toyworld

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ith a passion for toysM

arch 2015 volume 4 issue 6

March 2015 volume 4 issue 6

NEW

NEW

CONTENTSMarch 2015 volume 4 issue 6

The Team...

ContributorsDavid Ripley | Jim Hawker | Mark Buschhaus | Stephen Barnes | The NPD Group

50 Outdoor toys

30 Toy Fair Awards

70 Stylised toys

38 Action vehicles

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toyworldThe business magazine with a passion for toys

Graeme ThomasProduction Manager

graeme@toyworldmag.co.uk07792 889 919

Mark AustinAdvertisement Manager

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Daniel RichEditorial Assistant

daniel@toyworldmag.co.uk01442 502 406

Emily Ansell Elfer Deputy Editor

emily@toyworldmag.co.uk01442 502 407

Anita BaulchCirculation Manager

anita@toyworldmag.co.uk01923 711 439

John BaulchPublisher and Managing Editor

john@toyworldmag.co.uk01442 502 40807932 651 207

News07 From the Publisher

08 News

15 Industry Moves

16 Marketing World

21 Licensing World

Opinion25 Talking Shop

28 Show reviews

30 Toy Fair Awards

68 Touching Base

76 Viewpoint

77 NPD Column

90 Allegedly

Features23 Brand Profi le: Mixels

24 Brand Profi le: Make-a-Bar

38 Action v ehicles

49 Company Profi le: Flying Gadgets

50 Outdoor toys

70 Stylised toys

78 Services and Suppliers

For further information please call the Sales Department on 01392 281 928 | Email: ukcustomerservices@tomy.com

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And so another Toy Fair Season has drawn to a close. I hope it was as successful for you as it was for the Toy World team. Since the start of the New Year I have travelled to three continents, met with

hundreds of companies and seen literally thousands of exciting new products. From Hong Kong to London, Nuremberg to Birmingham, and fi nally fi nishing in New York, my tour was a combination of hard graft and great fun from beginning to end. There are reviews of each of these exhibitions in this issue: I hope our round-up articles give you a fl avour of each event and some perspective on what happened at this year’s shows.

It is an inescapable fact that the toy industry thrives on confi dence and, thankfully, it does seem that people are feeling positive this year, especially after NPD revealed that the market grew by 4% in value last year. However, there are inevitably still some challenges to be met. One of the main talking points of Toy Fair Season was the current exchange rate scenario. It’s a complex situation, with both the rise of the dollar and the fall of the Euro creating both challenges and opportunities: depending on your position – whether buying or selling, and whether the Far East or Europe is your main port of call – the currency conundrum is defi nitely going to affect many parts of the toy market this year. More on this in future issues without a doubt.

The other major talking point during the show was the clash of dates with Nuremberg Toy Fair next year. I can offer a little enlightenment on the subject; fi rst of all, it is certainly not the fault of the BTHA. Nuremberg will not be moving back a week – as had been anticipated – due to the timing of Fasching, or Shrove Tuesday (also known as Karnevals in parts of Germany). In Bavaria they have Carnival Sunday before Fasching, which next year falls on 7th February: presumably the organisers felt this would further impact domestic attendance (it already declined this year), hence the decision to leave the show in its current time slot. The BTHA has been working incredibly hard to fi nd a solution to this unfortunate situation. Although there is no concrete news as we go to press, I understand it looks increasingly likely that the show will open on Sunday 24th and close on Tuesday 26th January. This arrangement is still subject to fi nal confi rmation, but we will keep you posted as soon as there are further developments via the

Toy World website, www.toyworldmag.co.uk. The news that Mattel CEO Bryan Stockton had

‘resigned’ (allegedly) broke just before Nuremberg, garnering huge media coverage, much of it arguably a little wide of the mark. As I told the researcher from the BBC World Service who interviewed me from the Spielwarenmesse, Mattel had huge headwinds against it last year: the seventh consecutive year of falling birth rate in the USA couldn’t have helped Fisher Price, while the Frozen juggernaut affected just about every other girls’ brand as well as Barbie. Admittedly, a change at the top may well help freshen things up, but talk of the demise of both the company and its fl agship brands is – in my humble opinion – exaggerated. They’re having a tough time (I heard a fi gure for the amount of clearance on offer from the USA which is eye-watering), but there are already positive signs in the 2015 product range that the new team is already beginning to address the situation. All the big toy companies are aware that performance can be cyclical – Mattel is at the bottom of the curve right now, but I certainly wouldn’t bet against it coming back with a vengeance over the next few years.

While checking in at the New York press offi ce, I explained this was the fi nal stop on my Toy Fair Season tour – the last of fi ve shows in seven weeks. The PR said my schedule sounded gruelling: it was, but in fairness nothing that plenty of industrial strength coffee and the odd glass of wine (or two) can’t sort out. More importantly, it was enormously enjoyable. In many respects the global toy community is like a big family: everyone seems to be connected somehow. The ‘seven degrees of separation’ theory seems to hold true wherever you go: whoever I ended up sitting next to on a bus heading to the show in New York – or indeed on the Nuremberg metro, or outside a bar in Hong Kong – we were able to fi nd some common experience that we could share and discuss . I know other people will say that this is also the case in other industries, but I’m not so sure it happens to the same extent as it does in the toy trade. And that is something we can all be proud of.

So that’s it, Toy Fair Season is over for another year. Now the fun really begins. I wish you all the best with the mountain of follow up, the quotes, form fi lling and ultimately, the selections. Whether you’re making them or receiving them, may you get what you are hoping for, and maybe even a little more. By all accounts the year has got off to a decent start: January sales are said to have been healthy, people seem to have emerged from Toy Fair Season in a positive frame of mind and 2015 stretches ahead of us. Let’s hope it’s another good one.

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

newsThe toy trade’s no.1 resource for news and analysis

Toy World 08

Independent Toy and Gift Show to be held in April The third annual Independent Toy and Gift Show will take place from 14th-15th April in both ground fl oor suites of Cranmore Park exhibition centre in Solihull.

Over 80 toy and children’s gift suppliers will fi ll 3,000 square metres of space showcasing their current ranges. Key suppliers such as Lego, Mattel, Hasbro and Character Options will be in attendance and new exhibitors will include Boxer Gift, Clementoni, Click Distribution, Creative Models, GB Eye, Neat Ideas and Orange Tree Toys.

Free registration is now open for independent toy and gift buyers who can enjoy free parking, wi-fi , complimentary refreshments and lunch.

Visit www.independenttoyandgift.co.uk for a full list of exhibitors and online registration.

Barbie to star in new feature fi lmThis year marks the launch of Barbie in Princess Power, a new fi lm which sees the doll star as Kara, a modern-day princess with an everyday life. One day, after being kissed by a magical butterfl y, Kara discovers she has powers allowing her to transform into alter ego Super Sparkle.

An extensive marketing programme supporting the new toy range and fi lm includes a TV campaign running from 2nd February until 30th March and a PR programme that comprises of a substantial media outreach and a continued partnership with Netmums. The launch is also being supported by a dedicated website, Barbie.com/PrincessPowerUK, featuring an online competition as well as games and activities.

There was also a Princess Power Tour where Barbie visited eight cities throughout the February half term. The tour launched on 14th February in Westfi eld, Stratford.The fi lm is now available on DVD and digital download.

IMC Toys celebrates 10 years in the UKThe company is currently forecasting a 30% growth YOY in its end of year accounts. IMC’s success has been driven by the established and popular licences within IMC’s portfolio and some star performing products, such as Lucy the Dog (part of the IMC Club Petz range).

Back in 2004 IMC Toys had just two members of staff running the subsidiary. The team has now grown to 11 members of staff, with three of these appointments recruited within the last six months.

IMC Toys has been working with Disney creating a toy range for the upcoming Disney Junior franchise, Miles from Tomorrow. The programme will air in the spring and IMC Toys will launch its toy range late summer. The full range was unveiled to retailers in IMC’s HK showroom and at Toy Fair last month.

Terry Crew, IMC Toys, managing director, said: “We’ve had an incredible 2014 but I’m sure 2015 will be even better for us. We have big plans for the Club Petz range and some new lines on the licensing side. However our biggest news for 2015 will be our partnership with Disney on Miles from Tomorrow. It’s a very exciting time to be at the company and I look forward to seeing 2015 unfold.”

DKL Marketing Ltd 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton NN3 6QD, UK

Market & Distribute Quality Brands

tel. 01604 678780 • email. dkl@dkl.co.uk • web. www.dkl.co.uk

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Toy World 10

Trends UK signs Cabbage Patch KidsTrends UK has signed an agreement with Wicked Cool to distribute Cabbage Patch Kids in the UK. The Cabbage Patch Kids range has been expanded with new product launches that appeal to different age groups and features price points that suit different purchase opportunities.

The company will promote the brand with signifi cant marketing support featuring hard-hitting TV and PR campaigns, raising awareness and maximising excitement around the products.

Starring in the marketing campaigns will be a selection of new Cabbage Patch Kids hero items, including the Cabbage Patch Kids Rainbow Cuties (assortment of fi ve), Cabbage Patch Kids (assortment of eight) and the Cabbage Patch Kids Pets/Adoptimals (assortment of seven), a new Cabbage Patch Kids doll with its own pet to love.

Graham Spark, sales director at Trends UK, said: “Cabbage Patch Kids is a brand with a history of incredible success. We are excited to be offering the new expanded range to our customers. Growing the Cabbage Patch Kids portfolio, we are adding products that appeal to a much wider audience.”

Hasbro shares jump after boys’ toys boostHasbro has has unveiled fourth quarter profi ts which topped analysts’ estimates, lifted by products such as Transformers and Nerf.

Net income rose 31% to $169.9 million, while adjusted earnings increased to $1.22 a share, beating the $1.19 predicted by analysts.

Hasbro received a boost from its boys’ brands in the fourth quarter, as sales rose 21% to $421.9 million, while girls’ revenue slid 10%. Total fourth-quarter sales gained 1.3% to $1.3 billion.

