards movement with content – walk 10,000 steps to hatch an egg…. genius. Before Pokemon Go really got going, available Pokémon product was limited to the legendary trading cards, limited role play items, some basic plush and a few plastics lines. As a gauge to the pre July sentiment on Pokémon, the market leading toy retailer Argos’s Pokémon offer (including Argos Xtra) listed just nine Pokémon products, led by trading cards. This represented just 0.0008%% of the total Argos Toy SKU count. The Pokémon Go Watch, which allows kids to catch the Pokémon without dropping an expensive smartphone down a drain (but still requires a smartphone with the app safely stowed in a pocket), started at an RRP of £19.99 and is now

selling for up to £1,000 on EBay. I am sure that the licensing team at The Pokémon Company are working some serious overtime to satisfy the deal requests from every company imaginable, with multiple toy concepts being pitched. I remember this craze the first time around and the property became over-licensed before the inevitable crash. Pokémon was then so hot that I presented the Christmas plans to my regional retail teams and stated that the top three focus brands for Christmas were Pokémon, Pokémon and Pokémon. Due to the timing of the phenomenon and the duration of the time to market from signing a licensing agreement, product development, manufacturing and shipping, it is unlikely that much product will get delivered this year. I am sure that a range of short lead time items will hit the shelves in time for Christmas. Latent demand and lack of supply for core related products, such as the Go watch, should ensure that this licence stays strong well into 2017 and beyond. Which company will get the licence to develop the pinnacle of related products, the Pokémon Pogo stick with smartphone holder? Remember where you heard it first when it becomes Scottish toy of the year in 2017……

regularly sit in meetings discussing with clients how we best speak to pre-school mums. As a mum myself, of Stanley aged two and a half, I often refer to my own media habits with the acknowledgment that, as a full time working city dweller, I should not be seen as the typical picture of what mums today are all about. But it got me thinking… how “typical” am I? The past decade has bought about vast improvements for mums returning to the work place. Flexible working, combined with increasing financial pressures on the household, has led to a rise in working parents. Comparing the data available on female main shoppers with children under five, there has been a dramatic shift from 2010 where just 16% of this group worked full time, to 2015 where a quarter is now in full time employment. There has been little movement in part time workers so the growth has come from the stay at home segment.

the terrible twos, I resort to fulfilling his needs through either our pre-recorded selection of favourites, turning to Sky On Demand kids content, or failing that searching the various on demand platforms on our internet connected TV including Netflix and Amazon Prime. All this is presuming he has not spotted the iPad, where he will competently browse the various apps and iTunes downloads. This pull away from traditional linear viewing is being fuelled further amongst children by the launch of a raft of child specific content apps in the past 12 months. Instant access to kids’ content is now available through Sky Kids, iPlayer Kids, Disney Life and You Tube Kids and we will no doubt be investing our time and money into these as a household in the next couple of years. Once Stanley is in bed and the household chores are done, I have about an hour of viewing in front of the main set which will be something I have recorded a previous evening and I will more than likely fast forward through the break. If I have forgotten to record I will switch to on demand and often flick through Facebook and WhatsApp to catch up with what my friends have been up to whilst viewing. But what about other online platforms, and whatever happened to women’s mags? Unsurprisingly, after the repeated decline in circulation figures, in 2015 we saw only 11% of mums with underfives agreeing they can’t resist buying a magazine, a fall from 19% in 2010. Inversely, the number agreeing they tend to be influenced by comments and reviews online has grown from under 30% to over 35%. Luckily for us we have several platforms online that allow us to laser target mums by age of child providing the perfect waste free environment to deliver our message effectively. So in reference to my initial questions, how typical am I…? 15% of female main shoppers with a pre-school age child are now full time working, urban dwelling, light viewers of TV. This group are most likely high disposable income households, buying for not only their own children but also for a wealth of friends’ and families’ offspring for the never ending stream of parties. So do not underestimate the potential losses for not adjusting your communications plans to reach the mums like me – we are a growing breed.

But why is this important? Working within the communications industry, our focus is on when and where to reach our target market, so what issues do we encounter in speaking to working mothers? The main pressure is on their time, and the rise of new digital technology providing them with ability to maximise their limited “me time”. Ad skipping and blocking are now commonplace and the end result is a requirement for marketers to act differently in order to cut through. Alongside increases in full time working mums, we have seen a decrease in heavy and medium TV viewers over the past five years. Light TV viewing has increased from 50.5% to 57.4% amongst female main shoppers with children under five. There has also been a dramatic shift in the way they consume their TV content. On demand viewing has moved from 30% of these mums to 65% and recorded viewing from below half to over 70%. To put some context behind the numbers, after a long day at work and nursery Stanley and I spend the last 30 minutes before bath, book and bed watching the TV set. However, far from viewing whatever CBeebies or the commercial counterparts are airing in bedtime hour, Stanley has grown up in a world where he can demand exactly what he wants to watch and when. To avoid any tantrums that accompany

Toy World 83

David Ripley Groupon

Go Pokémon!

Lisa Morgan MD Generation Media

A mum like me…

Viewpoint Mattel is hitting back

Lutz Muller

CEO of Klosters Trading Corporation, a provider of competitive insights in the mass retail space in the USA and Europe.

attel held the Disney Princess licence since 1996 and quite possibly assumed that it would be theirs forever. A couple of things happened to change this situation. One was that, over the years, Mattel had supported Barbie with shelf space at the majors which arguably should have belonged to the Princess range. The second was that Mattel launched Monster High, even though these dolls could reasonably be expected to make inroads into the Princess business – which they of course did. Neither factor escaped Disney’s notice, who slowly and reluctantly came to the conclusion that Disney and Mattel’s objectives for the Princess dolls were in irreconcilable conflict. As a consequence, Disney management sat down with Hasbro in 2013 to see whether it could represent a good alternative. The rest is history – Mattel was told early in 2014 that it was going to lose the Disney Princess/Frozen licence as from January 1, 2016. This piece of news came as a shock to Mattel and led to a fundamental re-evaluation of its business practices. Obviously, heads had to roll and one head was that of their CEO, Brian Stockton, who was fired a year later. At the same time, the remainder of the Mattel management and board decided that major changes both in company culture, as well as in product strategy, were needed to make sure that the company survived. As for the first, Mattel had evolved over the years into a

Mattel

slow moving and bureaucratic entity. For example, the various power centres appeared to be as concerned about what its competitors within the company were doing than what their competitors out in the market place were up to. It appears that the new top management of Mattel forcefully moved to change this and they seem to have succeeded. Friends of mine in the product licensing business tell me that the Mattel people are now much more accessible and the decision makers are much more involved, compared to what was the case only a few years ago. As for the second product-related strategy, two national buyers at top toy retailers tell me that Mattel finally adopted three core directions. One concerned Barbie. The company decided that it was time to refocus on the sort of things that had made the brand great in the first place: innovation, promotion and advertising support. Barbie Princess Power, RockNRoyals, Hello Barbie and the Fashionistas were the result. All indications are that the approach worked and that Barbie has begun to turn around already. The second core strategy was to broaden Fisher-Price’s profile. Until recently the brand had been solely identified with preschool toys. When top management took another look at who really bought the brand and for what purpose, they established that the majority of purchases were made for infants of twelve months and younger. They decided to leverage this further by broadening the product portfolio into areas other than just toys. To this end, Mattel acquired

