A TOY ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

JIELLA ESMAT, CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER OF AMUSE ANIMATION, WAS ONE OF THE EXPERTS AT THE LICENSE TALKS OF SPIELWARENMESSE 2023 (1-5 FEBRUARY). LM INTERVIEWED HER TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN DIGITALFIRST ANIMATION COMPANIES SUCH AS AMUSE, AND THE TOY INDUSTRY.

How can the animation industry help the sales of toys? Children lean into brands that engage and connect with them in a relatable way. Leading toy properties must provide 360 immersive play experiences to stay relevant and maintain demand. Animated content can help supercharge toy sales, ensuring longevity and deeper connection.

As the Insights Family suggests “Preschool children are the most likely to own licensed toys related to their favourite characters from films, TV shows and Youtube channels” - content and toys really are the perfect marriage.

Children today expect to see toys integrated into animated content and their favourite characters on retail shelves. Content creates greater excitement for the physical product and multiple touchpoints for engagement.

How does digital content differ from traditional animation, and what is its importance now?

Digital-first content offers a vast number of data points which translate to a richer understanding of the audience. With that data at hand digital-first creators are able to remain in a constant state of development, iterating and tweaking to deliver truly audience centric content. Unique access to the audience via YouTube enables direct communication with and participation from billions of viewers globally.

Combining these factors provides a clear path to engineering scalable success. Mastered, it is a complete game changer for any company looking to build a global property.

Other notable benefits of digital content production are reduced budgets and speed to market, with agile workflows that are disrupting the way things have been done in the past. Animation quality is no longer compromised as the model has seen significant advancements in the past 24 months. These are huge advantages in today’s economic climate.

What services could Amuse Animation offer toy companies?

There are exceptional synergies to be forged between toy companies and digital-first animation studios such as Amuse. We share a vision to create 360° IPs from the ground up, conceiving toy and content concepts from the outset.

We offer 2D and 3D animation servicing for digital-first and premium properties. Partners can access our data-driven conception methodology, agile production workflow, strong experience creating preschool animation, and some of the highest tax incentives globally via The Canary Islands (up to 54%).

We are also developing an IP co-ownership model for toy companies to unify our expertise in a unique way, sharing in equity and global backend revenue. Already incubating properties with strong visibility and demonstrable proof of concept, we’ve begun pitching to strategic toy co-producers. New concepts created from scratch in partnership with toy companies is also a compelling proposition, offering a shared stake in concepts with global potential.

We’re actively engaging with global toy companies looking to build the next generation of animation franchises and are thrilled to be in production on a digital-first series for Hasbro’s EOne.

Tell us more about Amuse’s IPs.

At Amuse we’ve been focused on building a catalogue that engages children’s imagination, inspires curiosity, and promotes kindness and empathy. We’re responding to industry demand for content that is relatable, addresses diversity and inclusion, and encourages awareness of sustainability and universal positive values.

Our library comprises more than 30 self-financed preschool properties that we’ve conceived with toys in mind from inception. We distribute globally from the US and Europe to China where we have longestablished partnerships with 15 of the top OTT and CTV platforms.

We have content to suit the entire preschool demographic, from music and dance-based shows for the lower end of the age range, to vehiclebased series for boys and fairy tales for girls aged 3-5. Some of our strongest IPs include Super Truck, Robo Fuse, AnimaCars, Increditales and Shark Academy.

We’re currently in the midst of rebooting our shows and developing premium spin-offs that will align with preferred broadcast durations of 7’s and 11’s. Our goal is to generate 360° entertainment touchpoints for children from video and audio distribution to eBooks and gaming apps, leading to full CP programs.

What are the benefits for companies in producing animated content?

A recent conversation at the London Toy Fair demonstrated the clear need to launch toy ranges in tandem with animated content – retail buyers expect it. Brand presence is non-negotiable with L&M licensees requiring broad distribution and mass awareness. Children mirror this expectation as toys and animation are increasingly accessible in the same ecosystems. Within a few clicks they migrate from viewing a show they love to buying the related product and having it delivered to their door a couple of days later.

A toy alone is not enough. Every CP strategy now needs to be supported by a robust content plan. By producing great animation, ideally at low costs, the manufacturers can demonstrate they’re listening to retailers and consumers. Getting the algorithm game right on Youtube and securing linear broadcast distribution guarantees mass global awareness leading to stronger sales.