Ravensburger acquires BrioThe Ravensburger Group has acquired Swedish toy company Brio from investor Proventus. Within the Ravensburger group, Brio will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary based in Malmö under its existing management. The acquisition also includes Alga, the Swedish market leader in board games.

Commenting on the deal, Ravensburger chairman Karsten Schmidt said: “The purchase of Brio is consistent with Ravensburger’s strategy of increasing growth abroad and expanding from the games market into the toy market.”

Vendor Proventus has been the main owner of Brio for over 10 years and has enabled the company to revitalise its brand, leading to profi table growth for the wooden toy business.

The acquisition will enable the Ravensburger Group to strengthen its position as a toy company uniting two strong brands under one umbrella. Brio also benefi ts from the acquisition because of Ravensburger’s international presence and many years of experience and commitment within the children’s and family segment.

Bryan Stockton leaves MattelBryan Stockton has resigned as chairman and CEO of Mattel. He has also stepped down from the Board of Directors. Christopher Sinclair, who has served on Mattel’s Board of Directors since 1996, has been named as chairman and interim CEO.

“Mattel is an exceptional company with a great future but the board believes that it is the right time for new leadership to maximize its potential,” said Christopher Sinclair.

“We are committed to delivering improved growth and fi nancial performance and remain confi dent in our ability to leverage our unmatched portfolio of brands, global scale and strong balance sheet as we execute on our strategic plan. I look forward to engaging with the entire Mattel community as we work to deepen our connections with children and parents through expanded product innovation and improved retail execution. We will be working during the coming months to revitalize the business and to identify the right leadership for Mattel as it enters its next phase of growth and value creation.”

Toymaster’s Ian Edmunds and Yogi Parmar promotedIan Edmunds and Yogi Parmer (pictured right) have been promoted to managing director and operations director respectively.

Ian has been with Toymaster for almost 16 years serving the group for the last 10 years as marketing and operations director. Yogi has been with the company for over 24 years serving the group in several roles, latterly as operations manager.

Roger Dyson has taken on a temporary and part time role as vice chairman, to assist with the transition to the new management structure.

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Toy World 12

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Your industry is our focus

The Entertainer celebrates opening of 100th storeThe Entertainer has announced the landmark opening of its 100th store in Aylesbury, on Saturday 14th March 2015.

Husband and wife team, Gary and Catherine Grant, founded The Entertainer in 1981 when they opened a local toy shop in Amersham, Bucks. Thirty four years later, The Entertainer now employs more than 1,200 people in its stores and a further 150 based at its head offi ce in Amersham. Staying true to the company’s roots and heritage, the 100th store will be launched in the county where it all began.

The group is celebrating the grand opening of its 100th store with a special trolley dash by children from a local children’s charity, PACE, who work with children and young people with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy. Children from a local school will also be taking part in arts and crafts activities, having their faces painted and meeting their favourite pre-school characters. Local media and radio station, Mix 96, will be covering the opening with prizes and games and SpongeBob SquarePants will be making a special appearance.

MD and founder Gary Grant commented: “After experiencing such solid growth across the UK, our 100th store marks a major milestone for The Entertainer. We wish our new store manager Jennifer Allison the very best of luck, and we look forward to bringing joy and wonder to the children of Aylesbury and to continuing our expansion in 2015 onto more high streets throughout the UK.”

2015 Toymaster May Show sold outAll space has been fi lled at the Harrogate-based toy event. Toymaster says it would like to take the opportunity to thank those attending for their support and the company looks forward to welcoming people to the show.

The event takes place at The Majestic Hotel in Harrogate from 12th-14th May.

Lego announces Doctor Who setThe Lego Group has revealed that it will be producing a Doctor Who set later this year. The concept came from the Lego Ideas website where fans can submit designs for a set and vote for their favourite to be produced.

The Doctor Who concept from fan Andrew Clark received the 10,000 votes requisite for The Lego Group to consider it for production. It featured a range of doctors, companions and monsters from across the show’s history.

A licensing agreement between BBC Worldwide and The Lego Group will see the new set available in all of Lego’s key markets before the end of the year.

Emma Owen, UK spokesperson for Lego Ideas, said: “We’re extremely excited to announce that a Doctor Who and a WALL-E set will be released as our next Lego Ideas fan based sets. Congratulations to the designers Andrew Clark and Angus MacLane.

“After receiving over 10,000 votes from the online community and having gone through rigorous toy testing from our expert panel, these sets are on track to be on shelves later this year. The fi nal set designs, pricing and availability are being worked out as we speak, so watch this space for the fi nal details.”

re:creation scoops Razor distribution accoladeThe re:creation management team collected an award from Razor during New York Toy Fair after being named its International Distributor of the Year 2014.

Each year Razor recognises achievements and efforts made by its dozens of distributors worldwide. re:creation shared the international distributor accolade with Razor’s Middle Eastern distributor, Red.

re:creation’s marketing director, Jonathan Kirkley, commented: “Razor is an incredible brand and the passion the team has for their industry comes through in a truly innovative range of high performance products. Our Electrify your Ride marketing campaign has driven some incredible results and to be recognised in this way is really the cherry on the cake. We’re celebrating fi ve years as number one in the UK scooter market and we’re starting the year on a real high. We look forward to continuing to build momentum for the brand in 2015.”

The company will TV advertise electric scooters for the fi rst time in spring and continue to build on the Electrify your Ride campaign throughout the year.

Tribute to David HarrisonIt is with sadness that we advise David Harrison’s friends in the toy trade that he passed away on 10th February in the Duchess of Kent Hospice, Reading.

David was well known in the toy trade, having been a wholesaler in the 60s and 70s, and then a retailer with shops in Wokingham, Burnham and Sandhurst. He was a prominent member of Youngsters and a director for many years. He fi nally retired in 2009. His funeral took place on Tuesday 24th February at Caversham Crematorium.

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VTech launches Kidizoom Action CamThe Kidizoom Action Cam allows children to take photos and videos and mounts to bikes, skateboards and scooters. It includes features such as adding photo effects to images and creating stop motion videos. With the screen on the back of the Action Cam, children will be able to see their videos and photographs immediately. It comes complete with a waterproof case.

Clive Richardson, marketing director, said: “This is the latest addition to the Kidizoom range as well as the growing wearable tech category. We hosted an event at White Grounds Skate Park to give children the opportunity to try the Action Cam’s functions for themselves. With the help of professional extreme sports professionals, Team Extreme, the children were able to mount their Kidizoom Action Cam onto a bike, skateboard or scooter and learn tricks taking their own personal images and videos throughout the day. The day was a great success.”

Big Hero 6 wins best animated feature OscarBig Hero 6 has won the best animated fi lm category at the Oscars, beating the likes of How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The Boxtrolls.

The Disney fi lm, inspired by a Marvel comic, stars Ryan Potter as Hiro, a teenager who builds a robot called Baymax and enlists a team of fi ve other droids to take on a rogue robotics professor. The fi lm, which is set in the fantasy future city of San Fransokyo, was the collaboration between Winnie the Pooh director Don Hall and Chris Williams, director of Bolt.

The win marks the second victory in a row for Disney in the animation category. Frozen, the hugely popular story of estranged sisters’ reconciliation in an icy dream world, won the Oscar last year, along with best song for Let it Go.

Esdevium’s Dobble Challenge boosts in salesEsdevium has announced that its Dobble Challenge promotion secured additional sales of 6,000 units across independent retailers. Retailers were tasked with selling 100 copies of Dobble over one year, solely through in-store demonstrations. The reward for the 32 successful stores which sold over 100 units was an additional £1 rebate and one entry into a prize draw to win a tablet for every unit they were able to sell.

The biggest Dobble seller was Wise Owl Toys of Worcester with 915 units. This year’s total brought Wise Owl’s Dobble sales to over 4,000 units since the game’s release less than four years ago.

The winner of the prize draw was Imagine Toys of Holmfi rth, West Yorkshire, which sold more than 750 copies of Dobble.

Esdevium’s marketing manager Ben Hogg commented: “Promotions such as this are a nice way to encourage retailers to really get to know and show your product, whilst giving something back to them at the same time. The aim of this was to show what can be achieved when stores get behind a game such as Dobble – some of the sales have been staggering.”

Esdevium intends to commit further resources towards Dobble in 2015 with the introduction of TV advertising.

Create in-store activity with DKL MarketingDKL is encouraging retailers to take advantage of free marketing support available across its portfolio of brands. In particular, the distributor is organising a series of in-store fun days and competitions for stockists of Hama Beads and Breyer Model Horses over the Easter holidays. Fun days and competition are proven ways of increasing footfall and in-store activity and they are an easy way of capitalising on the school holidays.

For Hama, there is the Make and Take Day which involves inviting local families in-store to craft with Hama beads and then take their creations home. There is also a Guess the Beads competition where visitors to the store win a prize if they guess the correct amount of beads in a jar.

Alternatively, there are Breyer Fun Day Kits available. The kits include 24 unpainted horses, paints, brushes and a poster, and children can take their models home. In addition to increasing in-store activity, Breyer Fun Days introduce children to the model horse hobby and also raise awareness of the Arts and Craft sets in the Breyer range.

All materials for both Hama and Breyer fun days are provided free of charge by DKL, including extra POS such as posters and window signs.

TERRITORY MANAGER East Anglia/ South East

Epoch Making Toys Ltd is a wholly owned Sales Offi ce of Epoch Co Ltd which is the third largest Japanese manufacturer of toys. Its products are distributed over 50 countries via 7 sales offi ces and 40 distributors to make the company and its brands truly global. The company is most famous for its Sylvanian Families iconic brand in the UK.

We are looking for an experienced Sales Executive to cover the East Anglia/South Eastern Region and to play a vital role in continuing the growth of the company. Working alongside the Sales & National Account Manager you will be responsible for building strong relationships with our existing retail partners across the region.

You will be an organised and self-starting individual. A motivated team player who can bring enthusiasm and determination, you will have the ability to work under pressure and be looking to make an immediate contribution to this busy, sales-driven business.

A competitive salary is on offer dependent on experience.

Please send your CV/application to: fwilliams@epochmakingtoys.com or by post to:

Faye Williams, PA to Management team, Epoch Making Toys Ltd, 4 Ramsay Court

Hinchingbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6FY.

