ToyNews Issue 148 March 2014 by Future PLC

No. 148 March 2014

www.toynews-online.biz

Retail Licensing Pre-School Marketing 20 ToyShop UK This month we find out what indie stores took from toy fair season

34 Hatching Tamagotchi Bandai reveals the secret behind an iconic digital pet in Anatomy of a Blockbuster Toy

41 Groundswell Underground Toys on its record year and what lies ahead in the next 12 months

Meet the top women in toys This month, ToyNews launches the first ever Women In Toys power list. Created in association with the Women in Toys organisation, the list celebrates influential leaders, creative individuals and unsung heroes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who happen to be female. Turn to page 24 to see the Top 100 and discover why the industry is no longer a boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; club

52 London calling Our Mystery Shopper heads to the capital to find traditional toys

Thank you A big thank you to exhibitors and visitors to Toy Fair 2014 for making it such a successful show. We look forward to seeing you next year at Olympia 20th-22nd January 2015. Wishing you a prosperous year ahead.

WELCOME

CONTENTS

COMMENT

Regulars

The top women in toys

06 14 15 15 16 18 20 22 72 74

Issue: 148 March 2014

MEET THE TEAM Samantha Loveday Editor Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

Billy Langsworthy Deputy Editor Billy.Langsworthy@intentmedia.co.uk

Robert Hutchins Staff Writer Robert.Hutchins@intentmedia.co.uk

Jodie Holdway Sales Manager Jodie.Holdway@intentmedia.co.uk

Abigail Fanger Senior Production Manager Abigail.Fanger@intentmedia.co.uk

Lisa Carter Publisher Lisa.Carter@intentmedia.co.uk

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 www.toynews-online.biz

News NPD Analysis Campaign of the Month Playtime Industry Movers Industry Opinion Toy Shop UK Good Toy Guide Toy Talk Jon Salisbury

Features 12 News Analysis: US Toy Fair 24 Top 100 Women in Toys 32 Big Interview: WIT 34 Anatomy of a Blockbuster Toy: Tamagotchi Licensing.biz 37 News 41 Supplier Profile: Underground Toys

The UK toy business is full of influential leaders, creative inspirations and unsung heroes – who also happen to be women.

Pre-school (sponsored by VTech Baby) 43 News 44 A Parent Blogger’s View Retail 47 News 49 Retail Advisory Board 50 Recommended 52 Mystery Shopper: London 55 Sector Guide: Outdoor Toys 64 Sector Guide: App Toys 67 Sector Guide: Stickers, Trading & Playing Cards

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations AUDITED CIRCULATION: Average Net Circulation: 6,106 July 2012 to June 2013. ToyNews circulation is 17.5% higher than its closest competitor. ToyNews has 100% named circulation and 0% duplication.

WE’RE DELIGHTED to unveil our first Top Women in Toys listing this month, recognising women from all areas of the UK toy business. Up until fairly recently, the toy industry was very much a male-dominated market, with women mostly claiming the ‘traditionally female’ roles in PR, marketing etc. But as our special feature proves, the UK toy business is full of influential leaders, creative inspirations and unsung heroes – who also happen to be women. And we’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction to the piece from across the industry. We set out to find 50 of the top women in toys; the response we received spurred us on to increase the page-count of the feature and to instead highlight 100 of the market’s female professionals. They represent all parts of the business – marketing and PR, yes, but also managing directors and general managers, sales, licensing, commercial, retail, analysts, toy safety and more. What was particularly pleasing was the camaraderie; the majority of nominations we received were from women suggesting other women to be recognised for their achievements. At the risk of sounding like Germaine Greer, there is clearly something of a sisterhood in the market. And that’s where the Women In Toys association comes in. Established in the US, WIT aims to provide a professional networking base for women and to promote their achievements. Frances Cain, founder of A Girl For All Time, is heading up the UK chapter and epitomises what the organisation – and our feature this month – is all about. She founded her business five years ago, is raising a family and has had some personal battles over the past year. Yet she is passionate about helping other women in the business – voluntarily, and in her ‘spare time’. Cain plans to roll out a series of networking events and workshops over the coming year and, if this Top 100 Women feature – which is in association with the WIT – is anything to go by, she’ll surely have a captive audience. Meanwhile, congratulations to all the women in our first ever Top 100. These are the ambassadors and role-models for the future female leaders of our industry. We salute you. Lisa.Carter@intentmedia.co.uk

ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are: RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Stuart Grant, The Entertainer

Fiona Murray-Young, Toys R Us

www.toynews-online.biz

Andrea Abbis, Argos

Brian Simpson, Toytown

Tom Folliot, Sainsbury’s

Marc Dean, Morrisons

Annalise Quest, Harrods

Steph Strike, Asda

Ian Edmunds, Toymaster

Ben Redhead, Firebox

Steven Bradley, Boots

Helen Gourley, Toy Hub

Miles Penhallow, Play-Room

March 05

NEWS

Asobi steps up a gear with first electric toy line, DMX Racer Launch campaign marks distributor’s first foray into TV advertising By Robert Hutchins

‘Excellent’ year on the cards for Mega Brands First Builders sales up 19 per cent in 2013 Licensed construction exceed expectations More to come in 2014 By Samantha Loveday MEGA BRANDS is expecting another ‘excellent’ year in 2014, having enjoyed stellar success with its Mega Bloks First Builders and licensed construction ranges in 2013. The firm grew its market position from 14th to 12th last year, mainly driven by a strong performance from the Mega Bloks First Builders brand. Not only were sales up 19 per cent, Mega Bloks increased its number one market share in junior construction and enjoyed a record-breaking year with its First Builders 60 Piece Building Bag. In addition to this, Mega Bloks Thomas & Friends saw sales increase over 200 per cent between October and December 2013, compared to 2012. The Call of Duty Collector Construction sets range – launched at the end of the year – also exceeded all expectations and was the fastest growing construction property for November/December. Now, Mega Brands is looking to further build on this in 2014. In its preschool collection, Mega Bloks First Builders has welcomed new additions for spring including the 123 Learning Train, Learning Cubes and Build n Splash Bath Blocks, and this will continue with new product development for the second half of the year. 06 March

The Call of Duty Collector Construction range was the fastest growing construction property for November/December.

Mega Bloks Junior Builders aimed at ages two and upwards also arrives to bolster the offering while for Mega Bloks Thomas & Friends, there will be new Tale of the Brave tent pole tie-in items arriving soon.

with interchangeable armour, while the buildable Call of Duty line with its detail and sophistication will be bolstered with Mob of the Dead and the Zombies TranZit Farm and Heavy Lift Copter.

With our unique portfolio, our aim for 2014 is to drive the growth in junior construction. Peter Fuller, Mega Brands Mega Bloks Barbie will see refreshes with ‘building blocks’ inspired packaging and further opportunities to collect even more figurines and accessories to create the ultimate Barbie world. New items, themes and play patterns will be introduced for AW. New buildable vehicles and play-sets will arrive for Mega Bloks Halo alongside new micro action figures

“Our portfolio is unique and offers something for everyone,” Peter Fuller, European marketing manager at Mega Brands, told ToyNews. “Our aim [for 2014] is to drive the growth in junior construction as we did in 2013. With our new ranges and products, we are very optimistic that we will do this.” Mega Brands: 01844 350 033

ASOBI IS expanding its portfolio with its first electrical toy, DMX Racer. The battery-powered slot cars will launch this June with a campaign also marking the firm’s first foray into TV advertising. DMX Racer uses infrared technology to control and race the vehicles around the track, allowing players to change lanes at any point in the race. But despite the shift to the electrical toy market, Asobi insists that ‘providing inspiring toys for children’ remains at the core of the business. Thierry Bourret, Asobi MD, told ToyNews: “The ethos of the DMX Racer is

DMX Racer cars can change lanes at any point on track.

still very much in line with Asobi’s mission to provide high quality gifts. “While it isn’t a slow toy, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great toy. It is very different from the rest of our portfolio, but it is a high quality gift that is a fantastic toy for family time. Family and quality are two of our most important values.” Asobi: 01628 200 077

Mattel launches Hot Wheels Catch the Gold Car campaign Purchase ten Hot Wheels die-cast cars and receive limited edition gold car By Robert Hutchins MATTEL HAS launched its latest Hot Wheels campaign called Catch the Gold Car, aimed at driving the collectability around its new Go For It brand messaging. Fans of the miniature vehicles can now purchase ten Hot Wheels die-cast cars from any of the four themes: City, Race, Off-Road and Workshop to claim their free limited edition golden car. The campaign - running until July 31st this year - is being supported with an extensive marketing programme including TV advertising and a partnership with a leading

boy’s website featuring an interactive digital game. Further activity includes a digital puzzle-based competition, creative print advertorials with key magazines and a collector poster. Wendy Hill, director of customer marketing and brand communications, Hot Wheels, told ToyNews: “2014 is an exciting year for Hot Wheels with great products, epic storytelling and thrilling experiences.” Further activity is expected to be announced throughout the year. Hill concluded: “The Catch the Gold Car campaign is just the first initiative for the brand.” Mattel: 01628 500 000 www.toynews-online.biz

NEWS

Green Board Education to have 140 products by end of 2014 By Billy Langsworthy GREEN BOARD Education, the educational arm of Green Board Games, is to have a portfolio of at least 140 products by the end of this year. The firm has told ToyNews that it wants to have an expanded range, have secured overseas distribution and received recognition from both retail and the education sector. “We have nearly 120 products within the current range with plans to add at least another 20 this year,” said Sarah Bullivant, head of Green Board Education. “Lead times in the educational sector are longer than the toy and gift markets, so by

the end of 2014 we want to accomplish four things. Firstly, more product innovation. Secondly, we want to have as many listings as possible for catalogues in 2014 and 2015. Thirdly, we are seeking overseas distributors. We signed our first two at Nuremberg last month and we have a lot of leads to follow up. “Finally, we want GBE to be recognised within both the education and the retail sectors as an innovative company, developing fun and educational games that can be played by anyone.” Green Board Education’s portfolio is built around the National Curriculum, and the firm is looking for more

ways to get its games played both in, and outside of, school. Bullivant continued: “We already had a number of distributors within the education sector who really liked what we did and wanted to see even more focus on the product range for teachers. “Our customers are school distributors, however we are always looking for ways to interact with teachers. We have recently hosted the Young Inventor of the Year, and had submissions from school classes.”

And while Green Board Education has been embraced by specialist educational toy shops, the firm hopes that soon all stores will see the benefit

“We hope toy shops will recognise the value that stocking an educational range will bring” of stocking an educational range. “Most shops with the word ‘learning’ in their name buy from us,” added Bullivant. “We are finding more and more toy shops are recognising the importance of education in product design. “Money is fairly tight and parents are actively looking for products that have long-term, multi-level play with a strong educational basis. “We hope that all toy stores will recognise the value that stocking an educational range of products will bring to their business.” Green Board Education: 01494 538 999

Revell makes arts and crafts move Company expands portfolio with introduction of Orbis airbrush system for children in the UK By Samantha Loveday REVELL IS making a foray into the arts and crafts sector in the UK, introducing the Orbis airbrush system for children aged eight and above. Debuting at £49.99, the Orbis Airbrush Power Studio has been updated to include a modern colour combination for the compressor ball, and a new packaging design. The complete set enables users to try out designs on paper, skin and textiles, including ink

cartridges and stencils. In addition, there will also be a Fan Tattoo Set launching ahead of the World Cup, containing various football tattoo stencils and ink cartridges. This will be followed in September by the Tattoo for 2 set featuring ten motifs, each of which is made up of two halves of a stencil. Each child wears half a tattoo and, if you hold the two halves together a whole new motif is formed. The set includes three ink cartridges in black, red and blue, as well as glitter glue in various colours.

A Shirt Maker add-on set will also be available later on in the year. Thomas Randrup, country manager UK and Ireland at Revell, told ToyNews that as the pricing model now fit within UK market expectations it was the right time to launch Orbis. “It is at the premium end of the craft sector which is very evident from the product,” he explained. “Also it is very simple to learn and to use, and the effects can be spectacular.”

Randrup said that Revell will be investigating instore demos to help push the product with selected

partners at key times, as well as PR activity through various media channels. Revell: 01442 890285

NEWS 5 SECOND FACTS

A round up of the latest big numbers, stats and tidbits from the toy business

Over $200m The global Box Office takings for The LEGO Movie three weeks after release.

412,000 sq ft

15,000

76,000

£2,050

The record-breaking exhibition space at Jacob K Javits Convention Centre’s New York Toy Fair 2014.

Number of Meccano pieces used in the creation of the motorbike seen in the BBC’s James May’s Toy Stories.

Number of visitors to Nuremberg 2014, breaking the record set by last year’s event.

Amount raised for the BTHA by the auction of Ed Chapman’s portrait of Marilyn Monroe, created out of Galt products.

OiDroids set for playground success By Billy Langsworthy

‘2013 was transformation year for Coiledspring Games’ Rebranding, new website and catalogue, plus fresh lines help give company an enormous boost By Samantha Loveday COILEDSPRING GAMES has started 2014 on a high – having already achieved the sales targets it had set, a full 12 months early. The firm’s MD, Roger Martin, told ToyNews that 2013 had been a year of transformation for the company, as well as a very successful one sales wise. “We kicked off with a rebranding exercise, speaking to our retail partners about their perception of us, our customer service and our core brand values,” Martin explained. “This was followed by the new website – we’d totally outgrown our old one, and as our professional credentials are well and truly established, we took the opportunity to show our fun side. “The website was swiftly followed by the new 08 March

combined catalogue – our plush, games, puzzles and jigsaws are all at your fingertips now.” In terms of products, key lines included Rory’s Story Cubes, Wrebbit 3D puzzles, Forbidden Desert and Forbidden Island, as well as Polli and Saggo from the Sorgenfresser range.

new dancing game for preschoolers, Move & Groove. The company is also actively looking to sign up new products, as well as recruiting agents as it is keen to increase the face to face time with its retail partners. “We’ve also been really pleased with the sign up

We took the opportunity to show our fun side on the new website. Roger Martin, Coiledspring Games Martin believes that Sorgenfresser is also due for a strong 2014 – key rings are launching in the first half of the year, while a new CDU and spinner are in the pipeline. The firm has also received strong feedback for the Purple Cow pre-stocked CDU and retailers should also keep an eye out for Thinkfun’s

rate for fulfillers on Shopatron – not only do we want more of our retail partners to take up the opportunity we’ll be looking to increase the volume of orders over the year. “And, you never now, we might hit our 2016 target,” Martin concluded. Coiledspring Games: 020 3301 1160

MARBEL BELIEVES its new collectable cardboard robots, OiDroids, can be the next big playground craze to hit the UK. OiDroids are cards that users can build into robots without the need for glue or scissors. Sold in packs of four, each pack retails at £1.99 while bigger packs of 12 sell at £4.99 and party packs of 40 are £14.99. With 96 to collect, Marbel believes OiDroids is destined to be a hit in the playground. “OiDroids are different to the other collectable ranges in the market such as Top Trumps and football cards,” said Marbel marketing executive Stacey Thornton. “Retailers should be excited as they are a low value impulse purchase enabling them

to be sited near tills as they come in a CDU. “Due to their low value we expect them to sell well at retail as they fit within the children’s pocket money category and drive excitement amongst children as they don’t know which robots are inside. “They can also trade them with their friends on the playground in order to acquire the missing rare cards from their collections,” Thornton continued. There is also an OiDroids App which allows users to bring the robots to life and control them via augmented reality. Marbel: 01208 261 264

African Banyan Wari game heads to UK By Billy Langsworthy BANYAN, A company specialising in African and Caribbean heritage products and services, is bringing wooden game Banyan Wari to the UK. Wari is a number, thinking, and strategy game for two players aged seven and above. The game has a rich history in parts of Western Africa, Antigua and Barbados where there are national championships. Eric Pemberton, Banyan director, told ToyNews that UK retailers should start

stocking Banyan Wari as communities are already playing the game across the UK. “Wari is enjoyed by African and African Diaspora communities in Britain and by a growing number of academies, schools and colleges,” he said. Banyan: 0116 273 1434 www.toynews-online.biz

NEWS

‘2014 is the year of the Razor Ride-on’

By Samantha Loveday

Re:creation has high hopes for new Crazy Cart after success at UK and US toy fairs

THE K’NEX UK relaunch has got off to a flying start, with the firm planning to kick off its marketing push, including a new 2,000 TVR TV campaign from July. No one who paid K’Nex a visit at London’s Toy Fair could have missed the ‘Exoskeleton’ constructed of K’Nex. Not only was this a demonstration of the scale of building possibilities the system offers, but also a focal point of the brand’s marketing programme, as it features in the new TV spot. “Our marketing campaign creative is designed to inspire children and embrace the

By Billy Langsworthy RE:CREATION’S RAZOR Crazy Cart won a Toy of the Year award at New York Toy Fair, and the firm believes this will boost its chances of success in the UK. The Crazy Cart arrives in the UK in late summer, and has enjoyed positive press in the US, appearing on the likes of Ellen, Bloomberg and Fox News. “Crazy Cart winning Outdoor Toy of the Year in the US is undoubtedly an awesome achievement for the product,” Katy Fletcher, brand manager at Re:creation, told ToyNews. “The awards are known as the ‘Oscars’ of the industry and to be voted top of the category, is a huge achievement for Razor and Crazy Cart. “Toy of the Year is well recognised in the UK, manufacturers aspire to win an award of this calibre and it’s a great seal of approval that we utilise to pass on to our retail partners and the end user.” Re:creation is ensuring Crazy Cart is well backed in the UK with an extensive marketing campaign, and it has even been approached by TV shows wanting to use the product. The creator, Ali Kermani, was recently in London promoting the Cart. Fletcher continued: “Re:creation has a strong marketing plan in place in the lead-up to this Christmas. This will encompass not only Crazy Cart, but Razor’s entire market leading electric ride-on and scooter portfolio. This will make 2014 the year of the Razor electric ride-on/scooter www.toynews-online.biz

K’Nex kicks off marketing push open-ended creativity that is possible with K’Nex,” Alison Hubbard, K’Nex UK’s head of marketing, told ToyNews. “We’ve taken a new humorous but aspirational approach to our new TV creative and the Exoskeleton creates an eye-catching focus.” The 360-degree marketing programme also features partnerships with third parties including the Bloodhound SCC project. The tie up will also see K’Nex attempt a number of Guinness World Records of its own. The company is also keen to work with retailers through engaging displays. K’Nex: 0118 925 3270

Nuremberg’s British pavilion exceeds expectations by Samantha Loveday

Winning Outdoor Toy of the Year is an awesome achievement. Katy Fletcher, Re:creation and help boost sales across range. “Crazy Cart was in Toys R Us’ top toys for Christmas 2013 and we’ve been inundated with enquiries from consumers asking for UK availability.

“Crazy Cart is a true media darling too where we have been contacted by some major UK TV programmes to have it featured. Watch this space.” Re:creation: 0118 973 6222

THE BRITISH pavilion at this year’s Spielwarenmesse show proved a hit once again, with many firms which took part saying it exceeded expectations. The pavilion had 34 UK companies exhibiting, with a further 66 companies in other halls. Of those 34, 29 have so far confirmed that they will be returning in 2015, with the pavilion also having a waiting list and existing exhibitors wanting to increase their current space allocation. “Based on the feedback so far, 2014 met and in some cases exceeded UK company expectations,” said Stuart Whitehill, account director for the overseas fairs division at UKTI.

The design of the pavilion was also well received by exhibitors, with many saying it made the stands look more open and inviting. Whitehill is now looking at new designs and hopes to have this ready for the launch in May. As for any further changes to the pavilion, an increase in space is top of the wish list. “I would dearly love to have more space, but this is going to be a tall order, especially as Hall 12.0 has the longest waiting list of all the halls at the show,” Whitehill continued. “The pavilion works well and the mixture of companies from the toy/eduplay/hobby and craft sectors works well.” UKTI: 01564 784999 March 09

TOY FAIR VERDICT

Strong feedback for ‘lively’ Toy Fair Visitor numbers up, says organiser Expanded show floor praised New look awards applauded by Samantha Loveday THE TRADE has given a rousing thumbs up to this year’s Toy Fair, with exhibitors and visitors praising the larger show floor, use of space and optimistic atmosphere. The BTHA told ToyNews that it was very pleased with how the event went and thanked the exhibitors for their efforts in creating such a ‘visually fantastic and lively’ show.

was broadcast on 23 screens around the show, including café areas, and was also streamed live through the Toy Fair website.” At time of writing, Pilling said that there had been about 18 per cent uptake on re-signings, which was higher than at the same point last year. However, he expected this to increase as the rebooking deadline of March 31st approaches. While the majority of feedback ToyNews received

A particular highlight was Toy Fair TV, which we expanded for the first time to cover all three days. Simon Pilling, Toy Fair “Other than the success of the newly expanded Upper West Hall and the positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors, a particular highlight was Toy Fair TV which we expanded for the first time to cover the full three days, giving all exhibitors the opportunity to broadcast live from their own stand and also to showcase their products through the popular Demo Zone,” Simon Pilling, head of Toy Fair operations and sales, told ToyNews. “This offered extra exposure as the footage

on the show was positive, a few exhibitors did raise concerns about it feeling quieter than in previous years. However, Pilling confirmed that visitor numbers were actually slightly higher than in 2013. “The increased footprint likely accounted for the reason some people may have felt the fair was slightly quieter. However, we have received a significant amount of feedback about the quality of visitors present this year which is always a priority for Toy Fair.”

Pilling went on to say that while there were no immediate plans for major expansion, the team would continue to discuss all options and for 2015 will be making use of some existing storage areas to create extra stand space. There was praise, too, for the revamped Toy Industry Awards, which were held at the Science Museum. “The Museum is a great venue and will be hard to beat next year,” said Drumond Park co-founder

Claire McCool, and Orchard Toys’ sales director Simon Prest concurred. Prest said: “The awards night was a significant improvement on the previous year. The venue was stunning and gave a good opportunity to catch up with colleagues in the industry. Many people stayed on after the awards, which meant some valuable networking took place. However, I believe the awards ceremony itself could benefit from an injection of fun and theatre.”

TOY INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS 2013 Independent Toy Retailer of the Year: Ramsdens Superstore Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 5 stores): Cuthberts Toys Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 30 stores): SMF Toytown Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (over 30 stores): Smyths Toys General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year: Bentalls (Part of Fenwick Group) Online Toy Retailer of the Year: Shop Direct Judges’ Special Recognition Award: Argos Overall Toy Retailer of the Year: Bentalls (Part of Fenwick Group) Collectable: Robofish by Zuru, Geemac Action: Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18, Hasbro Construction: Friends Dolphin Cruiser, LEGO Pre-School: Toot-Toot Drivers Train Station, Vtech Pre-School Licence: Doc McStuffins Doctor's Bag Set, Flair Action Game: Gooey Louie, John Adams Board Game: Monopoly Empire, Hasbro Innovative Toy of the Year: Furby Boom! Hasbro Outdoor: Smart Trike, Mookie Fashion Doll: Monster High 13 Wishes Dolls, Mattel Lifestyle: ChillFactor Squeeze Cup Slushy Maker, Character Options Supplier of the Year: John Adams Leisure Toy of the Year: Teksta Robotic Puppy, Character Options 10 March

www.toynews-online.biz

TOY FAIR VERDICT

THE INDUSTRY’S VIEW Christine Nicholls, Vice Chairman & Director of Product Development, Golden Bear “We feel that overall this year’s Toy Fair was better than last year. The aisles seemed busy and visitors to our stand exceeded last year’s numbers.” Claire McCool, Marketing Director, Drumond Park “We took a much bigger stand this year and moved upstairs to the gallery – which worked very well and we all had a great time. The three days were very busy – the numbers of people coming to our stand seemingly go up each year.” Simon Prest, Sales Director, Orchard Toys “Overall the show felt a little quieter than in previous years. However, we still saw many existing and new customers and order take was good. I think generally the mood of the show was far more optimistic and positive about the year ahead. The awards night was a significant improvement on the previous year.” Paul Fogarty, MD, K’Nex UK “It was definitely better than previous years in my view. The new gallery area expansion worked very well and we saw increased footfall as a result.” Trudi Bishop, Head of Marketing & Licensing, Cartamundi “It was better than last year, more vibrant and with a better buzz about it. There was a more positive air about visitors and exhibitors. A part of me is wondering if it should go into a half day on the Friday.” Frances Cain, MD, A Girl for All Time “For us it was a fantastic show and is the best we have had yet. We were really happy with the quantity and quality of people to the www.toynews-online.biz

stand, very serious potential new clients this year and orders have already started to come in.” Lisa Dower, Trade Marketing Manager, Rainbow Designs “We had our best Toy Fair ever this year, we had a new stand location which worked well for us and more prebooked appointments with key and national accounts than previous years.” Rachael Wyatt, Marketing Manager, Coiledspring Games “There did seem to be more of a buzz this year and everyone we spoke to seemed confident about 2014. Sorgenfresser being voted best toy in show in the Editors’ Choice award was a highlight, followed by the fantastic press coverage we received as a result of that.” Thierry Bourret, Founder, Asobi “We were just overwhelmed with the success of Toy Fair 2014. We had a much better location this year and this made a big difference as the amount of traffic we had was incredible. It was our biggest show yet.” Martin Grossman, MD, H. Grossman “[This year] was much better; the customers who made appointments came to see us. There was a really good turnout on our stand. We were very pleased. The highlight of the show was without doubt Despicable Me and, surprisingly, a massive interest in our Mr Men range.”

year on year. I think the stands should be encouraged to be more open. We offer an open stand, whereas many of the other bigger stands are very closed off and possibly unwelcoming.” Vicki Elmer, Product Manager/ Media Planner, Bandai “We enjoyed our first Toy Fair in our new location upstairs and were happy to hear all the lovely compliments about our new look stand.” Mark Hunt, Brand Manager, Character Options “It was clear the level of support the show received from the industry was strong and our stand was equally busy as previous years, if not more. To win Toy of the Year with Teksta was the highlight of our week.” Shaun Delaney, MD, SJD Games “This was SJD’s first Toy Fair and the amount of positive responses and general interest was huge.” David Allan, Sales & Marketing Director, DKL “Toy Fair 2014, as always, was so well organised and a must attend event. I saw our current customers, new customers and customers from new business areas, so overall it was a success.”

