Toyworld jan 2015

January 2015 volume 4 issue 5

January 2015 volume 4 issue 5

The business magazine with a passion for toys

toyworld

Visit Hornby Hobbies Limited at the To

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e Toy Fairs in London and Nuremberg London Toy Fair 20.01.2015 – 22.01.2015, stand D11 International Toy Fair Nuremberg 28.01.2015 - 02.02.2015, Hall 7, Stand E40.

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The Team...

CONTENTS January 2015 volume 4 issue 5

John Baulch

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

Emily Ansell Elfer

44 Lego

50 Nuremberg follow-up

Deputy Editor emily@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 407

Daniel Rich

Editorial Assistant daniel@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

News

Opinion

Features

08 From the Publisher

36 Talking Shop

34 Profile: Trade River

10 News

42 NPD column

44 Profile: Lego

24 Industry Moves

46 Viewpoint

50 Nuremberg follow-up

26 Marketing World

66 Film Watch

62 New York Toy Fair

28 Licencing world

226 Allegedly

64 Profile: DreamWorks

32 Infant & Pre-school World

69 Hot Properties 94 Profile: Anki

Louis Kerry

Editorial Assistant louis@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Contributors David Ripley | Jim Hawker | Dan Salem | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | The NPD Group

Mark Austin

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

94 Anki

64 DreamWorks

Graeme Thomas

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

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

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Symbio Place, Whiteleaf Road Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP3 9PH

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Anita Baulch

Circulation Manager anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

@toyworldmag @baulchtweet

toyworldmag

Toy World Magazine

The Team...

CONTENTS January 2015 volume 4 issue 5

John Baulch

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

Emily Ansell Elfer

Deputy Editor emily@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 407

Daniel Rich

Editorial Assistant daniel@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Louis Kerry

Editorial Assistant louis@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Mark Austin

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

Toy Fair 2015 Preview

Toy Fair 2015 Profiles

96 Toy Fair 2015 Preview

114 Hornby

100 Exhibitor List

116 LeapFrog

104 Maps

118 Character Options

106 Toy Fair A-Z Toy World presents an in-depth guide to the products on display at the show.

120 Flair

212 Hero Products Gallery

124 Vivid Imaginations

122 Vtech 126 DKL 128 IMC

Graeme Thomas

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

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

Anita Baulch

Circulation Manager anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

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W from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

elcome to the January issue of Toy World.

As ever, it is comfortably our largest issue of the year, packed with a wealth of information to help you make the most of the impending Toy Fair season. By the time you are reading this I will be in Hong Kong, on the first leg of a journey which will take in shows in London, Nuremberg, Birmingham and New York. In total I’ll be visiting five exhibitions in seven weeks, seeing hundreds of toy companies and thousands of new products, searching out the latest trends and developments to highlight in Toy World over the coming months. I will also get the chance to catch up with scores of industry friends and colleagues to discuss the year ahead and talk about what we’ve seen and what we’re excited about. Frankly, I can’t wait.

All the signs point to a positive Toy Fair season ahead. 2014 proved to be a highly respectable year for the global toy market: providing December sales matched up to expectations, the UK should have achieved an increase of around 4%, bringing annual sales to over £3billion for the first time. This encouraging performance is most welcome: the toy community is undoubtedly one which thrives on positivity, and a good end to the year inevitably has a major bearing on the mood of Toy Fair season.

With so much to see at every exhibition, preparation is key: so I hope you can carve time out of your busy schedules to trawl through this bumper edition: I promise it will be well worth it.

We’ve rounded up the best of the new lines which will be on show at Toy Fair for our exhaustive Preview of the show, which starts on page x. Toy World will once again be exhibiting within the Green House section (GH 37), which is situated right in the middle of the ground floor, and it will be great to see as many of you there as possible.

We’re also delighted to bring you a special pullout supplement which is devoted to the children’s gifts, toys and gadgets section of Spring Fair. In addition to our extensive coverage of Toy Fair and Spring Fair, this issue also includes part two of our Nuremberg Preview feature and a look ahead to the New York Toy Fair, which I’ll be visiting this year for the first time in over a decade. I’m looking forward

to seeing how the show has evolved over the past few years. There’s also a welcome return for our popular character licensing feature Hot Properties, our guide to the licences which will be driving the kids’ market this year: so whether you’re a retailer deciding which properties to invest in or a licensee looking to bolster your portfolio, our selection of the hottest properties for 2015 will certainly give you plenty of food for thought. This edition also features a number of exclusive interviews, including a look at one of the most exciting new products to hit the toy market in a while, Anki DRIVE. Taking place on the first night of Toy Fair, the Toy of the Year and Retailer of the Year awards give the toy industry an opportunity to reward the toy companies and retailers who excelled in 2014. I was once again honoured to be a member of the judging panel for the Retailer of the Year awards, along with a fine collection of industry sales people and BTHA representatives. As ever, there was plenty of lively debate, as well as some fascinating insight. Final decisions were rarely ‘cut and dried’, and the majority of the categories had a number of potential candidates who were all worthy of winning the award. In fact, I would probably go so far as to say that this was the hardest year to be a judge so far. After much deliberation we finally arrived at a shortlist for each category, which can be found in our news section. To find out who the winners are, you’ll need to come to the Toy of the Year awards on the first night of Toy Fair. I gather there are still a few tickets left, so I hope to see many of you there: it’s always a most enjoyable event and well worth attending.

If you’d like to meet up with me, or indeed any of the Toy World team, at any of this year’s shows, feel free to drop us an email or give us a call. We want to see which new products you are excited about for the coming year, so we can tell our readers all about them. And we want to share our plans for the year: there are a number of other exciting new initiatives in the pipeline, and we look forward to telling you more about those over the coming weeks.

We’ll be back in the first week of March with an issue which will round-up our experiences from each of the major Toy Fairs. In the meantime, you can log on to our website – toyworldmag.co.uk – for daily news updates over the whole of Toy Fair season, as well as my own personal take on the shows in the Friday Blog. Happy Toy Fair season!

REDEFINING TOYS AND ENTERTAINMENT. Learn more at Anki.com and visit us at Toy Fair New York, February 14-17, Booth 3054

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Character unveils strong year-end results

The Character Group has announced an increase in revenue from £67.19m to £97.89m, while group profits before tax have risen from £0.2m to £7.11m.

Both domestic and international sales grew by over 40% across the year.

Chairman Richard King commented: “We are delighted to report that the sales growth predicted in last year’s Chairman’s statement has been achieved. The Group continued to benefit from the quality of the established brands within its product portfolio, as well as from the introduction of new product lines throughout the year. It is especially pleasing to note that our top nine branded product lines account for approximately 75% of our total turnover. As these brands continue to mature we expect to see further growth overall, as we continue to apply our development and marketing skills to them. Our sales growth saw an increase in our market share and reinforced our position as one of the UK’s leading toy companies. The new financial year has started off well, with very pleasing sales at the consumer level which is building ahead of our expectations in the lead-up to Christmas, and we look forward to further growth in the current year.”

Hamleys to join Intu Lakeside

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LeapFrog is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015. Last year saw two new additions to LeapFrog’s award-winning line of LeapPad tablets, as well as a bold move into new territories with the launch of LeapBand, the first wearable kids activity tracker, and LeapTV, the first video games console designed specifically for young children. LeapFrog also added LeapPad3 to its family of children’s tablets in 2014. LeapPad3 is the fastest, highperformance five-inch screen tablet ever from LeapFrog, designed to provide children with the perfect combination of performance, durability and safety in their first tablet.

The LeapPad family also provides access to LeapFrog’s award-winning Learning Library of over 700 games, apps, eBooks, videos, music and more.

Sally Plumridge, International Marketing Director at LeapFrog, commented: “2014 was a ground-breaking year for LeapFrog and we won’t disappoint in 2015, when we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary. We have extremely high hopes for this year and will continue building on the 2014 success story by delivering even more new entertaining products and first class educator- approved content.”

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Shopping centre operator Intu has signed with Hamleys for a 9,000 sq. ft. store at Intu Lakeside, due to open in spring 2015.

The brand has a selection of stores outside of its flagship Regent Street location, with four shopping centre stores in the UK, three of which are now located within Intu centres, including Intu Trafford Centre and St David’s Cardiff.

A spokesperson for Hamleys said: “Intu Lakeside with its strong family demographic is a great location for a new Hamleys store. Working closely with Intu we have created a store that complements our UK growth strategy, delivering our unique retail experience of fun, theatre and entertainment. The Intu Lakeside store will be in a great position and we are sure the impact of an impressive 51 metre frontage right at the gateway of the proposed leisure extension means our store will perform well.”

Julian Wilkinson, regional director of Intu, said: “Hamleys is a great addition to the premium tenant mix at Intu Lakeside and substantially improves the centre’s family offer. As an iconic British brand offering quality children’s toys and experiences, the new store will attract more people, from further, for longer and will drive our ambition to create a compelling destination for families who come from near and far.

LeapFrog turns 20

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University Games rebrands Great Explorations range

IMC Toys signs Chrono Bomb in the UK

According to November NPD Chrono Bomb is the number one selling game in France and the number six selling toy across all categories.

Since Chrono Bomb’s 2014 launch in France it has grown in popularity and been confirmed as out of stock, as of early December.

The UK signing of the game aligns with IMC Toy’s UK strategy of supplying high quality and innovative products to retailers.

Terry Crew, managing director, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have secured the Chrono Bomb rights in the UK Market. Looking at all the success in France, we are confident this game will have a huge impact in the UK and will have an integral part of our 2015 growth strategy.”

The Progress Lab opens its doors

Joanne Gray, former Sales & Marketing Director at Tomy has established a new Marketing Consultancy: The Progress Lab. The new company will offer support with a range of disciplines, including defining brand strategy; product portfolio management; marketing communications planning; developing organisational culture, managing organisational change and marketing team training and development.

Joanne has teamed up with ex Tomy marketers Antonia Rainbow and Ruth Williams to create a strong team, who between them have decades of experience of working on brands such as Disney, McVitie’s, and Anadin, in addition to Tomy.

Joe Gray commented: “As a team we are all very different individuals but with complementary skills and experience. The major things we have in common are our love of marketing and the mind-set that if you are going to do a job, do it properly.”

The Progress Lab is hungry for new challenges and keen to take on new projects, and can be contacted on 07903 864731 or email Joanne@theprogresslab.co.uk.

Great Explorations, University Games’ range of glow in the dark planets, stars and the milky- way has undergone a complete rebrand for 2015.

The Great Explorations range will see a full packaging and branding redesign, making it even more visually engaging on shelf.

Recharged with each exposure to light, the products carry a lifetime guarantee of ‘Glowability’. The impressive visual effect can be seen on the University Games Toy Fair stand, F10.

Great Explorations has been in the market for over a decade, helping children discover the wonders of planets, stars and outer space, with many interesting facts on pack to add to the educational value.

A broad range of packs are on offer, covering key price points. Sticker packs such as Planets and Stars, Wonder Stars, Twinkle Stars and the Milky Way allow children to invent their own constellations or design new galaxies.

The 3D Stars in a Tube pack features 30 glow in the dark three dimensional stars, and also includes 25ft of string and adhesive putty, allowing children to create a cosmic scene on the ceiling. The 3-D Planets in a Tube selection features the eight planets of the solar system (plus Pluto) with adhesive putty and 7.5 metres of string to hang the planets and bring the solar system to life.

The 3D Solar System is an educational, large box set where children can put the planets in the right order. The box also contains 200 adhesive stars, 7.5 metres of string and a planetary guide to make learning fun. Colourful Stars and Wonder Stars Super Kits bring colour and light to walls via 150 different sized glowing stars. The Colourful Stars Super Kit features glowing stars in orange, blue, pink, green and white, while the Wonder Stars Super Kit comes with its own star chart.

Character launches 100 second TV ad for Peppa Pig

Character Options has announced the details of a TV advertising campaign for its new Peppa Pig Holiday Collection.

The advert depicts the story of Peppa Pig and her family’s adventures on holiday, combining clips from the series with the newly-filmed TVC footage of the brand new toy range. At 100 seconds, it’s five times longer than a traditional TVC and will be aired on channels including Nick Jr., Milkshake!, Disney Junior and Cartoonito. The ad will debut from 8th to 14th January; with an additional 40” edit airing for the rest of the month.

Jon Diver, Character Group’s joint MD, commented: “We are breaking the mould with our TV advertising for this new collection. Peppa Pig is our cornerstone brand and this new holiday theme represents one the most exciting launches in our partnership with the brand.”

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Brands that inspire Play! Š2015 Mattel, Inc. All rights reserved.

Brands that inspire Play! ©2015 Mattel, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2015 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. © 2015 HIT Entertainment Limited.

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Pie Face receives valuable TV exposure

Wigwam Toys attends Small Business Saturday at Downing Street

Wigwam Toys of Brighton was welcomed to the first Downing Street Christmas Fair.

Representing the best of British small businesses, Wigwam Toys was one of 100 businesses profiled in the 100 days running up to the December 6th event. It was one of only 10 or so businesses chosen to set up shop outside of number 10 Downing Street on 5th December.

The street was turned in to a mini winter market with other stall holders including popcorn vendors, chocolatiers, a gallery and a micro-brewery.

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-political, noncommercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to shop local and support small businesses in their communities.

Clair Letton, owner of Wigwam Toys, said: “I think it is vital that we all support our community shops and businesses as they are the beating heart of the UK economy. We were delighted to be invited to showcase our products, many of which were made by other small businesses. We enjoyed visiting Downing Street and being part of the festive atmosphere - it was nice to be among so many people who are passionate about what they do.

“I enjoyed meeting Small Business Ambassador, Karren Brady and telling her about who we are and what we do and even had the Chancellor playing with Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty. I would recommend to anyone to put themselves forward to be part of the Small Business 100, to download the marketing pack and participate next year.”

Rocket Games’ Pie Face board game featured on the festive edition of The Jonathan Ross Show. The host presented TV comedian Jimmy Carr with a copy of the game, which is distributed in the UK by Esdevium Games, and challenged him to play it along with the show’s other guests; Barbara Windsor, Lewis Hamilton, Ed Sheeran and David Walliams.

“It was pure TV gold,” said Rocket Games MD Graham Thornton. “Not only did it provide great entertainment and plenty of laughs, the endorsement and exposure from stars like these on peak-time TV was something money can’t buy.”

The appearance led to Pie Face selling out in some retailers within minutes, with more stock in transit. “The coverage was unbelievable, we couldn’t have asked for anything more” commented Esdevium Marketing Manager, Ben Hogg.

“It puts the game in a really strong position going into next year too. Hopefully we can convince retailers to hold their own Pie Face games in store.”

Pie Face and other Rocket products can be seen on the Esdevium Games stand E109 at Toy Fair 2015. Esdevium’s sales team can be contacted on 01420 593593.

Schleich appoints OSS to service independent channel For the record In Toy World December 2014 we incorrectly printed JNH Europe’s website. The correct web address is www.jnheurope.com.

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Schleich UK has transferred the management of its independent customer base to Outsourced Sales Solutions (OSS), in a bid to deliver improved coverage to the independent sector.

Jez Robinson, country manager, commented: “Not only will this partnership with OSS open new opportunities for Schleich, but existing independent customers will also benefit from being visited and merchandised more regularly. This is key to ensuring the best possible offer at retail and maximising sales both in and out of the store. OSS has already developed a significant independent business over the last five years, and we look forward to seeing our combined efforts delivering further growth for both parties.”

As part of the restructure of the sales strategy, existing sales representative Mark Sharp will be moving to OSS, meaning the association with Schleich and many of his customers will continue. The existing agreements with Leon Keys, Jez Large and Mashal Toy Agencies will be unaffected.

Jez added: “We are delighted that Mark has decided to join OSS and be involved with the new set up going forward. This new arrangement gives us a truly renewed focus on the independent market, which has always been so important to Schleich and its UK business.”

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VTech is excited to launch a number of great new products at the 2015 London Toy Fair.

With developments to much loved ranges as well as brand new additions in other categories.

Visit our stand to see more!

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BTHA announces Toy Retailer of the Year Finalists

The British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) has announced the finalists for the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards 2014. The shortlist is: Independent Toy Retailer of the Year • MIDCO Toymaster • Toytown Seaford • Toys N Tuck

Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (over 30 stores) • Smyths • The Entertainer • Toys R Us

Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 5 stores) • A1 Toys • Ken Black Toys • Just William Toys

General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year • Argos • Morleys • Harrods

Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 30 stores) • Kids Stuff Toys • SMF Toys • Toy Barnhaus

Online Toy Retailer of the Year • Shop Direct • Smyths • The Entertainer

Nominations were invited from BTHA members’ toy agents and national account managers as well as toy stores who were also invited to self-nominate.

Shortlisting was led by a selection of members of the BTHA Council, strategically based toy agents and national account managers from around the UK and representatives from the toy trade magazines.

The winners will be announced at the annual Toy Industry Awards held at the Science Museum on 20th January 2015. The gala event, which takes place on the first evening of Toy Fair, is organised by the BTHA in association with the Toy Retailers Association (TRA).

Thunderbirds Are Go to return for second series

ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures have been commissioned by CITV to make a second series of Thunderbirds Are Go, ahead of the premiere of series one.TAG300 CITV has ordered a second 26 x 30’ series of Thunderbirds Are Go to air in 2016 and 2017. The new children’s series is set to premiere on ITV and CITV in spring 2015, 50 years after the TV debut of the classic show.

Steve Green, EVP, Kids’ content and distribution at ITV Studios Global Entertainment, said: “The mix of CGI animation and incredible model sets gives each episode of Thunderbirds Are Go a theatrical feel rarely seen in children’s TV. Having 52 episodes of this quality takes our discussions to a new level.”

Toy World 20

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Mondo enjoys the wonderful indoors for 2015 Philip Harrison, Mondo’s UK director, spoke to Toy World’s Emily Ansell Elfer about expanding beyond the outdoor market.

Mondo has made a successful name for itself in the outdoor toys market over the years but the company is now making waves in other areas and becoming an all-year-round business, says UK director Philip Harrison.

Thinking about ways to expand beyond outdoor, Mondo’s management in Italy initially became interested die-cast toys and then found themselves attracted to the remote control market.

Philip Harrison explains: “At one time, Mondo was known throughout Europe just for its outdoor products. But then, some time ago, the management in Italy decided there was a whole market for top quality die-cast toys. From that, they started to think about remote-controlled products and then got together with Mattel to get the licence for Hot Wheels. That led us into completely new areas.”

The Hot Wheels remote control cars include several different models and are capable of very high speeds. The product was launched in the UK last year and proved to be so popular that the range has been expanded for 2015.

“It was a low budget operation in the UK last year and went very well. We’ve expanded the range dramatically this year and, with full TV backing, the range will be on show at both Nuremberg and Hong Kong,” says Philip.

As well as Hot Wheels, Mondo’s stand will be home to a variety of novelty products ranging from Minions pocket-money toy cars to remote control helicopters and drones. The two main licensees will be Frozen and Despicable Me 2, with a full range of products for both films on display.

Outdoor will also be represented with all the company’s classic products, including licensed playballs, spacehoppers, sports toys and inflatables, present on the stand.

“We’re not letting outdoor go by any means; we’ve cemented our place there. However, for the first time, we will be showing Mondo not just as a spring/summer business but as a 12 months a year business. That will be the main emphasis at Nuremberg,” Philip comments.

“2014 was a good year; it got us exactly where we want to be. For 2015, we would like to achieve further expansion.”

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industry moves Justin Clasby

Jenny Watson

Paul Bennett

Mark Hyndman

HTI has announced the appointment of a number of new members to its team.

Paul Bennett joins HTI as UK managing director. He brings a wealth of experience in the toy industry gained at LeapFrog and Little Tikes. In his new role at HTI, Paul will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and management to the UK operation.

Jenny Watson has been appointed as global marketing director. She joins from Mattel where she held the position of marketing director – Core Europe. Jenny will be responsible for global marketing activity and will

oversee the brand team, marketing communications, design, purchasing and licensing functions.

Richard Venner also joins as senior brand manager – boys toys. With a strong background in marketing and product development within the toy industry, he comes to HTI from Vivid imaginations where he held the role of senior brand manager for the Crayola Division.

Justin Clasby and Neil Martin have joined as brand manager for preschool toys and assistant brand manager respectively. Justin brings

Neil Martin

Andrew Reynolds

Claire Long

Graham Morley

over 10 years’ experience from Hasbro, Mattel, re:creation and Lego. Neil joins from Flair where he worked on the development and marketing of girls and tech toys.

Andrew Reynolds and Mark Hyndman have joined the sales teams as senior national account managers. Andrew has over 10 years’ experience in the toy industry, having held senior sales positions with Mookie, Galt and Berg Toys. Mark joins from Flair where he held the role of business development manager.

Graham Morley has been appointed as

HTI field sales manager.

Lastly, Claire Long has been appointed for a 12 month period to support all areas of HTI’s business on project work to assist during this transformative period. She has worked with blue chip companies such as Lego and Hasbro and freelanced for Channel 5.

With the exception of Graham Morley and Mark Hyndman, all other newly appointed roles will be based in HTI’s new London office which is located near Oxford Street and will be open early in the New Year.

Kerry Paternoster has been promoted from senior brand manager to marketing manager at Vivid after working at the company for four years. Kerry will work across the Toy and Drumond Park division from 1st January, reporting directly to marketing director Mary Wood.

Propel RC has appointed Carl England as international general manager. Carl has experience in senior sales and licensing roles at Timberland, Disney and Jakks Pacific.

He will be focusing on introducing Propel’s range of RC products into the UK and then into the International markets.

Gareth Jones

Nicola Woods

Jon Owen

Kirsty Gray

Shop Direct has promoted group retail brand director Jon Owen to its board of directors and deputy chief executive Gareth Jones to group chief operating officer.

Jon will continue to lead trading for the business, and head up Shop Direct’s retail brands, but his role will widen to assume responsibility for the creative team. Meanwhile Gareth will retain strategy, customer experience, Very Exclusive, e-commerce and customer intelligence within his remit. The positions took effect on 5 January 2015.

Two new members of staff have been appointed at re:creation.

Kirsty Gray bolsters the sales team as national account manager, bringing with her over 15 years of sales experience – her most recent role being held with electricals giant, Samsung. Nicola Woods will add strength to the marketing team as marketing executive, supporting the department as they roll out extensive plans for 2015.

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WELCOME TO OUR WORLD.

marketing world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for marketing news and opinion

Global Gathering Toy World spoke to Dean Weller, managing director of the Next Generation Media Exchange, to find out more about the new venture.

What is The Next Generation Media Exchange, in a nutshell?

Simply put, an international confederation of independent media agencies working under one name, serving the needs of kids and parent advertisers.

What were the problems that your clients were facing?

The main issue that our clients were experiencing was that expansion into non-UK territories didn’t always translate into cohesive media planning. There was no set solution to this before Generation Media addressed this problem. We needed to find a way to provide our clients the same high quality, expert service that we were already providing them in the UK and Ireland.

I went out and personally sourced a number of respected independent media planning and buying agencies who I felt shared Generation Media’s cultural values, company development and ambition. Moreover, prospective partner agencies had to be knowledgeable, passionate and successful in their respective youth entertainment space because, to use a cliché but a very relevant one, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. We can now present a truly unique offering working across Europe, The Americas, Asia, Australasia and Africa.

You mention that these agencies were independent – is that important?

I would say it’s more than important, it’s essential to what we are looking to do. The problem with dealing with big, multinational network agencies is that a lot of the variables are fixed; you have to play the hand you’re dealt. Pricing is structured around scale – the bigger the overall pot, the cheaper the media pricing. Lose an international FMCG account from that pot and everyone’s

pricing suffers. The component agencies of The Next Generation Media Exchange are all independent so we are not tied to this structure.

What have you found from your inaugural campaigns?

The biggest advantage thusfar has been our partners’ local expertise really coming to the Dean Weller fore. Anyone that has worked with overseas media partners will be aware of the potential pitfalls, but our campaigns really hit the ground running and deliver outstanding results. I’m drawn to employ an ‘old school’ marketing term and say we’re achieving a glocal effect: global brand values assimilated into local markets.

Finally, what are the plans for The Next Generation Media Exchange moving into 2015 and beyond?

Ideally we’d like to be able to offer both new and existing clients media solutions for any territory globally. We’ll continue to expand in 2015 with confidence instilled by ourselves and by new, ambitious partners. Great empires are not maintained by timidity, as said Tacitus.

Brainstorm announces new TV advertising campaign across three key lines Brainstorm’s new advertising campaigns will encompass Aqua Dragons, Magno-Z and T-Rex Projector and Room Guard.

The company continues its collaboration with the team behind Aqua Dragons and this partnership will see Brainstorm continue to distribute the full Aqua Dragons range throughout the UK, with TV advertising support going into 2015.

The Aqua Dragons range was advertised from 26th December until 4th January. The campaign was the first in a schedule of advertising booked throughout 2015. In addition, craze toy Magno-Z was also TV advertised from 26th December – 4th January and will be supported in strategic bursts throughout 2015. The TV advert helped to drive brand awareness and sales in 2014, and the brand will continue to be supported by PR and the Magno-Z brand ambassador scheme in 2015.

The Brainstorm Toys arm of the business also enjoyed a successful year and the 2014 hero product, the T Rex Projector and Room Guard, will continue to be TV advertised in 2015.

Nick Saunders, sales and marketing director at Brainstorm, said: “Our TV advertising campaign has been put in place well in advance so that we can support the key ranges during crucial selling periods throughout the year.”

*Source CAA FAME 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND SEE YOU AT TOY FAIR! To find out more about the power of cinema advertising contact steve.chambers@dcm.co.uk | www.dcm.co.uk

Toy World 26

1 in 2

parents who visited the cinema with their child said they bought toys and games relating to the film*.

Big Hero 6 3D Shaun the Sheep Movie Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots In cinemas from January!

351256_K'NEX_Blaster_Ad_ToyWorld_Af.indd 1

01/12/2014 17:43

licensing world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for licensing news and opinion

Sambro signs Paw Patrol in pan-European deal

Sambro has signed a panEuropean licensing deal with Nickelodeon to create a range of Paw Patrol products.

The deal will see the firm produce Paw Patrol lines across arts and crafts, novelty, pocket money, wheeled toys and bags.

The products will feature the pack of six heroic puppies: Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Zuma, Rubble and Skye, as well as their friend Ryder.

Nikki Samuels commented: “We are simply over the moon to have signed this deal. We have a fantastic relationship with Nickelodeon and will look to replicate the success of our other Nickelodeon licences across the full Paw Patrol range. The Pan-European aspect of this deal will allow us to raise our profile even further as we continue to produce high-quality licensed toys.”

Hornby to sell James Bond Spectre merchandise

The company has signed a licence to sell Corgi and Scalextric-branded James Bond products, with the new range to be unveiled at the London Toy Fair.

Bond is back in the headlines after last week’s announcement that the 24th film in the series will be called Spectre and released next November.

Hornby chief executive Richard Ames said that the deal will continue a long partnership between the company and the property, commenting: “James Bond has been a fantastic licensed partnership for our brands going back over 50 years, with Corgi’s Aston Martin DB5 from the movie Goldfinger winning the very first toy of the year award in 1965.”

Fremantle and CBeebies to produce more Tree Fu Tom

CBeebies’ controller Kay Benbow has commissioned a third series of Tree Fu Tom for transmission in 2016.

A co-production between CBeebies in-house and Fremantle, Tree Fu Tom is currently broadcast in over 123 territories across the globe.

Bob Higgins, EVP creative and production at Fremantle, said: “We are thrilled the BBC has continued its commitment to Tree Fu Tom by commissioning a third series. This new batch of episodes will further cement both the show’s opportunity for growth and its reputation as a major pre-school property.”

Kay Benbow said: “Tree Fu Tom is immensely popular with our audience and we are delighted to be commissioning 20 new adventures for Tom, Twigs and the gang. This new series will include all the elements which have made Tree Fu Tom so beloved by the audience, whilst introducing some new developments to keep the series fresh and exciting.”

Licensing World 28

Autumn Statement 2014: Children’s TV boosted by tax breaks Children’s TV programmes were boosted by the Chancellor as he announced tax breaks for children’s TV as part of the Autumn Statement.

George Osborne hailed a “golden age” for the creative industries as he announced UK produced children’s programmes will qualify for tax relief from April of next year, expected to be around 25%.

Sally Jones, tax director at Deloitte, said: “Measures that encourage the production of high quality, educational and also entertaining programmes, is great news. The UK has a great track record of doing just that; the Teletubbies, for example, were and still are cuttingedge, but most children’s programmes make little, if any, money. The new tax relief will allow programmes to be commissioned that otherwise wouldn’t be made.”

The measure follows on from similar tax credits for high-end TV dramas such as Downton Abbey and animation. In April, CBeebies head Kay Benbow praised the measures for helping to revive the British animation industry.

Discover the 2015 most exciting brands !

Visit us at : Kensigton Olympia, January 20th - 22nd, 2015 9.00 - 6.00pm

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licensingworld Pitmans launches new brand advisory division

Well-known music, television, film and media lawyer Mark Hurry has joined Pitmans LLP to set up a brand licensing advisory division. The new division will form part of the company’s media and IP operation. Mark commented: “Pitmans has an established, successful trademark business, which the new brand licensing division will complement perfectly. We’ll be offering toy and licensing companies a range of services, including advice on brand creation, protection, enforcement, policing and monetisation. We will also be covering related areas such as music, finance, production and TV distribution: it’s worth bearing in mind that sound, up to date commercial advice is just as important as robust legal advice.”

During his career, Mark has built up considerable sector knowledge, having worked with some of the industry’s leading properties, including Thunderbirds, Little Britain, Carry On, Monty Python and pre-school animation hit The Hive. He has also developed considerable expertise in setting up businesses, and is well-versed in the production process, all the way through to TV content production. Mark commented: “We have a great team of commercial lawyers at Pitmans, offering a full service for all legal requirements. We are also very competitive on our prices, and we’re willing to offer a free one hour consultation to all prospective new clients to help us to assess their requirements.”

We’re delighted to announce that Mark has agreed to share some of his experiences with the readers of Toy World, by contributing a series of articles over the coming months.

Mark commented: “I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with the readers of Toy World.

I hope the articles will help people to avoid some of the most common pitfalls which toy and licensing companies are likely to come across during the process of successfully establishing a product or property within the retail market.” Mark’s new column will start in the March issue of Toy World.

To find out more about the services which Pitmans LLP offers, contact Mark Hurry on 0207 634 4617 or visit the website www.pitmans.com.

Character World bought out by management in £36m deal

WE DON’T WAIT FOR THE APPLES TO FALL, WE SELECT THE BEST STRAIGHT FROM THE TREE

The company has undergone a buyout, with the deal backed by Palatine Private Equity.

Founded in 1998, Character World supplies licensed bedding and associated homeware product. The business was on track to reach sales of over £32m to December 2014. The firm employs 74 UK staff and eight in China and is led by brothers Mark and Danny Schweiger. The deal sees an exit for RJD Partners, who funded a management buyout with the Schweigers in 2008.

A £16m investment from Palatine and funding from RBS will allow Character World to consolidate its UK market leading position and capitalise on international growth. Palatine partner, Andy Lees and investment manager, James Winterbottom will join the board as nonexecutive directors.

Danny Schweiger, joint managing director at Character World, said: “We’re delighted Palatine will be backing Character World in the next phase of our exciting journey. My brother Mark and I will continue to run the business and our focus going forward will be on growing our UK business whilst becoming a successful international company. The future is full of opportunities that we intend to grasp.”

Call Rowena on 01590 674 212 or email rowena@tinderboxconsultants.co.uk for specialist recruitment in sales and marketing for nursery and toy.

www.tinderboxconsultants.co.uk

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Licensing World 30 18/02/2014 11:30

infant & pre-school world The toy trade’s no.1 resource for news and opinion from the Infant & Pre-school sector

Jumbo Games checks into Furchester Hotel

Jumbo Games has signed a deal with Sesame Workshop via CPLG to produce a range of children’s puzzles and games for The Furchester Hotel.

The new pre-school children’s series, The Furchester Hotel, first aired in September 2014 and is a Sesame Street co-production with CBeebies. The series features a new Muppet family, the Furchesters, along with Sesame Street characters Elmo and Cookie Monster.

Continuing the growth of its children’s games and puzzles portfolio, Jumbo Games will produce a series of licensed products including a 35 piece puzzle assortment, a 4in1 shaped puzzle, giant playing cards and a dominoes game.

The range is set to launch in A/W 2015.

Gray Richmond, managing director of Jumbo Games, said: “We’re pleased to be working with Sesame Workshop and CPLG on this new and very exciting licence. Sesame Street has been popular amongst generations so we’re thrilled to be involved with this co-production.”

Gemma Witts, retail and category director of CPLG, said: “Jumbo Games is a great partner to have on board and complement a strong line-up of The Furchester Hotel licensees. We look forward to working with them, and all of our partners, as products begin to roll-out next year.”

Penguin acquires publishing rights to Hey Duggee

Penguin has signed the publishing rights for the new CBeebies television series Hey Duggee.

Making its debut on CBeebies in January, Hey Duggee is based around a children's playgroup called ‘The Squirrel Club’, run by a big friendly dog called Duggee.

The 52 part series is narrated by popular comedian Alexander Armstrong, who features alongside a cast of children who voice the main roles.

Hey Duggee began with a special Christmas episode broadcast in December on CBeebies, and the full series will launch in January 2015. Penguin will publish under the Ladybird imprint in summer 2015. The range, which will be aimed at 3-6 year olds, will include a selection of picture, activity and novelty books.

New licensees sign up to Teletubbies

Ravensburger signs Clangers

Coolabi Group has signed a licensing agreement with Ravensburger to develop a new range of preschool puzzles and games.

The range includes board games, dominoes and card games based on the new Clangers series.

Valerie Fry, director of sales, Coolabi, said: “There is so much momentum behind the Clangers brand. We are seeing huge excitement in the licensing community and this agreement with Ravensburger represents the latest in a series of deals for this pre-school property. The inventive nature of the series lends itself well to puzzles and games, and we are proud to be working with Ravensburger on Clangers.”

Tim Hall, managing director, Ravensburger, said: “We are delighted to be working together with Coolabi on the wonderful Clangers brand. We are very confident that the fabulous new animation will captivate a huge new audience and we can develop some superb puzzles and games to entertain the young Clangers fans.”

DHX Brands has appointed further UK licensees for the Teletubbies brand.

The licensees secured include Worlds Apart for furniture and accessories, Amscan for partyware, Posh Paws for bags Aykroyds for nightwear and underwear, Character World for bedding, Bon Bon Buddies for confectionery, GB Eye for posters and Zak UK for melamine tableware.

The new licensees join a roster of partners including Character Options as global master toy partner, Egmont for international children’s books and magazines, Ravensburger for themed puzzles, MV Sports for wheeled and outdoor toys, International Greetings for the arts and crafts category, Gemma for greeting cards and Rainbow Productions for costume characters.

Products in core categories will roll out at retail from 2016.

Infant & pre-school world 32

EVERY DAY’S AN ADVENTURE PAW PATROL IS ON A ROLL!

• Smash hit CP launches in US, Canada, Australia, Germany, France & Benelux • Paw Patrol toys launched in December with wider CP roll out from 2015 • CP Target Kids 2-5

A WHOLE NEW WORLD TO EXPLORE

• Best Ever Premiere on Nick Jr.* • CP Roll Out – A/W 2015 • CP Target – Girls 3 +

THERE’S A NEW ADVENTURE WASHED ASHORE EVERYDAY IN LILY’S DRIFTWOOD BAY • • • •

Launched on Nick Jr in May 2014 3.1 million viewers have tuned in on Nick Jr.** 52 x 7 minute episodes CP Target – Girls 3-6 REPRESENTED IN THE UK ONLY.

* Source: BARB, Dora & Friends launched at 5pm on Nick Jr., with +116% on the slot average and 61.1k kids (91.0k inds) tuning in. That’s Nick Jr.’s best ever launch, making it the #1 commercial kids channel in the slot. ** Source : BARB, All homes, Nick Jr. Channels, K4-15, Indi.4+, 5th May- 25th Aug 14, All Hours, Mon-Sun. Reach 3 min continuous viewing. © 2015 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Dora and Friends and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. PAW PATROL - © 2015 Spin Master PAW Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.LILY’S DRIFTWOOD BAY™ ® & © 2015 Sixteen South Limited. All Rights Reserved.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CONSUMERPRODUCTS@NICKELODEON.CO.UK

Company Profile

Innovative online funding for UK toy importers TradeRiver Finance offers toy importers and distributors an innovative online funding solution. Toy World spoke to Alex Hambrook to find out more….

T

he traditional pattern of buying and selling within the toy trade provides some significant challenges for toy companies in terms of financing their operations.

The toy market is a seasonal industry, with a high percentage of sales geared to the second half of the year. However, orders have to be placed – and paid for – long before the main selling season. With an increasing number of retailers looking for extended payment terms, a clear picture emerges: goods have to be ordered and paid for many months before the supplier will receive the money for them. Working capital has traditionally evolved towards the back end of this cycle; for example, there are numerous companies who will offer funds after the invoice has been raised, but this doesn’t help to actually fund the inventory purchase in the first place. Factories are demanding swift -or, in many cases, immediate- settlement for goods purchased, while retail customers take full advantage of lengthy repayment periods, leaving significant amounts of cash tied up in the supply chain.

Pressures on working capital can be severe when importing goods from the Far East, with the shipping process adding even greater time to an already lengthy repayment period for goods sold at the other end. This is where alternative finance companies can have a major role to play in making life easier for importers and distributors.

TradeRiver Finance is a non-bank online funding solution which finances trade, both cross- border and in the UK. It allows companies to have access to working capital at any point in the supply chain to help support and grow their business. It works by providing the company with a pre-approved revolving facility that can be used to finance trade with multiple suppliers and it gives the company up to 120 days to settle the

balance. All payments and administration are paperless and transparent via a secure online platform.

Established in 2009, TradeRiver has attracted a fast-growing community of forward-thinking businesses looking for an alternative to traditional trade finance.

Buyers and sellers in any supply chain can benefit from a level of flexibility, responsiveness and agility that simply isn’t available from traditional bank-based finance. By offering this service, TradeRiver provides a viable alternative or additional source of unsecured working capital for UK companies looking to plug funding gaps in their supply chain, whether their suppliers are in the UK or overseas. TradeRiver’s facility do not affect existing loans, credit facilities or finance arrangements and are secured against credit insurance which TradeRiver puts in place.

TradeRiver is already dealing with around 40 importers and 90 exporters, including Sheffield-based toy importer UKayed Trade Solutions. Rodney Fauvel commented: “As a recent client of TradeRiver Finance, I have been impressed with the speed and efficiency of the online platform that is offered. It is a unique service that has already proved instrumental in funding my cross border transaction requirements, and I hope will continue to do so.”

There are a number of key advantages for toy suppliers in the TradeRiver business model: orders are funded pre-shipment and at the point of despatch, not just when the goods arrive in the UK. Furthermore, orders can be speculative; given the number of retailers which offer estimates rather than fully confirmed orders at an early stage, this is a significant plus point.

TradeRiver’s Alex Hambrook told Toy World: “We’re looking to work with midmarket toy companies, with a turnover in the range of £1m - £50m, which have an existing relationship with the factory or vendor they’re looking to order from. We

Toy World 34

believe that the facility we offer will help them to become more profitable. It means they’ll be able to commit to buying earlier, helping them to secure stock and their share of production capacity.

“We’re effectively making them a cash buyer, paying the factory in their own currency, so they’re in a strong position to negotiate the best possible terms with the factory, which will hopefully include a generous discount. On average, our clients negotiate an early payment discount of 3% from their manufacturers.

“In effect, Trade River’s offer is like a credit card for an importer: it puts them in complete control of the transaction, helping to make the entire process more efficient.”

For further details of the service which TradeRiver Finance provides to toy importers and distributors, contact Alex Hambrook, ahambrook@traderiverfinance. com or call 07850 179653. More information can also be found at www.traderiverfinance.com

talking shop New Year cheer Toy World’s Daniel Rich speaks to independent retailers about the hot topics of the month. This month Daniel asks retailers how they fared during the festive period, how they promoted their stores during this busy time and what they’re looking forward to in 2015.

Tammy Simpson, Manager and buyer, Ruddocks of Lincoln, Lincolnshire Ruddocks originally started with books and printing, developed into stationery and then into arts and crafts. We sold jigsaws and traditional toys for a while but were being asked for other items, so started stocking a token amount of board games to test the water. It was a success so with our second refurbishment we incorporated a toys and games department which opened in August 2012.

Our range includes educational, arts and crafts kits, science kits, Lego, Playmobil, Schleich, baby, imaginative play, Bigjigs, pocket money toys, board games, jigsaws and traditional toys. We aim to stock quality products that are value for money and games that require children to interact with others.

We feel we are going from strength to strength, due to our two re-fits in the past two years, and believe people are supporting their local independent stores. The products selling well include Lincoln Monopoly, Minifigures, Lego, Mixels, playing cards, dice, kaleidoscopes, rail and road by Bigjigs, plasticine, K’Nex Super Mario Blind Bags, Dobble and our Learning Resources range, particularly magnifiers and magnets.

Lincoln is a historical city with beautiful architecture. Our store is located within a listed building, giving us the opportunity to create a traditional atmosphere and decor within our

store. Other stores such as The Entertainer, Toys R Us and supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco offer a different choice for consumers but these aren’t seen as competition to our type of business by us.