CLOSING DATE: 13th March 2015

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Toy World 14

All change at PeterkinPeterkin UK began 2015 with the promotion of Andrew Moulsher to the position of sales director before announcing a rebrand.

The rebrand was fronted by the new company logo, which combines a contemporary feel with a strong reference to Peterkin’s family heritage, which dates back to 1948.

Peterkin has also taken on the UK and Irish distribution of the King International range of jigsaw puzzles and games, with immediate effect.

IVS Group appoints Outsourced Sales SolutionsIVS Group, master toy licensee for pre-school property Cloudbabies, has appointed Outsourced Sales Solutions as its sales agency team. OSS comes with a level of staffi ng that will enable IVS to realise its aims in the toy retail arena. The move will enable the IVS Group to effectively establish itself in the sector having previously sold mainly in the event retail market.

Namita Kapoor, CEO, IVS, said: “We are delighted to be working together with OSS in establishing ourselves in the consumer retail market. Having been awarded the Cloudbabies licence we have worked hard to create a line of toys for younger children. The quality is exceptional and we believe that it’s just what the audience are looking for. Our next step is to position the range in front of the consumer and OSS will help us to achieve this. OSS has a signifi cant customer base developed over the last fi ve years, and we look forward to seeing its expertise and our extensive marketing plans delivering a profi table proposition for retailers.”

Dominoes Toys reopens in LeicesterThe year got off to a good start for Steven and Yvette Sansom, owners of Dominoes Toys, as they re-launched the business inside Leicester’s Fenwick store. The company now occupies 1,000 sq ft on the fi rst fl oor on 14th February.

Dominoes went into administration in 2013 and Steven has been running an online toy retail operation, Toys On Your Screen, for the past year. However, the new venture means that his original business will be going back into retail.

Dominoes has agreed to receive a three metre stand of Sylvanian from Epoch – including displays and stock and also window space in the Market Street ground/fi rst fl oor windows.

Four more former Dominoes staff have been employed to take the company into its next phase and a brand new website is in production. This is in addition to already agreed space for Casdon, DKL, House of Marbles, Papo, Siku and many more.

Hornby appoints Norton and Co for 007 missionNorton and Co is to work alongside the Hornby team to support new range introductions across the brand portfolio into 2015. Toy Fair saw the team celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Corgi Aston Martin DB5 with an exclusive James Bond Lounge area featuring a life size version of the iconic car.

Nathaniel Southworth, sales and brand director for Hornby, said: “Through my previous experience with Norton and Co, I knew they could take a new product and be able to hit the ground running to put together an impactful launch programme to drive sales pre-Christmas. Their creative PR and events teams offer us the industry expertise to launch new products into the market and provide valuable support for range developments across our classic brands.”

Sylvanian Families celebrates 30 yearsEpoch Making Toys has announced a slate of celebratory events to mark the global 30th anniversary of Sylvanian Families. Launching on 20th March (the brand’s offi cial birthday), a nationwide search will aim to fi nd the village in Britain that most resembles Sylvania. A shortlist of villages will be drawn up, with fans voting via social media for the best match. The winning village will be twinned with Sylvania at a special event, which will include the Sylvanian characters visiting the village’s primary school to present the pupils with toys.

A roadshow of mascot events is rolling out to fi ve Hamleys stores across the UK and Ireland over the Easter holidays. Supported by local PR and social media, each event involves live performances from the four main characters, followed by meet and greet sessions for photo opportunities. There will also be goody bags and gifts available with purchase. The roadshow dates are 28th March (Dublin), 4th April (Glasgow), 8th April (Cardiff), 11th April (Manchester) and 18th April (London).

Two British summer picnics will also be held. One will take place at Hatchlands Park, Surrey, on Sunday 12th July and the other will be held at Wallington, Northumberland, on Saturday 1st August.

industry moves

Toy World 15

Hornby has appointed Jim Procter-Blain and Neil Fripp. They join the company as marketing controller and head of UK sales respectively. Jim Procter-Blain will co-ordinate all aspects of marketing and communications, working closely with the in-house team and PR Agency Norton & Co. Neil Fripp has previously lead National Sales for the AA, and delivered growth for partners such as Coca Cola, Britvic, Cineworld, Pizza Hut and Burger King for a promotional marketing company.

Mark Standen has joined Posh Paws and will be responsible for national and independent accounts. He has over 11 years’ sales experience in the toy and gift sector, his most recent role was divisional sales manager at Carte Blanche. At Posh Paws he will focus on existing national and gift retailers and seek new business opportunities.

MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation have recruited Tim Foley and Carl Vernum as fi eld sales managers. Tim Foley has over 25 years of retail and fi eld sales management experience having worked for Quinnsworth (now Tesco), the Heaton group and holding various fi eld sales management positions. Carl Vernum joins from Paul Lamond Games, where he spent seven years as account manager. He also spent four years in sales in the

gift industry and worked with his family’s retail business.

Rubie’s has appointed Mark Whitaker as its new international sales account manager. He will be responsible for international markets across Poland, Czech, Romania, Benelux, Greece and Turkey. He has experience as senior category manager for toys and games at Warner Bros. and as international marketing and sales manager at Vivid Imaginations.

Kidicraft has welcomed new agent Karen Muircroft to manage Scotland for the company. Karen was a partner in the family business Bob Black Agencies until she took over on her father’s retirement. She has been involved in the toy industry for many years.

Cartamundi’s Hayley MacLeod has been promoted to UK retail sales manager while Sadie Baile-Roberts has joined the company as junior national account manager. Sadie Baile-Roberts will report directly to Hayley MacLeod. In her new role as UK retail sales manager Hayley MacLeod will head up the UK retail and private label side of the Cartamundi UK business. Sadie Baile-Roberts will manage some of Cartamundi’s key accounts, gain new business and expand the company’s distribution.

Mark Sharp has been appointed the new agent for Brainstorm covering South Wales and the South West. Mark Sharp has over 15 years’

experience in the toy industry holding sales roles at Ty Europe, John Adams and more recently Schleich UK.

Keith Thompson has joined Galt Toys as its new area sales manager for Scotland and the North of England. Keith Thompson has over 33 years’ experience in the toy industry, in both area sales and key accounts, having held roles at Schleich, MB Games and John Adams.

Epoch has announced the appointment of Caroline Wilkinson as sales executive. Caroline has over seven years of experience in sales and buying within the toy industry and will be responsible for the Northern territory. Having previously worked at A.B.Gee of Ripley, Caroline has valuable experience dealing with a range of key accounts.

Trends UK has bolstered its sales and marketing teams with three new appointments to the company. Jon Ward joins as a national account manager. He brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked in the industry for 20 years with companies such as K’nex, Hasbro and Flair. David Glicksman has been appointed as a sales agent. He will represent the company in the South East and has worked in the toy industry for three decades. Adam White joins as marketing assistant, having previously held marketing and product development roles at RC2 and Corinthian Marketing.

Martin Pike and Kate Knight have joined Bandai as agents to represent the South West and North respectively. Following recent agent retirements, the company is pleased to be back at full strength.

Stephen Burns has joined Orchard Toys as Scottish agent following Dave Soutar’s retirement.

Plum has appointed Stewart Middleton as its UK sales director. Stewart’s appointment follows a restructuring of the International sales teams. He will be assisted by key account manager Liam Stephenson and a newly created sales support team. In his new role he will focus on growing the brand’s market position within the UK, incorporating a stronger product offering.

Alison Lakin has joined Milly and Flynn as National Account Manager, bringing with her over 10 years of experience in the toy industry most recently with Jumbo Games. Alison’s main focus will be on introducing Milly and Flynn’s licensed wooden toys, puzzles and games to the UK market.

Jim Procter-Blain

Neil Fripp

Character Options Character Options will be creating a pre-Easter buzz around its key brands with TV advertising for Peppa Pig, Disney Princess Palace Pets and Teksta Robotic Pets products.

Stack-A-Bubble is a pocket money treat that allows children to blow and di sperse a myriad of bubbles into the air, wait three seconds then catch and stack them on top of each other where they will stay in a bubbly tower for hours. The product will launch with a heavyweight TV campaign together with high visibility FSDUs across a number of retail outlets.

Cra-Z-Sand is an indoor play sand that is easy to mould, sculpt and create with no mess and will never dry out. The new commercials for Easter will deliver 100 TVRs which will show the building qualities of this new compound and the content of the many kits available.

The Zelfs has launched its latest drive to own the collectible rare Zelf. CleoCat is this spring’s Zelf in demand and fans save receipts to redeem against this new character. This is publicised in a high profi le press campaign reaching over one million girls aged 5-8. In-store activity will also coincide with a substantial TV campaign for the entire brand.

A poster campaign will refl ect the collectibility of the Little Live Pets brand as well as 150 TVRs and a Little Live Pets Photography Competition.

Easter will see the launch of the new Scooby-Doo collection which encompasses fi ve-inch scale action fi gures and revitalised packaging. The new TV campaign will focus on key items such as The Mystery Machine, Mansion, Scooby and the gang.

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

Toy World 16

BrainstormBrainstorm is turning up the marketing dial for Aqua Dragons in 2015 with TV advertising planned for the Easter break, along with regular bursts of activity throughout the rest of the year.

Aqua Dragons are real live aquatic creatures that children can hatch and grow at home, with both the original three styles and two Jurassic versions available. Underwater World contains everything consumers need to get started, the Deluxe version is illuminated with LED lights and the Backer Card Kit allows children to use their own container.

The pocket-money Magno-Z line will also be TV advertised over the Easter break. Magno-Z are springy, stretchy magnetic connectors and children can attach their Magno-Z characters to any metal surface. This TV ad has a catchy tune and will continue to run at regular intervals throughout the year.

TV channels for all of Brainstorm’s advertised lines include Turner (Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Cartoonito, CNToo) and CiTV. Irish channels include iNick, iNicktoons and iNickJr.

Both product ranges will be supported by comprehensive PR campaigns throughout 2015 to drive consumer brand awareness. The company will continue its blogger outreach programme as well as collaborating with other brands at key selling points.