Hasbro

Studio

Total Box Office WW Most Recent Movie US$ Million

Avator

Fox

2787

Batman

Warner

374

Last Movie Up To 2016

Next Movie After 2016

STUDIO

Total Box Office WW Most Recent Movie US$ million

Last Movie Up To 2016

Next Movie After 2016

10/2018

Ant-Man

Buena Vista

519

7/2015

7/2018

6/2005

Avengers

Buena Vista

1405

5/2015

5/2018 3/2019

Batman vs Superman

Warner

872

3/2016

Captain America

Buena Vista

2878

5/2016

Dark Knight

Warner

1084

7/2012

Dr. Strange*

Buena Vista

500***

11/2016

Fantastic 4

Fox

167

8/2015

G.I Joe

Paramount

375

3/2013

Guardians

Buena Vista

773

8/2014

Fantastic Beasts*

Warner

400***

Fast + Furious*

Universal

788

Ghostbusters

Sony

200**

11/2016 5/2013

4/2019 5/2017

Green Lantern

Warner

219

6/2011

6/2020

Hulk

Universal

263

6/2008

Jurassic*

Universal

1670

6/2015

6/2018

Iron Man

Buena Vista

1215

5/2013

Justice League

Warner

500***

11/2017

Spiderman

Sony

709

5/2014

7/2017

Man of Steel

Warner

668

6/2013

Star Wars

Buena Vista

2068

12/2015

12/2016

Max Steel

Open Road

500***

8/2016

Thor

Buena Vista

644

11/2013

11/2017

Star Trek*

Paramount

250**

7/2016

Transformers

Paramount

1104

6/2014

6/2017

Superman

Warner

391

6/2006

Wolverine

Fox

414

7/2013

3/2017

Tarzan*

Warner

400**

7/2016

Fox

534

5/2016

Wonder Woman*

Warner

500***

Total Box Office

12103

X-Men 6/2017

*acquired in 2016 **Estimate, movie on screen now ***Estimate for future release

Toy World 84

Total Box Office

13568

There’s No Other City Like New York and No Other Show Like Toy Fair! Sproutling, a maker of smart monitors for babies. The company also tried to purchase Mayborn U.K., the maker of Tommee Tippee, one of the most popular baby feeding bottle brands in the world. However, this came to naught since one of China’s largest insurers, Ping An, beat them to the punch. Nevertheless, the strategy is still in place and there will undoubtedly be other efforts to strengthen the Fisher-Price portfolio in the new-born and infant category. The third and most important strategy focused on Hasbro’s core business – action figures. Mattel management embarked on a targeted campaign to establish Mattel as a major force in the action figure category. They recognized that the main engine driving action figure sales was movies targeting preschool children and tweens but they also knew that the major competitive forces they were facing were not only Hasbro as the seller of the toys but also Disney as the provider of these movies. As a result, Mattel focused on movie properties provided by studios other than Disney: Warner, Paramount and Universal. In the case of Warner, it helped that Mattel already had a strong and longstanding relationship with the studio via Batman, Superman and Green Lantern. This effort paid off in terms of three new IPs backed by movies – Fantastic Beasts, Tarzan and Wonder Woman. Mattel’s efforts with Paramount and Universal were even more satisfying, as it managed to wrest two movie properties away from Hasbro – Star Trek and Jurassic World. In addition, it garnered the Fast and Furious licence. There is little doubt that these efforts are continuing and that we shall probably see more changes in the action figure licensing setup in the near future. One way to gauge the importance of a movie licence is to see what box office the movie generated in the past. The two charts to the left show this. This comparison tells us two things: one is that Mattel improved its action figure licence potential this year by 61%, and Hasbro by 4%. The other is that Hasbro’s potential is now ahead of Mattel’s by a mere 13%, whereas the difference last year was 72%. Obviously, box office potency is only one factor influencing the success or failure of an action figure brand. Product quality and the management of the supply chain are equally important and so far, Hasbro has the edge in both. Also, presence on the shelf has a major influence of sell-through and again here, Hasbro beats Mattel handily as the chart below demonstrates:

•More than 1,000 exhibitors •150,000+ products including 7,000 world debuts •4 days, 1 location – in the heart of New York City

Source: Klosters Retailer Panel Incidentally, the 2012 peak in Mattel’s action figure shelf space was a result of the Dark Knight Rises (Batman) movie. However, whilst Mattel’s marketing of action figures this year may still be a little rough around the edges, there is little doubt that the company will get it together and that it will begin to represent a major challenge to Hasbro in the near future.

Saturday-Tuesday, February 18–21, 2017

Toy World 85

www.toyfairny.com

Feature

Pre Xmas TV Advertising

Channelling sales Despite a growing amount of competition from other media outlets, reports indicate that toys and games TV advertising is proving to be incredibly resilient. Clarabel Jones uncovers how the children’s TV ad market is shaping up prior to the Christmas period.

ith digital devices ranking higher on children’s wishlists each year, kids are undoubtedly consuming media in different, and more diverse, ways; but what does this mean for the children’s TV advertising market? Toy World spoke to Arena Azure, specialist media planning and buying agency, to find out how the kids commercial TV market is shaping up this year during the run-up to Christmas. “Despite talk in some quarters that children are no longer watching TV, this is certainly not proving to be the case with younger audiences, where we’ve actually seen increases in viewing numbers,” John-Paul Burke, the company’s head of AV, explained. “The Easter 2016 school holiday period saw a 60% year-on-year increase in TV advertising from the toys and games sector, when measured against a child audience aged 4-9. All in all, demand for children’s airtime pre-Christmas has always been high,

and 2016 will certainly be no different.” Another media planning company sharing Arena Azure’s confidence in the successful future of toys and games TV advertising is Generation Media, which despite noticing a decline in the general advertising market, has seen an increase in toys and games TV advertising spend. “When looking at children’s viewing compared to all forms of TV advertising, there has actually been a year-onyear decline of 2.5%,” Jonathan Chambers, the company’s head of AV trading, told Toy World. “However, year-on-year, children have viewed 26% more toys and games TV advertising. This growth can be attributed to an increase in ad pressure from toys and games advertisers. At the forefront of this growth is Hasbro, already the largest advertiser in the market, which has increased its TV advertising output by 91% year-on-year, meaning it now has a TV advertising market share of 23%. On top of this, in the top 10 toys and games TV advertisers alone, Spin Master increased its total children equivalent TVRs by 279%, and IMC by 110%.

Toy World 86

We must also remember that Panini re-entered the market this spring/summer with significant investment to support its Euro 2016 lines.” Despite this however, Generation Media recognises the shift in viewing habits from TV to other media outlets, and always ensures it’s on top of such developments. “TV now extends beyond the simple set in the home; we now call it AV to encompass sites such as YouTube/ YouTube Kids, Sky Go Kids and content on networks such as Venatus, Playwire and SuperAwesome, which is now responsible for Cartoon Network’s online content,” Jonathan continued. “At Generation Media, when planning a campaign, we take into account what environment best suits the product. TV is extremely efficient in targeting audiences and establishing reach quickly, but we also appreciate that children are viewing content through different devices, and must also be where they are. While eventually new media opportunities will erode budget away from traditional TV, we feel that spend will evolve into an overall AV budget, spanning across

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Pre Xmas TV Advertising multiple platforms.” However, despite this gradual yet inevitable alteration of viewing trends and patterns, JohnPaul believes that television channels catering for a younger demographic are currently performing head and shoulders above the rest: “From what we can see, the younger stations are really seeing growth, with Milkshake, Nick Jr, Nick Jr Too, Tiny Pop and Disney Junior all seeing increases in child audiences aged 4-9,” he explains. “The move from TV comes as children get older and their needs change. From aged eight upwards, kids start to move online and to their mobiles, spending more time there than they do in front of a television. Cartoon Network is holding on tightly to that audience, whereas Nickelodeon and Disney Channel are getting younger.” This is a trend which David Murphy, kids’ controller at CITV, has also noticed, whilst still retaining a high level of optimism about television’s appeal to older children. “Pre-school channels have on the whole all performed well across 2016,” he agrees. “It’s clear that in many households, the youngest child has a lot of control over viewing on the main TV set. However, that’s not to say that older viewing hasn’t remained fairly healthy. It’s now obvious that these kids are using and consuming media across multiple screens, such as tablets and mobile, but what is also clear is that they are using these additional screens whilst continuing to watch TV.” From this then, it would appear that children are not necessarily abandoning their television sets, but are instead stretching their viewing over a number of different platforms, channels and devices. When combined with the recent launches of Pop, Tiny Pop and Kix on Freeview, this further goes to show how the kids’ commercial TV market is becoming busier and more competitive than ever before. “This competition provides a great amount

of choice to kids’ advertisers, enabling them to invest in those channels that help them best reach the most effective target audiences for their products,” David continued. “The vast majority of CITV’s audience still comes from Freeview, allowing us to offer something unique versus those audiences viewing satellite kids’ channels.” Despite Cartoon Network remaining at the top of the tree with the largest share of viewing of 12% year-to-date, Jonathan believes that the channel is now coming under increasing pressure from Pop. “Since moving onto the national Freeview platform in April, Pop has also grown its share to 12%, and in some weeks will actually attract a larger audience than Cartoon Network,” he said. But what effects do platform changes such as these have on viewing patterns as a whole? “Despite the movement in recent times of selected channels onto Freeview platforms, the free-to-air market does not command a greater share of attention than in 2015,” Jonathan continued. “When grouping the Pop, Tiny Pop and Kix Sony channels with the CITV strands and Milkshake, a combined SOCI (share of commercial impacts) of 34% is achieved, with satellite only channels accounting for the remaining percentage. This is the same share as in 2015, when Kix was only available

K’Nex 01189 497 000 | www.knex.co.uk K’Nex is set to invest in a heavyweight multi-channel marketing campaign to bring its range of construction toys to life on TV. The company is committed to offering value for money options, with toys ranging from stocking fillers to big ticket items, and everything in between. K’Nex has scheduled 2,000 TVRs to run during autumn, introducing new additions to key ranges including theme parkthemed sets, Thrill Rides, and K-Force buildable blasters. TV advertising will be supported by a wider marketing programme including digital, print and social media activity. A digital partnership with SuperAwesome will see 3.8 million impressions from August to December, bringing toys to life through fun content including video and games. Social media activity will directly engage parents on the benefits of construction play and the breadth of the range on Facebook and Twitter, while the K’Nex UK PopJam channel will communicate directly with kids using exciting videos and user generated content.