Malcolm Evans, Founder, Kids@Play “I thought it was better than last year and I was very pleased with the quality of visitors. I would like to see it remain at three days.”

Lindsay Hardy, Marketing Services Director, Flair “This year you could really feel the optimism in the air. I think this was quite widespread and the atmosphere was more effervescent than previous years. The gap between New Year and Toy Fair needs to be a bit longer to fit in all the preparation.”

Katy Fletcher, Brand Manager, Re:creation “This year’s Toy Fair was excellent, so much fun and I think it’s getting stronger

Katherine Pierce, Marketing Manager, Jumbo Games

“The overall set up of Toy Fair this year was great and it was really well organised. We had a successful show with great press turnout and trade interest.” Marian Trench, Sales & Marketing Manager, Ark DIY Products “I preferred this year’s fair – we were in a better location than last year and had some really great conversations with visitors to the stand. I’d maybe like to see a 5pm close on the Thursday. We always feel that numbers go way down on that afternoon.” John McDonnell, MD, Galt Toys “We found the show atmosphere to be uplifting and had a fantastic time. As in previous years, we were impressed with the quality of visitors that attended the show. Every year we are impressed by how the show is run with such precision and expertise.”

really showed off our existing product range and new lines for AW14.” Ben Hogg, Marketing Manager, Esdevium Games “On a personal level I really enjoyed the show this year. However, when you are exhibiting you only have very limited time to get around and see things. Our stand seemed to see more footfall than I can ever remember.” Michele Marziliano, UK & Ireland Country Manager, Clementoni “This Toy Fair was definitely better than last year, we had a really good reaction to the new ranges we are launching in 2014.” Heather Corbett, Marketing Manager, Innovation First “Hexbug had a fantastic show. The stand was really busy and we had some great quality meetings along with getting some fantastic feedback on our new product innovations for 2014.”

Sharon Gaskin, National Account Manager, IMC Toys “We were all really pleased; I would say everyone was of the same opinion that it was slightly better than last year. We saw pretty much everyone we wanted to see. An extension to the end of close period each night would be good, with a chance to have a 30-minute wind down.”

Debra Tiffany, Marketing Manager, Brainstorm “We had another great show this year and I would say that our overall view matches that of last year. It is very well organised and promoted and has a great buzz about the place. We will definitely be looking at taking more space next year.”

George Poole, Marketing & PR Coordinator, Bigjigs Toys “Attendance was great – our stand was busy from the first till the last. We saw more people than normal and garnered more business than we usually do. We will definitely be back in 2015 – hopefully bigger and better.”

Tim Collins, Head of Brands, DC Thomson “The first day of the show did seem the busiest, with more energy surrounding the stands and day two proving to be much slower. However, overall there seemed to be a positive industry vibe at the show, with a lot of buzz and the talk of exploring new ideas and opportunities.”

Lauren Hayward, Group Brand Manager, Posh Paws “We had our best year yet at the Toy Fair, our new stand

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing “The feel of the show was very upbeat, with licensees actively looking for new opportunities.” March 11

NEWS ANALYSIS

THE NY HOT LIST From singing stars to viral sensations, the US Toy Fair certainly ramped up the glamour factor as the toy world rolled into New York City for the final stop on the trade fair tour of 2014. Samantha Loveday braved the snow and sub zero temperatures to check it out IT’S NOT every day you come face to face with a Grammy Award winning US star. Or one of the biggest internet sensations of the moment. Yet both happened on the first day of US Toy Fair last month. Alicia Keys opened the four-day event at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York, using the show as a platform to present the latest addition to the successful interactive children’s app she cocreated, The Journals of Mama Mae & Lee Lee. This was almost eclipsed by the appearance of Grumpy Cat, who attracted huge crowds clamouring for photos and strokes everywhere she went. Of course, she remained completely nonplussed by the whole thing. More than 30,000 visitors were expected at the biggest US Toy Fair yet – exhibit space totalled a record-breaking 412,000 net square feet, with upwards of 1,150 toy companies, 285 of which were exhibiting for the first time. Much has been made over the last few years about international attendance at the show, 12 March

with some suggesting that visitors across Europe found Spielwarenmesse more useful and were choosing not to make the trip. However, Marion Bossard, VP of meetings and events at the Toy Industry Association – the organiser of the show – tells ToyNews: “International participation in Toy Fair has grown every year for the last number of years and this year is no exception. Toy Fair 2014 has seen an increase in international attendance overall (up nine per cent) and an 11 per cent increase in international buyer attendance specifically. “With 94 countries attending this year’s marketplace, those who

question whether the NY Toy Fair plays a key role on the international stage have their answer.” For me, on my first visit to the show, I didn’t have the same kind of strict agenda which usually defines my time at the toy fairs in London and in Nuremberg. This meant I was free to wander the halls at leisure and take everything in. And there was a lot to see. The big guys were there of course – Mattel even had its own floor, and the likes of LEGO, Mega Brands, Bandai, Melissa & Doug, TY, Spin Master, Tomy and VTech among others all had significant size booths. For me though, the main point of the trip was to

check out some of the firms that I wouldn’t normally get the chance to see. It was good to hear that Inkoos was doing just as well for The Bridge Direct in the US as it is for Flair in the UK, while some of the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lines on the Playmates stand looked fantastic, including Half Shell Heroes (aimed at a younger age group) and a new Blimp play-set. USAopoly had some great branded Monopoly and other game lines – including The Big Bang Theory, due to launch in the US around July time, although there’s no word yet on the UK. TMI Toymarketing International’s stand was

TOY OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS Activity Toy of the Year: Rainbow Loom, Choon’s Design Boy Toy of the Year: Despicable Me 2 Special Feature Minion Dave Talking Action Figure, Thinkway Toys e-Connected Toy of the Year: LeapPad Ultra, LeapFrog Educational Toy of the Year: GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine, GoldieBlox Game of the Year: Boom Boom Balloon, Spin Master Girl Toy of the Year: Rainbow Loom, Choon’s Design Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Big Hugs Elmo, Playskool Innovative Toy of the Year: Zoomer, Spin Master Outdoor Toy of the Year: Razor Crazy Cart, Razor USA Pre-school Toy of the Year: Doc McStuffins Get Better Check-Up Center, Just Play Property of the Year: Minecraft, Mojang Specialty Toy of the Year: Rainbow Loom, Choon’s Design

always busy – the firm was celebrating 30 years of its vinyl Rody Horse, which have apparently looked exactly the same since they were launched – while Underground Toys, situated just opposite Funko, the firm it has just done a European distribution deal with, was enjoying good footfall when I dropped by to say hello. Galt Toys, Bigjigs and Casdon were also doing good business on the showfloor, while I also saw execs from Paul Lamond Games, John Adams, eOne, Coiledspring Games and Wow Stuff walking the aisles. If you’re looking for a fully rounded toy trade fair experience, then a trip to New York should be on the cards. It’s much more international than you might think and there are gems to be found. Admittedly, there are products on display clearly aimed at the US market – the same can be said for parts of Nuremberg – but the TIA has worked hard to ensure there is something to attract everyone. Next year, they just need to make sure Grumpy Cat actually cuts the ribbon on day one. www.toynews-online.biz

NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

Proper ties

Encouraging start as 2014 gets underway

Best item progression

January 2014 started on a strong note with the total UK toy market growing with both value and volume sales up eight per cent. All 11 super categories grew for the month with the fastest growing category, youth electronics, up an impressive 45 per cent. Youth electronics strong performance was driven by continued sales of robotic and interactive playmates such as Furby, Teksta Puppy and Robo Fish all of which continued to enjoy strong sales in January. Other areas which enjoyed a healthy start to the year include infant and pre-school toys, which is the largest area of the toy market. Pre-school sales were driven by continued sales of tablets, with the number of hardware systems sold preChristmas encouraging strong software sales in January for both the LeapPad and InnoTab. January continued to be a strong month for girls properties with Barbie and Monster High ranked the number three and four top selling properties across total toys, while LEGO Friends also continued to grow. The success of Disney’s Frozen at the cinema also helped drive dolls sales, while the addition of Palace Pets to the

The Mattel property has put in a phenomenal performance through January, climbing a staggering 9,379 places from number 9,400 in December 2013 to number 21.

January 2014

Monster High Frights, Camera, Action!

Sales UK toy sales (value, year-to-date)

YTD 2013

YTD 2014

Source: NPD

Disney Princess range helped grow this property. For boys, LEGO City had a strong start to the year and was the top property for the month, while Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers all grew on 2013 performance. In addition, there were new properties such as Minecraft and Telepods which added to action figures sales. “January was an encouraging start to the year for the market,” said Jez Fraser-Hook, practice

director of NPD Group’s toy business in the UK. “However, traditionally January is usually the month with the lowest overall sales for toys, accounting for just four per cent of annual sales. Still it is heartening to have so many positive stories early in the year. “Hopefully the market can sustain this performance for the full year and with so much optimism in the market and many exciting launches to look forward to, 2014 could be a big year for toys.”

Average toy price January ’13: £7.58

January ’14: £7.58

UK RETAIL SALES TRENDS January 2014 (£ sales – value)

January 2014

FURBY BOOM HASBRO

(Unit sales – volume)

MATCH ATTAX 2013/2014 BOOSTER BOX TOPPS

LEAPSTER EXPLORER GAME ASSORTMENT LEAPFROG

LEGO MINIFIGURES

LEAPPAD EXPLORER

LEAPFROG

HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT

MATTEL

INNOTAB SOFTWARE ASSORTMENT

VTECH

MOSHI MONSTERS MOSHLING FIGURES

VIVID

INNOTAB 2

VTECH

MOSHI MONSTERS BLIND BAG ASSORTMENT

VIVID

LEGO MINIFIGURES

LEGO

LEAPSTER EXPLORER GAME ASSORTMENT LEAPFROG

MONOPOLY

HASBRO

PREMIER LEAGUE STICKERS

MATCH ATTAX 2013/2014 BOOSTER BOX

TOPPS

PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT

MOSHI MONSTERS MOSHLING FIGURES

VIVID

INNOTAB SOFTWARE ASSORTMENT

VTECH

10. CARS 2 CHARACTER ASSORTMENT

MATTEL

10. MONSTER HIGH LP MUSIC FESTIVAL DOLL

MATTEL

LEGO

TOPPS HASBRO

Notes: All participating NPD retail data suppliers provide weekly data via epos systems. NPD figures are not projected to represent non-participating retailers but provide 100 per cent of the sales from participating stores. Epos sample includes the following retailers: Amazon.co.uk, Argos, Asda, Boots, Debenhams, ELC, Firebox, Freemans, Grattan, Halfords, Hamleys, HMV, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, Next, Play.com, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, The Entertainer, Toys R Us, Toymaster, WHSmith, Wilkinsons. NPD estimates that the epos now accounts for 78% of the total toy market.

01932 355 580 14 March

www.toynews-online.biz

CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH / PLAYTIME

The Moshling Collection They have conquered the online space, magazines and the big screen, and now, Moshi is entering the world of plush. But just because they’re cuddly, doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten their digital roots CONTACT Carte Blanche: 01243 792600 Carte Blanche Group is launching its new Moshlings Collection in store this April, coinciding with the much anticipated launch of Moshi Monsters: The Movie on DVD and Blu-ray. The first 12 pieces in the collection will consist of fan favourites, new characters and some ultra rare

Moshlings at key impulse price points. Each character will feature a unique digital code to be used on MoshiMonsters.com to unlock that character in the digital world. The Moshlings Collection will hit retail via Clintons stores nationwide, key independent toy and gift

retailers and flagship Sea Life Centre retail outlets. To support the arrival of the collection, Carte Blanche Group has invested in a heavyweight marketing campaign covering TV, consumer press, online and social media activity, as well as events for in-store.

SOCIAL MEDIA Moshi Monsters Facebook and Twitter pages will provide launch details and teasers to parents, while the Clintons Facebook and Twitter pages will feature various teasers and competitions.

MEDIA ATTENTION Coverage will be run in various parenting titles and competitions will feature across key kids’ magazines, including the new Poppet Magazine and the Moshi Magazine.

MOSHLINGS MUSCLE TV

IN-STORE

Kids will be introduced to collectable Moshlings, including the new plush range, in a TV campaign coinciding with the Easter holidays in April. Dedicated advertisements to support the plush range will run at the same time.

Specially designed tree shaped free standing display units and counter display units will showcase the Moshlings Collection at retail, with Clintons Stores also supporting the launch with window space in its top stores.

MOSHIMONSTERS.COM

LAUNCH EVENTS

MoshiMonsters.com, which has over 85 milion users globally, will run teasers and countdown celebration competitions, while the newly refreshed Moshlings.com will host competitions and provide product information.

Fan events in Clintons stores will include costume character meet and greets, balloons, competitions and giveaways. Sea Life Centres will host events allowing visitors to meet characters, join treasure hunts and take home Moshling plush.

Playtime

Generation Media looks at the share of exposure toy and games advertising enjoyed in relation to all TV advertising in 2013

2012 Toys and Games % share of All Advertising

This month we examine children’s exposure to toys and games TV advertising in 2013 as a proportion of all TV advertising that they potentially saw. With the toys and games TV market being highly seasonal, it is of little surprise to see that ad

pressure falls dramatically across the May-July period. The wider TV ad market does not follow such extreme peaks and troughs. As such, the penetration of toys and games adverts is much lower in the summer months, contributing between five and eight per

Toys & Games CH Eq. TVRs

Toys & Games CH Eq. TVRs as a % of all TV Advertising

CHILDREN’S EXPOSURE TO TOYS & GAMES ADVERTISING

2013 Toys and Games % share of All Advertising

cent of all viewing of TV advertising. Almost one in four adverts, or 25 per cent, that potentially could be seen by children in October were in the toys and games category. This is an increase of 1.2 percentile points YoY. This

2013 Toys and Games CH Eq.TVRs

is due to the fact that advertisers flocked to the market during the key October half term week, which contributed to kids seeing more toys and games adverts. At the end of 2013, 13 per cent of all adverts seen by children

were promoting toys and games. This has not changed vs the previous year. It will be interesting to see if 2014, a World Cup year, will follow the same trend or as a result other category advertising will dominate children’s commercial viewing? Source: BARB 2014

Toy News PlayTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 255 4650 | www.generationmedia.co.uk www.toynews-online.biz

March 15

APPOINTMENTS

Industry moves This month Carbon Digital appoints a director for its new toys and games division, Revell reveals its Hobbico sales team and Epoch opens the year with a triple hiring

CARBON DIGITAL The full service creative agency has appointed IAN RICHARDSON to head its newly created toys and games division. Taking on the role of new business development director, Richardson will look to deliver high-end CGI work for game trailers and commercials. With 30 years experience in a sales operations environment, Richardson

EPOCH The firm has bolstered its sales division with a triple hiring. ALISON BLAKE (pictured top left) brings over 22 years of experience in sales to the firm. Her remit covers the Wales, West and South West territories. Meanwhile, DEBORAH STANLEY (pictured centre) will be managing the North and Midland territories for the company. Stanley has previously worked in the hygiene industry in the UK. Completing the line up, SAMANTHA TAYLOR (pictured top right) boasts more than nine years of sales experience. She will be handling the East and South East territories. CANAL TOYS Industry veteran, BILL UZELL has been promoted to the firm’s president and CEO for its North and South

16 March

is the previous founder and MD of Vector OEM Content. He has also previously held the position of sales director at Rage Software. PAUL McHUGH, director of Carbon Digital, said: “We are very excited to have secured Ian to head up the new game and toy division. He brings with him a wealth of invaluable experience and knowledge.” American operations. Uzell arrives from Fashion Angels Enterprises, where he spent four years as EVP. He has also been EVP of the electronic learning product toy division of Oregon Scientific and president of Digital Blue. GIFTWORKS The firm has appointed MARK HOLLAND as its new national accounts manager. Holland – who was previously at Carte Blanche – will be responsible for the toys, gifts and home accessories categories. He will develop the national and group accounts. Holland said: “I am so pleased to have my new role at Giftworks, as I feel the company is really starting to move forward and grow.” SPIELWARENMESSE The firm has welcomed a new sales director in the form of DANIEL PEIN. Pein

REVELL The hobby and RC specialists has employed a dedicated sales team to handle its newly acquired Hobbico range of products in the UK. ANDREW RAWLINSON (pictured centre) will be responsible for product marketing and communications, Hobby RC. Working across all Hobbico RC brands and sales channels, Rawlinson will aim to establish the brand in the UK retail

market. He boasts extensive product marketing experience in the sector, having worked on a variety of Hobby RC brands. Meanwhile, PETER ADDYMAN (pictured right) joins as regional manager for the Midlands and South of England, while STUART BIRD (pictured left) joins as sales agent for the north of England, Scotland and Ireland. Both join with vast experience in the Hobby RC sector.

has worked in the trade fair business for over 20 years. He was responsible for launching the first baby fair into the German market and as of 1999, introduced 12 new show events in Germany and Europe. ERNST KICK, CEO of Spielwarenmesse has welcomed Pein’s new appointment.

BULLDOG LICENSING The firm has appointed a new creative services executive. SOLE PUERTO has moved from the field of genetics and will take responsibility for creative approvals at the firm. Bulldog currently handles a diverse range of properties including Plants vs Zombies, Monkey, Life and Garfield.

EGMONT UK HILARY MURRAY HILL has been appointed as the managing director of the firm’s new Books division. Her remit will include editorial, creative, marketing, PR and sales. She takes over from CALLY POPLAK, who has been appointed as Egmont UK MD. Murray Hill boasts senior management experience at Scholastic and Usborne Publishing alongside experience in both marketing and sales management with Carlton and Reed Books.

FLUID WORLD Following the departure of LIBBY GRANT at the end of last year, Fluid World has appointed MATTHEW CONRAD as chief operating officer. Conrad will lead the development of the firm’s portfolio and oversee the business. He will report to CEO ANDREW LANE. Lane said: “We are delighted to welcome Matthew to the team and look forward to the leadership and experience he will bring.”

HIT This month the firm confirms the appointment of KATE SCHLOMANN to the role of VP, global brand management. Schlomann will be based in Hit’s London office and will report to SVP Hit Brands, EDWARD CATCHPOLE. With more than 15 years experience, Schlomann will now be responsible for guiding the global brand and marketing strategies for properties including Thomas and Friends, Mike the Knight, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder. ITVS GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT ANYA HOLLIS has been appointed as ITV Studios Global Entertainment VP, agents. Reporting to TRUDI HAYWARD, SVP, head of global merchandising, Hollis’ remit is to manage international licensing agents for the firm’s properties such as Thunderbirds. With over 20 years experience she has worked with children’s brands including Teletubbies and Winnie the Pooh. TURNER BROADCASTING Former Mattel executive, JOHANNE BROADFIELD has been appointed vice president, Cartoon Network Enterprises, EMEA. She will lead Turner’s consumer products team and business, and develop its channel and show brands. She will lead a business unit responsible for product licensing, promotions, publishing, home entertainment, events and environments.

www.toynews-online.biz

HIM OS

OSHLINGS COL

ONSTERS.C

FFICIAL -O TH M

ON - WWW.M CT I LE

For enquiries contact: info@cbg.co.uk with subject heading ‘Moshlings’

OPINION

The reality of export business Steve Reece outlines the cornerstones for succeeding when expanding your business out of the UK AFTER POURING heart and soul (and significant investment) into developing toy products, a prudent business should always seek to find export sales opportunities to maximise return on investment, reduce the risk of relying on our home market alone and to increase the longterm sales potential of our organisation. The challenge though is that it isn’t always easy to establish our product lines in other markets. Moreover, significant risks are involved including stock and bad debt risk, failure to comply with local regulations and cultural expectations and distribution partners badly managing our products and

brands to our longterm detriment. There are several potential paths we can take to expand outside our home market. From setting up direct distribution overseas, to strategic regional partnerships down to more of a whoever places the order gets the stock approach, anything goes. But when we analyse companies achieving significant long-term export growth, there are certain fundamental factors evident. Firstly, success in the home market is a prerequisite most of the time. If it won’t sell in your market, it probably won’t sell in other markets either, so why burn relationships

with potential partners when the total number of companies we can work with in each market is finite? We can score a few one off deals with this approach, but that’s hardly going to deliver longterm success.

construct a plan to get there based on ‘stepping stones’. Reps, distributors or licensees as door openers leading eventually to direct distribution. Although this approach is a little sneaky, it’s also very common.

Success in the home market is a prerequisite most of the time. If it won’t sell in your market, it probably won’t sell in other markets either. Secondly, a plan based on getting from A to Z is in place. If a company’s goal is to eventually build up subsidiaries across multiple markets, they will

Finally, market understanding is pivotal. Some products and brands work in some markets, but not in others, for reasons of culture, pricing, retail

landscape, etc. So an obvious success factor is a focus on delivering more of what works on a marketby-market basis. Those organisations who blindly push the products they want to sell versus starting with finding out what actually works, what their customers, or their customers’ customers really want, are normally setting themselves up for a whole load of huffing and puffing without achieving the desired results. The UK market represents between three to six per cent of global toy sales (depending which figures you believe), so there’s huge opportunity out there, but only for those with a winning approach.

Steve Reece runs a leading consultancy to toy & game companies. Contact him via his blog: www.stevenreece.com

Don’t suffer from seasonality Peter Slee explains how to avoid a Christmas ordering headache

FROM ONE viewpoint, the toy industry is like any other. Brands and manufacturers need a great product, with an appealing message to catch the eye of retailers and consumers. However the toy industry has one major difference: Christmas. Without question, other retail sectors achieve vast growth at Christmas, but in our experience, nothing matches the seasonality felt in the toy sector. Spark Response, part of the Spark eCommerce Group, provides order fulfilment to brands including Micro Scooters, and Toys R Us, and believe me when I say we understand the challenges of the Christmas period.

We’ve just completed our busiest Christmas in our 30 year history. Micro Scooters, fresh from another fantastic season, are now planning for Christmas 2014 and beyond. Spark was appointed to provide both eCommerce and trade order fulfilment to Micro Scooters in 2012. A key factor in the decision to appoint Spark was our ability to meet seasonal demand, whilst offering the flexibility in fulfilment out of season. With Micro Scooters achieving such phenomenal growth over the past few years, and having outgrown their own warehouse, they also required a fulfilment partner who could provide a foundation for their ongoing

growth. Particularly in managing order fulfilment for their hundreds of independent retail and department store customers. Managing trade order fulfilment efficiently presents unique challenges. Hugely diverse order quantities, specific labelling and product identifications, unique delivery processes, pallet dimensions, and other factors all apply. Couple this with the surge in demand leading up to Christmas, and often, you can have quite a headache. By outsourcing order fulfilment to an external provider, inevitably a brand will hand over control over their stock, and depending on the location, they may find themselves hundreds

of miles from their inventory. In Micro Scooters’ case, those concerns were soon diminished. With Spark providing both eCommerce and trade fulfilment, we’re able to utilise shared inventory, reducing the overall stock holding and removing the headaches felt. By providing scalability and flexibility to brands, we’ve allowed them to concentrate on their core business, product development, sales, marketing, and planning for further growth. With Christmas 2013 behind us, we look forward to seeing how successful 2014 will be for our friends at Micro Scooters.

Peter Slee is managing director at Spark Response, part of the Spark eCommerce Group. He can be contacted at peter.slee@sparkresponse.com or on 0191 495 9999.

18 March

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OPINION

Stop phygiting at the back David Smith ponders the name given to the newest toy category

THE WORLD can’t exist (apparently) without labels. Writers, actors and musicians know this all too well – try to release a book/film/album that strays too far from an established identity and the respective industries (not to mention fans) have a difficult time accepting it. This is partly why comedians like Russ Abbott find it difficult to break into straight acting (an inability to act doesn’t help, either). Creative types find this kind of thing frustrating and work hard to avoid becoming pigeon-holed. Authors sometimes take on a pseudonym so they can write something different for a change and, perhaps, retain their sanity. It is also possible to use the

phenomenon to your own advantage - Hollywood actors are always looking for that role that plays against their usual screen persona, in the hope that Oscar nominations will follow as the industry swoons at their range and versatility. But who comes up with these labels in the first place? Whoever it is, I have a bone to pick with the creator of the latest I’ve encountered. Skylanders and Disney Infinity have opened up a new territory in the toy industry, one combining real-world toys with onscreen play. They are original, imaginative and kids instinctively ‘get’ the concept right away.