With more toy companies using Easter as an opportunity to launch new ranges and update products currently in the market, over the next few pages we take a look at some of the marketing campaigns that will be coming up over the Easter period.

Epoch Making Toys Epoch Making Toys is TV advertising both Sylvanian Families and Aquabeads this Easter.

With Sylvanian Families celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, two adverts will be running featuring the collectible brand from mid-March to 12th April. The fi rst advert will focus on the Sylvanian Families Cosy Cottage Starter Home – the best-selling item in the range in 2014.

A second advert will feature the new Sylvanian Families seaside products launched recently at Toy Fair. The Seaside Cruiser House Boat comprises of 55 pieces and will make its TV debut in a 15 second advert, followed by a further 15 seconds featuring the new Adventure Treasure Ship (winner of this year’s BTHA’s Best Toy Award: playsets category).

A new 20 second brand advert for Aquabeads will also air during the same period, highlighting the recently launched Beginners Studio – a shooting star shaped carry case containing 800 beads in 12 colours, plus a bead pen, four templates and a sprayer. The new range of themed refi ll packs will also be featured.

The company is aiming to deliver 500 TVRs with its Sylvanian Families adverts and 400 TVRs with Aquabeads. The Sylvanian Families campaign will air across Milkshake, Tiny Pop, Pop, Nick Jr, Nick Jr2, Nick, Cartoonito, Boomerang and Disney Junior. Aquabeads will air across Pop, Nick, Catoonito and the Disney Channel.

John Adams The Golden Coin Maker and Chocolate Lolly Maker are being marketed by John Adams as Easter egg alternatives. Both continue to be successful for the company, alongside the Jelly Fun Jelly Slushy Maker in the growing Food Craft range.

Blo Pens joined the creative play collection last year and proved a popular purchase, so the company will be supporting this via TV advertising over the Easter period.

Tiny Tears and Girls’ World will both have TV support. Tiny Tears will focus on the classic and interactive versions of the doll, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. The original Girls’ World Styling Head will spearhead the Girls’ World collection in a year where retro is proving to be a popular theme.

Games will also feature in the Easter line up with Doggie Doo, Gooey Louie, Don’t Take Busters Bones, Pig Out and Pig Goes Pop all being supported by a TV advertising campaign.

Toy World 17

Flair Pre-Easter will see the launch of Dreamworks’ Home. As master toy licensee, Flair will kick off its TV campaign prior to the movie which launches in cinemas on 20th March. TVCs will focus on the key SKUs of Shusher Wand, Colour Changing Figures and the Animated Plush toys. PR for the toy range will include ‘At Home’ – product boxes being sent to key bloggers, plus a digital plan with Super Awesome linking direct to retailers.

A campaign to create a network of Shopkins ‘Swapkins Clubs’ aims to encourage fans to start their own swap clubs with friends. This will be

publicised through the Super Awesome network, including Pop Girl and girls’ press. Club packs will be available to download, but 150 fully printed packs are also there to be claimed.

The Turtles Mutations range will be the focus of a major campaign that will deliver 30” TVCs. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutations were previously one of the most successful launches for the brand ever and Flair intends to echo this with its new range of fi gures and accessories.

A new launch for mid spring is Mutant Mania, a boys’ collectible series of constructible Mutant Wrestlers with a fl exible back bone and interchangeable body parts. This brand has already amassed a major following in the U.S. and other territories and Flair intends to match this with covermounts, magazine takeovers and mass retailer samplings. In addition, hundreds of TVRs will be delivered to boys across the UK and ROI.

A newly created TVC for the new Snips Salon range will deliver a heavyweight campaign to girls. This will be accompanied by a digital campaign and competitions with UK girls’ key titles.

Trends UK At Trends UK it’s all about the girls this Easter with a heavyweight campaign on the 1990s phenomenon Puppy Surprise, winner of a Best New Toy award at Toy Fair. The commercial shows the mummy and baby puppies.

For craft and cosmetic lovers, the company is supporting the Color Me Mine fashion bags and the Glitza glitter tattoos which girls use as body and nail art as well as for decorating home and stationery accessories. The Glitza Sparkle Studio has all the accessories to make the most of glitter and gems.

Mattel Mattel has revealed a rollout of extensive marketing campaigns this quarter for brands including Hot Wheels.

Hot Wheels launches its Black Car promotion to drive collectibility with boys. The promotion invites boys to collect five Hot Wheels diecast cars from any of the four racing segments; City, Race, Off-Road and Workshop, to receive their free, limited edition Black Car. A multi-platform marketing programme will drive awareness with boys and parents. A TV advertised range for spring/summer includes a selection of diecast cars, the Track Builder Spiral Stack-Up and Super Speed Blastway tracksets.

Disney Pixar’s Cars continues to race to new levels and sees the launch of Cars Ice Racers this year. The range includes the TV advertised Cars Mack Truck Transporter for spring/summer, supported with a marketing programme in collaboration with Disney.

WWE continues to re-create the brawling action with the TV advertised Double Attack range including a playset and figure assortment.

Fans can interact with the Game Changer competition on the UNO Facebook page to modify the game with new cards. The spring/summer range includes UNO Cards, Deluxe, Extreme, Dare, Junior and a Planes Fire and Rescue edition.

K’nexK’nex is set to invest in a heavyweight multi-channel marketing campaign to bring to life its range of construction toys on TV, in print and online.

The company has scheduled 400 TVRs to run from March and throughout April, focusing on the building set tubs that remain at the heart of the range. With 35 model, 52 model and 70 model tubs featured, the ads will showcase the scale, movement and open ended creativity of the product.

Print activity will include a year partnership with newspaper First News. Competitions to win building set tubs will run across a variety of children’s comics, including Toxic, Mega, Horrible Histories, Match of the Day and Beano.

K’nex will also establish UK specific social media pages for online competitions and to educate parents on the benefits of construction play.

Vivid Vivid has three outdoor campaigns commencing in March focusing on the Wubble Bubble Ball (voted Best New Outdoor Toy at Toy Fair), Phlat Ball and Aero Force Flight Gliders. TV is planned to run into the summer targeting over 2,500 across the three brands.

The company’s in-house developed brand AniMagic sees its strongest support yet with over 3500 TVRs across the plush and plastics line up for 2015. For spring, Make Me Better Pets and Sparkle My Glowing Kitty are being TV advertised targeting girls. The core range of vehicles in AniMagic Rescue Hospital will continue to be TV advertised alongside Series 2 of the new collectibles. The new Pony Play set,also new this spring, will be advertised alongside Vivid’s range of Care Bears plush in a TVC featuring the Beanies, Medium Plush with bonus DVD and Large Cuddly Plush.

Peter Rabbit will be advertised throughout spring and over the key Easter period focusing on the Talking Plush and the Collectible Figures.

Crayola is set for another solid year and which will start in SS15 with the launch of the TV supported augmented reality range called Colour Alive (voted Best New Creative Toy at Toy Fair) which takes arts and crafts into a digital space. It will be TV advertised over Easter.

The company’s Drumond Park Division will also benefit from TV advertising during the spring. Advertising will focus on classics Pumpaloons, Magic Tooth Fairy, Don’t Laugh and Logo Grab.

Wooky After a successful launch at Toy Fair, Charmazing from Wooky Europe is starring in an Easter to early summer campaign across Nickelodeon, Pop, Pop Girl and the Disney Channel.

Adverts will feature how Charmazing works, combining technology with fashion and craft, and show tweens how to download the free app and connect with the in-app game and also their friends.

Each of the 20 second and 40 second slots will act as infomercials and tutorials to engage girls aged 8-10. There will be programme sponsorship on Nickelodeon and there will be over 1.3m impressions across Girls Go games websites leading to YouTube tutorials. Online fashion and style social gaming environments will also deliver over 200,000 points of engagement.

The campaign will be complemented by targeted blogger activity and PR and promotions through relevant media.

FamosaPinypon has made an impactful comeback since its launch in 2014 and Famoa has announced the launch of a standalone Girls Love Pinypon magazine in conjunction with Signature Publishing.

On sale on 17th March and over the Easter period for eight weeks, the 36 page magazine is packed full of all things Pinypon, as well as a Pinypon themed cover mount gift. The print run will be around 30,000 and is distributed in all the major supermarkets.

Nenuco is the second focus for the company this Easter. In particular, the Nenuco Hugging (a 42cm soft bodied, cuddly doll that moves her arms, swings her head and hugs her pillow) and the Nenuco Bubble Bath (a 42cm soft body doll that can be fully immersed in water). Both products will hit TV screens with a 500TVR TV campaign across core satellite and terrestrial channels.

Toy World 18

Tel: 0118 973 6222 I e:mail: sales@recreationltd.co.uk website: www.recreationltd.co.uk

from

*Source NPD Data December 2014

ALL TV ADVERTISED IN 2015Snuggables Trade ad.indd 1 16/02/2015 12:46

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

Licensing World 21

FremantleMedia signs deal with Jazwares for Tree Fu TomFremantleMedia has announced that Jazwares has signed the Master Toy rights for Tree Fu Tom. Under the terms of the deal, Jazwares will take on the role of global manufacturer and will distribute a new range of Tree Fu Tom toys in the UK, Asia, North America, Canada and Latin America.

The fi rst products, distributed by Funtastic, will launch at retail in Australia in summer 2015. The wider product roll out will continue in the UK and other key territories. The initial range includes vehicles, fi gures and an interactive carry case playset.

Jumbo and Warner Bros. partner for European licence dealJumbo has signed a European licensing deal with Warner Bros. which will see Looney Tunes, DC Entertainment’s band of Super Heroes, the DC Super Friends and Batman feature in a series of new games and puzzles.

Gray Richmond, managing director, Jumbo, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Warner Bros. Consumer Products on such esteemed licences and are looking forward to a strong range of games and puzzles hitting the shelves later this year. Looney Tunes and DC Comics’ Batman and DC Super Friends are such strong, successful properties, that the line will no doubt be extremely popular amongst their many fans.”

Jumbo Games’ line of Looney Tunes, Batman and DC Super Friends puzzles and games will be available at retailers across the UK by autumn/winter 2015.