We do not focus too much on trends as we find they can be short lived and we would become like any other toy shop. We can’t be competitively priced in all areas although we do strive to carry some product trends and brands and be competitively priced for these products where possible.

We follow the STEAM framework, which is about toys that teach or reinforce science,

technology, engineering, arts and maths. These toys can be found in a range of categories and for children of all ages. Such toys encourage children’s interests in these subjects in a fun and engaging way. They can also introduce children to new subjects and encourage curiosity and creativity. We have always focused on this area of toys and games and since this trend has gained increasing popularity in 2014, we have seen sales increase, and are actively seeking new products and extending our current ranges.

There’s also the retro and back-to-basics trend. There are many retro toys that parents and grandparents remember fondly from their

Connectable & Collectable

making toys Limited For more information call:

0843 557 4062

4 Ramsay Court, Hinchingbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6FY

or email:

sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Toy World 36

childhoods and are excited to share with the children in their lives. These toys are terrific for families to bond over and foster intergenerational play. In addition to re-releases and refreshed toys, there are also a lot of fun classic toys that are available for families. These back-to-basics toys (mostly low-tech) are for when families want to ‘switch off’ from technology. This trend reinforces the fact that classic play patterns remain the same and just as popular over time.

We have seen an increase in customers asking for different retro products, therefore we have recently introduced items such as marbles alongside other traditional products and they’ve been selling well.

We hope to build on our current customer

base and increase sales, both online and offline, as well as carry on providing good service and knowledge in all aspects of our shop. We are also hoping to develop our tea rooms and workshops.

Having expanded over the past five years, we feel we are finally able to concentrate on marketing and improving other department offerings within our store like gifts and haberdashery, as well as the ongoing improvement of our Toys and Games department.

Lincoln Monopoly continues to be a strong seller and Peter Pauper Scratch and Sketch books are firm favourites for customers and made great Christmas stocking fillers. We also stock a full range of jigsaws from a number of suppliers that do well for us.

Matthew Hunt, Owner/director, Rainbow Plaza, Llantwit

and the energy associated with child related products. Buying in this area is a real test of judgement as trends can move so quickly. The involvement of technology is particularly exciting, and it seems every year the boundaries of what is possible move further and further along, so you are continually surprised with the innovation occurring.

However, another surprise to me is the attitude of some suppliers towards us, their loyal customers. There is real polarisation here where some companies go out of their way to serve you as best they can, others seem to be doing the exact opposite and almost treat you as a nuisance.

We read as much as we can in trade journals and listen to our customers to keep on top of trends.

Children will readily tell you what they want so the key is very simply to listen to them. Watch sales patterns and leave room in your budget to react where you can.

Merchandising is very individual, but toy stores need to be bright, well lit and colourful while keeping an awareness that ultimately it is mum, dad or grandparents doing the buying. The trend at the moment seems to be a move away from separating toys by gender and we feel age is now probably a more appropriate distinguishing feature as more and more products try and target both boys and girls.

Over aggressive price promotion by supermarkets is the biggest threat we face. Most view the sale of these products as a footfall generator which will offer suppliers attractive short term large orders but have the long term impact of devaluing the product.

This makes it impossible to generate working profit

Major, South Glamorgan My parents opened our toy store trading as Rainbow Plaza in 1981. Together, they grew the business making the most of the developing action figures trend pioneered by the Star Wars brand. We developed strong support and loyalty through our traditional and hobby toy range, supplementing it with trending items such as skateboards in the late 80s through to the recent loom band phenomenon. In 2007, we decided to incorporate the toy business into our main supermarket business (Filco Supermarkets Ltd) to take advantage of administration efficiencies. As part of a significant investment in our adjoining supermarket in 2011, we merged the two buildings creating a superstore. We developed a brand new standalone dedicated toy store in the town which was rebranded as Plaza Toymaster.

Following our move in 2011, we have been working really hard to develop our customer base and catchment area. We see the need to maintain a community focus as vital to this and frequently host events like a Punch and Judy show as part of the town’s Victorian fair celebrations, Santa’s grotto, reindeer visits, Easter egg hunts, character visits and regular competitions. From a trade perspective we are seeing good growth in craft products, with suppliers like Galt, Mellissa and Doug, Orchard and Ravensburger all selling well. Other brands such as Zappies, Ty, Warhammer, Schleich and Lego have performed well alongside our Toymaster FOB purchases.

We have a Facebook page which has attracted about 700 friends which we use to promote the store. Along with the events we hold, we contribute and donate regularly to local charities and good causes.

We have always enjoyed the buzz of the toy trade,

For more information call:

making toys Limited.

We have a stand at the Lincolnshire Show which attracts several hundred thousand visitors.

We have marketing campaigns in various local media publications and are active on social media. We have a high street location therefore tourists will often find us and also we advertise on the Lincoln city map. Our website has over 15,000 products on it which can be reserved for in-store collection as well as delivery.

I am looking forward to the release of the new Lego ranges including Basic Bricks which I believe will be a great product for us to stock.

I am also looking forward to London Toy Fair.

The key areas I will be looking at are boys, educational, traditional wooden toys and science and craft kits.

margins, forcing you to review your range.

Although developing internet selling is attractive from a sales perspective, on the whole it won’t support the business. So we see our future in using technology to promote the business more effectively, to encourage more trips to the store. Community involvement will continue to be a priority and ensuring we are on trend will also benefit us.

As far as promotional activity is concerned we hosted Santa and his reindeer in December, which was very popular as always, and hold a New Year sale. Q1 sales are very brisk so we are particularly cautious with our spend at this time of the year. We mainly use the time to clear remaining stock and then build towards the Easter holidays.

We attend toy shows where possible and go to the Olympia, Toymaster and NEC shows when we can.

The move of the London show to more weekdays was disappointing as that made it more of a disruption to the business. As a result, when I do attend, I can only stay for a day.

0843 557 4062 or email: sales@epochmakingtoys.com

4 Ramsay Court, Hinchingbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6FY

Toy World 38

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indie viewpoint

Simon Adams, Owner, Toytown Toymaster, Woodbridge, Suffolk My sister Kym and I bought Toytown in late August 2014, although the toy store had been here for 28 years previously. I have been in the toy trade for the last 26 years and have owned a toy store in Ipswich. When our parents passed away I wanted to get back into the ownership side of it again. We decided to stock a wide range from pre-school through to jigsaws and games.

Since our takeover, we are delighted that business has steadily got better every week. The stock levels were quite low at first, now we are fully restocked and it has made a difference. There are so many different things that are selling well but Lego was a top seller in the run-up to Christmas, as was the Orchard Toys range, and Hama Beads have been very popular.

Woodbridge town is quite small and compact. We support our local community with a Local Values scheme where customers get a 10% off voucher to use locally when they spend £20 or more. This has had a very positive impact on business along with our own savings club. My niece Kayla looks after our online community and does a lot of promotion via Facebook.

Talking and interacting with new customers who come into the store about new ideas and toys really excites me. We have also built a good rapport with the local schools.

We keep on top of trends by reading the Toymaster website, and speaking to local school children also helps me keep up to date with what is current. I have taken advice from the previous owner in regards to merchandising and also speak to Paul and Yogi from Toymaster who are full of helpful hints. I like to have everything neat, tidy, clean and wellpresented in my store, which the customers appreciate.

Having only been in Woodbridge since August, I intend to order more stock in January and go from there. We have been doing a lot of in-store promotions, so we will be carrying on with them into the spring. In the summer we might consider opening later and on Sundays.

We have had numerous Toby Toymaster visits where our mascot gave away goody bags, balloons and flyers advertising the store. We ran a promotion for Small Business Saturday where we gave away a free Toby Toymaster beanie toy and a 10% off Local Values voucher with every £10 spent in store. We had a competition to win Poppy the Penguin where children counted how many penguins were in our Christmas window display, then posted their entry forms into the competition box in store.

There was also a Postman Pat post box in store for children to post their letters to Santa. We hosted our first Shhh Shopping Night where between 5pm and 8pm we had adult only shopping complete with prosecco, soft drinks and nibbles, giving adults the opportunity to shop without their little ones. We have also run plenty of advertising in local magazines and the Local Values scheme promotes our business really well.

We attend various toy fairs and shows including the Toy Fair at Olympia and Toymaster FOB shows in March and October. We also attend the Toymaster May show in Harrogate which is absolutely brilliant.

I’m most looking forward to seeing Big Hero 6 from Bandai and the Ninjago range from Lego in 2015.

If you would like to get involved with next month’s Talking Shop, please get in touch with Daniel: 01442 502 407, daniel@toyworldmag.co.uk

Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes Toy Barnhaus

Working in a winter wonderland

A

s we write this, we are tucking into a very nice tin of Quality Streets, compliments of one of our reps. We were thinking of consuming one of the many bottles of wine we have also received, however, given that it is 4pm on a Friday afternoon less than two weeks before Christmas, probably not the best idea.

A brief summary of trade so far: November was good, with people seeming to be shopping earlier. However, the event that really kick started off Christmas shopping was Black Friday. It received massive publicity this year, and we noticed a significant year on year increase, and this was not just on Black Friday, but for the whole weekend including the Monday. We are trying to put forward a Black December, to try and keep it going for the whole month. This is clearly an event that is here to stay, and we will look to capitalise on it even more next year.

To give an insight into what is selling, not to sound like a cracked record, but Frozen is still king (queen really!). I am sure we must be shareholders in the licence now. With a lot of new licensed product for Frozen having been released over the last few weeks, so far all of it still seems to be selling. Aside from this, our action figures and vehicle category is absolutely flying, with Minecraft still phenomenally popular (especially the Lego), and all the Marvel Super Hero mashers selling well, along with How to Train your Dragon, there is lots to get after. With the sad demise of Modelzone a year ago, there is a massive market for remote control at Christmas, especially at the higher price points. Finally, if you remember last month’s column, our pallets of penguins arrived, and thanks to Monty the Penguin, they are selling fast. We have already contacted John Lewis’ marketing department to try and find out what their advert is for next Christmas...

Normally at this stage, we are either panicking that we have not got enough stock, or worried that we are overstocked. However, this year, although we are holding a bit more, we are looking to capitalise on sales after Christmas, and then take stock in the New Year. Currently, we are planning our Boxing Day sale.

It is very easy to drop the mantle after Christmas, but in that week after the big day, the footfall in our shops is massive, and it is vital to have a good sale presence in our stores. Hopefully when you read this, it will all have gone to plan.

Looking beyond this, our heads turn to Toy Fair. We have sorted all our key lunch and tea appointments, with the rest of the diary pretty full now. We hope there will be as many products to be excited about as there were last year. We will also be attending the Toy Retailer awards at the Science Museum, as it is a fantastic night out. We treat our managers to the night out, as they have all worked so hard for us over the Christmas period. After Toy Fair, we head straight to the NEC to see the many companies we did not see at Olympia. Sadly, we will not be going to Nuremberg this year, as we want to give the German sausage stocks a chance to replenish before we visit again.

Finally, thanks to all our suppliers for supporting us in what has been a great 2014. There has been some fantastic product, and there has been a real buzz about the toy market this year. Hopefully, you have all had a good Christmas, and a Happy New Year, and here’s to a prosperous 2015.

Toy World 40

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NPD Column

Variety is the Spice of Life in Europe

NPD’s Rory Partis looks at how the key European territories have fared in 2015

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omething that our clients often find quite surprising about NPD is the differences and also similarities in trends across the European countries.

In fact folks in the US still think Europe is one country sometimes! That is quite far from the case and although there are some trends that certainly cross countries there are often differences year after year when comparing the European toy markets. With just a few weeks to go until Christmas as I write, we are going to focus on what is happening in each of the big 5 European countries and how they have fared in 2014, looking at a few similarities and differences too.

If we did look at the 5 main European countries together we could see that for the latest data they would be growing by +3.7% in value, or in actual value terms that’s over €200m more in the first 11 months of this year than 2013. So on the face of it; it would appear that toys have had a pretty good year throughout Europe. When we look in a little more detail we can see that it is the three largest markets that are driving this growth. The UK is the largest European toy market, just ahead of Germany and both these markets are showing +5% growth in 2014, France is third and has a still very healthy +3% value gain vs last year. So actually when you look at these 3 countries you can see that they contribute pretty much all of that €200m growth.

We see a slight uplift in Spain and a slight decline in Italy, so it certainly looks like the Southern European countries are having a slightly tougher time of it.

It is still possible to see similar trends across the countries though with some of 2014’s big themes being global and Europe wide. Looking at category trends by country it seems that the key themes we saw in the UK market were also popular in Europe with consistent growth. Arts & Crafts has shown strong growth across Europe with +33% collectively for YTD November, and this is concentrated in Craft Kits the loom bands category. Youth Electronics is another category where we have seen a consistent trend, with Robotic and Interactive Playmates driving this

category across all countries. Youth Toy Market Trends EU 5 Electronics is one category where YTD November 2014 vs 2013 we have really seen the influence of ‘tech toys’ with items such as kids tablets, kids smart watches and robotic animals all performing 4.7 4.5 well across different countries.

Interestingly we are also seeing a 3.6 3.4 resurgent Action Figures category in Europe, although still down slightly in France and Germany.

0.7 In fact if we look at Action Figures collectively for Europe the category TOTAL EU 5 UK GERMANY FRANCE SPAIN ITALY is actually +6% in value, and the -0.6 Total Toy Market Trend % Change month of November was +20% for NPD EPOS Action Figures with every country in growth. It looks like the recent Ninja Turtles movie has helped Action Figures in Europe along with So in summary the toys market around Europe is the continued good performance of Transformers after in very good shape with some impressive growth by a movie earlier in the year. Another area to highlight country and collectively. We have big differences by is Dolls, where Disney Frozen continues to be the country such as low license penetration in Germany, success story of 2014, with impressive sales across all 5 less dependence on Christmas in the UK and European countries.

Epiphany being huge in Spain but also many parallels One thing we saw this year in Europe that has taken in popularity of licenses and crazes. We’ll be looking on a bit more focus was Black Friday. Something that forward to see what some of the big trends will be for has been popular in the US for quite some time has 2015. now really become part of the consumer shopping experience here too, and the trends by country were somewhat mixed. Looking at the data it would seem that Black Friday was the biggest hit in the UK where week 48, the week including Black Friday, was up +10% in value vs the same week in 2013. The day didn’t seem to boost sales in other countries though, with no real significant sales boost. The one area that did seem to be consistent throughout was that ‘tech toys’ seemed to do particularly well in that week, hinting towards these items seeing the heaviest promotions during Black Friday. It will be interesting to see how Black Friday progresses in Europe, especially with promotions becoming more and more commonplace in the toy market in the run up to Christmas.

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and Confidential

Rory Partis

senior account manager - Toys

The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food/food service, home, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, video games, and wireless.

To monitor what’s happening in the ever-changing toy market, NPD collects point-of-sale information from all major toy retailers. This information, combined with our analysts’ industry perspectives, delivers a comprehensive view of what’s selling and where. We also field over 12m consumer surveys annually to help industry leaders understand why consumers shop where they shop and why they buy what they buy.

For more information visit www.npd.com. Follow NPD on Twitter @npdgroup

Toy World 42

Profile

Building the future Toy World’s Emily Ansell Elfer offers an insight into The Lego Group’s new London main office.

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he Lego Group opened its fifth main global office on Friday 28th November, near Chancery Lane, and invited the press and special guests for a tour of the facilities.

Stepping out of the lift into Lego’s new London main office, visitors are greeted with 2,291 square metres of colour and creativity.

After placing their coats in a chalkboard-fronted cupboard covered in children’s doodles, they are then led through a Lego-figure-shaped archway and into an open-plan working space.

The four-storey building now offers the company a base in the UK’s capital but is the second Lego office to open in England, with one already located in Slough, and adds to the group’s list of main offices across the globe – with other locations being Enfield (USA), Singapore, Shanghai and the main HQ in Billund (Denmark).

At the opening event, guests were shown around the office space, which included comfortable seating areas, a library, life-size Lego constructions and breath-taking views across London. It was explained that the new office is an ‘activity-based learning environment’, which means that no member of staff has their own desk.

This new way of working is a pilot project and may eventually be transferred to other Lego locations.

Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO and president of The Lego Group, welcomed guests before officially cutting the opening ribbon.

He said: “We have opened a wonderful office that clearly reflects the values of The Lego Group.

And most importantly, we have celebrated the inauguration together with dedicated and engaged colleagues, who from their base here in London will work together with almost 14,000 colleagues around the world to ensure that we can deliver great play experiences to even more children. That is an exciting challenge and amazing aspiration.”

The London office currently houses more than 120 employees covering marketing, HR, IT, facilities, finance and operations. Another 80 employees will join them in 2015 and more than 40 different functions will be located in the space.

Over the past few years, the Danish manufacturer has experienced massive commercial success and an unprecedented growth, more than quadrupling revenue in 10 years. During the first half of 2014, sales continued to grow double digit in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

In an interview with Toy World at the London launch, Lego UK’s vice president and general manager Fiona Wright explained that plans are in place to ensure that success continues into 2015.

“It’s been a great year, which was definitely helped along the way by The Lego Movie, but a lot of our core brands such as City, Star Wars and Duplo are performing really well,” she said.

“We feel really confident about 2015; we’ve got a lot of very positive momentum. If you look at sales on a weekly basis, we are continually in double digit growth. We’ve got some fantastic products, some great marketing activity and some great film tie-ups. We feel we’re in a really strong position.”

When asked how Lego keeps itself relevant today, Fiona explained that the company keeps track of “where the kids are” and meets them there.

She said: “We develop a quality product with really relevant themes – Star Wars, Super Heroes and The Lego Movie are examples of this. We constantly keep relevant with the kids of today

Toy World 44

and 70% of our products are new. It’s our newness, relevance and the way we market our products so that kids know about them that keeps us fresh. We always try to be different and reach the kids where they are, and our constant creativity sparks the imagination of both parents and children.”

Speaking about the new London location, Fiona says that now is the right time to open a base in the UK’s capital because globalisation is a core focus for the company’s future.

“In order to be global you need to attract talent from all around the world,” she adds. “London is one of the best places in Europe to locate in order to get the best talent.”

She believes that the ‘activity-based learning’ concept is appropriate for Lego’s team because it offers a creative, inspiring environment.

“The company is constantly innovating, not just in the product but also in the way we work,” she says. “The focus of the future is in collaboration and this way of working will really help facilitate that. It’s a great opportunity to try something different and it’s very exciting.”

Fiona was also keen to share her favourite Lego product – the Creator Camper Van. “I love the outdoors, the fresh air and have always wanted one. I haven’t got one but I have got the Lego version! It signifies freedom and opportunity to me,” she explained.

viewpoint Toy World shares insight and opinion too many messages across in a 20” ad will confuse the audience. It’s better to create two ads with different messages if you can; it doesn’t need to cost twice as much.

Dan Salem Prism Media Production

Recipe for success

For most, it’s already been a frantic start to the New Year with Hong Kong and now London Toy fair plans in full effect. And it seems like it is going to be another Disney year with Star Wars looking to take toys into outer space in 2015.

For those without a licence, it going to be a year when standing out from the crowd is going to be more important than ever. And while many distributors will still use their supplied copies of 10 & 20 second TV ads in the run up to Xmas as the basis of their marketing spend, there are many more options to consider.

It’s a bit like The Great British Bake Off: there are lots of different ways of delivering the same thing, but some combinations can be more successful than others. So I thought I’d provide a few hints and tips to ensure you get a good rise from your bake this year.

When it comes to ingredients, creativity is important, and it can be all too easy to forget when budgets and timings are tight. However, some key things to remember when planning creative are: Be Single minded in your messaging: Trying to get

David Ripley COO of Winning Moves

Onwards and upwards

In kids’ airtime, your audience is kids: They don’t care about the benefits of products, they want to see the ‘wow factor’, or the laugh. Humour doesn’t even need to relate to the toy if it’s in context; custard in pants, farting and burping will always work.

For pre-school children: Big and bright visuals with catchy music will appeal to the children, while emotional benefits messaging will appeal to the mum. Always show kids genuinely having fun.

Media planning is a whole different ball game, but the most important thing to remember is how you interact with the media you are using to maximize its effectiveness. While there are many media opportunities, just because you can doesn’t always mean you should. I have outlined a few considerations below, covering most of the platforms you’ll be considering over the coming year: Facebook (use as a mum support platform): Keep it simple - provide ‘how to’ tips and guides or prizes.

Let the conversation be about the content you are delivering. It’s all too easy to turn into a customer services public complaints forum, and that’s where social media is not so helpful.

Twitter: Tweet when you have something to say, and provide rewards for retweets. Don’t tweet just because it’s the weekend.

Instagram: Product catalogue shots are not exciting, but telling a story with pictures can be. Products in

Congratulations if you are reading this column with your faculties intact, you survived Christmas.

Retail is becoming a large complex game of RISK, with ever more combative methods being utilised across the multitude of shopping channels and marketing mediums, used by retailers to search for and engage with the lesser spotted shopper.

The battle for the unofficial best Christmas TV advert is now measured more objectively via the number of You-Tube views and likes the range of high profile seasonal ads rack up. I think at the time of going to print John Lewis was ahead overall from the retail sector, but my personal Christmas favourite was the Freeview advert featuring used Toys donated to a jumble sale featuring the Foreigner smash hit ‘I want to know what love is’ – Genius.

January can be a depressing period post the

Toy World 46

unusual locations, or products used by celebrities will be shared and commented on.

On-line web-sites: Use TV media owner websites to integrate content and competitions communicated through TV. Selectively use the best commercial web-sites with engaging content to support key promotional periods.

Use mums sites for pre-school products, where they are looking for support and positive word of mouth from other parents. Positive reviews will have more than just a short- term effect.

TV: TV is still the best mass media platform for kids, it’s what creates word of mouth and playground buzz, so reach the largest audience you can for the best chance of success within your chosen target market.

TV on demand: It’s growing in popularity with kids, but as a selective medium: it’s important to give kids more than just an interruptive ad experience, offer them something that is more engaging and reward them for being selective.

Tablet/Mobile: Two thirds of on-line traffic is now via mobile and tablet, but you have to tell consumers it’s there. Beyond responsive web-content, apps can be a great promotional tool to enhance a brand experience. Apps are also pretty cheap to create now, but make sure you keep some budget to tell kids where and when they can download them.

I’m no Mary Berry, but I hope the above serves as a simple reminder for some of the considerations and methods to deliver a recipe for success. If you were to boil it down to three ingredients, they would be consumer, content and context. If you can combine the three elements together correctly, you should have a great marketing year.

adrenaline induced Christmas trading period, with sales hitting the slowest period of the year. It does not matter how you are involved in the industry - sales in the final month of the year should get the blood pumping – buying, supplier, store retailing, manufacturing or online trading – I have been fortunate enough to experience all five aspects and they are all equally exciting in their own way.

The only upside to January is the immediate restarting of the treadmill-like planning cycle for the forthcoming Christmas, with toy fairs, buying trips and key product launch announcements in abundance.

In a little over 6 months an array of PR releases will attempt to once again predict the top selling toys once again.

John Baulch Publisher

2014 – A return to form

2014 proved to be a highly successful year for many in the global toy community. It was the year when just about all of the major European territories saw above inflation increases for the first time in five years, and even the lowest performing market (Spain) was flat rather than in decline. Providing December sales matched up to expectations, the UK should have achieved an increase of around 4%, bringing annual sales to over £3billion for the first time. This positive performance is most welcome after a prolonged period of stagnation for the trade.

So what was behind the increases? In short, a perfect storm of improving economic conditions coupled with some hot new products. Although the UK has by no means fully shaken off the burden of austerity, there has at least been some discernible improvement in consumer confidence. But it was the products which essentially drove the rise in sales.

Although many toy sectors performed well in 2014, there were a number of stand-out performers: Lego - Fuelled by the success of the Lego Movie, Lego enjoyed a triumphant year. Movies based on toys have sometimes been criticised for being trite and little more than adverts for the toys they are based on, but

Jim Hawker co-founder of Threepipe PR and digital marketing agency.

Time to experiment and drive innovation in your 2015 marketing plans

I have spent most of my time in the build up to 2015 locked into review and planning meetings with clients chatting about 2015. This may seem at odds and slightly out of sync with the toy industry which works much further ahead in terms of product lifecycles than most other industries. Nevertheless I thought it would be worth sharing some of the major trends that we see happening over the next 12 months, which may already be in your planning for the year. Unsurprisingly, most predicted trends are being driven by adopting greater use of technology. Indeed, it won’t be long before Chief

the Lego Movie was completely different: smart, funny, knowing, not afraid to send itself up, it was a critical and commercial smash, appealing to both children and their parents. Stellar toy sales followed, and in the UK, the construction toy category is now worth more than the action figure and vehicles categories put together.

Loom Bands - A successful craze is hugely valuable to the toy trade, and in Loom Bands we saw the most popular craze the industry has enjoyed for some time.

Spring and summer saw Loom Bands sweep the board at retail, generating levels of profit which were all the more amazing for such a low-cost item. Somewhat inevitably, the craze burned out quickly, but during the six month period when it was hot, a truly immense volume of product was sold.

World Cup Merchandise – The football World Cup traditionally produces strong sales, but the 2014 event seemed to surpass expectations. In June, World Cup merchandise accounted for a quarter of all unit sales in the UK, driven mainly by Panini stickers.

Frozen – A strong licence is as, if not more, valuable than a successful craze to the toy market. Frozen is quite possible the strongest licence the industry has ever seen, all the more remarkable when you consider that Disney had absolutely no idea how popular it would be before the release of the movie. Despite Disney being oblivious to the film’s undoubted charms, consumers certainly weren’t: it was classic Disney, with great characters, beautiful animation and a wonderful soundtrack. A year after the film’s release, merchandise is still in short supply, which is almost unheard of in licensing circles. I have little doubt it will continue to be hugely successful for years to come.

Honorary mention should also go to Minecraft, which has enjoyed a fantastic year, and wearable technology (such as VTech’s Kidizoom Smart Watch and LeapFrog’s LeapBand), a category which illustrates

Marketing Officers become more like Chief Technology Officers.

Depending upon your product mix, you may feel that your demand is driven primarily by pester power and that the best way for you to reach your target market will primarily be through TV. However, mum is still the main purchaser of toys and mums are the most digitally connected of any other audience group. Not to have a relationship with the key purchaser is a risky strategy indeed. You need to find a way of building and executing an effective social media strategy that connects with mums, which you can afford and which is agile enough to respond to new opportunities. This does not mean simply building a Facebook or Twitter presence but means taking a step back and looking where conversations are happening about your brands and competitors before forming the appropriate strategy. I know many toy brands which can’t afford an ‘always on’ social media strategy. That is fine, they just need a more agile strategy, which often is the more effective and impactful.

In 2015, brands will become bigger publishers of their own content and less reliant on third party media to talk to their customers. Some brands are doing this very well, whether that’s Redbull or even Lego to some extent. These brands have realised that there is an opportunity to take money away from traditional channels and build deeper engagement themselves with their target consumers. Developing impactful branded content should not be limited to product launches or campaigns but to as part of an ongoing SEO

Toy World 48

how well the toy trade appropriates the latest trends from the technology sector and turns them into hugely successful toys.

2014 was also the year when acquisitions by major toy companies were back on the agenda. Mattel’s acquisition of Mega Brands for a cool $460m was a throwback to the heady days of the eighties and nineties, when the global giants of the toy world predominantly grew through takeovers and mergers of rival toy companies. Several months later Vivid Imaginations finalised a deal to merge the UK’s leading games company Drumond Park into its operation, continuing the trend of the big getting bigger.

Elsewhere, the usual toy market challenges remain: for suppliers, maintaining profitability against a backdrop of rising manufacturing costs and the reluctance of retailers to accept price rises continues.

Far East production capacity issues and manufacturing lead times exacerbate the situation.

For retailers, the battle between bricks and mortar retailers and online retail operations has been as fierce as ever. Discount retailers have continued to grow, a development which is having significant impact on a number of retail channels - especially the grocery sector – and quite possibly changing consumer perception on pricing for ever.

Looking ahead to 2015, the falling oil price offers brief respite, but the growth of the domestic Chinese market will almost certainly place even further strain on the Far Eastern manufacturing situation. But perhaps the largest single factor which will affect the toy market is the return of consumer confidence: the feeling of optimism may be fragile, but there is a genuine belief that it is slowly but surely returning.

Intangible it may be, but it is crucial to the success of the toy market: the toy community is undoubtedly one which thrives on positivity.

strategy. Google will love you for it and you will reap the commercial benefit.

Having an effective mobile strategy will continue to be vital in the discovery of your products. This starts from ensuring that any consumer facing site is responsive to mobile, to working with retailers to develop localised footfall driving campaigns and immersive packaging. Consumers will be accessing more online sites through mobiles than tablets in 2015 and these devices become a powerful way of creating tailored one to one campaigns rather than simply broadcasting to many through more traditional comms channels.

The importance of building customer loyalty and turning customers into advocates for your brands becomes crucial in a highly competitive market like the toy industry. Building an effective CRM strategy will allow you to create personalised communications and drive more value from existing customers. Knowing how to integrate your CRM strategy with your social media strategy will also become more important and knowing the roles of both of approaches will be key to success.

Whatever marketing channels you choose to adopt or invest in throughout 2015, it makes sense to allocate some budget to trial new things. A lot of these new channels have already been explored before and there are plenty of lessons that have been shared from other brands in different industries. Sometimes the toy industry doesn’t look outside enough and learn from other brands that have similar challenges. Learn from these and start experimenting. Good luck in 2015.

Feature

Nuremberg 2015

Spielwarenmesse reveals the trends for 2015 in its TrendGallery Toy World spoke to show organiser Ernst Kick, Spielwarenmesse eG, about this year’s event

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rends and new products are the icing on the cake of any fair – and that’s especially true of the Spielwarenmesse. But why do trends develop in the first place?

This is the question that the Spielwarenmesse investigates with its TrendGallery, which showcases the latest developments in the toy industry.

An international TrendCommittee researches toy trends around the world. For the Spielwarenmesse 2015, the trend scouts have identified the three trends of Little Scientists, Express Yourself and Beyond Reality.

Little Scientists The abbreviation MINT stands for mathematics, information technology, natural sciences and technology – subjects that used to be unpopular with many students. But what was once boring is today’s hot trend. In particular, toys that bring scientific phenomena alive so that they can be experienced and understood are currently very popular with children.

Parents are becoming ever keener on toys that promote logical and analytical thinking and explain technical relationships. What is particularly important for them is that children are exposed to the natural sciences in a fun way – especially since they can potentially form the basis of a future career. The toy industry has recognized this trend and has developed new products that promote and support knowledge and skills in the MINT subjects.

Express Yourself Every day, children discover things that arouse their curiosity. In order to satisfy this curiosity, they are constantly experimenting: whether singing, drawing, cooking, crafting, cooking or programming, children are guided by their desire to create things. Express Yourself describes the processes of self-discovery and self-realization through creativity. It is parents in particular who wish to encourage the ingenuity of their charges and prefer toys that train creative skills and allow for individual design opportunities.

Beyond Reality It is no coincidence that more and more trends of the entertainment and electronics sector are currently cropping up in the toy industry. On various screens, for example, two-dimensional drawings suddenly transform themselves into three-dimensional objects, while clothing and accessories also fulfil digital functions thanks to their special technical components. Many children are fascinated by toys that are controlled solely by the smallest gestures and body motion. The new 3D printer has opened up new opportunities in the toy industry, made possible for the first time by this cutting edge technology.

Visitors will find all three trends at Spielwarenmesse’s TrendGallery in Hall 3A. The special area - over 1,000 m² in size - will present the trends as well as the new products linked to them.

Spielwarenmesse eG works with an international TrendCommittee, which reports on the latest industry trends from all around the world. The nine-member TrendCommittee of Spielwarenmesse 2015 includes the following: • John Baulch (Publisher, Toy World Magazine, UK) • Daniele Caroli (Journalist, Giochi & Giocattoli, Italy) • Dr Maria Costa (Market Researcher, Toy Research Institute, Spain) • Axel Dammler (Market Researcher, iconkids & youth international research GmbH, Germany) • Richa Dikshit (Blogger, Toy Tasting, India) • Philippe Guinaudeau (Market Researcher, Kidz Global, France/Hong Kong) • Marek Jankowski (Journalist, Branza Dziecięca, Poland) • Gabriela Kaiser (Trend Consultant, TRENDagentur, Germany) • Reyne Rice (Journalist and Trend Expert, USA) Over the next few pages we bring you details of some of the new ranges which will be unveiled at the show which we didn’t feature in the December preview.

Toy World 50

TW: How is the show shaping up for 2015?

EK: Our preparations are on the home straight. The exhibitors have their sights set firmly on Nuremberg, the number of applications for the ToyAward is on the rise, the trend committee has gathered the latest trends, and we are looking forward to welcoming toy professionals from all over the world to Spielwarenmesse.

TW: What are your aims for this year’s event?

EK: Our aim is to provide the best show for manufacturers and traders. Each participant shall leave Spielwarenmesse 2015 with the feeling that the year ahead is filled with great chances of success.

TW: Do you have any notable new exhibitors this year?

EK: Our product group of Fashionable and trendy articles is going to be presented in a single dedicated area in 2015 and attracts new exhibitors. For the first time companies such as Samsonite GmbH, the leading brand for luggage, and the Italian fashion brand Perletti S.p.a. will exhibit their kids’ collections at the Spielwarenmesse.

TW: Are there any specific events planned for the show that visitors should be aware of?

EK: We recommend visiting the TrendGallery for a trend update and the Toy Business Forum for new marketing ideas, both in hall 3A. There are many more events to join listed in our calendar www.spielwarenmesse. de/en/calendar and information on special themes in our Spielwarenmesse App www.spielwarenmesse.de/special/ spielwarenmesse-app.

HotWheels (Ang)-240x315_Mise en page 1 12/12/2014 17:43 Page1

Nuremberg 2015

Mattel

Hall 12.2 Stand P-15 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com In 2015 Barbie will join the ranks of the superheroes and celebrate girl empowerment with the release of a new feature film, Barbie in Princess Power. A toy range will include the Superhero to Princess lead doll who transforms from Princess Kara to Super Sparkle.

Barbie will have a fresh new look to engage older fans, with the spring launch of new creative hair-play and fashion products including the Barbie Rainbow Makeover Doll. Barbie’s popular pet play also expands with the Barbie Colour Me Cute doll, while Barbie fairytale continues with new additions to the range including the Mix and Match Fairytale Assortment and Bubble-tastic Mermaid.

Monster High continues its brand campaign We Are Monster High with a new range as characters participate in a Monster Exchange program. 2015 will also see a Haunted TV Special and a musical spectacular in the autumn, both supported with new characters and products.

Ever After High kicks off 2015 with a fresh brand communication introducing fans to new Royal and Rebel characters. New content will be broadcast on Netflix including Spring Unsprung, all supported with a doll collection.

2015 sees the exciting unveiling of new craft range Ami Gami. The new addition to the girl’s portfolio starts with the Ami Gami Figure Assortment which features animal assortments for girls to make.

The Disney Princess partnership continues with the Frozen range of dolls and playsets including the Frozen Singing Elsa Doll, the Frozen Summer Singin’ Olaf, and colour change Anna and Elsa, whose crowns and dresses magically transform Fisher-Price launches new Rainforest Friends, SpaceSaver Jumperoo and Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym and sees the introduction of bath toys including Stackin’ Tub Time Boat and Hippo Bath toy. Thee are additions to the musical toys segment, while the Laugh & Learn range launches new products featuring Smart Stages technology, such as new Puppy & Puppy’s Sis. The FisherPrice Little People characters range is set to expand in 2015 and will be complemented by the playsets.

The Fisher-Price licensed portfolio will celebrate Thomas & Friends’ 70th anniversary in 2015, with exciting new launches including new Pop & Go Thomas in the My First Thomas collection and new additions to the Take-n-Play and TrackMaster ranges, the Rattling Railsss and Breakaway Bridge playsets. Disney license collections Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Minnie Mouse and Jake and the Never Land Pirates also feature new products, while the Octonauts range will see new talking Gups and expansion of the Speeders. Two highly

anticipated new additions in the summer will be Dora & Friends and Bing Bunny ranges.

Imaginext unveils new launches in the DC Super Friends range including the Hall of Doom in spring. The ongoing success of the Batcave builds momentum for a new launch later in the year.

BOOMco will exhibit a range of blasters, darts, shields and targets featuring Smart Stick technology. New for 2015 are the Power Slam and Railstinger blasters.

Wheels will be celebrating the launch of the Star Wars Episode VII film with a range including 64 Character Cars to collect and a Death Star Track Set. Following the launch of the Track Builder range, the Track Builder Starter Set and Performance Track Set, along with the core die cast cars will be available.

Disney Pixar’s Cars sees new assortments for 2015 including the Story Set Launcher and System Playset, as well as the Mack Truck Playset, while Planes; Fire and Rescue also introduces new ranges. Toy Story products include Large Scale Basic Buzz and the Battlesaurs range, based on the new TV movie; Toy Story That Time Forgot.

Wrestling favourite WWE continues its Super Strikers range including a figure assortment to deliver signature moves, as well as the launch of Dual Force allowing kids to re-recreate the action.

Mattel Games sees the launch of Minecraft with a range of single figure blind bags and a three figure assortment, plus the Enchanted Sword. New additions to Scrabble include Scrabble Plus and a new updated version of Travel Scrabble, whilst UNO launches Dare.

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Nuremberg 2015

Mega Brands

Hall 12.2 | Stand P15 01844 350 033 | www.megabloks.com/en-gb/ AAW 2015 is set to be a big season for Mega Bloks, as it continues to build upon successful ranges, including the award-winning preschool construction line Mega Bloks First Builders. New products include the Block Picking Wagon, filled with blocks, for classic play or fun and easy clean-up.

Next year the Thomas and Friends brand celebrates its 70th anniversary. To mark the special occasion, Mega Bloks will be launching a Sodor’s Celebrations themed set featuring an exclusive new buildable Thomas engine, adorned with birthday hat. In addition there will be new characters and movie related product introduced to the range.

To complement the new Dora and Friends TV series that sees a grown up Dora living in the city, Mega Bloks is launching a new range with friendly characters, buildable locations and post building play features.

Six playsets and eight mini monster figures make up the all-new Mega Bloks Monster High line. Girls aged six and above can build and create Monster High characters that feature full articulation. It includes fashion styles, accessories, and secret reveals hidden in the sets which include the Monster Moviemobile, the Graveyard Garden Party, and the Draculaura Vamptastic Room.

Mega Bloks will be launching its own IP brand for girls: The Craftails which

allow girls aged five and above to combine easy building and mess free crafts to create a personalised world. The range features collectable animal figurines with furry tails that accompany every customisable playset.

The company will be building upon its Barbie range with new easy to build themes, including careers, pets and entertainment.

The all-new Mega Bloks Despicable Me line is inspired by the franchise’s new movie, iconic characters, locations and vehicles. The line will feature easy-tobuild and fully customisable construction sets with mix-and-match capabilities, such as interchangeable accessories. Buildable Minions will be different to each set for a wide variety of Minions to collect, build and play with.

Mega Bloks SpongeBob SquarePants will continue to focus on highly detailed buildable collectible figures and features, in underwater themed vehicles and locations. Collectability is enhanced with never-before-seen character variations.

This year, for the first time, the popular Mega Bloks Hot Wheels line will incorporate real Hot Wheels track pieces into its playsets. Mega Bloks cars have always been based on Hot Wheels vehicles, but for AW 15, sets will include allnew original Mega Bloks designs and new drivers.

Maps Toys

Hall 12, Stand A-04-2 01483 776 006 | www.mapstoys.com Maps Toys continues to add new lines to its existing portfolio which will be launched for the first time at the show. Their most recent distribution deal is with Creative Concepts in the US and will see the introduction of the Balanstix game. This concept is a game of skill for children aged 8+ which involves balancing a pole on the palm of a hand or even finger tip, and adding as many Balanstix as possible.

The Ringstix will also test the whole family’s agility. It is a summer product that is lightweight, easy to transport and can be played anywhere. Maps Toys has brought many construction toys to the European market and its latest product is Ogobild. The Ogobild Pod allows kids to build large lightweight structures.

Maps Toys will also launch an own-brand range in 2015. A new creative kit of Pop Badges will be introduced for Spring/Summer and kids will love colouring and creating their own badges. The Pop Badges don’t contain any pins or fastening and are safe for children.

Radz is a brand new pocket money character candy range with an online app which will let users collect every one for trading.

New for the UK from the creators of Cool Circuits are the Science Wiz science kits.

The range includes a kit to teach the basics of sound by building a working Edison phonograph and a charge (Van de Graaff generator). The pieces of kit also include chemistry, physics, energy and light experiments which are aligned to the national curriculum.

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Spielwarenmesse

International Toy Fair ..

Nurnberg

28.01-2.02.2015 TREFL SA Hall 10.1 / Stand F-34 www.trefl.com

Nuremberg 2015

Hauck

Hall 2 Stand B-03 C-04 07770 608 858 | www.hauck-toys.com Hauck launches its new i’coo Pacific Duo Pram and Stroller Combo. The i’coo Pacific Duo builds on the success of the i’coo 6 in 1 Grow With Me Dolls Play Set. By undoing two press studs the i’coo Pacific Duo converts from a twin dolls pram into a twin stroller - both with a reversible body. With its adjustable handle height it is ideal for a wide age range and it folds flat too for easy storage and transportation. Even the wheels can be removed and re-fitted without tools. The i’coo Pacific Duo comes in a range of colourful fabrics.