Toy World 88

John Adams

on satellite and Pop was restricted to the City Freeview platform. Therefore, the movement of more channels onto Freeview has only served to cannibalise the share of the free-toair market as oppose to eat into the majority of impacts which are available on the various satellite platforms.” With this in mind, it’s clear that TV advertising for the toys and games sector still holds a great deal of value in allowing toy companies, and retailers, to reach their desired target audience, and long may it continue. Over the next few pages, Toy World presents a range of new and exciting products which will be hitting television screens during this year’s preChristmas period.

TOY WORLD MUST HAVE TOY AD NG OL.pdf

CMY

23/08/2016

10:25

Pre Xmas TV Advertising

Mattel 01628 500 111 | www.mattel.com Barbie will be supported with an increased TV and marketing spend, plus a multi-platform programme for Barbie Star Light Adventure with the Barbie Star Light Adventure Flying RC Hoverboard and the lead character dolls. Further TV campaigns feature Barbie Rainbow Cove Light Show Princess, which will include a playset and horse and carriage from the Barbie Dreamtopia range. Support for Monster High includes the origins story movie, Welcome to Monster High, alongside a TV campaign and sponsorship, with POP supporting Singing Popstar Ari Hauntington and the Photo Boo-th Doll assortment. Mattel’s DC Super Hero Girls range is supported with TV campaigns on key lines, including 12” Action Dolls and the 6” Action Playset and Action Figures, and further TV campaigns will also feature the new My Mini MixieQ’s. Thomas & Friends’ TV advertising and sponsorship includes campaigns for Thomas & Friends Minis Motorised Raceway and My First All Around Sodor playsets. The TrackMaster Thomas Sky-High Bridge Jump set will also be on TV. The Bob the Builder launch continues with TV support for the new RC Super Scoop. Imaginext’s new DC Super Friends Super Hero Flight Gotham City will be another key TV driver, along with the Transforming Batcave and Power Rangers Megazord. Fisher-Price’s character brands will also see TV support. These include Go Jetters Jetpad Playset, Best Friends Bing & Sula Interactive Talking Plush, Octonauts Gup-K and Slimed Octopod, and the Monster Dome playset from Blaze and the Monster Machines. The Hot Wheels range includes TV campaigns for the Ultimate Garage Playset, the Track Builder Power Booster Kit and the Stunt Kit. Disney Pixar’s Cars new Mack Truck Playset will also receive TV support, and Dinotrux will see TV support for Power Revvitt. The Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice TV supported range includes 6” figures of the Epic Strike Batmobile Vehicle, Voice Changer Helmet and the Kryptonite Strike Blaster. WWE Crash Cage Playset, plus the WWE Figure Assortment, will also have TV support.

Funrise 01908 555 640 | www.funrise.com Funrise will deliver a strong TV advertising campaign as it embarks on its new adventure with heritage brand, Tonka. TV advertising is at the core of the marketing drive for Tonka, and substantial TVRs are scheduled to be delivered during October and November in the build-up to the Christmas period. The plan includes 20” and 30” TVCs on key kids’ networks such as Milkshake, Cartoonito and Boomerang. There’s plenty for kids to choose from with the assortment of trucks and vehicles on offer from the classic Tonka steel series and new Climb Over and Emergency Vehicle ranges. A digital plan is also on the agenda with targeted YouTube pre-roll, while further marketing and PR will take place across the entire Tonka collection. This will include a monthly Tonka Tough Mothers blogging programme, which will see rounds of reviews completed by Tonka Brand Ambassadors. Other activity includes kids and parental press outreach, kids’ competitions and YouTube unboxing videos, all of which will heighten awareness of this trusted brand.

Just Play 0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk Just Play is preparing for its first season of pre-Christmas TV advertising in the UK, with strong support for many of its key brands, including The Lion Guard and Puppy Surprise. Since its launch earlier this year, The Lion Guard collection has received a positive response from both retailers and consumers. For the autumn/winter season, the collection will be supported by extensive TV advertising, with more than 1,200 TVRs from August through to December. The Defend the Pride Lands Playset, Leap ‘n’ Roar Kion and the new Training Lair Playset will be the focus of the campaign. Just Play is also the home of Puppy Surprise, which has been supported from its launch in July with its own dedicated TVC. TV advertising, featuring the whole range, will continue to run through to December, delivering over 900 TVRs throughout the period. Just Play will combine these heavyweight campaigns with print and digital activity for an all-encompassing pre-Christmas drive.

Toy World 90

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Character Options 0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.com In the run-up to Christmas, Character Options will deliver another strong marketing plan, with a comprehensive media strategy that includes branded TVCs and high profile sponsorship programmes on key kids’ networks. This autumn has seen the launch of the new girls’ collectible, Twozies. Character put some heavy support behind the launch, which started in August but will continue up until Christmas. The multi-media campaign kicks off with a TV drive with a continued schedule running through to November. There is also a four week sponsorship campaign on Disney Channel delivering additional TVRs during the period. Peppa Pig’s new ranges for autumn will each be driven by individual TV spots. There will be seven different adverts airing during the peak selling period. Character will also begin its pre-Christmas advertising for Teletubbies this autumn. The full range of plush and plastic will star in adverts until the end of November. The brand will be supported further with extensive footage being utilised for retailers’ websites and the brand’s YouTube channel. Snuggles My Dream Puppy from Little Live Pets has a dedicated TVC airing, and along with the rest of the Little Live Pets range, Snuggles will enjoy a CITV sponsorship package from September through to January. Character will also be adding to its advertising schedule with Pom Pom Wow. Following a summer of PR stunts, sampling and digital campaigns, the Pom Pom Wow craze will be driven into December with the aid of TVRs. A new advert for Easy Nails will be on screens from September through to November. Teksta, Qixels, Stretch Armstrong and Cra-Z-Sand will also star feature the small screen as Christmas approaches.

Engino 0800 988 7065 | www.enginotoys.co.uk

Chicco 01214 549 707 | www.chicco.co.uk

Engino kick-starts its Christmas marketing drive with a dedicated TV campaign for its most popular construction toy lines. Starting in the last week in August and running through until December, the campaign will cover key dates over the Christmas period. Engino’s best-selling Inventor range will be the main focus for the campaign. The company will highlight the huge range of models children can build from just one set. The TVRs will be shown on both free and premium children’s channels throughout the UK and Ireland. In the UK, the campaign will be focused mainly on the two most popular channels: Cartoon Network and Pop. In Ireland it will air on Nick Ireland and Nicktoons. Engino has opted to feature full 30-second adverts on the range, with the aim of serving a good introduction to the Engino brand. This TV campaign will be run in conjunction with Engino’s Pay as You Go scheme. This programme presents retailers with the option of stocking a TV-advertised product range with 0% risk and without upfront investment. The idea is simple: the company gives retailers signed up to the programme the ability to only pay for the stock once they have sold it. Retailers will also enjoy a rebate scheme, free POS display and demo models, and online promotion from Engino.

Chicco will be taking to the small screen this November with its new toy range. The company ran its first toy TV advertising campaign in August, showcasing the new Fit ‘n Fun Jungle Rugby and Goal League. Its new pre-Christmas campaign, which begins early November, will also feature Chicco’s first transformable RC car in the pre-school range, RoboChicco. The TV campaign is designed to help bring the toys to life, promoting the features and benefits to consumers and raising awareness of the Chicco brand, just in time for the Christmas period. The 20-second Fit ‘n Fun advert will feature Jungle Rugby and Goal League. There will also be a 10-second advert for RoboChicco. Both will be featured on children’s TV channels, including CITV, Milkshake, NickJR, NickToon, TinyPop, Boom and Cartoonito. Jungle Rugby, a 3-in-1 toy which encourages motor and socializing skills through three different play modes, is new to the Fit ‘n Fun range. RoboChicco is the latest addition to Chicco’s Turbo Team family; the toy converts from a car into a futuristic looking robot in three simple steps. Chicco will also be supporting the TV campaign with a number of social media campaigns and integrated marketing campaigns, including in-store displays and digital advertising.