IMC launch Miles From Tomorrow rangeIMC Toys has announced it will be producing a new range of toys for Disney Junior TV series Miles From Tomorrow.

The series will premiere in the UK from spring and air worldwide throughout 2015. The company will launch the Miles From Tomorrow toy range in the UK and other key markets during 2015, before reaching the whole of Europe in 2016. The range includes collectible fi gurines, special function interactive fi gures, vehicles and space ships, playsets and role play. A space theme will also be integrated into the packaging.

Jordi Borrell, corporate marketing director at IMC, said: “IMC is thrilled to be partnering with Disney on this innovative property, building on a whole new theme for pre-schoolers. We’re delighted that the series will be broadcast on Disney Junior – one of the best performing pre-school channels in Europe. The new toy range is infused with inventive space features and will retail at a good value price for consumers.”

Spin Master signs on as toy partner for The Powerpuff GirlsCartoon Network has announced that Spin Master will serve as the master toy partner for The Powerpuff Girls, anchoring the licensing program for the global franchise launch set for 2016.

Through the deal, Spinmaster will have rights to create a line of products, including plush, fi gures and playsets, dolls, role play, remote control toys and novelty items. The product will begin its global retail rollout in autumn 2016.

“As we build our roster of partners to launch The Powerpuff Girls licensing programme and introduce a new generation of fans to this cherished franchise, Spin Master embodies the qualities we’re looking to infuse into our products,” said Pete Yoder, vice president, Cartoon Network Enterprises, North America.

Craig Sims, Spin Master’s vice president, Global Licensing, added: “The partnership between The Powerpuff Girls and Spin Master strengthens our strategic relationship with Cartoon Network that began with the launch of the award-winning Bakugan brand in 2008 and is the perfect brand to continue pushing the boundaries of fun for our consumers.”

licensingworld

Licensing World 22

Vivid secures Wombles toy dealVivid is bringing The Wombles to life with toys and collectibles based on the new CGI animated series and feature fi lm. The company has announced an exclusive manufacturing and marketing deal with Wombles Copyright Holdings, for the territories of UK, France, Benelux, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The famous characters, which fi rst hit TV screens in the 70s, are making a major multi-media comeback involving a feature fi lm, online games and a CGI TV series commencing later this year. A full toy range will be launched in 2016 preceded by an early production introduction in Q4 15.

Mary Wood, marketing director at Vivid, said: “We are extremely excited to be working with Mike Batt and his company on The Wombles. Endorsed by families who remember the original phenomenon, The Wombles has a gender-neutral appeal with instant brand recognition. As well as the nostalgia behind the brand, the re-launch will target a new generation of fans, widening the appeal”

Mike Batt, chairman and CEO of WCH, added: “Vivid was our fi rst choice for our master toy deal and we are delighted that they share our vision. We are aiming very high, in terms of quality, with the TV series and we are sure the toy range will be just as classy and delightful to a wide range of children.”

Lego and Warner Bros. to create Scooby-Doo building setsThe Lego Group has announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to develop a collection of building sets inspired by Scooby-Doo. Five new building sets will bring characters including Shaggy, Scooby and the entire gang to life in Lego form for the fi rst time ever, and are scheduled to hit store shelves in August.

In another fi rst, the Scooby Gang will be animated in Lego form. In 2015, there will be a 22-minute Lego special, featuring Scooby-Doo, and produced in partnership with Warner Bros. Animation. In addition, Warner Bros. Animation will also be producing made-for-video movie titles, which will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in the coming years.

Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment, Lego, said: “We constantly review properties to fi nd those with global reach, great characters and stories and inherent building and role play opportunities, and we think Scooby-Doo delivers on all of these while also driving strong appeal among collectors and today’s parents who have strong nostalgia for the Lego brand from their own childhood.”

CharacterWise to launch online storeCharacterWise has launched its online store, which features over 2000 products including a large range of character branded soft toys. The range spans the likes of Me to You and Hello Kitty, and features characters such as Peppa Pig and Tatty Teddy.

Tristan Haines, director and founder, said: “Part of Me to You’s success is in the story behind the bear. People identify with the values of the brand and character, and when it’s a story that people relate to and enjoy, they become a part of it when they buy or receive the product. Fictional characters can enjoy a lifespan of decades, and see generations pass by and yet they still appeal. We want to continue that story by selling products which bring the character to life.”

Lighting up the toy tradeToy World caught up with Jim Yurchuk, the owner of 3DlightFX, to talk about the company’s innovative range of children’s decor lighting.

TW: How did the company fi rst get started?JY: The idea for the 3D lights initially came to us around six years ago. It took a couple of years to develop the original concept into a workable product. We really started to get traction three years ago: Target USA was one of the fi rst retailers to come on-board, placing a signifi cant order for autumn winter 2013. The sell-through of the product line exceeded our expectations. They suggested that we should talk to Disney about signing the Marvel licence, which we did, and it has just snowballed from there. There were over 40 different products in the range last year, with a further 50 slated for release in 2015. We’ll also be introducing a new mini-series, so we can now offer retailers a range of different price points. We’re hoping this will open up new retail channels for us moving forward.

TW: When did the product hit the UK market?JY: 3D formalized a partnership with local distributor JWP about a year ago, and together we have built a strong retail presence. We have signed a great selection of licences for the UK including Transformers, Sponge Bob, Dora and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We’ll be introducing some key new licences in 2015: we’re really excited about our new Frozen range, which will be available in April through the licence holder Philips, and later in the year we’ll be launching Minions, Batman and Superman amongst others. We also have a range of non-licensed designs including cars, butterfl ies and sports- themed lights.

TW: What are the key selling points of the 3DlightFX range?JY: The lights very safe, we designed them with LED bulbs so they are not only effi cient but they will also never get hot to touch. They’re battery-operated, so you can place them anywhere in the room without wires and leads draping everywhere. The lights are simple to install and we’ve designed them to include a 3D Crack sticker so they look just as good when turned off as they do when they’re turned on. They’re a real conversation piece.

News Analysis:

Can you tell us about the the Mixels brand?In 2014 Cartoon Network teamed up with The Lego Group to launch Mixels, a world of colourful creatures who can mix and combine with each other, often with hilarious and surprising results. A company fi rst and an important industry development, Mixels exist as animated shorts, online games, digital content and collectible toys you build yourself. As a property it plays to our individual strengths, Cartoon Network is known for developing original content that pushes the boundaries of children’s entertainment whilst Lego, currently the No. 1 toy company in the world, is an unstoppable force in construction play. Together the talent harnessed within our respective businesses has combined to create a fun engaging property that captures the imagination of kids and taps into the current desire for seamless, multi-platform interactive digital brand experiences.

What has been the reaction from consumers to both the animation and the product range?The reaction has been fantastic with over 1 million units sold in the UK from launch to October 2014. Kids have discovered the property themselves and have found a brand they love and can engage with on multiple levels to discover, explore and interact.

Brand Profi le

Toy World 23

Animated Mixels shorts have been broadcast on Cartoon Network and cartoonnetwork.co.uk since February 2014 and since launch over 2 million kids have watched the show. The ranges of Lego Mixels mini building sets are designed to be pocket money purchases and have hit the sweet spot with kids aged 6-11. Lego is a fantastically dynamic company to partner with and have six properties in the top 20 in the latest NPD research (YTD March) in the same report Mixels was also No 10 in the new properties listings.

How important will development of original IP be to Cartoon Network moving forward?The development of original IP has always been absolutely integral to Cartoon Network; it is our past, present and future. Collaborating with world- class animators, game developers, our content and product design teams and partners like Lego, right from the very beginning, has been a hugely creative and enriching process and it’s an exciting way to evolve content here at Cartoon Network.

How have you found working with the Lego Group on the project?We fully understand, embrace and respect the core values and great heritage of the Lego brand and they have given us creative license to do what we do best

which is to push the boundaries of children’s entertainment and create amazing content and licensed products.

Can you give us an insight into Lego’s plans for the brand in 2015?Lego is fully committed to new product launches for Mixels throughout 2015.

There are 3 tribes in wave 4 which have just hit the shelves in February 2015. This includes the Orbitons with the team made up of Rokit, Nurp-Naut and Nikspurt, an unlikely mixture of lasers, wisdom and crash landings. The Infernites whose tribe contains

Meltus, a shy fi re-breathing T-Rex with allergy issues, Flamzer and Burnard who is from the Magma

wastelands. The fi nal tribe in wave 4 is the Glowkies – Globert, Vampos and Boogly, a nocturnal band of aerial exhibitionists with pointy teeth. There are two further tribes of three

launching in June and October 2015. Additional ranges are being worked on for

2016.

What other new Mixels content will be coming through this year?New Mixels animated shorts are set to launch on Cartoon Network UK in March and www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk to coincide with the release of the new Lego product launch. More content will follow in May in the form of a second Mixels app, with further shorts coming in October 2015.

Can you detail some of the marketing initiatives that are in place for the coming months?We have a number of additional Mixels products launching throughout 2015 and plan to support them in store, on air and on line but don’t want to reveal too many secrets here and now

What do you think is the key opportunity for licensees who are considering signing up to work with Mixels?More than a dozen partners have now signed to the UK licensing programme for Mixels including AFB, Aykroyds, Blues Clothing, BM Fashions, Dreamtex, GB Eye, Gemma Int, Hy Pro, Kokomo, Rainbow Productions, Roy Lowe & Sons and WB. All licensees and retailers will benefi t from our commitment to producing new content and Lego’s dedication to bringing the brand to life through toys.

Are you pleased with the level of retail support for the brand?Yes, although there is always pressure to launch product as soon as possible sometimes it’s better to wait a little and build awareness before rushing to launch product. Mixels has only been around for a year and has the support of two of the world’s leading experts in kid’s entertainment so we have very high hopes for the future.

The Mixels Lego mini building sets are well supported at retail, especially through the grocery channels who sell out of the blind bags as soon as they arrive. Argos will launch the Hy Pro scooter exclusively in April followed by bikes and other wheeled products later in the year

Do you see Mixels as a long-term proposition?The digital space is dynamic but the longevity of the Mixels franchise will be underpinned by our commitment to developing new content, the reach of all the Cartoon Network platforms combined with the different touch points for the Lego brand. This will enable us to create a fully integrated and rich experience that keeps kids and parents connected.

