Brand Profile
44 Cats
Groovy cats Rainbow’s 44 Cats began airing earlier this year, and has been met with rave reviews. Master toy licensee Siso Toys UK has high hopes for its toy range, which launches in Q1. Toy World editor Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to Mayur Pattni, marketing manager at Siso, to find out more. How has 44 Cats been performing since it started airing? It’s currently among the top shows across all of Nickelodeon’s platforms, including Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. Too, and has got off to a phenomenal start in each broadcast territory, with incredibly strong ratings in the UK. The recent audience split is 60% boys and 40% girls, making it a gender-neutral proposition with widespread appeal. The show went free-to-air on Pop in September and early reads are very encouraging. Pop has invested heavily in marketing support for 44 Cats, having partnered with the company behind the animation, Rainbow, to take the characters on a London tour following BLE 2019. It is also driving awareness of the show with competitions and online presence. Season 1, which comprises 52 episodes, will also be landing on Netflix this month, while the 44 Cats YouTube channel adds another layer of content. This means the show has four distinct touchpoints - free-to-air, paid TV, YouTube and Netflix- setting it apart from a lot of pre-school properties, which often only have one or two by the time toys start hitting the market. To have all four in place before the Siso line rolls-out is a huge positive in our eyes.
What does the property offer from a toy perspective? There are a lot of dogs in the pre-school aisle, but there aren’t many cats. Everyone likes a cat; YouTube is overflowing with amusing videos of what they get up to. Our product line will appeal to feline fans, showing off the cute characteristics of the 44 Cats bandmates. The show is also multi-faceted; the core themes of community, friendship and problem solving come through in the form of the Buffycats, the band the cats play in, which adds a musical element on top. Additionally, each cat has a superpower which helps them. Lampo, the hero character, has whiskers that
glow if he is setting out to solve a problem in the correct way. Meatball, the funny one, has a tummy that rumbles when trouble is near, like a Spideysense. Pilou has eyes that glow, which she uses to distract villains, and Milady’s fur changes colour when someone is telling a lie. This gives our product range real depth and plenty of scope to expand.
be expanded for autumn/winter 2020, bringing in larger play sets based on recognisable locations from the show, such as the garage the cats hold their band practice in. We’ll also look to introduce musical toys to the range; microphones with sound and music, along with pianos and guitars, will let kids role-play being in a band themselves.
Talk me through your launch range, what can fans look forward to?
How is Siso supporting the range in the marketplace?
First up, and within the collectibles category, we have a range of mini figures hidden inside bright orange dustbins; each figure will retail for £3.99. There are 12 feline figures to find and collect within the first wave. We then have an assortment of eight basic figures priced at £7.99, covering each of the Buffycat band mates and their signature accessories; Lampo and Milady come with guitars, Pilou has a drum set and Meatball comes with his piano. Then you have Cosmo, a space fan who comes with a rocket, Lola, who comes with her makeup bag, Gas in his bathtub, and Boss, who’s a bit of a bully. He comes with the robotic dog he uses to torment the Buffycats. Three play sets are available based upon either Lampo, Pilou or Milady. Each is themed upon that particular cat’s personality, and comes with an exclusive mini-figure and a dish of spaghetti and meatballs, the Buffycats’ favourite meal. The twin pack colour-change cats reflect the super-powers mentioned earlier and are really fun. There is also a plush line. The basic plush is 5” tall (12.7cm), while the 8” (20cm) plush have musical features; press the cat’s belly, and it sings the theme song from the show. The four core characters are available. We’re keeping the launch range tight, with an efficient SKU count which will introduce the line at retail and meet the built-up appetite for product. It’ll
This is a high-profile launch for Siso. The company was formed in May 2018 and we spent the rest of that year setting ourselves up, which carried through to January this year. This means that 2020 will be out first full year of trading. 44 Cats is therefore our first major brand launch, and it’s very much a priority for us in terms of first half plans. We’re engaging in heavyweight TV and YouTube VOD, and we’re partnering with Rainbow on PR such as retail activations and bespoke campaigns. We’ll also be working with retail partners to support their online activities and catalogues. From launch, this support will help build and carry through momentum for the second autumn/winter launch in 2020.
Toy World 30
Where can the range be seen? It will be available to view in Hong Kong, but the major unveiling will be at London Toy Fair in January. 44 Cats will benefit from a large dedicated area on our stand. The characters will also be appearing in the parade on Press Day, and will be doing the rounds on the show floor. 44 Cats is a hugely exciting property with all the qualities needed to become a leading pre-school licence. Rainbow is providing massive support in building out the brand while we develop and market the toy range. It’s very much a collaborative effort, and I’m excited to see how the line is received at launch.