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Pre Xmas TV Advertising

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear is investing in strong TV advertising campaigns this autumn/ winter to support the extensive digital, print, social media and PR activity already planned. The Twirlywoos line will see new introductions led by Dance-along Peekaboo, which started being TV advertised in July. The Run-along Fun Sounds Twirlywoos are also continuing to be advertised during this time. The Big Red Boat Playset will be promoted via 30-second spots across Q3 and Q4. The new Musical Pinky Ponk from the company’s In the Night Garden range will benefit from additional TV support later in the year, with activity planned from September to December. The Ninky Nonk Musical Activity Train and the Ninky Nonk Track and Train set have been paired together and were advertised throughout August. The company’s new Oddbods range has launched a strong programme of activity with broadcast leading the way. Adverts will run across Kix, Pop, Cartoonito, Boomerang, Cartoon Network and CiTV. The company’s refreshed Mr Tumble Something Special range will have several bursts of TV advertising across kids’ channels with two different adverts focusing on the Mr Tumble’s Fun Sounds Musical Car, Mr Tumble with Lights and Sounds, and Mr Tumble with Fun Tumble Tapp. The new Justin’s House Playset will also have TV support in October. The Night Challenge Raceway will continue to have a presence across Milkshake (Five), Nick Junior, Kix, Pop, Cartoonito, Disney Junior and Disney XD, hitting screens across September and November.

IMC Toys 01904 720 908 | www.imctoys.com IMC has confirmed its autumn/winter 2016 campaign, rapidly increasing investment on 2015. The campaign will focus on Club Petz, Mickey & Minnie, Miles from Tomorrow, BabyWow, Cry Babies and Play Fun games. The company has over 7,000 TVRs planned for its Club Petz feature plush range. Significant investment has been made on Lucy the Dog and Blu Blu the Dolphin, as well as new items Yoyo Panda and Martina the Turtle. Spots lengths vary from 20 second to 10 second adverts. Over 3,400 TVRs have been planned in for Mickey & Minnie. This summer IMC launched its new master toy range, and advertisements are planned on the traditional play patterns of Mickey To the Rescue, Minnie’s Fun Day Sunday and Mickey’s Outdoor Adventure. Spot lengths vary from 10 second to 20 second adverts. Another brand IMC is getting ahead with is Play Fun, having secured over 3,000 TVRs across its new games range, with significant investment going into Turtle Fun, Treasure Detector and Speedy Bin. IMC has also invested in a nine-month sponsorship package, taking place from March to December, which airs out on the Disney Junior channel on weekends from 8am to 12pm. Brands featured in the sponsorship include Club Petz, Cry Babies, Baby Wow and Miles from Tomorrow. Approximately 28 x 10 second IMC idents are shown on the channel every weekend.

GP Flair 0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk Shopkins will lead the way this autumn with extensive TV advertising for the Fashion Spree range, the new Tall Mall playset and the launch of the Chef Club theme. Over 2,500 TVRs will be delivered, in addition to the Cinema Campaign, new webisodes, unboxing videos, retail tours and more. Shopkins Shoppies will also see a style refresh, delivering over 700 TVRs. The Happy Places advert will be broadcast regularly over the next three months. In addition to over 900 G4-9 TVRs, online live action webisodes will play alongside a fully interactive digital campaign. This autumn, Flair is offering girls a new range to support the launch of the Doc McStuffins Toy Hospital series. Airing right up to the key Christmas period, the three key Doc McStuffins items will be TV supported. The range’s hero lines, the Doc Toy Hospital Bag, Toy Hospital Toysponder and Toy Hospital Care Cart, will receive support with over 1,000 CH4-9 TVRs, and the adverts will air in coordination with the new Toy Hospital episodes on Disney Junior. TV adverts for IDO3D Go! Started in July and continue through to Christmas with 900 TVRs. The adverts will be accompanied by permanent in-store POS inclusive of TVs. The new Betty Spaghetty range will also be supported by a new TV spot and over 600 TVRs campaign, while more advertising is scheduled for Pet Parade and U Hugs this autumn. Flair will combine these heavyweight campaigns with print and digital activity.

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Pre Xmas TV Advertising

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Spin Master’s TV and digital campaigns will support its extensive portfolio. TV campaigns for action brands Air Hogs and Spy Gear will feature Switchblade and Zero Gravity Drive, as well as the new Spy Go Action Camera and Video Walkie Talkies. The Meccano campaigns will concentrate on the new Micronoids and the 25 Model Set. Interactive pets Zoomer Chimp and Hedgiez will be the feature of heavyweight campaigns from October through to Christmas, whilst Angry Birds and Secret Life of Pets will be focused on around the time of the DVD launches. The evergreen Hedbanz kids’ game will feature in another TV campaign from October through to Christmas, whilst the Chubby Puppies family and the interactive Brightlings singing doll will be advertised throughout October and November. Spin Master’s range of activities including Sew Cool, Pottery Cool, Build-a-Bear Workshop Stuffing Station, Bunchems, Kinetic Sand and Kinetic Sand Build are all featuring in standalone TV adverts which launched in July and will continue until December. The Paw Patrol range will continue to be advertised until Christmas on lines including the Air Patroller and the new Roll Patrol segment. The Noddy Remote Control Car and Noddy’s House Playset will also feature in its own dedicated spot throughout October and early November. Digital campaigns including pre-roll activity will carry on throughout the last quarter of the year with a focus on Air Hogs, Meccano, Noddy, Zoomer and Paw Patrol.

LeapFrog 01702 200 244 | www.leapfrog.co.uk LeapFrog is ready for an impressive festive season with pre-Christmas advertising campaigns set to showcase its latest launches. LeapStart, the new interactive learning system, kicked off the company’s advertising activity in mid-July with a major TV campaign. The second of four TV bursts began in August, and TV will continue through to the October half-term. 20 and 30-second TV adverts will be placed on key dual viewing channels to target parents and kids alike, whilst a digital campaign will target over 3 million mums on Facebook, supported by organic and dark posts. A huge in-store presence at selected retailers will support the new launch with POS material, demo units and video displays. LeapStart is also receiving a huge PR effort which will continue into October, including ongoing partnerships with Channel Mum and expert advice from parenting expert, Liat Hughes-Joshi. LeapFrog’s learning toys range will receive their fourth consecutive season of TV support with over 1,000 TVRs and three bursts of 30-second TV adverts between September and November. The TV activity will be complemented by a digital display campaign. A PR campaign born out of the brand’s Channel Mum partnership will further support this with video content. Two bursts of 20-second TV commercials will continue to showcase LeapFrog’s family of first tablets for kids and its licensed content. With over 1,000 TVRs planned, this will begin in early October and run through to early December.

John Adams 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk John Adams will be investing in a strong TV advertising programme across all of its key lines this year. Under the Disney Princess banner, the Jelly Stickers Light and Sparkle Nightlight and Projector and the Jelly Stickers Light and Sparkle Fairy Lights will both benefit from TV support, with themed adverts which began airing in August and additional bursts planned for later in the year. The company’s action games will also be featured on TV. Soggy Doggy and Splashy the Whale will feature alongside a refreshed version of the Doh Nutters game. Hero product Silly Sausage will have its own dedicated TV advert, with bursts running from now until December. The Rubik’s Spark also has its own advert which went live in August, highlighting its key features including its unique bubble control, a new dimension of games control which involves no buttons or touch screen. John Adams’ new Sands Alive Glow in the Dark set, which features glow in the dark sand and a UV penlight, will also be a TV focus. Activity started in August. EZee Beads is a range of craft kits which enables children to create beaded models using water. Different sized kits are available at all price points, and the range is being TV advertised throughout the year. Neon Science and Zombie Magic are the latest introductions into the science and magic categories respectively, and will have spurts of TV support from now and December.