Johanne Broadfield, Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises, Turner

Broadcasting System, EMEA

Turner and Lego Mix it upToy World spoke to Turner’s Johanne Broadfi eld about the company’s collaboration with Lego on the popular Mixels brand.

Toy World spoke to re:creation’s managing director Jonathan Kirkley about the Magic Choc Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory which allows

children to make and design their own Belgian chocolate treats.

Make-a-Bar with re:creation

How did re:creation come to take on the distribution of Make-a-Bar?The Magic Choc product is a unique, innovative concept that our research told us kids just really fi nd incredibly simple to do and a whole heap of fun.

It’s very easy for quite young children to create something really impressive in a relatively short time and with very little mess (which is great for mum!)

When the opportunity came for us to add this to our brand line-up we felt it was just too good an opportunity to miss and represented the perfect chance to expand our portfolio. We acquired Magic Choc in early 2014 and since then we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to re-invent and reinvigorate the brand for maximum impact this year.

What changes have you made to the product and packaging?We unveiled a new look and new name for the range at Toy Fair. Now called the Magic Choc Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory, we have maintained the excellent quality of the Belgian chocolate used and the simple, easy to use format, but have injected new life and energy into the concept.

This has been achieved through revitalising the look and feel of the packaging with a vibrant, more colourful presentation for greater stand-out on shelf.

We’ve also updated the templates included to refl ect on trend children’s interests and popular themes as well as confi rming our fi rst licensing partner.

Can you give us details of the individual SKUs in the new range?Each of the kits in our line-up includes everything children need to design and create their own personalised chocolate bar.

Our new line-up includes Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory Single, Twin and Four Packs as well as seasonal themed single pack gifting items for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. We’re also delighted that we have recently made an agreement for a very special Minions edition that will be available in single and twin packs from May this year to capitalise on the buzz surrounding the forthcoming movie launch, as well as providing opportunities for dual siting in store. We are currently in discussions for a further licensed Make-a-Bar range but at the time of going to press discussions are not quite concluded – Toy World will be fi rst to know when we sign on the dotted line!

What launch plans do you have for Make-a-Bar?Along with reinventing the look and feel of the brand and packaging, we have also put together a

Brand Profi le

Toy World 24

comprehensive marketing plan to put Make-a-Bar fi rmly top of mind. We are launching a new website to provide an online destination for fans of the brand. Makeabar.co.uk will provide product demonstration videos, competitions and ideas and will also provide access to our new app. This app enables children to design a virtual chocolate bar and print a template to create their real bar. To drive awareness, we will also look to roll out a heavyweight pre-roll advertising campaign along with site takeovers of key children’s sites. To support the launch in-store we have developed bold FSDUs for easier and more impactful merchandising of the range.

What additional marketing initiatives will you be putting behind the brand throughout 2015?Each Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory kit includes delicious 100% Belgian chocolate – quality isn’t compromised just because this is a children’s product. With this in mind we consider sampling a vital component of our marketing tool box for the brand.

We will be attending a number of family-oriented events in 2015 to demonstrate as well as working with children’s print titles to ensure as many children as possible can experience the creative possibilities the product offers. In addition to providing a great outlet for children’s creative sides, Make-a-Bar products are also a simple and low cost solution for personalised gifting. Our PR programme will refl ect both key opportunities through calendar based editorial exposure as well as encouraging children to share their creativity with us through competition programmes.

What do you perceive as the key advantages of Make-a-Bar over other chocolate-based ranges in the market?On the product side, the quality of the chocolate is king here. The 100% Belgian chocolate included is simply delicious and created using quality ingredients that are preservative and additive free. This provides a great taste and confi dence for parents to purchase. With each pack having 18 months shelf life, Magic Choc provides a way for toy retailers to get into a creative play range containing food with very low risk.

The kits offer no-mess creative fun that enable kids to create something they can be proud of in minutes.

On a brand level, we are confi dent that the strength of our marketing expertise and the weight of our marketing campaign will ensure that Make-a-Bar is top of mind in 2015. We’re able to bring new additions to the creative aisle through forging relationships with key licensing partners and we’re looking forward to sharing news of more of these partnerships very soon.

What was the reaction to the range from retailers during Toy Fair?We created a large Make-a-Bar Demo Zone with product demonstrations throughout the three days of Toy Fair.

Of course we were sampling the fi nished product as well throughout the show and let’s just say many of our trade visitors to the stand paid more than one visit. The taste of the chocolate speaks for itself and we also had some great fun demonstrating the creative possibilities by making some fantastic celebrity-themed bars.

On a serious note though, the reactions to our re-branding and plans for the range have been even better than expected. We got a very real sense that retailers believe in our plans and vision for the brand. We have a strong product range addressing a range of price points, a hot new licensee on board and a powerful marketing campaign. 2015 looks like it could be distinctly chocolate coated for re:creation.

Jonathan Kirkley

talking shopToy World’s Daniel Rich speaks to independent retailers about the hot topics of the month. This month, Daniel asks retailers for their thoughts on the recent toy fair season, how they keep on top of the latest trends and what 2015 has in store for their businesses.

A winning year

Connectable & Collectable

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

For more information call: 0843 557 4062 or email: sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Toy World 25

Steve Hannington Manager, Hannington’s Toys and Leisurewear, TiptonWe are a small, family-run business based in Tipton, in the heart of the Black Country and first got involved in the toy world through my son’s passion for WWE wrestling. We had an opportunity to retail action figures and all the accessories alongside our printed clothing business and grew from there. Although we only bega n in August 2014, business is going well so far. We offer a unique range of products which seem to be popular with the locals and intend to add to that this year.

We mix well within our local community and word of mouth has been great for us as well as local advertising and posters. Our Facebook page is getting greater exposure and we are looking at building a website, but prefer to deal face-to-face with our customers instead of them clicking on list after list and ordering online.

We are very excited about the toy industry as we find the supply network to be very friendly, supportive and informative. We have had some great advice and been pleasantly surprised at the way in which we have been welcomed into the trade. Having been given access to Toy World magazine by a fellow retailer, we haven’t looked back and have learnt such a lot in the first six months – we use this magazine as our bible. The tips and guidance and experience from other

retailers is priceless.We recently attended Spring Fair in

Birmingham and it was our first toy fair (but it certainly won’t be the last). We had a great day out checking out all the products and suppliers and were very encouraged by how much was on offer, covering all aspects of the industry. This year is the year of the movie and the big things

are Age of Ultron, Minions and Star Wars. I’m sure we will be involved with all of those to some degree.

The impact of the movie industry in general is huge. We began with trend-related products and have seen how the big stores operate. It’s our intention to keep up with trends but to expand into more traditional products as we feel there is

Toy World 26

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more growth in those areas and it should be more profitable as the big guns discount their stock when they need space for other things.

Lots of stores have kept to traditional toys, wooden toys, educational products and craft and hobby related items. We intend to do the same. Being surrounded by children’s nurseries, play groups, infant and junior schools, we need to offer products to service that demand. This will

be the biggest impact on our business and we believe it will keep coming at us for a while. Now that we have found suppliers like Orchard Toys and Bigjigs, we can offer educational toys which put a smile on our faces as well as the customer’s.

We have an option on a second shop and this will give us the expansion that we require as we look to split the toys from the printed clothing and merchandise products. We will have

large play and try areas for trains and cars and even areas for arts and crafts so people can try before they buy. It will mean that we can offer collectibles and pocket money items as well as extend our range of action figures, plush toys and remote control products.

Ginette McGee,Owner, Toytown, SeafordToytown had an amazing 2014. We started off with a break in in February, which was traumatic, but the support we got from our local community and our suppliers was fantastic. We then opened our second store in Hailsham, which has been very well received. However, the icing on the cake was being shortlisted for Independent Toy Retailer of the year, which was a huge surprise. I’m very proud of my team here at Toytown, but to have their efforts recognised within the industry has meant a great deal, both to the team and our customers.

The highlight of the year is always Toy Fair (I’m afraid to say I look forward to Olympia more than Christmas). I suspect we are fairly unusual in that we always get our key members of staff to come up to Toy Fair for a day each. This is because I believe it’s important for them to see the products and ranges in advance and in all their glory. They get to handle the toys out of the box, see the best ways to merchandise them and get the bigger picture behind the brands. Once you’ve seen the huge K’nex models, the Meccano, the Lego displays and so on, it’s easier to get excited about the final product. Of course, the staff on the shop floor are the final people standing between the product and the consumer, so together with the company’s investment in TV, packaging, published ads, social media etc, the person dealing with the final consumer is vital.

This year we were on the hunt for new pre-school construction ranges to offer as an alternative to Duplo (which we also stock). Baby Clemmy from Clementoni stood out – lovely colours, gorgeous scent and tactile squishy blocks that are safe for six months plus. Bristle Blocks from John Crane also jumped out at us as we are always being asked for Sticklebricks.

Over the past six Toy Fairs, I’ve been shown many products claiming to be adding play value to a toy using technology and apps. I’ve usually been quite sceptical about trying to fuse the

two as it often seems to result in an app with a spare bit of unnecessary plastic. This year was different and the three toys that most stuck in my mind were all tech related in some way. The stand-out toy for me this year was the Star Wars Force Trainer from Flair, a very convincing toy which actually uses brain power to an amazing effect. Secondly, the iMagic set from Marvin’s Magic – I can imagine this being used in so many social settings, and both the app and the toy are essential for the full effect. Thirdly, and not so much a tech toy, but I loved the ring o ring o roses Peppa Pig plush from Character Options.

The most frustrating thing about Toy Fair is that it’s too short. Getting around all the big suppliers in three days is impossible, even if

you leave as much as possible for Spring Fair. Attending preview days at suppliers’ showrooms helps but, this year more than ever, it felt frantic rushing from one appointment to another. I aim to leave at least half a day appointment free so that I can wander the Greenhouse area to see what’s completely new and this year stumbled across Wannabees, a new company with a unique idea for role play activity books. This was actually the only order I placed at the show.