‘Phygital is an ugly word and it also has distinctly negative connotations. You wouldn’t think something as elegant as this would need a label, but it’s been given one. Skylanders and Disney Infinity are, I recently learned, ‘phygital’ toys, because they combine

elements of the physical and digital worlds. It’s not only that ‘phygital’ is an ugly word, it also has distinctly negative connotations. We all know that fidgeting is a bad thing and parents expend a lot of

energy trying to get their children to stop doing it. There has been controversy for years about the labelling of toys (the splitting up into boys’ and girls’ categories has been the cause of much debate) but they serve a purpose, if only to help us know which toys to put on the same page in a catalogue. When something comes out that doesn’t quite fit into any of our existing labels, I suppose it is inevitable that someone will try to come up with a new one. They’re not always bad (I had no issues with ‘chick lit’ and ‘Brit Pop’), but when it comes to ‘phygital’ I think the industry owes it to itself to come up with something better.

David Smith runs the consumer-focused toy news site ToyTalk (www.toytalk.co.uk) and is the author of the book 100 Classic Toys.

“It’s just a toy, it’s just a toy!” Or is it? Dr Louise Bunce discovers a novel use for toys in children’s education

AS ADULTS, we know that children’s toys are ‘just pretend’ but what do children know about the difference between reality and pretense? Children can become absorbed in imaginary worlds and we may worry about their ability to distinguish between these and the real world. My research, however, shows that young children seem to have a precocious understanding of the difference between real and pretend worlds, particularly when it comes to toys. Consider the following examples of children’s speech I collected while children were playing at home with their toys. One four year old girl, while

playing with her toy dog, explained to her Mother: “He’s not a real doggy; real doggies can’t talk!” and a six year old boy, who was told to stop ‘shooting’ his brother with a toy gun explained: “It’s just a toy. It’s not real!” These examples serve to illustrate that children spontaneously demonstrate a sophisticated ability to navigate between their pretend world and the real world, while at the same time enjoying pretending. My analysis of children’s questions to their parents further revealed that if children are uncertain about real or pretend status, they seek clarification. Some questions children asked were: “Is this (toy

phone) a pretend phone? It’s not working” and “Is that the real queen (in a pantomime)?” This suggests children are aware of the importance of categorising

comprised children asking whether taxidermy or ‘stuffed’ animals on display were real. Children’s confusion seemed to stem from the fact that the animals

Children seem to have a precocious understanding of the difference between real and pretend worlds, particularly when it comes to toys. things correctly according to their real/pretend status. During a visit to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, I tuned in to conversations between primary school children and their parents. These conversations often

looked realistic, but weren’t moving. Parents gave a variety of answers ranging from ‘yes’ (owing to real fur, real size and shape) to ‘no’ (owing to the fact the animal was no longer alive). No wonder children were confused.

I discussed these issues with the museum education team and we embarked upon a project to investigate how to support children’s understanding of the ‘real’ nature of what they see on display in museums with the help of toys. Preliminary findings suggest that comparing taxidermy animals to toy animals helps children appreciate the special nature of the museum taxidermy. However, the findings are preliminary and we are seeking sponsorship to complete a full-scale project to understand fully how children’s understanding of toys can be used to support their learning about science and natural history.

Dr Louise Bunce is a senior lecturer in Psychology at London Metropolitan University. To support the project or to find out more. Message her at l.bunce2803@gmail.com.

www.toynews-online.biz

March 19

INDEPENDENT SURVEY

Do you feel the toy fair season benefits you?

With many execs now rediscovering their desks after what will have been for some, pretty much a full two months travelling, ToyShopUK asks its listers how they feel about the annual visits to London and Birmingham

“ 20 March

Claire Hainstock Acting the Party “Would have loved to attend, but unable to get there this year. Who would find them useless?” Lisa Clay Armadillo Toys “In the tough economic times we are in, you would be a fool not to go to both fairs, we need to be on top of our game at the moment. Product selection is crucial, and you can take advantage of show deals, too.” Matt Booker Automattic Comics and Toys “Just attended Toy Fair, found some fab new products and some great old products at great

prices. Yet again the big boys don’t want to show most retailers their wares though, just kept super secret for the biggest retailers - makes me want to stock less of their product every year.” Sue Needham Cot ‘n’ Togs “It's good to see new products. However some suppliers seem to have a very long lead time.” Tracie Peacock-Quinney Ella’s Toy Shop “We go to Spring Fair to look at the new products our existing suppliers are launching and to see if we can find any new companies we may have overlooked previously. As our business grows and

changes it is important we don't become stale. Ben Biscoe Fairy Goodies “Okay to see new trends, but there was nothing vital there for us as a retailer, although we're pretty niche. We were also there as an exhibitor, which was much more successful. Plenty of new customers (new to us and some new to retail) and good orders. However it was very expensive to exhibit, which puts a huge strain on finances over the year, so still questioning if it's worthwhile even though we covered our costs.” Amanda Alexander Giddy Goat Toys “I attend Spring Fair and

find it really useful for viewing new products 'in the flesh' and checking out potential new suppliers. As a small indie retailer, it's also a great way of maintaining a sense of being connected to the toy industry.” Charlotte Croser Jollys “This year I found the Toy Fair useful but not essential for Jollys Toys. I find a lot of the exhibitors are big companies wanting to deal with the big retailers. It is useful for ideas and to catch up with some existing suppliers. I much prefer Spring Fair and it is a must visit for us. I find many more small suppliers selling niche items which help us to

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INDEPENDENT SURVEY

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Toy Shop UK is a consumerled, online directory that helps toy suppliers, retailers and licence holders promote their businesses to an audience of up to 10,000 unique visitors per day.

offer something a little bit different. Gifts and greetings are an important part of our business too, and that offering is limited at Toy Fair.” James Marshman Just For You Toys “The London Toy Fair is always a must for toy retailers. This year I felt it was even more welcoming then ever and it is such a great way to source products being able to speak face to face with the suppliers which makes life a lot easier than endless emails or phone calls. Looking forward to next year.” Vicky Brown Just Williams Toys “Great for networking,

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James Marshman from Just For You Toys agreed: “The London Toy Fair is always a must for toy retailers. It is such as great way to source products, being able to speak face to face with suppliers which makes life a lot easier than endless emails or phone calls.”

secret for the biggest retailers - makes me want to stock less of their product every year.” And Rachel Fairhurst from Rachel’s Toy Shop had this to say: “I found some suppliers quite rude and standoffish, I don’t understand why you would pay that much for a

your other marketing activities this year. Contact Michael Hawkins (michael@toyshopuk.co.uk or 07786 295756) for more information. www.toyshopuk.co.uk

WITH THE TOY TRADE SEASON OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR, HOW USEFUL DID YOU FIND TOY FAIR AND SPRING FAIR?

As a small indie, it’s a great way of maintaining a sense of being connected to the toy industry. Amanda Alexander, Giddy Goat Toys However, 12 per cent of respondents found the shows useless, although no one chose to leave any comments as to why. A couple of indies did, however, point out they found some of the closed stands unwelcoming, such as Matt Booker from Automattic Comics and Toys: “Yet again the big boys don’t want to show most retailers their wares though, just kept super

stand and then have that attitude.” Ultimately though, the vibe from respondents was positive and many couldn’t wait to return in 2015. Cate O’Neill from Petalina concludes: “There was tangible excitement as I walked in [to Toy Fair] which was very uplifting. What was most useful was being able to spend time chatting with existing suppliers.”

increasing product knowledge and seeing new and exciting products for the year ahead.”

suppliers about who has the biggest and best stand, but surely that is just pride in what you are doing. We will continue to visit the fairs each year as it is important and also in January and February, it gives you a bit of a boost of enthusiasm for the year ahead.”

new. The Toy Fair this year was very good. There was a tangible excitement as I walked in which was very uplifting. There were a few new brands for Petalina to see, but what was most useful was being able to spend time chatting with existing suppliers.”

Allison Ilsley Osborn & William “I find them moderately useful but it wouldn't be the end of the world if I missed it.”

Rachel Fairhurst Rachel’s Toy Shop “I met two potential suppliers and it was good to see my existing account managers, and the new products they had. But I found some suppliers quite rude and standoffish - I don't understand why you would pay that much for a stand and then have that attitude.”

Sam Haggett Moving Pictures “We feel both the Toy Fair and Spring Fair are unmissable as it gives you the chance to see the products for real as images via email or in a catalogue are sometimes deceiving. Our customers love to come into our shop and look, see and feel our products and ask questions, and surely as a retailer everyone should be wanting to do that themselves with products they are going to sell and invest money into? I guess there is a bit of competition between the

Cate O’Neill Petalina “I didn't attend Spring Fair this year as last year it just was not worth it for me. There were so few toys and certainly nothing

19% - UNMISSABLE 69% - USEFUL 12% - USELESS

“

THAT’S IT… toy fair season is over for another year, with many members of the trade, having taken in the sights of Hong Kong, London, Nuremberg, Birmingham and New York, are now slowly catching up with their inboxes and order books. But how does the annual round of trade fairs rate with independent retailers? Do they find them worthwhile or a bit of a waste of time? Encouragingly, 69 per cent of ToyShopUK listers found Toy Fair and Spring Fair useful, with 19 per cent going as far as to say they thought they were unmissable. Lisa Clay from Armadillo Toys was one such indie, stating: “In the tough economic times we are in, you would be a fool not to go to both fairs. “We need to be at the top of our games at the moment, product selection is crucial and you can take advantage of show deals, too.”

Popular weekly giveaways, the esteemed Independent Toy Awards and special supplier listings are just three of the ways that Toy Shop UK can help you increase your online presence and complement

March 21

GOOD TOY GUIDE

Appy ever after

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

This month Dr Amanda Gummer explores the values of children’s app play and introduces us to Lucy Gill, head of the new Good App Guide, before ToyNews looks at the latest app toys on page 64 WITH the increasing crossover between toys and apps - family tablets (Kurio), games made into apps (Logo Billionaire), toys that work on tablets (Appen) and toys that incorporate tablets into them (Mattel’s apptivity range) - the distinction between toys and digital games is becoming less and less defined. The Good Toy Guide has been watching this trend with interest and is now in the process of expanding its website to include the Good App Guide. But before it does, let us explore how toy companies can make successful apps and app toys that enhance the play experience and counter the argument against too much tech or screen time.

Head of the new Good App Guide, Lucy Gill, explains: “Merging digital content and physical toys requires thought and understanding of play patterns. “It is really worth taking time to observe and understand how children play with apps and your existing toys to inspire you to develop something truly innovative. “Typical apps tend to encourage children to sit and play alone, but the toy industry has a fantastic opportunity to provide engaging app/digital toys that move away from this. “What we’d love to see are app toys that encourage children to play with others where the digital content adds real value in a way the physical toy alone could not do.”

TOP TIPS FOR THE DIGITAL MOVE THE GOOD TOY TEAM’S HEAD OF GOOD APP GUIDE, LUCY GILL OFFERS HER TOP THREE TIPS FOR TOY COMPANIES MOVING INTO DIGITAL CONTENT AND APP TOYS 1. Design toys that make the most of the strengths of both physical toys and digital content – i.e. the depth of information and interactivity available within apps.

In a previous article on games and puzzles, we explored the valuable physical, cognitive and social skills children can learn from these toys. It is important that apps don’t fall into the trap of just adding a gimmick factor to these.

2. Try to make digital content and apps fun and engaging without being addictive. A natural end point is a good thing to build in to help limit screen time. 3. Ensure the digital content or app is usable and age appropriate. Check that children of the target age are

capable of using it and understand what they are meant to do. Don’t rely on written instructions for children who can’t yet read.

However, with the right concept, the depth of information, interactivity and graphics that a tablet can offer could provide real opportunities for engaging learning for children of all ages.

CONTACT THE GOOD TOY GUIDE: Twitter: @goodtoyguide Facebook: GoodToyGuide Email: admin@goodtoyguide.com www.goodtoyguide.com 22 March

www.toynewsonline.biz

WOMEN IN TOYS

Sponsored by:

100 TOP

WOMEN IN TOYS

We piece together the first listing of inspirational and influential ladies working in the UK toy business

24 March

www.toynews-online.biz

WOMEN IN TOYS

Amy Albion, Sales Manager, Bandai

Albion’s colleague said: “I have known Amy since she came to Bandai UK, 14 years ago. Now sales manager with responsibility for TRU, Smyths, The Entertainer, Amazon and Toymaster, Amy is universally liked and respected by customers, licensors and colleagues. It is a pleasure to work with her. She is smart, reliable, trustworthy and is passionate about our industry. She is a shining example of a woman in business today.”

Michele Bates, Managing Director, Evolution PR Bates began Evolution PR in 2004. Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, working with many top toy, licensing and nursery companies. Evolution also works closely with educational publisher MA Education in delivering the highly acclaimed Practical Pre-school Awards. Bates has seen the business grow rapidly over the last decade, and now has 12 members of staff and works with 16 firms. Ali Brown, Marketing Manager, Orchard Toys

Brown joined Orchard Toys in February 2013, arriving with a wealth of experience having worked with business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients. Her previous roles include working in the marketing department at Virgin Money, as well as working on the Disney on Ice account while at Fox Murphy, now Balloon Dog. In her current role, she helps to get the word out about the Orchard Toys portfolio. www.toynews-online.biz

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Sarah Allen, Head of PR, Mattel

Friendly, knowledgeable and straight talking, Sarah Allen is popular with both her in-house PR and marketing team and the toy industry at large. The long serving director has worked on brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Monster High and Fisher-Price. You’re always guaranteed a straight answer to any query, and a fast turnaround, too, and this makes for refreshing, insightful and valued industry opinion.

Rosie Bayles, Director of Media & Licensing, Bandai Bayles has been one of Bandai UK’s key personnel for more than 20 years. Having headed up the marketing team until 2008, Bayles then moved to her current role of director of media and licensing. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing new opportunities for partnerships with media partners and licensors. As well as being a key member of the Bandai team, Bayles is also a BTHA committee member. Laura Bull, Marketing Manager, Schleich

Bull has been at German toy firm Schleich since 2010 and boasts a wealth of information and knowledge on the industry. She is responsible for all of the UK marketing, coordinating all activities within the overall global approach of Schleich. This includes trade marketing, supporting indies through promotions, consumer activities and sales aids. Bull also handles TRU, Amazon and ELC.

Kate Armitage, Director of Marketing, Gibson Games

Emma Arthur, Director, Norton & Co

Armitage joined Gibsons as operations manager in 2005 and made her mark by improving efficiencies across the business. In 2007, Armitage became director of marketing and is responsible for overseeing all product development and marketing strategy. “Kate’s overwhelming strength is in combining her creative flair with unrivalled organisational and people management skills,” Nick Wright, Gibson’s managing director, tells us.

Arthur joined the company 16 years ago as an account executive. Clients included Vivid Imaginations – for whom she still directs the account – and Mega Bloks. Through her time at the company she has led strategic responsibilities on numerous clients including VTech, LEGO, John Adams, GOSH, JCB and Tesco, and worked on high-profile brands such as TEKSTA, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rubik’s Cube, Moshi Monsters and Crayola.

Nicola Bergot, Commercial Director, Flair GP

Prior to Flair, Bergot worked for LEGO. When Flair was looking for a new member of its sales team, her name came up repeatedly from customers as an outstanding sales exec with a great reputation for efficiency, hard work and concern for the customer. At Flair, Bergot flourished and in recognition of her contribution to its strong growth, she was promoted to sales director before becoming commercial director last year. Frances Cain, Owner of Daughters of History and WIT UK Chair

Among her many notable accolades, Cain is the owner of internationally successful brand, Daughters of History and the Chairperson of the Women in Toys' UK chapter. As founder and CEO of Daughters of History, Cain is responsible for creative production, development, sourcing and day to day running of the boutique firm behind historical play dolls, novels, accessories and activity books.

Trudi Bishop, Head of Marketing & Licensing, Cartamundi Bishop joined Cartamundi in November 2013. Working across the full product range and sales channels, she continues to improve Cartamundi's retail product offering and recently joined Cartamundi in bringing its 'strongest line-up ever' to Toy Fair this year, with a line led by the new Shuffle range. Bishop boasts extensive experience in product marketing in the UK, EMEA and Australasian markets from her previous role at LeapFrog. Nieve Cavanagh, Marketing Manager, Hasbro

Cavanagh has extensive experience in trade marketing and business management in both the UK and international markets. She joined Hasbro in February 2012, prior to which she was the senior marketing manager at Casio UK. She has also held roles with Epson, Samsung and Olympus. Cavanagh studied BA Hons Law and Sociology at the University of Warwick before going on to do an MA in Marketing.

Kirsty Barr, Founder & MD, miPR

Barr has made it her business to know everyone in the toy, licensing and entertainment industry. She uses the network she has created to grow miPR’s client base but to also help smaller and new businesses to make meaningful connections. According to one member of her staff: “Kirsty truly understands the importance of the work/life balance and supports her staff so that we have flexibility in our working lives.”

Caroline Brotherton, Director, H Grossman

Brotherton has worked for H Grossman for around 17 years and has been a vital part of the growth and success the firm has enjoyed. As a director, she is very much the anchor to the MD and owner – Martin Grossman. She has formidable skills in marketing and admin, playing a key role in building the Ozbozz/HGL brand. She manages the UK operation in Glasgow and also handles some national sales accounts. Anna Chapman, Regional Head of Hardlines, Disney Chapman has been with The Walt Disney Company for eight years. In her current role she heads up Disney hardlines, including toys across EMEA. The role sets the strategy for the toy business, working with multiple licensees across EMEA. Across DCP she leads licensing sales for all categories for the consumer group of ‘boys & fans’. Prior to Disney, Chapman spent 13 years working at Hasbro. March 25

WOMEN IN TOYS

Heather Corbett, Marketing manager (UK and Europe), IFI Corbett joined Innovation First in September 2010 as marketing manager (UK and Europe). She is responsible for overseeing all marketing communications, PR, branding, social media and advertising for Innovation First brands including Hexbug and VEX Robotics. Through an integrated marketing campaign, she has turned a relatively unheard of toy range into a successful brand, with one in seven households in the UK now owning a Hexbug.

Judith Dayus, Director, Great Gizmos

Dayus first became part of the toy industry in 1993 when she set up Serious Fun, selling toys and games and travelling to fairs all over the UK. Then came Great Gizmos in 1996. Dayus has grown with the firm over the past 16 years and now manages a team of 17. What’s more, her husband and daughter work alongside her to provide a company that has the same vision when it comes to a working environment and relationships. Nicola Erskine, Marketing Manager, Trends UK

Erskine joined Trends UK last year. Her role includes working with the sales and product development teams, taking day-to-day control of the management and marketing of the firm’s third party product ranges alongside Trends’ core business. Boasting a wealth of marketing experience from outside of the toy industry, Erskine has been tasked with expanding the company into other product categories. 26 March

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Nichola Cox, UK Digital Manager, Mattel

Having been in the toy industry for a significant number of years – during which time she has worked for both of the top two manufacturers – and also elevating her position within each role, Cox currently works as the UK digital manager for Mattel. Part of her many accomplishments to date include being awarded the ‘2013 Digital Supplier’ of the year by Argos. Cox believes her role is unique within the toy business.

Tracey Devine, Marketing Director, KD UK

Natasha Crookes, Director of Comms, BTHA Crookes leads the BTHA’s communications function and was previously the Association’s events manager. She has been a key driver at the BTHA throughout her career in the industry from 2002 and has been instrumental in the development of the Association’s wide range of membership services, in lobbying, and in the creation of a panoply of resources and programmes for the benefit of the Association’s membership.

Alison Downie, Senior Licensing and Brand Dev Manager, Golden Bear

Devine has been at the firm from the start and has gone from a part-time marketing executive to marketing director. She now knows the licensing business inside out, delivers the right licences to the business at the right time and has fabulous working relationships with all the keys licensors. She delivers consistently on great new product in conjunction with the R&D hub in France. She even runs charity marathons.

Downie has been a valued member of the team for over 11 years. She previously worked in retail, having been employed by Boots for a number of years. Downie has been championed by company for her 'extensive knowledge of the toy and gift industry in both the creative product development area and within the world of licensing.' She is also a member of the Character Exchange Licensing Group.

Katy Fletcher, Razor Brand Manager, Re:creation

Lucie Follett, Creative Director, Arklu

Fletcher handles the development and implementation of the Razor portfolio including TV advertising, trade marketing, online and PR. She has been recognised for her work building Razor, alongside creating retailer specific plans. She boasts a career rooted in sports and fitness, having previously held the position of marketing manager at Sportsworld and artistic director at Street Fusion Dance.

Follett is co-owner and creative director of Arklu, responsible for all product development. In 2010, she came up with an idea to create a doll to celebrate the engagement of Kate Middleton to Prince William. These were followed by a doll called Lottie which is based on the average proportions of a girl aged nine. The key point of difference from other fashion dolls is that Lottie’s body is ‘childlike’.

Nancy Davies, Sales Director, Interplay

Marian Davis, Brand Manager for Girls, MGA/Zapf Creation

Davies has been an integral part of the Interplay team as the sales director for over ten years. Within her role she has helped to grow sales substantially, with her most significant achievement to date launching Interplay into the international market. “Nancy always has an extremely positive outlook on life and you will always see her with a big smile,” enthused her team. “She is a pleasure to work with and is invaluable to Interplay.”

Davis has worked at MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation since April 2007 as marketing manager. In her role she has responsibility for looking after the company’s girls brands, and handles the formulation and activation of trade and consumer marketing strategy for all MGA and Zapf toy brands. She has worked on successful franchises including Bratz, Lalaloopsy, Novi Stars and Moxie Girlz during her time at MGA.

Vicki Elmer, Product Manager, Bandai

Bandai’s product manager and media planner, Elmer has a wealth of experience in the toy and licensing industry. Prior to joining Bandai back in 2010, she spent four years at Corinthian as the marketing manager for In My Pocket. She also previously held marketing positions at Maverick Entertainment and HIT Entertainment, looking after pre-school brands Muffin the Mule and Thomas & Friends. Tina Louise Foster, Senior Director Int. Licensing, MGA/Zapf Foster manages a wide portfolio of successful toy brands. In the position, she oversees the licensing, promotions and entertainment business in EMEA spanning brands including Little Tikes, Lalaloopsy, Bratz, Bratzillaz, Baby Annabell, Baby Born, Mooshka and Novi Stars. Before joining MGA/Zapf, Foster worked as head of EMEA – licensing and promotions at DreamWorks Animation.

Grace Elphinstone, Comms Manager, Carte Blanche Elphinstone is a marketing and PR professional with over ten years experience. She has been involved in all aspects of consumer and B2B marketing, PR and communications and at Carte Blanche, handled the PR for brands including Tatty Teddy, My Blue Nose Friends, Me to You and, more recently, the Moshlings Collection. Elphinstone previously worked at firms including Veritasis, Goodwood Estates and VIE at Home. Gemma Gallagher, Director, Toytesters.tv

In 2013, Gallagher won £10,000 in a Dragons’ Den style competition to launch her business www.ToyTesters.TV. Her idea was to review toys and games with children in the form of an online channel, coupled with providing companies with invaluable insight into their product offerings. In a very short time, Gallagher has already evolved the business and has just launched the ToyTesters.TV Awards. www.toynews-online.biz

WOMEN IN TOYS

Jane Garner, Director, Kilogram media

As director of licensing specialist PR agency Kilogrammedia, Garner has worked with some of the biggest licensors, licensees, agents, production companies and others involved in the industry. Founded in 2001, Garner has built up an expansive client base of firms. Recently, Marketme listed Kilogrammedia in its influential list of top ranking social media agencies. The firm came in at a respectable 212.

Zara Grindrod, Sales Director, Rainbow Designs Grindrod has been in the toy industry for almost two decades. She has always worked with licensed soft toys and for small growing businesses. Her foray into the toy industry was as a receptionist at Giftware International where she worked her way up to become the company's operations director. Grindrod spent six years at Gosh, before joining Rainbow Designs where she has been for the last eight years. Alison Hubbard, Head of Marketing, K’NEX

Hubbard has dedicated much of her career to the toy industry and has spent time at companies including Mattel, Tomy and Famosa. Now as head of marketing for K'Nex UK she is applying her second-tonone industry experience and knowledge, along with an absolute passion for the industry, to putting together the strong relaunch plans for the brand that were so well received at Toy Fair earlier this year. www.toynews-online.biz

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Marinna Gorey, VP Production, Super Awesome As a key member of the senior team in SuperAwesome (the kids’ digital marketing platform, reaching 18 million kids each month), Gorey has been responsible for the rollout of the breakout hit, Box of Awesome, which exploded onto the scene last year (and which has been featured many times by ToyNews). Prior to joining SuperAwesome, she spent time at Edelman Digital and was head of production in Wax Agency.

Amanda Gummer, Good Toy Guide

Dr. Gummer has nearly 20 years of experience working with families and children. Eight years ago, she established FUNdamentals, a researchbased consultancy that helps providers of children’s products and services to understand more about child development. Her latest project is The Good Toy Guide – an online play advice service providing research, reviews and advice on play and child development. Rosemary Hughes, Sales Rep, John Adams

Hughes has worked as a sales representative for John Adams for many years. Covering the South East Midlands and South East territories, she has made great friends of many of her customers over the years. Last year saw her celebrate an impressive 30 years with the company and the celebrations were topped off when she received the Golden Teddy award at the TRA Awards last year.