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Pre Xmas TV Advertising

Vivid Imaginations 01473 322 000 | www.vividimaginations.co.uk

VTech 01235 555 545 | www.vtech.co.uk VTech will have a strong media prescence throughout autumn/winter 2016 across all popular channels, both with children and parents. With 13 different TV campaigns, eight of which are new creatives, each key range is being showcased. From VTech Baby to the company’s older ranges, the media will span traditional TV, and will also see sponsorships and partnerships, a variety of non-spot activity as well as online presence and PR support. With creatives ranging from just a 2” blipvert up to a 60” brand focus advert, the relevant audiences are captured and engaged. VTech will also have consistent presence on the big screen this autumn/winter, buying into family films such as Finding Dory, The Secret Life of Pets and The BFG, achieving over 950k impressions. With two creatives showing six different products, the commercials have been showing during Kids Club from July, running for three months in total. Kids Club is an ideal opportunity for VTech to showcase its new aspirational products, such as the Kidi Super Star or Kidizoom Selfie Cam. The company also has a strong PR campaign for the new Toot-Toot Friends Enchanted Princess Palace, which will feature an award-winning TV and radio presenter, famous for her time on CBBC, who is to be announced in the next few weeks.

Trends UK 01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk Trends UK is gearing up for the Christmas season with substantial ratings for its brands. Celebrating its first Christmas with the new Peppa Pig ELA toys, the company is running an advert to raise consumer awareness around the launch of the new Peppa Pig range. Leading with the hero item, the Peppa Pig Alphaphonics Campervan, the campaign promotes the full range of Peppa Pig ELAs and the products’ fun learning features to the key parent, present buyer and Peppa Pig fans. The Megableu games will also benefit from heavyweight support with campaigns featuring its 3D action games: Ghost Hunt Evolution, Alien Mission Evolution, Creepy Hand and Giraf’fun. The Discovery Kids Planetarium will star in the TV creative promoting the popular science range. With new branding and STEM logo packaging, the range will be promoted across the key Christmas buying weeks. Science fans will also be treated to the new Fright Factory commercial. Showcasing how to create 3D monsters for spooky tricks, it will appear in time for both Halloween and Christmas audiences. In October, the company will also be introducing Wave 2 construction sets in the popular Shopkins Kinstructions range, adding more sets to collect for Christmas. Trends is also running a TV commercial for the FairyLane Sparkletopia range, targeting creative fans.

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Crayola will ignite children’s love of colour and imagination with nearly 3,000 TVRs across the holiday period. The brand will launch a dedicated TV campaign to support the range of the new Crayola Games, launching this season. Scribble Scramble and Doodle Delirium will be on air from August until December. Crayola will also TV advertise seven other products within the range throughout autumn. Vivid has 15 new TV creatives airing this season across boys, girls, pre-school and outdoor, with 26 campaigns running in total. Campaigns will run across October half-term and into the Christmas season on key brands such as AniMagic, Thunderbirds, Fungus Amungus, Nocto, FlipaZoo, Charm U and Chuckle Ball. AniMagic sees its strongest TV campaign to date with the launch of the new hero item, Ruby & Lottie, alongside Fluffy Goes Walkies and Alfie My Training Puppy. After a successful launch season, batch two of Fungus Amungus will be advertised alongside the Toxic Chamber, ExGERMinator and the Yuck Truck. Other new brands such as Oodlebrites, Zippeeez and PPS will also benefit from TV support. Drumond Park is known as a heavyweight advertiser in the pre-Christmas season, and 2016 will be no different with 16 games on air across the adult, family and children’s portfolio. Strong TV support will drive sales of Articulate and Logo. Rapidough and Wordsearch/Wordsearch Junior will start their campaigns in October, and the 11 children’s games will hit TV screens from August.

Pre Xmas TV Advertising

Brainstorm 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk

Worlds Apart 0800 389 8591 | www.worldsapart.com Showcasing popular brands such as GoGlow and DreamTown, along with completely new brands, Worlds Apart will be TV advertising four of its premiere products this season. The company’s TV campaigns run from the summer through to Christmas, supported by over 2,750 TVRs. The increased investment in TV advertising is a major part of the overarching, integrated marketing campaigns for autumn/winter 2016, which include everything from PR and brand partnerships to PPC, digital marketing and social media advertising. The TV campaign for the new My Little Pony GoGlow Magic has been running since July and will air through to December with 10 and 20 second commercials on Milkshake, Nick Junior, Tiny Pop, Cartoonito, Boomerang, Disney Junior and iNick Junior. SelfieMic also launched with a UK TV campaign in July and will be supported with global TV campaigns for the rest of the year. The autumn/winter campaign consists of 10 and 20 second commercials on Nickelodeon, Pop, Disney Channel and iNick. The multi award-winning DreamTown Rose Petal Cottage will be TV advertised for the second year in a row from October to December on Milkshake, Nick Junior, Tiny Pop, Cartoonito, Boomerang, Disney Junior, iNick Junior. The company’s new active game LimboHop will also continue to be TV advertised throughout the autumn/winter season, following a successful spring/summer TV campaign. 10 and 20 second commercials will air on CitvB, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Disney XD, Disney Channel and iNick.

2016 is seeing a significant increase in TV spend for Brainstorm, and this year the company’s pre-Christmas campaigns will include the new Rocket Projector and Room Guard, RC Illuminated Solar System, and T Rex Projector and Room Guard. The new Addict A Ball and Aqua Dragons will also be featured. The 35cm tall Rocket Projector and Room Guard has 24 space-themed colour images to project onto walls and ceiling. The T-rex Projector and Room Guard has 24 dinosaur images which project onto walls. The product also becomes a room guard and roars every time an unwanted visitor enters a child’s room. The RC Illuminated Solar System includes a sun with eight rotating planets which are operated by a remote-control. Addict A Ball is the 3D maze puzzle with 138 numbered stages of spirals, drops, swinging arms, flips and slides. There are two sizes to choose from. Aqua Dragons are real live aquatic creatures that kids can hatch and grow using Brainstorm’s all-inclusive kits.

Ravensburger 01869 363 800 | www.ravensburger.com Clementoni 0208 782 1134 | www.clementoni.com Clementoni will be launching a heavyweight TV campaign in the lead up to Christmas for the second year running, aimed to generate and drive consumer awareness of the Baby Clementoni and Science and Play ranges. The Baby Clementoni adverts are airing on prime slots on channels such as Nick Junior, Tiny Pop, Cartoonito, Disney Junior and Chanel 5’s Milkshake, with the addition of Nick Junior in the Republic of Ireland. The Science and Play adverts are being shown on top rated channels such as CITV, CITVB, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Nick, Nicktoons, Pop, Boomerang and Cartoon Network.

Ravensburger aims to continue its growth in the games market with a huge 1,535 cumulative TVR campaign, commencing in October and running into December. The company’s autumn/winter 3D Puzzle Collection includes 16 new items, including two ranges of original, creative and practical gift ideas for girls. The launch of the new range is being backed with a 450 TVR campaign, which starts in October and continues through to December. Four family games are included in Ravensburger’s TV campaign: Bugs in the Kitchen, Scotland Yard, Labyrinth and Disney Eye Found It! Bugs in the Kitchen is a fun, fast and frantic game which will be supported with a 440 TVR campaign. Classic strategy game Scotland Yard will star in its own 375 TVR campaign, and award-winning Labyrinth will be backed by a 360 TVR campaign. Lastly, Disney Eye Found It!, which comes complete with a six-foot long game board, will be supported with a 360 TVR campaign.

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Young girls today are fascinated with the global world. For them, travelling is probably a dream for the future, but they want to learn more and experience foreign cultures, landmarks and fashions. During holidays, they buy gifts to remember their adventures and visiting these places is best when you have a friend from that part of the world.

Coupled with the fact that box opening and gifting is on trend, Jakks has developed a collectible line which features a present box as the delivery system, with a surprise friend from around the world inside.

Wave 1 launched in August, featuring 84 dolls from 36 different countries. There are four fashion themes with limited editions to collect - girls can mix and match fashions to create thousands of options. The gift box opens up to revel iconic native scenes from the girl’s country. It folds back up and can be used as a gift box for anything you want. Single pack Gift Em box 3.99 Every girl has her own identity, name and biography 3 Pack Blister 9.99 Includes three Gift Ems dolls - two dolls on show, with one blind-packed doll.

Double Decker Tour Bus 14.99 Seats up to 18 Dolls, the top opens up for more play value. Also includes exclusive bus driver. Hotel & Spa Play set 14.99 This portable playset opens up and can hold eight Gift Ems and their gift boxes. Includes real pool and slide, slide, plus an exclusive Life Guard.