Our Seaford store has had a very good January, well up on last year. I just wish I knew why so I’d know what to do again. 2015 is already looking to be an important year for us as we are hoping to have our third store up and running in the very near future.

Alan Dadswell Founder, Toys N Tuck, Southend, EssexWe established the business in 1993. I’ve spent most of my working life in retail and just sort of fell into toys. We are situated in Southend town centre and, whilst we do not have a specific remit to be different, we try to make sure that we stand out and that our store is clean, tidy and easy for mums with buggies to get around. We use Facebook a lot to promote our events – we always have competitions and demonstrations running during the school holidays and we have a customer loyalty scheme. We also keep in good contact with the local press.

Toy Fair offers us the chance to see new items and ranges in the flesh whilst always trying to remember it is the box that must sell the item but we do not want to be selling an overpriced box of disappointment. We enjoy being able to meet fellow Toymaster members at the show and other retailers; generally, we learn a lot from each other.

It was nice to be recognised at the Toy Industry Awards (Toys N Tuck won Independent Retailer of the Year after being nominated by three judges). It makes our people feel good which hopefully gives us a good start. We probably use social media to communicate with our customers more than most and we re-merchandised our store this past year to ensure that customers are exposed to as much product as possible on each visit.

When re-merchandising the store we drew our inspiration from several sources – grocers in using product to draw people to the far reaches of the store (note how far from the entrance the bread is). Our ‘bread’ is Lego (you can see the Lego signage from the door but you have to walk around and through several sections to reach it). We avoid straight lines in order to create more hotspots and ensure customers walk as much of the store as possible.

The toy industry is ever-changing and that makes it exciting. We try to keep on top of trends by looking, reading and listening to customers. We are looking to develop our marketing with our loyalty scheme and re-design our website to include a click and collect facility. It will be a challenge to follow a year when our lead product produced an hour and a half advert that people paid to watch.

Hi all. Who would believe we are writing the March column now? January absolutely fl ew by and it is now half way through February. I know they say time gets faster as you get older, but with both of us in our early 30s, it seems to be fl ying by already. On that note, it is less than 90 sleeps until the Toymaster show. We had better stop

waffl ing and discuss some toys.January was obviously dominated by fairs, with Olympia being our fi rst stop,

and as usual, it did not disappoint. There seemed to be a real buzz in the air, continuing the good mood after what was generally considered a good Christmas for the industry. For us, it is three days of non-stop appointments, talking, eating and drinking. We came out of it exhausted, but very excited about some of the ranges we had seen. Starting with Lego, as usual their stand did not disappoint, with some great ranges for later in the year. With the release of a certain fi lm in the latter part of the year, there was a mass of NDAs to sign and at one stand we even had to hide our mobile phones in a bag. Our most enthusiastic, and most knowledgeable presentation of the show, goes to Jedi Master Paul from Hasbro, who could not contain his excitement at being asked to present Star Wars to us. Character Options again had a really strong stand, with a wide range of strong products for all ages. With the additions to the Live Pets, the mini Teksta pets and the mini Ugglies collectibles to name but a few and also a very nice lunch to boot, we were very happy coming off the stand. Spin Master was another strong stand in our opinion, with Paw Patrol being the red hot licence for pre-school at the moment. The continuation of Dragons toys were great and the re-branding of Meccano, combined with some exciting new models, all contributed to a great stand. We also had our usual tea-stop at Bandai in the morning and it was great to see some exciting products from them for this year, with Big Hero 6 already fl ying off the shelves.

All in all, the show delivered all that we hoped for and we then got even more when we went to the Toy Industry Awards at the Science Museum in the evening. It was a fantastic evening and we took all our managers along to it. The food was certainly worth the entry, with Mark going back fi ve times for the roast beef. It was very nice to be shortlisted and was a great honour to actually win an award, especially with such strong competition in our category. Thanks to everyone who put us forward and for all the nice comments we have had afterwards. On the supplier awards, well done to Character for Supplier of the Year and to Jakks Pacifi c for Toy of the Year, both of them well deserved in our opinion.

With barely even time to take a breath, we were then onto the NEC for Spring Fair. We did our normal trip on a Sunday to avoid the traffi c and started at 10am with a bacon roll in hand. It was well worth going, with some great new products and lots of suppliers we didn’t see at Toy Fair. We stopped off at Rubies, who had a great range of costumes and accessories, along with the useful POS for book week in early March. We walked several of the halls, covering many miles, but found it to be a very productive show.

A quick note about trade to sign off; we have found the fi rst few weeks of the year very good, with lots of lines selling well. People seem to be feeling more positive, so here’s to hoping it continues for the rest of the year.

indie viewpoint

All the fun of the fair

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 BarnesToy Barnhaus

Toy World 27

John Baulch rounds-up events from this year’s Toy Fair.

A Toy-riffic time

Toy Fair 2015 proved to be another highly successful and productive event for all concerned. This year’s show was home to more than 260 companies, including 57 new exhibitors. A positive mood was in evidence from the start,

undoubtedly aided by the announcement from NPD that the UK market grew by 4% in value in 2014, its best result since 2010. An increase of £130m saw the UK toy market reach the dizzy heights of £3bn last year, a figure which represents encouraging progress after several years of flat performance.

I don’t think I have ever attended a show where someone doesn’t say “I think the aisles are quieter this year,” sometimes within 30 minutes of the show opening (when half of the visitors are probably still in the cloakroom or coffee queue). Personally I don’t tend to judge a show by that particular yardstick: if the aisles are full of packaging reps, digital marketing agencies and students, it is of little significance to exhibitors. As far as I could tell, the retailers which exhibitors

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Toy World 28

really wanted to see were present and correct, and I had remarkably few grumbles about the show - or indeed the toy market as a whole - from anyone I encountered all week. Now that is a yardstick I am happy to abide by.

The Toy of the Year awards event was well attended and hugely enjoyable: the addition of Toy Fair TV presenters Anna and Gavin put some welcome extra fizz into proceedings, helping it to move along at a lively pace. No less than five Golden Teddies were awarded: congratulations to Epoch’s Mark Beaman, Azure Media’s Jeff Taylor, Rodwin’s Josephine Royce and BTHA stalwarts Tracey Butcher and Chris Baxter. There was also an outstanding achievement award presented to the incomparable showman Marvin Berglas, whose excellent new I-Magic range continues to push the magic category into exciting new territory.

As a member of the judging panel, I would like to think that we got the retail awards about right: the response from the audience to each winner being announced suggests we didn’t do badly. Smyths won the overall toy retailer of the year award, with Toys n Tuck, Ken Black, Toy Barnhaus, Morleys Stores and The Entertainer all winning

individual categories.The 50th Toy of the Year awards were interesting

on a number of levels: there was a high percentage of distributed ranges – Minecraft, Little Live Pets, Shopkins, My Friend Cayla, Loom Bands – showing the importance of strong connections with key toy producers across the globe and events such as Distoy. Character Options won no less than four awards (one shared with Grossman), the importance of the dress-up sector to the toy market was marked with a special recognition award to Rubies (about time too), while great lines such as VTech’s Toot Toot, the Lego Movie range and Spin Master’s Sew Cool were rightly rewarded. Toy of the Year deservedly went to Jakks’ Snow Glow Elsa, while Mattel also picked up an award for its Frozen Sparkle line, reflecting the impact Frozen had on last year’s trading. I also think it was good to see an absence of token awards for reasons of political expediency: everything that won an award deserved to do so. If some companies didn’t get one this year, there is always next year. And to top it all, attendees left with a replica of the Corgi Aston Martin which won the very first Toy of the Year Award in 1965 – a lovely

Toyworld Full Page Template.indd 1 16/02/2015 11:46:40

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Toy World 30

way to end a great evening. You can read more about this year’s crop of award winners over the following pages.

Media coverage from the event was once again strong: more than 400 broadcast, national, consumer and trade journalists reported from Toy Fair. There were broadcasts from Sky News, Channel 4, BBC South and Newsround, while national print coverage included The Sun, The Star, The Daily Mail, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard and Metro. The Editors’ Choice Awards returned to the show, with Lego Minecraft being voted Toy of the Show by the media in attendance and the Corgi James Bond Aston Martin DB5 from Hornby taking the runner-up spot.

Somewhat inevitably the media picked up on the retro trend - with re-launches for iconic brands such as Thunderbirds, The Clangers, The Wombles and many more - while tech items also featured strongly - Spin Master’s amazing Meccanoid robot in particular received fantastic coverage, while drones were also a major talking point. Minions, Frozen and Star Wars product were everywhere – perhaps even a little too prevalent. But away from the tech and licensed areas, there was also plenty of exciting development in more traditional categories, and I suspect that the strong sales which the industry enjoyed last year have led to greater confidence in new product

development as a whole.The whole Toy World team saw a wealth of

exciting new products which will be coming to market this year, and we look forward to bringing you more information about the best of these new introductions over the coming months. According to the aforementioned NPD announcement, more than 70,000 new toys were launched in the UK and Ireland in 2014, which ended up representing around 37% of the annual toy sales or, in monetary terms, a whopping £850m. I would envisage that this figure will be similar for 2015, illustrating that new products really are the lifeblood of the industry, and how important it is for retailers to freshen up their offering by blending in new items with established performers. And there is arguably no better place to compare and contrast new lines than Toy Fair.

Majen Immink, head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales, commented: “We would like to thank all of our exhibitors and the industry as a whole for helping make Toy Fair 2015 a success. The continued support of the industry helps to make Toy Fair such a strong event . Thousands of exciting and innovative products were launched at Toy Fair this year and it kick-started what we all hope to be a successful year for the toy industry. We are very grateful for all the feedback we’ve had so far and are looking forward to making our 63rd Toy Fair even better.”