Andrea Gornall, Senior Buyer, Shop Direct

Gornall has worked in the industry for over 20 years. She started in the buying office, working for Index Catalogue stores where she was a trainee buyer, before becoming buyer for girls toys. Gornall continued to grow with the business as it became Littlewoods Home Shopping and then Shop Direct. Last year she was promoted to senior buyer and has been instrumental in helping Shop Direct win the recent award of Online Toy Retailer for 2013.

Lindsay Hardy, Marketing Services Director, Flair Hardy has enjoyed an illustrious career in the toy industry, having previously worked at LEGO, Tomy and Hasbro. Hardy joined Flair when it was a start up in 1999 and during her tenure, managed the award-winning Sylvanian Families brand for over three years, and helped to treble its turnover. In her current position, Hardy looks after media, PR, creative/production, research, licensing the exhibitions for the growing Flair portfolio. Liz Ireland, Director, Bigjigs Toys

Ireland started Bigjigs alongside her husband Peter Ireland (now semi-retired) back in 1985 by designing, hand cutting and painting different sized jigsaw puzzles. These were then sold at markets and craft fairs – and as demand grew, so did the business. It now has a range of over 1,500 toys which are sold in over 35 countries. Her passion, desire and business acumen has enabled the firm to grow substantially.

Joanne Gray, Marketing Director, Tomy Europe

Gray has been with Tomy for eight years. She was nominated for bringing ‘incredible energy and enthusiasm that filters down through the team’. The team continues: “Joe's knowledge of the industry is impressive and she always on hand to help with any problems, no matter how big or small.” She has been described by the team as an 'unstoppable force.' Gray has also held managerial positions with United Biscuits.

Wendy Hill, Marketing Director, Mattel

Hill has played a major role in the toy industry since she started at Mattel over a decade ago. She has risen up through the ranks, working on Fisher-Price and Hot Wheels brands and has now reached the position of marketing director through her strong vision, tireless drive and can-do attitude. A colleague offers: “In all the 11 years I have worked with Wendy she has always been courteous, professional and an amazing ambassador for Mattel.” Marianna Ivancsics, Senior Marketing Mgr, Disney Channels Ivancsic’s Linkedin profile demonstrates a solid background in marketing in TV/broadcast, DRTV and pharmaceutical industries. She has been part of a team that has launched, renamed, rebranded and built number one kids TV propositions in Central Eastern Europe and Emerging Markets. One third party small business owner who she advised last year described her as “so enthusiastic”.

Kay Green, UK Marketing Director, Hasbro

Green took on her current role in August 2011. Prior to this, she headed up the toy giant's European marketing team. She is "extremely passionate about the toy industry" and has been championed by Hasbro for “bringing an element of fun to everything she does and is hugely respected by her peers across the sector and her colleagues”. Ryan Blane, Hasbro’s sales director, credits Green for her “inspirational leadership style”.

Suzie Howes, Head of Marketing, Winning Moves Howes only joined Winning Moves in January. She moved from Vivid Imaginations, where she spent over 12 years, most recently as senior brand manager. Howes helped launch the Moshi Monsters product range to the UK market in 2010. In her new position with Winning Moves, Howes works many of today's leading brands including Top Trumps, Hasbro licensed games, and Bananagrams among others. Nikki Jeffery, UK Marketing Manager, Famosa

Jeffery is responsible for popular brands including Nenuco, I Love Minnie, Feber and Pinypon. She is a popular personality in the industry described as ‘one of its marketing all rounders, happy juggling TV campaigns and products as sitting with buyers presenting product and selling hard.’ She worked for many years at RC2, rising from marketing assistant to head up product categories. March 27

WOMEN IN TOYS

Charlotte Le Rougetel, Director, Bastion

Sponsored by:

Michelle Lilley, European Marketing Manager, Little Tikes

Ruth Lord, Partner, Dress A Doll

According to her partner, Lord has always sought out quality product and will go to lengths to find it. This is why she wanted the hair on the doll to be handcrocheted to make sure it was as higher quality as possible. The firm now has a team of crocheters around the UK ‘wigging’ as fast as they can. Lord has also come up with her own design of clothes that is updated seasonally. She opened a shop for the dolls in June 2013 in Lutterworth.

Kim Lucas, Division Sales Director, Christy’s By Design

At Bastion, Le Rougetel works on the London Toy Fair, Gadget Show and Dream Toys, continuously raising the profile of our industry throughout trade and consumer media. Says one exhibitor at the events: “She also works incredibly hard for every project and no request is too much. In press offices, despite them often being up at the crack of dawn for TV teams etc, she is always polite, friendly and willing to help. Charlie really goes the extra mile.”

Lilley joined Little Tikes in September 2013. She has a background in the retail and home goods industry where she spent three years working on the Pyrex brand, and was responsible for all aspects of trade, consumer brand and communication development for UK and Eire. More recently, Lilley worked at BSHHome Appliances, handling the trade marketing for Bosch, Siemens and Neff.

Cornee Marlow, Marketing Services Coordinator, Ravensburger

Clare McCool, Co-Founder, Drumond Park

Marlow has helped push several of Ravensburger’s key releases in recent years. While at the firm, it has acquired licences including One Direction and The Gruffalo, and last year, Marlow helped to boost the company’s line of augmented reality puzzles, when she told ToyNews: “The range has shown real success in shops where time and space is taken to explain how traditional puzzlers can enjoy a jigsaw with AR technology.”

More than two decades ago, McCool co-founded Drumond Park with a fellow post graduate. Now the UK’s leading independent games company and famous for breaking new ground in the board games, action games and magic sectors, Drumond Park has a proven reputation for the creativity and longevity of its offerings. Best known titles include Articulate, Don’t Laugh, Magic Tooth Fairy, Pumpaloons and the LOGO picture board game series.

Seventowns’ licensing executive joined the company last year with a degree and masters in child development. Moody brings a key set of skills to the development and licensing of Seventowns’ toys and games division. This is an area of the company that in the past has created such products including the Boglins, Doh Nutters and, of course most famously, the Rubik’s Cube.

Anita Murphy, Director & CoFounder, The Creativity Hub

Fiona MurrayYoung, Merchandise Director,

Rena Nathanson, Founder and CEO, Bananagrams

Lee-Anne Neale, Senior Account Mgr, Goldfish & Bison

From humble beginnings around the kitchen table with her family, Nathanson has taken Bananagrams from its launch through to global success, selling more than six million units in 31 countries. She has expanded the range with four more table-top games as well as foreign language editions and super-sized jumbo versions. The original Bananagrams game was revealed to be Amazon UK's bestselling toy of all time.

Neale has over 12 years experience of account development and management in the gift, toy, consumer goods and outdoor categories. Neale spent five years as a sales manager at Unique Concepts dealing with licences including The Simpsons, Star Wars and Harry Potter before joining Re:creation in 2005. Since joining G&B in 2011, Neale deals with toy brands including Spirograph.

Elizabeth Moody, Licensing Executive, Seventowns

Toys R Us Murphy believes that The Creativity Hub should try to make a difference in people's lives with products and with actions through imagination and problem solving. Seeing a gap in the education of children with regard to design skills, Murphy strived to create something to help. She is also at the centre of the business' annual donation to a worthy cause - this year Camp Zeitouna for displaced Syrian children. 28 March

Murray-Young is described as an ‘excellent retailer with an awesome aptitude’ for the toy business, continuously developing her knowledge and understanding to predict trends. A mother of twins, she has combined motherhood and TRU for the past eight years. She was promoted to merchandise director in 2010, which saw her bring her knowledge to the baby and video games markets.

Lucas is passionate about her product and her customers (UK supermarkets and multiples). She is always ready to take on new challenges and encourages great team spirit and positivity. Lucas is recognised for her key role in putting dressing up costumes firmly on the map of the UK High Street and for securing Christy’s preferred supplier status with both apparel and toy buyers.

Lisa Morgan, Associate Director, Generation Media Morgan’s clients past and present include Mattel, Flair, VTech, Tomy and MGA. Having rejoined Generation Media in 2010 after a successful stint in the company’s founding years, Morgan set about fortifying existing client relationships, overseeing the strategic media planning behind some of the most high profile toy launches in recent years. She has also played an integral role in growing Generation’s client portfolio significantly.

Emily Maclennan, Category Director, Worlds Apart Among her responsibilities, Maclennan has the sometimes unenviable task of leading the studio of over 20 creatives through the choppy waters of product development. She meets every challenge that comes with launching 150 new products a year, with unflinching energy. According to colleagues, her office door is always open and you will always be greeted with a smile. She has been a key driver in the firm doubling its turnover.

Franka Mulgirigama, National Account Manager, Mega Brands Mulgirigama started life in the toy industry at Hasbro in 2001 as a national account manager. She spent five years with the company before joining Mega Brands in December 2006. During her seven years at the company as national account manager, Mulgirigama has handled a number of different ranges including the iconic preschool building block range Mega Bloks. She currently manages the Toys R Us and Asda accounts. Christine Nicholls, Vice Chairman, Golden Bear Products As the vice chairman and director of product development of Golden Bear, and the first female to be chair of the BTHA, Nicholls is one of the most respected woman in the industry and a definite role model. Beginning her career with Chad Valley, Nicholls co-founded Golden Bear with John Hales in 1979. Those that work with her will say she genuinely cares about all of her staff and the people that she works with and has an amazing attention to detail. www.toynews-online.biz

WOMEN IN TOYS

Lynette Norris, Marketing Manager, John Adams Norris has over 12 years experience working in sectors spanning toys, licensed goods and branded packaging. She spent six years at licensed costume firm Cesar UK before creating her own online beachwear business. She returned to the toy sector in 2011, joining John Adams originally as product manager. Norris is also a keen swimmer and raised money for Cancer Research UK taking part in the Great London Swim.

Foye Pascoe, General Manager UK & Ireland, Hasbro Pascoe started her career as a commercial trainee at ICI Paints, before joining Hasbro five years later in 1997. Since joining, she has held several positions within the global toy firm. These include roles of head of UK marketing, sales director and country manager. Pascoe became Hasbro’s general manager, UK and Ireland in 2010 and has since added Nordic and Benelux to her remit.

Julie Pittilla, Managing Director, Pittilla PR

Pittilla started working in the toy industry for Cartmell PR in Blackpool where she launched the Cabbage Patch Kids and Rubik’s Cube. In 1986 she formed Pittilla PR and has worked with most major toy firms notably HTI, Golden Bear, Rubies, Worlds Apart, PlayMais, Grossmans, Playmates, Ideal Toys, Famosa and John Crane. She specialises in national media coverage and, amongst other lines launched the Teletubbies and Shaun the Sheep for Golden Bear. www.toynews-online.biz

Sponsored by:

Michelle Norton, Co-founder, Norton & Co

Norton’s career in the toy industry started in the mid Eighties as PR manager for Mattel, going on to develop the PR launches of brands such as Teddy Ruxpin, and the initial launch of Nintendo into the UK. In 1991 she set up Norton and Co with her husband Tony. Convincing Blue Peter to make a Tracy Island at the height of the Thunderbirds success in the early Nineties she helped create queues around TRU stores that were unheard of.

Wendy Phillips, Toy Safety Experts

Phillips is an extremely well respected expert in this field and also recently took on the Convenorship of the European Working group for Mechanical and Physical Properties of Toys. Phillips has been very proactive on the Committee (CW/15) for many years and has made a significant contribution to the field of toy safety.

Sally Plumridge, International Marketing Director, LeapFrog As part of her role at LeapFrog, Plumridge is responsible for international marketing and product, heading up a team of six people. She boasts a wealth of experience gained from senior management positions held at companies such as Mattel and Tomy Europe. Her team said: “Sally’s exceptional wealth of experience means she really knows what works.”

Holly Oldham, Head of Licensing EMEA, Rubie's Masquerade

Linda Osbourne, Founder, KidzKreations

Oldham works with Rubie’s expansive portfolio of licensed character dress up, from The Simpsons to Halloween lines such as Scooby Doo or Pennywise the clown from It. Oldham joined the firm in 2006 as advertising and promotions manager. Over the past eight years she has worked her way through the ranks, becoming a popular personality in the toy and fancy dress industry along the way.

Osbourne has been in the toy industry for over 30 years, beginning at Mothercare before enjoying stints at firms including Golden Bear. She set up KidzKreations ten years ago, building the firm to where it is today. Her nominator commented: “She is one of the most professional, hardworking and amazing ladies in the industry that I have the privilege to call a friend.”

Ying Pickavance, Senior Category Manager, Hy-Pro Pickavance boasts a wealth of experience in the sport, leisure and outdoor toys. Having previously held the role of senior product manager at MV Sports, she has been with Hy-Pro for over four years. She played an integral role in the development of the company throughout 2013, seeing the firm grow with the launch of new products and increased marketing plans. She has helped see the firm through the launch of many of its key lines. Davina Powell, Brand Manager, Spin Master

Powell is billed as a bit of an unsung hero in the office at Spin Master. A colleague said: “It's easy to overlook people, but I think people beneath director level should also get the credit they deserve. Davina also does a fantastic job here, is very contentious, hard working and patient, massively positive and you will never hear her complain. “She's generally an all round lovely person.”

Katherine Pierce, Marketing Manager, Jumbo Games Pierce was brought into Jumbo Games with a remit to grow its own brands and intellectual properties. In the two and a half years that she has been working for Jumbo Games, the Wasgij adult puzzle range has grown by 34 per cent, Falcon by 18 per cent and Puzzle Accessories by 22 per cent. Pierce is expert at getting the most out of every pound spent and brings a very high level of professionalism and enthusiasm to her work. Mary Price, Senior Director International, Mega Brands

Price has a well established heritage within the toy industry, with a career that began in 1996 at Woolworths. She held various buying positions in the toys and stationery categories, ultimately becoming category manager. Price joined Mega in 2009, where she is now the senior director international, responsible for commercial policy, product development and marketing across EMEA.

Emma Owen, PR and Promotions Manager, LEGO UK After a 20-year career in PR, having worked in-house at Alliance Boots, The National Magazine Company, Madame Tussauds and LEGOLAND, as well as experience agency side, Owen has a great understanding of how to run a successful PR programme. Career highlights include the 10m high LEGO Christmas Tree at St Pancras Station, the LEGO Dress for London Fashion Week and the PR around The LEGO Movie.

Margit PendlDobbie, Owner, Gameplan Europe The joint owner of the business consultancy firm dedicated to helping its clients identify and realise its business opportunities across the globe, PendlDobbie has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. A popular figure in the business, she has been with Gameplan for 19 years, joining in January 1995 as commercial director. Prior to this, she spent nearly 11 years as export manager with Payer Electroprodukte in Austria. Annalise Quest, Director of Home, Harrods

Quest’s role at Harrods covers toys and the management of the Toy Kingdom. She began her career with Harrods in 1997 as the assistant buyer for the Beauty Apothecary. She has since held various positions including assistant buyer for perfumery and cosmetics and buyer for Beauty Apothecary. Quest lists one of her proudest momenta as winning the Harrods Chairman's Award for Excellence. March 29

WOMEN IN TOYS

Gerbie Quilter, UK Sales Director, Vivid Imaginations Many plaudits have come in for Quilter. Here are just a few: “Gerbie is a vibrant and driven person who attacks her goals with flair and precision. Every problem has a solution and Gerbie is the person to find the answer.” “Gerbie has been a fantastic leader for a male dominated sales team at Vivid.” “Gerbie is an inspiration to me.” “Hardworking, dedicated and tenacious in all she does both in her working and personal life.”

Clare Sawkins, Founder, SO PR

Sawkins is celebrating 25 years in the toy business. Originally PR manager for Waddingtons Games, she then moved to Hasbro in-house PR manager for two years. In 2001, she set up SO PR and has worked constantly with most of the major toy companies.

Steph Strike, Category Director, Toys, Asda

Strike joined Asda in 2003 and heads up a respected toy buying team at the Leeds-based grocer. It has lofty ambitions to be the UK’s number one kids retailer, as it told ToyNews last year, believing its multichannel business model is one of its core strengths in the toy market. Strike confirmed to us last year that most suppliers are seeing amazing growth by working with Asda. Strike is popular and well regarded by suppliers and her team. 30 March

Sponsored by:

Janine Rawlings, Partner, Flying Toys

David Rawlings offered: “I would love to nominate my wonderful wife Janine Rawlings, who has been my business partner in the toy trade for over 35 years, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to run Flying Toys without her. “Like so many women, Janine has had to balance working full time with bringing up our beautiful daughter Jenilee, and more recently looking after her elderly mother.”

Lin Sherlock, AVP Buying, TK Maxx

One of Sherlock’s earliest roles came at Tomy where she spent three years as a senior account manager. She went on to hold sales roles at Tyco Matchbox, Corinthian Marketing, Playmates and Class Act. She joined Woolworths in 2000 and spent five years as a senior buyer and Chad Valley brand manager. Sherlock then joined Mothercare as head of group buying, brand, in 2005 before joining TJX Europe in 2009. Melissa Symonds, Senior Account Manager, NPD Group Symonds is passionate about the toy industry and provides her clients with top class service and industry expertise, gained from over five years of experience in the toy industry. Working with all levels from insight managers, brand and product managers to marketing and managing directors, her clients look to Symonds for insight and viewpoints to support the market trends and help with decision making.

Rebecca Rees, Head of Marketing, The Entertainer Rees has been at the toy retailer since 2006 starting her career as marketing assistant. In January 2013, she took on the role of head of marketing. This position has seen Rees create, implement and develop the company’s marketing strategies even further. More recently, Rees has been working with the marketing team in Dubai to ensure The Entertainer stores in the region mirror those in the UK.

Lesley Singleton, Founder, LS Media

Singleton’s role is to provide Bananagrams with PR and marketing services. According to Bananagrams, she has been an incredible addition to the team: “She works tirelessly to promote our products and the brand and has become a very valued member of our transatlantic family.” LS Media now provides bespoke services to many companies in the toy and games industry. Her expertise and approach to promotion is well respected. Alice Taylor, CEO, Makie Lab

Taylor founded Makielab in March 2011, with Jo Roach (see above), after 16 years building multi-award winning digital products, mainly for children and teens, for Channel 4, BBC, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros and more. She has a five year old daughter who demands Space Pirate Dolls – which is partially how Makielab cam about. Based in Shoreditch, London, Makielab has been at the forefront of the 3D printing trend.

Jane Reynard, Managing Director, Scolaquip

Reynard is one of the few female managing directors of a manufacturing company, having started almost 25 years ago as an export administrator. She has a very hands on approach, involved in all aspects of production, finance and sales. Since her appointment her drive has reinvigorated the company with the introduction of new products and investment in new machinery.

Andrea Smith, Brand Manager, Character Options Smith is the only woman on this list to have made the move from condoms to toys. Prior to joining Character, Smith worked at SSL International in several roles including customer marketing executive and global brand manager for Durex. She joined Character in March 2011 and currently looks after brands including The Zelfs, Teksta Robotic Puppy, Disney Anipets, Monsters University, The Avengers, Spider-Man and Iron Man. Jacqueline Taylor-Foo, UK Sales Director, Spin Master

Taylor-Foo started her sales career at BMW/Rover, Coca Cola and L’Oreal, before joining the toy industry in 2001 at Mattel. She then moved to Zapf Creations, before joining Spin Master in 2006 in her current role. A driven and motivational team leader, Taylor-Foo has excellent sales and negotiation skills, ensuring that Spin Master’s brands such as Bakugan, Air Hogs, Spy Gear and Flutterbye are always at the forefront of retailers’ priorities.

Jo Roach, COO, Makie Lab

Roach is a co-founder of 3D printing toy firm Makie Lab, as well as the COO. Prior to this, she was commissioning and directing interactive products and programmes for Channel 4 and the BBC. Roach is a BAFTA award winning executive producer, picking up the award for Channel 4 children's storybased web game Nightmare High. Makie Lab has gone from strength to strength and last year the firm launched a Makies Doll Factory app.

Rebecca Snell, Head of Marketing, LEGO UK Snell is leading the charge in making 2014 ‘the Year of LEGO’. Snell already has the successful launch of The LEGO Movie under her belt this year, and in her previous role at Bacardi, she was also responsible for the global launch of Bacardi Oakheart, the firm’s biggest growth driver in 2011. Snell has also held various positions at Procter & Gamble where she proved vital in creating the FMCG company's UK brandbuilding team. Debra Tiffany, Marketing Manager, Brainstorm

Tiffany has worked at Brainstorm since 2006, initially in a sales management role, proving herself invaluable and very reliable when it came to taking care of the idiosyncrasies of some of its larger clients. Following two maternity breaks, she returned on a part-time basis. Tiffany still manages one of the firm’s key accounts alongside her main role in the marketing department liaising with press and the PR agency. www.toynews-online.biz

WOMEN IN TOYS

Frederique Tutt, Toys Global Industry Analyst, NPD Tutt is the lady the industry turns to for in-depth data and knowledge of what the toy business is worth not only in the UK, but across key European territories, too. She has held several roles at NPD including EuroToys industry expert and UK director of toys, licensing and nursery during her time as the latter, Tutt developed the account base from nine clients to over 60 in nine years to become the largest EuroToys LOB in Europe.

Samantha Wilson, UK & EMEA Head of Marketing Comms, LeapFrog Wilson has worked at LeapFrog for over six years. She originally joined to work as the product and marketing manager for the reading product category. She previously worked at Vivid Imaginations as senior brand manager, working on the exciting children’s brand Crayola. The marketing team at LeapFrog said: “Sam knows everything there is to know about LeapFrog, and her amazing passion and her enthusiasm really filters through to the team.” Fiona Wright, UK General Manager, LEGO

Wright was promoted to her current role at LEGO on January 1st 2013 and is responsible for the total sales function in the UK and Ireland (which accounts for some of the group’s largest customer base and global retail turnover). Wright has worked at LEGO since 2000, when she joined as brand director for Europe North. She also enjoyed spells as national account director, marketing director and head of sales. www.toynews-online.biz

Sponsored by:

Alpana Virani, EMEA Director of Hardlines, Walt Disney Company

Anna Waite, European Lead Buyer for Boys Toys, Toys R Us

Emma Weber, International Licensing Director, Vivid

Virani is a versatile marketing professional with expertise in creating, shaping and delivering international campaigns. It is no wonder then that she has already enjoyed a long career with Disney that includes winning Global Employee of the year 2011. Virani managed the biggest consumer products franchise for Toy Story 3, that generated over £200m in retail sales. She also drove the marketing strategy for Cars 2.

Waite began her career in toys in 1993 as trainee buyer at Savacentre. In 1997, she moved to Argos where she looked after textiles, before moving on to furniture and then back to toys. In December 2000, Waite took a position with TRU as boys toys buyer where she was responsible for action figures, role-play and vehicles. She was promoted to senior buyer, then merchandise controller, before taking her current role in January 2011.

Weber joined Vivid in 2003 as licensing and marketing director, which saw her oversee the licensing, marketing and packaging functions across the company’s portfolio. She has overseen successful brand campaigns such as Bratz, Fifi and the Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car, Moshi Monsters and more recently, One Direction and Union J dolls. Weber is regarded as a very talented and experienced member of the Vivid team.

Sarah Winter, International Sales Manager, Green Board Games Winter’s remit is to grow the international business and it now reaches across over 50 countries. She travels frequently to visit both existing and potential customers with her next roadtrip – following on from Hong Kong and Nuremberg – is to visit Mexico and Brazil to grow the business. Winter has worked with Green Board Games for over five years and is championed by the team for 'growing the business overseas significantly.'

Laura Williams, Operations Manager, Kiddimoto 18 months ago, Williams joined Kiddimoto as administrator. However, within that time she has progressed to become operations manager, becoming the central cog that keeps the firm moving forward along a straight path. She has a strong grip on the way Kiddimoto is run on a day to day basis. According to the firm, Williams brings a keen eye for detail, unrivalled organisational skills and authority to the workplace.

Mary Wood, Marketing Director, Vivid Imaginations Wood has a wealth of toy experience, having spent ten years with Mattel in sales and marketing positions, while she was also general manager and EVP of marketing at Zapf for two and a half years. She joined Vivid from HTI, where she was marketing director for two years. As well as her marketing qualifications and sales background, Wood has also been instrumental in helping to drive product development and international sales.

Rachael Wyatt, Marketing Manager, Coiledspring Games Since joining Coiledspring Games, Wyatt has made a significant impact on the evolution of the company, supported the exceptional growth and helped deliver the firm’s brand values. As well as being the driving force behind its new website and catalogue design, Wyatt’s infectious enthusiasm has quickly extended the fan base of both Coiledspring and her personally. Her relationships in the toy press are a testament to this. March 31

WOMEN IN TOYS, INTERVIEW

Sponsored by:

“Women work smarter to be in the limelight” Set up over 20 years ago in the US, the Women in Toys association now boasts divisions in territories including the UK, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, the Middle East and Spain and others. Samantha Loveday talks to the outgoing WIT president Joan Luks and head of the UK chapter, Frances Cain, to find out more Can you give me some background details on Women in Toys? Joan Luks: WIT was started about 22 years ago by two women who saw a need – Susan Matsumoto and Anne Pitrone. Susan started as a doll designer for Mattel, before moving to New York to eventually open her own design company, while Anne’s career spans from Cabbage Patch Kids to Spider-Man. She also runs her own business as a product development consultant to various toy companies. WIT has 400 paid members. Including members on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter, we have 6,000 members. What are some of your key events in 2014? JL: The Wonder Women Awards Dinner was held during New York Toy Fair last month and on June 18th we will be holding the annual WIT Networking Breakfast at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. WIT is also planning to organise its 32 March

first event at the ASTRA show in June, while another breakfast will take place at the Dallas Fall Toy Preview in the autumn. Individual chapters plan their own events. As I get info it is added to the WIT calendar. In an industry which is traditionally seen as male dominated, do you think that women are under represented? Or is it just they never get the chance to be in the limelight? JL: More recently, women have made strides and are better represented in the industry and are gaining attention. With that said, I also believe we have to work harder and smarter to be in the limelight. That is why WIT is such a dynamic organisation. We promote the achievements of women at all levels and capacities. As we like to say, ‘we welcome the men but we honour the women’. The Wonder Women Awards dinner shines the spotlight on bright, creative, professional women who

are breaking ground in the toy, licensing and entertainment industry. What are your main aims with WIT for this year? JL: After serving three and a half years as president of WIT, I will be stepping down as of April 1st. Ashley Mady is WIT’s new, incoming president. Ashley is founder and president of her own company, Brandberry Inc and has been an active

presence at major trade shows, the Wonder Women Awards Dinner being ‘the event to attend’ at Toy Fair, the expansion of the WIT Scholarship program, and so much more. I am so pleased to be passing the baton to Ashley Mady. I know she will take the reins and continue to lead WIT and take the organisation to new heights.