Marketing

Gift Ems will feature in two dedicated TV campaigns. The ﬁrst campaign made its debut in August with heavy weight TVRs to drive the collection. The second campaign will deliver TV support for the Tour Bus and Hotel Spa from September. Running in parallel are social media inﬂuencers, promoting the range via unboxing videos and reviews. The launch of the new Gift Ems app will further engage the target audience and add to the reach of the marketing campaign.

01344 638900 | jakksuk@jakks.net

Update September 2016 Many ways to make a difference

With the Annual Challenge now two months past, and the record amount of fundraising that resulted, the Toy Trust Committee is delighted to bring you up to date with the many ways that industry colleagues and companies have given to the charity, making this year the most impressive yet for fundraising. The fact is that every amount, whether large or small will make a difference. Sometimes the year’s organised events are just not accessible for all and it could be your team is small, not sporty, or geographically it just doesn’t work out. But don’t worry you can still do your bit. Take a look at some of this year’s other donations that will make a huge impact to so many when it comes to allocating donations to the charities. More importantly take a look at where the difference has been made to children across the UK and overseas and feel proud of all your efforts

A personal pledge adds £100,000 to the Toy Trust’s Giving thanks to Richard Beecham Following an unexpected and extremely generous personal donation of £100,000 from toy industry stalwart, Richard Beecham, the Toy Trust has been able to extend is Giving the Gift of Play support to every children’s hospice registered in the UK, in addition to the ten previously announced UK children’s hospices. Foye Pascoe, Chair of the Toy Trust Committee said: “On behalf of the Toy Trust, we are so grateful for this act of generosity which has enabled us to pledge our support to not just 10 but all 23 of the UK’s children’s hospices. Through Richard’s generosity, a lasting legacy will be left with many more children and their families through the Toy Trust’s initiative.” In addition to support for children’s hospices, overseas charity East African Playgrounds (EAP), which is based in Uganda, will receive a grant of £60,000 to go on to build 13 new playgrounds in refugee camps, local early childhood development and nursery centres and government schools in Uganda, also as part of the Giving the Gift of Play theme.

A surprise spring gift from Lego The team at Lego made a more than welcome additional donation of £15,000 in the spring. Emma Owen from Lego commented. “When faced with the pleasant decision of who should benefit from this additional pledge, the Toy Trust was the obvious choice. Our Industry Charity embodies everything that Lego stands for and helping disadvantaged children through play is something we all believe in.”

Re:Creation’s alternative challenge donation Not able to participate in the Big Cambridge Challenge, Re:Creation was inspired by the efforts of all the riders, runners and jumpers to give the gift of play with a generous donation of £2000.

Big Cambridge Challenge Funds Distribution begins

With over £200,000 to distribute to children’s hospices across the UK the Toy Trust is ensuring that a personal delivery is accompanied with each donation where possible. One of the first was delivered on 9th August where Nick Austin and others from the Vivid Team presented a cheque for £5,466 to Chestnut Tree Hospice in Arundel. “We did it the hard way,” said Nick, “we cycled 38 miles over the South Downs to deliver the cheque to Judith Owen Philips Head of Fundraising at the hospice. The monies will be used immediately to purchase new toys and play therapy equipment for the Centre. It was very special to visit personally and see where the Toy Trust support is being brought to life. The Big Challenge has helped thousands of seriously ill children in hospices around the country and all 250+ participants who helped raise the money last month should be very proud of their fundraising achievements.”

Representing the Toy Trust were cyclists John Harper, Simon Gardner , Alan Bennie and Nick Austin

Mattel makes a year end pledge Many companies make additional charitable gifts at the year end and this year the toy trust benefitted when Mattel found an extra £3700.

Take a look at who has benefitted this year.

In addition to the Giving the gift of Play appeal for hospices, here’s a list of what other organisations have benefited from your support this year . Able Child Africa £2,600 * Chance to Grow £1,875 * Children of Fiji £1,500 * Cumbria Wheelchair SC £3,500 * East Lancashire Deaf Society £2,600 * Edlington Community Organisation £1,000 * Kids Club Kampala £3,200 * Lisanelly Regeneration Group £1,000 * Network Community £1,200 * North Kelvin Sports Development Group £1,000 * Pathfield Special School £2,750 * See Beyond Borders UK £2,000 * Sunny Days Children’s Fund £1,000 * Auditory Verbal UK £3,500 * Create Arts Ltd £1,000 * Epilepsy Lifestyle £2,563 * Friends of Chernobyl’s Childern West Leicestershire, £1,050 * Home Start Corby £1,500

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The Puppet Company Ltd. The

Pup Co pet mp any Ltd ÂŽ .

Baby Dragons in Eggs - Now in Stock! We are a UK based Design & Wholesale company supplying over 1000 high quality puppets and soft toys of all shapes and sizes! Have a puppet - Have fun!

www.thepuppetcompany.com Tel: +44 (0) 1462 446040

Feature

Radio Control

Rush hour As we speed into the Radio Control sector’s peak-selling period, Clarabel Jones speaks to suppliers to find out how they plan to maximise the impact of their ranges in the run-up to the all-important festive season.

hether they’re soaring high in the sky or skidding on four wheels, products in the Radio Control category are currently showing no sign of slowing down. One company which is witnessing impressive acceleration first-hand is Spin Master with its core RC brand, Air Hogs. “Despite being a category that traditionally performs better in the second half of the year, the RC vehicles category is in 8.4% value growth versus YTD last year,” Phil Hooper, the company’s UK commercial director, told Toy World. “With peak season still to go, we expect this growth to accelerate further as we head towards Christmas. Air Hogs is well-known for creating products that give children jaw-dropping moments, whilst at the same time being easy-touse, durable and long lasting. 2016 has seen some great examples of this, with the launch of flying RC products that nobody ever thought possible, like the Star Trek Enterprise and the Thunderbird 2.” Following a mesmerising performance on this year’s semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent, drones of all shapes and sizes have been attracting a particularly large amount of attention in recent months. “The biggest news in the RC market has certainly been around drones,” Phil agrees. “Drone racing is taking off, with many drone racing leagues and competitions taking place around the world. This trend engages competitive consumers that want to race in this new sport, and offers drones which are specifically designed for super-fast racing. Also becoming increasingly popular are FPV (first person view) drones, which capitalise on the trend of users wanting to share their experiences on social media and capture their own valuable moments. Both of these drone developments will offer consumers an added dimension to how they’ve seen and used drones up until now.” However, despite their prevalence in the RC market, drones aren’t the only products supplying retailers with sky-high sales. Offering consumers a twist on the traditional format of a Radio Control product is Magformers, a company with a hands-on approach to the category, offering sets which enable children to build their own remote control models from scratch. “All the fun in Magformers’ sets is in the building of the models, and then getting them going,” David Kelly, the company’s managing director explained. “We have had lots of feedback that customers want to find Christmas and birthday presents that will last long after the event, and feedback from grandparents in particular shows that they

Spin Master

welcome the opportunity to spend quality time with their grandchildren. The process of building our models, then playing with them, extends the playtime way beyond an out-of-the-box RC car.” Although not the company’s primary focus, the RC sector is becoming increasingly important for Magformers, with a gap in the market which the company is aiming to fill and build upon. “Around 17% of our total UK product line-up contains RC functionality, but nearly two-thirds of our vehicle sets do,” David continued, “so I expect it to be an area of growth.” Such action-fuelled products are guaranteed to translate well into the retail environment, and many retailers swear by in-store demonstrations as the key to success. Whenever possible, Lee Borastero from Kids Stuff in Wells gets RC products off the shelves and onto the floor: “At Kids Stuff, our RC lines are a consistent product category which sells well all year round, particularly during the Christmas period,” he explained. “We always see the most sales when we get them out of the box; whether it’s the cars scooting around customers’ feet or the drones soaring above the shelves, demonstrating how fun the products can be, both indoors and out, certainly grabs people’s attention.” Bladez Toyz is one company working in the RC sector which understands the importance of

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bringing its products to life in front of customers. After seeing an increasing demand for super nano, entry level toys, the company is currently developing a range of micro sized drones with lower price points, and ranks demonstrations of these products very highly. “At Bladez Toyz, we always advise our retailers to demonstrate our products as much as possible,” said Keiran Peoples, national UK sales manager. “We’ll happily provide samples for this, as there is always a significant rise in sales when this is done across the board.” “A good product demo will often lead to an impulse purchase, and is extremely beneficial to run in the peak Christmas shopping season when consumer footfall is high,” Spin Master’s Phil Hooper added. “An alternative to this is using visual merchandising methods such as LCD screens to display product sizzles, demos and how-to videos to show the products in action and bring them to life in store.” As Christmas inches ever closer, it’s clear to see that companies and retailers working in the RC sector have high hopes for the category. Over the next few pages, Toy World presents a range of new and exciting Radio Control products that will be entering the marketplace in coming months.