Magic Box

Hall 10.1 Stand F08 +34 935-528542 | www.magicboxint.com Magic Box Int will be showcasing the brand new third series of pocket money collectable Zomlings. Each series of Zomlings includes products priced at 50p, £1 and £2 and in the run up to Christmas, Magic Box Int expanded the range with new Magic Trick Hotels priced at £3.50, Blister Packs at £4.99 and Tins at £4.99.

Zomlings Series 3, which launches in the UK in February 2015, will introduce a number of brand new features. The most significant new element will be Zomlings Ghost Trains. The trains will replace the £1 Tower packs from series 1 and 2. There will be a variety of different coloured train engines and carriages to collect, and even rare Gold Trains to find.

Series 3 will also introduce a brand new design for the Zomlings Houses. The Houses will be bigger and bolder than the equivalent versions from series 1 and 2, but the retail price will remain unaltered at £2.

Zomlings was one of the highest TV advertised kids toys during 2014 and this effort will be maintained by Magic Box during February and March 2015.

Worlds Apart

Hall 7 Stand C-21 0800 389 8591 www.worldsapart.com Worlds Apart will be displaying its fresh new look and family of brands. The suite of ranges covers numerous categories, ranging from role play, active play and lighting to travel and furniture.

Working closely with licence partners, Worlds Apart collaborates on product development to put the best-loved characters at the heart of its range, and always ensures licence is creatively integrated within its product features. For 2015, hot new licences will include Frozen, Minions and Star Wars.

During Nuremberg, GetGo, a dynamic active play range that is harnessing a considerable amount of new patent work, will be on show. With convenience at its heart, the new Pop Away system and Űgo Play Tent are key innovations for 2015. The Pop Away system ensures the GetGo pop up tents and tunnels are just as easy to put away. The Űgo Play Tent has a twist up and away system and will be launched with both GetGo own-brand and Frozen, Disney Princess and Cars licensed options.

In addition, the new generation of DreamTown will be previewed during the show. DreamTown will be updated for 2015, launching with a restyled Rose Petal Cottage and updated features built into the product design. Since its introduction in 2007, the power of peer-to-peer recommendations has rocketed due to the rapid growth of social media, and in 2015 DreamTown is hoping to harness this further.

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Nuremberg 2015

Trefl

Leapfrog

Hall 10.1 Stand F-34

Hall 12.2 Stand P-19 01895 202 840 | www.leapfrog.com Following a successful 2014 and looking ahead to its 20th anniversary year, multi award-winning educational toy brand, LeapFrog, is set to make its mark at the 2015 Nuremberg Toy Fair with the unveiling of its permanent stand.

The brand new stand at the International Toy Fair cements LeapFrog’s place amongst fellow brands with an all year round showcase of its latest innovations and learning solutions.

2014 saw two new additions to LeapFrog’s award-winning line of LeapPad tablets, as well as a move into new territories with the launch of LeapBand, the first wearable kids activity tracker, and LeapTV, the first video games console designed specifically for young children.

Trefl is a manufacturer of jigsaw puzzles, board games and playing cards based in Poland. The company was established in 1985 and presently runs two factories and employs over 500 people. Its products are delivered to more than 50 countries worldwide with products based on most popular objects and places.

The company also has most of the major character licences in Poland, including favourites from Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros, Hasbro and Mattel.

Trefl uses the highest quality board and produces pictures to a high standard on all puzzles. All these factors make the company one of the leading manufacturers of jigsaw puzzles in Central Europe.

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Show preview

Bobbing for toys in the Big Apple The Toy Industry Association’s Kristin Morency Goldman provides insight into this year’s North American International Toy Fair.

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his February, hundreds of thousands of the world’s most innovative children’s playthings will fill the vast aisles of the North American International Toy Fair, being held in New York City for the 112th year.

The largest toy and youth entertainment product marketplace in the Western Hemisphere will take place between Saturday 14th February and Tuesday 17th February and will feature a record-breaking 38,000+ net square meters of exhibit space filled with brandnew children’s products from exhibitors across the globe, as well as nearly 10,000 buyers from some of the world’s leading retail outlets. Toy Fair 2014 saw an 11% surge in international buyers, an 8% rise in exhibitors and a 5% increase in total attendance, bringing the number of visitors to nearly 27,000.

The Toy Fair playground has something for everyone, including family board games, tech toys, outdoor ride-ons, educational playthings, plush, craft kits and everything in between. The marketplace is bursting with hands-on fun, with many exhibitors allowing buyers to test their latest product lines on the show floor.

“Year after year, visitors say they spot more trends and creative, cutting-edge products at Toy Fair than at any other toy show in the world,” says Marian Bossard, vice president of meetings and events at the U.S. Toy Industry Association (TIA), owner and operator of Toy Fair. “It’s no wonder that the number of domestic and international participants continues to grow, as play

professionals look to gain an edge in both the U.S. and global toy market.”

To help retailers, press and other visitors hone in on what’s expected to be hot this coming year, TIA will unveil its official list of 2015 toy trends and product examples during a presentation on 15th February, free for all show attendees. This year’s trends are expected to have a strong emphasis on toys that promote childdriven creativity and support the healthy development of lifelong cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills. More information on this session will be available in the coming weeks at www.ToyFairNY.com.

Boost your business savvy Toy Fair attendees don’t just get to see innovative new products — they enjoy ample opportunities to learn innovative solutions to their evolving business needs.

Independent Thinking, a free series specifically tailored to independent and specialty retailers, will include two sessions this year: 20/20 Ads: Improve Your Average Daily Sale up to 20% in 20 Days, and Customer Service is Not Enough.

Other complementary educational offerings include Creative Factor, a series that provides information specifically of interest to toy inventors and designers, as well as TIA’s Toy Safety Compliance Update, which brings attendees up to speed on toy safety standards, laws and compliance requirements in the United States and abroad.

TIA’s Licensing Content Connection will once again offer education geared toward licensors, licensees,

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brand owners and entertainment executives. As part of the program, a Licensing 101 session will be presented by Advanstar, organizers of Licensing Expo.

Speakers from the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) will offer insight into using licences creatively in an independent environment, and how to strategically use licences to build your business.

Experience Toy Fair 24/7 Participants can get a jump-start on their Toy Fair experience even before the doors open with ShopToyFair365.com (STF365), a B2B e-commerce platform that is free for all buyers and exhibitors registered for the show.

The tool was designed to streamline the discovery, communication and purchase process for both buyers and sellers: it lets toy companies create virtual product showrooms at no cost, which retailers can browse online or from a mobile device to spot product of interest and submit purchase orders directly — day or night, and without any transaction fees. Similar to social media platforms, STF365 also lets buyers and sellers exchange private message directly; plus, buyers can follow exhibiting companies to receive up-to-theminute updates, as well as comment on, share and like product images.

Book your trip For complete details on registering, exhibitor listings, educational seminars, hotel reservations, or to learn more about Toy Fair, visit www.ToyFairNY.com.

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Brand Profile

Living the Dream Nick Cooke, Director of Hardlines at DreamWorks Animation UK, takes us through the progress the team has made over the past year, and what to look out for throughout 2015.

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aving been at the company for almost a year, it’s clear to me that the Consumer Products business for DreamWorks Animation UK has transformed significantly. It’s now a direct licensing business in the UK, the team has been fully recruited, and we’ve enjoyed great success in signing up a wide range of portfolio licensees.

We’ve also had the fortune of having had the number one animated film of the year, How to Train your Dragon 2, which took over

$615m at the global box office, way ahead of the number two film, The Lego Movie, which took $468m.

The success of Dragon 2 has enabled us to work with our licensee partners to create a wide a range of products. So much so that, in recent NPD research, Dragons was the second biggest new property in the action figures super-category (2014 Year to date). We’ll be looking to increase the Dragons range massively throughout 2015.

As well as building licensing programmes for our forthcoming movie properties, Home and BOO, we’ll also look to maximize the enduring popularity of our evergreen franchises: Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.

In recent research conducted in the UK, Shrek was the character with the second highest awareness score – perhaps all the more surprising when you consider that the last Shrek film was five years ago.

Rounding out our focus for 2015 and beyond, we will also be looking to expand licensing for the newly acquired Classic Media properties (now known as DreamWorks Classics), especially Felix the Cat, Where’s Wally?, Noddy and Postman Pat. Here is further insight into DreamWorks’ key properties for 2015: Home When Earth is taken over by the overly-confident Boov, an alien race in search of a new place to call home, all humans are promptly relocated. While the Boov get busy reorganizing the planet, one resourceful girl, Tip (Rihanna) manages to avoid capture and finds herself the accidental accomplice of a banished Boov named Oh (Jim Parsons). The two fugitives realise there’s a lot more at stake than intergalactic relations as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime.

UK release date: 20 March 2015.

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Nick Cooke Flair has created a great range of products which will really engage children with the Boov, especially the adorable Oh. Products reflect the colour changing nature of the Boov (who change colour based on their moods), as well as the musical nature of the film; Oh just loves to dance!!!

Home lends itself perfectly to other key categories too, especially apparel and accessories. To coincide with the DVD release of Home in summer 2015, a range of back to school products will also be developed.

That’s only the start: Netflix has committed to airing three seasons worth of content from 2016, so once people have fallen in love with the Boov in the movie, they’ll be able to share in their adventures on TV for a whole three years afterwards.

B.O.O. (Bureau of Otherwordly Operations) B.O.O. (Bureau of Otherworldly Operations) is the super classified agency you’ve never heard of and never seen. Dedicated to protecting humans from evil hauntings, the agents of B.O.O. have a secret weapon: they are ghosts themselves. When newbie agents Jackson Moss and his odd-ball partner Watts uncover a plot to destroy B.O.O., they must use every trick in their arsenal to defeat a powerful ghost army and save Earth from a ghostly fate.

Once you’ve seen the movie, the ghost hunting doesn’t stop there: three seasons of TV exposure is coming from Netflix, who are

Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 3 will be released in the UK early 2016. Po continues his now legendary adventures of awesomeness and must face two hugely epic, but very different threats.

Po has saved the world countless times, but none of that gas prepared him for his greatest challenge yet – pleasing 2 fathers.

Po reunites with his biological father (Bryan Cranston) and returns to his birthplace, yet soon realises he doesn’t fit in. There he meets the overly eager Mei Mei (Rebel Wilson), who has been promised in an arranged marriage to Po. Po must also battle an evil spirit called The Collector (Mads Mikkelsen), who is able to steal the powers of every Kung Fu Master he defeats – and his sights are set on Po. We are now at the stage of signing up a range of licensee partners, more news as these are confirmed.

the exclusive launch partner for B.O.O, so kids can continue to experience the world of B.O.O. for years to come.

B.O.O. really reinvigorates the ghost genre for kids, a genre that has been criminally overlooked in the current landscape of space, robot and superhero based properties.

Hasbro has developed a great toy range, reflecting the key attributes of goo and ghosts, which will allow children to act out ghost hunting in their own playtime.

Dragons Following the huge global box office hit of How to Train Your Dragon 2, series three of the Dragons TV show picks up right where the film left off, with Hiccup taking over as chieftain of Berk.

This new animated series of 26 episodes will start airing exclusively on Netflix from summer 2015, while seasons one and two, which have enjoyed great success on Cartoon Network and CBBC, will continue to air.

Season three focuses on exploration, with Toothless and Hiccup leading the gang to explore new lands beyond the frontiers of Berk, where they discover and battle new dragons, encounter new villains, become reacquainted with Vikings from their past, set up base camp on a new island and use an ancient artifact to unlock clues on where to head next.

Spin Master will expand its range to include the new Dragons, with products also reflecting the relationship between Dragons and their riders. Key lines will be TV advertised from spring 2015.

The great success Spin Master has enjoyed with the master toy range in 2014

will be replicated in other categories next year, especially apparel and accessories, homewares, publishing, stationery and dress up.

Where’s Wally?

Wally is a publishing phenomenon and pop culture icon. Introduced as a search and find book - Where’s Wally? - Wally is the ultimate intrigue, the character that people of all ages are drawn to find. Wally is always in search of the next adventure and has traveled from the Pyramids in Egypt to Ancient Rome to the red carpets of Hollywood and even Outer Space.

Where’s Wally? books have been published in 30 countries and translated into 38 languages. More than 61 Million books have been sold globally. This success has translated into strong sales in trend led categories, like apparel, accessories and gifting - which will increase in 2015.

Postman Pat Postman Pat delivers with his first-ever movie, TV series and new toys.

Postman Pat enjoys his work delivering the post to his neighbors in the village of Greendale. With his trusty sidekick, Jess, the black and white cat, and his bright red van (or more recently his helicopter, quad bike and 4x4 vehicle), Pat always makes his delivery.

Pat is the longest running animated series on the BBC. And that will only continue, with the BBC having committed to a 3rd season of Special Delivery Service, due to deliver in 2016.

Character Options will be expanding their already impressive toy range, and more apparel and other products will find their way to stores throughout 2015.

2015: A record breaking start to the year

Tom Linay, film specialist at Digital Cinema Media (DCM), looks ahead to the family movies launching in the first half of 2015.

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ith Disney’s excellent Big Hero 6 launching 2015’s family slate in spectacular style, it should herald the start of a recordbreaking year for big screen family content. Big Hero 6 is shortly followed by debut cinema outings for two hugely popular UK characters more often seen on the small screen. Aardman’s Shaun The Sheep Movie and Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots will be enchanting younger children during February half-term, while Big Hero 6 thrills the older ones.

Disney’s remarkable year continues in time for the Easter holidays in March, when their live action arm tackles one of the most enduring of all fairytales. Cinderella is a lavish re-telling of the classic story with a strong British pedigree.

Kenneth Branagh is behind the camera and Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter and Downton Abbey’s, Lily James, are part of a very classy ensemble in front of it. Also at Easter, Nickelodeon’s highest rated television show, SpongeBob Squarepants, makes the leap to the big screen for the second time in Sponge Out Of Water.

The hook this time is that SpongeBob, Patrick and friends are catapulted into a live-action world, where they encounter Antonio Banderas’ dastardly pirate, Burger-Beard. The other big Easter title is Dreamworks Animations’, Home, which features

The Minions Movie

the voice talent of Rihanna as Tip, who befriends an alien called Oh, whose species wants to take over the Earth.

Summer sees two huge franchises return and, had it been released in 2014, Avengers: Age Of Ultron would have been a safe bet for biggest title of the year. As it is, it will probably end up losing out to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and a certain Mr.Bond, but it’s still guaranteed to be huge.

All our favourite characters are back, including Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man/Tony Stark, who attempts to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, however when things go awry it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans. Director of the first film, Joss Whedon is held in the highest regard

by Marvel fans and he’s back for this second instalment, so box office success is assured. As always, merchandising opportunities will be myriad too.

Tomorrowland is one of those epic sci-fi films that may be relatively unknown at the moment but as we approach its May release, is all set to become big news. Like Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s based on an area at the Disneyland parks. It’s directed by two time Oscar winner Brad Bird, who’s proven time and again that he can make family films that appeal equally to adults, with The Incredibles, Ratatouille and The Iron Giant. Tomorrowland is the tale of a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor who embark

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on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.

Jurassic Park is one of the very best blockbusters there is and it’s been a while since the inferior sequels, so it’s time for another trip to Isla Nublar.

If the recent launch of the new trailer is anything to go by, the public are very much up for it too.

This new version is reportedly set 22 years after the events of the first film and Isla Nublar is now a fully functioning dinosaur theme park. After many years, Jurassic World’s attendance rates begin to decline and a new attraction, created to re-spark visitor interest, gravely backfires. Chris Pratt leads the terrific cast and after Guardians Of The Galaxy, his star couldn’t be higher. Dinosaurs are always popular with kids and Jurassic World is set to make them as big as ever.

Despicable Me 2 was the biggest film in the UK in 2013, grossing a huge £47m. Why? Because of the Minions. Everyone loves the Minions and they deservedly get their own film in June 2015. This isn’t a cheap spin-off either. Pierre Coffin who codirected both Despicable Me films is co-directing this one and Sandra Bullock has joined Steve Carell in the voice-cast. Additions don’t get much bigger than that and next year, animation won’t get much bigger than Minions.

For family titles there really is no let up, and the first half of the year is all set to get 2015 off to a record breaking start.

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Hot properties

The business magazine with a passion for toys

SUPER FRIENDS and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and Š DC Comics. (s14)

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Hotproperties

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haracter licensed toys account for around 25% of all the toys sold in the UK each year, so it’s important for suppliers and retailers to make the right choices when it comes to which properties to work with. Here at Toy World we offer year-round coverage of the licensing field in our Licensing World section, helping to keep potential licensees and retail partners up-to-date with the latest developments on the characters

and properties driving the market.

For the January edition, we like to go one better: Hot Properties is our exhaustive roundup of some of the main contenders in each of the key categories: Boys, Girls, Pre-school, Film, New Media and Classic. The feature focuses on some of the new properties aiming to establish themselves in the market, along with a selection of established, evergreen favourites which continue to perform year after year.

Rounding up the latest details on new

licensees, programming and scheduling, marketing initiatives and any other promotional activity being put behind the brands, we hope this section gives licensees and retailers the information to help them decide which properties they will be investing in and working with over the coming months.

Your comprehensive guide to the latest movers and shakers in the world of children’s licensing starts here….

Film 2015 is predicted to be one of the strongest children’s and family movies in a long while, culminating in the release of the new Star Wars movie in December. The inevitable secrecy surrounding the movie means we can divulge little information at this stage, but there are plenty of other great new releases for retailers to capitalise on in the meantime.

Shaun the Sheep

Paddington

Home

Shaun the Sheep The Movie hits screens on 6th February, supported with high level marketing campaigns throughout 2015.

In the UK the licensing programme continue to evolve with brand new items coming to the toy market in 2015, including the launch of a new range of plush toys and games from Rainbow Designs, Flockstars mini-figurines from Click Distribution, inflatable items from Kids@Play, pocket money toys from H.Grossman and Clay Buddies from Giromax. Other key category drivers include publishing ranges from Walker Books and Centum, apparel from Cooneen and Fashions UK, and bags and accessories from Trademark.

Further planned activity for the UK in 2015 includes Shaun in the City, which will showcase 120 giant sculptures of Shaun the Sheep decorated by celebrities and artists in a major public arts trail in London and Bristol, and a joint merchandise campaign with the Rugby World Cup which will be hosted in England in

September. This is being supported by a number of toy licensees including Rainbow Designs and Kids@Play, with further product launches across giftware, homewares, publishing and stationery.

The Paddington movie has enjoyed numerous five star ratings and made it to number one at the box office in its opening weekend. Paddington has been seen everywhere, from window displays including Selfridges (which also featured a special Paddington creative concept store) to promotions with Pizza Hut and on the packaging of Warburtons’ half and half range. He has travelled across the country with Parcel Force and First Great Western Trains and appeared as 50 celebrity designed trail bears at key London landmarks.

Paddington also took on the role of Ambassador for Great Britain as part of a campaign for VisitBritain across 25 different markets.

The DVD will be released in spring, supported by more high profile activity; branded windows,

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in-store events, promotions and competitions.

Backed by a huge media spend, it will be marketed across all platforms to include TV, outdoor, press, online and print.

Harper Collins will be printing four new books during spring, with further plans in development for autumn/winter. Paddington will also be appearing on new digital platforms worldwide, including a recently launched 3D messaging app in conjunction with Zoobe and a new children’s gaming app from Anuman.

From Easter, fan can visit key Paddington sites and landmarks in Paddington’s first ever London Tour through partner Brit Movie Tours.

New products launching internationally during 2015 include toys, kids apparel and accessories, educational games, back-to-school and high profile QSR promotions.

Premiering in March 2016, the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice film will see the

Hotproperties coming together of two of the world’s greatest super heroes and is the first of nine DC Comics film titles that will be launched between now and 2020.

Ongoing publicity will sustain interest up until the release date. The film offers numerous opportunities to promote the global merchandise programme featuring partners such as Mattel, Lego and Rubies.

The heritage and continued reinvention of the DC Comics franchise has ensured that Warner Bros.

Consumer Products continues to offer a diverse portfolio of entertainment from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice that will create a halo effect through to other media such as the award-winning Batman Arkham video game franchise. A number of new liveaction shows based on DC characters will continue to air in 2015, including Arrow based on Green Arrow, The Flash and Gotham.

DreamWorks Animations’ content slate for 2015 and 2016 comprises a mix of classic, established properties and vibrant new brands. Due to be released in March, Home is a key new release. Featuring the voice talents of Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons and pop start Rihanna, the movie sees earth taken over by an alien race called the Boov: a young girl evades capture and finds herself the accidental accomplice of a banished Boov named Oh. Flair has created a range of products which will really engage children with the Boov, especially the adorable Oh, while a range of back to school products will also be developed to coincide with the DVD release in summer. Netflix has committed to airing three seasons worth of content from 2016, so once people have fallen in love with the Boov in the movie, they’ll be able to share in their adventures on TV for three years afterwards.

B.O.O. is another new release, due to arrive towards the end of 2015. Dedicated to protecting humans from evil hauntings, the agents of B.O.O. are ghosts themselves.

B.O.O. reinvigorates the ghost genre for kids, with Hasbro as the master toy partner. Three seasons of TV exposure is coming from Netflix, who are the exclusive launch partner for B.O.O, so kids can continue to experience the world of B.O.O. for years to come.

Looking ahead to early 2016, Kung Fu Panda 3 will be released in the UK in February.

SpongeBob SquarePants has a brand new film release, SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge Out of Water, lined up for 20th March in the UK, as well as new episodes and specials due to air across the Nickelodeon network throughout the year. SpongeBob and all Bikini Bottom residents will also discover that ‘everything is better with friends’ in a yearlong multiplatform campaign exploring unique friendships under the sea.

The Minions made their debut in the Despicable Me movie in 2010, and 2015 sees the loveable yellow characters starring in their own movie. The film, which launches in the UK in June, will almost certainly be the biggest family movie of the summer months, and a large number of toy licensees will be releasing product to coincide with its release.

The year of the sheep

John Baulch spoke to Aardman Animations’ Rob Goodchild ahead of the launch of Shaun the Sheep movie in February, to find out what 2015 has in store for the brand.

TW: What are you hoping the launch of the movie will achieve for the Shaun the Sheep brand?

RG: Shaun is far more than just a movie licence. It’s on its 5th season on CBBC, so it’s a wellestablished classic brand. The fact Shaun has just won a Children’s BAFTA and topped the recent Radio Times poll to find the number one BBC children’s TV character of all time shows just how much kids and their parents love him. So we know there is great affection for the character and strong consumer demand for the product.

I think it’s fair to say that the brand has been slightly off the radar from a retail perspective over the past few years, but we believe that with the launch of the movie and all the marketing activity we have planned for 2015, we can re-establish the brand at retail on a long-term basis.

TW: What has been the initial reaction from retailers?

RG: I’m delighted to say that we’re getting good traction from retailers for 2015, particularly with the plush items from Rainbow Designs, and it’s encouraging that the majority of the majors are already on-board. The brand has always had a strong broadcast presence, and for 2015 we’re confident that it will have a retail presence to match that. We’ve put an extensive plan of retail promotions in place: hopefully we’ll get some good early reads when the movie launches in February, which will give retailers the confidence to build a strong presence in their stores throughout the year.

TW: Can you give us details of the promotional plans that you’ve put in place for 2015?

RG: The movie will be the launch pad for a raft of activity that will last for the whole of the year. The movie will be released on February 6th, followed by the DVD launch in the second half of the year.

We have also planned a host of marketing initiatives to support these release dates. The Wallace and Gromit trail worked extremely well for us last year, so we’ll be revisiting that idea with ‘Shaun in the City’, which will showcase 120 giant sculptures of Shaun which have been decorated by celebrities and artists. The trail will start in London in March, then move on to Bristol in the summer, hopefully raising a lot of money for the Wallace and Gromit Children’s charity in the process.

We’ve also agreed a fantastic joint merchandise campaign with the Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted in England in September. This promotion is being supported by a number of our toy licensees, including Kids @ Play and Rainbow Designs. To top it all off, we will have a brand new 30 minute special airing on BBC next Christmas, Shaun the Sheep - The Farmers Llamas. It’s the first-ever half hour film to be produced for the brand and we’re really excited about it.

TW: How important is it to have agreed a deal with Click to distribute a range of collectible figurines?

RG: We’re delighted to have secured such a great distribution partner. Retailers love Click: if they’re behind a property, I think retailers trust that it will be a success. It’s also great to have a competitively-priced, collectible range available to coincide with the launch of the movie. I’m sure it will be a real winner

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For licensing and retail opportunities, contact consumerproducts@nickelodeon.co.uk © 2015 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. SpongeBob SquarePants created by Stephen Hillenburg. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - © Viacom Overseas Holdings C.V. DINOSAUR TRAIN © The Jim Henson Company. All rights reserved. PAW PATROL © 2015 Spin Master. All Rights Reserved.

Hotproperties

Pre-school The Pre-school category remains the single most competitive category within children’s licensing. There are more options for licenses and retailers than can be found in any other sector, a reflection of the fondness for licensed merchandise shown by infant and pre-school children.

Ben and Holly

Master toy partner Character Options unveiled its brand new Ben and Holly toys in summer 2014 and sales have exceeded expectations. The positive consumer response is expected to lead to increased retail distribution and listings in 2015.

The range features new packaging based on eOne’s refreshed Ben and Holly branding and includes all the favourite characters as figurines and plush as well as a number of interconnecting playgrounds and hero product, the Ben and Holly Castle playset.

A second wave toy launch includes games, puzzles, electronic learning aids, role play and apparel/accessories which will roll-out from autumn/winter.

The new line of toys from Character Options launching later this year include a Ben and Holly Magic Class Playset, an Elf Tree and a Helicopter with Wise Old Elf. Four twin figure packs will also be launched as part of the range as will a five figure pack featuring Nanny Plum, King Thistle, Gaston, Holly with duster and Ben. Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom airs on Channel 5’s Milkshake and Nick Jr in the UK. A total of 34 licensees have been appointed to date. eOne has announced new themes for Peppa Pig in 2015. Working with master toy partner Character Options, the company has identified themes which are sure to resonate with Peppa fans. Two new toy ranges based on the themes Once Upon A Time and Holiday will hit retail in 2015.

Peppa Pig

DC Super Friends

eOne is supporting Peppa Pig’s Once Upon a Time line with marketing initiatives including educational resource packs for teachers and parents to inspire creative storytelling and imaginative role play. The initiative will be supported by the Peppa Book Club and a full digital and media campaign.

Character Options is running a heavyweight TV advertising campaign to support the ranges and both launches will be underpinned by significant retailer promotional plans.

Peppa Pig airs on Channel 5’s Milkshake! and Nick Jr in the UK. More than 90 licensees have been appointed to date.

rescue pups: Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma and Skye and their leader, 10-year-old Ryder, work together to protect the community of Adventure Bay. The series, a co-production with Spin Master Entertainment, focuses on teamwork and problem-solving and is currently the top property on Nick Jr. Season one consists of 52 episodes and Paw Patrol has been given the go-ahead for season two. Across all Paw Patrol transmissions in a week, the title reaches one million individuals and almost 400k children. Spin Master toys launched on 1st December and Amscan products will launch in March.

Dora the Explorer is set for her biggest adventure yet with the launch of the new series Dora and Friends: Into the City!

It sees an older Dora living in the city of Playa Verde, attending school alongside a group of friends that share her passion for exploring, adventures and helping out in the community. Armed with new accessories in the form of a magical charm bracelet and a trusted Map App, Dora invites pre-schoolers to join her in saving the day.

Dora and Friends was the best ever premiere launch on Nick Jr. Season one consists of 40 episodes and season two has already been green-lit.

Lily’s Driftwood Bay is based on an original idea and characters from artist Joanne Carmichael. Each episode features characters and environments completely created from objects found washed up on the beach which translate into an engaging and striking consumer product range.

Lily’s Driftwood Bay features the voice talents of Stephen Fry, Jane Horrocks, Ardal O’Hanlon, Richard Dormer and Annette Crosbie, amongst others.

Season 1 consists of 52 seven minute episodes. Since its broadcast launch in May more than 3.1 million viewers have tuned into the series. Nickelodeon will be developing a licensing programme for the property in 2015.

Following its US success, Paw Patrol’s much-awaited product range hits the UK. The property sees a team of six heroic

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Dinosaur Train continues its product roll out into 2015. A Nick Jr. animation

Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies Ltd / Entertainment One UK Ltd 2003.

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DreamWorks Home, How to Train Your Dragon 2, and Kung Fu Panda © 2014 DreamWorks Animation LLC. Where’s Waldo? © 2014 Classic Media Distribution Limited. Postman Pat © 2014 Woodland Animations Ltd. Original writer John Cunliffe. Lic. RMG Plc. All Rights Reserved.

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r character For more information on the wide range of products being developed for all these great properties, and more, contact: adam.reed@dreamworks.com | www.dreamworksanimation.com

Hotproperties

Thomas and Friends

Lily’s Driftwood Bay

Pip Ahoy!

from the Jim Henson Company, it is set in a prehistoric world of jungles, swamps, active volcanoes and oceans. Each episode sees Buddy, a curious and funny T-Rex, make a hypothesis and begin searching for the answers to his questions with the help of his mum, the conductor, and the new dinosaurs he meets.

Warner Bros. Creative Partnerships is building on the long-standing success of the DC Super Friends brand across all age groups by working with a host of licensing partners, including Fisher-Price.

Aimed squarely at pre-schoolers, the franchise is part of Fisher-Price’s Imaginext range, and introduces Batman, Superman and the rest of Super Friends to a young audience. It also includes new products from Fisher-Price’s Little People line, which targets children aged between one and four years for their first adventures.

Pip Ahoy! is currently airing on Channel 5’s Milkshake. It follows the adventures of a happy young pup called Pip and his best friend Alba the kitten around the seaside resort of Salty Cove. The series was created and produced by CHF Entertainment.

Since its launch in June, Pip Ahoy! has proved to be a great success, achieving popularity from a growing audience and airing on weekday mornings at the prime 7am timeslot. It was also recently confirmed that series one will be shown on Cartoonito from February.

Through its master licensing agent Lisle International, CHF Entertainment signed a partnership with John Adams Leisure in summer 2014 to be the master toy licensee for Pip Ahoy! The launch collection is being presented at Toy Fair and will be available at retail in June.

Pip Ahoy! is also due to launch a monthly

magazine which will include stories, puzzles and creative activities that follow the adventures of the lead character Pip in his home of Salty Cove.

Simon Pilkington, managing director of John Adams Leisure, commented: “It’s now the right time for us to take the next step as a master toy partner. Pip Ahoy! is already proving a big hit with the target audience and CHF offers us the perfect creative platform to introduce a host of new products based on this fantastic series.”

Launching in the UK in spring, the new 52 x 11’ Clangers series is a contemporary version of the iconic British television show, which first aired on the BBC in 1969.

The toy launch from Character Options is set for autumn/winter and the range includes a playset based on the world of Clangers, as well as figurines, plush, knitted figures and electronic toys.

Other licensees include Penguin, Immediate Media Co (magazine), MV Sports & Leisure Limited (wheeled toys), Rainbow Productions (costume characters), Ravensburger (puzzles and games) and Trade Mark Collections (children’s bags).

Mattel’s Thomas & Friends continues to prove popular with pre-school children and preparations are underway for the line’s 70th anniversary which sees the roll out of a global marketing campaign with the core brand value, friendship, at its heart. New packaging and style guides are also launching to support the theme.

The Thomas & Friends mini tentpole Dinos & Discoveries is out in the spring and the DVD feature-length special Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure launches in autumn. The special will include an extensive range of tie-in products such as

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toys, publishing and apparel. Series 19 will also launch in 2015 introducing all-new characters.

CBeebies TV show Alphablocks helps children learn to read. It is based on a discovery-based starter phonics system, developed from best-practice phonics teaching and structured around the Key Stage 1 curriculum.

The Alphablocks are 26 living letters who discover that whenever they hold hands and make a word, something magical happens.

The show is made by leading reading experts and based on best-practice phonics as taught in schools. The five colour-coded stages make it simple to find each child’s level and the episodes and activities that match.

Immediate Media launched the Alphablocks Reading Programme in August 2014. The magazines and resources introduce the 26 letters and their sounds, then letter teams and much more. Pearson Education produces 30 phonically decodable books, which are sold to schools.

Abbey Home Media has released five DVDs and Ravensburger launched an Alphablocks 24 piece Giant Floor Puzzle in December.

Alphablocks is now working together with Mookie & Seebo on a connected toy and Egmont will be launching a series of story and activity books in June. An app, Meet the Alphablocks, also launched on the iTunes store with another three due to be released soon.

Sesame Street’s first spinoff, The Furchester Hotel, is a new television series featuring characters such as Elmo and Cookie Monster, and introducing a closeknit family of monsters who run a hotel.

From the Creators of

CHICKEN RUN and WALLACE & GROMIT

‘’Shaun in the City’’ Art trail in London & Bristol (March-Sept 2015) Official merchandise partner for Rugby World Cup 2015 Brand new half hour special for Christmas on BBC1 Licensing@aardman.com +44 (0)117 984 8900 www.aardman.com/rights ©2015 AARDMAN ANIMATIONS LIMITED AND STUDIOCANAL SA. A STUDIOCANAL RELEASE

Hotproperties

Alphablocks

Co-produced by Sesame Workshop and CBeebies, the series promotes problem solving to children aged 3-6. A master toy line by Hasbro will begin rolling out from spring with a full category merchandise programme following later in the year.

A spring/summer line-up of products for the UK includes plush and figurines from Hasbro, story, activity, character and novelty publishing titles from Penguin, a dedicated magazine from Immediate Media and DVDs from Abbey Home Media. Additional categories will roll out in autumn and will include nightwear/ underwear from Aykroyds & TDP, daywear from Fashion UK, games and puzzles from Jumbo and bags from Posh Paws.

Postman Pat currently airs on CBBC and is the BBC’s longest running animated series.

A third series has been commissioned as well as a series of SDS for delivery in autumn/winter 2016.Postman Pat delivers the post to his neighbours in the village of Greendale with his trusty sidekick, Jess and his bright red van (or more recently his helicopter, quad bike and 4x4 vehicle).

Paw Patrol

Ludorum’s global pre-school property Chuggington is an action-packed animated train series. Series 5 is slated for broadcast globally in 2015. These high energy CGI episodes will emphasise engaging train play through heroic storytelling, train functionality and a vibrant train world. There will also be new characters and locations. Ludorum’s hero licensed toy range, Stack Track by Tomy, is a playset that can be built in multiple ways and all sets are compatible with each other.

Russian animation Masha and the Bear was picked up by Turner in the UK and began broadcasting in July 2014. As of November on Cartoonito, it ranks at number five for children aged 4-9, four for girls 4-9 and two for mums. The brand’s potential in the toy sector has already been realised by Simba Dickie, which recently signed a deal to develop a range that includes plush, construction, wooden toys, summer toys, wheeled toys and arts and crafts, with product set to launch from spring 2015. Also launching product in

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Dora the Explorer

the UK for 2015 will be Egmont, which has partnered with Masha and the Bear in the publishing category.

New licensees and a major charitable venture have enhanced the exposure of timeless story The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The tale has been bringing a steady stream of new signatories to the UK licensing programme, managed by Rocket Licensing. In 2014, the year in which The Very Hungry Caterpillar celebrated its 45th birthday, they included Sapona, East Coast Nursery, Egmont, VMC, TeamTex, and Goldbug.

With brand new master toy licensee, IVS Group unveiling a new collection at London Toy Fair, Hoho Rights is looking forward to an exciting 2015 for its colourful pre-school property Cloudbabies.

Created by award-winning art director Bridget Appleby, Cloudbabies consistently performs well on CBeebies and the BBC’s iPlayer service.

On the back of the popularity of the TV series, master toy licensee IVS Group has implemented a long-term strategy for Cloudbabies’ product range. The decision was taken to expand the toy line to cater for a younger age group.

Hoho Rights and IVS have engaged with children’s industry specialists Evolution PR to implement a year round plan of engagement with parents and their young children. Key to this will be online and social media campaigns that will allow fans to experience the magic of Cloudbabies in a whole new way, plus experiential activity through nurseries and retailers.

Hotproperties

Boys The boys’ sector remains one of the most competitive licensing categories. The launch of Star Wars in December will clearly have a major impact on listings and shelf space in the boys’ aisle in Q4, but there are a number of new and established properties vying for attention throughout the year.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2015 is set to be a strong year for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles following 2014’s movie release and the animated television series’ season two finale.

In season three, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo face their toughest challenge to date when they find themselves in Dimension X home of the Kraang. The new season sees the addition of new characters, both friends and enemies, and new locations. Seth Green also joins the cast as the voice of Leonardo. Turtles was recently launched on Channel Five and now performs at +25% over the slot average.

After the success of the first film, a sequel has been scheduled to launch in 2016.

The action adventure series Thunderbirds Are Go is a remake of the iconic 1960s TV series, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary this year.

Debuting on TV screens this spring, Thunderbirds Are Go is produced using a mixture of CGI animation and live-action miniatures. The first series of 26x22 minute episodes will launch in the UK on ITV and CiTV. The series will bring the Thunderbirds brand to a new generation of children aged 5-11 years and to new international audiences, as well as revitalising interest in the classic TV series. Vivid Imaginations is the master toy partner for Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Vivid’s toy line will be supported by one of ITV’s most extensive digitally integrated consumer marketing and retail campaigns ever. The line features

Sonic The Hedgehog

the all new Tracy Island play set, a vehicle play set, detailed action figures and role play.

Further partners on board include Simon & Schuster and DC Thomson which lead the publishing category, Posh Paws for accessories and MV Sports for outdoor play.

The first consumer products are set to hit UK retail for autumn/winter.

Last autumn marked the UK premiere of the third season of Platinum Films’ boys’ property Matt Hatter Chronicles and the announcement of a fourth season of the popular action-adventure for 2015.

Debuting in the UK on CiTV/ITV on Saturdays at 7.50am and weekdays at 7:45am, Matt Hatter was the number one show for children aged 6-11 in its weekend time-slot with an autumn peak audience of 297,000 viewers and it consistently outperformed CiTV’s weekday slot average.

Simba Smoby UK supported the daily primetime airings with an impactful TV advertising campaign in November and December that delivered 600 TVRs during the key gifting period.

Sonic The Hedgehog has been one of the world’s biggest gaming icons for more than two decades with more than 140 million video games sold or downloaded worldwide. This year sees the launch of the new look and feel to Sonic, Sonic Boom.

Sonic Boom includes the first-ever CG animated television series which is set to launch on screens across Europe in

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Thunderbirds Are Go

autumn. There will also be a new master toy line from Tomy.

The brand’s recognition and popularity means that Tomy’s extensive toy range will appeal to the existing fan base, plus a new growing audience that will be engaged by the new TV series and further instalments in the Sonic Boom franchise. Emphasis will be placed on recreating the interaction between core characters as well as introducing new characters.

Set to launch this year, the toy range will introduce the new look Sonic Boom, with toys that demonstrate the real essence of Sonic – speed, action and comedic characteristics. The range features items across best-selling categories including plush, action figures, role play, pocket money toys, vehicles and more as well as a 12-inch talking plush and a Sonic Boom Launcher.

The 2013 Superman Man of Steel movie grossed more than $660m at the global box office and brought huge product success for partners such as Mattel, Harper Collins, TV Manic, FCUK and others. This year, Superman expands into sport and performance with Puma and seasonal retail occasions. These new creative programmes will add strength and power to the brand, with fresh artwork and innovative product collections.

Batman has had the most commercially successful period in its entire 75-year history. Buoyed by the trend for nostalgia

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THE COUNTDOWN IS ON CONTACT DAVE MURPHY DAVID.MURPHY@ITV.COM 0207 827 7217

Hotproperties

Mixels

and boosted by a slate of new content from DC Entertainment and Warner Bros., the evolution of the brand licensing programme has seen Batman soar to new heights. The Batman brand can be applied to multiple consumer touch points simultaneously, allowing WBCP and its licensing partners to ensure that the franchise appeals directly to consumers of all ages.

The Batman consumer products programme is now worth $10 billion at retail. Highlights of its 75th anniversary programme include new entertainment titles, eight distinctive new art programmes, a new commemorative logo and an array of limited-edition products.

Batman Tech uses a range of gadgets and vehicles in his fight against crime, while Beware the Batman is the first ever CGI Batman animated series.

The Batman: Arkham video game franchise is a significant development in Batman’s journey. With over 24 million units sold worldwide, it has received widespread critical acclaim. Global partner, Rubie’s recently expanded its collection of dress up items to include the Batman: Arkham video game franchise.

The appetite for Turner’s award winning comedy series Adventure Time has never been greater. Audiences have warmed to the friendship between two unlikely heroes

Hoe to Train Your Dragon 2

Finn and Jake, its humour and imagination and its quality. The series has built a strong dual following among both adults and children.

Mixels, the multi-platform franchise created by Turner in partnership with The Lego Group, encompasses animated shorts, digital content, toys and games.

Each element of the brand’s ‘watch, play, collect, immerse’ concept complements and enhances the overall Mixels property, creating a fun and imaginative experience for fans.