Recently, women have made strides, are better represented in the industry and are gaining attention. Joan Luks, Women in Toys board member. She holds the positions of WIT Florida Chapter Chair person, cochair of the WWOT dinner and chairs the WIT website and social media committees. WIT is in very good hands. The past three and a half years have been an extraordinary experience. I am very proud of the growth WIT has seen, the increase in membership, its

And what are your main aims for the UK chapter of WIT? Frances Cain: Our main aims for the WIT UK chapter is to see it grow and become an active platform from which women - and men - can network, meet and discuss ideas in the toy, licensing and entertainment sectors. I think that the fantastic response ToyNews has had

to the Top Women in Toys UK feature shows us that there is a need to create this networking platform, both offline and online. We have plans for several more events including an industry first for 2014 and we will announce our plans as soon as they are finalised. What would you most like to have achieved in the UK by the end of the year? FC: To have established a growing, active community of women and men who can come together to share and exchange ideas and experiences within the UK and global toy industry. Finally, how can interested parties join WIT? FC: Joining could not be easier. Follow the donate link on the Women in Toys website. Until March 15th there is a discounted special for new UK members – the rate for a one year membership is just $75 instead of the usual $125.00 so it’s the perfect time to join and see what we are all about. www.toynews-online.biz

Your credit licence expires 31 March. Don’t let your business expire with it.

Consumer credit licensing is about to change. To continue offering credit on sales and services after 31 March, you must register for Interim Permission by that date. If you do not register, you risk committing a criminal offence if you carry on with any consumer credit-related activities from 1 April. So to keep your business on the right side of the law, register now. It takes minutes – you just need to have a few details to hand: y Your OFT consumer credit licence number

y The number of branches your ﬁrm has

y Your licence categories

y Your bank or credit card details

Over 35,000 ﬁrms have already registered for Interim Permission. So don’t delay, join them now – go to fca.org.uk/clicked and follow our step-by-step guide. Don’t put your business at risk – register for FCA Interim Permission by 31 March.

Have you clicked yet? Register now at fca.org.uk/clicked

TAMAGOTCHI

Anatomy of a blockbuster toy:

Loved by kids, hated by teachers, Tamagotchi was one of the most popular virtual pets to ever grace the toy market, and now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back. Billy Langsworthy talks to Bandai marketing director (and Tamagotchi expert) Darrell Jones about how the firm hatched one of the defining playground crazes of recent times

34 March

www.toynews-online.biz

TAMAGOTCHI

TEACHER FEATURE While the return of Tamagotchi is likely to be cheered by adults engulfed by nostalgia, and kids looking forward to the new experience, there is one demographic likely to greet the return with a heavy sigh: school teachers. Schools banned the original wave after kids took their virtual pets to lessons to continue looking after them. But Tamagotchi

TOY FIRMS are always looking to launch the next big playground craze. Whether focusing on collectability, cuteness or pocket money price points, the secret to cracking the playground is toy trade gold dust. One firm that knows the secret to playground popularity all too well is Bandai, which kick started a craze in the late Nineties with the virtual pet toy, Tamagotchi. Loved by kids, hated by teachers, the egg first hatched in Japan back in 1996. “Tamagotchi was launched in Japan on 23rd November 1996 and roughly translated, Tamagotchi means cute little egg,” Bandai

marketing director Darrell Jones tells ToyNews. “The egg shaped device with a LCD screen was the first time that consumers had the chance to look after a virtual or digital pet.

“Tamagotchi was launched in the UK in May 1997 and became an overnight phenomenon.” And Bandai found that Tamagotchi was a phenomenon that didn’t slow down.

When we launched Tamagotchi, nobody had ever seen anything like it before, and everybody wanted one. Darrell Jones, Bandai “After it hatched from an egg you would need to feed it, play games, clean its mess and depending on how you cared for it, it would develop into a number of different Tamagotchi characters. If you mistreated it, it would die.

To date, almost 80 million units have been sold around the world and in the UK it remained the number one selling toy in the total market for three years on the trot in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

When first pushing Tamagotchi, Bandai decided upon a weird and wonderful PR strategy; and it worked. Jones tells ToyNews: “It was driven purely by PR. We did a launch event at the first sushi restaurant with a conveyer belt, followed by a first shipment being delivered to Toys R US in Brent Cross by Sumo Wrestlers. “When we launched Tamagotchi, nobody had ever seen anything like it

Friends includes a feature set to calm the concerns of teachers across the UK. Jones says: “When kids started taking them to school, they were banned. “Nowadays it has a pause function so children can leave them at home if they so wish, but I’m sure more than a few kids will be smuggling them into class.”

before – everybody wanted one – kids and adults alike.” This appeal is something Bandai hopes to replicate with Tamagotchi Friends.

TAMAGOTCHI FRIENDS 17 years since Tamagotchi first hatched, the brand is back in the form of Tamagotchi Friends. Remaining true to what helped the original become a toy titan, Friends adds some new technology to keep the brand as current as possible. “The Tamagotchi play pattern remains the same now as it did 17 years ago – it's all about nurturing and sharing with

www.toynews-online.biz

your best friends,” says Darrell Jones, Bandai marketing director. He adds: “Now it's more fun using the new ‘bump’ feature via the short range communication technology we have incorporated for the launch of Tamagotchi Friends. “We’re already working on several innovations so watch this space. There are a lot of

characters in the world of Tamagotchi so we have plenty of scope.” And the original Tamagotchi has survived, in app form. “The classic retro Tamagotchi is already available as a separate app,” adds Jones. “Tamagotchi Friends will interact with the new Dream Town, a world which can be accessed at tamagotchifriends.com.”

March 35

Reaching over 31,000 unique visitors every month* Targeted daily emails to over 22,000 industry executives First with all the news, analysis and opinion which matters Supporting the industry every day Find out how Licensing.biz can boost your brand Contact: Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk Jodie.Holdway@intentmedia.co.uk * (according to Google Analytics)

News Media Opinion

Dedicated monthly licensing coverage for the UK

Plush just the start for Dumb Ways to Die Vinyl figures, games and blind bags in the pipeline for cult brand which started life as a train safety advert By Billy Langsworthy UNDERGROUND TOYS will soon be distributing a range of Dumb Ways to Die plush toys, says licensing agent for the brand Evolution, and this is just the first in a series of toy moves for the brand. Dumb Ways to Die started life as a safety campaign by Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia, but its song and video went viral, its YouTube account has over 70 million views and its app has now mustered over 35 million downloads. A plush range is on the way from New York-based manufacturer Commonwealth Toy and Novelty and Evolution believes that it is just the start. “There’s an appetite for the characters and Commonwealth has developed a phenomenal range,” Evolution’s president, licensing and retail, Travis Rutherford told ToyNews. “The product is beautiful. As long as it’s priced right and in the right stores, I think it will sell very, very well. “The Commonwealth line is multiple skus. They have a plush range and vinyl figures. You’ll see vinyl skus probably stage two, they just haven’t had them tooled yet but they are in the plan. Then, as the brand grows, we’ll look into blind bag opportunities and there

certainly could be game opportunities and novelty.” The plush range will be launching in specialty stores first, with the first product shipments expected Q2 2014. Rutherford believes the brand should prove

the transition from a safety message to an everyday character initiative. “They’re funny, quirky and a little macabre but it’s taking a fun twist on what is normally a boring subject matter and making it more innovative, interesting and

There’s an appetite for the characters and we have a phenomenal range. Travis Rutherford, Evolution lucrative for toy stores due to already enormous popularity of the videos, and its characters. “The characters are beloved by millions and millions of people,” continued Rutherford. “Metro is investing and we’re spending a lot of time developing new content strategies for the brand so there will be on-going entertainment as we make

different. Everybody loves to think up different dumb ways to die.” The brand sees characters die in ways ranging from the cartoonish to train-related incidents, but all are presented in a light, irreverent manner. Despite this, Evolution is aware some stores unfamiliar with the brand may approach with caution,

but Rutherford believes the brand offers retailers something different than anything else currently around. Rutherford added: “Retailers may be hesitant. Mass-market retailers are a pretty conservative sort of bunch. We’re starting the distribution plan at specialty and mid-tier to start with. We’re letting it find its consumer base and letting it find a home, and we’ll expand from there. “If you take a step back and think about this, we’re not promoting dumb ways to die. “We’re poking fun at a story angle that reinforces train safety. That message is a global message and can be delivered in many many languages around the world. “They’re cute characters, they’ve got personalities and backstories and that’s it. With Dumb Ways to Die, there are great looking

characters, they’ve got a reason for being, there’s a backstory here, there’s a good message for parents and kids and we think it’s commercially viable. We think the characters are great. “When you look at what the intent was, and if you talk to parents, you understand this is a fun way to get a train safety message and a good public service communication tool out into the marketplace. It makes sense.” And despite the macabre nature of the brand, Evolution has already seen Dumb Ways to Die fully embraced by children. “Kids have immersed themselves in the brand,” revealed Rutherford. “Look at the impressions on YouTube, the game stats and the user content generated with schools creating campaigns, stories and songs. Just look at Tumblr or on Twitter and everything else that’s gone out there in the social space. It became irreverent and quite broad reaching.” The next step for the brand will see the original safety campaign repurposed around the world in multiple territories to push mass media reach for brand awareness and consumer impressions. Evolution: +1 818 501 3186

NEWS

Magic Light sharpens toy focus on The Gruffalo “Toys are a really important part of what the brand offers alongside the books,” says firm’s Daryl Shute by Billy Langsworthy A NEW range of wooden toys celebrating the 15th anniversary of The Gruffalo is helping to expand the category for the brand. The Gruffalo has appeared in films and on bedspreads, puzzles, games, but Magic Light Pictures believes the new selection from Green Owl Toys will help it make its mark in the toy sector. The new range spans Gruffalo and Mouse figurines, a Gruffalo and Mouse push along, a wooden theatre story scene, alphabet blocks and a story puzzle scene. “We don’t have a huge amount in the toy area so something traditional like this is something interesting and different,” Daryl Shute, brand director at Magic Light Pictures told ToyNews. “Plush is important to us, but having wooden figures you can play with and relive the story with is so important for the audience.” The wooden toys join The Gruffalo plush, puzzles and games, and Magic Light believes toys are becoming a key part of what the brand can offer.

Shute added: “The toys have done incredibly well so far. We don’t have much but that is because we don’t have a huge amount of traditional plastic toys in the catalogue. “Plush by far is our biggest category and third or fourth is our puzzles and games. Toys are a really important part of what the brand offers. “We’re always looking for new opportunities and we’re always looking for new products that really fit with the core values of the brand. Toys are a vital part of storytelling.” Magic Light has worked with Baja on the production of the range and Green Owl Toys on the distribution.

Magic Light is focusing on grassroots marketing for the new wooden range, and believes the toys will stay with families for generations due to the hand me down lifecycle of The Gruffalo. “As we go on with the lifecycle, what’s lovely about The Gruffalo is that siblings hand it down,” Shute added. “We’re moving into a baby/nursery area so that’s why the push along, for 12 to 18 months plus, is a slightly new area. We’re ensuring that each generation of children is engaging with the characters. “We are working with FilmNation and hopefully from around the end of March to around July, we are running a national schools tour. That will involve having a Gruffalo day at your school which will be around film screenings and making of workshops, book readings, activity packs and teaching packs. “We have also set up a partnership with the Forestry Commission, where we can use the brand values about getting outdoors, adventure and exploring things for yourself.” Magic Light: 020 7631 1800

THE LEGO MOVIE TOPS THE BOX OFFICE The LEGO Movie enjoyed the UK’s biggest debut of 2014 so far. Screen reported that the Warner Bros. film took £8.05 million in its first weekend, following on from the £2.16 million made in previews the previous weekend. Despicable Me 2 was the biggest debut of 2013, taking £14.9 million. LEGO: 01753 495000

TEMPLE RUN PLUSH ON THE WAY Imangi Studios is extending hit mobile gaming app Temple Run into the plush sector. Factory Entertainment will launch the new range featuring characters from the series such as Demon Monkeys, Temple Idols, Guy Dangerous and Karma Lee in the autumn. www.imangistudios.com

More to come for soaring Skylanders “We want kids to be constantly surprised,” says Activision’s SVP consumer marketing, John Coyne By Samantha Loveday ACTIVISION IS continuing to add partners to its Skylanders licensing programme, choosing US Toy Fair as a platform to reveal it now has over 175 global licensees. Crayola is the latest to work with the video games/toy hybrid, with Skylanders-branded colour and activity formats including Color Wonder, Giant Coloring Pages and Xtreme Coloring. In just two years, the franchise has notched up $2 billion in sales, including 175 million toys sold worldwide in 27 months. John Coyne, SVP consumer marketing at Activision, told ToyNews at US Toy Fair: “The way we bring the toy to life in a magical and fluid way, it’s not surprising to me that it was a

success. However, the scale of the success – $2bn in such a short space of time – really pleased us.” And while Coyne is keeping the details of the next game close to his chest – although he did confirm it is due in the autumn – he says that innovation is key. “We invented and were first in the category of toys to life. When you look at enduring franchises, innovation runs very deep and delivering innovation that is meaningful, exciting and delighting is key. We want children to be constantly surprised by Skylanders. “We want to see the franchise continuing on the current trajectory that we’ve enjoyed over the last three games. Video games have been around for a while, as have toys, so there’s no reason to think our category won’t be. “We have two areas to innovate against – the game and the toy – and we have no shortage of ideas.” Activision: 020 3060 1000

IN BRIEF THE LICENSING AWARDS IS OPEN FOR ENTRIES Entry and nomination forms for The Licensing Awards are now available. The closing date for entering the product awards categories is Thursday, May 22nd, while the closing date for the property awards (which can only be entered online) is Monday, June 30th. www.thelicensing awards.co.uk

38 March

SUCCESS FOR REDAN IN LATEST ABCS Redan Publishing’s FTL Peppa Pig magazine enjoyed another boost in sales for the July to December 2013 ABC period. The title now has an average sale of 98,922 copies, an increase of 14 per cent year on year. FTL Friends and FTL Peppa Pig Bag-O-Fun also posted strong figures. Redan: 01743 364433

K’NEX REVEALS FAMILY GUY BUILDING SETS K’Nex has teamed with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products for the launch of a new Family Guy inspired construction line. The building system has been combined with key characters and elements from the show including Stewie, Brian, Peter and the Griffin Family station wagon. K’Nex: 0118 949 7000

www.toynews-online.biz

NEWS

Toy retail should be excited about Frozen, says Disney

“We have a lot of plans on Frozen, plans that will take us well into 2015 and beyond,” says Simon Philips, vice president, consumer products

By Billy Langsworthy IT HAS already gone down as a huge hit in cinemas, but Disney believes Frozen will be equally as successful in the toy sector. Frozen – Disney’s highest grossing animated film of all time – is already on the shelves of toy shops, but Simon Philips, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Consumer Products at The Walt Disney Company EMEA, says there is much more to come. “Frozen is a phenomenon,” Philips told ToyNews. “It has been, and continues to be, an incredible movie and you’re lucky to find products in retail at the moment. As soon as it hits the shelves, it gets sold out. “We have a lot of plans on Frozen, plans that will take us well into 2015 and

beyond. Toy retailers should be really excited to see what we’re doing.”

Elsewhere, Philips believes the Disney Classics range should

Disney film scheduled for 2015. Philips added: “If I was a toy retailer, I’d always be excited about the Disney Classic business, the Minnie and Mickey business. “When I look at our girls business, Princesses continues to be one of these franchises that just connects really well with the core fans, the girls, as well as the mothers. “Cinderella will come out in the spring of 2015 and it’s a live action film. I saw a little bit and I was watching with a big smile on my face because it’s a story we all know but this movie is phenomenal. “It has the opportunity for us to bring a fresh new take on Cinderella to girls around the world. That’s very exciting. “Given the cycle that toy buyers buy in, this should be on the radar at the moment.” Disney: 020 8222 1000

remain on the radar of toy buyers, along with a reinvention of an iconic

She Who Dares returns to Downton Abbey Success of official game has allowed for follow-up Compendium of Parlour and Card Games By Billy Langsworthy SHE WHO DARES UK plans to launch a Downton Abbey branded Compendium of Parlour and Card Games this year. The company released the official Downton Abbey game just before Christmas 2013

and it is the only official product in its class. The new game is expected soon and is already available for pre-order for retailers. “The idea is to get people back to playing traditional family games as an alternative to switching on the television,” said Rachel

Lowe MBE, managing director of She Who Dares UK. “The Victorian concept is a great way for Downton fans to get a feel for the period in which the hitseries drama is set and to have fun.” The Downton Abbey Compendium of Parlour

Games and Card Games is due to reach stockists prior to the start of the next series of the show and can be ordered from She Who Dares directly via the Destination website. She Who Dares/Destination Board Games: 020 3468 3056

IN BRIEF MEGA BRANDS ADDS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS The Mega Bloks licensed construction portfolio will be expanded later this year with the introduction of Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants. A raft of new products were showcased in Nuremberg and US Toy Fair last month, with the full line due to hit retail shelves in the autumn. Mega Brands: 01844 350033

www.toynews-online.biz

CHARACTER OPTIONS BECOMES CLANGERS MASTER TOY Coolabi has signed up Character Options as the new master toy partner for The Clangers. The firm has the UK distribution and global (excluding US) manufacturing rights, and will roll out plush and play-sets for autumn/ winter 2015. Character Options: 0161 633 9800

TRUNKI ADDS BRACE OF HELLO KITTY DESIGNS Ride on luggage specialist Trunki has sealed a deal with Sanrio for two new Hello Kitty designs. The fresh lines will launch in the UK in early spring, during the celebrations for the brand’s 40th anniversary, and will include the world’s first ever sparkle Trunki suitcase. Trunki: 0117 9543 050

MICKEY AND MINNIE RIDE INTO COZY COUPE LINE Little Tikes has teamed up with Disney to add Mickey and Minnie Mouse products to its Cozy Coupe range, available exclusively at Argos. The products feature ears, a working horn, 360degree spinning tires and a storage area, while the Minnie version boasts polka dots and a pink bow. Little Tikes: 01895 202840

SORGENFRESSER SCOOPS TOY FAIR EDITORS’ CHOICE Sorgenfresser Worry Eaters from Schmidt picked up the Editors’ Choice award at Toy Fair in January. More than 300 broadcast, national, local and trade journalists chose their top three toys on display at the event, with the Coiledspring distributed line coming out on top. Coiledspring Games: 020 3301 1160

March 39

SUPPLIER PROFILE

Ground swell

Underground Toys saw annual global sales soar by over 120 per cent last year, with licensed lines from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Ted hitting the spot. And there’s more to come for 2014, too. Samantha Loveday speaks to MD Andy Oddie about Funko, wooing independent retail and further expansion Firstly, how was 2013 for Underground Toys? Last year delivered way above expectations for Underground Toys. We further expanded our mainline European operations, and our annual global sales surged by over 120 per cent. The scale of business that we’re now operating on has substantially increased and the Underground team has subsequently grown to 82 members of staff worldwide. Demand for our products is high and we’re working on a much larger scale than in 2012. What were some of your highlights? Our Doctor Who merchandise has become increasingly popular in Europe and the US. We’re creating in-store Doctor Who branded promotional and POS programmes for large retailers. Barnes and Noble have a full in-store Doctor Who FSDU space and Hot Topic have dedicated window displays and further extensive retail plans. Our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles products are also now stocked internationally in Tesco, Target, Asda and Toys ‘R’ Us, HMV, The Entertainer. Our Star Wars feature plush line is relentless, and we had full retail distribution in 2013. With Star Wars

Rebels and the new movies on the horizon, we are now seeing a large uplift in commitments for 2014. What were some of your top performing products? Among our best sellers of 2013 were our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Talking Soft Bag Buddies. We’re predicting continued high sales for 2014 with

Another 2013 success was Ted. He was extremely popular for someone so offensive. The life-sized talking Ted and other sizes in the line flew off the shelves, so we’re excited to be expanding the range to meet consistent demand. New items will include Ted Talking Plush in different outfits, Ted aprons, towels and a range

We’re keen to work with independents who have a real passion for the industry, the brands we’re working with and our products. the release of the new Paramount film. Our collaboration with PPW LLC, BBC and Hasbro on the Doctor Who Mr Potato Head range has also proven prosperous and we’re looking forward to expanding the range further with more character additions. Then there was the move to team up with Funko last year, which expanded Underground’s horizons deeper in Europe. The vinyl collectables are very popular and they cover a variety of properties which appeal to both mass and niche markets. Underground has total exclusivity on the Funko ranges across Europe, and this has generated new partnerships.

of gift accessories which all received a good response at London Toy Fair this year. What’s your focus for this year? Underground’s focus for 2014 is to really drive growth into mainland Europe. We’re pushing to achieve further partnership into mass market retail, and we’ll be attaining this through building and strengthening relationships with retailers. We’ve already found success through strong coalitions with UK and US traders and it’s important for us to continue along this path, alongside our European ventures. We’re off to a good start with new partnerships with Target, Walgreens and Asda. We’re signing up to a few more licences

and taking on new product categories that complement our existing ranges. What can we expect to see from the deal with Funko? Our European exclusive agreement with Funko sits well with the growth of the European division and it’s helped us convert some new customer relationships into sustainable programs. The extent of Underground’s expansion will start to show in mid-2014. We’ll soon be announcing at least two new categories which we’re adding to our existing agreement. How many licensors do you now work with? And how many licences do you carry? Underground’s currently partnered with over 30 licensors and has around 45 licences. We’re in a strong position now where our long-term and newer relationships have really paid off for both us as the licensee and for our licensors and we’re really enjoying the outcome. Are you looking to grow this in 2014? Definitely. We will be looking for more focus in 2014 and are keen to add additional licences that have a good resonance with our existing product base. Are you looking to increase your retail distribution further this year? We are currently in detailed talks with sales representatives

www.toynews-online.biz

about increasing our reach into the independent market. We’ve realised this is an important channel and we’re keen to work with independents who have a real passion for the industry, the brands we’re working with and our products. Where do you see further expansion for Underground Toys coming from? We’re going to continue to grow in much the same way; we’re going to take on additional categories that we’ve already dipped our toes into and we’ll continue to create merchandise which complements our existing ranges. Core areas of focus will continue to bounce off the animated plush and pop culture toy market as well as homeware. What are the challenges you face in 2014? Managing the continued growth of Underground Toys from an organisational perspective is a new challenge for us. The rising cost of goods is something else that we’ll be confronted with. With more manpower and industry insight coming in from all angles, however, I’m confident that we’re going to finish 2014 a lot stronger and wiser. What do you want to achieve by the end of 2014? I’d like us to have reached at least double digit growth again in 2014. The new strategies and ventures for this year make this an achievable goal. March 41

News Opinion Events

Pre-School

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LEGO Duplo enjoys 10% growth in 2013

Marketing push, Disney Junior sponsorship and success of Number Train all attributed to lift

By Samantha Loveday LEGO DUPLO is looking to build on the growth it achieved in 2013, with a raft of marketing activity planned for this year as well as ten new sets due in the first half. The brand was up ten per cent in 2013 (FY2013 NPD EPOS data, value growth), with Number Train being the best selling product, ranking at number two in the junior construction market (FY2013 NPD EPOS data, value). Duplo Town products performed well, particularly My First Construction Site,

while strong pre-school licences – such as Disney Princess – also contributed to the growth. The plan for 2014, says brand manager Genelle Holton, is focused on recruitment, which simply means getting more toddlers involved and playing with LEGO Duplo. “Our comprehensive marketing plan falls under the campaign umbrella ‘A World of Play’,” Holton explained to ToyNews.

