Marketing World Playmobil increases TV advertising investment
Stikbot YouTube channel hits 200 million views
2017 will see the first time Playmobil has appeared on screen with licensed product as part of a national campaign. The company has already been on-air with advertising for its early 2017 product launches, with Knights and Pony Farm having hit TV screens, and May saw the launch of the new Ghostbusters set – the first ever entertainment brand licensed product to be created by Playmobil – which waswill also be supported by TV advertising. The first advert for the new Ghostbusters set hit screens in June. The national campaign brought to life iconic scenes from the beloved film, as well as famous landmarks and characters such as the firehouse, the Ecto-1 vehicle, and a Stay Puft marshmallow man. A total of 17 product ranges will feature in the advertising schedule overall, including key new product launches such as the new Police set and Romans and Egyptians range. Jamie Dickinson, marketing and display manager, said: “As ever we are looking forward to a busy year of new product launches, but with our first ever entertainment brand licences hitting the shelves and the screens this year it’s more exciting than ever. Playmobil is investing more than ever before in our TV advertising this year, with a significant increase in our investment for 2017.”
The StikBot Central YouTube Channel has had over 200m views. The YouTube channel success stems from the popularity of the toy range, which is exclusively distributed in the UK by Brainstorm. Creator Zing Toys is constantly creating content, which inspires StikBot fans to do the same. The company has also added new line extensions to extend both the play possibilities and the animationcreation opportunities. Brainstorm is enjoying success with the new StikBot Pets line, which includes dogs, cats, and monkeys, and a bulldog now also features in the popular StikBot Zanimation Studio set. A new stand-alone StikBot set will be launched in July backed by bursts of TV advertising in the run up to Christmas. The new StikBot Pirate Movie Set features a pirate scene complete with Pirate Ship and plank, as well as palm trees, sharks and more. Nick Saunders, sales director at Brainstorm Toys, commented: “It’s an exhilarating journey working with the guys at Zing. The sheer speed at which they create content and put it out there, as well as thinking of new ways to add value to the range, is phenomenal. We had a great year with StikBots in 2016 but the new line extensions are creating an even greater buzz from retailers. They not only love the opportunity to sell complete ranges but also that StikBots spans so many categories including STEM, interactive, novelty and collectible to name a few.”
Character Options appoints ambassador for SoundMoovz launch The marketing drive for the launch of Character Option’s new wearable motion-activated musical bandz, SoundMoovz, has been bolstered by the appointment of inspirational youth dance leader Hakeem Onibudo. The red carpet MC, choreographer and youth motivator was recruited in May to host the retail launch event and an exclusive press event. Recruiting a SoundMoovz Dance Crew was first on the agenda. The 1st and 2nd July at Stratford’s Westfield saw SoundMoovz showcased to the public for the first time, with repeat dance performances and product demonstrations in the central gallery across the weekend, followed by a take-over of the Oxo Tower restaurant on 4th July. Hakeem and his crew will also return for more retail events throughout the summer, taking SoundMoovz nationwide. Mark Hunt, marketing manager, commented: “We first met Hakeem in London whilst hosting the national youth dance exhibition Move It; we knew immediately that he was the man to take our SoundMoovz launch to another level. He is deeply immersed within the UK dance scene and has a great synergy with the brand. Hakeem has been working directly with the inventor to produce a show stopping performance at our two launch events - also streamed live on social media. We aim to generate loads of content for our viral campaign, with the aim to make SoundMoovz the must-have wearable tech of 2017.” Hakeem Onibudo added: “Working with SoundMoovz is one of the most exciting things I have done in my 20 year career. It has been so amazing to play with the technology and be able to show my creative skills from directing to dancing to MC’ing. Launching this product is an incredible honour. We are so excited to introduce the SoundMoovz Dance Crew to the world”
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