Power Rangers Dino Charge debuts on Nickelodeon in the US in early 2015. This new season will roll out globally later in the year. Bandai will continue to serve as global master toy licensee for the franchise, creating a new dinosaur-themed product line, along with many additional licensees for the brand. Saban Brands, in partnership with Lionsgate, has also announced a feature film set to release in July 2016.

Tree Fu Tom launched on CBeebies in 2012 and has had millions of views on iPlayer and more than 500,000 on YouTube. There are now 30 UK licensees on-board and an expansive European consumer products roll out programme in place. 2015 will see the first live theatre tour from Premier Stage

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Yu-Gi-Oh!

Productions, which will appear at over 80 venues across the UK. 4K Media manages the Yu-Gi-Oh! Japanese manga series outside of Asia.

It handles brand management, licensing and marketing of the franchise as well as production and distribution of the series.

The animated series has more than 650 episodes and has been translated and broadcast in 90 countries on leading networks. As the property celebrates 14 years of success in the worldwide marketplace, 4K Media continues to expand the property and extend relationships. The Yu-Gi-Oh! licensing program continues to grow with new partners in apparel, housewares, back-to-school and accessories. A fifth series Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC V will be debuting outside of Asia in spring 2015 and a third Yu-Gi-Oh! feature film is currently in production in Japan.

Following the huge global box office hit of How to Train Your Dragon 2, series three of the Dragons will start airing exclusively on Netflix from summer 2015, while seasons one and two, which have enjoyed great success on Cartoon Network and CBBC, will continue to air. Season three is focused on exploration, with Toothless and Hiccup leading the gang to explore new lands beyond the frontiers of Berk, where they discover and battle new dragons, encounter new villains, become reacquainted with Vikings from their past, set up base camp on a new island and use an ancient artifact to unlock clues on where to head next. Spin Master will expand its range to include the new Dragons, with products also reflecting the relationship between Dragons and their riders. Key lines will be TV advertised from spring 2015. The success Spin Master has enjoyed with the master toy range in 2014 is expected to be replicated in other categories next year, especially apparel and accessories, homewares, publishing, stationery and dress up.

FOR LICENSING QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT: US, CANADA & LATIN AMERICA: René Flores Email: rene.flores@sega.com Tel: +1 415 701 3935

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Hotproperties

Classic brands While the success of many licences is short-lived, some properties go on to become evergreen classics, loved by successive generations.

Beano

Dennis the Menace and Gnasher are the stars of The Beano and an animation series on CBBC. There are a number of licensees active in the toy and game sector already, including Wizard for Shrinkles, Flair for The Beano Comic Maker Kit and Gibson’s for jigsaw puzzles.

Rubie’s has the licence for dress-up and is working closely with Penguin Books to take advantage of the fact that the Diary of Dennis the Menace, published by Penguin, has been selected as a World Book Day title.

In total there are over 40 licensees for The Beano and Dennis the Menace.

Ian Downes from Start Licensing commented: “Dennis the Menace and Gnasher have all the elements that make a great license: longevity, a strong publishing programme, regular TV exposure, a proactive licensor, fantastic artwork and consumer awareness.

We are keen to develop further activity with toy companies and also retailers. We can develop unique events with retailers ranging from visits from Beano artists to present comic art workshops through to competitions in the comics.”

Sooty is gearing up for another busy year of

Where’s Wally?

music, magic and mayhem. Master toy licensee Golden Bear is following up the launch of its successful Sooty Show puppet range with a raft of new lines, including a pre-school magic set designed by Sooty’s owner and member of the inner magic circle Richard Cadell. The set is designed for small children and uses magnets and optical illusions.

There is also a new DVD on the way in March, which is the result of collaboration between Cadell and current licensees Abbey Home Media and Redan Publishing. With new licensees on board to produce toiletries, calendars, stickers and accessories for autumn/ winter, and a Sooty Movie slated for release in 2016, the Sooty Show looks set to continue its expansion into new categories and territories in the months ahead.

The star of numerous comic albums, Asterix, is represented in the UK by Start Licensing.

Start is developing a solid programme for Asterix with Comic Art selling limited edition screen-prints, Truffleshuffle offering a range of t-shirts, Carousel Calendars publishing the official calendar and Plastic Head Distribution developing apparel, phone covers, bags and

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Sooty

mugs. Start Licensing is keen to develop role play products, wooden toys and jigsaw puzzles and believes Asterix will sit well in both the toy and book trades.

Tango licensed products are worth over £6million at retail and include shower gels, lip balms and confectionery. Start Licensing hopes to develop a range of products with toy and gift companies thinking of seasonal products, novelty products and exclusive items for specific retailers.

DreamWorks’ Where’s Wally? is the character that people of all ages are drawn to find. The Where’s Wally books have been published in 30 countries and translated into 38 languages.

More than 61 Million books have been sold globally and the franchise provides many interesting opportunities for licensees.

JCB celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2015 and the brand continues to perform well for long term toy partners such as HTi, Tomy and Golden Bear.

The Warner Bros portfolio includes a raft of classic characters that remain enduringly popular. Looney Tunes has been delighting audiences of all ages for decades, while Scooby-Doo’s popularity is driven by new content, consistent television exposure and a consumer products programme that appeals across the generations. Because of the pair’s strong heritage and cross-generational appeal, the classic Tom and Jerry brand continues to grow, with new content, new strategic partners and strong creative themes driving the brand forward. Finally, as a global brand, Harry Potter and the ensemble cast have proved immensely popular, gaining critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide.

Jennifer Coleman • jcoleman@4kmedia.com • +1.212.590.2120

www.yugioh.com

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©1996 Kazuki Takahashi ©2011 NAS • TV TOKYO

©1996 Kazuki Takahashi ©2008 NAS • TV TOKYO

©1996 Kazuki Takahashi ©2004 NAS • TV TOKYO

©1996 Kazuki Takahashi

Hotproperties

Girls 2014 was unquestionably the year of Frozen. 2015 will almost certainly see that success continue. There is no doubt that the stellar performance of Frozen merchandise has had a major impact on other girls’ properties, some of which have found it a challenge to secure listings and shelf space. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for other girls’ properties to maintain a presence at retail.

Jacqueline Wilson

Barbie

With a strong appeal to girls aged 7-11, the Jacqueline Wilson brand is a natural fit for toys and games. Products such as jigsaws, card games and board games are obvious, whilst creative play kits also work well. With the author having just published her 100th book, Opal Plumstead, her profile is very high. The character Hetty Feather has been successfully transferred to the West End stage and will also be on TV this year. Set in Victorian times, Hetty naturally translates to dress up. Licensees on board include DC Thomson for a magazine and annuals, Beanbag Bazaar for beanbags and Top That for a book kit.

Ian Downes of Start Licensing commented: “Jacqueline Wilson is immensely popular and her fans love the characters she has created. Given their passion for the characters and their enjoyment of reading, we think Jacqueline’s audience would be very receptive to games, kits and activity sets. She is well established at retail and buyers will know how well her books sell.”

Barbie has a new energy, look and style.

She continues to engage and inspire girls, encouraging them to discover and learn about the world around them letting them know that Anything Is Possible.

The Barbie franchise continues to build with new partnerships and fresh new programmes that amplify the brand at fashion retailers including H&M, Uniqlo, Zara, Forever 21 and Primark. There are also extensions in toys, stationery, creative play, sporting goods and consumer electronics.

In 2015, Barbie will continue this momentum with a year of career firsts, reimagined content, fashion news and

Zelfs

global brand acceleration.

Monster High aims to empower girls to express their individuality and form friendships. It has enjoyed more than 140 million video views worldwide to date and is firmly established as the number two UK fashion doll. 2014 saw the launch of a wealth of new licensing partnerships, expanding the brand’s presence throughout the retail sector with clothing, consumer electronics, stationery, creative play product ranges and sporting goods. Publishing also continues to be a major category for the brand, with the Monster High magazine available every three weeks in 22 countries including the UK. Mattel continues its media partnerships with TV specials in 2015 and builds on its Universal partnership with the release of more new entertainment titles.

Everything’s Rosie launched four years ago on CBeebies as a pre-school brand appealing particularly to girls. A new series is due to be broadcast early this year supported by an established collection of quality licensees. There has always been demand for the show’s licensed products and the Egmont Bedtime and Playtime apps went down particularly well. Two new apps are being developed for 2015, as well as inclusion in the seventh CBeebies compilation app. Licensing deals include Signature Publishing in the UK for inclusion in its compilation title Rainbow Fun as well as a standalone Everything’s Rosie magazine. There are currently 35 licensees working with Everything’s Rosie.

The Zelfs, a Moose Enterprise creation, is going from strength to strength with a

Toy World 86

growing toy offering and a legion of fans.

Master toy licensee Character Options is about to enter its third year with the brand, with the launch of Season Four in spring. Lil’ Zelfs plus medium and large figures continue to produce strong sales and demand, especially with each seasons Ultra-Rare Zelfs campaign. In autumn 2015 Season Five will launch with the introduction of the crystal collection.

The Zelfs franchise includes an interactive website featuring webisodes to download and watch. A monthly magazine is published by DJ Murphy while Giromax has created stickers and trading cards.

MacMillan has developed activity books and PMS is producing accessories, amusement plush and novelty stationery.

Francesca Lisle-Grimshaw from Lisle International says: “The creativity that comes with The Zelfs keeps collectors coming back for more. New characters are launched every few months and each comes with its own style and backdrop, producing a vast amount of colourful and instantly recognisable content for licensees to work with. All of which is welcomed by the fans who want to add to their collections in every way they can.”

Carte Blanche has signed on to produce a range of Pudsey the Dog merchandise. The artwork captures Pudsey’s characteristics, and the brand will be supported by retail visits from Pudsey and his companion Ashleigh, as well as social media activity.

Carte Blanche believes there is a gap in the market for an animal brand that appeals to a broad family demographic.

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New Media Licensees continue to mine new media channels in search of potential licensing opportunities. While many brands struggle to cross over from the digital world to the physical world, there have been notable successes such as Angry Birds and Moshi Monsters, which demonstrate the huge potential of the genre.

Talking Tom and Friends

World of Warriors

With the new 3D CGI animated series of Talking Tom and Friends due to launch on YouTube in April and a brand new movie in production, the upcoming content slate will boost the profile of the brand even further.

There are currently 30 licensees across the globe, and the pipeline content is expected to grow the portfolio considerably.

Talking Tom and Friends now has more than 32 million Facebook fans, over two billion downloads and in excess of 1.4 billion views on YouTube. The latest app, My Talking Angela, also launched last December and has already become a hit.

Angry Birds is the most downloaded app of all time and now a worldwide brand reaching out into publishing, licensing,

For more details please contact: Ian Downes T: 0208 337 7958 E mail: ian@startlicensing.co.uk www.startlicensing.co.uk

Angry Birds

animation, books and location based entertainment. As a brand, Angry Birds is constantly bringing fresh ideas into play across the digital and physical spheres.

The first Angry Birds movie will be released in 2016, together with new content and activations. 2015 will seethe opening of a second generation Angry Birds Activity Park in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the launch of a variety of game titles.

every warrior comes with their own back story, special moves and educational facts.

Mind Candy has signed global deals with Penguin, Topps, Giochi Preziosi and Flair, as well as Moose. With trading cards kicking off the consumer products programme from April, publishing, toys, apparel and accessories will follow throughout thisyear with a strong roadmap of digital and entertainment content locked in.

World of Warriors is an adventure and combat strategy game available on iOS and Android. The number one role playing game for iPad in over 80 countries in the app store and featured globally in Best New Games, the game takes players on a quest across the vast Wildlands where

TPA has been appointed UK licensing agent for the popular app Pou. Pou is an alien pet that players can feed, clean, watch grow and play with, as well as customising its look with a variety of outfits and accessories.

Pou has had 260,000,000 downloads worldwide and is the number one app in games charts, family charts, kids charts and general download charts in dozens of countries with over 100 million users and 20 million joining them every month.

A global Pou licensing programme has been launched, supported by a comprehensive style guide leveraging the alien’s potential in everything from mobile phone accessories to toys and t-shirts. The initial target market will be children aged 4-12 .

Already available in Spain are Pou plush from Famosa / Play by Play, bags and accessories from Karactermania, confectionery from Dracco, toys from Just Toys International and books from Panini.

A modern icon, famous for its irreverent sense of humour.

www.facebook.com/youvebeentangoed

For the most focuses, relevant information on the children’s licensing sector all year round, read the Licensing World section in Toy World magazine every month. Also see our daily online coverage at www.toyworldmag.co.uk

Toy World 88

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Interview

Value and variety Toy World spoke to John Flitcroft, head toy buyer at Poundstretcher, to find out what role toys play in the store’s product offering How many stores does Poundstretcher have in the UK? We have 400 stores all across the UK and are looking to expand over the next few years.

How has trading been for Poundstretcher in 2014?

Sales from the Toy category have been very encouraging this year, with our summer range performance being our best in recent years. This Christmas is also looking good so far.

How important is the toy range within Poundstretcher’s overall product mix?

Do you increase the amount of toys you stock in the run up to Christmas?

How much space is given over to toys in Poundstretcher?

Toys play an important part within Poundstretcher and our ranges are very much tied to seasonal trends. We have a strong presence in store of swimming pools, sports equipment, bubbles, balls and outdoor games during the spring and summer seasons. Once the summer season ends in early September, we significantly increase the range in stores by 400% to display our full Christmas offering of dolls, infant toys, plush, board games, puzzles and much more.

What have been you bestselling lines in 2014?

Our bestselling item was our Foam Ball Target Game, which has surpassed all our expectations this season. Other big successes this Christmas are our range of Science Sets, Vehicle Transporters and our Life Size Princess Doll. We also have a great range of infant & traditional wooden toys.

How much of the toy aisle consists of FOB merchandise?

A large proportion of our range is bought FOB as this allows us to get the best prices and pass this value on to the customers. It also allows us the flexibility to develop our own exclusive ranges.

Where does Poundstretcher see itself fitting into the overall toy retail sector?

There is a lot of competition at the moment as supermarkets & larger retailers lose customers to the discount sector. Our aim is to offer great toys at great prices, ensuring the value for money people expect from Poundstretcher.

How much is domestic and how much is taken by specials and clearance lines?

Buying domestically is always important, for both long term buying and the occasional infill. Clearance deals are also important and something I will always look at if the product, price and timing are right.

How important are brands & licensed product within the product mix?

Licensed Products are very important as they help drive customer footfall into the store, and shape the trends across whole ranges, both in toys and other areas of product. This is an area I am keen to grow within the Poundstretcher range.

John Flitcroft

Toy World 90

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Profile

The best of both worlds Managing Editor John Baulch delves into the world of Anki DRIVE, a cutting edge blend of robotics, toys and video games which is set to revolutionise the racing sector and introduce artificial intelligence to the toy market

Joby Otero, Chief Creative Officer

A

nki’s stated aim is to bring consumer robotics into everyday life, making artificial intelligence accessible to everyone. It may sound like a lofty goal, but it’s one which the company has unquestionably achieved with its inaugural product, Anki DRIVE. Essentially Anki DRIVE is a toy which plays like a video game: sitting on the intersection between toys, video games and mobile devices, it uses similar principles to Google’s self-driving cars. There is beauty in its simplicity: all a player has to do is roll out the track, pick a car and download the free app, then start racing and battling. Within seconds, players are able to control the car’s movement and deploy weapons or shields against opponents.

The car senses and interprets the track an incredible 500 times a second, correcting and reacting to its changing position. Robotic opponents know where the player is on the track and can react and adapt, thinking two or three seconds ahead to challenge the player.

Each opponent has its own personality and style: some aim to win by using weapons, others try to cut the player up while some just go faster.

There are four basic game modes: Race Mode, Battle Mode, Team Mode and Balance Mode. Each game option tests different skills, and keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.

Since its launch in the summer, Anki DRIVE

has already won multiple awards, including being nominated in the Time magazine top ten toys of 2014, as well as featuring on hot lists in the New York Times and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. Here in the UK, Anki DRIVE was one of the brands which dominated the inaugural toytesters.tv awards.

Not since the launch of Skylanders have I seen a product which blends the virtual and real worlds to such stunning effect. So it’s perhaps no surprise to learn that Anki’s chief creative officer, Joby Otero, was the key creative force behind the Skylanders brand during his tenure at Activision. He actually retired after establishing Skylanders in the market, so I asked what persuaded him to come out of retirement to work on the Anki DRIVE project. Joby told me: “I loved the crazy ambitiousness of the Anki team, and it seemed like a fun opportunity to demonstrate some of the things I’ve learned from working with video games for the past two decades. I’ve also learned a lot about real robotics in the process.

“I have always been fascinated by the idea of creating games which bring toys to life – that whole notion of ‘Toy Story made real’. There is a magic which takes place when toys are involved, and it’s great to be able to share that magic. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to do that with Skylanders and just as that brand gave birth to the ‘toys to life’ category, I believe we’re establishing a whole new category of play with Anki DRIVE. This product is the marriage of true robot science, video games and toys: the combination of those worlds is a magical nexus. Nothing else in toys or video games works like this – it feels just like a

Toy World 94

video game that plays out in someone’s living room.

It encompasses all the key attributes of the best video games – such as rules, challenges and rewards – and even when you’re playing solo, the commanders make it feel like you’re playing with other people.

“The first time I put the car on the track, I got the same tingling in my spine that I got when I played with the first Skylanders prototype. It’s not just kids that love it: parents also love the idea that their child is physically engaged, not just sitting with their eyes glued to the screen. The whole family can gather round the track and play together, and react on a human level to what is going on.”

I asked Joby where the company hopes to take the Anki DRIVE brand in the future. He commented: “We’ve already expanded the world of Anki DRIVE from the basic hardware by introducing characters and a storyline into the concept through the Commanders app. That’s just the start: it’s the seed of a much bigger plan to come over the next few years. There is still so much more we can bring to the concept.

But is Anki DRIVE the extent of the company’s foray into the toy market? Far from it, according to Joby: “Working in this space provides us with the opportunity to have all sorts of toys that come to life. We’ve barely scratched the surface: we’re going to use the company as a vehicle to work on more sophisticated robotics-based projects. When we look five years ahead, the landscape will have changed beyond recognition and we’ll be able to do so many things we weren’t able to before; that’s the space we want to be in.”

Fresh JWP

01254 503 780 | www.3dlightfx.co.uk 2015 is looking to be a big year for 3DlightFX, with the exclusive release of a new range of 3D lights that act as a wall feature by day and a light source by night. To add to its hugely popular range of Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers 3D lights, the range kicks the year off with Olaf, the popular character from Disney’s Frozen.

With the addition of the frozen looking crack sticker, the authentic looking 3D Olaf appears to have stuck his head through the wall.

The lights themselves are easy to install, use batteries so do not need electric plugs and have LED bulbs so they do not get hot – as a consequence they can be placed anywhere in the room. Olaf also comes with an added timer switch, so doesn’t need to be manually turned off at bedtimes.

Boxer

01133 955 595 | www.boxergifts.com Boxer Gifts has the personalisation trend covered with its range of Name Stampers. The range features over 130 stampers, including names for boys and girls. The stampers also include generic versions such as the ‘property of…’ and skull and crossbones designs, all in six vivid colours. The stampers are displayed on a purpose-built spinner, creating a bright display for any retail space.

FRESH THIS MONTH:

Each month Fresh sets out to find the latest products that will have toy retailers reaching for the phone.

In December we have new releases from: Boxer, JWP and Trends.

Trends

01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk Trends UK has signed an agreement to distribute Puppy Surprise from Just Play in the UK. The brand will be relaunched in Spring 2015.

Puppy Surprise is the ‘90s phenomenon featuring a mummy dog with a surprise number of puppies in her litter. Each Puppy Surprise mummy could have three, four, or even five puppies inside.

Trends UK will support the Spring 2015 launch of Puppy Surprise with TV advertising and PR campaigns to recruit a whole new generation of puppy lovers amongst girls 4 to 6 years old.

Graham Spark, sales director, commented: “We are very excited to be distributing Puppy Surprise in the UK. There is great anticipation for the return of the brand and its success in today’s market has already been proven in the US. We are expecting the brand to enjoy a great revival in the UK.”

Wannabees www.wannabees.co.uk

The role-play packs in the Wannabees range provide everything children need to pretend to be the profession of their choice. The packs contain forms, stickers and certificates that children can use to feel like they are playing for real.

The first two packs on the market, I Want to be a Teacher and I Want to be a Doctor, provide everything a child needs to play at being a teacher or doctor. There are plans to roll out further professions later this year.

Lynne Rees, co-owner of Wannabees, said: “All of us can relate to our younger years when we used to spend many a happy hour just pretending and it was those happy memories that inspired us to create a toy that encourages playing for real.”

Feature

Toy Fair 2015

The heart of the toy industry

The BTHA’s Toy Fair, the industry showcase for the UK toys, games and hobby market, returns to Olympia from the 20-22nd January 2015. John Baulch reports...

T

he headline of this piece sums up the Toy Fair perfectly: the show really is the beating heart of the UK toy industry.

The 2015 event will be the 35th London Toy Fair I have attended during my career. I have said it many times before: the three days I will spend at the show constitute three of the most valuable working days of the year. The show provides the perfect opportunity to view the majority of the new products which will shape the UK toy market in 2015; swap opinions and ideas with the movers and shakers of the toy community and overall, put a finger on the pulse of this vibrant, exciting industry.

This year’s show will be the first with new head of Toy Fair operations and sales Majen Immink at the helm: “I feel very privileged to have inherited such a vibrant Toy Fair,” commented Majen. “To have sold out once again is a testament to the tremendous support we get from the industry and plans are well under way to improve where we can on the 2014 fair.”

More than 260 exhibitors will occupy the upper and lower sections of both the Grand and West Halls of Olympia, covering 22,000 square meters in total. Tomy Europe, returning to Toy Fair after time away, has taken space on the gallery level, while there are 41 first-time exhibitors on the floor plan.

43 of the 260 exhibiting companies will be housed in the popular Greenhouse Area.

Based in the middle of the show floor, the Greenhouse Area is a hub for start-up or smaller companies looking to make strides in the toy industry.

With thousands of products being launched, an independent panel of retailers will handpick what they believe will be the hottest for the year ahead in Toy Fair’s Best New Toy Awards 2015. Announced on the opening morning, the Toy Fair Best New Toys will be displayed in front of the press office in a number of different categories.

Adjacent to the press office on the gallery level is the home of the popular Toy Fair TV Demo Zone. “We are delighted to confirm the return of the Demo Zone and Toy Fair TV,” added Majen. “Toy Fair TV will be broadcast across 24 screens around Olympia, giving visitors the opportunity to see more products and companies outside their appointments.

“The Demo Zone is always popular with our exhibitors as it is an unprecedented opportunity to demo their products to their target audience, receive instant feedback and present to a wider audience in the hall.

“Presenters Anna Williamson and Gavin Inskip really bring the channel to life and their enthusiasm reflects what our industry is all about.”

The Toy Industry Awards, organised by the

Toy World 96

British Toy and Hobby Association and Toy Retailers Association, will be hosted at the Science Museum in Kensington on Tuesday 20th January. Following a successful change of venue in 2014, it appears the awards have found a new home.

“We made the decision to move the awards to the Science Museum in 2014 and it has proved to be a popular choice for the industry,” commented Matt Jones, head of Member and Special Events at the British Toy and Hobby Association. “We listen to feedback after every event we undertake and aim to improve year on year.”

One change marked for the 2015 event is the involvement of Toy Fair TV presenters Anna Williamson and Gavin Inskip, who will host the awards ceremony. “We felt adding Anna and Gavin to the event established

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Toy Fair 2015 continuity between Toy Fair and the awards ceremony,” added Matt. “We are hoping they’ll add the energy and buzz to the awards that they bring to Toy Fair.”

Young inventors and toy designers will be welcomed to next year’s Toy Fair with an exclusive seminar hosted by the BTHA. The seminar, which will be held on Thursday 22 January, will feature talks and discussions from some of the names in the inventor relations’ community, including Hasbro’s Dougal Grimes and HTI Toys’ Jason Cawdell.

Aimed at attracting students and new inventors to the toy industry, the sessions will feature discussion from some inventor relations experts. The day will start with an introduction from Jon Stewart, founder partner of Worlds Apart and BTHA council member, before talks from industry experts.

Session one will be from David Fry, UK and European patent attorney at Agile IP, talking about protecting investment through IP. Following this, Dougal Grimes, director of global gaming acquisition and inventor relations at Hasbro, will discuss how to approach large toy manufacturers with new IP and game inventions. The last

Tuesday 20th - Thursday 22nd January 9am-6pm Olympia, Kensington, W14 8UX www.btha.co.uk/toy-fair session will be from Jason Cawdell, head of creative at HTI Toys, which is titled Toy Design: The Best Job in the World. Students will be able to meet with the exhibitors.

Natasha Crookes, director of communication and public affairs at the BTHA, said: “The student seminar is a fantastic opportunity to show the

toy industry in all its glory to potential new talent. We are really grateful to our speakers and exhibitors for making the time and hopefully we can inspire the next generation of toy makers.”

Over the following 120 pages we’re delighted to bring you details of some of the key new products being introduced at Toy Fair.

interview Toy World spoke to Toy Fair organiser Majen Immink to find out what’s in-store at this year’s show. come together in January, especially the efforts and creativity of the exhibitors that make the show look so spectacular.

TW: How do pre-registration numbers compare with last year?

MI: Pre-reg numbers are pretty much on par with last year. Toy Fair prides itself on attracting a great cross section of visitors from across the industry, including buyers not only from the UK, but also further afield with visitors from across the globe.

TW: Why did you decide to invite students to attend the last day of the show TW: How’s is Toy Fair shaping up for 2015?

MI: The 2015 show is shaping up nicely.

We once again will have a fantastic mix of repeat and first time exhibitors, both large and small, spread across the show floors.

Final preparations are well under way; I really look forward to seeing the show

MI: The toy industry is full of fantastic creative talent and Toy Fair is no greater illustration of the great British design behind so many fantastic products on the market. Each year we invite design students to the show to be inspired and to consider the toy industry as a destination career. Since the inception of the annual seminar, several of the universities have

Toy World 98

established connections with exhibitors and speakers and engineered further meetings and internships. We get fantastic feedback from the universities on the calibre of the speakers and also the opportunity to meet with exhibitors and to be immersed in the range of products on display.

TW: What makes Toy Fair a ‘must attend’ event?

MI: Toy Fair is THE place for all corners of the industry to come together under one roof and provides visitors with the opportunity to view, touch and experience the huge range of products on the market first hand, including many brand new launches, and to place orders for the year ahead. The show attracts a high calibre of exhibitors including not only the large renowned brands but also many new faces and smaller companies, all showcasing a vast array of toys, games and hobbies, hence catering for every type of retailer.

Company

Stand Number

1 Two Kids Ltd

GH54

24/7 Toys

B85

A B Gee of Ripley

Gallery 200

A Girl for all Time

GH11

Aardvark Swift Recruitment

GH10

Accentuate Games

GH44

Accurate Diecast

H74

Ackerman International

G63

Algota Plastic Industries

GH9

Alpha Toys

Gallery 515

Amerang

Gallery 215

Amscan International

B75

Anagranimals

GH23

Androni UK

H70

Animin

GH7

Anker

Gallery 199

Artstraws

Gallery 630

Asobi

Gallery 120

Aurora World

D35

B Kids UK

Gallery 501

Bandai UK

Gallery 600

Barnardo’s

Gallery 150

Battlefront Miniatures

B85

Bee Smart

GH45

Bertoy

Gallery 148

Best New Toys

Gallery 158

Bestline Imports

G125

Bigjigs Toys

H39

Bizzy Bitz

GH27

Bladez Toyz

Gallery 123

Bloomeez

GH34

The Blue Triangle Lounge

B149

Blueprint Collections

B90

Bluw

B115

Bookspeed

Gallery 420

Bonnie and Pearl

B135

Brainstorm

D2

Brookite

E110

BTHA Exhibiting Members Lounge

Gallery 205

The Bug Store

GH24

Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services UK

GH58

Cambridge Brainbox

GH32

Cartamundi (UK)

H1

Casdon

E30

Century Logistics

B99

Character Options

E119

Cheatwell Games

F20

Chicco

Gallery 124

Cicada Education

B49

Clementoni Spa

Gallery 155

Click Distribution UK

Gallery 105

Cloud b

F100

Coiledspring Games

B160

Cuckoo

Gallery 330

D’Arpeje

Gallery 190

Daedaleon

GH18

Delta Kids

H30

Destination Board Games

GH13

DKL Marketing

E66

Dracco UK

E130

Drumond Park

Gallery 440

DWSD

Gallery 147a

East Coast Nursery

B56

Eduk8 Worldwide

GH42

Toy World 100

Company

Stand Number

Egmont Toys

Gallery 420

Epoch-Making Toys

B130

Esdevium Games

E109

Eurofins Product Testing Services

GH6

Extreme Fliers

H86

Famosa

Gallery 400

Feel Good Art

H40

Fiesta Crafts

F66

First Celtic Toys and Learning

E115

Flair Leisure Products

E39

Floppets

H92

Flying Gadgets

H50

Flype

GH40

Folkmanis Puppets

H46

Funrise Toy Corporation

Gallery 135

Funtime Gifts

H15

James Galt & Co

E9

Gear For Games

G120

Geemac - Thinkway

Gallery 109

Gen 42 Games

Gallery 425

Getretro.co.uk

GH62

Gibsons

E40

Gift Time

GH24

Global Opportunities

Gallery 165

Goki

Gallery 199

Golden Bear Products

E69

Goldfish & Bison

E35

Good Toy Guide

Gallery 154

Great Gizmos

G20

Great Inflate

Gallery 149

Green Board Game Company

E15

Green Elephant Trading

GH46

The Green Rubber Toy Co

GH25

H Grossman

E49

Haba UK

F16

Halilit (Marnita)

E90

Hama

E66

Hasbro UK

Gallery 620

Heimess

Gallery 199

Holztiger

Gallery 199

Hornby Hobbies

D11

House of Marbles

G110

HTI

E125

i-spy Distribution

B65

Imajo

GH2

IMC Toys UK

E129

Indigo Jamm

H42

Info Desk

E70

Ingo Devices UK

D19

Injusa

F90

Insect Lore

D20

Intelligent Retail

GH21

Interplay UK

G10

Intertek

G66

IVS Group

Gallery 177

James Bond Lounge

G122

Jazwares

D99

John Adams Leisure

G100

John Crane

E20

Joluet Games

GH59

Jumbo Games

E46

Juratoys

F50

K’Nex UK

Gallery 510

K-Play International

Gallery 199

Possibly ly the best in wooden toys (and plastic)! (a

Come and see us at the London Toy Fair - Stand E20 01604 774949 sales@john-crane.co.uk www.john-crane.co.uk

Company

Stand Number

Kapla France Sarl

Gallery 143

Kazooloo

H95

KD UK

Gallery 160

Keel Toys

B35

Kiddimoto

H44

Kidicraft

GH51

KidKraft

E79

Kids@Play

Gallery 141

Kitfix Swallow Group

B60

Theo Klein

D95

Kriya

GH36

Paul Lamond Games

E50

Lanka Kade

F1

Le Toy Van

E10

Leapfrog Toys (UK)

B40

Learning Resources

D36

Lego Company

B70

Lexibook

B18

Little Helper

H40

Little Tikes

Gallery 540

Lustrumlight

B95

MGA Entertainment

Gallery 540

M V Sports & Leisure

B30

Manhattan Toy Europe

Gallery 315

Marbel

B50

Marvin’s Magic

H65

Melissa & Doug

F40

Micro Scooters

B45

Milly&Flynn

B92

Minigols

GH48

Molto

F36

Mookie Toys

E149

Music for Kids

GH16

NPD Group

Gallery 146

Orange Tree Toys

B100

Orchard Toys

B12

Oxford Diecast

Gallery 195

Padgett Bros (A to Z)

F15

Pants on Fire Games

Gallery 435

Papo UK

Gallery 128

Peterkin UK

Gallery 110

PDT Ltd

F110

Pink Chillies

G65

Playmobil (UK)

Gallery 210

Plum Products

G90

Pocketbond / Toyway

H22

Posh Paws International

D89

Press Office

Gallery 158

Proyectum Sport International

GH48

The Puppet Company

E16

Rainbow Colours

GH19

Rainbow Designs

E120

Ravensburger

B156

Re: Creation

E160

Relaxation Garden

Gallery 142

Reliance Technical Service

C42

Revell

Gallery 100

Robbie Toys

F90

Rockjam

F110

Rolly Toys

F90

Sakar International

G29

The Sales Partnership

E21

Sambro International

G46

Schleich

B121

Toy World 102

Company

Stand Number

Science4you

Gallery 122

Simba Smoby Toys UK

E140

Singing Machine

F110

SJD Games

GH31

Sluban UK & Ireland

GH28

Smart UK

Gallery 410

Sopio Cards

GH53

The Source Wholesale

Gallery 145

Spin Master Toys UK

E131

Star Images

H90

Stepping Stones Marketing

GH15

T.A.R.E.M.A.

F30

Tabletop Workshop

GH39

Tactic Games UK

D109

Taxi Board Game

GH43

TCE Design t/a Top Century Enterprises (UK)

H36

Tegu Toy Works

GH20

Tell Tails

GH4

TFTV Studio

Gallery 153

TFTV Demo Zone

Gallery 157

Thames & Kosmos

G60

Titan Merchandise

F111

TikkTokk UK

D25

TKC Sales

E99

Tobar Group Trading

Gallery 305

Tomy Europe

Gallery 610

Toy Essentials

Gallery 147b

Toy Trust Coffee Lounge

Gallery 175

Toymaster

London Room

ToyNews

E2

Toys N Playthings

E1

Toy Retailers Association

Gallery 176

Toy World

GH37

Traditional Garden Games

Gallery 144

Travis Designs

G50

Trends UK

B20

Trunki

C45

Turner Media Innovations Lounge

Gallery 130

Ty UK

Gallery 119

UL Café

Gallery 520

UL VS United Kingdom

B25

Underground Toys

G120

University Games UK

F10

Ur-Tubes

GH50

Vertex Resourcing

GH47

Vivid Toy Group

E135

VTech Electronics Europe

Gallery 500

Warlord Games

GH1

West Design Products

C60

Whitbread Wilkinson

GH5

Wicked Vision

E100

Wild Card Games

H20

Willowbee

G119

Wilton Bradley

E89

Wind Designs

H52

Winning Moves UK

F101

Wooky Entertainment

Gallery 180

Wow Toys

G15

Zapf Creation (UK)

Gallery 540

Zappies

Gallery 152

Zeon

F60

ZooBooKoo International

GH49

more than just an 18” doll.

Come and see us at the London Toy Fair - Stand E20 01604 774949 sales@john-crane.co.uk www.john-crane.co.uk

Toy World 104

B165

B166

E160

B156

B160

E160

640

The Blue Triangle Lounge

B149

E149

E140

B135

E131

E135

E129

B130

E130

James Bond Lounge

620

G122

E125

G125

B121

G119

E119

E120

G120

600

B115

E115

F111

G110

D109

E109

E110

F110

B100

E100

F100

F101

200

Exhibiting Members Lounge

B99

D99

E99

G100

199

B95

D95

H95

B92

H92

195

B90

D89

E89

E90

F90

G90

H90

190

GH16

GH43

B85

E79

GH37 GH11

B75

GH36

GH34 GH13

GH62 GH39

GH59 GH40

GH32 GH15

GH58

GH31

GH18

GH44

GH42

GH28 GH19

GH54 GH45

GH53 GH46 GH27 GH20

GH25 GH21

GH47

GH51 GH48

H70 GH24 GH23

H74

GH50 GH49

H86

GH10

GH09

GH07

GH06

GH05

GH04 GH01

GH02

F66

G66

G65

H65

E70

B70

E69

E66

STAIRS TO/FROM GALLERY

180

B65

B60

C60

G63

178

177

F60

G60

B56

H52

176

B49

B50

E49

E50

F50

G50

H50

H46

B45

C45

E46

G46

Toy Trust Coffee Lounge

175

C42

H44

165

H42

E40

F40

H39

H40

160

B40

E39

F36

H36

B35

D35

D36

E35

H30

E30

F30

G29

B30

B25

D25

B20

D19

D20

E21

E20

F20

G20

B18

E15

E16

F15

F16

G15

H15

TFTV Demo Zone

157

H22 H20

Press office & Best New Toys

158

B12

D11

155

E9

E10

F10

G10

153 TFTV Studio

D2

E1

E2

F1

H1

154

THE TOYMASTER MEMBERS LOUNGE

VISITORS ENTRANCE

ORGANISERS OFFICE

Toy Fair 2015

640

540

440

330

520

435

Toy World 106

630

UL Cafe

515

425

420

620

610

510

410

James Bond Lounge

315

600

500

501

400

305

G119

200

BTHA Exhibiting Members Lounge

205

210

215

100

G100

199

105

H95

H92

195

H90

190

109

GH53 GH46

GH47 GH27 GH20

GH25 GH21 GH51 GH48

H70 GH24 GH23

H74

119 120

GH05

GH04 GH01

GH02

H65

STAIRS TO/FROM GALLERY

180

GH50 GH49

H86

110

178

177

H52

176

123

175

G50

H50

H46

Toy Trust Coffee Lounge

122

H44

165

124

H42

H39

H40

160

H36

H30

135

G20

H15

TFTV Demo Zone

157

H22 H20

Press office & Best New Toys

158

128 130

Turner Media Innovations Lounge 141

155

153 TFTV Studio

154

H1

152

150

149

148

147b

147a

146

145

144

143

Relaxation Garden

G10

142

ORGANISERS OFFICE

GALLERY SUITES

Toy Fair 2015

Toy Fair 2015

Editorial index A.B.Gee

164

Galt

140

Milly & Flynn

172

Alpha toys

206

Gibson Games

144

MV

206

Amscan

130

Golden Bear

168

Orchard Toys

186

Anagranimals

130

Goldfish Bison

138

Papo

174

Artstraws

198

Grossman

180

Paul Lamond

152

Asobi

162

Hornby

114

Peterkin

150

Bananagrams

134

HTI

200

Posh Paws

146

Bandai

132

IMC

128

Rainbow

154

Bigjigs

134

Interplay

148

Ravensburger

148

Bizzy Bits

136

IVS

184

recreation

156

Bluw

180

Jazwares

182

Revell

192

Bonnie & Pearl

184

John Adams

144

Sakar

156

Brainstorm

147

John Crane

140

Sambro

166

Carta Mundi

136

Joluet Games

192

Schleich

186

Casdon

194

Jumbo

172

Simba Smoby

176

Century Logistics

200

Juratoys

150

Smart Games

182

Character Options

118

K play

196

Spin Master

152

Clementoni

170

KD Toys

166

Tactic Games

188

Click

170

Kiddimoto

150

Tobar

162

Darpeje

180

Kidicraft

176

Tomy

162

DKL

126

Kids @ Play

202

Toy Essentials

192

DWSD

206

Knex

154

Trends

164

Epoch

194

KSG

138

UL

190

Esdevium

138

Leapfrog

116

Underground Toys

198

Eurofins

202

Learning Resources

196

University Games

168

Famosa

174

Lego

132

Vivid

124

Fiesta Crafts

204

Little Helper

202

Vtech

122

Flair

120

Marbel

178

Winning Moves

160

Flying Gadgets

178

Marvins Magic

148

Wooky

160

Funrise

172

MGA

188

Zeon

190

Toy World 108

touchingbase

Sponsored by

Toy Fair First-Timers Toy World spoke to a number of first-time exhibitors at Toy Fair to find out what they’ll be unveiling at the show.

Bizzy Bits

Jazwares

Rachel Fogel

Jonny Taylor

“Jazwares is one of the world’s fastest growing toy companies: we have offices in Fort Lauderdale, London, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Bentonville. The company manufactures action figures, role play, plush, papercraft and youth electronics.

The company has launched its second sandbox video game toy line, Terraria, which is an adventure game that enables players to dig, fight, explore and build in a world with a variety of settings. The toy line will include action figures, role-play toys, plush and a play set at the top end.

We are also launching a new range of Blueprints paper craft under the Star Wars, Marvel and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles licences, and a new collectible line called Flick-to-Stick Bungees, which will be coming to the market in spring.

2015 is a significant year for Jazwares as we will start to trade with our customers on a domestic supply basis in the UK for the first time. As a result, we felt it was crucial to exhibit at the London Toy Fair, as it is the biggest UK industry event of the year and all of our customers and partners will be there under one roof.”

Bonnie & Pearl

“Having observed children of various ages and abilities playing with the various other construction toys on the market, we developed a totally new and innovative ball and socket style system that is fun, versatile and easy to use for children of all ages.

The brightly coloured BizzyBitz pieces encourage children to create all sorts of different shapes and models.

We’ll be exhibiting all our newly branded and re-packaged Bizzy Bitz range. We’ve done a lot of work and research this year about what retailers want and we’ve come up with a great range of products.

We had some space on the Good Toy Guide’s stand last year, and we realised that we needed to have our own stand so we could make advance appointments with retailers to see our full range. Toy Fair is one of the few opportunities we get to meet the big retailers and it’s also where a lot of decisions are made.”

Smart Games Karen Clarke

“To support the growing demand for Smart Toys and Games in the UK, the official UK office was launched in September 2014. The range includes SmartGames, the worldwide leader in multi-level logic games, and SmartMax, the award winning pre-school construction system. The 2015 range will include the new SmartGames Three Little Piggies, two new IQ games, plus some new licences. Having enjoyed a successful launch, our UK team is really looking forward to the year ahead.”