HOLTON: “There’s a lot more activity to come”

“We will be bringing this to life through our LEGO Duplo World of Play Roadshow, digital and social media touch points, plus we will be working with pre-school nurseries. There is a lot more activity to come in the second half, so watch this space.” LEGO Duplo will be launching ten new sets in the first half of 2014. Each set features a range of multi-functional

bricks and cute elements. Key lines will include Creative Ice Cream (£12.99), Creative Picnic (£19.99) and Creative Animals (£12.99), all

building on the success of the Creative Cakes range. Three new brick boxes have also arrived. These include the All-inOne Gift Set (£14.99), Allin-One Box of Fun (£24.99) and All-in-One Pink Box of Fun (£24.99). Focusing on role-play will be My First Police Set (£19.99), My First Shop (£19.99) and Farm Tractor (£16.99). Meanwhile, joining LEGO Duplo’s Disney Princess line will be Sleeping Beauty’s Fairy Tale (£29.99). LEGO Duplo: 01753 495000

New Baby Lotto to cater for expectant parents Fresh game from Orchard Toys prepares pre-schoolers for a baby sibling By Billy Langsworthy ORCHARD TOYS believes its New Baby Lotto will address the growing demand for products aimed at expectant parents. The game sees players match cards showing objects such as rattles and bottles, with the board demonstrating scenes including dinnertime and bedtime. New Baby Lotto aims to educate children about these activities, as well as provide a talking www.toynews-online.biz

point between mother and child about the prospect of a baby sibling. Orchard Toys’ MD Simon Newbery believes the game will appeal to a wide section of the market, despite it targeting families expecting a newborn. “It is targeted at parents expecting a second child, but it still has broad appeal to children and parents who just enjoy family roleplay and that have interest and engagement in what babies do.”

And when asked if expectant families have been ignored by the trade so far, Newbery instead feels the demand is just now more visible. “I think it’s more a case of a growing demand in this specific market. We are aware of a number of books that address the arrival of a new baby, however we are not aware of any other games that actually address the activities that will happen when a new baby enters the family.”

Newbery added: “We are optimistic that there is a demand in the market for such a product, however we are fully prepared for this to take time to filter and raise awareness amongst consumers. We have received good feedback from the trade and we are supporting it with marketing so we are

hopeful of good results.” Orchard Toys: 01953 859525 March 43

NEWS

Comment A PARENT BLOGGER’S VIEW Parent bloggers are an increasingly influential part of the pre-school landscape. Each month, we ask a mummy or daddy blogger to write a special blog post for ToyNews, giving their views on the toy market.

This month: Laura Robinson IN JANUARY I headed to Toy Fair 2014 where I played with the latest toy releases, was repeatedly attacked by a tiny quadcopter, and hobnobbed with the stars of The LEGO Movie. While industry award givers, retailers and bloggers are seeking out innovative toys that embrace technology and offer educational value, I am simply looking for something that makes my heart pound and my mouth grin. The first stand to get my pulse racing was Thinkway Toys with their impressive collection of Despicable Me action figures. The stand was covered with an army of little yellow Minions begging to be liberated from the confines of their packaging. For me, this was very exciting because when the first Despicable Me film was released, I wanted a Minion more than life itself. But, alas, the merchandising at the time was woeful. Movie related toys tend to enjoy short-lived appeal, but with the Minions movie due for release next year, and Despicable Me 3 in the works for 2017, these toys will remain firm favourites with me (and my children) for a while yet. Next up on my list of Toy Tattle approved Toy Fair

offerings is the LEGO Juniors range. Based on feedback from parents, LEGO have created simpler sets within their normal character ranges, comprising of regular sized bricks, plus some prefabricated sections. Our family suffers from regular bouts of a condition known as constructionbrick-rage. After repeated attempts to build a model, son number two will catch a dose of the rage and scream for my assistance. After a few minutes I too will succumb to construction-brick-rage, and the kit will be left for a more suitable grown up to complete at the weekend. LEGO Juniors kits are quicker to construct and more suited to the attention span of younger children (and LEGOincapable parents). There were plenty of other toys that caught my attention including a modernised Mouse Trap game that looked a lot simpler to set up than the board game I remember, a zombie-style Nerf gun useful for scaring the children back into bed and some truly awesome new remote control Hexbugs. Now I just need to patiently wait until their birthdays, so I can pass off the new toys I want to play with as presents for my children.

Check out more from Laura Robinson online: www.toytattle.com and on Twitter @toytattle.

44 March

New look revealed for Peter Rabbit nursery line Rainbow Designs aiming to bring contemporary twist to the classic characters By Samantha Loveday RAINBOW DESIGNS has unveiled a fresh, contemporary new look for its Peter Rabbit nursery collection for 2014. The line includes a range of cute, cuddly and charming infant toys made from baby soft plush. These include a My First Peter and My First Flopsy soft toy, comfort blanket, bean rattles and a Musical Peter Rabbit. Toddler toys in the range have been designed to encourage core development and learning skills including illustrated Stacking Blocks, a wooden counting Peg Puzzle and Wooden Dominoes. The new line will be launched in John Lewis stores and independent retailers from this month. “We’re extremely excited about the

extended product line which will be on shelves in March,” Anthony Temple, MD at Rainbow Designs, told ToyNews. “Our new Peter Rabbit baby and nursery collection is now much more focused product wise and sector defined, which means it fits with the quality and

style of products retailers are looking for. “The Peter Rabbit range is fresh, contemporary and at the same time retains the timeless charm reflective of the classic Beatrix Potter stories.” Rainbow Designs: 01329 227300

‘Shape Kids ideal for UK market’, says inventor Characters and books ‘teach shapes and morals’ By Robert Hutchins A NEW Zealand-based toy inventor and children’s book author is looking for ‘that special someone’ to help bring her range of Shape Kids toys and books to the UK. British-born Janet Grime started developing her range of buildable shape character toys and their tie-in books four years ago. Grime developed the toys to encourage toddlers’ dexterity and imagination development, while the book series aims to help kids learn about sharing and honesty.

The self-funded inventor has spent over $80,000 on getting the range - aimed at children aged between three to six - to its current stage of development. “There are a few shops in New Zealand that sell them as well as play centre shops,” explained Grime. “I would love to get these in the UK and am looking for that special someone to see the potential of the range in the UK market.” The wooden shapes connect together in various patterns and designs, and have so far been meet with positive

feedback from children and parent alike. “Teachers tell me these are the best things they have ever seen because they teach kids shapes and morals in a great way.” Grime plans to bring the Shaoe Kids range to future UK toy expos in London. www.theshapekids.com www.toynews-online.biz

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Animin to solve headache of showcasing digital pets at retail Video-based point of sale unit features new tech to help demonstrate the product in action By Billy Langsworthy THE CREATOR of new digital pet toy Animin believes it has solved the issue of how to show off the capabilities of virtual pets at retail. Animin will land in the UK this September, and Animin game producer Ben Paterson has created a POS unit that showcases the interactive elements of the game.

engage with augmented reality technology on an Apple or Android tablet or smartphone to enter the world of what Paterson is calling “the most advanced, supremely beautiful and cheekiest digital pet to date.” But Paterson wants retail to understand Animin isn’t an app toy. “Animin is the future of digital toys,” said Paterson.

How do you market a digital toy in bricks ‘n’ mortar stores? This is where our video-based POS units come in. Ben Paterson, Animin “How do you market a digital toy in bricks ‘n’ mortar stores? This is exactly where our advanced video-based point-of-sale units and instore demo pods employing the latest in mind-blowingly cool new display tech come in,” Paterson told ToyNews. “And this will be backed up by an aggressive marketing and PR campaign, focused on national and kids media, tech and gaming press and parenting blogger networks.” Animin sees users

“Where does Animin fit at retail? Firstly, to be clear, Animin is not an ‘app toy’, a category that consistently struggles to be accepted by retailers and understood by consumers alike. “Animins are digital pets. Magical and engaging characters that children and tweens will want to feed, nurture and play games with. “The 15 networked minigames and the unique Avatar Messaging in Animin will allow players to compete with and chat with their friends, easily,

quickly and safely within the game world. “And while we fully expect that our innovative avatar-based messaging system and networked gaming will be a major draw, we are equally concerned to communicate to players and their parents, the fact that esafety is paramount within the world of Animin.” The team behind Animin are also reaching out to retailers that want a demonstration, or to learn more about the POS units. Paterson added: “Toy retailers who want to

make the future of digital toys work well in their store can come over to our Dalston studio, check out Animin and let us blow your mind. “Or give us a shout and we’ll come over, give you a demo of Animin and explain how our in-

store POS and demo units can work for your business.” Animin: 020 3322 7717

ToyNews takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on toy industry issues. The current members are: RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Stuart Grant, The Entertainer

Fiona Murray-Young, Toys R Us

www.toynews-online.biz

Andrea Abbis, Argos

Brian Simpson, Toytown

Tom Folliot, Sainsbury’s

Marc Dean, Morrisons

Annalise Quest, Harrods

Steph Strike, Asda

Ian Edmunds, Toymaster

Ben Redhead, Firebox

Steven Bradley, Boots

Helen Gourley, Toy Hub

Miles Penhallow, Play-Room

March 47

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RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

Pre-school nerves?

With the relationship between Mothercare and Early Learning Centre on the rocks, Robert Hutchins asks the ToyNews Retail Advisory Board how this has changed their own pre-school buying and how important the sector is to them Brian Simpson, Manager, ToyTown “It hasn’t affected my buying at all. I have huge respect for the Mothercare business model, we all know the importance of capturing our customers early so they stay with you. But, we are smaller High Street retailers, so we will continue to buy and trade as usual and if we see any uplift in our stores that happen to be located near a Mothercare, then all the better. “Last year saw another huge array of pre-school licences introduced into the trade, and for us this kept the overall sales buoyant. But we would expect our unit sales to be the same, potentially with a slight decrease in value as we see a trend for kids ‘wanting to grow up too fast’ and playing with toys that possibly are not 100 per cent age appropriate. “But so far, the market is working well for us. We would like to think that preschool toys do better with independents. There is usually a lot of confusion on purchases for younger kids and that is where our customer service and knowledge on products sets us (the independent www.toynews-online.biz

trade, not just ToyTown) apart from the grocers, etc.” Helen Gourley, Owner, ToyHub “It hasn’t really had an impact on us. The local Early Learning Centre had been showing signs of strain for sometime, so customers were already looking elsewhere. “We have noticed an increase in second hand shops selling lightly used pre-school toys. A lot of kids that are pre-school age get bored with their toys quickly so parents are looking for great value and the ability to continually change the offering for their children. “We stick to our brands like LEGO and Playmobil and bring their younger lines i.e. Duplo and Playmobil 1.2.3. and lead the children into the other ranges as they grow older. “With pre-school toys, parents are looking for extra advice as to what educational and play value the toys they are buying have. That said, everyone seems to be on a tight budget at the moment and lots of parents love long established well made brands that they can pick up in a variety of places.”

Ian Edmunds, Operations Director, Toymaster “The Mothercare and Early Learning Centre situation is a real pity. ELC over the years has been a real destination shop for preschool toys. We occasionally have consumers coming to our shops asking for ELC toys. They see it as a brand. So it is certainly worth something to someone. But who’s going to buy it... God knows. “In the last couple of years, licensed pre-school toys have seen a struggle. This means that the generic, basic pre-school toys have sold better. However, Fisher-Price hasn’t been flying until last year, so there’s not really a lot out there and it’s very difficult to get the consumer interested. “Having said that, preschool is our biggest section. Because if you’re going to buy pre-school toys and you don’t know what to get, you need to ask somebody. That’s where ELC were really good. You feel safe asking them rather than some oik on the checkouts at your supermarket. “Why the ELC is struggling is easy to figure out. You put it in with

Mothercare and they don’t know what to do with it. It’s classic bad buying. There’s nothing wrong with ELC’s business if someone pays the right price for it. It would suit someone who would do it as standalone shops. If you just buy the brand and stick it in a supermarket, in three years time it’ll be nothing.” Stuart Grant, Buying Director, The Entertainer “The Entertainer had another really strong year and some of that is from growing our market share within infant and pre-school. Because the market is shrinking, and we’re growing, by definition we are stealing market share from other retailers. “Pre-school has always been an area that we have previously underperformed against our market share in. That’s mainly because we have had specialists in that category trading near

us. When you’re underperforming, it should be easy growth. It’s definitely a focus for us. “[There is a] really good portfolio of pre-school brands that have just been launched that are doing really well such as Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Tree Fu Tom, Peppa Pig and Fireman Sam. Since its new launch with Golden Bear, In The Night Garden is also doing really well. “Consumers buying for children of that age want to know that they are buying into a toy that is absolutely right for the child. That filters across to the retailers they choose. There is a big opportunity for specialists like Mothercare, ELC and Kiddicare to perform exceptionally well. I think that creates added competition for general toy retailers like us. Not being specialist in the category potentially creates a hurdle because the consumer is looking for that.”

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD Turn to page 47 to find out who’s part of our Retail Advisory Board. If you’re a toy retailer who’s interested in joining, please email dominic.sacco@intentmedia.co.uk

March 49

RECOMMENDED

Pinypon HERUO CT

Famosa is certain the Pinypon collection of interchangeable mini dolls will see success this year, with marketing campaigns and new play-sets on the way

PROD

CONTACTS Famosa: 07919 541 116 www.famosa.es Release Date: Available Now Pinypon, the unique range of interchangeable mini dolls and play-sets, has enjoyed a flying start to the year following the brand’s comeback this January. The collection of dolls - each featuring removable hair, heads, bodies and accessories - is now preparing to take on the UK market with new pricing, features and an aggressive marketing and television campaign. A buy one get one free promotion will roll out across UK retail on the basic £2.99 Pinypon figure

assortment, as the firm aims to drive the collectability of the range of six dolls. The deal will also be communicated through consumer marketing including social media and a planned heavyweight TV campaign for both satellite and terrestrial channels. Meanwhile, leading the way for the Pinypon playsets this year is the recently launched Campervan featuring a host of accessories. Priced at £19.99, the Campervan includes a roof that

transforms into a pedal boat with a slide, while the vehicle features a swimming pool with working shower, a fridge, kitchen accessories and a table with a deck chair for a picnic. The set comes with one Pinypon figure. Further play-sets are scheduled for release throughout 2014 including the Pinypon Plane that hits retail this June and features a cargo area, a cockpit, passenger area and kitchen and, of course, a dancing area with a disco ball.

With marketing investment four times larger than any previous investment in the Pinypon

range, Famosa is certain the range will mirror its global success in the UK this year.

PL-UG, ASOBI

LEGO MIXELS, LEGO

MINECRAFT BOX HEADS, SPIN MASTER

LEGO and Cartoon Network have partnered to launch a new line of collectables this month with the mix and match-able characters, Mixels. Divided into three tribes, each consisting of three characters, the Mixels can be deconstructed and reconstructed using parts from any of the others to produce a unique creation. In Series One, the Infernites consist of Flain, Vulk and Zorch. Meanwhile, the Cragsters are made up of Krader, Seismo and Shuff, while the Electroids include Teslo, Zaptor and Volectro. Each character retails at £3 and features up to 70 pieces of LEGO, including new elements such as eyes, teeth and working balljoints. The new collection is being supported with animated shorts on Cartoon Network and an interactive kids’ app, Calling All Mixels.

2014 looks set to be another big year for the gaming property Minecraft, as Spin Master introduces a new line of character Box Heads to its growing Minecraft portfolio. Building on its collection of top-selling Vinyl Figures – Steve, Diamond Steve and Creeper – and Creeper Plush, the Minecraft Box Heads are lightweight cardboard constructs developed to encourage ‘kids and adults away from their keyboards and into role-play.’ Aimed at kids aged eight and upwards and retailing at £14.99, the assortment includes favourite Minecraft characters, Steve, Enderman and Creeper. Spin Master will be building on its successful Minecraft range later this year with additional characters in its plush selection including Zombie and Enderman characters.

Launched at this year’s London Toy Fair, PL-UG is the unique construction toy that allows children to ‘explore and build dens from almost anything in the world around them.’ With seven PL-UG components to choose from including connector discs, rods, suction cups, pegs and hooks, the den making kit can be attached to different objects around the house or garden such as chairs, tables, trees and benches. Once kids have built the structure of their den, all they need to do is secure their sheet over the top to complete their hide-out. Launching with three different kits, the Entry Kit includes the key PL-UG components and a ‘keep out’ sign. The Mid Kit features additional connectors and a blue starred sheet, while the Premium Kit includes all the PL-UG, discs, rods and a sheet.

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01628 200 077

50 March

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RECOMMENDED PETER RABBIT, VIVID Vivid is leaping into action this year with a new range of plush, puzzles, figures and game cards based on the popular CBeebie’s show, Peter Rabbit. Each Peter Rabbit figure is sculpted in detail to replicate the characters in the show. Available in packs ranging from £3.99 to £9.99, the line will be supported with TV advertising. Meanwhile the plush lines include Peter Rabbit and Lily Bobtail, a new female character created for the TV series. This autumn will also see new characters including Benjamin Bunny and the Woodland Chase Figure Pack. 01483 449 944

ZOMLINGS, ESDEVIUM Esdevium saw a ‘brilliant reaction’ to Magic Box Int’s new pocket money collectable range, Zomlings at this year’s London Toy Fair. The range is now available and launches with a special deal for retailers running until March 7th. The collection of miniature monsters features more than 100 characters for kids to collect, ‘targeting the genuine pocket money market’ with prices starting at 50p. Driving the collectability of the range, kids will also be encouraged to hunt for the rare Gold and Silver Zomlings. Each 50p blind bag includes one Zomling character and a collectible leaflet, while £1 bags offer one Zomling plus a Zomlings Tower. Available in two designs, Zomlings Towers stack together challenging kids to build the tallest structures. The launch will be supported with widespread TV advertising throughout March and April, with a range of sampling initiatives to get Zomlings into the hands of children across the UK and Ireland. Retailers interested in the launch deal can contact Esdevium on the number provided. 01420 593 593

GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, PAUL LAMOND

BRAINBOX COLOUR AND CREATE, GREEN BOARD GAMES

Paul Lamond is launching a new range of games and puzzles starring the popular Nutbrown Hare characters from the new animation, Guess How Much I Love You – The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare. The new range is being led with the Giant Snakes and Ladders game, designed for children aged three and upwards. With extra large pieces including a jumbo dice and four playing counters, the game features a giant hardwearing washable mat, meaning it can be played indoors or out. Meanwhile, the company is targeting puzzle fans with its Guess How Much I Love You 24-Piece Floor Puzzle and a Guess How Much I Love You 4-in-1 Jigsaw Puzzle, featuring scenes depicting autumn, winter, night and day. Completing the new range, the Guess How Much I Love You Memory Card Game will challenge children’s memories with a collection of 54 cards featuring the property’s favourite characters.

Green Board Games is kicking off the year with an ‘exciting collaboration’ between the popular Mister Maker brand and the multi award-winning BrainBox series with the BrainBox Colour and Create. Combining the ten second brain challenge with a mix of creative play with colour-your-own cards and write-your-own questions, the game has already scooped two awards: BTHA’s Game of the Year and Game of the Year in the Toy Talk Awards. The game challenges players to study a card for ten seconds, then answer a question on the reverse of the card, decided by the roll of a dice. If the question is answered correctly, the card is kept. The person with the most number of cards after five or ten minutes is crowned the winner. BrainBox Colour and Create was launched with the aid of Mister Maker himself at the London Toy Fair 2014 and is available to retailers across the UK now.

MARBLE RACER, GALT

02072 540 100

01494 538 999

01614 289 111

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Galt Toys is spicing up the world of marbles this season with the launch of the Marble Racer, a marble construction game challenging players to build a high speed race track and compete to reach the finish line. Marble Racer features three special racing pieces: a starter gate, a racing vortex and a podium, as well as a variety of chutes and wheels for enhanced racing. The set is also fully compatible with Galt’s Marble Run. Featuring a starter top, a starter base, a finish area, three racing vortex, a wiggly bell chute, a staircase, 37 tubes and 20 solid colour racing marbles, the Marble Racer retails at £24.99. The new set aims to build on the success of Galt’s Marble Run and Pinball Racer construction games, allowing kids to design their own tracks and race their marbles.

March 51

MYSTERY SHOPPER

London This month Mystery Shopper takes to ‘The Big Smoke’ in search of some of the UK capital’s independent toy shops. The mission: a traditional toy for an eight year old girl

PETIT CHOU

HARRODS With four large rooms dedicated to toys, board games, dolls, fancy dress, remote control everythings, one room for LEGO and all else in between, there‘s a reason they call it Toy Kingdom. I walked in, almost stumbling over a store assistant who was whizzing around the floor on a small ride-on. Another stood performing magic with various props while helicopters flew around the room. On the verge of sensory overload I took stock before a ‘demonstration zone‘. I asked a chirpy assistant what she might suggest for an eight year old

87 – 135 Brompton Road, London girl. “Oh loads,” she replied. “What kind of thing are you after? Cuddly toys, dress up, dolls, arts and craft?” I told her I wanted a traditional toy that was a bit unusual. “I know just the thing,” she said, “follow me, what’s her name?” Pardon? I choked. She was clearly trying to catch me out. Or just do her job. “Um,” I fumbled for far too long. “Sian.” I finally said almost convincingly. The girl bought it and next thing she was looking up ‘Sian’ in a catalogue of girls names on the computer. It wasn’t there. Of course it wasn’t. I felt bad for her so

we settled – for the sake of the demonstration – for Shaun. She showed me an alarm clock that would sing personalised messages and songs (lucky Shaun). “It’s great,” she enthused, “because you can play prerecorded songs on these CDs, or the kids can mess around and record their own messages.” It was very impressive. I was sold. But I knew that poor little Sian would have something to say. “Well, we have so much here, why don’t you have a look around.” I thanked her for her help and did as I was bid. For the next half an hour.

VERDICT: Toy Kingdom is packed with toys and games while the atmosphere buzzes with excitement and activity. Some areas are more active than others however, and I felt the arts and craft section was undersold on this occasion through lack of demonstration. The rest of the Kingdom made up for it with excitement and great customer service.

52 March

4/5

15 St Christopher’s Palace, West End, London

Petit Chou’s website labels it ‘the finest independent toy shop in London’, a bold claim, considering the competition. A warm ‘hello’ greets me as I enter. I respond in kind and ask the friendly shop owner what she could suggest for my eight year old niece. The toys are gathered towards the back of the shop. It’s a relatively small offering, with the majority of the store filled with children’s clothing. “How much are you looking to spend?” she asks. I tell her and she points to the sale section. The prices are perfect, but the puzzles on offer all look a bit young. Sensing my hesitation, she continues to lay various options out on the counter. The shelves are decorated with some good-looking toys.

A wooden fire station and a wooden pirate ship from Hape join a number of early years toys. “We have this miniature tea set, it’s a nice little set. There is a bigger version but it’s a bit more expensive.” It was about £60 more expensive, but the mini version was nicely priced. Cute cuddly animals populated another shelf, while the woman gestured to a giant atlas puzzle. It was impressive, but again, out of the price range. “We also have a few puppets, a puppet theatre and these lovely Russian Dolls.” The store had a great feel, almost boutique-like with a unique selection of toys. A shame then, that most was vastly out of the price limit, but I was tempted to break the bank.

VERDICT: The shop had an intimate and welcoming feel with great attention to detail reflected in its uniquely selected product range. While some of the prices were fairly isolating, the excellent service made me feel valued as a customer. Product was somewhat limited for the age range, but charming.

3/5

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MYSTERY SHOPPER

STAR STORE BENJAMIN POLLOCK’S TOY SHOP Like the rafters of an old theatre, this store was adorned in theatrical memorabilia, puppets, marionettes, pop-out Victorian theatre craft sets and retro board games. Glass cases filled with antique toys and priceless puppet theatre gave the store a museum-like sense of nostalgia.

44 The Market, Covent Garden, London

I happily studied the store for ten minutes. “Do let us know if you need a hand, won’t you?” offered the mild mannered storeowner. I gave him my mission statement. “Well, we have a number of options here if she enjoys crafts or putting on shows?” “Don’t they all?” I replied. He then proceeded to lay out

cut and craft Victorian theatres with a variety of playbooks and character sheets. “Our most popular one sold out at Christmas, but we can find you something interesting here, does she like fairy tales?” He went through a box brimming with scripts and playbooks. From Fairy Tales

and Shakespeare to classic Victorian plays, the choice seemed endless. “We have plenty more to choose from of course,” said the owner, indicating the rest of the store. He showed me a collection of 3D craft kits, depicting iconic literary characters. “She may need help cutting these,” he told me “or maybe you could put them together and frame them for her, as a nice gift for her room.” A genius idea, but technically not a toy. He had to agree and continued to show me the collection of puppets and marionettes, silhouettes, Punch and Judy sets and circus themed toys and games. “We also have these retro style board games from Hungary, these do really well.” One look and I could see why. The store was filled with the weird, the wonderful and the utterly charming. Forgetting my mission momentarily, I admitted I wanted it all.

VERDICT: An enchanting store that brought the nostalgic magic of theatre together with the fun and excitement of an array of toys and games. The customer service was top notch, personal, informative and empathetic.

SUMMARY London is the epicentre of trade and business, yet its population of independent toy shops is few and far between. However, among those it does have to offer, are some real gems. Special mention has to go to this month’s star store, Benjamin Pollock’s Toy Shop for its exciting collection of theatre-inspired toys and puppets, along with its accommodating and friendly customer service. While Wood ‘n’ Things scored lowest this month, a toy shop in this central location was a welcome sight, and a refreshing respite from the monotony of suits and ties in coffee shops.