Radio Control

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Included in the Air Hogs range, kids can use the remote control to go from racing along the ground to flying through the air in seconds with the high-performance, flight stabilised Switchblade Ground and Air Race Heli. This racing helicopter will be supported by a strong TV campaign. Also new is the Thunderbirds Are Go and the Air Hogs Thunderbird 2 Heli. This real flying, crash resistant Thunderbird 2 is highly maneuverable. Thunderbirds fans will be able to take control and pilot the Thunderbird 2 Virgil Tracy’s heavy-duty transporter within the comfort of their own home. Also coming this autumn is the Air Hogs RC Batmobile. Batman fans will be able to speed from the streets of Gotham City to their home with the Batman V Superman Official Movie Replica RC Batmobile. This authentic 1/24 scale replica features brushed metal detail, mechanical turret and responsive linkage steering. The Batmobile is highly maneuverable, delivering precise and long distance control with 2.4GHz communication. The Batmobile can be easily recharged via its USB rechargeable battery. Completing the Batman collection is Batman’s iconic RC Batwing from Air Hogs. Optimised for outdoor use, this movie replica Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Batwing features 2.4GHz communication for long-range control, rear thruster lights and built-in wheels. The Air Hogs Star Trek U.S.S Enterprise NCC-1701-A RC is a RC drone that offers kids a smooth and stable flight. The drone celebrates the 50th anniversary with authentic styling, real lights and sounds, warp speed capabilities, and a 50th anniversary collector’s display stand. The remote control with 2.4Ghz communication puts kids in the Captain’s chair with long-range, high-performance handling.

Flying Gadgets 0844 209 2626 | www.flyinggadgets.com Flying Gadgets’ new X-Cam, the affordable camera quadcopter comes with a HD camera and return to home controller. The company’s DJI range of quadcopters is also proving to be popular. The brand continues to grow and lead the way in the high tech drone market with the new release of the Phantom4 quadcopter, giving fans multiple satellite GPS and follow me technology. Flying Gadgets’ X-Ultimate is a high-end affordable drone which come with a stable and high quality camera platform, as well as auto-take-off and landing functions, altitude hold, a 5.8ghz live streaming camera and controller adjustable camera position. The camera is ultra-high definition and is also able to take photos and videos which users can see on the inbuilt large screen on the controller. Kids can then download the images from the memory stick. Additionally, the company is continuing to grow its popular range of licensed ride-on cars with a new two-seater mini, BMW motorcycle and new foot to floor Range Rover and Bentley ranges. Flying Gadgets is always seeking to develop its range of quadcopters and radio controlled toys in an ever-evolving market place. The company offers OEM, FOB and small orders.

Bladez Toyz 02392 658 259 | www.bladeztoyz.co.uk Bladez’s collection of RC inflatable characters continues to grow, with more of the worlds’ favourite characters. Designed to be easy to inflate, the products are compact and simple to control. 2.4Ghz engineering also allows up to 20 different RC Inflatables to be controlled together. Cars Hero Lightning McQueen includes the official sounds, and is joined by Olaf, the singing snowman from Frozen. Users can drive Olaf around and will also be able to enjoy his built-in sound effects, which are activated upon impact. The company has also launched RC Inflatable Dory and Nemo to coincide with the summer UK release of Finding Dory. Each character comes complete with sounds and phrases. Bladez Toyz is also launching a new pre-school range for autumn/winter, featuring licences such as Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends and Teletubbies. The range includes RC Inflatables and more. The new releases will be in stock this autumn. The company’s marketing plans for the rest of the year consist of a relaunch of its website and the release of its television adverts in November.

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Simba Smoby UK 01274 765 030 | www.smoby.com/en Simba Smoby UK has two major new licensed ranges of Radio Control toys for 2016. The company’s range has all the major characters from the Disney Pixar Cars franchise. Kids can choose from Lightning McQueen, Mater the Tow Truck or Mack the Truck. The range offers the chance for kids to race their hero Lightning McQueen in a variety of different liveries, from classic red to Carbon Racer grey. The range offers different sizes and features, starting with the 1:32 Single Drive RC McQueen for younger drivers, the 1:24 RC McQueen with turbo function, all the way to the huge 1:16 RC McQueen, which comes with turbo function and drifting action for the more experienced racer. Simba Smoby also brings its RC expertise to the world of Transformers Robots in Disguise, with a range of new products for 2016. Kids can choose from two of the key characters in 1:24 scale, Bumblebee or Sideswipe. Each one comes with lightup underbodies and rims, as well as a turbo function. For those who want the full Transformers experience, the 1:16 RC Rumble Grimlock comes with light and sound, and can change from car to dinosaur while racing. Simba Smoby UK will also be releasing new ranges of Cars and Transformers Radio Control toys next spring/summer to coincide with the movie releases of Cars 3 and Transformers: The Last Knight.

Magformers 08000 385 195 | www.magformers.co.uk Seven boxed sets in Magformers’ vehicle line offer children the opportunity to make their own moving vehicles using the magnetic Magformers pieces, wheels and RC units supplied. On top of this, eight other sets from the company’s 2016 range also boast RC capabilities. New for 2016 is the Crawl Friends Set, which contains 55 pieces. Children can make creatures such as a lizard, caterpillar, turtle, ladybird or puppy and make them walk across the floor with the RC controller. The new Magformers World Adventure Set has 75 pieces and contains key elements from the Magformers Desert Adventure, Sea Adventure, Jungle Adventure and Mountain Adventure sets, enabling all sorts of vehicles and animals to be built. Every Magformers set contains geometric shapes such as triangles, squares and rhomboids which connect easily using the built-in neodymium magnets. The magnets are safely sealed within all the edge surfaces of each Magformers piece, but can spin freely and always connect when two pieces are brought together. The company also has larger STEM and STEAM construction sets containing special pieces such as power blocks, LED lighting, battery packs, compressed air tanks, pistons, pulleys, gears and angled connectors. Although each Magformers set carries an Ideas Book or set cards to demonstrate what can be built, the company’s ethos is built around children training their brains to create their own 2D and 3D structures.

Revell 0845 459 0747 | www.revell.de/en The Revell Control brand is firmly established across all ages with drone developments, a new car brand and a brand extension for pre-schoolers. Drones this autumn include the VR-Quadcopter VR–Shot, which brings users virtual reality flight through smartphones, the Wi-Fi Sensor Quadcopter Innovate, which enables users to avoid collisions in slow flight, the Quadcopter Spot 2.0, which comes with a HD camera, and the high-end Navigator GPS Quadcopter FPV, which comes with return to home and follow me functions. Recent drone releases include the 2.4GHz Nano Quad Cam, the latest evolution of the Nano Quad, now featuring a built-in camera. Its 6-axis gyro provides smooth and stable flight for optimal video quality, and the finished videos and photos can be saved onto the micro SD card. The 2.4GHz Steady Quad Cam has an automatic height setting function and an on-board camera. The current range of drones caters for all ages and abilities, including the Quadcopter BackFlip 3D for advanced pilots, with a 180 degree function to fly upside-down. The first person view drone, WiFi Quadcopter X-Spy 2.0, is upgraded and comes with a camera. On the ground, there is a range of new off-road RC cars, rock crawlers and buggies. Additionally, Revell Control X-treme is launching this autumn, featuring top speeds of up to 25 km/h, single or dual motor rear axle and dust and splash-proof electronics. A range of RC cars and trucks also heralds the launch of Revell Control Junior this autumn.

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Character Options 0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.co.uk Character Options’ Teletubbies Drive and Steer Noo-Noo is easy to use for small hands. Noo-Noo starts with the press of a button, and can be turned left or right with a tilt of the wheel. It also has a reverse and a turbo button for more advanced drivers. Other buttons on the steering wheel play music and sound effects when pressed. The Drive and Steer’s interactive features help teach cause and effect, and develop hand-eye coordination. They also promote directional and spatial awareness.