Nicola Evans & Lisa Pearce-Bridgeman “Bonnie & Pearl launched in September 2013. We are two Welsh mums who had a dream to inspire creativity, imagination and friendship within little ones. At the show we will be highlighting our handmade play dolls, clothing and accessories.

We believe exhibiting at Toy Fair 2015 will be the perfect opportunity to expand our business across the UK and internationally. “

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Toy Fair 2015

IVS Group

Anagranimals

Namita Kapoor

Leith Moghli

“Anagranimals is a new company, founded by husband and wife team, Leith and Heidi Moghli. The company will be launching a new range of interchangeable plush toy animals. The toys are based on the characters from the popular Anagranimal children’s books.The unusual thing about the Anagranimals is that they can all swap body parts between themselves. Each plush toy comes in three separate parts that stick together with velcro allowing kids to create all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures. There are currently six characters to collect with 216 potential Anagranimal combinations.

We have had an incredible amount of success promoting the Anagranimal story books over the past 12 months. Development of the accompanying range of plush toys has been underway for some time and we felt that Toy Fair 2015 was the perfect opportunity to unveil these to the industry.”

Milly & Flynn Michael Byrd

“Milly & Flynn is an exciting new pre-school publisher of books, puzzles and games.

Inspired by the company founder’s children and their love of beautiful pre-school products, we have created a range that children will enjoy and treasure. We design, develop, manufacture and market ranges of beautiful pre-school books, puzzles, toys and games. The company works in conjunction with recognised children’s licenses and leading illustrators to produce beautifully written and illustrated products. At Toy Fair we will be highlighting our new licenced wooden toy ranges, licenced puzzles and our own brand products. We believe in the quality and design of our products and are really excited to be able to show them to the influential buyers that Toy Fair attracts.”

“Established in 1996 as a Live Events Merchandising Company, IVS Group specialises in the global management, product development and sales of official merchandise for live events. The company has worked on some of the biggest global family entertainment brands, including How to Train Your Dragon Live. We’ve been producing and selling toys for years exclusively in the live events space. Our success in this area has led us to look at taking the next step and expanding into retail. Our first venture is a partnership with Hoho Entertainment as the master toy licencee for Cloudbabies.

We are making our Toy Fair debut with a new younger look toy range featuring ten products aimed at children 12 –18 months+, including Six Inch Plush, My First Cloudbabies, Cloudbabies Blankies and Glow Babas.

It’s the biggest toy fair of the year and we knew it was the only place to start our journey into retail. We are very excited about meeting the wider community and showing them our brand new range of toys.”

Joluet Games Warwick Brindley

“Joluet is a new company and Turbo Words is our inaugural game. We are going to Toy Fair to release the game, commence our promotions and hopefully make some sales to retailers/distributors. We have high hopes for Turbo Words.”

Funrise

Michael Vesterlund “Founded in 1987, Funrise Toys is an adventurous innovator of superior toys. We will be highlighting our bubble brand Gazillion and one of our most successful lines, My Little Pony plush. For the past decade, Gazillion Bubbles have remained the premium bubble choice for consumers all over the world, with popular items like the Bubble Hurricane, the Flash Ray gun, various Incredible Wands and more. In 2014, the brand celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Our strategy going in to Toyfair is to reintroduce Funrise Toys, going back with a full “in-house” operation in the UK. We see the Toy Fair as the perfect event to reach out to the trade and to meet retailers from every part of the country.”

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Toy Fair 2015

Hornby

Stand D11 01843 233 500 | www.hornby.com

H

ornby will be introducing key new lines in each of the main brands in its portfolio for 2015, including Corgi, Airfix and Scalextric.

In 1965 Corgi won the first Toy of the Year award for the Goldfinger James Bond Aston Martin DB5. In January 2015, Hornby will be launching a brand new, fully- featured DB5 for the latest generation of James Bond fans, extending a tradition which dates back half a century. With the suave British agent returning to screens in November in his latest movie, Spectre, Hornby is anticipating strong demand for this model throughout the year.

A limited number will be produced in gold to celebrate the original model, making it the perfect nostalgia and collector’s item.

The new models will be unveiled at Toy Fair, where a real, life-sized version of the DB5 will also be on display.

The Corgi model comes complete with the iconic silver livery of the film, James Bond driver, secret operating features, an ejector seat, retractable machine guns and telescopic over riders, rear bullet screen and a rotating number plate. Each model is displayed in a retro-styled anniversary box The launch of the DB5 will be supported by an engaging and multi-faceted consumer marketing programme spanning TV, PR, digital and in-store.

2015 will also see a selection of new Airfix

Quickbuild models introduced, including the Bugatti Veyron, which comes with 35 push-fit parts, a highly-detailed sticker sheet, easy-roll wheels and rubber tyres.

The model is based on the original Bugatti Veyron, which was nominated as Top Gear’s car of the decade.

The Airfix Quickbuild Bugatti Veyron requires no paint or glue, but delivers all the fun of construction. When complete it creates a realistic model of this extreme supercar for play or display. The launch will be supported by a TV advertising campaign.

Hornby has announced a new brand

Toy World 114

partnership between its Scalextric brand and Mercedes, which will see the launch of a new APP race-control system, allowing users to wirelessly create and manage races with a handheld smart device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

Racers will experience everything a real Mercedes driver would, as the ARC records competitors’ lap times and simulates tyre wear, fuel loads and pit stops. The Scalextric ARC Mercedes Championship set will be launched in September.

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Available from July 2015

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Articulation and motorised movement

Play games & quizzes, and ask him questions

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TV campaign commencing July with 500 TVRs

Cross-platform marketing campaign

K I D SA FE INTERNET

Toy Fair 2015

LeapFrog

Stand B40 01702 200 244 | www.leapfrogstore.co.uk

L

eapFrog will be kicking off its 20th anniversary year by exhibiting its innovative products from 2014 at the London Toy Fair.

2014 saw two new additions to LeapFrog’s award winning line of LeapPad tablets, as well as a bold move into exciting new territories with the launch of LeapBand, the first wearable kids activity tracker, and LeapTV, the first video games console designed specifically for young children.

Video gaming made smarter, LeapTV puts learning in motion with three unique ways to play for children aged three to eight years old. Designed from the ground-up for children, LeapTV combines activity and movement with the best-in-class educational curriculum and was one of the top toys for Christmas 2014. LeapFrog also entered the progressive world

of wearable technology with LeapBand in 2014, the first wearable activity tracker designed just for kids. The device encourages active play and healthy habits in children while nurturing their very own personalised virtual pet for children aged four to seven years old.

As part of LeapFrog’s exciting year, the brand also added LeapPad3 to its family of children’s tablets, the LeapPad family (NPD, November 2014). LeapPad3 is the fastest, high-performance five-inch screen tablet ever from LeapFrog. Kid-smart, kid-safe and kid-tough, LeapPad3 has been designed to provide children with the perfect combination of performance, durability and safety in their first tablet, along with access to LeapFrog’s awardwinning Learning Library of over 700 games, apps, eBooks, videos, music and more.

Sally Plumridge, International Marketing Director at LeapFrog, comments: “We are renowned for revolutionising learning experiences for children, but 2014 really was a ground-breaking year for LeapFrog.

Not only did we continue to lead our core sector in innovation with the launch of two brand new tablets, we boldly moved into exciting new territory with the launch of the first video games console and the first wearable activity tracker designed specifically for young children. We passionately believe that there is a positive place for technology in a child’s development and these new devices change the way children can learn by combining activity and movement with best-in-class educational curriculum.

With a team of qualified learning experts at the heart of all our products, parents trust LeapFrog for safety and education, whilst children look to us for entertainment as they grow.

We won’t disappoint in 2015 where we will also be celebrating our 20th anniversary. We have extremely high hopes for next year and will continue building on the 2014 success story by delivering and delighting families with even more new entertaining products and first class educator approved content.”

Toy Fair 2015

Character Options Stand E119 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com

C

haracter Options will follow a successful 2014 with a line up of new brands that will add to the existing portfolio of properties.

In the world of youth electronics the award winning Teksta brand will announce the Teksta Scorpion, which introduces a new level of electronic interactivity with an IR remote that straps to the back of the hand allowing full 360 degree realistic movement. Articulated giant pincers can pick things up and the creature can battle with two or more arachnids.

Little Live Pets launched in 2014 and spring has seen the addition of a new bird species and sparkling butterflies, plus a mummy owl and baby that tweet to each other. This autumn will see the launch of new characters, plus fans will be able to collect a whole new species of mice and a host of habitats and playsets for them.

Also available will be a large scale fully interactive and intelligent bird which will be the smartest Little Live Pet to date.

The Wild Pets range introduces realistic furry giant spiders that can be controlled by touch. With LED lights to change the colour of the eyes and various attack modes, Wild Pets will be available either as a single spider or with their very own habitat.

The Zelfs will launch the series five collection, which features new animals in a variety of poses with new pattern hair designs. New to the second half will be a crystal theme across Medium and Super Zelfs, whilst the new Deluxe Zelf will include crystal glow, fibre optic hair and poseable flapping wings.

Peppa’s Holiday collection, with its Holiday Jet, Camper Van Playset and Sunshine Villa, launches in January. Adding to this in autumn is Peppa’s Once Upon a Time collection inspired by childhood fairytales. Figure packs of Peppa and her friends will come in fancy dress, such as Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Playsets will also be given a magical touch and for little brother George, there’s a new adventure with the Follow Me Home Dragon alongside Peppa’s Enchanting Tower.

2015 will also see the eagerly awaited introduction of The Clangers and the launch of a brand new TV Series produced in the same stop-frame animation as the original of the 1970s. At the heart of the

collection will be playsets that echo scenes and features from the show such as Major Clanger and his Musical Boat and a Deluxe Clanger Planet Playset. Also in the range will be a collection of knitted figures of all the characters including Small the curious Clanger and Tiny the musical maestro. The Soup Dragon will be available whilst the Iron Chicken is presented as a construction kit for older kids.

Creative play will see the introduction of Character’s new food brand, Yummie Nummies. Yummie Nummies is a way for children to make miniature treats that look and taste like the real thing using pre mixed magic sachets of ingredients. It features both sweet and savoury treats.

The Beados range will expand with the addition of the new Beados Gem collection. Each pack includes sparkly gem shaped beads, that stick together with just a spray of water. Key to the range is the Beados Colour Gem Studio, with top loading rotating bead tray and easy to control bead pen attachment, to make sparkly jewellery creations and decorations.

The Shimmer and Sparkle collection which includes the Cra-Z-Knitz Design Station and Twist ‘n’ Wear Fashion Maker will be extended with a new range of creative kits.

Crystal Craze will allow kids to create sparkling accessories by using rows of crystal stickers to decorate items such as cuff bracelets, hairbands and clutch bags.

The Shimmer Sparkle brand will be supported by a multiplatform marketing including TV, girls’ press and its own YouTube channel.

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Toy Fair 2015

GP Flair

Stand E39 0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk

G

P Flair is unveiling World of Warriors, new boys’ collectible Mutant Mania and some additions for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), plus girls’ and creative portfolios continue to grow with new properties.

The World of Warriors range from Mind Candy boasts figure packs in twos, fours and eights with 120 figures to collect in Series One alone. A Battle Arena Playset will be where fans can emulate game play whilst Deluxe Action Figures with special moving features will represent lead characters of the app. A collection of role play accessories is also included in the launch with soft masks, shields and weapons. The marketing plan will echo the importance of the brand in Flair’s autumn line-up with a robust sampling campaign which is scheduled prior to launch, plus heavyweight TV, digital and pre-roll activity, in-store sampling, character visits and swap days.

Spring will see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles enter the pre-school market with the launch of the Half-Shell Heroes. With cuter, pre-school styling, the collection will include figures, vehicles and playsets, plus an Electronic Shellraiser. The heroes of the range will be the Super Sewer HQ, which comes with two additional figures and over 50 phrases and sound effects, and the Mega Mutant Leo with loads of Ninja action features and moving eyes.

The all new Season Three TV Series debuts in spring, kick-starting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles year. The Mutations range, the most successful segment in Turtles history, has been revamped for a new generation. There are nine characters to collect and consumers can mix and match the heroes and villains with interchangeable arms, legs and heads.

Mutations Deluxe Figures change from Pet Turtle to Ninja Turtle in seconds. The autumn season will see the launch of a new playset that comes loaded with features and can be used as storage for the figures.

The classic TMNT series will see the launch of four new mega deluxe figures in autumn. These 11” IR Talking Turtles come with a sensor so they can intercommunicate and activate special interactive features.

The Mutant Mania collection consists of mix and match wrestling mutant collectibles which come in several parts

with a flexi spine. With 121 in Round 1 alone, there are a colossal 1.8million wrestling combos to create. Children can collect as single cans or four and eight packs, whilst playsets have themes such as the Slambulance Mutant Masher and Rampage Arena. The launch plan is designed to emulate that of Trash Pack but early figures show almost double the sales at retail.

The company’s girls’ portfolio will see a new pet collectable, Pet Club Parade. The range consists of realistic-looking puppy breeds plus a host of accessories and playsets.

Six dogs will be in the main range for launch, including a Labrador, Pug and Dalmatian, with an additional three exclusive puppies to collect plus a multi-featured caring and training playset.

Season Three of Shopkins is soon to launch with an array of colourful new characters. The new season will see the introduction of themed segments within the range including Food and Fashion Spree.

The WILD! Science brand is now within the company’s portfolio and aims to introduce simple, scientific principles in a way that is both fun and interactive. There are eleven sets to choose from and the packaging has been refreshed.

Continuing the theme of innovation is Flair’s Cool Create division and I-DO-3D. I-DO-3D is a stylus containing a unique patented compound in a variety of colours.

The product allows children to transform 2D templates to 3D models using a four second air-dry formula. The I-DO-3D styluses will be available in a range of activity kits that include ‘how to’ guide templates and guidebooks.

For pre-schoolers, Doc McStuffins sees Dottie the little girl medic turning her attention to healing toy animals. The Doc McStuffins Pet Vet series has Dottie donning her new look paw-print scrubs and introducing new pet toys to the patient list.

Toy World 120

Brand New Packaging

Easter TV Campaign

New Seaside Range

Range doubling in size!

New Accessories New Theme Refills

making toys

Come & Limited

4 Ramsay Court, Hinchingbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6FY

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For more information call:

or email: sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Toy Fair 2015

VTech

Gallery 500 01235 546 810 www.vtech.co.uk

V

Tech is launching a number of new products as well as making developments to established ranges.

Toot-Toot Animals, created for children aged one to five years old, is expanding its range with the introduction of a Toot-Toot farm and separate animals which include a sheep, pig, donkey, cow and horse. Joining the tiger, hippo, monkey, elephant, lion and zebra, these new additions each have fun phrases and realistic sound effects. Encouraging motor skill development and imaginative play, Toot-Toot animals teach singing, pretend play and sounds. The animals respond to SmartPoint locations on Toot-Toot Animals play sets with different phrases, sound effects and more.

VTech’s 2 in 1 Trike Bike, for young children aged 18 - 36 months, can be transformed into either a three wheeled trike or two wheeled balance bike and also features an electronic front panel with three light-up arrow buttons teaching driving concepts, colours, objects and imitative play. The trike mode teaches youngsters gross motor skills while the bike mode develops balance. The 2 in 1 Trike Bike also includes five sing-along songs and 15 melodies.

The company is launching products in the girls’ collectible category for the first time and adding electronics which are new to this sector.

Flipsies are a group of collectible friends and play sets which transfer the real world into the dream world for girls aged four to seven years.

VTech will be adding to its Little Love range with the new Learn to Walk doll. This product for children aged two plus years interacts through 10 different activities. Featuring fun phrases, sounds and melodies, the doll not only encourages role play but also learns to crawl and walk. Little Love Baby Talk is for children aged two plus. This voice-activated baby doll encourages learning; the more you talk to it, the more words it will learn and repeat. The doll sings 10 melodies and also features drinking and giggling sound effects. It comes with an outfit, dummy and feeding bottle. Accompanying the doll is the Little Love 3-in-1 Pushchair, which transforms into a stroller, high-chair and cot.

The interactive components encourage motor skills, language development, role play and imaginative play.

In Q1, the company will be launching an addition to the Kidizoom range with the Action Cam. The product, for children aged five plus,

allows budding photographers to take photos and videos on the go and comes complete with a waterproof case and mounts for bikes and skateboards. Children can add photo effects to their images and create stop motion videos.

The InnoTab Max, for 3-8 year olds, is new to the award-winning InnoTab family. It’s the first high-tech tablet to feature an Android operating system, giving the performance of an adult device but specifically designed for kids.

It features a dual-core CPU, a high resolution 7” display and Wi-Fi capabilities. It also benefits from 8GB storage, a five-point multi-touch screen, a microphone and a two megapixel camera for taking photographs and filming videos. It offers 200 Android educational games and more than 500 downloads from VTech’s Learning Lodge including letter matching, logic, numbers and spelling.

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Toy Fair 2015

Vivid

Stand E135 / Gallery 440 01473 322 000 | www.drumondpark.com

B

lasting off in 2015, the Thunderbirds Are Go TV series is aiming to emulate the success of the original series. The toy range will be landing into stores in AW15.

The Tracy Island Playset is packed full with features and story telling sounds. All the vehicles fit inside Tracy Island and iconic launch sequences from the TV series can be replicated. The rest of the launch range will include 3.75” Figures, the Thunderbirds Vehicles and TB2 Playset.

Real FX is next generation slotless racing, providing a realistic driving experience. Each car is fitted with infrared Opto sensors which read the track at 200 times per second. The artificial intelligence means a second car can drive around the track by itself and compete against the user.

Track hazards, from tyre blowouts to oil spills in the racing system create an experience as though video gaming meets slot racing in real life, and with no slots.

Following on from the success of this year’s My Friend Cayla come two new propositions for next Christmas, My Friend Teddy and i-Que robot, which also work by connecting them to a smart device via Bluetooth. Both items will be supported by a heavyweight TV campaign from launch.

My Friend Teddy, aimed at pre-schoolers, is The Bear Who Really Knows You. Parents can enter details of the child and their family into the app, and Teddy will incorporate them into the things it says. It interacts with lots of activities within the app which change in complexity as the child develops. My Friend Teddy is soft, has touch sensors in its tummy, hands and feet and will giggle when tipped upside down. i-Que Intelligent Robot is packed full of jokes, trivia, sound effects, quizzes and games. Children can test its knowledge or play with i-Que like a regular action figure, with its articulated arms and legs, animated lights, jittery thinking cap and twisting waist.

After a successful 2014, AniMagic Plush is set for continued growth going into 2015. With a new packaging style guide, fresh product introductions with new features and price points, AniMagic will have a complete makeover for Autumn Winter, boosting the plush range at retail. AniMagic Rescue Hospital will also expand for 2015 with new themes and product SKUs. Both brands will benefit from a targeted marketing campaign.

Crayola have a series of key product launches coming for 2015. The Paint Maker allows the creation of custom paint colours in minutes.

Crayola’s new Augmented Reality colouring in sub-brand Colour Alive is to have significant expansion throughout 2015. Building upon the spring launch of colouring books, including the arrival of the hugely popular Minions franchise, Colour Alive Action Match enables corresponding pages to interact with each other in Augmented Reality, and is supported across Star Wars Rebels and Frozen licenses.

Colour Alive Virtual Design Pro offers interactivity with creative potential. The Fashion Collection and Design & Drive utilise Colour Alive technology to transform designs into 3D, as well as personalise them, before use on the virtual runway or race track.

Vivid Group’s new Drumond Park Division is showing a range of new games titles.

Logo Lite is a fast-paced game that can be played individually or with family and friends.

260 brand new cards can be used to enhance the original best-selling Logo game. Logo Lite’s challenge is for players to answer all the questions on a card and collect one of each of the six coloured disks.

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In Rattle Me Bones the skeleton of an old pirate reclines on its treasure trove, and players must creep up stealthily and steal its possessions. But it may leap up, rattling and shaking to scare away the thief.

In Og on the Bog, the ogre has retired to its outhouse loo, and players must collect three loo rolls to win without triggering a shout from Og. However, if he farts, bonus loo rolls can be collected, while if the bog explodes players have to start again.

Avoiding the howling cat, tinkling bell and hooting owl, players of Don’t Wake Dad must creep past Dad as he snores in bed, trying to reach the fridge and win the cake.

Barbecue Party is a simple game for younger children which helps aid their dexterity. Players take a card and either place the item shown on the grill – or if it’s there already, take it off and win that card.

These titles, from pre-school to adult, add to Drumond Park’s existing portfolio of perennial favourites.

Toy Fair 2015

DKL

Stand E66 01604 678 780 | www.dkl.co.uk

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fter a successful 25th year of business, DKL are moving full steam ahead into 2015 with new lines and perennial bestsellers.

Launching at Toy Fair is Smencils. The stationery range includes scented pencils, pens, USB sticks, pencil cases and even scented stuffed animals. The designs and smells will attract visitors. The products are competitively priced and available in eye-catching display units. The scents of the collectible fragrant items will last for two years, and Smencils items are environmentally friendly – the pencils, for example, are made from 100% recycled newspaper.

Hama Beads, will continue to evolve and expand in 2015 with more licensed products featuring Hello Kitty, Disney Palace Pets and Doc McStuffins. Lines have also been added to the pick-up gift box collection, My Pocket Hama. Amongst the new additions to My Pocket Hama is the seasonal Halloween gift box.

The Munchkin range will again return with new toys which are practical for parents. The bath toy collection is strengthened by new interactive products, whilst the range will also benefit from whole new collections of Travel and Nursery items. Highlights include the Magical Firefly Mirror, an interactive and animated mirror which entertains and soothes young children during car journeys.

Another of DKL’s brands, Miniland Educational, will also have new and modern products on display at Toy Fair. 2014 saw Miniland Educational become a stand-out brand in the educational toys sector, and it will continue to offer educational items in 2015.

The lacing sets have been popular attractions, Activity Buttons in particular received focus and attention from retailers and consumers alike. Play Miniland, a new collection of digital resources is going to be showcased as the educational brand adapts to become more relevant in the digital age. The app and resources are suitable for both teachers and parents, and there are several products to accompany the digital features. The company will also be demonstrating the Miniland Moogy app alongside the expanded Moogy range which centres on a plush dragon character.

After a successful first eight months at DKL, the Breyer Model Horses brand will continue to expand. In its 65th anniversary year, Breyer Model Horses will unveil a limited edition Polo Collection which has been designed to appeal to British fans and collectors of model horses.

Another addition is the Let’s Go Racing set which comes complete with a jockey to fit the model horse and a poster.

Furthermore, to celebrate the brand’s anniversary there will be a limited edition anniversary horse. Also look out for the new craft kits and plush toys. The miniature plush horses, Little Beanies, for example, are pick-up products which will be available in practical and effective CDUs. Established characters such as Frankel, will also be on display.

The premium doll brand, Corolle, will also be on display where visitors will have the chance to view the various new lines for 2015. The range has been updated with fresh colours and designs, offering retailers more choice. The Les Cheries collection which features fashion dolls will have three new dolls including Chloe Ballerina and Camille Ballerina.

The award-winning Wonderworld Wooden Toys brand will return to Toy Fair. Following the positive reception of the Trix Tracks range, DKL will be unveiling brand new Trix Tracks items. Visitors will have the chance to play with the new Cat and Mouse track. Other new Wonderworld items will be debuted at Olympia alongside old favourites such as the Rainbow Sound Blocks.

In 2015, the company will continue to provide marketing support across all of its brands including dedicated planograms, consumer PR and extensive social media activity.

Toy Fair 2015

IMC

Stand E129 01904 720908 | www.imctoys.com

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ffering product based on favourite characters, IMC has a range of products spanning across all categories, from arts and crafts to plush.

The new Minnie and Mickey Happy Sounds plush toys can be squeezed to hear them giggle and laugh. The toys are the latest in the company’s line of Minnie and Mickey Mouse products.

Sleepy Minnie and Mickey Mouse products are ideal nap-time companions.

When Mickey or Minnie is lying on their side, they will snore. When sat up, they will wake up with a yawn. The plush toys are dressed in pyjamas The new Disney Frozen Recording Microphone is perfect for singing hit songs from the film and recording them with a press of a button. The microphone also includes sound effects and music.

With the Frozen inspired Walkie Talkies, children can pretend to be Frozen characters Elsa, Anna or Olaf. They can be taken out and about or simply used around the house.

The Sofia the First Remote Control Carriage is pulled along by Sofia’s horse Minimus. The remote control is easy to use for little hands; the carriage can move forward and turn around.

Over the past couple of years IMC Toys has achieved success with its Club Petz range, in particular Lucy the Dog, and has announced the expansion of the brand.

The company is set to introduce some new characters into the range which are detailed below, and a mystery new item which will be revealed at London Toy Fair. Lucy the Dog will also receive a product update, with three new functions being added to its existing 12.

The Club Petz range will now include the following: Charlie Funny Talkie, who can be worn on the shoulder like a real parrot or carried it in its cage.

Funny Monkey, an IMC classic who with a squeeze of its hand goes into laughing fits, rolling around and even trumping. The monkey shakes with laughter and its googly eyes wobble.

Blu Blu the Dolphin can be fed fish and then helped to gently fall asleep with its dummy or rubbing its forehead. This

interactive toy responds to attention.

On the back of the success of Blu Blu the Dolphin, IMC introduces the Blu Blu Friends, Connie the Orca, Sammi the Whale and Holly the Dolphin. The toys interact and talk with each other and Blu Blu the Dolphin.

Lucy the Dog has soft fur and interacts like a real pet. Lucy can respond to 15x different voice commands. Once the name is programmed by saying it twice, the pet will respond to commands, for example, ’Lucy - sit’. Other commands include, beg,

bark, dance and even a kiss.

Caca Max will now be available to all retailers. The puppy walks at the press of the button on the lead, can be fed bones and which it poops out. Caca Max also barks and sits just like a real life puppy. The set includes four little bones, a broom, dustpan and three bandanas to dress it.

IMC Toys has promised that the mystery product will be one of its best products to date. Just one clue... it likes to eat Eucalyptus.

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Toy Fair 2015

Amscan

Stand B75 01908 288 500 | www.amscan.co.uk Amscan is returning to Toy Fair for the first time after a 15 year absence. The company is using the event as an opportunity to showcase its extensive range of party products, balloons and dress up costumes to the toy industry.

This One Stop Party Shop solution aims to bring total convenience to retailers so they can source everything they require for parties and celebrations in one place.

Amscan has a large licensed collection including more than 95 licensed properties of which there will be a variety of new ranges on display at the show. This will include collections of key children’s characters including Fireman Sam, SpongeBob SquarePants, Paddington Bear, Minions and party accessories from major Disney franchises Frozen, Avengers and Spiderman.

In addition to party and balloons there will be a variety of new costumes for toddlers and children, providing inspiration for fancy dress occasions including kids parties, Book Week and Halloween. Licensed Barbie outfits and clothes centring on the themes of pirates, story book characters, history and careers will add to the range.

Amscan also stocks leading face paint brand Snazaroo and will have a selection of face painting products on display to complement the costumes.

Anagranimals

Stand GH23 07736 299 200 | www.anagranimals.com Anagranimals is launching a range of collectible, interactive plush toys designed to encourage reading and word play.

The Anagranimals are a gang of strange creatures each made up of several different animals. The characters include Heidi the Hippo-Croco-Puss, Pedro the Pig-Orilla-Roo and Ebenezer the Ele-Zeb-Zee, to name a few.

The Anagranimals can all swap body parts between themselves to create a Hippo-RillaRoo or a Piggy-Croco-Puss and so on.

Each hand-stitched toy comes in three separate parts that stick together with Velcro, allowing kids to create weird and wonderful creatures as they build their collection. There are currently six characters to collect with 216 potential Anagranimal combinations.

Anagranimals co-founder and CEO Leith Moghli says: “The driving objective of the Anagranimals brand is to encourage children to explore their imaginations and to propel kids into a world where learning is fun. Kids are encouraged to make up their own animal combinations and think of names for their creations. For example, a Pig-Orilla-Roo could quite easily be a Kanga-Rilla-Pig or a Skippy-Rilla-Hog. Simple word play like this is fantastic for improving vocabulary and nurturing independent thinking.”

The new range follows in the wake of the popular Anagranimal children’s books. The first book in the series was published in Q4 2013 to rave reviews. More recently, the books have attracted the attention of publishers Hachette and HarperCollins who have been excited about the brand’s education potential.

The company is currently producing its books and toys in-house. However, the team are in discussions with potential licensees for future distribution and new product lines.

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2014-12-16 7:58 PM

Toy Fair 2015

Lego

Stand B70 www.lego.com

Bandai

Gallery 600 01489 790 944 | www.bandai.co.uk The new year will be getting off to a flying start for Bandai thanks to the imminent launch of Disney’s latest movie Big Hero 6.

Bandai’s range of toys includes collectible figures of all key characters, plush lines and role-play. The star item is the DX Flying Baymax with a 46cm extending wingspan, rocket fist and light and flight sound effects, plus fans can build their own Armour Up Baymax from more than 20 pieces to recreate one of the memorable scenes from the movie. There will be a demonstration at the stand as well as screenings of the TV adverts which will start airing from the end of January.

Power Rangers fans are now counting down to the first airing of the Dino Charge TV series this summer where a new team of Rangers must find the lost Energems and use their Dino Chargers to power an arsenal of dino-fuelled weapons, Zords and Megazords to save the world. The strikingly colourful new toy range covering figures, role play and the ever popular Zord Builder range will be unveiled for the first time at Toy Fair. The launch of Dino Charge will be supported by a dedicated 360° marketing and PR campaign and will be a major priority for Bandai this year.

Visitors to the Bandai stand will also be introduced to Sprukits, a new range of figural model kits based on the legendary Gunpla series from Japan featuring characters from the DC comics and Halo. New pocket money collectibles Hatch n’ Heroes are a unique way for children to play with their favourite Disney characters and dinosaurs, these articulated figures turn from egg to hero in a few simple steps.

Bandai is also the new home of Monchhichi and the fresh collection launching in March will be seen for the first time at Olympia, alongside a beautifully designed FSDU for in-store display.

Finally, there is also the world of Tamagotchi Dream Town where the latest digital friend devices, collectible figures and playsets will all be on show.

New Lego City spring/summer 2015 themes and product launches have been developed to maintain its key position. Expandable playthemes will include Demolition and Swamp Police, while Lego City Vehicles will extend the successful Great Vehicles concept to target treats and loyalty purchase opportunities.

Ninjago will be renewed with a collection of playthemes and action toys. With content already on Cartoon Network, the brand looks set for an impactful year ahead. Bionicle will also return to shelves in 2015 with fastto-build and easy-to-rebuild action figures, offering more elements and power up models with dual weapons for collectability.

Pocket money collectible brands, Minifigures and Mixels, will both continue to launch three range waves throughout 2015. Popular ranges including Chima will see conflict-driven storylines and new mini figure tribe collectable packs, while Ultra Agents will focus on new models and iconic vehicles.

New range Speed Champions will introduce a range of racing cars from some of the most well-known premium performance car brands in the world. Launching in March 2015 this new brand will allow children to build, race and role-play with their cars, which will include minifigures.

Technic is a classic evergreen that caters for the slightly older boy, delivering some of the most identifiable real-life vehicles with authentic features and functions. Spring/Summer 2015 will see the introduction of models across varying price points including the 24 Hour Race Car. Build to play or display, this is the premium Lego range where vehicles actually work like the real thing. Q1 will see more of the low price point pullback action vehicles which use pull back motors to create a simple function and build for quick, achievable success.

The launch of Lego Minecraft at the end of 2014 also brings the Lego experience to older boys. Offering a physical Minecraft experience, the Lego sets inspire children to continue their Minecraft building in the real world.

Lego Star Wars further expands its universe in 2015 to reflect the anticipated cinematic comeback by introducing novelties and redesigned best-sellers.

The partnership between Lego, DC Comics and Marvel will see the unveiling of more Spiderman lines plus the introduction of Justice League and The Avengers. The Lego Super Heroes range of conflict play theme sets offers characters, collectible minifigures and scenes from both the DC and Marvel super hero universe. A selection of products will be launched to coincide with the theatrical release of Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and complementing associated Spiderman content during cartoon season.

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DKL Marketing Ltd 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton NN3 6QD, UK tel. 01604 678780 • email. dkl@dkl.co.uk • web. www.dkl.co.uk

facebook.com/DKL.Toys

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Toy Fair 2015

Bananagrams

Stand F101 020 7298 9500 | www.bananagrams.com Bananagrams is launching Bananagrams WildTiles in the UK. The game, which enjoyed a highly successful debut as a Target and Target. com exclusive in the USA last summer, will be distributed in the UK by Winning Moves UK. The game includes six unique monkey WildTiles, putting an allnew spin on the original Bananagrams game. Now, with Bananagrams WildTiles, players can pick up a WildTile and play it as any letter, as they race to complete their grids. If they change their mind as the game progresses, just like every other tile in play, they can move their WildTile around as they rework their grid and it can become any letter they wish.

Rena Nathanson, of Bananagrams, says: “We’re confident that Bananagrams WildTiles will be as big a hit in the UK as it has been in the US. Fans of our classic Bananagrams are sure to love this new take on the game, offering endless word creation. For new players, WildTiles is a great introduction to our range and it’s a solid addition to our line of fun and educational games.”

The Bananagrams brand is looking forward to an exciting 2015, with the first ever Bananagrams Challenge taking place in 500 primary schools during Q1. Culminating in a live grand final in Central London at the end of March, the tournament will crown a primary school child as the UK’s first ever ‘Top Banana’. As part of its mission to get children playing with words, Bananagrams launched the challenge to help boost vocabulary and spelling skills in classrooms and after-school clubs across the country. With the new National Curriculum putting added emphasis on spelling this year, the challenge materials and games have been designed specifically to incorporate the new Key Stage 2 spelling lists and to add value to classroom learning.

Rena continues: “The Bananagrams Challenge is the result of years of hard work and is something my father and I talked about when we first invented the game back in 2006. Part of the reason Bananagrams was born was out of a desire to help kids play with words, which ultimately enhances their appreciation of language and their grasp of spelling and literacy. I’m thrilled that the challenge has proved so popular with schools across the country and I’m committed to making it a key part of schools’ plans for years to come. We’re already planning for the 2015/2016 tournament to be even bigger and better.”

Bigjigs Toys

Stand H01 01793 461 650 | www.bigjigstoys.com 2015 marks a special milestone for Bigjigs Toys as the company celebrates 30 years of ‘Creating Perfect Playrooms’.

Bigjigs will be introducing three new additions to its Jigsaw Puzzle range, the first line of products that saw Bigjigs enter the toy world arena back in the 1980s. Each of the new colourful Arched Puzzles is split in to three levels, allowing youngsters to develop their dexterity and problem solving skills as they build a unique scene with each layer. The puzzle designs portray popular themes of dinosaurs, the home, and farm animals.

Meanwhile, Bigjigs Rail receives two very exciting new ranges: Dino Range and Farm Range, both sporting the new-style Bigjigs Rail packaging. Both build upon the popularity of miniature wooden railway and extend the scope for imaginative play with a designs based on two favourite themes among preschoolers.

Bigjigs Rail Dino Range combines the themes of trains and dinosaurs. The detailed Dino Train, Ribcage Tunnel, Bronto Rise, Dino Crane and T-rex Tunnel are all rail accessories available to add a new dimension to an existing wooden railway or extend the 49-piece Dinosaur Train Set. The 44-piece Farm Train Set offers railway adventures in a rural setting at an affordable price. The Farm Range Hay Barn, Farm Bridge, Country Windmill, Farm Train and Chicken Shed Tunnel are all accessories to add to the set.

A brand new selection of traditional games will also be joining the Bigjigs Games range. New Animal-Shut-The-Box, Ludo, Lotto and Mastermind are just some of the new additions to the company’s portfolio of classic games with a modern twist.

Adding to its Heritage Playset collection, Bigjigs has introduced Sunflower Cottage, complete with 33 play pieces and a sheet of stickers for customised decoration.

New to the Bigjigs Baby range is the colourful Number Stacking Tower. Working out the correct order in which to build the tower helps strengthen basic numeracy and problem solving skills.

Seven new faces join the Bigjigs Toys plush range for 2015. These cheerful and traditional plush dolls are large in both character and size, with a height of 350mm.

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Toy Fair 2015

BizzyBitz

Stand GH27 0208 8068 283 | www.bizzy-bitz.com BizzyBitz is a new construction toy range which boasts numerous educational advantages for a reasonable price-tag. This fun toy is versatile, flexible and easy to use for children aged from 3-13.

The vibrant and varied shapes lock together using a simple and patented universal ‘ball and socket’ system – perfect for tiny fingers to construct anything their imagination conjures up.

Created by a family with decades of experience of working with children in the education sector, BizzyBitz delivers a set of educational values. From a creative and physical development perspective, the range is suitable for all ability levels and enhances fine motor skills, while it also offers the chance for children to develop their problem solving, engineering and emotional skills through play, both alone and with others.

BizzyBitz has been highly acclaimed by Ofsted inspectors and can be enjoyed either at home, at preschool or in the classroom. With endless construction capabilities, BizzyBitz aims to keep hands and minds busy for hours.

Bizzy Bitz has won many awards from the Good Toy Guide, Practical Pre-school, Rainbow Awards and the Creative Play Award.

Practical Pre-School Awards’ tester commented: “The Bizzy Bitz toys inspired the children to make many different things and they formed their own designs unaided. Some of the things created included a caterpillar, a necklace and a bridge. The pieces are brightly coloured and the element of flexibility is a great feature. The possibilities are endless and it is a brilliant toy for creative minds. It was very appealing to the children.”

BizzyBitz gives children freedom to let their imagination go wild as they set about creating all sorts of different shapes and models. From artistic necklaces and moving vehicles to complicated building structures and fun characters, children across the UK are already enjoying the product.

Cartamundi

Stand H1 01268 511 522 | www.cartamundi.com One year from the introduction of Shuffle at Toy Fair 2014, Cartamundi is celebrating successful launches in multiple territories as well as new additions to the Shuffle family of games. The company is also launching new additions to its core game ranges and previewing plans for its 250th anniversary.

Momentum is certainly behind Shuffle, Cartamundi’s brand new product category that combines playing cards and digital technology, with three new Shuffle games being put on display at Toy Fair.

The three card games – Shuffle Disney Frozen, Shuffle Disney Cars and Shuffle Monopoly Deal Disney Edition – are all based on popular Disney and Hasbro brands and include a free app which adds a new dimension to the playing.

Shuffle Frozen is a matching game, Shuffle Monopoly Deal Disney Edition is all about collecting properties in the form of Disney characters and Shuffle Disney Cars is about racing through the city, overtaking your opponents and refuelling as you go. The Shuffle Disney Monopoly Deal app brings the cards to life along with characters, the Shuffle Frozen app helps you with your matching and the Cars app introduces extra racing power or unexpected obstacles to make your race go faster or slower.

These three new releases bring the total of Shuffle games to date to 15. Shuffle Frozen has been available for delivery to toyshops, gift shops and supermarkets since late 2014 and retailers will be able to stock the Monopoly Deal Disney Edition and Disney Cars Shuffle games from January 2015.

Cartamundi is also using Toy Fair to highlight new games that are coming to retail soon in partnership with popular brands.

These include Animal Planet Cutie, a new game based on the Discovery Networks channel, and Frozen Two-in-one — a twogame pack based on the Disney hit film.

Visitors to the stand will have the chance to hear about the company’s plans for the expansion of its own brand children’s education games, and continuing expansion to the lines of licensed children’s and pre-school games that have proved major hits for Cartamundi for many years. They will also get a preview of future developments to the Shuffle line.

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Toy Fair 2015

Esdevium

Stand E109 01420 593 593 | www.esdeviumgames.com Esdevium will be showcasing its range of games and collectibles as well officially releasing two TV-licensed games.

After a late introduction last year, Esdevium’s best-selling Frozen board game will be available for the whole of 2015. The firm’s range of Disney-licensed games already includes Disney Princess, Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Doc McStuffins, and this year they will look to add even more in-demand licensed games with Star Wars, The Avengers, Marvel and more.

The Dobble Card Game had a great 2014, more than doubling its very respectable sales from the previous year, all without TV advertising. The game has been an easy sell for retailers, with its raw fun and simplicity, and Esdevium believes there is still plenty of room to grow the brand with the recently introduced Dobble Kids to appeal to an even wider market.

Another success from 2014 that Esdevium will be looking to build upon is the family game Hotel Tycoon. The 3D game will again be supported by a comprehensive media plan but this time having already established a firm foothold in the market.

A welcome addition for Esdevium will be the Front-Porch Classics collection, featuring titles such as Shut the Box, The World’s Best Dice Game and Boneyard Dominoes. The games are presented in high-quality wooden boxes that open out to reveal the attractive components. The Front Porch Classics will be on display at Toy Fair and exclusive to Esdevium Games throughout 2015.

TV-licensed games are another growth category for the company. After a soft launch in December, Toy Fair will see the official release of the 8 Out of 10 Cats and Countdown board games to join a collection that already includes Would I Lie to You and The Big Bang Theory party game.

KSG

Goldfish & Bison

Stand B60 01760 721 390 | www.sequinart.com

Stand E35 0208 5686 398 | www.goldfishandbison.com Goldfish & Bison will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Spirograph brand in 2015.

