Exciting momentum for Mattel properties

As Mattel prepares to celebrate the big-screen launch of the Barbie movie, Toy World caught up with Jon Spalding, head of Consumer Products UK & EMEA, about the company’s other iconic brands, how its CP slate is shaping up this year, and how its approach to licensing continues to accelerate consumer demand.

How is the relaunch of Monster High shaping up from a licensing perspective?

We are seeing some exciting momentum on Monster High in EMEA. North America launched in October 2022, where it quickly became the biggest launch of the year, and we enjoyed similar momentum in EMEA, with toys arriving in January and Monster High quickly becoming the No. 1 new EMEA doll property launch for 2023.

With the Barbie movie about to launch, what are your hopes and aspirations for the movie tie-in merchandise? Will the film have a halo effect on the brand as a whole?

We’re witnessing an unprecedented moment in Barbie’s history: the highly anticipated launch of the Barbie movie in July. Following the reveal of the trailer, the reaction to cast media appearances and the success of the marketing campaign, we’re seeing significant demand for Barbie across all age groups, from older girls and teens right through to adults. With this in mind, we’ll have an offering for all fans of the Barbie brands. The movie will deliver purpose, epic fashion and irreverent humour, and explore important topics like gender equality – as well as what it means to be human. The momentum provided by Barbie has also provided us with an amazing jumping off point from which we can explore numerous other licensing and franchise opportunities. These will be unveiled in the coming months across various consumer product categories.

Since the very beginning, the Monster High brand has advocated for a more accepting world. This message strongly resonates with consumers, resulting in sales of 150m dolls in over 60 countries. The brand is allowing for even more storytelling opportunities by representing a wide array of body shapes and styles and owing to its strong element of nostalgia and exciting new fan base, we are developing products for all ages. We’ve worked with some world class partners across our priority categoriesHardlines, Dress-Up, Apparel, Home and Publishing – to produce designs that are both fresh and exciting. Our EMEA CP programmes are launching in autumn/winter, with further significant extensions planned across the next two years.

Hot Wheels is another enduring brand which offers great opportunities, both in terms of licensing in and licensing out –what are the main highlights for 2023 and 2024?

Hot Wheels is accelerating as a significant opportunity for consumer products - and as a franchise, it’s never been stronger. 2023 will be a landmark year as we expand into (top secret) content, gaming, live events, publishing and new consumer product launches. We’re seeing a strong appetite in the Kids’ space across Apparel, Home, Toys and FMCG programmes, while in Adult there is untapped potential to turn Hot Wheels into one of the world’s leading brands. From our kidult collector programmes to our collaborations with partners such as Nike, the strength of our brand licensing strategy hac created demand for further acceleration. In 2025, we will see the first ever Hot Wheels live action movie, which will be a pop-culture moment for the brand.

How has the new Fireman Sam series been received, and what are your plans for the brand on the licensing front?

The new Fireman Sam episodes, which launched in December 2022, have heralded a major refresh in terms of content, introducing even more action, new characters and locations, and new ways to tell the story of this beloved evergreen franchise. This is only the beginning: we have in place a three-year plan spanning new content and experiences as well as new partnerships and renewed master toy agreements. With Fireman Sam being such a trusted, evergreen franchise, we have a big responsibility to continue Sam’s journey into the future. In licensing, we will be focusing on driving core Hardlines categories such as Outdoor, Puzzles, Plush, Consumer Electronics and RolePlay, while in Lifestyle there’s a strong plan built around Apparel, Home, FMCG and Stationery.

What are the other highlights you’re looking forward to speaking to licensees and retailers about in Las Vegas?

There’s so much to talk about with our licensees and retailers, from the re-launch of Barney and the opportunities provided by Fisher-Price to the exciting plans we have for Thomas & Friends. And not forgetting the fact that some of our other brands are benefitting from significant investment, including Polly Pocket, Masters of The Universe, Uno, Magic Ball and Matchbox.

Mattel will be exhibiting on Stand R180.