5/5

WOOD ‘N’ THINGS ERIC SNOOK The store’s window display of working mechanical wooden toys immediately gave it a Dickensian toy workshop feel, so I entered with my hopes high. The dumbfounded expression on the face of the young man stacking shelves extinguished this in seconds. Having asked for a traditional toy for my eight year old niece, the fear in his eyes said more than his words could, which did help as he didn’t utter a single one. Gratefully, we were rescued by a bubbly young woman. The shop was filled with

57 Brushfield Street, Old Spitalfields Market, London 32 The Market, Covent Garden, London knick-knacks, trinkets, gadgets, cuddly toys and a few tourist souvenirs. We stopped in a corner brimming with wooden play-sets, disparagingly, mostly aimed at pre-schoolers. The girl immediately thrust a miniature tea set in my hands. “If she likes role-play, she’ll love a tea set,” she informed me with confidence. “Or,” she continued, “it’s less of a toy, but all girls love these musical jewellery boxes.” Apparently they were their most popular line for girls of that age. It was the last on

the shelf, so I decided to believe her. “Most of the stuff is for younger kids really. But have a look at these little bits,” she said indicating the cheaper priced novelty items. “You could make up a goody bag. I’ll leave you to have a look.” As fun as they are, I didn’t think Mexican Jumping Beans or an oversized pencil quite cut it for a birthday present. I liked the tea set, but in the end left the store deflated that the mechanical wooden toys didn’t get a mention. Girls can enjoy construction too, right?

VERDICT: Eric Snook is a charming store with a traditional toy shop feel. The range of stock didn’t seem to quite live up to how it presented itself, but there were still some treasures to be found. The service was perplexing at points, but pleasant. Certainly a store of character. www.toynews-online.biz

3/5

This store had a lot less ‘wood’ than it did general ‘things’. From the outside it had the appearance of an alcove of discovery, waiting to be explored. I manoeuvered my way into the shop and commenced my hunt. To its credit, the amount of ‘things’ on display was impressive. Fancy dress items plastered the walls and hung from the ceilings, while novelty gifts including rubber spiders, fly-laden ice cubes and false noses piled high on the shelves. The shop almost had a jovial fun quality, were it not for the sun-bleached

signs posted around the shop ordering ‘No photos’. The opposite side of the shop was where the ‘wood’ was kept. A couple of sets from Hape and Brio stood solitary on the shelves. I couldn’t help but think that for a store that prided itself on its ‘wood’, the choice was somewhat rather limited. I broached the storeowner with my question. The response didn’t take me by too much of a surprise. “Pretty much what you see here.” I thanked her kindly, and left the store rather underwhelmed.

VERDICT: This store had a fun collection of novelty and fancy dress items, ideal for pocket money spending or party games. It was somewhat let down by its wooden toy collection, but nevertheless good to see the presence of an indie like this in a central London location.

2/5

March 53

SECTOR GUIDE: OUTDOOR TOYS

The great outdoors The weather may not have been kind to the outdoor toys sector so far in 2014, but fingers are crossed for a better spring and a good summer. Samantha Loveday takes a look at what’s coming up, from bikes, trikes and skates, through to trampolines, blasters and tents

RE:CREATION

Ride-on brand Razor continues to innovate, introducing the Crazy Cart – an electric powered ride on that ‘rides like no other’. The Crazy Cart is a unique

drifting machine for kids aged nine and up. Re:creation is supporting Razor’s electric ride on/scooter range with a full marketing programme. New Air Storm brand launches include Sky Ripperz, whistling rockets that travel up to 250 feet. Already a hit in the US, Sky Ripperz (£9.99) will be supported heavily with a zany stick-in-the-mind TV ad throughout spring/summer. The Fuze brand offers a range of clever technology allowing kids aged eight

BANANAGRAMS

WORLDS APART

Jumbo Bananagrams is a giant version of the original international word game phenomenon, while Jumbo Zip-It is a large scale edition of the fast paced two player crossword race, that can be played in as little as 20 seconds. Both games have been recognised by the Good Toy Guide, while they have also picked up a plethora of accolades from the likes of ToyShopUK, Rainbow Toy Awards, Primary Teacher Update Awards and Loved by Parents Awards. Jumbo Bananagrams (£49.99) features 144 waterproof, three-inch square tiles packed in a

With a host of appealing play structures and games, Worlds Apart has introduced new water features to some of its perennial favourites – transforming an ordinary crawl through tunnel into a thrilling aqua chute. By adding a water attachment to its standard ball pit, retailers can really make a splash in both impact and sales with the new Aqua Active range. Worlds Apart’s strength in outdoor toys comes from its strong and rigorously defended patented designs in Pop Ups, as well as a wealth of leading licences. Latest additions include

funky giant yellow bananashaped tote. Players race against each other to build giant crossword grids and use all their letter tiles. Meanwhile, Jumbo Zip-It (£49.99) is a high speed crossword race featuring 24 wooden lettered twoinch cubes and colouring scoring zips that come built into the pouch.

To play, each person takes 12 cubes and races to form a crossword grid using any side of the cubes. The first to use all their cubes calls ‘zip’ and marks a point by moving their own zip up the pouch. The first to score ten points calls ‘zip it’ and wins the game. 020 7298 9500 sales@winningmoves.co.uk

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Something Special and Doc McStuffins, joining the likes of Cars, Toy Story, Peppa Pig and Thomas & Friends. The Pop n Fun feature tents are easy to pop up, fold down and store. Pop and Fun also has a range of action games including pop out ring toss, pop out horse shoes and pop out bowling. 0800 389 8591

FLAIR

H GROSSMAN HGL has bolstered its licensed offering with the addition of the Minions from Despicable Me this year. The range will include outdoor products, scooters, bikes, skateboards, trikes, inline skates, a pogo stick and a balance bike. Helmets featuring Minions with one eye and with two eyes will also be available. The firm will also be launching a range to tie in with the arrival of How to Train Your Dragon 2, which hits cinemas in July. Products include a scooter, trikes, bikes, skateboards, inline skates, helmet and

and up to pimp their bike. The innovative technology on the Wheel Writer (£19.99) transforms a bike wheel into a real working speedometer, while 12 different pictures scroll through as they pedal. Marketing support includes TV advertising and in-store FSDU programme with ‘try me’ demo unit. Finally, VideoHead (£59.99) has a built-in camera and four clickable lens positions, so that kids can record their favourite BMX, scooter or skateboard moments with the memory. 0118 973 6222 sales@recreationltd.co.uk

pogo sticks, plus tents, chairs and an array of outdoor pocket money toys such as skittles, yo-yos, discs, gliders and fizz pods. Horrid Henry rounds out the new licensed additions for the firm, with a range of

satchel skateboards and full size skateboards. Also new for 2014 are the MILO & GIL range. Aimed at younger children, the line includes a chunky trike, balance bike and scooter, available in two colourways. Children aged seven and up can be dazzled by the Elektra tattoo range of scooters, skateboards, pogo sticks, hog trikes, inline skates, quad boots, helmets and safety pads. The neon colours flash through the range from shocking pink and purple to glow in the dark green. 0141 613 2525

Spearheading Flair’s entry into the outdoor category is a range of products under the Energize brand. Hero product is the Jump Dancer, which is a battery operated skipping rope that

doesn’t require anybody to hold it. It has two speed settings to choose from and three time settings. Also available will be the two in one Jump Stik. 020 8643 0320

March 55

SECTOR GUIDE: OUTDOOR TOYS MV SPORTS MV’s range of pre-schooled wheeled toys is going from strength to strength. The Thomas & Friends range is enhanced with several new feature driven lines. The new Chuff Chuff range features realistic engine noises, while the 3in-1 scooter, ride on and trailer is a new concept which converts easily from one mode to another. The Peppa Pig collection has been redesigned and new lines added. The Peppa Pig Hopper is decorated with Peppa graphics and is ideal for developing core balance and coordination skills.

ASOBI New One Direction lines include an electric scooter and a Dance Mixer Dance Mat, which comes with MP3/aux source input allowing 1D fans to dance to their favourite songs. For older boys, MV has favourites such as Batman, Transformers and Power Rangers. The new Bat

signal inline scooter comes with a Bat symbol torch, while the Transformers mask scooter combines a 3D plaque with a realistic Optimus Prime face mask. MV’s own brands performed well last year, with growth of over 60 per cent. Spearheading this was stunt scooter brand, Stunted, which gained market share as a direct result of intensive brand advertising. Further brand promotion will take place throughout spring/summer with the roll out of new models and designs. New products are also being introduced to the firm’s Hedstrom and Kickmaster collections. 0121 748 8000

PL-UG apparently enables children to take den building to the next level. There are currently seven PL-UG components to choose from including connector discs, rods, suction cups, clamps, pegs and hooks that are all designed to connect together. They can then be attached to different objects around the house or garden such as chairs, tables, trees and benches. Once they have

HY-PRO INTERNATIONAL

SMARTWAY

Hy-Pro launched its new preschool focused Rollers brand at Nuremberg last month. The R1 is for children aged 18 months+ and converts from a tricycle to a tri scooter once the child has improved balance and confidence. The R2 is for two years+ and converts from a balance bike to an inline scooter. The firm is also confident of success with its new Flyte line, which it says is the first children’s product to have a suitcase attached to a scooter. The Zinc feature scooters line has been bolstered with Ignite, which lets out harmless steam imitating smoke once

The latest additions to Smartway’s Little Play Train ride on toys include a Blue 12v, twin motor Electric Steam Engine and matching coal truck. Designed for ages three to seven, they can be played on independently or by connecting them to another engine or coal truck, forming a train for children to play on together. Features include LED headlight, intelligent steering, four railway sounds, brake, brass effect boiler and rubber tyres. Electric engines retail for £140 and the coal truck is £99. This is the first of three planned launches this year, with the firm also getting ready to introduce the Little Play Train into the US.

the brakes have been applied. The product uses refillable oil cartridges to generate the smoke. Hy-Pro also recently attended ISPO in Munich, showcasing its updated range of BMXs, Team Series stunt scooters Chozen and Zycho, dirt, commuter and electric scooters including the New Lithium powered scooter E-Glide. 01582 670100 sales@hy-pro.co.uk

WILDLIFE WORLD Wildlife World’s minibugs range gives children the chance to become more involved with the great outdoors and bring them closer to nature. The company introduced new minibugs interactive packaging at Nuremberg, adding characters including Lucy Ladybird, Bertie Bee, Bobby Ant and Bettie Butterfly. Each habitat has its own function and requires no maintenance. Children can scan the packaging with any smart phone or tablet, finding dedicated spyderscan pages for each character explaining what they might find and also 56 March

what and where the character lives. Also new for 2014 is a broad range of educational habitats, designed for schools and playgroups. Each habitat is constructed from FSC certified timber and uses only water-based paints. 01666 505333 james@wildlifeworld.co.uk

a structure, all they need to do is secure a sheet over the top and a keep out sign on the door. PL-UG is initially launching three different kits – the Entry Kit which includes the key components and a ‘keep out’ sign; the Mid Kit which has some extras and a blue starred sheet; and the Premium Kit which includes all the PL-UGs, disc, rods and a sheet.

01628 200077

A waiting list has been established for the first containers. The firm’s owners are also beginning to gain serious interest from other European countries. A new accessory – Little Play Train trailer – will also debut in the autumn. 01924 467264 sales@smart-toys.net

SIMBA SMOBY UK Simba Smoby’s outdoor portfolio includes a variety of garden slides, all with built-in water feature, as well as trikes, tractors, ride ons and a collection of garden play houses. The Big Bobby Car is one of the world’s top selling kids’ vehicles, having shifted over 18 million units since launch. Porsche 911 and Mercedes Benz SLS AMG variants are also available. 01274 765030

BRAINSTORM The Brainstorm Toys Outdoor Adventure range includes the new Handbow, which can shoot suction darts over eight metres. Each comes with three suction darts, while there will also be a refill dart pack for add on sales. The Outdoor Adventure Microscope, meanwhile has 20x to 40x magnification among other features, while the Outdoor Adventure

Binoculars are pocket sized, with 4x magnification and 30mm glass lenses. The Outdoor Adventure Dynamo Torch completes the range. Brainstorm also has the Original Flying Bird – delighting kids of all ages for over 40 years, the mechanical toy is powered by a high quality rubber band and mechanism and can go up to 50 metres.

01200 445113

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SECTOR GUIDE: OUTDOOR TOYS FAMOSA Five hero products from the Feber line have been designated for 2014: in the battery operated category, the Ferrari FF and Minnie Car; for foot to floor, the Motorfeber Cars 2 and Motorfeber Minnie Mouse;

TOBAR and in the outdoor arena, the Fantasy House. There will be strong trade support throughout the year, while consumer support will see the launch of a new UK-dedicated Feber website and an online campaign to build awareness. Famosa is also planning participation at selected high profile consumer events. At Toy Fair, Feber launched two new toys in the foot to floor category, Rocky Feber and My Feber Bike. BabyPlus with Music also made its debut in the tricycles category. Aimed at 12 months and up, the Rocky Feber (£34.99) is a rock and

walk system that makes it easy for youngsters to take their first steps towards individual mobility. By sitting astride the bright yellow dog and rocking it, children can make the product move forward. It also includes lights and music. Aimed at instilling confidence in young children as they contemplate riding a bike for the first time, is the new My Feber ‘balance’ bike. Meanwhile, the BabyPlus with Music tricycle is designed to grow with youngsters in two easy stages. 01623 237433 famosauk@famosa.es

The best selling Air Hogs line has launched two new outdoor items for spring. The Air Hogs Titan with its 1.2m wing span puts paper planes to shame with its easy to assemble and no batteries required build system. The durable plane flies with the thrust of the arm and the tail fin can be flipped to change from distance coverage to performing acrobatic stunt plane. The engine of the build it yourself Air Hogs Zip Wing will

fire for ten seconds, propelling it into the air. Built with folding props and crash resistant materials, the 56cm wingspan Zip Wing can apparently stand up to the toughest of crashes. Kids can also take to the skies with DreamWorks Dragons new Real Flying Toothless. Capable of flying over 15 metres, the tail can be adjust to unleash dragon stunts as Toothless soars through the air, wings flapping just like a real dragon. 01628 535000

MINILANDS MINIMOBIL plastic vehicles range is available in three sizes: 9cm, 12cm and 18cm. The vehicles come individually, in tubs or a CDU and include themes such as racing cars, trucks, boats and emergency vehicles in red, blue and green. Minilands Large Vehicles include a new Dumpy 43cm Transporter, which comes with two 18cm vehicles to load on and off, plus the Super Tractor and Trailer, which the firm says is the ultimate garden playing toy.

A Monster Truck, Green Tractor and Digger, plus two more Dumper Trucks of varying sizes are also in the range. Miniland’s Garden Kit includes nine different tools such as pots, trowels, a watering can and space all in a handy bucket. The collection of sand and water toys are available in bright, primary colours and includes buckets, spades, sand sets, sieves and more.

01604 678780

JOHN CRANE

PLUM PRODUCTS

58 March

come in two different colours) are also in demand. Tobar also has a raft of outdoor products in the Discover category. The fun science lines, which launched early last year, include the Bug Observation range which consists of the Bug Research Centre, Butterfly Nets and Bug Tubs, all styled in naturethemed packaging. 0844 573 4299

DKL

SPIN MASTER

Plum Products has plenty of key new range launches planned within its outdoor collection this year. The Junior Jumper, specifically designed for younger children, has a lower height frame and colourful plastic legs for stability and durability. The firm has used its patented SpringSafe technology. A new six-foot size option in the Magnitude range, and a new

Tobar is already geared up for the (hopefully) sunny months ahead, with a varied range of products. The firm says it has received great feedback from customers who have seen the products. The Smiler Space Hopper in particular, was a big hit and has now been paired up with the Sally Space Hopper, a vibrant pink version of the Junior Space Hopper which the firm has supplied for many years. Classic outdoor products, such as the company’s boomerang – complete with Aboriginalinspired design – are also proving popular, while the Metallic Pom-Poms (which

SpaceZone, will also launch this year. Both designs feature the 3G enclosure, which maximises jumping space while protecting the users from the springs and frame, and the super strength Tramp Klamp, which delivers longevity and integrity in the frame. Football Goals are new additions to the wooden collection, while the Play and Picnic offers young children a multi activity play centre. A number of classic wooden swings will also launch in 2014, including a baby swing option, while there are also fresh metal swing set designs: Eris and Vela. 0844 880 5302

The My First Bikes in Tidlo have a new design and come in pink and blue with funky graphics. The firm says that the bikes are ideal first running bikes, teaching balance, steering and coordination skills before upgrading to pedals. Also in the Tidlo range is the Outdoor Kitchen. The set comprises a cooker, sink and washing machine, all sold separately. The cooker and washing machine both have front dials which make a clicking noise when turned, while the sink has hot and cold taps. 01604 774949

INTERPLAY Interplay’s My Living World range welcomes Butterfly World this year. As with all My Living World kits, Butterfly World is a hands-on nature study kit that contains all the equipment required to observe and study the lifecycle of butterflies. With the addition of Butterfly World, there are nine My Living World kits. Endorsed by TV nature

specialist Nick Baker, each kit includes a guide written by Baker himself, plus professional quality instruments and equipment inside allowing children to uncover a whole new world. Other kits in the collection include favourites Ant, Worm and Triop Worlds, plus Bug Safari and Pocket Microscope. Prices range from £9.99 to £14.99.

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SECTOR GUIDE: OUTDOOR TOYS LITTLE TIKES The company has a raft of outdoor items, ranging in price from £7.99 right up to £399.99. The Children’s Garden Chairs are new for spring and come in four colours – pink, orange, red and green, while the Gas ‘n Go Mower has been designed to look just like the real thing. The Anchors Away Pirate Ship (£79.99), Picnic on the Patio Playhouse (£229.99), Easy Store Giant Slide (£109.99) and Tilberg Swing Set (£399.99) are

VIVID IMAGINATIONS also key. Elsewhere, Little Tikes’ trikes and ride ons collection is designed to develop children’s physical skills, from steering to push along and balancing skills. The 4-in-1 Trike Basic Edition (£69.99) is for ages nine months plus and arrives in pink, primary and blue versions for the spring. Meanwhile, the 4-in-1 Trike Deluxe Edition, DiscoverSounds Dash

(£79.99) is for the same age and adapts to the child’s growth. 01908 268480

TRENDS UK The Discovery Channel range includes toys with working features and range in price from £7.99 to £29.99. Hero items include

the 4x30 Magnification Binoculars, the Bug Barn, FM Walkie Talkies, Night Vision Goggles and Digital Metal Detector. The range is being

backed with dedicated TV advertising and an online and broadcast competition on the Discovery Channel. 01295 768078

DRUMOND PARK

GREAT GIZMOS

a shovel, rake, hoe, broom and soil rake, as well as a Mini Greenhouse. Finally, the Green Toys line includes a collection of vehicles perfect for sand, water or general outdoor play. These include the top selling Dump Truck (£19.99) and the new Seacopter. 01303 250400

The new two-player Bubble Buster Kazoo Game (£9.99) brings the magic of bubble bursting to a new level. Player one takes the kazoo bubble blower, dips it into the solution and creates streams of bubbles – with sound – while player two tries to burst as many bubbles as they can in the 30-second timeframe. The wand emits a ‘ping’ with every bubble burst, rising in pitch as more bubbles are recorded. The children then swap roles, with the wand keeping track of both scores, announcing the winner at the end of the game. 01506 855577

The firm’s Classic Pedal Car has a new powder pink colour, made from the same strong steel as other vehicles in the collection. The range expands further with models such as the Ride On Aeroplane, Rocket and Retro Racers in green and red. Geospace is a collection of pump rockets, with a patented booster included in all of them to allow kids to shoot the foam rocket up to 150 feet in the air. New for 2014 is the Geospace Air Thruster, an aerodynamic rocket plane that will fly 50ft, plus the

BIGJIGS Bigjigs has three separate outdoor lines. Bigjigs outdoor toys include balance bikes in three colours, plus a selection of gardening tools and equipment. New is a Garden Bug Keeper (£4.99) in red or green for three plus, while there are also four swings: the Cradle Swing, Flat Swing, Rope Ladder and Triangular Rope Ladder. The Twigz gardening line includes the My First Gardening Tool sets (£19.99 each) in a variety of colours such as blue, green, orange and pink. There are also larger garden tools consisting of

MARBEL Hape’s sand and sun range includes everything from brightly coloured buckets, rollers and spades to bricklaying sets and ice cream shop sets. The beach basics set is £5.99, the rollers £5.99 and the bricklaying/ice cream shop sets are £4.99. For toddlers, Hape offers the traditional scoot around and little red rider, both priced at £59.99. Also within the Marbel range under the Brio brand is the ride on Dachshund (£69.99) featuring a funky bouncy tail. 0845 6000 286 60 March

Targeted at children aged five and up, the Phlat Ball is the original transforming disc ball. There are two sizes and a range of colours to choose from. Phlat Ball Metallic (£4.99) is small in size, allowing for quick flings and onehanded catches. It comes in three metallic colours: purple, yellow and blue. Meanwhile, Phlat Ball V3 (£9.99) transforms from a nine-inch flying disc into a six-inch diameter ball when thrown. Crayola’s outdoor range also blooms this spring with three new additions. The 4ct Outdoor Chalk (99p), 16ct Outdoor Chalk (£2.99) and 48ct Sidewalk Chalk (£5.99) all come in a brand new

Pump Rocket Micro Wrist Shotz. This attaches to children’s wrists and fires three mini rockets using a hand pump. A Wildpacks range of travel accessories also bolsters the Okiedog line. 01293 543221

TOMY

REVELL The Summer Action range welcomes four hand launch gliders in May, priced at under £10 each. The line includes Air Sparrow, Air Dragon, Air Master and Air Double and they come prepainted with attractive designs. V-Glider and X-Glider enable kids to create their dream aircraft. Each includes paint pots, brushes and a mixing container. The T-Bolt rocket reaches an altitude of up to

formula which means brighter, bolder colours, packed in reusable boxes. The new square shape means that chalks do not roll away and, once done, simply spray away with water. 01483 449944

50 metres, while the Rocket-Star is made of super soft foam and reaches an altitude of up to 15 metres. It includes a starting ramp and airbag. 01442 890285

The John Deere line-up is being bolstered with two new products. The Big Scoop John Deere Excavator (£15.99) joins the sandbox toy range. Fully equipped to tackle sandy terrain, the excavator has a strong plastic body, thick durable tyres and a hinged arm with bucket for extra deep digging. It also boasts freerolling wheels and swiveling can for allround access. Ideal for

outdoor sandbox play, the Big Scoop John Deere Dump Truck (£15.99) features easy tipping action and free rolling wheels, while the durable plastic means it is built to last. 020 8722 7300

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SECTOR GUIDE: OUTDOOR TOYS GALT TOYS Galt is launching the Nursery Trampoline, a fun smiley tortoise trampoline to develop a young child’s confidence, as well as encouraging coordination and balance. The product includes a tough weatherproof mat and a tubular steel frame. Energetic young children can spend hours jumping around on the trampoline, which includes a padded cover designed to look like

TOY ESSENTIALS a tortoise shell and an easy to grip handle for little hands. For additional safety, a cushioned friendly tortoise face attaches from the frame to the handle. The Nursery Trampoline also features a detachable handle and rubber feet for ease of storage. 0161 428 9111

PLAYMOBIL A number of new outdoor lines will be arriving in May as Playmobil continues its 40th birthday celebrations. These will include the new

Speed Glider, with skilled parachutists Greg and Rick being the perfect companions. Meanwhile, for missions further afield there

UPCOMING MINDS The Scoot & Ride Highwaybaby combines a bicycle and a scooter for children up to three years of age or with a maximum body weight of 20kg. The sense of balance is taught with the first few steps in the cycle mode, while with a press of a button children can dash around in scooter mode. The soft seat rises towards the rear and provides a gentle grip, while the handle height is adjustable and ensures a sitting posture that is relaxing and ergonomic. In addition, also in the range is the Highwayfreak for children

ONE WORLD FUTBOL PROJECT The firm says it has produced the world’s first nearly indestructible ball that never needs a pump and never goes flat, even when punctured multiple times. For every ball purchased at retail for £33, the firm gives a second ball to organisations using sport and play to support peace and development programmes in disadvantaged communities worldwide. It has shipped more than 700,000 One World Futbols across Africa to date. www.oneworldfutbol.com 62 March

between three and five, plus the Highwayganster for kids and teenagers up to 100kg. +45 45 66 0233

will be the new Pump Rocket. The hand-powered pump can catapult the pilot into deep space. 01268 548111

HTI

CHEEKY RASCALS

Big wheeled ranges from HTI include Max Steel and Hello Kitty, which has recently been refreshed with glitter bomb colourways. Other brands in the stable include Barbie, Monster High, Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse and Jake and the Never Land Pirates among others. In addition, the firm’s inhouse developed Ripp range includes a Dirt Rider scooter and a variety of stunt scooters, as well as skates, helmets and protection gear. 01253 778888

The Wishbone 3-in-1 balance bike starts as a three-wheel bike; a quick chassis change turns it into a two-wheeler, and then the frame can be flipped over to create extra leg room for older children. Priced at £179, it is available in natural wood, red, green or limited edition designs. Meanwhile, the Wishbone Flip (£99) starts as a rocker, before becoming a push along and then a ride on. The firm also has the Belgiumdesigned Quut range

pink and orange and features six wheels, a seat, footrests and a steering wheel. 01285 762039

of beach toys (from £6.99) including the Ballo spherical bucket and Scoppi, which can be used to dig in sand, snow and even mud. 01730 895761

MERONCOURT

CAPITAL PLAY The firm says it has launched the first purpose built in-ground trampoline, designed solely for inground use. The kit includes a frame and new ‘armourweave’ jump mat with 8.5-inch springs. A retaining wall is included in the kit, as well as strong and durable surround pads. The trampoline itself sits completely

The Plasmacar is a ride on vehicle for children aged from three and up. It is now available exclusively from Toy Essentials, the newly founded retail arm of Education Essentials. Requiring neither batteries or pedals, Plasmacar is propelled by a combination of aerodynamic design, movement of the steering wheel and friction, centrifugal force and gravity which drives the car both forward and backward up to a maximum speed of 6mph. It is available in colours including lime green, red, blue, yellow,

flush to the ground and not raised up. The kits currently come in ten, 12 and 14ft round sizes (with an optional safety enclosure net). Prices are £795 to £965. 01276 855600

The company offers a range of outdoor products from scooters, bikes, skates, tricycles and ride ons through to pop up tents and sleeping bags. All feature top licences including Marvel Avengers, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, Monsters University and Furby.