Chicco 01214 549 707 | www.chicco.co.uk RoboChicco is the latest addition to Chicco’s Turbo Team family and is the first transformable RC car in the pre-school range. The toy converts from a car into a futuristic looking robot in three simple steps. Chicco’s Turbo Team range also includes the RC Fiat 500, Billy Big Wheels, Danny Drift and Johnny Coupe. Chicco will be supporting the launch of RoboChicco with a 10-second TV advert, airing in early November. The company will also be supporting the launch with a number of social media campaigns and integrated marketing campaigns, including in-store displays and digital advertising.

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear’s Go Mini Bash ‘n’ Spin RC Bulldog is based on the Mini Countryman. The easy grip controller makes the car move forwards, and the large Bash button on top of the controller makes it perform donut spins. For added play value, the controller has two further buttons which activate barking sounds and real working headlights. The Kid Tough Remote Control Doug Dumptruck from The My First JCB collection is perfect for the younger pre-schooler. The easy to hold controller activates Doug’s five phrases and a flashing light, and moves the chunky dumptruck forwards or backwards, as well as enabling the vehicle to perform a reverse turn. RC Doug Dumptruck also comes complete with a manual tipping bucket which children can load, transport and empty.

MGA Entertainment 01616 865 520 | www.mgae.com As demand for remote control toys and app-based toys grows stronger, MGA Entertainment is launching new products targeting the RC sector. S.T.E.A.M-focused brand Project Mc2 launched two new Netflix seasons in August, alongside a new product line which aligns with S.T.E.A.M. The new Project Mc2 H20 Remote Control Car comes with working headlights and real steam which comes out of the exhaust. Kids can pop the hood to connect the engine, and can add water to the tank to activate the car. The car can be maneuvered using the easy-to-use remote control. The Bratz Hoverboard comes complete with LED lights, protective gear for the doll and a RC controller.

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FLIGHT, CAMERA, ACTION!

NEW

SPOT 2.0

NANO

STEADY QUAD CAM

Publication:

Revell GmbH, Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Tring, HP23 4QR. For trade enquiries tel: 0845 459 0747, Email: ukbranch@revell.de ©2016 Revell GmbH. A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc. Visit our website: www.revell.de/en

Toy World - RC feature Sept issue

Insert Date:

September Issue

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150

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Signed-off by:

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Date:

15-08-2016

Toys for boys File Name:

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11-08-2016

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Get ready to drive your dream with this Ferrari “LaFerrari” Remote Control Car. Modelled after the real life, super cool car, this replica RC Ferrari is built to scale just like the real thing. Officially licensed by Ferrari, the car has Servo assisted steering with forward, backward, left and right functions, making it a must have remote control boys toy!

Another example of a high quality, highly entertaining RC toy from New York Gift Co. With over 60+ RC cars, toys and gadgets within our range, get in touch to find out more…

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Radio Control

GP Flair 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk Boombot, Flairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multi-talented robot, offers an interactive and responsive experience with eight modes of play: Tarzan, Rumble, Boxing, Tumble, Handstand, Boogie, Zen and a built-in Room Guard ability. The first aim is to train Boombot for battle. From there, he can throw punches when in Rumble mode. In boxing mode, kids can press the button on his back and Boombot will continue to throw punches until they let go. During Tarzan mode, Boombot can perform a swinging action and a front somersault, and in Handstand mode, he will perform a back and front flip. In Boogie mode, Boombot can beatbox and in Zen mode, Boombot will go to sleep. The robot will also watch his ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s domain and guard it from trespassers. Boombot will be launching this autumn. Consumer shows, social media engagement and YouTube videos will be added to a TV campaign.

Little Tikes 0845 053 3333 | www.littletikes.co.uk Little Tikes Wheelz is the new range of fast vehicles to be unveiled by Little Tikes. This line includes the Tyre Twister RC. Easy to use and ideal for a first RC car, children can watch it go back and forth, spinning 360 degrees and doing back flips. Alongside this is the new My First Flyer Helicopter, a helicopter for preschoolers that flies, turns and lands with one-touch control, making it simple to use and an ideal first helicopter for young fliers. Both of these lines will be underpinned by television investment, alongside major PR and social media activities.

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Allegedly

The subject of suppliers forward-buying currency prior to the Brexit vote has been widely discussed and documented, but of course the same applies to retailers: rumours around the trade infer that while some did, others did not and it has been suggested that some of those unfortunate souls may be prevailing on suppliers to ‘help them out’. Given the fact that suppliers have their own challenges to face, I suspect few will feel in a position to be overly generous on that count, leaving the likelihood of significantly reduced margins for those retailers to play around with. As a result, I wonder what effect this will have on pre-Christmas retail promotions. For example, Argos recently ran a ‘3 for 2’ promotion which only lasted for a few days - it felt like it may have been one of the shortest-ever major toy promotions, and one wonders whether the events of the past few months led to a truncated event to protect margin… After two months of deliberating, the CMA (Competition and Market Authority) has finally issued a verdict on VTech’s acquisition of LeapFrog, and the verdict is essentially “Umm, well, maybe - we can’t really decide.” The palpable whiff of prevarication is probably best summed up by the CMA’s statement that “the merger warrants an indepth investigation - unless VTech is able to offer suitable undertakings to address our concerns.” So the ball is now back in VTech’s court to hopefully allay their concerns. I do think it’s fundamentally wrong to make the process so protracted. It’s as if the CMA doesn’t fully understand the speed at which modern business operates. It’s also worth bearing in mind that although this acquisition involves two global players, the UK is the only country which is adopting this position; therefore, if the complaint were somehow to be upheld, the options for a single market are extremely limited and will almost certainly deprive the public of choice, which is exactly the opposite of what the CMA purports to be trying to do. Elsewhere across the globe, the company is getting on with planning for the future: as retailers work so far ahead (and they work further ahead in the UK than just about any other country), drawing this investigation out even further and maintaining uncertainty seems wholly unfair on VTech. Would prices really rise or product quality decline, as the CMA report states as a possibility? Surely either scenario is unlikely, as it would result in lost sales, which is hardly the point of an acquisition. Hopefully common sense will prevail in the end and a definitive decision can be made which

will allow all parties to get on with what they should be getting on with… Steinhoff is rapidly becoming the Arsène Wenger of the retail world, as it continues to fail miserably in its attempts to buy anyone despite seemingly having pots of money at its disposal. After failing in its frankly ludicrous attempt to derail Sainsbury’s bid for Argos, Steinhoff’s bid for Poundland is now in jeopardy after major shareholder Elliot boosted its stake in the retailer, in the belief that Steinhoff’s bid is inadequate. Another company holding out for a better offer is eOne, which reputedly turned down an offer from ITV which valued the business at £1bn. Interesting piece of brinkmanship, I wonder if it will succeed. I heard a salutary tale recently from a company which turned down an eye-wateringly massive offer at the height of its success, only to see its turnover plummet to a fraction of its former value over the following years. I’m not for one moment suggesting that will happen to eOne, but it will be fascinating to see how this saga plays out… Wilko has poached Anthony Houghton, former retail director of Argos retail stores, ahead of what has been described as an “aggressive push into London”. While it will be interesting to see whether this push has any material impact on Wilko’s toy business, which has always struck me as being a trifle undercooked, one wonders whether the appointment also possibly represents the start of the rumoured Argos staff exodus? The government has revealed its plans to tackle childhood obesity, confirming that banning junk food advertising to children is not part of its initial approach. This will come as welcome news to broadcasters and therefore to children’s programme makers and ultimately licensing companies, as it had been widely suggested that a ban would have resulted in a dramatic cut in broadcasters’ budgets, which would have had a huge impact on kids programming. There is, of course, no guarantee that the prospect of a ban won’t be revisited at a later date, but at the moment it’s as you were – for now at least, they’ve kicked the (coke) can down the road… Adrian Leafe left John Crane at the end of September due to a restructuring of the business. Adrian would like to stay in the industry, so if anyone is currently looking for an experienced and knowledgeable national account manager, they can contact him on 07720 275214 or email adrianleafe@gmail.com...

While visiting the company’s head office in Pennsylvania recently, K’Nex’s Eileen Thornton managed to get up close and personal with none other than Hillary and Bill Clinton (not in that way), as these pictures show. It’s not every day that you get to meet a former president and (hopefully) a future president in the course of a days’ work – I’m sure Eileen will dine out on that story for a long time (a whole plane load of passengers returning from Pennsylvania got to hear all about it for starters…). Nice to see Hillary looking as excited as ever in the final picture – let’s hope that’s the expression we get to see her wearing on election night. One nightmare election result is enough for this year thanks.

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