First introduced in 1965, Spirograph enables kids of all ages to draw cool, geometric creations in bright colour.

Goldfish & Bison is supporting the brand with exciting launches for 2015.

Goldfish & Bison is introducing the new Spirograph Design Studio, which comes with a motorised function that enables kids to draw the famous Spirograph patterns by simply inserting their pens and starting the motion. It’s accessible to everyone, comes with a selection of templates, pens and paper and the case stores everything.

A new Spirograph Animal Set will also be available. The set comes with two lion and dolphin templates, six Spirograph wheels and three colour pens, so kids can draw spiral patterns and animal shapes.

Also available will be the new Spirograph Complete Starter Set, with a handy carry case, which opens up to reveal 12 wheels all stored neatly in the lid, three coloured pens and paper.

The Megableu portfolio also continues to be a success for Goldfish & Bison and features games with strong visual recognition. The range includes titles, such as Ghost Hunt, Creepy Hand, Piggin Boogers, Cobra Attack and Spiderman Chase Rhino game. Goldfish & Bison will unveil new additions to the line-up from Megableu at the 2015 Toy Fairs featuring updated gameplay and working features.

Sequin Art, KSG’s brand leader, sees further strengthening on its core range with the introduction of seven new Sequin Art Red designs and an additional three in the original Sequin Art range.

Two brand new Sequin Art Tattoo products bring an innovative edge to the company’s goal of satisfying an emerging market that it has identified as a growth area.

A mannequin and an owl have been added to the 3D collection.

Also new off the KSG production line is the range Strictly Sequin Art which demonstrates a departure away from its standard range with four new designs. Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower are just two of the new attractions.

2015 sees the arrival of Sequin 60. Considerable market research and development has been invested in the new concept. The range is launched with the idea that a Sequin Art product can be completed by the consumer within 60 minutes.

Hero product “The year 2000 saw the launch of a Sequin Art Design Dolphin.

Amazingly, despite being 15 years old, it still sits proudly in our range today. The dolphin design was the first new addition off the Sequin Art conveyor belt, and was the start of what has turned into one of most successful crafts ranges the UK has enjoyed.”

Stephen Ducker

Toy World 138

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VISIT US AT LONDON TOY FAIR - STAND E46

Jumbo Games, 2 Carters Row, Hatfield Park, Hatfield, UK, AL9 5NB Telephone: 01707-289289 email: uk.saleshotline@jumbo.eu www.jumbo.eu Jumbo Toyworld childrens dec 2014.indd 2

03/12/2014 12:57

Toy Fair 2015

John Crane

Stand E20 01604 774 949 | www.john-crane.co.uk John Crane’s portfolio expands for 2015 to give a new dimension to its mix of wood, plush and plastic toys.

Tidlo is continuing to grow with three new lines for 2015.

An all new 30-piece General Hospital set that comes with an air ambulance, road ambulance, ward beds, privacy screens, surgery lights and tables, heart monitor, MRI scanner and an X-Ray machine with a wheelchair and stretchers is joined by a Garage Set and Campervan Ride-on.

The Our Generation Dolls range is about girls growing up together, a complete concept with accessories and ecofriendly packaging. The range will see 99 new products added to its portfolio. The Our Generation Retro Cruiser comes with lights, a removable roof and a real FM radio that plays favourite songs. Explore the world of cooking, cleaning, eating and organising with the Gourmet Kitchen; with dozens of tools, utensils and food items.

New in the B range is Mat-a-Matics B. This soft, fold away floor mat comes with four ways to play with multiple combinations: memory music, wacky sounds, melody mix or super dance to keep children fit and active. Continuing into 2015 are Woofer and Baa-Baa-Barn. The company is adding 10 new lines to the B collection in 2015 including a new look Symphony Symphony 2, as well as a Rock Symphony.

B-Baby offers a range of nine newborn toys from activity play mats to bath time sets. Sounds So Squeezy has four balls on a teething ring and Skipping Stones offers a variety of textures and colours to touch, build and dribble on. The twisting top keeps them secure when they’re stored away.

Galt Toys

Stand E9 0161 428 9111 | www.galttoys.com Galt Toys is launching a whole host of new products including Dino the Dinosaur, Selfie Jewellery and Ted and Tess.

The company will be showcasing a new Express Yourself range designed to encourage children to express themselves by creating their own fashionable jewellery, plus new products in its Play and Learn, Young Art and Stationery ranges. Galt will also showcase six new Ambi toys and new products in its First Years range, including the new Dino Playnest, an evolution of Galt’s award winning Playnest, and new pre-school puzzles.

The Express Yourself range has eight DIY kits inspired by pop art with bright neon colours and a focus on fashion, friends and selfexpression. From Flip Fashion to Shrinking Jewellery and Munchie Charms, the range is designed for children to have fun with their friends making, wearing and sharing.

The new Dino Playnest is a big and soft, colourful dinosaur, forming a self-contained play environment for babies and toddlers with different sounds and textures to explore. New toys First Mobile and a soft and squeaky Fill and Spill Picnic Basket join Dino in Galt’s range of First Years toys.

The company will be showcasing six new Ambi toys based on the original designs of renowned toy designer, Patrick Rylands. Pop Up Pals and the Lock Up Garage are amongst the new products on offer, all designed to encourage discovery and learning through play. Galt Toys is also reintroducing two classic bath toys which were designed by Rylands in 1968.

New Sensational Sequin sets, pre-school puzzles and masses of new activity packs are further additions to the stand as well as the Dr Miriam @Galt range which was created alongside parenting expert Dr Miriam Stoppard.

John McDonnell, managing director at Galt Toys, said: “We’re particularly excited to invite two VIPs to our stand to launch our new Dazzling Dancer Sensational Sequins set, and will be bringing the glitz and glamour to the show this year.”

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www.interplayuk.com

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8731 Toy World Advert 2015 Art.indd 1

12/12/2014 16:55

The UK’s Leading RC Toys Specialist Come & play at Toy Fair stand #H40

Flying Gadgets Ltd 0844 209 2626 sales@flyinggadgets.co.uk www.flyingadgets.com

Toy Fair 2015

John Adams Leisure Stand G100 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk

John Adams Leisure will be unveiling its new Pip Ahoy! toy line for the first time, since announcing the company’s acquisition of the master toy license of the popular pre-school programme, featuring the voice of David Jason.

The toy line will consist of detailed figures, playsets, role play items and plush toys which will launch from May. The Creative Play category will be expanding again this year with two new craft ranges set to be unveiled at the show, plus two new additions to the company’s successful food craft range. This category will also boast new Disney Frozen items as well as extensions to the popular BloPens range.

The much-loved Tiny Tears brand will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2015 so the company will be celebrating in style with a special anniversary edition of the Tiny Tears doll as well as a few other surprises on the stand.

Following on from its 40th Anniversary year, the Rubik’s Cube will also continue to have a strong presence on the stand, after recently being added into the National Hall of Fame. The Classic 3x3 Rubik’s Cube will be the main focus, alongside other items in the Rubik’s range; including The Void, Rubik’s Race and the Speed Cube Pro Pack.

The company will be bolstering its action games portfolio too, with new additions, which will join existing success stories Doggie Doo and Silly Moo. A new range of kids’ educational games will also be available to view for the first time, and the full Rummikub range will be showcased on the stand too.

The science category will also see a new introduction for 2015, and will sit alongside the company’s current science collection which includes Gross Science and Dr Toxic’s Slime Lab.

Gibsons

Stand E40 020 8661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk Gibsons will bring to Toy Fair a whole host of fresh, new products for the New Year.

The company captures clumsy moments in its new Oops! range of jigsaw puzzles. The first in the series, Mudstock, depicts on a pop concert which instead appears to be descending into pandemonium.

The second, Street Life, shows a neighbourhood on what would be a very bad day. The real challenge is to find all those oops moments hidden away in the busy puzzles.

For the little ones, Gibsons has added two fun and educational products to its My World range. Dino Jigosawrus contains eight progressive dinosaur puzzles, ranging from the four piece Pteranodon to the whopping 16 piece Diplodocus. Ships Ahoy is a lotto style game where children must match treasure coins to the pictures on their ships and to be the first pirate to bring home the treasure. All of the My World toys are made in conjunction with Child Psychologist, Dr. Amanda Gummer, which means they are tailored to teach children essential skills such as numeracy, literacy and motor skills. They are environmentally friendly and made in Britain.

2015 also sees the release of a further 60 puzzles in varying sizes, including commemorative WWII puzzles and additions from new and favourite artists.

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1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa REVELL HAS MOVED: Revell GmbH, Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Tring, HP23 4QR. For trade enquiries tel: 0845 459 0747, Email: ukbranch@revell.de © 2015 Revell GmbH. A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc. All rights reserved.

Toy Fair 2015

Posh Paws International Stand D89 01268 567 317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Hero product “It is hard to pick out our Hero product for 2015 as there is so much going on, including the Minions movie, Inside Out and the new Frozen short. But if I have to pick one I think it will be Yoda from our fantastic Star Wars Collection.”

Lauren Hayward, Group Brand Manager

The Posh Paws range continues to expand at fast pace and the company will showcase some of the hottest Disney movie plush around. The stand out movies for 2015 include Inside Out, Star Wars, Cinderella and The Good Dinosaur. In addition the company will launch brand new product for existing bestselling brands including Frozen, Doc McStuffins, Palace Pets, Sofia the First, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey and Minnie.

Posh Paws also has a new DreamWorks plush collection which includes the most popular characters from the studios’ most successful blockbuster movies including Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. Other newcomers include My Little Pony, Littlest Pet Shop and the Kimmidoll collection.

On show will also be the Posh Paws Disney Nursery collection which includes old favourites such as Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh and Mickey and Minnie. Glow in the Dark nursery plush will also be on the stand.

The company is known for its plush products but has also seen success expanding into the bag market. The extensive Despicable Me and Minion Movie Bag range will be available to view alongside existing Disney plush bags and accessories. The company will also reveal Care Bears school backpacks and travel bags and some new Frozen plush backpacks.

Visitors can also see the licensed plastic pocket money range, which includes Star Wars Putty, Minnie Vacation Playset, Minnie’s Holiday Villas and Minnie’s Vacation Vehicles. In the vehicles collection girls can choose from a jet, yacht or Minniebago.

The company has also developed a range of own brand soft toys, PP Pals and PP Ponies. These brightly coloured animals offer customers plush at pocket money prices.

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Brainstorm

Come visit us at stand H1 at the UK Toy Fair and in hall 10.1 stand B06 and C11 at Nurnberg toy fair!

Subject to Licensor approval. © & ™ LucasFilm Ltd.

Brainstorm’s home grown brand, Brainstorm Toys, will be launching new items for worldwide distribution. New to its best-selling range of globes is the Illuminated Moon Globe. The 22.8cm globe displays a map of the moon including sites of the moon landings. At night the globe lights up to become a room decoration and night light.

With the hands-on Geode Discovery Kit, children can break open their own real geodes. Once opened the three geodes reveal stunning crystals inside, and kids can compare different crystal formations. Also included is a secret code used to unlock online bonus information, safety goggles and a stand, to display these natural treasures.

New to the Brainstorm Toys Outdoor Adventure range is the Creepy Crawly Catcher, featuring the patented Spider Catcher – a device which easily picks up all kinds of bugs without harming them. Kids can explore, catch, study and release all types of creepy crawlies. The product includes a bug catch jar, magnifier and practice bug. The booklet contains bug record sheets and a secret code to unlock online bonus bug information.

The Night Vision Torch has a bright red light, which preserves natural night vision. Designed for night hikes and map reading or exploring the local area on a nocturnal safari, use the Night Vision Torch to read star maps and learn more about astronomy. It also comes with a glow in the dark on-off button, belt clasp and an anti-roll feature.

The new Shark Torch and Projector will also be on display. The torch is a photo projector with 24 colour images. Each image can be projected up to one metre wide. It features 15 different types of shark and eight images dedicated to the Great White. Batteries included.

New to The Original Glowstars Company range of glow-in-the-dark items is Draw & Glow Projector. Draw and colour six different pictures with this pocketsize projector. Use the glow pen to add glow-in-the-dark highlights and watch the pictures glow. Detach from the stand, and the projector shines images onto the walls and ceiling.

From the makers of Magno-Z, comes new Foamin’ Fun. Simply blow through the tube and the foaming bubbles come bursting out. Bubble pot can be replaced using standard, off the shelf replacements. It comes with free CDU.

© 2015 Disney © 2015 Disney/Pixar

Stand D2 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk

’s Gon n Quia eetsn, Obi-W in m y Anaki Padawatheir wa Jed obi, on the Ken eet withil. to mi Counc Jed

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Toy Fair 2015

Interplay

Stand G10 01628 488 944 | www.interplayuk.com FabLab is Interplay’s new collection for 2015. With a wealth of experience in the education sector, the company has condensed its expertise into 10 experimental kits for girls, also catering for boys with a RadLab sub brand.

Interplay’s award-winning myStyle jewellery range will see new additions, including Steampunk Jewellery, Shamballa Rainbow Jewellery and Infinity Bracelets.

The My Living World collection continued to enjoy success in 2014 with the popular Butterfly World selling out within the first six months of its launch.

For 2015, the range will yet again see the introduction of a brand new kit; the Instant Flower Press which can press flowers in seconds.

WoodWorx is a series of DIY wooden construction sets. Assemble, glue together then paint the high quality wood and decorate in your own unique style. Interplay is distributing the range, aimed at children aged 5+, in the UK for 2015 and is confident that the wooden sets will be received well by all.

A new brand for Interplay in 2014 was GoldieBlox, a concept that combines a book series, featuring Goldie the girl inventor, with a variety of fun engineering sets. The company launched the debut collection of three kits last year and will now make further additions to bolster the range.

The company is continuing to reach out to a younger audience this year with the Craft Box collection. Fairy Garden took to the market in 2014, selling out almost as soon as the new stock arrived. Aimed at ages 4+, there are 12 different creative craft activities. Completing Interplay’s brands is Technokits which offers retailers a selection in the construction categories. All new and existing ranges will be supported with a variety of TV advertising, PR, and print campaigns.

Marvin’s Magic Stand H65 01582 849 000 | www.marvinsmagic.com

Marvin’s Magic has been busy waving its wand to create new magic tricks for 2015 and will be showcasing magic ranges to suit all ages and price points.

The company is keen to expand its distribution into other key territories, after beating its targets for the third successive year and growing the business internationally. Its best-selling sets are being relaunched with instructional DVDs which show how to perform the various tricks.The footage is aimed at youngsters who prefer a visual explanation and works for the international market.

Marvin’s Magic will also be launching some new magic technology for kids to use on their tablets and smart phones.

Ravensburger

Stand B156 01869 363 830 | www.ravensburger.com Ravensburger will be unveiling more than 90 new products for 2015.

The company’s range of children’s puzzles offers various characters, themes, piece counts and formats. The company is adding 15 new properties to its licence portfolio – Avengers Age of Ultron, Bing Bunny, Minions Movie, The Clangers, Twirly Woos, Room on the Broom, Stickman, plus Disney Big Hero 6, Cinderella (live action), Palace Pets, Star Wars Rebels, The Good Dinosaur, Inside Out and Miles from Tomorrow. It is also launching new titles to established ranges – Thomas & Friends, The Gruffalo, In the Night Garden, The Snowman & The Snowdog, Disney Doc McStuffins, Frozen, Princess, Finding Nemo and Cars, plus new titles in the generic range.

There will also be a variety of adult puzzles backed with high quality softclick technology as well as new additions to the 3D puzzles line. The Empire State Building and Eiffel Tower 3D puzzles with lights were popular in 2014, and the company is expecting new launches Neuschwanstein Castle, One World Trade Centre, Country Cottage and Lighthouse to go down equally, as well as well a new Disney Frozen 54pc puzzle sphere.

There will also be a chance to hear about the promotional plans for Bugs in the Kitchen, which scooped the ToyTesters.TV Gold Award for the most fun toy, and other games including the Labyrinth and Scotland Yard.

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Welcome to the world of Milly&Flynn

New Wilder Game!

Emerging from the Jungle at London Toy Fair!

Come monkey around with us at stand #F101.

+44 (0) 207 298 9500 sales@winningmoves.co.uk www.bananagrams.com

Toy Fair 2015

Peterkin UK

Gallery 110 0116 254 3645 | www.peterkin.co.uk One of the highlights on the Peterkin stand will be a range of products from Toy State International. As a result of Toy State’s acquisition of Nikko in 2014, Peterkin is now the official UK distributor of the James Bond 007, CAT and Hot Wheels’ vehicle range, along with the renowned Road Rippers and, of course, the Nikko R/C range. These products are backed up by exciting marketing plans.

The Dolls World brand continues to gain market share and there will be a number of exciting new additions to the range for 2015, to further enhance Dolls World’s growing reputation as a one stop shop for nurturing dolls and accessories.

Peterkin is also showcasing the Liontouch range for the first time at London Toy Fair – a range of high quality role play and dress up items, designed to entice children to play out all their fantasies.

The Early Learning Centre range continues to form a key part of Peterkin’s offerings and new product introductions are planned to compliment the strong performers from the existing range. The World’s Softest, an adorable set of plush animals, will also be making an appearance on the stand.

New additions to the popular Motorzone range will also be on show and there will be a complete revamp of the popular World Peacekeepers range as well as The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys.

Kiddimoto

Stand H44 01749 871 175 | www.kiddimoto.co.uk

Juratoys

Stand F50 0208 878 2133 | www.janod.com / www.kaloo.com With over 120 new toys for 2015, Juratoys will be showcasing Janod, traditional wooden toys with a contemporary edge and Kaloo, a soft plush range designed for newborns.

Janod started life in the 1970s designing and selling traditional toys; yo-yos, skittles and spinning tops are still a core part of the business today. The team of in-house designers and product developers have been developing a range which stimulates creativity, imagination and learning.

Early experiences of touch, colour, movement, sound and even smell are stimulated. Role playing games and fantasy worlds are brought to life by toys ranging from signature products like the Magnetic Rocket to the new Red Master DIY kits.

Kaloo aims to provide high end luxury toys for newborns the world over.

The plush range is developed using soft micro fibre cloth, in a variety of colours from soft pastels to stimulating primaries, and is packaged for gifting.

Both ranges are designed for children from newborn to 6+ years

Kiddimoto is exhibiting BoxKart, a nostalgic creation offering a glimpse back to original soapbox racers, among other new products and designs at Toy Fair.

BoxKart brings four wheeled kart racing up-to-date in a new slick black or blue and orange striped colour way, an adjustable frame, handbrake and pneumatic tyres for a super smooth ride. These retro children’s wooden go karts are designed to bring the whole family together and the company hopes they will be a must-have for children in summer 2015.

Wooden and metal balance bikes for boys and girls aged two to six in new colourful designs will be on display at the event. There are two brand new designs to the Kiddimoto Kurve range – the pretty butterfly and the skull and crossbone design. The iconic Hero bikes will also be on the stand alongside the award-winning Super Junior range of metal balance bikes. Prices start from £49.99 and to complement the bikes there is a stylish range of helmets and gloves in matching designs.

Kiddimoto has set the bar high when it comes to balance bikes. Its products help to develop balance and coordination whilst being stylish and great fun to ride too. The skills developed whilst riding a Kiddimoto balance bike enable children to make a seamless transition to a pedal bike without the use of stabilisers.Kiddimoto balance bikes are designed here in the UK and all the wood is sourced from sustainably managed forests.

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Toy Fair 2015

Paul Lamond Games Stand E50 020 7254 0100 | www.paul-lamond.com

Paul Lamond Games is showcasing its new football-themed games, puzzles and collectables.

Brand new for football fans is the Puzzle Ball – a collectable series of 3D puzzles for six of the country’s top football teams; Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic.

Each Puzzle Ball features an image of the current manager and top players, and when created, the Puzzle Ball becomes the size of an actual football, 8.6 inches, and features 240 pieces. To boost the Puzzle Ball’s collectable appeal it is dated on the bottom, has a stand for fans to display their winning creation and a new ball for each club will be released every season. Collectors will also be kept on their toes with the launch of two 500-piece jigsaw puzzles for each club, which depict key moments from that club’s history.

Fans of the game can look forward to the launch of new additions to the Nanostad range of stadiums in 3D puzzles.

Barcelona and Real Madrid join the star-studded line-up which includes some of the world’s most famous stadiums such as Old Trafford, Emirates and Stamford Bridge.

New to Subbuteo, one of the world’s most iconic sports games, are 2014/15 kitted players for Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Buzzcocks, based on the cult music show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, will be a new addition for 2015 following the success of board games Gogglebox and Mrs Brown’s Boys,. Also joining the games line up will be Rotten Apples, a range of after-dinner games called Haha Moustache and Houdini, the world’s first escape challenge puzzle from Think Fun. There is also fun for the younger members of the family with the new Skribbleheads, a fast-guessing blind drawing game, Squiggly Worms and Dalmatian Dominoes. A new addition to the pre-school Chimp and Zee range is the Spotty Botty game with animal noises, the aim of the game is to collect all the animals but not Spotty Botty.

New to the craft scene is a licensed range of paint by numbers for Thomas the Tank Engine, Dinosaur Roar and Rainbow Magic. Thomas fans can also look forward to a new wipe clean activity mat coming soon. There will also be three new murder mystery puzzles based on the light hearted crime drama Death in Paradise that is now in its third series. Read the story, complete the puzzle blind and solve the crime. A Death in Paradise Murder Mystery dinner party game will also be launched.

Another new addition to the company is a range of WWF endangered animal puzzles and a collection of puzzles based on the Polish artist Yerka.

Spin Master Stand E131 0162 853 5000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

After a strong 2014 across all brands, Spin Master has announced the eagerly awaited launch of Paw Patrol toys. The hit CG animated show, on Nick Jr. and now also on Channel 5’s Milkshake, follows the adventures of 10-year-old boy Ryder and six heroic pups who save the day with their problem-solving skills, cool vehicles and cute doggy humour. A strong TV campaign bolstered by PR and marketing activities will support the brand to make a successful launch into the market.

Wackytivities Kinetic Sand is squeezable sand that can be packed, pulled and shaped. It’s kinetic – meaning it sticks to itself but leaves fingers completely dry.

Kinetic Sand never dries out so can be used over and over again. The product is also wheat, gluten and casein free.

New additions to Zoomer Zuppies, Kicks and Flora, will also be at the stand and visitors can play with the new Air Hogs Hyper Disc – a three feet wide disc which can be filled with helium or air for gravity defying action.

There will also be see further innovation across Spin Master’s wide range including Meccano and Flutterbye, and visitors to the stand have the chance to play the new Spin Master Games.

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Toy Fair 2015

Rainbow Designs Stand E120 01329 227 300 | www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

With 2015 being the Chinese Year of the Sheep, Rainbow Designs has decided to use Toy Fair to showcase its Shaun the Sheep product.

Coming in Q1 is the Shaun the Sheep The Movie collection which will be launched in time for the Sthe films release on 6th February. This new range includes a Baahing Shaun the Sheep, which is the company’s first Shaun the Sheep product to play baahing sounds, as well as soft toys, games and puzzles. The Shaun the Sheep Rugby World Cup range is also brand new for autumn/winter 2015. This range features soft toys and window stick-ons, all adorning an official Rugby World Cup 2015 t-shirt.

The company is also launching a new Peppa Pig Nursery collection. It is designed in soft neutral tones, focuses on both Peppa and her little brother George and introduces the characters into the nursery market.

The collection includes comfort blankets, musical pull downs, chime and rattle toys, activity toys and a teether.

Following on from the movie’s success, Paddington still resonates as a focal pre-school line for Rainbow Designs. Its plethora of Paddington products are suitable for both the traditional collector and the pre-school market.

Other brands include Peter Rabbit, Guess How Much I Love You, Miffy, The World of Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Elmer which will all also see new additions to the collections for 2015. Each toy is being developed to centre on the company’s ethos of learning and development through play.

K’nex

Stand 510 01189 253 270 | www.knex.co.uk K’nex is set to build on last year’s success with a number of announcements. A strong and diverse product portfolio featuring adventurous themes will include brand new ranges, bringing innovation to the construction aisle throughout the year.

At the heart of the K’nex range is a collection of building tubs and treasure chests. New sets for 2015 include Combat Crew 5 in 1, which offers motorised movement and builds five military vehicles.

The 52 model and 70 model tubs will continue to offer children the chance to experience construction play where the only limit is their imagination.

Coaster themed construction range, K’nex Thrill Rides, gives builders the chance to recreate the fun of an amusement park at home with realistic looking, large scale theme park rides at a range of price points. In 2015, K’NEX will unveil its tallest coaster of all time, Sky Sprinter Roller Coaster, which can be built more than seven foot tall and has more than 800 pieces.

Brand new to the K’nex line up, the Beasts Alive range offers dinosaur and dragon themed construction play. X-Flame is one of the standout products, with motorised walking and wing movements and three alternate models to build. With dinosaurs and dragons currently firm favourites in the trend stakes, X-Flame and his fiery friends aim to keep the construction aisle relevant.

The company is set to launch into the blaster category with brand new range K-Force. Inspired by hundreds of thousands of online searches for K’nex blasters, the construction play experts created an entire line of buildable, customisable blasters to cater to this demand. Leading the line-up is K-Force Dual Cross, a giant blaster bow with 371 pieces included along with instructions for five custom blaster builds and buildable targets.

In the licensing arena, K’nex is capturing the appeal of popular digital games and TV favourites, bringing them to the construction aisle. The portfolio for 2015 includes SuperMario and Mario Kart, Titanfall, Plants vs. Zombies and Family Guy.

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Role Play fun is much better when it’s Realistic!

Light sounds & s!

Microwave, Kettle & Toaster Set Press fgor boilin ! noise

Pop-up toast!

Cyclone action!

Ti l t f o pourin r sound g s!

Workinng! suctio

Suese at: Hong Kong Toy Fair - Booth 1A-F32 UK Toy Fair - Stand E30 Nuremburg - Hall 12 Stand C-04 New York Toy Fair - Booth 1589-1688

Inventors of Fun & Play!

Casdon plc. Cornford Road, Blackpool, Lancs FY4 4QW Tel: +44 (0)1253 766411 Fax: +44 (0)1253 691486 Email: toys@casdon.co.uk www.casdon.com

Toy Fair 2015

Sakar

Stand G29 02476 518 500 | www.sakar.com Sakar International is offering fans of Disney’s movie Frozen the chance to perform their own rendition of the chart-topping soundtrack with a new line of karaoke machines. The company will showcase its new Frozen karaoke line, along with a collection of branded light-up message boards, digital cameras, alarm clocks, and walkie-talkies.

The Frozen Karaoke Machine with flashing lights is an easy-to-use system that allows children to sing along with their favourite music.

Designed with graphics featuring the latest Disney Princesses, Anna and Elsa, it includes a handheld microphone and features flashing lights and enhanced vocal effects. Connect your iPad, iPhone, iPod, or tablet device, or use the built-in CD+G player to play music and sing along to Let it Go, Do You Want to Build a Snowman and In Summer.

Sakar has expanded its My Little Pony lineup to include updated headphones and earbuds, moulded speakers, musical instruments, cameras and mobile and computer accessories, all featuring designs from Hasbro’s TV hit series.

Fans of My Little Pony’s Pinkie Pie can now bring their pony and music along wherever they go with Sakar’s new molded backpack speaker. The adorable Pinkie Pie-shaped backpack is designed for occasions such as sleepovers, carrying homework, and playing songs on the way to school.

The company’s line of My Little Pony cameras allows users to capture and share moments as they happen. Record adventures with the My Little Pony Action Camera, desgined for documenting biking, kayaking, surfing and skiing excursions. The camera comes with a waterproof case and mounting accessories.

Attach the camera to your helmet or bicycle and capture first-person POV shots.

Other 2015 products include a wire winder to keep electronics tangle-free, five-piece musical instrument kits, molded power banks and bluetooth alarm clock radios.

re:creation

Stand E160 0118 973 6222 | www.recreationltd.co.uk The past year has seen re:creation achieve impressive results across both evergreen brands and new product launches.

The company is revealing a raft of brands and products at Toy Fair and visitors can expect to see news from the Razor Crazy Cart, with fresh new brand launches in plush, creative and electronic categories as well as extensions to Air Storm and Stretchkins.

2014 saw Razor blazing a trail in the electric scooter and ride-on category with Crazy Cart and the E100 Scooter achieving an unprecedented 13th spot in the Total Toy Industry by Value in October. Toy Fair presents an opportunity to see the Razor brand’s commitment to innovation and performance in action as the Lil’ Crazy makes its show debut. Building on the success of the Crazy Cart, this junior electric ride-on delivers fun for children as young as three. Older children are catered for with the launch of the Crazy Cart XL, an adult sized version of the original.

The brand’s wide portfolio of kick and stunt scooters will be at the show.

The Air Storm performance launcher brand continues to deliver growth and Toy Fair brings the launch of the new FireTek segment. The range incorporates LED technology for light displays. Also in Outdoor are the C-Preme’s Krash and Raskullz brands with their take on kids’ safety helmets. Fuze Bike accessories including the popular Wheel Writer will also benefit from spring TV support.

Plush introductions include brand extensions and new brand launches. 2014 sell-out range, Stretchkins welcomes new character additions as well as a brand extension in the form of Stretchkins Light Ups. Featuring the same stretchy limbs that have captured kids’ imaginations these new friends feature light up feet to add to the fun. New collectable plush range Zigamazoos includes eight characters which giggle when squeezed. Neck Napperz is another new collection – six huggable animals each convert into a travel pillow and back again.

The newly acquired Magic Chocolate Picture Maker is also being revealed and will benefit from complete reinvention in 2015. Light Up Links is also new to the company’s portfolio and will be illuminating kids’ constructions in 2015. The product features links and connecting pods that combine to build different shapes and objects.

The Lego Lights collection has been a great success and the coming year brings the launch of Star Wars VII as well as a refreshed Ninjago. New additions to the keylight line-up will be launched as well as innovation in bedroom lighting for Ninjago and Friends. Adding to Re:creation’s electronic light-up offering is Jelly Beamz, a range of light up jelly bean friends with multiple modes and unique personalities.

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Toy Fair 2015

Wooky Europe Stand Gallery 180 0151 494 3821 | www.wookyeurope.com

Wooky Entertainment has come a long way in a few short years, moving from product distributor to product innovator. Toy Fair will see the company present a raft of products to encompass current trends.

Charmazing is a design-ityourself jewellery craft line for young designers.

It allows children aged eight upwards to design expandable and stackable bangle bracelets that can be charmed-up with style. It offers more than 100 different charms including beads, gems, chains and pearls in unique themed collections as well as colourful threads. Girls can also scan their charms to enter a virtual ‘Charmazing World’ where they can trade charms with friends and connect with others via a free app.

For young artists looking to create innovative fashions that reflect their own style, Style Me Up! offers a range of new sketchbooks, which cover themes including Pop Stars, seasons and cities. Each sketchbook comes complete with colouring pencils, a stencil sheet, a design guide and 50 stickers. A collaboration with Disney allows budding designers to explore their creative talents across a range of characters including Ariel, Cinderella, Tinker Bell and both The Princess Collection and Villains Collection.

Bloco is a range of 3D construction toys which has been refreshed for 2015 and is easy to assemble with specialised connecters. Chunky and manageable for little fingers, the product is geared towards budding builders and brings out creativity whilst encouraging the development of motor skills.

Finally, Wooky Entertainment is taking on looming, the craze of 2014, and is bringing it into the digital age through technology which will add a whole new dimension to the craft. Details are under wraps but all will be revealed at the stand.

Winning Moves

Stand F101 0207 298 9507 | www.winningmoves.co.uk Winning Moves is unveiling a number of new products within its licensed portfolio.

The much anticipated Minions Movie will have its own Top Trumps Tin, which will include cards based around everyone’s favourite little yellow creatures. Star Wars fans will also be in for a treat with the Star Wars Top Trumps Tin, which will also include characters from the highly awaited Episode 7 film released later in the year. These new introductions will join the already strong performing Top Trumps range including Big Bang Theory, and the number one selling Top Trumps pack; Disney’s Frozen. The Top Trumps collection will also boast a new Breaking Bad pack for older Top Trumps fans.

The company’s Monopoly Collection will be showcasing four new products in the form of the multi award winning Game of Thrones and evergreen children’s characters from the world of Nintendo. These will be joined by the gaming favourites Zelda and Assassins Creed, as well as science fiction favourite Doctor Who Regeneration.

The Trivial Pursuits offering will include the cult US sitcom Big Bang Theory, which joins the Radio Times Trivial Pursuit game. Last but not least, Halo Risk will be added to the company’s growing collection.

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Trends UK Toy World Dec 2015:Layout 1 28/11/2014 13:50 Page 1

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•1990’s phenomenon returns with TV support •Huge success in the USA

•Elsa Styling Head & the new singing Elsa and Anna plush dolls with vinyl faces

•Classic brand loved by generations •With stickers and stampers •Doodle, wash and doodle again •Turns 3 pen colour options into 6 •Work those looks for Spring!

•Look out for new Disney Frozen bag COMING SOON!

To place an order please contact: +44 (0)1295 768078 salesadmin@trendsuk.co.uk www.trendsuk.co.uk For Media/PR enquiries, please contact Ane Olesen: ane@wirepr.eu © Trends UK. © Disney. © 2013 Cife Business S.L.. Color Me Mine is a registered trademark by Cife Spain Business S. L. PUPPY SURPRISE and DOODLE BEAR are trademarks of Ed Kaplan Associates, LLC the licensor of the IP rights herein. All Rights Reserved.

Toy Fair 2015

Tobar

Gallery 305 0844 573 4299 | www.tobar.co.uk Over the past 12 months the team at Tobar have been travelling around the world to get ideas and inspiration for the company’s 2015 product range. They have managed to secure some new distribution partners, including USA brand Schylling; stationery brand Scentos and outdoor brand Turbospoke, and will be unveiling a number of new lines.

Schylling has more than 100 new timeless toy lines as well as a range of Schylling Collectibles and Tobar is working with Bburago to provide a Ferrari Die Cast Range.

Sales of stationary continue to boom and the company has secured a new distribution partnership with Scentos. This brightly coloured range of scented children’s stationery is designed for birthdays, party bags and other gifting.

Turbospoke, an Irish bike accessories brand, is looking to expand its outdoor range of toys and has teamed up with Tobar to distribute a range of bike accessories for children.

Zuru Robo Turtles has added to its Robo Fish and Magical Mermaid collection and Tobar is continuing to work with Blue Sky to introduce the new Star Wars collection of novelty Star Wars-themed stationery and gifts.

The company has also added new lines to its own brand collection of classic pocket money and adult novelty gifts. All these new lines aim to help drive impulse sales, seasonal gifting and prove that Tobar is the one stop shop for desirable gifts.

The company has invested in a range of marketing materials and POS solutions to help convert sales in store and online. It has more than 1,500 products to choose from.

Tomy

Stand 610 Gallery 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.com In 2015 Tomy will launch a plethora of new play products, incorporating some of the world’s most recognised licences, including the new Disney Pixar releases.

With over 20 years of experience in infant developmental and creative play, Tomy Infant and Toddler Toys offer a range of toys suitable for children from six months to three years old. This collection provides mulitple play possibilities and grow-with-me features. Kids learn whilst playing, and with toys that keep them playing and involved they learn even more.

The new packaging introduced in 2014 has created better stand out for the Tomy brand, with more visible age grading and more opportunity for on the shelf try outs. There will be new additions to the Toy and Bath range.

One of the many new products is the Colour Discovery Hot Air Balloon.

Toddlers can fly the balloon and land on different colours and instantly see that colour illuminated in the balloon.

For older children Tomy brings added life and enhanced characteristics to the Pokémon range, with lots of new characters and new poses.

Asobi

Gallery 120 01628 200 077 | www.asobi.co.uk Toy distributer Asobi has licensed new brand Skinny Sketcher and will exclusively manufacture and distribute the product worldwide.

Skinny Sketcher, which Asobi will officially unveil at Toy Fair, is a fun sketching and colouring activity, designed especially for budding architects. The self-contained kit includes everything needed to produce freehand sketches of famous lookalike buildings, including The Armadillo, The Gherkin, The Pringle, The Cheese Grater and The Birds Nest.

Skinny Sketcher is aimed at ages seven years+ and the sets aim to develop drawing skills, encourage creativity and inspire the architects of tomorrow. The product is the brainchild of Gillian Logan, architect and mother. Logan realised that architecture had been overlooked by toy manufacturers and made it her mission to invent a product which simplifies the principles of architecture with a hands on learning activity, which is fun and engaging.

The Skinny Sketcher Kit includes archi-fact cards, Skinny Frieze, step-by-step drawing instructions, graph and tracing paper and a mechanical pencil. Skinny Sketcher offers children the opportunity to explore a new industry which has never before been made accessible.

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A.B Gee

Stand B20 01295 768 078 | www.trendsuk.co.uk

Gallery 200 01773 570 444 | www.abgee.co.uk A.B Gee has a 70,000 sq.feet Head Office and Distribution Centre in the heart of Derbyshire which provides the base to supply wholesalers, large high street, online and independent retailers.

It has a comprehensive range of toys and models you can find anywhere and cover the whole of the U.K. and Ireland with an experienced sales force.

Its competitive edge is a result of decades of collective knowledge and industry experience, which provides them with an on-going vision from sourcing products from the worldwide manufacturing base, negotiation of prices to pass on to its customers through to processing of goods from its distribution centre.

The company are official distributors for Mattel, Hasbro, Character Options, Flair, Vivid, Funskool, Creative, Freetime 4 Kidz Hornby, Tomy and Oxford Diecast and are the U.K’s sole exclusive distributor for MGA/Zapf, Choon Designs (Rainbow Loom), Slot.it, Norev, IXO, Sunstar, Trofeu, Greenlight as well as supplying its own ranges.

Barbie now in its fifties, has reinvented itself by going from princess to superhero.

The record breaking video game Minecraft is now available in toy versions from paper craft to plush. All of the products are in great demand and will be for some time to come.

The Frozen merchandise is a highly sought after product of 2014 and looks set to continue into 2015 with brand new dolls and playsets being releases in early 2015.

The Fisher-Price Chatterphone is popular with the revival of retro toys. The Chatterphone is still available in the authentic reproduction of the 1959 original.

With the latest Star Wars film in the series due for release in December 2015, all of the company’s Star Wars merchandise will be popular throughout 2015.

From wooden peg puzzles to wire bead mazes, its own range of classic wooden toys just keeps on growing.

The team’s King Sport range includes outdoor items like basketball sets, archery sets, skates and tennis sets, which are just a few items in the range.

Create your own lollipops, design cakes, jewellery, shrinky charms, lip gloss, perfume and more with the Creative range of products.

Trends UK is re-launching the Puppy Surprise brand for Spring. It centres on the much-loved 90s phenomenon featuring a mummy dog with a number of puppies in her litter. The Puppy Surprise Plush assortment has three dogs to choose from and each has a surprise number of puppies in its velcro pouch.

The company is introducing a new Kitty Surprise to the range for Autumn.

Featuring a mummy cat, the Velcro pouch will hold three to five kittens.

The Color Me Mine range includes Colour Change bags which come with a colour change pen and at least three marker pens, enabling girls to style their bags with intricate designs in upwards of six different colours.

For Autumn, the new Color Me Mine Diamond Party bags will be introduced.

Glamorous touches include pearlescent pink trims and bows plus glitter treated areas worked into the fabric. The Diamond Party range will have a selection of purses, pocket bags, rope bags, messenger bags and casual bags to choose from.

Trends UK is also introducing MiPosaur, a dinosaur robot from WowWee. MiPosaur has an evolving intelligence that enables it to sense its own surroundings and interact with them in a life-like way and comes with its own TrackBall. Just like a real pet, it can play fetch and games. The product also comes with a free app you can download to control it and reveal more features. The app will be updated long after launch with new features and games to play.

Continuing with the robot theme are the R.E.V robotic enhanced vehicles from WowWee. They are controlled via a sophisticated free battle-racing app. Built for speed and high-impact gameplay, the A.I controlled vehicles can drive, fight and think for themselves. Each pack comes with two cars, the child can control one and the A.I controls the other, for intense, high-speed, racing battles with the two cars, just like a computer game come to life.

The Robosapien X and Roboraptor X come with a remote control for off-line play, but also have a new dongle which can be inserted into smart phones to download games, hear sound effects and control the robots.

A selection of plush toys themed on Disney’s Frozen Fever will also be available to coincide with the launch of the short film. The new Singing Plush featuring Elsa and Anna have vinyl heads and huggable soft bodies. The Elsa doll sings Let It Go and Anna sings For the First Time in Forever.

A Disney Frozen Elsa Deluxe Styling Head will be introduced for Autumn featuring colour change make-up, hair accessories, a light-up brush, a hairdryer with sound-effects and a jewellery box. The head also plays music as you brush its hair.

The company is also refreshing its science range with a new Science Mad logo and branding. The Flight Science Glider will be introduced in Autumn and comes with a selection of high-durability parts that can be configured into 10 different aerodynamic shapes. The glider also comes with a 16 page educational guide explaining the theory of flight.

The Discovery Channel science toys range is also available through the company, with its 360° HD Microscope new for Autumn as well as the Planetarium.

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View our full range at Toy Fair stand GH27.

To book an appointment at Toy Fair, please contact Fiona on 07747 835 030.