Meroncourt also has the Zinc Littlest Learners Post Office Tri-Scooter with Caddy Case and Activity Kit, plus the Zinc Glo Go TriScooter with flashing LEDs. 01462 680060

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SECTOR GUIDE: APP TOYS

Appy days

Most kids know their way around the world of apps and smart devices better than their parents these days. Billy Langsworthy takes a look at some of the most impressive toys to fully embrace the brave new world of app technology

FLAIR GP Flair first dipped its toes into world of tech last year with the APPen and Cupets brands. This year sees the introduction of the brand new Cupets Ice. Cupets enjoyed a successful launch in the UK, with over 100,000 downloads in the first month on release. Following on from this good start, Flair is hoping to keep the Cupets UK invasion growing into 2014 with the arrival of a new line.

Autumn 2014 will see six new Cupets arrive on shelves, each with a different frozen theme. The new range includes Mou the moose, Frac the penguin, Blob the walrus, Moby the whale, Snowl the owl and Barry the polar bear, each with an RRP of £6.99. These new cubed characters live in their own icy home and will come with new gaming experiences in snowy climates for kids to enjoy and master.

Also available from GP Flair is the APPen, £14.99, which was launched in August 2013. The tablet pen for kids works as a colouring pen, joystick and learning aid when used in conjunction with the free app. When writing on smart devices, APPen creates lines of varied thickness and to enhance the experience, APPen can be turned upside down and the nib used as a joystick in several games. 020 8643 0320

VIVID Vivid is bringing a first to toy shelves in the form of My Friend Cayla. My Friend Cayla is the first doll of its kind to be fully interactive by downloading a free app. Using speech-totext technology, Cayla is able to recognise what a child is asking her and is thus able to reply using a safe internet search and her extensive database. Parents of children using My Friend Cayla are able to log in and block any words they deem unsuitable.

The doll does not require an internet connection for all modes, and children can enjoy playing games, talking to Cayla and hearing her read them stories, all while the synched smart device is offline. Cayla stands 18” high, has soft hair that children can style and she encourages role-play and dress up. My Friend Cayla arrives in stores across the UK this summer, with a price of around £59.99. 01483 446268

BEEWI BeeWi has a wide range of app toys ranging from racing buggys to robots that fight, play football, race and even partake in Sumo tournaments. The BeeWi KickBee is a range of football playing miniature robots that connect to Apple, Android and Windows 8 devices. Players control the robots by touching the screen of a smartphone or tablet, and each KickBee set contains a mini robot, a goal frame, a ball and shirt stickers to customers the robotic players. When not kicking a ball around, the KickBee Mini Robots also race or take part in Sumo matches and the Beewi website has kits

that transform the KickBee into different scenarios including cones for races, a sumo mat and also football kits from around the globe. Away from the world of football and Sumos, the BeeWi ScaraBee is an all terrain buggy controlled by a smart device. The ScaraBee boasts an in-built VGA camera capable of relaying live footage back to the smart device, and can also be used to take still images and short video clips which can then be uploaded to social media. The buggy uses local WiFi networks to connect with the chosen smart device to ensure that the ScaraBee can be controlled up to 50 metres away.

Finally, the BeeWi Fighting Robots, compatible with Apple, Android and Windows 8 devices, are miniature robots that use infrared eyes to shoot its opponents. Players can pair robots to make them fun navigation devices that can be moved in different directions at various speeds, while they also shoot infrared lights at the flick of a finger. The Fighting Mini Robot can battle with other toys in the BeeWi range including helicopters and tanks. 07766 338895

version allows players to join three friends to to match cards. Successfully match a pair, and a player gets another go, but if they don't, the cards go back, and it's the next person's turn.

Green Board Games has several game modes to keep players hooked to Pairs Pro, including different modes to allow gamers to match from either 24 or 40 cards, as well as the Challenge Mode. 01494 538999

GREEN BOARD GAMES To complement its range of Snap of Pairs card games, Green Board Games has created an educational app game called Pairs Pro. Players must find pairs of cards that match up to a country through categories including a country’s

64 March

outline, name, flag or capital city. Pairs Pro also features a ‘super-evil’ Challenge Mode which sees non-matching cards swap places for a harder level of gameplay. The fastest times are recorded and a multiplayer

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SECTOR GUIDE: APP TOYS

KURIO Kurio is adding a body controller toy to its line of app offerings with the launch of Kurio Extreme. Extreme is set to launch on the new Kurio 7, 8 and 10 inch models and the first body controller available on tablets. The technology uses the cameras in Kurio to sense the user’s body and track movements to

enable full control of a range of games. The Extreme comes with ten exclusive apps already pre-loaded onto the new Kurio Series. These apps include a Learn & Fun Pack to help teach letters, numbers, colours, shapes and a Sports Pack including skiing, swimming, racing and goal kick as well as a

game featuring Spacecraft racing. The app-based toy has been designed to encourage both independent and cooperative play, and Kurio states that the apps develop a child’s imagination, encourage fitness and improve language and maths skills. 01727 827194

TOYS TALK Toys Talk boasts an eclectic range of products boosted by app interactivity, spanning dinosaurs, monsters, magic and plush bears. The Dino Mundi range sees kids control a truck around a 200 piece flexible track brimming with dinosaurs. A triceratops acts as a bridge and makes noises and lights up whenever a vehicle passes underneath it. The track has a simple click and connect system

that enables children to build the track in any formation they want, and the track also comes with trees, foliage and mini dinosaurs. Six augmented reality cards can also be placed around the track. When they are scanned by a tablet or smartphone, dinosaurs come to life on the screen.

Kids can then feed or battle the dinosaur, or watch them as they attempt to attack the passing truck. The packaging features a QR code that allows parents and children alike to see the amazing AR technology come to life when browsing in store. The Dino Mundi range also includes six further touch sensitive dinosaurs whose lights and sounds are activated when you pick up them up. The Toys Talk range also includes interactive cauldron Aremi the Magic of Gaia, the Monsteel range of interactive monsters and Snow & Stella, a plush bear whose backstory is revealed in a series of interactive books and games. 07804 181645

THAMES AND KOSMOS EUROPE Thames and Kosmos is allowing petrol heads to explore automotive technology for themselves with its new Smart Car Robotics kit. The set allows users to construct a high-tech car and use a tablet or smartphone to control it.

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A free downloadable app allows users to script a simple programme that instructs the car to follow a pre-determined course. Consumers then spread the AR code cards out across the floor and point your tablet’s camera at them to view a virtual city.

The app interprets the AR codes as buildings and houses, allowing users to manually steer the car through a city designed by them, using the draw and drive function in the app. The construction system also allows users to build seven different models, as well as the Smart Car. Each model uses up to four electric motors, and each motor can be controlled independently with the app. The programming mode of the app allows users to switch each of the car’s four motors forward, backward, or off, in second-long increments, for up to three minutes. A manual provides step-bystep assembly and usage instructions for eight models. The Smart Car Robotics set has an RRP of £94.99 01580 212000

Scan the QR code on the right with an Android smart device to download the Dino Mundi app. Using the app, scan the T-Rec card below to see a T-Rex from the game come to life and roam around this page.

IMC TOYS IMC Toys has a collection of app enabled action figures called Teutans, each capable of shooting balls and missiles. There are six different characters in the form of Quake, Muz, Zed, Levo, Wom and Kral. A base pack includes a part of one Teutan, two Badull enemies, five balls or two missiles as well as a environment enhancing net.

Players press the back legs of the Teutans to fire projectiles and the figures have electronic dot sensors which allow them to interact with tablets and smart phones via a gaming app. The app will soon be available through the App Store and Google Play, and allows kids to continue the adventures of the six Teutans through a shoot ‘em up game boasting interaction between the real action figures and the game. 01904 720908

March 65

SECTOR GUIDE: STICKERS & TRADING CARDS

Trading days With a summer of blockbuster films, new tech and a World Cup looming, the trading card and sticker market has plenty to smile about. Robert Hutchins highlights the companies leading the pack this year WORLD CUP 2010 may have upset football fans across England, but to the UK toy industry it brought joy in the shape of £14m in additional sales. The British Toy and Hobby Association now estimates that similar or even greater revenues can be expected from this year’s global event. The BTHA lists the World Cup among the four main factors to propel the industry back to ‘a growth on par with 2010’ this year, also citing a summer of blockbuster movies, tech toys and importantly pocket money toys.

With almost half of UK toy sales by volume in the five pound and under category, it is no surprise that the lack of industry growth in 2013 was largely attributed to the sector’s decline over the last year. However, with economic confidence returning across the country and pocket money allowances being increased, the sector is cued for resurgence with new collectibles and products connected to the FIFA World Cup expected to drive momentum. It’s just as well then that toy firms, including Panini, Topps and Cartamundi, are

lining up to deliver what now must seem to be a match made in heaven: football and World Cup Trading Cards.

collection for us and will undoubtedly offer a boost to the sector. The 2014 World Cup is set to be one of the biggest and the best

2014 is set to be huge. The World Cup will undoubtedly offer a boost to the trading card sector. Jess Tadmor, Panini Jess Tadmor, head of marketing at Panini, tells ToyNews: “2014 is set to be huge for Panini with it being a World Cup year. “The World Cup Trading Card Game is a key

and is a real focus for us with unprecedented levels of investment at retail.” But believe it or not, it’s not all about football this year, a sentiment to which the volume of big movies

The Match Attax Extra sets will feature new signings, extra skills, players and extra power, all of which Topps believes ‘will make the collection a must-have for all Match Attax fans,’ with squad updates, all 20 club captains, stat boosted Man of the Match cards and 100 club cards. Following a UK exclusive distribution agreement, Click Distribution will now

supply Topps products to all non-news retailers. The partnership kicks off from this April. Click Distribution UK: 01604 877 888

like Spider-Man, Transformers 4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and LEGO can attest. And the trading card sector has this covered too as Cartamundi showcases its range of popular TMNT action cards and Panini prepares to launch its Amazing Spider-Man Sticker Collection. So, when the England team once again has your nerves shot this summer and the big name films battle it out at box office, at least their trading cards and collectables counterparts look set to bring home the bacon.

TOPPS With the crucial stage of the Barclays Premier League fast approaching, Topps’ latest Match Attax Extra collection has hit shelves enabling fans to boost their squads ahead of the season’s grand finale. This year, the collectables company has teamed up with the Arsenal star and central midfielder, Jack Wilshere and Sport Relief to launch the new collection.

www.toynewsonline.biz

As part of the launch campaign, 500 specialedition Sport Relief cards, signed by the midfielder, have been inserted into lucky packets, driving the collectability for sports fans across the UK. Furthermore, for every signed ‘Jack in the Pack’ found and registered online, Topps and the Premier League will donate £100 to the Sport Relief charity.

March 67

SECTOR GUIDE: STICKERS & TRADING CARDS PANINI Panini has kicked off its World Cup campaign with the 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Adrenalyn XL Trading Card Game. The collection features all 32 teams and the world’s biggest football superstars. With 416 cards to collect including 124 special cards, collectors can discover base cards of their favourite players along with sub sets including Star Players, Utility Players, Ones to Watch, Fans’ Favourites, Top Masters and more. Fans can get their hands on a starter pack featuring a collector’s binder, 18

trading cards, a game board, rules sheets and a Limited Edition Card, all for £4.99 with trading card packets costing around £1. The collecting doesn’t end there. Panini has also launched its Union J Sticker Collection this year. It features imagery of the X Factor contestants along with a pull-out wall chart with rainbow foil and glitter stickers. There are 200 stickers to collect, including 40 special stickers, starter packs (£2.99) featuring an album and 31 stickers. Panini / Click Distribution: 01604 877 888

CARTAMUNDI With 200 years in the business, Cartamundi knows cards. The firm’s core Royal Flush range is one of the most popular traditional card decks in country, but Cartamundi also recognises that today’s children are brand aware and open to novelty: enter, the company’s range of trading cards and card games. Visualise – available in supermarkets and online – tests the visual memory of the players and is tailored for both pre-school and primary school age ranges. Meanwhile, Cartamundi’s collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action cards, Happy Families with Mickey Mouse or Disney

Princess cards have popular licences covered. Adding to the World Cup excitement this year, Cartamundi has also launched a range of FIFA playing cards. For the tech-savvy children’s market is a new concept called Shuffle, combining major Hasbro brands such as Monopoly and The Littlest Pet Shop with card playing and digital extras. Retail orders are already being taken for Shuffle which launches into stores this July. Cartamundi believes that the concept will add further dimensions to popular games, ‘from bringing Monopoly’s Chance cards to digital life to offering an animated

shopping mall in The Littlest Pet Shop collection.’ Cartamundi: 01268 511 522

MARBEL Marbel Toys is expanding its collectables portfolio this season with the launch of the new OiDroids. The range is a series of collectable pop out and buildable cardboard robots, brought to life through AR technology. Arriving in packs of four, each retailing from £1.99, there are 96 OiDroids to collect including the ultimate rare robots. Marbel aims to drive the collectability of the range by encouraging kids to trade their robots in order to acquire their rare or missing droids.

68 March

Furthermore, each robot comes with a different story to tell and features a unique data card. The OiDroids are also available in packs of 12 (priced at £4.99), guaranteeing fans and collectors an ultimate rare card or party packs of 40 cards (£14.99). Children are now also able to download the new OiDroids app, bringing their characters to life through augmented reality. Marbel: 08456 000 286

www.toynewsonline.biz

STICKERS & TRADING CARDS

ESDEVIUM GAMES 2014 is set to be a big year for Pokémon fans, according to Esdevium as the firm introduces expansions in the Pokémon Trading Card Game series. Xerneas and Yveltal bring Mega Evolution to the Pokémon XY expansion, a new gameplay feature for the line. Taking over from the Pokémon Black and White series, the new XY expansion synchronises the trading card game with last year’s popular video game releases, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Esdevium is supporting the line with increased marketing investment, including a sampling campaign and increased TV advertising. In addition, the firm is offering a range of further Trading Card Games including Yu Gi Oh, Cardfight Vanguard, Future Card Buddyfight and My Little Pony. The company reports a strong growth for

the Cardfight Vanguard collection that has ‘quickly become a consistent performer in the trading card game category.’ Future Card Buddyfight aims to mirror this success among a lower age group and has seen a strong start since its launch last month. With growing fan-bases in the UK and worldwide, Esdevium now believes the two lines are set for a successful 2014. Finally, Esdevium Games is offering fans its range of My Little Pony cards and collectables. Following reports of strong sales since launch at the tail end of 2013 and armed with an increased focus on the brand for 2014, the firm expects the demand for the My Little Pony property to be maintained throughout the year. Esdevium Games: 01420 593 593

ADVERTISE YOUR JOB VACANCY TO THE WHOLE TOY MARKET FROM JUST £95 PER FORTNIGHT WITH TOYNEWS ONLINE POST YOUR JOB AT

http://www.toynews-online.biz/jobs

For More Information Contact Jodie Tel: 01295 710518 www.toynewsonline.biz

Email: jodie.holdway@intentmedia.co.uk March 69

TOY TALK

TOY TALK This issue we spot Gok Wan at a celebrity auction, find a time machine at London Toy Fair, feel underdressed at The LEGO Movie premiere and find out who at Winning Moves is first to hit the dance floor

TEAM OF THE MONTH Who is the team? The team is growing rapidly due to the development of the business, but we have a core UK team who focus on licensing, marketing and sales across the group: Tom Liddell, Suzie Howes, Mark Hauser, Anna Kislevitz, Lizzie Rose, Peter Griffin, David Ripley, David Sommer and Kasey Tonnison. What have been your biggest successes in the past year? I think that has to be growing the team to the position we are in now. We have a great network of people in place throughout Europe and are looking forward to working on

a far greater international level. What's the hardest part of the job? Keeping up with the banter in the office. We remind ourselves daily that whilst business is business we are a games company and we are all about having fun. And what's the best? Working with a great team who are truly competitive in every aspect of their lives. They enjoy working hard, but they play hard too. What are you working on right now? I can't really say as the deal is not quite signed, but we are looking into

WINNING MOVES making a Monopoly game worth £250,000. Can you imagine how cool that is going to be? Who is the team joker? Well that really depends on the day, you have to have your wits about you in the office. I think Tom Liddell, the CEO, might just take the prize. Who makes the most tea? And feel free to name and shame who makes the least...? In the past month it would have to me (Suzie) who has made the most and I have only just joined. I have yet to see any of the boys make a single cuppa! Who is the best at Top Trumps?

CELEBS UNDER THE HAMMER Gok Wan and Robert Lindsay: together at last, and all because of toys. While he probably spent most of his childhood gorging on chips rather than playing with toys, Gok Wan has taken time out from informing nude women that ‘it’s all about the confidence’ to do a good deed for our industry.

72 March

Bigjigs Toys has been working with The Toy Project UK, a charity which provides basic support tools for bereaved children. The London-based charity recently hosted a celebrity toy auction in February and Bigjigs kindly donated several toys including an All in One Kitchen that Gok Wan signed.

Also on offer was a Portable Cooker signed by My Family star, Robert Lindsay. Based upon the success of the first auction, The Toy Project UK plans to hold several more throughout the year, and more information can be found at www.thetoyproject. co. uk/about.html

That’s hard to say as we all love playing games, but I think it would have to be Peter Griffin as he really hates to lose. Tell us a secret about a member of the team? We spent a week together a month or so ago in which lots of secrets were shared with one another, many of which I could not possible repeat. Needless

to say, within the team we have some fairly random skills such as ballet dancer, singer, syncronised swimmer, TV star and rock climber. Who is the first to hit the dance floor at the office parties? That would have to be Dan ‘Twinkle Toes’ Taylor. He's on the dance floor quicker than Michael Flatley on speed.

TOY FAIR TIME MACHINE

Looks like a photo opportunity, actually a time machine. Union J (above) weren’t to know but below is the sobering image of the

band stepping out of the machine after a decade of time-hopping. Check out Josh’s bend of the knee. The lad’s still got it.

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TOY TALK

TWEETPICKS

STAR SPOTTING Union J weren’t the only celebs to grace Toy Fair this year. Big name stars ranging from footie legends, TV personalities, ToyNews team members and Dobble Challenge winners appeared during the show. Take a look at the faces on the right and see how

many you recognise. We’ll give you a clue: the yellow bear isn’t Peter Shilton.

What the industry’s been tweeting this month…

@licensetopr License to PR, PR agency Gwyneth at Vegas Expo, now Alicia Keys opening NY Toy Fair. Who said trade shows aren't glam?! @ProfBrianCox Brian Cox, professor Just watched The LEGO Movie. It's great. On eBay now re-buying my childhood :-) @jo_elvin Jo Elvin, Glamour editor Watching the child lovingly create her own Moshlings magazine. If she was this dedicated to homework, she'd have finished uni by now.

GET THE LEGO LOOK With The LEGO Movie still drawing crowds into cinemas across the country, the ToyNews team were lucky enough to go to an early screening. Donning our best outfits, we were all shown up (including Katie Price)

by this dress created by Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design student AnneSophie Cochevelou. As wonderful as the outfit looks, we’re not quite sure how the model managed to sit down and

watch the film. And here’s hoping she took her hat off. And all those tassels would surely encroach onto the person sat next to her. Thinking about it, she should never have been let in.

@prattprattpratt Chris Pratt, actor Just saw the @TheLEGOMovie for the first time. Oh my G-O-S-H Mind BLOWN!! Thank you @philiplord and @chrizmillr for letting me be #Emmet @littleimpstoys Little Imps Toy Shop, retailer Back from the NEC Spring Fair with lots of wonderful inspirations and some new lines for 2014... @cavanscott Cavan Scott, Doctor Who writer Cleared out the desk drawers in the study today. How many sonic screwdrivers does a 40-year old man need, for Pete's sake? @lsmedialtd Lesley Singleton, PR Bananagrams Just got my outfit for the Spin Master Toy Fair New York party. I hate me for this tweet, but it beats the alternative ‘just had soup’ update.

FROM THE ARCHIVE... TWO YEARS AGO TOYNEWS MARCH 2012 Winning Moves reveals plans to advertise Top Trumps on TV for the first time… Peter Jenkinson films Toyology TV pilot in the hope of bringing it to TV… Fisher-Price unveils 2012 line following 14 per

cent growth in 2011… Meccano signs Ubisoft’s Rabbids licence… Maps Toys moves into the dress up sector with a NASA line… The Toy Trust celebrates its 20th birthday and its media

CHARTS UK Top 10 Toys (December 2011 value) 1. InnoTab ....................................................VTech 2. LeapPad Explorer ......................................LeapFrog 3. Kidizoom Twist Digital ..................................VTech 4. Furreal Cookie Pup ........................................Hasbro 5. Bop It XT..........................................................Hasbro 6. Leapster Explorer Game Assortment......LeapFrog 7. LEGO Minifigures ..............................................LEGO 8. The LOGO Board Game ..................Drumond Park 9. Monopoly ........................................................Hasbro 10. Transformers Movie Leader Assortment....Hasbro www.toynews-online.biz

auction raises £86,660… Hallmark boosts Disney Story Book line with Winnie The Pooh, Princesses and Cars titles…

@KermodeMovie Mark Kermode, film critic Even the clickety-clack of a train on the tracks sounds like Everything Is Awesome. My head has turned to LEGO. @Mum101 Liz Gumbinner, blogger Best thing at Toy Fair so far: Gund's line to meet the real Grumpycat. @sporkyreeve Steve Watts, Shacknews editor This summer, sometimes it takes four people to make a match. Connect 4: a romantic comedy for swingers. #toymovies

Top 5 Properties (December 2011) 1. Cars 2. Star Wars 3. Hello Kitty & Friends 4. Barbie 5. Nerf

Source:

@NoiseNextDoor The Noise Next Door, comedy band Marilyn Monroe in 'Some Like it Hot Wheels' #toymovies

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OBSERVATIONS 0F A TOY INDUSTRY SURVIVOR

Jon Salisbury WHAT CAME first? The chicken or the egg? The toy or the licence? The news that Hasbro’s Hungry Hungry Hippos is to become the latest toy property to make its debut on the big screen has left a lot of people scratching their heads in disbelief. It would take some serious Hollywood magic to make hippos that gobble up marbles the stuff of box office gold, surely?

later became a familiar face at toy fairs all over the world where he’d be seen endlessly trundling around the aisles with a trolley, touting his latest inventions. The last time I saw him was in Nuremberg, complete with trolley, on the platform of the train station. Unfortunately, Fred passed away in 2003, aged 82. In addition to Hungry Hungry Hippos, the other

News of a Hungry Hungry Hippos movie has left a lot of people scratching their heads in disbelief. Hungry Hungry Hippos: The Movie is currently in development but one person said it was really just a metaphor for the upcoming Kardashian movie. Okay. Joke over. What is it all about? The truth is, no one knows yet. If it works, the upside for the brand could be immense. If it fails, everyone runs for the hills and tries to deny culpability for creating a piece of cinematic polonium. What it does do is provide me with a chance to paint a picture for you of the toy’s inventor, Fred Kroll, who first provided Milton Bradley with the game itself in 1966. Kroll, head of Uncle Freddie's Fun Factory Inc. was a war veteran having served in the US Army Signal Corps in Hawaii and

game that he is best remembered for is Trouble. If the movie does make money, I hope Fred’s descendants will benefit. Of course, it could be that Hasbro has total ownership of the property depending on the deal that Fred and his lawyers originally struck with Milton Bradley back in 1966. There are many legendary stories about the deals that the creators of intellectual properties negotiate, some to their long-term benefit, others because they were just pleased to bag some cash. The creator of GI Joe was offered $100,000 in 1962 or a slice of royalties. He took the money thereby missing out on a percentage of billions in future third party licensing fees plus TV and movie revenue.

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Intellectual property right negotiations has our columnist diving into his memory banks this month

Of course, the most famous example of someone who forfeited his fee for a percentage of future licensing revenue was Alec Guinness whose Star Wars profit share must have bagged him and his estate after he died untold millions. I wonder if Disney’s subsequent purchase of Lucasfilm also contributed. If any Disney lawyers reading this are able to share any information, I’d love to hear from you. It would be lovely to learn that, 24 years after his death, Uncle Walt was now paying Sir Alec’s family the two per cent of gross royalties from Star Wars that was originally agreed with George Lucas. Intellectual Property Rights: the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving…

Jon Salisbury has written about the toy business since 1985, editing magazines and running toy media events in New York and London. He can be contacted at jonsalisbury@icloud.com or @JonSalisbury

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74 March

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