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Toy Fair 2015

Sambro

Stand G46 08458 739 380 | www.sambro.co.uk Sambro is kicking off the trade fair season with a host of new licensed ranges including Paw Patrol which will see the company create cross category ranges across toys, games, puzzles, arts and crafts, novelty, wheeled goods and bags. In addition, Sambro has added to its Frozen collection and new products will be showcased including the new Olaf Slush Maker.

The Despicable Me franchise returns in 2015 and the company will launch its Minions range at the show. Featuring the popular characters, the collection will encompass stationery, arts and crafts, games and puzzles and more. The latest Spongebob Squarepants film, Sponge out of Water, is also released in 2015 and Sambro will expand its existing range massively now including a Spongebob Trampoline as well as Spongebob Squarepants Vrum, a kids suitcase on wheels.

The brand new Taste n Fun range will appeal to both boys and girls and the hero product Frosty Fruit (TV advertised in Q4) encourages kids to try their own healthy fruit sorbets. Guests to the stand will be able to try a Taste n Fun sorbet for themselves. The range also features a Marshmallow Machine which enables kids to create bitesized treats.

The new Candy Cuddles collection includes a range of soft cuddly cupcakes. The scented cushions include decorated cupcakes and donuts. The Candy Cuddles Cupcake also includes a light up version with twinkling sprinkles.

The new Sweet Care Spa range features a Foot Spa. Invite friends with the exclusive Sweet Care Spa Club Membership Card. The set also includes nail varnishes, nail stickers and more.

New product Kaboinx will also bounce its way onto the Sambro stand. The interactive tech toy that you can bounce is set to become one of the crazes of 2015 and buyers will receive demos and can also take part in various Kaboinx challenges throughout the show.

Sambro will also bring back the Original Slime. The pocket money line is one of the safest on the market, designed for a new generation of young fans.

KD UK

Stand Gallery 160 01727 827 194 | www.kdplanet.com/uk KD UK’s toy, interactive and production ranges will be exhibited, including licensed and own brand electronic learning aids plus new products within the Kurio range.

For the first time, the company will be offering a range of educational bath toys which encourage little ones to learn whilst having fun at bath times. Included in My Bath Time range is a Fishing Basket, Lighthouse, Tap and Elephant for ages six months plus to learn colours and numbers, featuring music and funny phrases.

KD’s popular Princess Max has been refreshed for 2015. The interactive pocket pal comes as a pretty compact with mirror, secret compartment, games, mood sensor, virtual pet and many more activities. Other own brand products which will be on display include Tech Too and Silly Sam, both of which have been designed to meet the needs of children wanting to imitate the actions of the their parents and encourage a child’s development and learning.

An addition to the licensed ELA range is Thomas & Friends, which will include My Push & Learn Thomas – a two in one item which features educational content and functional wheels for children to play along with the train. Thomas fans can learn numbers, letters, shapes, colours and all about their favourite characters.

The product has an LCD screen for youngsters to enjoy 20 games featuring animations on screen.

Peppa Pig continues to grow with three new lines including Peppa’s Click & Learn Camera, Peppa’s Zap & Learn Remote and Peppa’s Listen & Learn Smartphone.

All of which feature the voice of Peppa Pig, fun sounds and tunes, for pre-schoolers to develop learning of colours, numbers and more through quiz and discovery modes. Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom will also be making an appearance.

The Disney Frozen licence will extend with My First Frozen Tablet, an educational tablet for pre-schoolers to learn through play with four activities and featuring Elsa, Anna, Olaf and other characters from the hit film. Fireman Sam, In The Night Garden, Something Special and Disney Princess products will also be on display.

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the worldwide leader in multi-level logic games

THE TOY FAIR 2015

TOY FAIR NÃœRNBERG 2015

SPRING FAIR 2015

20.01.2015 - 22.01.2015

28.01.2015 - 02.02.2015

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THE GALLERY - STAND 410

HALL 3A - STAND H05

HALL 3 - STAND 3D07

uk@smart.be

www.smartgames.eu

www.smartmax.eu

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Toy Fair 2015

University Games Stand F10

03334 050 120 | www.university-games.co.uk Following the success of 2014 with the release of kids game Bunny Jump and family game Chicken Charades, University Games will further develop its portfolio in 2015 through a number of new product launches, including Seagull Splat and UFO Alarm plus the re-development of key lines Pointless and Great Explorations.

Seagull Splat is the children’s game where players attempt to poop their way to victory. Built for ages 4+ and 2-4 players.

UFO alarms is a new fast paced game for children. Players face a head on battle with a selection of evil aliens, avoiding secret passages and trap doors. Built for ages 6+ and 2-4 players.

Continuing the success of both the Pointless Board and Pointless Travel game based, on the popular BBC1 quiz show hosted by Alexander Armstrong, University Games is introducing a refresh of questions for both. The main board game also sees the introduction of an electronic scoring system compatible with iPhone and iPad, making it more interactive and adding more realism to the show.

Great Explorations also sees a complete rebrand for 2015 with a redesign of its packaging and branding. Carrying a life time guarantee of ‘Glowability’, the visual effect can also be seen on the stand.

University Games will continue to TV promote its hero products during 2015, including Don’t Rock the Boat and 5 Second Rule.

Golden Bear

Stand E69 01952 608 308 www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear is master toy licensee of Twirlywoos, a new children’s series which will air on CBeebies in the spring. The company’s Twirlywoos range showcases the characters Chickedy, Chick, Toodloo and GreatBigHoo. Made from soft textured fabric, the plush products vary in size from 17cm to 35cm and each character features sounds from the show which can be activated by pressing their tummy.

Packed with innovative play features, the pull-along Big Red Boat combines electronic elements and character figures to encourage imaginative play as well as lots of hidden features. Character phrases and songs can be activated across the boat, with flashing lights, opening doors and the allimportant Fruit Tea Machine. Try-me packaging will bring interactive features to life in store.

Based on the new animated pre-school series, Duggee is a big cuddly dog and the leader of a playgroup called The Squirrel Club. Airing this month on CBeebies, Duggee is joined by a cast of unique animal characters who attend the club, with each episode focusing on a mission to gain a new club badge.

Launching in A/W, the toy line will include a range of plush items including collectable characters and talking Squirrel Club plush each with its own feature badge. The Woof Woof Duggee Hug Toy with textured fabrics and push-activated badge icons features the show’s theme tune and key phrases from the series. Squirrel Club Playset features Duggee figure and accessories, is packed in a double sided open display box and supported by TV advertising from launch.

Building on the 2014 success of the In the Night Garden Ninky Nonk Musical Activity Train, the range has been extended for 2015 to include further interactive products. The new battery powered Ninky Nonk Train and Track Set is perfect for little hands with its easy start stop button. The train races around the track and over the bridge whilst playing iconic Ninky Nonk sounds, and Peek-a-boo Igglepiggle covers his eyes and plays signature phrases when his tummy is pressed. This cause and effect play continues with Blowing Kisses Upsy Daisy whose hands raise to blow a kiss when her tummy is pressed.

Encouraging character-led learning, the new Activity Table features three key ITNG characters plus a host of interactive features such as stories, songs and imaginative play all packed into a standing base and multi-purpose play table/storage unit. The removable activity station can also be placed on the floor to accommodate even the youngest of children.

The Something Special range has been extended to include additional hands-on play items including the Roll and Play Soft Cube complete with 36 activity cards, Mr Tumble Stick on Felts, chunky Mr Tumble and Friends Wooden Puzzle and Wooden Dress Up Mr Tumble. Larger-sized Talking Mr Tumble Soft Plush and Textured Mr Tumble with Fun Sounds are new additions alongside the Playtime Activity Centre packed full with textures, moving features, sounds and a Mr Tumble figure.

Following on from the launch of the Sooty puppet range, Golden Bear introduces a raft of new lines, including a pre-school magic set designed by Sooty’s owner Richard Cadell. Designed specifically for small children, it uses magnets, optical illusions and technical wizardry to create the magic so that children don’t have to master any complex instructions.

The Bash `N’ Spin Radio Controlled Bulldog is a new addition to the company’s established Go Mini collection and is due to hit the shelves July.

The trigger on the fun controller activates the Radio Controlled Bulldog to drive forwards, then the large Bash button makes the vehicle perform donut spins. For added fun the controller has two buttons which activate barking sounds and headlights.

New to the My First JCB collection for AW15 is the Build & Go Digger designed for children as young as two years. Use the chunky screwdriver to attach the super-sized wheels and front scoop to the cab over and over again.

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Discover a handmade collection of beautiful British

dolls

Inspire imagination and friendship with the original range of clothing, accessories and furniture.

VISIT US! Stand B135

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Toy Fair 2015

Click Distribution Stand G105 01604 877 888 | www.clickdistribution.co.uk

Click Distribution had a good 2014, opening another office in the north of the UK focusing on its independent retail customers. It was also a record year in terms turnover and profit for the business and the expectations for 2015 are equally as high.

Big movies launching this year such as The Minions, new Avengers, Home, Spongebob, Jurassic World, Cinderella and of course Star Wars at the end of the year. Sales of football cards are on the rise, Minecraft continues to go from strength to strength and Frozen’s popularity has enhanced sales.

In January customers can look forward to the launch of Click’s series two Minecraft hangers, having sold over 300,000 units of series one the company believes series two will be equally as popular. January also sees the introduction of Shaun The Sheep mini figures, Flockstars, just in time for the film release and a huge amount of year round activity for the brand.

There will be further additions to Icon’s Frozen jewellery range in February as well as the Minions movie range.

Looking further ahead, Click will be demonstrating and introducing the highly awaited second series of Bumpeez which will arrive in stores in May. The first series of Bumpeez was a massive success in 2011 with millions of packs being sold in the UK. Series two features the popular Minions just in time for the movie release, backed by a significant promotional campaign this could be destined to be the most talked about collectable launch of 2015.

Clementoni

Stand Gallery 155 0203 2061 397 | www.clementoni.com Clementoni enjoyed a strong 2014, having launched a plethora of new products into retail across a variety of categories. Baby Clementoni and Disney Baby, the infant and pre-school ranges, performed well with the Mickey and Minnie Talking Books leading the way. Science & Play did well too with its Microscope product winning a silver in the Independent Toy Awards.

Puzzle sales saw a big boost in the latter part of the year with Clementoni’s range of Frozen puzzles performing strongly. The company offered added-value in this sector with the launch of the 104 piece Frozen Glitter puzzle and most recently the 104 piece Frozen Gem puzzle.

Toy Fair will see new launches across the whole Clementoni range. The Space Laboratory is an innovative new product that comprises of a space station which is designed to allow children to conduct experiments to recreate life in space and discover the wonders of science and botanics. It also includes a space buggy and special glow in the dark details. The whole product has European Space Agency approval to ensure it offers real educational value as well as hours of fun.

Also launching at Toy Fair is My Robot, a unique scientific kit that allows children to build their own robot. Once they have created the Robot, they can then programme it to undertake a number of different tasks such as a steeplechase, predict a robot journey or small magnetic objects picker and many other fun activities. The kit comes with a number of accessories allowing youngsters to create a different robot every day and includes two electronic motors and LED lights. The My Robot kit is Science Museum approved.

Lastly, Baby Clementoni will launch an interactive Infant Dinosaur. This product will bring delight to younger children as the Dinosaur moves when they shake the rattle. It also moves backwards and forward and makes fun, engaging sounds.

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Toy Fair 2015

Jumbo Games Stand E46 01707 289 289 | www.jumbo.eu

Jumbo has a successful portfolio of licenses including Peppa Pig, DC Batman and Superfriends, Something Special, Fireman Sam, Disney Frozen and more.

Jumbo Games will launch five products at Toy Fair 2015 including Wasgij Imagine, General Election special; three 1000 piece themed puzzles centered on the possible fictitious outcomes of the 2015 General Election.

The image on each box depicts key political figures in the House of Commons taking part in a heated debate. Depending on which version of the jigsaw is chosen, puzzlers will need to figure out what the solution of the jigsaw will be if the selected party wins.

Each box is colour coded to reflect the different political parties.

New games will be announced and showcased for the first time including a Disney Frozen Magical Ice Palace Game, where players help Anna save Arendelle from an eternal winter and Elsa’s icy powers by moving around the board collecting cards and trying to melt the ice. New Peppa Pig and DC Batman games add to the range.

Falcon puzzles new January launches include themed puzzles such as Mother and Daughter and The Rugby World Cup. The Falcon Christmas 1000 piece puzzle, depicting a pantomime scene with lots of families in the audience, will be showcased.

Goula’s wooden pre-school games and puzzles range helps develop sensory perception and hand-eye coordination skills in young children.

New licensed products for Mr Bloom’s Nursery include Disney andFireman Sam with more to be revealed at the show.

Funrise

Stand 135 01908 555 640 | www.funrise.com Funrise is the manufacturer of leading licensed brands including Tonka, My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, Littlest Pet Shop and the company’s own Gazillion Bubbles brand.

For the past decade, Gazillion Bubbles has remained the premium bubble choice for consumers all over the world, with popular items like the Bubble Hurricane, the Flash Ray gun, various Incredibubble Wands and more. In 2014, the brand celebrated its 10th anniversary with a marketing campaign that included three Gazillion bubble-blowing cars that were taken to several events across the United States. In addition, the brand brought the manufacturing of their solution to the United States.

For spring, the line will expand with two additional machines – the Gazillion Bubbles Monsoon and the smaller Gazillion Bubbles Tornado, both of which blow an upward storm of bubbles.

One of the company’s most successful lines, My Little Pony, continues to be a consumer favorite with the release of additional characters and feature plush.

Funrise adds new characters to its extensive plush line every few months. The newest innovation for the My Little Pony plush range is the light-up plush versions. A Light Up Cutie Mark plush with sound is a new addition as well as the Twinkle Star Lights plush that displays cutie marks on the ceiling. Funrise recently released the Sparkle Horn plush and the Shimmer Wing plush to the My Little Pony line.

Milly&Flynn

Stand B92 01242 241 765 | www.millyandflynn.com It’s been a landmark year for the Milly&Flynn brand. The company launched its range of pre-school puzzles, games and books to the UK market but it has also been acquired by the LiteBulb Group.

All non-character puzzles feature illustrative work commissioned exclusively for Milly&Flynn. Complimenting the non-character product, you’ll find a range of traditional publishing based character properties including Beatrix Potter, Dear Zoo, Spot and Hairy Maclary.

Toy Fair will also see the launch of the Winnie the Pooh and Dear Zoo wooden toys. The two offers will each feature six products, a push along, a pull along, a skittles game, wooden blocks, wooden play tray and a shape sorter. The ranges are ethically sourced and aim to appeal not only to consumers as a self-purchase but to be giftable.

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Find us at: London Olympia Toy Fair, booth F60

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Toy Fair 2015

Famosa

Gallery 400 01623 237 433 | www.famosa.es/en Famosa is previewing new products from popular girls’ brands Pinypon and Nenuco.

Pinypon, a range of interchangeable mini dolls and playsets, was a key collectible range during 2014 with an estimated 50,000 dolls sold. The only dolls with removable hair, head, body and accessories plus double sided faces with different fun expressions to add to dress up fun, Pinypon is launching Pinypon Princesses for 2015.

Four different models of glittering princesses, their frog pet and accessories, plus princes and a palace playset are key items which will see their debut at Toy Fair. Pinypon Tales is a further addition which sees much loved characters Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland and Rapunzel brought to life, each with a cute little pet to match.

A heavyweight TV campaign is planned for Spring/Summer and further tactical promotions will also be put in place to encourage multiple purchases including a BOGOF deal to relaunch the brand.

Nenuco, the doll and playset brand from Famosa, sees further line introductions following the launch success earlier this year which saw Sleep with Me Cradle sets selling out across UK retail and Happy Hiccups proving popular. The products come packed with accessories and are available at a broad variety of price points.

Key lines for 2015 will include Nenuco Bathtime, a 42cm soft bodied doll that can be immersed in water, has its own dolphin float and blows bubbles below the water.

Nenuco Hugging is a 42cm soft bodied, cuddly doll that moves her arms, swings her head and hugs her pillow. Both will be supported by a strong TV campaign for spring across terrestrial and satellite channels.

Papo

Stand Gallery 128 01564 784 969 | sales@papo-uk.com For 2015, Papo continues to create and innovate. Its next launch of new figurines aims to inspire continued adventures with animals from various ranges such as Wild Animal Kingdom, Marine Life, Dog and Cat Companions, Horses, Foals and Ponies and Dinosaurs.

Designed for nature lovers, the Papo Wild Animals collection will be increased with 18 new releases including a roaring Tiger, a colourful Chameleon and Equatorial Frogs.

New birds will complement the Wild range such as the Snowy Owl, Hawk, Sea Eagle and also the highly detailed Vulture with large spread wings.

Papo pays detailed attention to the overall look of the animal such as stance and posture and this is clear to see in the new releases, examples from the Dinosaur collection being the Apatosaurus and the Tupuxuara.

To enrich the Mini Papo range and offer greater play value, a further Mini Dinosaur set will be launched together with two additional Wild Animal sets.

Other standout products for 2015 include the Witch King and Horse as well as the Winged Knight and his Horse, which are in the Fantasy range. In the Enchanted World Category there will also be many new releases, such as a Princess on Swing Chair with bright and spring-like colours.

Hero product “The Silver Two Headed Dragon in the Fantasy category of figurines was launched in 2014. It was received extremely well in the market place by our customers and consumers really love it.”

Philip Morris, UK & Ireland country manager

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Kidicraft

Stand GH51 01282 500 899 | www.kidicraft.com Kidicraft has been working with environmentally friendly manufacturer Morocolor to increase its range of products within the arts and crafts sector.

One new range to come out of this partnership is Primo, which comprises of more than 500 products including chalks, crayons, pencils, fibre pens, modelling clays, brushes, craft tools and a variety of paints including watercolours and oils. Sturdy floor display units are available and new packaging designs include a range of watercolour paints with a click-on clear lid that doubles as a paint palette.

Mostaix mosaic art range allows both children and adults to create their own masterpieces. There are three different series that advance in difficulty – Purple Ribbon, Red Ribbon and Silver Ribbon. There are 36 designs available within the Red Ribbon Series and 25 designs available within the Silver Ribbon Series. The Red and Silver Series include patented tools to make completing Mostaix easier – the tweezers allow for uncomplicated placement and removal of the tiles, whilst the safety tile divider splits up the tiles effortlessly. In the Purple Series, the tiles are larger and round and can be placed and removed by hand which makes it easy for early years to use.

The Wonderboards creative magnetic play sets will also be on display. They are geared for travel, home and school use. Available in six designs, each comes with a 23 x 30cm double-sided, dry-wipe, magnetic play board, activity sheet with play ideas and varying quantities of magnetic pieces. Wonderboard Make-A-Face was recently reviewed by The Good Toy Guide and received a four out of five grading for fun and a five out of five grading for Ease Of Use. Within the review it was highlighted that this product could help children explore their emotions through play and is particularly beneficial for children with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.

Simba Smoby Toys Stand E140 01274 765 030 | www.simba-dickie-group.de/en

Simba Smoby Toys, the UK subsidiary of the Simba Dickie Group, will again be exhibiting at the Toy Fair at London’s Olympia in 2015. After another record breaking year of growth for the company in 2014, the range on display will include a number of exciting new ranges.

Perfectly timed to coincide with the release of the new movie on March 20th, Simba’s SpongeBob range is bigger and better than ever, with new SpongeBob playsets, Feature Plush, Vehicles and figures - many of which specifically tailored to the movie release.

Simba will be unveiling for the first time in the UK the new Peppa Pig construction range. With a wide range of playsets replicating iconic locations from the TV show, kids can now construct and play in the world of Peppa and her friends.

Continuing the success of Steffi Love in 2014, where millions of kids tuned in to watch Steffi’s first music video, Steffi will be introducing a brand new range, Magical Dreams, and a new high profile celebrity joining the Steffi Love team.

Steffi’s little sister Evi is getting a new makeover and a new platform to interact with kids. All will be revealed at the Toy Fair.

2014 has also seen Simba’s home delivery ‘dropship’ service grow at an astonishing rate - with more and more retailers taking advantage of this service.

For 2015 the range of items available for home delivery has increased yet again, with brand new ride-ons and role play items from Smoby. The full range and special Home Delivery catalogues will be available on the Simba stand.

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Toy Fair 2015

Marbel

Stand B50 08456 000 286 | www.marbel.co.uk Marbel is showcasing all of its newest products from the brands Brio, Hape, Nanoblock, Lottie, Pink Poppy, Bullyland and Oidroids.

Lottie Dolls will include various characters, from Stargazers and Fossil Hunters there are dolls for boys and girls. There are new accessory kits in the range as well with a scooter set, super hero outfit and a fishing kit.

Disney Frozen has been a hit this year and there are a couple of new Crowning figures to keep up with the Coronation of Elsa. Snow White has had a makeover and new princess figurines have been introduced. The new figures represent the actors in the new Cinderella film.

Brio has again laid out new design and products with additions to the theme park Rollercoaster Set that was released last year. A Ferris Wheel and a Fun Park Play set are adding accessories to the range. Interactive bells and spinning wheels will be additions to the wooden railway world.

Nanoblock will launch new products in 2015 with the release of an Orca, Hammerhead Shark and a Rock hopper Penguin into the market.

Flying Gadgets

Stand H40 0844 209 2626 | www.flyinggadgets.com Flying Gadgets is launching an exciting array of new products as well as showcasing its extensive portfolio of cars, copters, drones and more.

New midsized drone The X-Drone will be showcased. Fitted with the latest gyroscope technology guaranteeing incredible stability and featuring a high definition camera, it’s perfect for outside flying to capture panoramic shots.

The LCD controller (2.4ghz) has three different flying modes, while LED lights ensure the X-Drone, which is capable of 360° flips, can’t be missed. It’s available from February and is suited to those new to the world of drones as well as more experienced operators.

The company is also expanding its fleet of children’s vehicles with the brand new Bentley Continental Licensed Ride-On Car. Available from January, this realistic scale replica of a white Bentley GT Continental is for children aged three plus. It features a 6V battery, seat belt and parental remote control for safety. It also boasts authentic ignition and engine sounds, steering wheel sounds on turns, a horn and working lights so children get a realistic driving experience every time.

The Big 1, a 2.4ghz radio-controlled monster truck with a range of over 150m, will also be unveiled. Its giant wheels make it suitable for use on all terrains and it’s capable of handling the muddiest of puddles as well as jumps.

The product is available from March.

The company is also one of the chosen distributors for the DJI brand in the UK. DJI, which recently unveiled its most advanced drone yet the Inspire 1, is one of the world’s leading brands of drones and quadcopters. A new drone in its Phantom range will be unveiled during the second quarter of 2015.

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Bluw

H. Grossman

Stand B115 020 7627 1268 | www.bluw.com Bluw is showcasing National Geographic Kids stationery and arts and crafts ranges, Disney-branded FSDU’s and accessories to customise bikes and scooters.

NG Kids is a gateway for youngsters to learn about the natural world and societies around them and has a 126 year history behind it. The stationery range includes backpacks, lunch-bags, folders, pencil cases, colouring pencils and more. Each item features images of animals around the world and fun facts about them. The company is offering a bespoke FSDU that allows retailers to fit in whichever items they select.

There will also be a range of arts and crafts products which include paint-yourown magnet sets, animal plush and a Junior Botanist kit.

The company is exclusively distributing Imagine8’s cross category range of Disney-branded products. Each FSDU includes kids’ essentials like hat/gloves sets, wallets, stickers, mugs, keyrings and bags that are perfect to celebrate favourite Disney characters. The FSDUs are based on Disney’s loved global brands including Frozen, Planes and Minnie Mouse.

The Scootrix and Biketrix accessories are specially designed to clip or stick onto bikes and scooters so they can be personalised it with lights, stickers, sounds and handle-bags. The company is also showing the mini Hornit. This miniature bike and scooter horn packs a massive volume into a small item. It has 25 different sound effects and nine light settings.

Stand E49 0141 613 2525 | www.ozbozz.co.uk

H. Grossman is showcasing a range of products including a Despicable Me Sand Shaper Set which the company hopes will be a favourite for anyone that loves the Minions. The set allows you to use Minion moulds to create your own characters out of sand and comes with accessories to personalise your Minion.

Six different moulds will keep the kids happy on the beach or in the garden.

Dinosaurs are always big business for 2015, the company has added a new range of sculpted dinosaurs designed to complement the existing Megasaurs range. Fashioned in a unique style, the product is highly detailed and the tooling has been crafted by the company’s chief designer and model maker who creates many of the company’s award winning designs – from pre-historic creatures to farmyard favourites.

H. Grossman is introducing a range of lifelike farm animals specially made for little hands. The cleverly crafted creatures will teach children about life in the countryside.

Further additions to the company’s outdoor ranges are to be revealed at Toy Fair.

Hero product “Minions are the product for us for 2015. The response so far has been unbelievable, we have already taken more orders on this licence than on any of our previous licenced ranges for the last five years. It’s amazing.”

Martin Grossman

D’arpèje

Gallery 190 +33(0)4787 960 50 | info@darpeje.com D’arpèje continues to develop its Frozen range for 2015. The outdoor and the home furniture ranges extend with new products to give film fans the chance to travel with and create their favourite heroines.

The company is showcasing its 2014 flagship products such as the three-wheel Flex Scooter, protection sets, inline skates, two and three wheeled scooters and bikes. New products have also been developed for 2015. Fans will be able to boost their collection with adjustable quads for children aged three plus as well as bikes accessories, sold in sets or individually, containing gloves, water bottles, helmets, bells and baskets.

Another addition is a 10’’ cross scooter for youngsters aged six plus.

The second movie of the Avengers saga will release in April. D’arpèje continues its collaboration with Marvel by offering a wide outdoor range.

Two-wheel scooters have been designed for children aged five plus to ride with their favorite heroes. The range offers products with adjustable handlebars, rear brake and printed non-slip deck for safety.

An Avengers skateboard perfectly adapted for beginners completes the wheeledtoys collection. The wheels and the two sides of the skateboards are printed in Marvel superheroes’ colors.

Helmets and protective sets have also been designed to allow children to ride and have fun in safety.

As well as the outdoor range, D’arpèje also has a school desk with large storage spaces and an activity table combined with activity sets. The sets offer colouring sheets, stickers, markers and stamps.

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THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER HEROES JOIN SCHLEICH

Unite with Schleich this year!

Visit us at London Toy Fair, stand B121 or Nuremburg International Toy Fair, Hall 6 stand B-20/C-21, to find out more about the amazing new collection of heroes and villains from the world of DC Comics.

Schleich UK, 4 Stansted Courtyard, Parsonage Road, Takeley, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM22 6PU T: 01279 870000 E: schleich@schleich-s.co.uk W: www.schleich-s.com

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Toy Fair 2015

Jazwares Stand D99 www.jazwares.com

Jazwares is exhibiting at Toy Fair for the first time. Having traded FOB with UK customers for two years, 2015 marks the arrival of the company as a UK domestic supplier and the launch of a number of new product innovations.

Jazwares has launched its second sandbox video game toy line with Terraria. Terraria is an action-packed adventure game that enables players to dig, fight, explore and build in a world with a variety of settings.

The game is available for download on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, iOS and Android mobile devices and has won several awards. It was the Editor’s Choice App on iTunes and was featured as the number one paid app on the Apple Store. It has sold close to 10 million copies since its inception in 2011. The toy line will include figures, role-play toys, plush and a play set. Launched initially in select US and UK stores from November 2014, the early signs are said to be well ahead of expectations and Jazwares plans a full roll-out this year.

The company also brings to market its new range of Blueprints paper craft under the Star Wars, Marvel and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles licenses. Easy to build, the sets are available in 30, 48 and 90 piece sets as well as 12” character sets. Each set includes paper figures with poseable joints and a wide range of play environments. Kids can make their own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shellraiser, construct the Star Wars Millennium Falcon or build a Marvel Avengers Avenjet Aircraft.

To support and promote the range, Jazwares is creating a series of ‘how-to’ stop-motion videos.

In spring 2015, Jazwares is launching a new collectible with extensive game play called Flick-to-Stick Bungees. The unique play-pattern gives children multiple ways to play by aiming their bungees at scoring targets, a flick of the finger is all it takes to compete. The line includes a battleground arena, playing cards and scoring disks to enhance game play. There are 44 characters to collect in the first wave. Bungees will be backed by a marketing campaign featuring a heavy-weight TV plan, animation shorts, gaming app and much more.

Smart Games Stand G410 01903 885669 | www.smartmax.eu

Smart Games has enjoyed a successful launch of its UK operation and is now looking forward to 2015 with new products and an extensive brand building campaign planned, featuring a wide range of new multi-channel marketing initiatives.

The company is bringing the world of Fairy Tales to their 2015 range. The new Three Little Piggies game is a brainteaser for children aged three years plus. It features three big puzzle pieces and children will find the way the piggies fit inside the houses, look through the windows and escape the wolf. The game has a 24 page booklet with 48 multi-level challenges, 24 with the wolf and 24 without.

There will be two new IQ games, new Tangoes and new licences.

The award winning SmartGames have multi-level challenges from very easy to very challenging. Each has a game mechanic with themes that appeal to both boys and girls. They come in travel, compact and table top editions in plastic or a premium wood range. The range starts at pocket money levels to top end quality with the wooden games as year round gifts.

SmartMax, the award winning pre-school construction system allows children to explore the world of magnetism. The products are safe and durable, the magnets are strong and can carry up to 60 times their own weight.

Each SmartMax magnetic bar features colour codes, the blue, green and purple bars attract while red, orange and yellow repel. The giant parts allow young children to create colourful super sized structures. The SmartMax range offers compatible building sets, vehicles and accessories.

Every SmartGames product comes with an extensive challenge guide; and every SmartMax product comes with a colourful play guide.

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DISCOVER 3D Buildings at Night

700 TVRs

Shines bright in 5 colours

Real working lighthouse C

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*TV Advertised in 2015 with over 700 TVRs

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Toy Fair 2015

Bonnie & Pearl

Stand B135 0844 800 1910 | www.bonnieandpearl.com Handmade doll retailer, Bonnie & Pearl, has secured its place as the final exhibitor booked to attend Toy Fair.

The South Wales-based business launched in September 2013 and will be displaying its full range.

The well crafted 19” Bonnie & Pearl dolls come in seven different colouring options, complete with an outfit, bed, soft pillow and adoption certificate.

Doll accessories, outfits, furniture and girl’s matching outfits are also available and have been designed to inspire imagination and friendship amongst youngsters from eight years old upwards.

New, limited edition dolls and outfits will also launch throughout the year. The range will include everything from winter capes to valentine’s day dresses.

As well as retailing online, Nicola Evans and fellow local mother, Lisa PearceBridgeman have since launched three successful Bonnie & Pearl pop-up shops with St David’s Cardiff. The brand won three national retail awards in its first year of operation, including two BCSE opal awards.

Nicola said: “We started Bonnie & Pearl with the dream of giving little children the experience we had with our dolls, called Bonnie and Pearl. Lisa and I also spotted a gap in the market for an experiential doll brand that really created a whole world for the children that play with them. We are very proud of our growing range and are looking forward to expanding on our success with productive wholesale relationships and greater brand awareness.”

IVS

Stand Gallery 177 0208 560 0009 | www.ivsgroupltd.com Back in 2014 Hoho Rights announced IVS as a new partner for pre-school brand Cloudbabies.

Noting the brand’s wide demographic, and that an increasing number of younger children were drawn to the characters, the decision was taken to expand the toy line to cater for a younger age group.

IVS will unveil the younger look toy range for the very first time. Aimed at 12 – 18 months+, the 10 new products include: Six Inch Plush (18 months+); four six inch beanies with vinyl heads and plush bodies (Baba Blue, Baba Pink, Baba Green and Baba Yellow), My First Cloudbabies (12 months+); two 12 inch plush sensory toys featuring textured fabrics, a bell, crinkle material and jackets which open to reveal a mirror on the Cloudbaby tummy (Baba Blue and Baba Pink), Cloudbabies Blankies (12 months+); two eight inch plush toys with a comforter blanket attached to the shoulder (Baba Blue and Baba Pink) and Glow Babas (18 months+); two 12 inch toys with vinyl heads and plush bodies which play the Cloudbabies lullaby and feature a rainbow coloured glowing light on the moon/star motif on the head during the lullaby (Baba Blue and Baba Pink).

Created by award-winning art director Bridget Appleby, Cloudbabies features the adventures of four childlike characters whose job it is to look after the sky and their Sky Friends, teaching children about caring for others and the world around them.

Hero product “Having worked with many family entertainment brands over the years, I instantly recognised Cloudbabies as an endearing and appealing brand. We hope this new toy range is seen as fun, huggable, playful and has the ‘awwww factor’ these lovely colourful characters deserve.”

Namita Kapoor, CE IVS Group

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Schleich

Stand B121 01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com/en Schleich promises a journey into the realms of fantasy at Toy Fair this year with a brand new DC Comics collection, mystical Dragons and the launch of a mini dinosaurs series adding to the brand.

The Justice League and their arch-enemies join the Schleich collection.

Both aficionados and new collectors will be able to find Batman vs. The Joker, Superman vs.

Darkseid, plus other heroes such as the Flash and Green Lantern. As a series, these figures can make up a standalone display for a specialist retailer or can integrate into any store’s shelf-space.

Schleich’s dinosaur collection will introduce a new price-point that will allow for pocket money purchases. The collectible Mini Dinosaurs include eight figurines to collect. Individually hand painted and intricately tooled, they maintain the high quality standard of the mid and larger size dinosaurs.

Schleich’s World of Knights will introduce more mystical dragons. With intricate modelling, detailed hand painting and moveable parts, these dragons can create active role-play scenarios in their own right or can be integrated into the existing medieval world collections of Knights, Steeds and Castle playsets.

Laura Bull, marketing manager, said: “2015 is a year in which Schleich will increase its commitment to its independent retailers and with each launch will come the support of retailer promotions and substantial PR campaigns.”

Orchard Toys

Stand B12 01953 859 535 | www.orchardtoys.com Orchard Toys is launching a number of new lines to its learning range.

Championing the company’s educational credentials is Match and Spell, a first reading and spelling game. The game has two levels of play to support development from word recognition to building words: match the letters on the word board, or try to spell the word correctly using the blank side of the boards.

Match and Spell encourages letter recognition, teaches basic phonetic word building and promotes matching of pictures and words. Suitable for children aged from four years old, Match and Spell can be played with up to four players, or as a single player activity.

Complementing the learning range is Big Number Jigsaw, designed to encourage number recognition and counting skills from one to 20. This jigsaw is suitable to play on a table or as a floor puzzle and is full of characters and objects for children to count and discuss. It is suitable for children aged three to six years.

A collection of six large, three-piece jigsaws, featuring characters from different occupations add to the company’s growing two plus range of products. The jigsaws work as a discussion aid for parents to talk about the different jobs these characters do.

Pizza, Pizza is a colour and shape matching game for children aged three to seven years.

Hero product “We’re really excited about our new Pizza, Pizza! game. It’s visually appealing, educationally very strong and great fun to play – a true Orchard Toy.” Simon Newbery, managing director

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Visit Us at Toy Fair!

Hong Kong:

January 12 – 15

Room 504-5 China Chem Golden Plaza 77 Moody Rd Tsimshatsui East Kowlooon, Hong Kong

London:

January 20 – 22, Stand G29

Nuremberg:

January 28 – February 22, Hall 12, Stand B-08-6

New York: US - Sakar International Inc., 195 Carter Drive, Edison NJ 08817 P:1.800.637.1090 sakar.com UK - Sakar Europe, 2D, Siskin Parkway East 4020 Middlemarch Business Park CV3 4PE United Kingdom T: +44(0) 2476 518500 AU - Sakar Australia, Level 3, 141 Osborne St, Sth Yarra 3141, Victoria, Australia T: +61 9279 3969

February 14-17, Booth 1717

Australia:

March 3 - 6, Stand E09

Toy Fair 2015

MGA / Zapf / Little Tikes Gallery 540 08450 533 333

Zapf Creation will be developing the world of Baby Annabell, showcasing its new accessory additions to the range for 2015.

The company’s Baby Born brand will also be presenting a brand new wholesome theme and a new addition to the plush toy sector.

The Mini Chou Chou brand will be revealing new animal themed characters and expanding on its collectability by growing into the playset category.

Also being exhibited is the My Model brand which focuses on the development of a child’s creative and imaginative skills.

MGA Entertainment will be exhibiting some new launches and range extensions.

The Lalaloopsy brand will celebrate its fifth birthday in 2015, with the introduction of new ranges across its Large, Mini and Littles segments, as well as two feature dolls, a new line extension and a new major accessory which will be unveiled at the show.

Toy Talk Awards Collectibles Winner, Lalaloopsy Tinies will be expanding on its existing collectability with new characters, a new creative playset and a new blind bags programme. The Lalaloopsy Babies range will also carry forward into 2015, following the success of the Lalaloopsy Babies Diaper Surprise. The Lalaloopsy Girls will continue to develop the range of creative play products, surrounding the popular L.A.L.A. Prep (Lalaloopsy Academy of Arts) theme.

MGA will also be exhibiting a new range of Moxie Girlz at the show with a traditional fantasy theme, and details about other new brand launches from MGA will be shared as the show approaches.

Little Tikes’ vast range of playhouses will be expanded with the new Cape Cottage Playhouse. The cottage features a mailbox, two dutch doors and working window shutters. The new launch completes the wide range of playhouses in the Little Tikes range and will offer a competitive price point.

Another new launch is Cozy Coupe Dinosaur – the latest design to join the expanding Cozy Coupe family. The new coupe comes in ‘Dinosaur Green’ and has dinosaur plates (spikes) on its roof. The launch marks the largest range yet for Little Tikes.

Tactic Games Stand D109 01483 332 070 | www.tactic.net

In addition to a comprehensive range of licensed games and home grown products, Tactic is launching two new licensed games at Toy Fair.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Thunderbirds brand and in celebration of the significant milestone; the company will be launching a Classic Thunderbirds Trivia Game.

The game will include a playing board, playing pieces, timer, 400 question cards with 1,000 questions and answers. The games is designed for Thunderbirds fans of all ages. Following the main product launch, a booster box will be released, which contains a further 250 questions to add to the trivia game.

2015 will see the much anticipated cinema release of Minions, a spinoff of the Despicable Me films. To coincide with the film release, Tactic will launch a family action game called Hit Them Out. The game contains eight different size Minions that the players have to knock out of the game with fabric coated rubber balls to win.

The fast paced game is durable and wipe clean so that it can be played indoors and outdoors.

The company debuts a range of new home grown products, one of which is Wonky Blocks - a clever wooden block game. Pick a descriptive card and build the blocks as depicted by the picture card. The twist is that the blocks are uneven, making it a game of skill and luck. If the stack falls you have to draw more cards from the deck. Players can make their opponents turn easier or harder. The player with no cards wins.

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Zeon

Stand F60 0800 214 633 | www.zeonltd.co.uk In 2014 Zeon’s Frozen products were a resounding success, fulfilling a number of pre Christmas re-orders. The range will develop in 2015 to include new products such as the Frozen Drawing Projection Torch. Due for release in March/April, there will be a choice of six interchangeable caps to project an image of Elsa, Anna or Olaf, for drawing templates of the main characters.

New Dr Who products for 2015 include two smart phone controlled products – the K9 and the desktop Dalek. Due for release in February, the Dalek has bluetooth functionality and can be operated with the swipe of a finger. The controller-app has directional commands that drive the toy around a desk. Its motion sensors detect objects in its path, stop it in its tracks, and activates a light on the gunstick.

It can be operated autonomously as well, it will roam until it detects an object or desk edge and will then repeat popular Dalek catchphrases.

The interactive smartphone operated K-9 can be controlled directly from any Android or iOS device. It has user-controlled features including full motion, voices, moving ears, flashing key pad buttons and an extending gun. The app can be updated to add new voices and features to the physical K-9 toy.

The Minions film comes out in June and the company will have a line-up of Minions products in time including watches, ceramic mugs, book lights, torches, a treats n’ sweets jar, salt and pepper shakers and a money tin.

Zeon has recently renewed its Star Wars license and will be launching brand new Star Wars products ahead of the highly anticipated Episode VII.

UL

Stand B25 01189 273 340 | www.ul.com Product safety and quality is absolutely critical for toys and children’s products to safeguard consumers and protect your brand. Ensuring all goods comply with required legislation such as the European Toy Safety Directive, as well as any brand specifications, is vital for both manufacturers and retailers.

With industry expertise and active involvement in the development of international toy safety standards, UL’s global team of experts can develop comprehensive quality assurance programs to help ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and brand specifications, across a wide range of products including toys, books, premiums and licensed goods.

Since 1894, the company has been a respected leader in safety science. Today, its network of more than 152 laboratory testing and certification facilities in 40 countries helps drive the integrity of global supply chains, optimize product performance and protect brands.

In particular, the firm’s UK Chemical Centre of Excellence based in Winnersh, Reading, has been accredited to provide testing solutions to help assess product compliance in line with the new chemical requirements of the EU Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC) and can assist in helping clients meet all the other requirements, including Chemical Safety Assessments, Technical File Management and Product Rise Assessments.

No matter where in the world, UL’s partnership approach helps clients to mitigate risk and retain greater visibility and control of supply chains. Actively engaging with supply chain members to encourage the adoption of good manufacturing practice and drive improvement, helping to minimise potential quality issues and reduce the need for costly product recalls and returns.

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Joluet Games

Toy Essentials

Stand GH59 07741 311 275 | www.joluetgames.com Joluet Games is a new games company which is debuting its inaugural board game, Turbo Words, at Toy Fair.

Throughout the game, players act simultaneously to fill individual playing boards with randomly selected lettered game tiles with the aim of creating as many words as possible in a crossword style.

Other game tiles force players to directly interact with each other. The game takes many twists and turns as players can block their opponents’ spaces and even steal their letters.

The timer can also be started at any time to pressurise opponents to use their game tile within 10 seconds or they will lose it. Players must strive to create words on their game board whilst dealing with their opponents’ efforts to hinder their progress.

The company is also running a competition to name its monster (the company’s logo). The winner will get a 16” cuddly version of the monster and their name will appear in all future instructions booklets to advise that they chose its name.

Stand Gallery 147 01285 762 039 | www.toyessentials.com Toy Essentials will launch its latest collection, Classic World, at Toy Fair. The Chinabased line-up of eco-friendly wooden toys has already established a reputation for innovation and quality, with each product being designed with a team of consultants who have a deep understanding of the developmental needs of children.

The result of this design process is a selection of toys and games that fulfil the requirements of the company’s philosophy – happy playing equals happy learning.

The company is committed to respecting environment and its toys are modelled from wood sourced only for sustainable forests.

Classic World lines that will be stocked

by Toy Essentials include Classic Builder, a wooden construction system that comprises wooden rods and various shapes which are connected with L shaped joints to create structures including airplanes and helicopters.

The structures can be disassembled enabling children years of free form play.

Sandra Cambridge, business director at Toy Essentials, says: “This is a highly prestigious collection for pre-schoolers, our key target market, which promises to be a true classic.

Each set boasts outstanding design and exudes quality and craftsmanship. We are confident that Classic World will be a very real contender in the wooden toy sector.”

Also on display at the Toy Essentials stand will be brands including, DuneCraft, the plant-growing collection for children, as well as Hoberman, Plastwood Magnetic Construction together with other high quality, educational ranges.

Revell

Stand Gallery 100

0845 459 0747 | www.revell.de/en The company’s position as a major player in the radio controlled sector is ramped up with several technologically advanced, multi-format Revell Control releases.

Quadmania has truly landed with an affordable first-person view drone, the 2.4GHz WiFi Quadcopter X-SPY. It is equipped with a camera to instantly stream video or pictures to your smartphone via WiFi; crash, bash and fly for fun with the unstoppable 2.4GHz Rayvore Quad Copter, featuring four flight modes and highpowered motors; other heli highlights include the affordable Spot camera quad, the quirky triangular Quadcopter Tritan and the licensed Eurocopter EC135 Flying Bulls. On the ground, exclusive to Revell Control are four brand new designs of the popular Mini Cars RC in a can; RC Mini Action is a range of emergency service vehicles in fire extinguisher packaging; and several entry-level, durable RC buggies and monster trucks complete the street scene. The multi-format RC range is rounded off with the fun Mini Boats.

With nearly 100 new land, sea and air releases in the pipeline, Revell will continue to dominate the model and hobby sector.

Key new releases include a brand new range of Build & Play Easy Kit cars, as well as new additions to the Star Wars Easy Kit range to coincide with the 2015 movie launch. The standard Revell model kit range features major new releases including the latest in hybrid sports cars, the Porsche 918 Spyder and BMW I8 in 1:24 scale. Brand new aircraft model kits include the Focke Wulf Fw190 F-8 in 1:32 Scale, a BAe Hawk T.1, C-54 Skymaster and an Avro Shackleton all in 1:72 Scale; fans of military figures will be looking forward to the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo set.

The creative toys sector is well-catered for with the arts and crafts range launch, MyArts, and several new releases for the Summer Action outdoor toys range.

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Casdon

Stand E30 01253 766 411 | www.casdon.co.uk Casdon is the driving force behind a range of branded and generic child-size home maker toys such as washing machines, cookers, vacuum cleaners and more. Ever present in the home, these toys are the focus of many a game of ‘let’s play house’.

This year will see more to choose from under the Little Cook sub-brand including an expansion of the successful Morphy Richards toys with a replica Microwave complete with turnstile, lights and sounds. Toaster and a Kettle complete the range of Morphy Richards Kitchen accessories, they can be bought separately or all together as one set.

The Little Helper collection encourages children to learn how to clean up after themselves. Here you’ll find evergreen roleplay toys, such as Dyson and Henry replica vacuums that continue to go from strength to strength.

Other collections include the Little Shopper range with tills, trolleys, baskets and replica products to set up shop. With the Little Drivers range, children can learn their first motor skills; whether at home or in the back seat of the car.

2015 is also a year where Casdon will not only expand its collection, but will expand its marketing support for retailers too. With satisfied parents already on side, this will include a strategic year round online campaign and social media schedule to further the awareness of all the firm’s toys.

Epoch Making Toys Stand B130 08435 574062 | www.sylvanianfamilies.net/uk

Epoch making toys will be at Toy Fair 2015 with its flagship brand Sylvanian Families and arts and crafts range Aquabeads.

After just 12 months of trading, the company will unveil extensive new product ranges. Sylvanian Families has a new seaside-themed range, whilst Aquabeads is doubling the number of SKUs. Epoch making toys will also present its plans to mark the global 30th anniversary for Sylvanian Families in 2015, which includes new packaging and the launch of a new fan club.

Visitors to the stand can enter a life-sized Cosy Cottage Starter Home structure to demo products, whilst outside features a Bluebell Seven Seater reception desk and a meeting area, with grass-textured flooring underneath.

The back wall of the stand features a map and two themed product dioramas for both the Sylvanian Village; showcasing the main houses and other themes, and for the new Sea Breeze Cape; showcasing the new seaside range, in particular the hero item: the Seaside Cruiser Houseboat.

Inside the Cosy Cottage itself, visitors can demo products to see the new connectability features, and also meet the new families of Sylvania. Outside the Cosy Cottage, there is a Baby and Child diorama. In the main area of the stand, a gondola unit forms a typical Sylvanian house with red roof, and showcases additional products. The latest TV adverts will play on screens throughout.

Freya Chocolate Rabbit and Ralph Walnut Squirrel mascot figures will appear throughout the fair to show retailers the potential value of live events.

Celebrating Sylvanian Families 30th anniversary, a rebranded new nature-themed packaging will be on display for the first time.

Epoch making toys will also unveil its new fan club aimed at the next generation of collectors; for £9.99 per year, members receive a gift-box, limited edition figure, a quarterly magazine, plus a personal card on their birthday and an e-card at Christmas.

Epoch is calling ‘80s-born toy industry executives to get their favourite Sylvanian Families character down from the attic and bring it with them. All fans are welcome on the stand to snap a special 30th anniversary #SylvanianSelfie alongside the mascot figures.

16 new Aquabeads products, including the Beginners Studio, Artists Carry Case and Rainbow Pen Station, will also be on display. Visitors can demo the products and see the newly developed FSDU for the brand.

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M4522 UK ToyWrldLndn AD_HI.pdf

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Visit us at

London Toy Fair!

The Brand Teachers Trust™

Stand D36!

London, Olympia 20th – 22nd January 2015

LER 2818

Big View Binoculars

LER 2817

Big View Telescope

For more information and to make your appointment today call Chris Beardmore on 01553 819383 or email cbeardmore@learning-resources.co.uk

Toy Fair 2015

K-Play

Gallery 199 01652 237 810 | www.k-play-goki.co.uk With over 300 new products every year, there is always a lot to see and discuss on the K-Play stand. As well as new additions to the Goki, Holztiger and Anker ranges, Heimess is bringing in a completely new line of plastic baby products to complement its successful wooden lines.

Known as Heimess Baby-Lifestyle, the range is made of high quality plastic. They are also moisture resistant, machine washable up to 60°C and 100% recyclable. Scott Kenworthy, managing director, said: “We are really excited by this new line as it means that Heimess has now brought in product suitable as teething rings, something we were missing from our wooden range. The fact that the products are completely Made in Germany, in a factory we have visited, means that we can 100% guarantee their safety.”

Goki brings in a new wooden range called Susibelle. Aimed at pre-school, the range launched mid 2014 has now been extended and will have its own pride of place at the shows.

As K-Play’s customer base becomes ever more diversified, Scott added: “We are really looking forward to 2015. With the introduction of our new Toy Depots, we believe that the brands will become even more visible on the high street.”

Learning Resources

Stand D36 01553 819 386 | www.LearningResources.co.uk To mark its 21st year in business, Learning Resources reveals new additions to its range of toys and games.

Extensions to the Primary Science, Nancy B, GeoSafari, Pretend & Play, Gears!Gears!Gears! and Design & Drill ranges can be previewed.

Children from around the globe can experience roleplay with the new Pretend & Play International School Set. This language-free version of Learning Resources’ best selling School Set is designed for children as young as three.

Gears!Gears!Gears! Build & Bloom Flower Garden is a new addition to the Gears range. The set uses colourful gears and, with a little construction, children can create a spinning flower garden. Endless combinations are possible with interchangeable parts designed to promote critical thinking.

Design & Drill Flower Power Studio introduces floral learning. A flower-shaped take-along activity board allows little ones to stay creative on the move. Children will be enticed by the colourful power drill which helps hand-eye coordination. The new Design & Drill BrightWorks set creates illuminated, colourful designs with the drill and multicoloured plastic bolts.

The GeoSafari Jr Science Utility Vehicle has 3x magnification. Children will understand what it’s like to see the world through the eyes of a bug, experiencing a close up view of surfaces. Features include a red LED light for after dark exploration.

Nancy B’s Science Club Black Light Illuminator & Nature’s Mystery Journal encourages exploration of anything from counterfeit cash to flowers and rocks with the use of the UV light helping to reveal all sorts of secrets. Discoveries can be well documented in the included 22 page journal.

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Artstraws

Gallery 630 01792 796151 | www.artstraws.com The slat-wall display of the Creation Station range will be the focus of Artstraws’ exhibition stand. The range is known for the additional sales it brings when displayed on the purpose designed five-sided spinner but many independents also use a slat-wall display. The company will ‘plan-o-gram’ a display of best-selling Creation Station lines to exactly fill the space you have available. Every item in the range is used in arts and crafts classes throughout UK schools. With retail prices for kits and materials from £1.09 to £5.99 customers can come in for one line but go out with three or four.

The award winning Play & Discover range will also be focused on. The range is widely used in pre-school and primary classes, and has won awards from educational magazines. The line has been designed to be fun to play with, but designed to inspire the child’s imagination and enhance the skills needed to learn to write. Basic maths skills such as shapes, colours, sequencing and counting are also developed; tips from teachers for mums to help them get the best from each product are included.

Artstraws has completely re-vamped its website and now includes a What Can I Make section, aimed at customers.

Underground Toys Stand G120 01621 854 654 | www.underground-toys.com

Underground Toys (incorporating Gear For Games) holds the rights to a portfolio of brands including Star Wars, Doctor Who, Marvel, Sherlock, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, WWE, Peppa Pig, Ghostbusters, The Big Bang Theory and many more. They will be exhibiting some classic and new products from existing ranges as well as showcasing brand new items for 2015.

New ranges on show include the Star Wars: Talking Plush range including the Roar & Rage Chewbacca and Lightsaber Battle Yoda. The products feature plush with lights, sound and movement. Just in time for the hype of the new movie The Force Awakens out in December 2015.

POP! Vinyl popular and stylized collectible figures will be available from more properties including Adventure Time, Frozen, Game of Thrones, WWE, DC, Marvel, My Little Pony and Star Wars.

The Marvel Avengers: Age of Ultron Talking Plush range will feature a variety of characters and sizes to conincide with the movie release in May 2015.

The Sherlock gift range includes stickers, bottle openers, keychains, iphone cases and more.

Underground Toys originally became well known for its talking key chain products – the retro range In Your Pockets and pre-school range of Pocket Pals. It has successfully expanded into the talking plush arena and manufactures plush for Star Wars, Doctor Who, Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters for markets all over the world.

Most recently the team has been expanding into the novelty, gift and homewares areas and will be showcasing items such as The Walking Dead figural cookie jar, Doctor Who kitchenware, Game of Thrones drinkware, Vikings gifting, Sherlock accessories and much more.

The company has a partnership with Funko on the POP! vinyl range, working together on licensing, development and distribution. They will be showing a vast array of the range on its stand with over 1300 items to choose from.

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Century Logistics / Logo update / Final / December 2014

Toy Fair 2015

Century Logistics logo Full Colour

Century Logistics Stand B99 01284 413 100 | www.centurylogistics.co.uk

Since its inception in 1997, Century Logistics has built its expertise around the nursery and toy Industry by growing its services in line with the ever changing retail environment for its customers.

The company can take away the challenge of storage, distribution and the servicing of both products and customers, leaving clients free to focus on promoting their brand and building sales channels.

Century’s qualified engineers repair hundreds of items per day under warranty programmes, helping to protect customers’ brand reputation and saving them money. The team sell over £2.5m of end of line and returned stock on-line a year, generating additional revenue for its customers.

Its award winning customer service team deals with over 300 calls a day, providing expertise and advice to consumers and retailers; a seamless extension of their customer’s brands.

Century Logistics are offering free UK logistics and aftersales consultations to nursery and toy companies who would like to focus on growing their brands.

L O G I S T I C S

HTI

Stand E125 01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk

L O G I S T

HTI’s stand showcases the firm’s new product developments in a multitude of categories as well as key lines from Global Partnerships such as Lego, Fantasma Magic, Nerf, Disney soft lines, Fashion Angels, PlayDoh and the Hexbug range.

An extensive range of Disney Frozen toys including wheeled and pocket money will be on display. Taking centre stage is the TV advertised Disney Frozen Colour Match Snowflake Bag, which changes colour to match the outfit it is held against at the touch of a button.

A range of My Little Pony toys is inspired by the play themes of glam up and beauty. The Rainbow Dash ‘Style n Groom’ is a full body, 3D sculpt with a long mane of multi-coloured hair. It comes with lots of styling accessories, including colourful Cutie Mark stickers, gems and hair beads, a comb, clips and bobbles. A Cutie Mark beaded necklace can be created for Rainbow Dash or worn as a bracelet by the creator. The range also includes tooled character cases containing jewellery and hair care accessories. The new colour changing Rainbow Bag and Twilight Sparkle Jewellery Set, add to the range.

The company will display key lines in the Doll’s Prams and Pushchairs category to demonstrate classic and contemporary styling, replica detailing and co-ordinating accessories. Brands include Mamas & Papas and Silver Cross as well as popular licences Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty, Sophia the First and Minnie Mouse.

HTI’s Barbie role-play toys offering is bolstered with the new Barbie Sparkle and Shine Bag – a handbag with light up bow charm complete with lots of glam up accessories. There’s also a new Barbie Sparkle and Shine Light Up Secret Locket with bracelet and charms to decorate.

Popular preschool brand Peppa Pig is presented in an extensive range of role-play, musical, wheeled and pocket money toys as well as dolls prams and a new large floor-standing multi-feature kitchen. The range also includes new character shaped Cases such as the George Superhero Case and Peppa’s Bedtime Case. A Minions Explorer Case and the Minions Construction Case are also available HTI continues to reinforce its Tonka vehicles range with original brand values of tough, durable, long lasting play. The new Tonka Mighty Dump Truck has a steel cab and moving steel rear tipper and will withstand hours of playtime. The team also launches two new exciting die-cast Tonka ranges for 2015 as well as a new playmat storage case set, which will all benefit from the TV halo effect.

An extensive range of JCB vehicle toys is inspired by the building and construction themes of the real life brand. The range includes Die-Cast and Sand vehicles, a Construction Play Set, a Heavy Load Transporter and 120cm RC Crane, a Foot-to-Floor Ride-On and a Battery Operated Digger Ride-On. © Dan Seago / t: 01284 831 040 m: 07961 576 966 / dannyseago@icloud.com The firm’s own Teamsterz vehicle play range offers sharp price points, good play value and great quality across Die-cast Vehicles, Farm and Track Sets and sports a new logo and modern packaging design.

HTI has a strong portfolio of licensed brands in the Wheeled Toys sector, as well as its own in-house developed range of Rïpp high spec, high detail scooters and accessories.

The Fantasma Magic range of magic sets, from the No.1 supplier of magic in the USA, combines quality and value and a magician will be demonstrating incredible tricks and mesmerizing illusions on the stand.

L O G I S T I C S

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L O G I S T

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Telephone: 01420 593 593 Email: Sales@EsdeviumGames.com Frozen.indd 1

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Toy Fair 2015

Eurofins Product Testing Services Stand GH6 0161 868 7600 | www.eurofins.co.uk

Eurofins’ focus is on providing solutions that add value to your business. Its business is setup so that technical staff are always available to answer queries.

With a breadth of testing capability, the company has a global network of laboratories and a service comes first ethic.

The team always aims to exceed expectations and places a high priority on quality assurance. Known to be ethical in all aspects of testing, the company cares about its clients and operate a ISO 17025 QA system throughout all testing laboratories.

Eurofins background in the scientific sectors makes the company ideally placed to offer assistance on the chemical parts of the toy safety directive. In the ever-evolving world of chemical legislation they partner with clients to provide understanding of the requirements and provide cost effective testing plans.

It also has specialist facilities for the microbiological testing of toys which is required for toys containing water.

As one of the leaders in the field of toy safety, Eurofins offers authoritative advice on appropriate, cost-effective testing as part of a due diligence strategy for all products. It supports clients with qualified guidance regard­ing legislation; focusing on the risks of each product and how to comply with the minimal cost and timing.

With annual sales of over $1 billion and 12,500 employees across 170 sites in 33 countries, Eurofins is a international group of laboratories providing a range of testing and support services.

Little Helper

Stand H40 01909 561 155 | www.littlehelper.co.uk Exclusively distributed by Little Helper, Oops is a new Europeanborn brand, the brainchild of Jacques Naim, well known as former export director of Chicco.

The brand combines creativity with years of experience designing and selling products to parents of babies and toddlers up to four years of age.

Oops boasts a range of multitextured and coordinated nursery goods and baby toys based around eight characters. An owl, dog, cat, bear, turtle, snail and new additions peacock and hedgehog make up the world of Oops.

Traditional toys and latest generation materials coupled with a modern twist are the backbone of the brand. From comforters, night lights, soft toys, bedding, slippers, bath toys, building blocks, to push along toys, puzzles, mobiles and activity toys, the brand produces around 200 items for a fully coordinated nursery and toy box.

The animals have been designed to accompany toddlers through their baby and toddler journey. Choose from the forest theme or the more sophisticated SunShine City and toddlers can explore the tall buildings in the city or escape to nature’s woodland wonderland with imaginative play.

New for SS15 is the Easy range of around 100 soft and wooden toys, all designed to fit within a bespoke POS unit, helping retailers capitalise on space. Rattles, teethers, shape sorters, comforters, puzzles and wooden toys make up the new Easy range.

Kids @ Play

Gallery 141 01291 429 007 | UK@kids-at-play.com Kids@play will be unveiling its new Police Pedal Go Kart.

Made from strong tubular steel, injection plastic parts and aluminium, the Go Kart has an adjustable seat and a dual braking system. The model also benefits from real, heavy treaded pneumatic tyres, an enclosed chain-drive mechanism, forward and reverse gears, mudguards on all four wheels, a large steering wheel, comfy back seat, and siren sounds.

The Go Kart is covered by the Kids@play service centre based in South Wales, offering spares and component parts, regular servicing advice and a pick and collect service for any breakdown. The RRP is £149.

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Toy Fair 2015

Fiesta Crafts

Stand F66 020 8804 0563 | www.fiestacrafts.co.uk Fiesta Crafts has unveiled its latest products designed to make learning fun and interactive, aimed specifically at children of school age.

The magnetic Countdown Calendar helps children to count down how many sleeps until a specific event of their choosing, such as a holiday, a birthday, christmas or another important date like easter or the school holidays. They slide the monkey down the helter skelter a day at a time until it eventually reaches the bottom, when the wait is over.

It also works as a calender. Children can learn how to put the months in sequence, they can update the day of the week and the date every day, and can monitor the weather and update their chart as it changes.

Also new is the Tell the Time magnetic teaching clock. The clock teaches in both 12 and 24 hour format and comes with a range of activity pieces which children can place on the chart to help them associate certain times with activities in a typical day. It has rotating hands and comes complete with 46 magnetic numbers and descriptions so that children can write out the corresponding time.

Football fans can look forward to the extra large magnetic Football Table. You can track the position of football teams from League 2 right up to the Premiership.

Plotting each team’s progress with 125 magnetic pieces which each feature a team name and can be moved as the season progresses.

The new Magnetic Spanish Words products will also be showcased. Each magnetic tile features an English word and picture on one side and the equivalent Spanish word on the other. It’s a visual way to help children get to grips with the basics.

The new extra-large magnetic Star Chart has been designed to encourage children to do as they’re asked. The chart allows parents/carers to set tasks and write in a target for how many stars that need to be earned in the week. Progress can be tracked on the points ladder until they reach the target and receive the reward.

See us at London Toy Fair Stand GH59

Turbo Words is a fast paced word game for 2-4 Players.... with a devious side Players act simultaneously to fill individual playing boards with randomly selected lettered game tiles with the aim of creating as many words as possible in a crossword style.

www.joluetgames.com

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Stand H39

/bigjigstoysltd

@bigjigstoys

Toy Fair 2015

MV Sports

Stand B30 0121 748 8000 | www.mvsports.co.uk MV will showcase its new ranges of licensed and own brand wheeled toys. This year the company’s portfolio of licences is strengthened with the addition of several new properties.

MV has recently signed a multi-property licensing agreement with the Walt Disney Company. The new Disney line-up features Disney Princess, Disney Cars and Disney Planes alongside Avengers and Star Wars.

Disney Princess aims to fill a gap in the pre-school wheeled market. The new range combines magical-themed accessories and features with colourways and graphics.

Also being introduced to the pre-school range is In the Night Garden. MV has developed a range of trikes, scooters and ride ons featuring multi character products alongside specific Iggle Piggle products.

For older boys, Batman and Star Wars lead the way. The Star Wars 16 inch bike incorporates new graphics and colours.

New products for Thunderbirds and World of Warriors will also be launched for 2015, while the Marvel’s Avengers 2 Age of Ultron range will include helmets, skateboards, scooters and bikes.

MV’s own branded wheeled range attracted attention throughout 2014. The Grow & Go range is focused on a parent friendly combination of convertibility and re-configuration, which allows each product to adapt to a child’s needs as they grow in confidence.

Alpha Toys

Androni

Gallery 515 00353 673 800 | info@alpha-toys.co.uk

Stand H70 00353 673 800 | www.andronigiocattoli.it The Italian manufacturer Androni has been producing a wide range of quality plastic toys since 1967.

The company will exhibit at Toy Fair for the first time in 2015.

The Androni range of products are made in its manufacturing facility in the north of Italy.

The range includes licensed and generic summer toys, garden toys and bricks under the brand Unico.

Top sellers like the Shopping Trolley, Tea Sets and Soft Sponge Ball will also be on display.

Siku continues to develop many new items in scales 1:87, 1:50 and 1:32. This year the delayed releases from late 2014 will be released in January. As usual there will be four other release packages later in the year. The Blister range continues to grow with some new additions during the year.

Following on from the two limited edition sets releases in 2014, there will be two more Bugatti releases in 2015; the first in January and the other later in the year. These will be gift sets of three cars in colours not previously released, which come in a limited edition black gift box.

DWSD

Gallery 147a 08452 573 005 | www.dwsd.co.uk Dwsd will have its full 2014 product range on the stand, including the Polar Pen. The company will also launch new remote control toys and new science ranges, as well as a selection of licensed products, and new line Cupcake Surprise.

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COME & SEE OUR FANTASTIC RANGES

NEW

TOBAR PRODUCTS

INTRODUCING 3 NEW GREAT BRANDS:

OVER

10S0TRNIBUETWION DI

LINES

We will be showing our products at the following shows, make sure you book an appointment with us!

Toy Fair, Olympia 20-22 Jan Gallery 305

0844 573 4299 tb_toy_world_jan.indd 1

Spring Fair, NEC 1-5 Feb 3K20-L21 sales@tobar.co.uk

Spielwarenmesse, Nuremberg 28 Jan-2 Feb 4F-95 www.tobar.co.uk 12/12/2014 16:48

Toy Fair 2015

Accentuate Games

Cheatwell

Chicco

Accentuate Games is making its Toy Fair debut with its first game Accentuate. The guess-theaccent party game was created by brother-sister duo Graeme and Fiona Fraser-Bell and launched in July 2014. With a successful UK launch under their belt, the Accentuate team is now developing a US version, which is due to launch Stateside in Q2.

The game lets you attempt to copy a cockney and mimic a mancunian. Repeat a given quotation aloud in a randomly selected accent and see if teammates can guess what it is.

Featuring 30 different drawls from around the globe – a third of which are home-grown British dialects – players have just 30 seconds to utter one of the 90 quotations in the allotted accent.

Aimed at players aged 16 plus, the compact sized black and white box comes complete with a timer and a dice to select game-play options.

Cheatwell’s Squeeze Poppers have gone from strength to strength, with more than 80,000 sold in 2014. To add to the popping pals Cheatwell has introduced the Zombie Boy, complete with exploding brain, Sock Monkey and a Squeezy Squirrel. Each Popper comes with six foam balls and a carry net. The company also launched a series of Keyring Poppers.

In the board games category, there’s family game Face Race and Kids Charades, a twist on the traditional parlour game. For the adults there’s the return of Humm Bug as well as a version of Charades.

Plop Trumps will be joined by Fart, a card game for those with a sense of humour.

In puzzles, there are new additions to the IQ Buster range, 3D Dinosaur models and 3D Magna Puzzle designs.

There are also new Tabletop Racers and Wind-

Up Animals, Glo-In-The-Dark, card games and party games and jigsaws.

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Chicco will be attending the London Toy Fair for the first time ever in 2015, and will be unveiling its brand new partnerships with Disney and Fiat.

Walt Disney, top licensor and representing 41% of licensed toys globally sold, joins Chicco with two of its most appreciated and sold properties: Disney Baby & Disney Princess.

Meanwhile, the exciting partnership between Chicco and Fiat further develops the range of remote control cars with a new radio controlled car for the 2015 range. Suitable for toddlers aged two years and upwards, the Fiat 500 is controlled using a steering wheel shaped remote, which also features a horn.

New Extra large magnetic charts!

Toy Fair - F66 | Spring Fair - H3, J18 | Nuremburg - H1, B-09 Fiesta Crafts Ltd - 3 Centenary Road, Enfield, EN3 7UD 020 8804 0563 sales@fiestacrafts.co.uk toyfairads.indd 2

15/12/2014 12:13

Toy Fair 2015

Halilit Mookie Sam, Your 1960s Girl, is the latest addition to the multi award-winning range of play dolls, books and accessories in the A Girl for All Time collection.

Created by British boutique toy company Daughters of History, the age-appropriate and educational companion dolls have been designed to appeal to modern, young girls aged seven plus.

The newest member of the fictitious Marchmont family to be immortalised as a doll is Sam. Sam, Your 1960s Girl, is Clementine’s daughter and grows up in post-war Paris. It’s 1966 when tragedy strikes and she must move from Paris to stay with relatives in Greenwich Village, New York City.

Just like the rest of the range from A Girl for All Time, Sam will have costumes and accessories as well as a novel all about her adventures. Planned release is September 2015.

Toy Fair marks a big milestone for Halilit as the company will be celebrating 30 years of exhibiting at the trade show, and 50 years in

business. Various activities will be taking place on the stand to mark these anniversaries and lots of new product are being launched both at the event and throughout the year.

Amongst the new launches will be the new Rock ‘n Table from Edushape, a dual use outdoor toy that can be used one way up as an early rocking see-saw for toddlers from two years+.

Sitting safely in the two seats provided, and then by turning the rocking see-saw upside down, the Rock ‘n Table becomes a perfect height play table for two.

One of the new launches from Taf Toys is the long lasting three-stage developmental Cot Play Centre which comes packed with lots of play features, music and lights and it attaches to both wooden cots and fabric travel cots. The attachment clips have two height options and offer age appropriate activities for three different stages of a baby’s development.

For a modern twist on an old favourite, the

new Magnetic Fishing Set from Battat consists of two fishing rods with winding reels, magnetic hooks and four colourful magnetic sea creatures, all stored in an easy to carry bag. Designed for pre-schoolers from aged three years +, the set encourages sharing, co-ordination and counting skills and can be played with inside or outside.

2015 will see the launch of the Toys Alive range as Mookie aim to enhance its presence in the youth electronic market. The flagship product, Pebli Town will be supported by the company’s largest ever marketing campaign. The Pebli range will also consist of Pebli Safari, Pebli Garage and a licence expansion pack.

Mookie will also be unveiling Story Stars; the story telling night light plush, FluffiMals; the collectible and customisable teddy, Alphablocks; the app toy that helps develop kids spelling, pronunciation and vocabulary and Wrecked Decks; the new range of skateboards.

For all your Toy Testing needs: üAdvice and Consultancy üAccredited Testing to European, US ASTM / CPSIA and China – GB standards üSpecialists in chemical testing and requirements üEC Type Examinations Contact: Judith Russell Tel: 0161 868 7600 Email: toys@eurofins.co.uk www.eurofins.co.uk/product-testing Visit us at the Toy Fair this January: Stand GH6

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Your industry is our focus

Toy Fair 2015

Hero Products Gallery Toy World asked a selection of Toy Fair exhibitors to highlight one product they’re excited to unveil at this year’s show.

Clementoni

Galt

Michele Marziliano

“We’re really excited about Mio the Robot, which is a scientific kit that allows you to build your own robot. Once you have created Mio the Robot, you can programme it to undertake a number of different tasks such as a steeplechase, predict your robot journey or pick up small magnetic objects, plus many other fun activities. The kit comes with a number of accessories, allowing you to create a different robot every day. It also includes two electronic motors and LED lights.”

John McDonnell

HTI

Andrew Coplestone “The Rainbow Dash Style n Groom is a full body, 3D sculpt of the popular character with a beautiful long mane of multi-coloured hair. It comes with lots of styling and glam up accessories that can be used on the pony and also the girls themselves, including colourful Cutie Mark stickers, gems and hair beads, a comb, clips and bobbles.”

Click distribution Mark Hillier

“We have plenty of new launches which we will be introducing at Toy Fair, but one of the most exciting is the eagerly awaited launch of the second series of Bumpeez featuring Minions. The first series of generic Bumpeez, which launched in 2011, sold in excess of 2m packs in the UK and our customers have been patiently waiting for the follow up series.

Well, wait no longer- it is going to be huge with a capital H.”

Toy World 212

“Galt Toys’ hero product is the new Ambi Activity Case, a colourful interactive toy with six different activities for little hands to explore. The Activity Case is one of six new Ambi Toys, all based on the original designs of world renowned toy designer, Patrick Rylands. The toys are well-designed and lots of fun to encourage discovery and learning through play, exactly what a good toy should be.”

What a ride the New Year is going to be for wooden rail.

Call 0845 6000 286 to raise an order or request a catalogue.

Growing Great Brands

Stand B50 Hall 3 Stand Q04

Placement January Toy Fair and Spring Fair Preview Publication Toy World

Colour Space CMYK

Designer Kristien Harris

Deadline 04/12/14

Width 210mm

Approved

DD/MM/YY

Created 15/05/14

Height 138mm

Approved by

NAME

Signed

SIGNATURE

Version v1

Bleed none

Toy Fair 2015

Tactic Games

Jeremy Pateman “In addition to the launch of Thunderbirds Classic 50th anniversary trivia game, and the Minions Hit Them Out action game, Tactic Games will be launching new games such as ‘Wonky Blocks’, an exciting new family game.”

DKL

Farel Williams “My favourite new launch has to be the new Hama Doc McStuffins set. With fun characters and vibrant packaging, this large gift box is set to be incredibly popular.”

Interplay Heather Mann

“We’re particularly excited about Steampunk Jewellery: vintage inspired jewellery that’s so fashionable you probably won’t have even heard of it yet.’’

Brainstorm Nick Saunders

“With the new Brainstorm Toys Creepy Crawly Catcher, kids can explore, catch, study and release all their favourite creepy crawlies. Forming part of the Outdoor Adventure range, it also includes a bug catch jar, magnifier, practice bug, booklet and a secret code to unlock online bonus bug information.”

Vtech

Clive Richardson “We are really excited to present our new Kidizoom Action Cam at Toy Fair. The camera is a truly innovative addition to our Kidizoom range; it allows children to take photos and videos on the go as it comes with a waterproof case and mounts for bikes and skateboards.

Children can also add photo effects and create stop motion videos. At VTech, we like to adapt adult trends to the children’s sector and the Kidizoom Action Cam does just that, but at a much more competitive price. It is great fun for children and we look forward to sharing this at our stand.”

Toy World 214

T: 0845 257 3005 | E: sales@dwsd.co.uk www.dwsd.co.uk Come and see our existing and new product ranges for 2015

Toy Fair Stand G147a

Wooky Europe Dave Williams

“Our hero product for this year is Charmazing, already a massive hit in the US we have been delighted but not surprised by the very positive reaction of the UK Trade. It’s going to be a massive hit.”

KD Toys Tracey Devine

“This year we are most excited about Peppa’s Play & Learn Active Watch. The interactive watch is packed with games, a motion sensor, clock, voice recorder and more for children to play, learn, move and tell the time with Peppa. For KD to embrace the phenomenon that is wearable technology, this is the perfect fit.”

Famosa Nikki Jeffery

“We are excited to back at Toy Fair for 2015 and will be unveiling new lines within our popular girls’ brands Pinypon and Nenuco.

Nenuco’s Hero product is the Nenuco Bathtime, a 42cm soft-bodied doll that can be immersed in water which does not soak in. She comes with her own dolphin float and when you squeeze water over her head she blows bubbles below the water.”

Toy World 216

Flying Gadgets Joshua Farleigh

“2015 is a big year for us on the children’s licenced ride-ons front, so we’re really excited to be expanding our fleet with the brand new Bentley Continental Ride-On Car. It’s a realistic scale replica of a white Bentley GT Continental, with 6V battery, seat belt and parental remote control for safety. It also boasts authentic ignition and engine sounds, steering wheel sounds on turns, a horn and working lights so children get a realistic driving experience every time.”

re:creation Jonathan Kirkley

“2014 saw our plush portfolio deliver some incredible results and this year will see us increase our presence in the category still further. Toy Fair will see the launch not only of extensions to big hits, Stretchkins and Bright Light Pillows, but also two entirely new brands.

A particular favourite is our Zigamazoos line of collectable plush characters that have a unique giggle when squeezed. These never fail to bring on a smile.”

Schleich Laura Bull

“The line I am most excited about has to be Batman, from our brand new DC Comics range.

He’s available in three different poses and is as iconic as ever. Plus with Schleich’s reputation for delivering a quality product, this figure - and all the DC comics collection- offers collector’s quality at a toy price.”

Toy World 217

Toy Fair 2015

K’nex

Eileen Thornton “I can’t wait to unveil K-FORCE at Toy Fair. This range of buildable blasters was created to satisfy existing consumer demand, with hundreds of thousands of people searching online for K’NEX blasters. The range looks fantastic, has brilliant price points and brings genuine innovation to the construction aisle.”

Little Helper

Sean Johnson “Our main business comes from multinationals, and we are also keen to get in to independents. In order to alleviate the problem of choosing which products to highlight in-store, we have developed a POS unit that comes complete with an off the shelf product selection.”

Epoch making toys Graham Brennan

“The new Sylvanian Families Seaside Cruiser house boat is a beautiful blue boat which doubles as a house. It comes with a pool and waterslide.

The boat is kitted out with all sorts of furniture and accessories including two beds, a kitchen, and a dining space. The set also includes a mini boat as well as a desert island, and features over 55 pieces including Freya the Chocolate Rabbit Girl in a unique nautical themed outfit.”

Character Options Mark Hunt

“The Weebledown Farm launched on Boxing Day and will be presented at Toy Fair. It’s the next step in our commitment with Hasbro to develop the Weebles line that brings together a popular pre-school play pattern with a heritage brand that parents know and trust. It will extend our Weebles offering and place it firmly on the map following the successful debut last year with the Peppa Weebles collection.”

Spin Master Emma Eden

“Spin Master is excited to be launching a large range of Paw Patrol products alongside the wonderful TV programming currently on NickJnr and Milkshake, in particular the On-a-Roll vehicles. Each vehicle has transforming action, real sound effects and popular phrases known by Paw Patrol fans everywhere - If danger is near just give a yelp, the Paw Patrol is here to help!”

D’Arpeje Camille Zuili

“Elsa and Anna, the sisters from Frozen, of the most successful animated movies of all time have joined the D’arpeje range with a home furniture collection. The full range will be presented at the show such as this activity table.”

Toy World 218

Androni Italy will exhibit at the Fair for the first time showing top quality plastic toys manufactured in Italy - Stand H70 (Ground Floor) Tel. 0321.957241 www.andronigiocattoli.it e-mail: andmail@tin.it

Allegedly

Black Friday and Cyber Monday provided a briefly entertaining diversion to the festive retail scene, but the unseemly scuffles and scenes of general mayhem largely seemed to revolve around tech products. A number of retailers included a few toy lines as part of their overall sale offering, but toys didn’t appear to constitute a major focal point.

The event did, however, provide Asda with the opportunity to deliver arguably the best typo of the festive season: according to the Asda website, Little Tikes is apparently now responsible for fostering civil unrest through its’ Cosy Coup line.

Ultimately, as far as the toy sector is concerned, Black Friday and Cyber Monday seem to be just two more days in the run-up to Christmas, with plenty of attractive retail offers available, just like all the other days….

Nevertheless, it does appear that Black Friday and Cyber Monday proved highly effective in driving online sales overall. Around £810m was spent on Black Friday, a whopping 50% more than had been anticipated. A further £660m was apparently spent on Cyber Monday. But there was an unwelcome - yet somehow entirely predictable - side-effect to the surge in orders: delivery chaos. Indeed, one newspaper report referred to the whole delivery system as ‘broken.’

By all accounts, even the largest retailers had to admit defeat and tear up their delivery promises.

Yodel, the UK’s second biggest delivery company after Royal Mail, even went so far as to publicly admit that it had stopped collecting parcels from retailers as it struggled to clear the backlog.

Ultimately, the breakdown of the delivery system was slightly bizarre: having pulled out all the stops to drive huge sales volumes, it’s almost as if some retailers had no plan in place to cope with the fulfilment of the extra demand they’d created.…

The Toy Store opened its largest-ever outlet in the Middle East in early December, a 31,000 square foot store in Abu Dhabi. The latest news on the company’s arrival onto the UK retail scene is that its inaugural London store is likely to open around late August / early September next year.

A new buying team, which will be based in the UK, is apparently being put together shortly, so presumably there are a few experienced toy buyers tidying up their CVs at the moment….

It’s been confirmed that the new Frozen short film – Frozen Fever – will make its debut next March, showing before the new Cinderella liveaction movie. Crucially, the song-writing team behind the original soundtrack – Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez – will be returning for the new project. It’s difficult to under-estimate the duo’s role in the success of Frozen: Disney’s golden era movies (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Lion

King) and even its original sixties classics such as Jungle Book were set apart from other animated movies by their fantastic soundtracks, something that has been missing in many of its recent movies. Robert Lopez was co-creator of theatrical successes such as Avenue Q and Book of Mormon, so he’s effectively modern song-writing royalty, and licensees should be very happy he’s committed to the new project. Indeed, it’s entirely plausible that had there been a musical theatre aficionado at Disney, they wouldn’t have missed the whole Frozen phenomenon in the first place….

Tesco was back in the news last month after it confirmed its full-year profits would fall well below market expectations. Shares fell by up to 16% after the announcement that its profits would not exceed £1.4bn, significantly below the expected range of £1.8-2.2bn. Furthermore, the four executives who ‘left’ Tesco after the profit overstatement fiasco have been told they have no right of appeal over their departures while the Serious Fraud Office investigation is taking place.

It has been suggested that this decision, in turn, may prompt a legal challenge from some of the executives. All of which probably isn’t helping Tesco’s suppliers to feel any better about its shortterm prospects….

Maybe the unfortunate situation at Tesco explains the bizarre ritual taking place at one of the retailer’s main competitors, which was reported by the Daily Mail thus: “On the first floor of Asda’s Leeds headquarters, staff gather around a desk for a spell of forced fun known as a ‘huddle’.

Speeches recognising the contributions made by employees are delivered, games are played and there are loud whoops and cheering. Known as ‘Asda Magic’, staff are trained to reproduce a version of owner Walmart’s American schmaltz.”

One can only imagine the embarrassment and rictus grins on the faces of the poor staff forced into participating in such a ridiculous charade.

All that whooping and hollering may work in America, but somehow it seems unlikely that it translates to the UK mind-set. But one can imagine Ricky Gervais has been taking notes, just in case he ever decides to bring The Office back….

Former GMTV/ ITV luminary Simon Poole will be joining Channel Five this month. Simon’s new role will see him back working with the toy community once again, and he’ll be at Toy Fair to catch up with many of his old friends and colleagues. Meanwhile Jason Rice has left Turner, while Paul Sanders has joined Groupon, having parted company with Rakuten (formerly play.com) and Rebecca Rees has re-joined The Entertainer as head of marketing and licensing.

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WHISTLE ‘HELLO’ TO SOME FAMILIAR FACES PREMIERES ON CBEEBIES SPRING 2015

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