Toy Retailer of the Year winners:

Overall Toy Retailer – Smyths Toys

Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer (over 30 stores) – Smyths Toys

Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer (up to 30 stores) – Toy Barnhaus

General Multiple Toy Retailer – Morleys Stores

Online Toy Retailer – The Entertainer

Specialist Multiple Toy Retailer (up to fi ve stores) – Ken Black Toys and Nursery

Independent Toy Retailer – Toys N Tuck

01483 449944

Heavyweight TV campaign from Easter throughout the summer

Over 1 million units sold in the US in 2014

Available in blue, pink and purple,with or without pump

Awards

Toy World 32

Toy Retailer of the Year winners:

Independent Toy Retailer – Toys N TuckSpecialist Multiple Toy Retailer (up to fi ve stores) – Ken Black Toys and NurserySpecialist Multiple Toy Retailer (up to 30 stores) – Toy BarnhausSpecialist Multiple Toy Retailer (over 30 stores) – Smyths ToysGeneral Multiple Toy Retailer – Morleys StoresOnline Toy Retailer – The EntertainerOverall Toy Retailer – Smyths Toys

Toy Supplier of the Year winners:

Craze – Loombands, Character Options and H GrossmanConstruction Range – The Lego Movie, LegoAction Figure Range – Ninja Turtles Movie Figures, Flair Leisure ProductsGaming Toy – Character options’ Minecraft collection by JazwaresDoll – Disney Frozen Sparkle Dolls, MattelInteractive Toy – Character Options’ Little Live Pets by Moose EntrpriseCollectible Toy – Shopkins, Flair Leisure ProductsCraft Toy – Sew Cool Sewing Studio, SpinmasterPre-School Range – Toot-Toot, VtechInnovative Toy – My Friend Cayla, VividToy Licence – Frozen, DisneySpecial Recognition Award – Rubies MasqueradeOutstanding Contribution Award – Marvin BerglasSupplier of the Year– Character OptionsToy of the Year – Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa, Jakks Pacific

The biggest names in the toy industry fl ocked to the Science Museum after a busy fi rst day at Toy Fair to hear BTHA chairman Phil Ratcliffe announce the winners of the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards and TRA

chairman Alan Simpson unveil the Toy and Supplier of the Year Awards.

Everyone’s a winner…

Supplier of the YearCharacter Options“To be recognised by the industry and receiving these awards for both standalone products and the company itself, has delighted all of us at Character – the team is dedicated and focused in developing, marketing and distributing innovative and exciting toys that meet the high expectations that our customers and the consumer demand both in terms of quality and value. Our success is, however, in no small part also down to our suppliers and the partnerships we have developed over many years in addition to the in-house developed brands we have proudly created. We would therefore like to thank Moose, Jazwares, Cra-Z-Art and all our suppliers for creating the fantastic products that have helped us to achieve this recognition.”Jon Diver, joint managing director

Special Recognition AwardRubies Masquerade“The Special Recognition Award was given to Rubie’s jointly by the British Toy & Hobby Association and the Toy Retailers Association and was awarded in recognition of Rubie’s commitment and success in consistently supporting a huge breadth of licensed characters across a sustained period of many years. Rubie’s are very pleased to have been recognised by the toy industry in this way.”Rubies Masquerade

Construction Range of the YearThe Lego Movie, Lego“Winning the Construction Range of the Year Award is a fantastic end to a remarkable year for the Lego Movie brand. The movie itself was the big hit for 2014 and was the highest grossing fi lm in the UK box offi ce last year. It was much anticipated by children and parents with hype around the launch reaching fever pitch. This in turn created excitement around the launch of the movie sets which have allowed fans to recreate their favourite scenes at home and let the movie live on. Benny’s Spaceship, Spaceship, Spaceship! has proved one of our most popular lines – it’s a substantial piece of kit which engages children all the way through the build and then offers phenomenal play opportunities.”Rebecca Snell, marketing director, Lego UK

Toy of the YearDisney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa, Jakks Pacifi c“It was such a very special and proud moment to win Toy of the Year. Our entire Jakks UK team worked so hard to make it happen, from Customer Services, Sales, Marketing/PR – everyone had a part to play. The US Jakks product development team had a winning concept and took it to fruition. Ken Goodison, senior marketing director

“This is truly an amazing accomplishment. The UK has a very competitive awards landscape and we are honoured that Snow Glow Elsa won this well-deserved award. On behalf of the entire Jakks Pacific team, I would like to thank the UK Toy Retailers Association and our partners at Disney who worked so hard to help us create and produce such an amazing product that has resonated with consumers in the UK and indeed, globally.”Carmine Russo, president of international sales

Toy World 33

Craze of the YearLoombands, Character Options and H Grossman“The loom band craze took over the industry in 2014 and captured the imagination of children across the country. As a key identifi er of this craze in other territories, and as the company that helped to deliver this concept to the UK market, we are extremely proud to jointly accept the craze of the year award. The Cra-Z Loom Bracelet Maker has helped established Shimmer and Sparkle as a leading girls’ arts and crafts brand in the UK and 2015 will see the introduction of exciting new products to bring a whole new variety of craft concepts to stores.”Kathryn Ludlam, brand manager, Character Options

“We were delighted to win the award for Loom Twister – it’s a great product, appeals to both boys and girls and it’s all about creativity and making things with and for your friends and family. It was a massive success and deserved to win outright.”Martin Grossman, managing director, H Grossman

Action Figure Range of the YearNinja Turtles Movie Figures, Flair Leisure Products“With the heritage of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles behind them and the massive anticipation and subsequent success of the fi lm, we were able to achieve sell out success with our movie range of fi gures. Once again, Playmates produced an excellent line-up of the characters as they appear in the movie blockbuster. These collectibles stood apart from our classic range and were perfect for fans of all ages from younger children right through to the die-hard fans who have followed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since their original launch in the 90s.”Anne Marie Noon, Flair boys marketing manager

Gaming Toy of the YearCharacter Options’ Minecraft collection by Jazwares“The demand for the Minecraft action fi gures in 2014 was huge. Minecraft gives players creative freedom to go on epic building sprees. Jazwares has produced a product range that allows players to do the same but with a physical toy or craft kit. It’s traditional play but keeping the essence of the game, hence why this range has been such a success.”Mark Hunt, marketing manager

Doll of the YearDisney Frozen Sparkle Dolls, Mattel“Fashion dolls are a core category within Mattel’s portfolio and Disney Frozen Sparkle Dolls has taken the category by storm. This award clearly highlights Mattel’s expertise as best-in-class partner for entertainment properties translating the hottest kids’ movies to in-demand toys that bring characters to life.”Wendy Hill, director of brand activation

Interactive Toy of the YearCharacter Options’ Little Live Pets by Moose Enterprise“Having already had the Little Live Pets Bird Cage identifi ed as a Dream Toy back in October, this was another fantastic achievement on the back of a massively successful year for the brand. We believe the interactive and realistic nature of the product has really resonated with children who feel like they have a real life pet. With new characters and species arriving in 2015, it’s shaping up to be another superb year for Little Live Pets.”Kathryn Ludlam, brand manager

Collectible Toy of the YearShopkins, Flair Leisure Products“Shopkins is having incredible success and has the perfect recipe for a collectible brand. The fi gures are affordable with lots of choice and each product in the range carries the innovative design that the creators, Moose Enterprise, is excellent at. From the moment we viewed this property we always suspected that we would have a winner on our hands. With many years of experience in marketing girls’ collectibles, Flair has invested in some really inventive marketing activity for the launch that echoes the brand’s identity, such as trolley dashes and in-store shopping bag sampling. We are really excited about what’s to come.”Verity Groom, Flair girls brand manager

Craft Toy of the YearSew Cool Sewing Studio, Spin Master“It was a great surprise to win the award. Sewing is an

evergreen play pattern and we offer a sewing machine that’s perfect for a fi rst time sewing experience, and encourages imagination and hand eye coordination. With no thread needed, it allows children to create beautiful fashions and cute characters safely. The unprecedented level of demand we experienced supports the fact that this is a very strong range that will continue to grow in size this year.”Charlotte Jones, marketing assistant

Pre-school Range of the YearToot-Toot, Vtech“To win the award means recognition from experts, customers and trade partners which is high praise. It’s particularly pleasing because the Toot-Toot range is home grown, in other words an in house development that has gone from strength to strength. From the fi rst garage and six cars it has been a range the UK has championed, since TV advertising the garage back in 2011. Now it is a global brand. As we showed again this year at Toy Fair, there is a lot more to come in this range.”Graham Canning, sales director

Innovative Toy of the YearMy Friend Cayla, Vivid“Given the publicity we gained for My Friend Cayla since we fi rst launched at Toy Fair 2014 and the subsequent support and performance at retail, we hoped we would have a good chance of winning something…but you never know until the awards are fi nally announced. There’s no doubt about it, winning was a special moment and the result of an immense team effort from everyone at Vivid as well as our PR and media agencies (Norton and Company Marketing Communications and Generation Media). Mary Wood, marketing director

Outstanding ContributionMarvin’s Magic“I am thrilled to receive this wonderful accolade by the industry. We compete for shelf space with some of the giant toy brands and it is very prestigious for us and magic in general to be recognised by our peers.”Marvin Berglas, creator of Marvin’s Magic

Licence of the YearFrozen, Disney Consumer Products

Managing Editor John Baulch reports from the 40th Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair

East meets West

The Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair remains not only Asia’s largest toy show, it is also fi rmly established as the second largest toy exhibition in the world. The show constitutes the inaugural event of the global ‘Toy Fair Season’.

This year the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair – which attracted nearly 2,000 exhibitors and over 40,000 visitors – celebrated its fortieth birthday. I have been attending the show personally for the past decade, and I’ve seen it evolve into a hugely successful, truly international event. I understand that there were some concerns before Christmas that the pro-democracy demonstrations might deter some visitors this year, but I didn’t see a shred of evidence to suggest that proved to be the case.

It is true that the show remains off the radar of a small group of European and American visitors, who come to Hong Kong in January to visit the vendors with private showrooms in the Tsim Tsa Tsui district of Kowloon. However, for the majority who visit Hong Kong in January, there are compelling reasons to attend or exhibit at the show in addition to visiting the showrooms in TST. One exhibitor told me he picked up the Carrefour account at the show last year, while another said that while the showroom appointments were important for his existing customers, he wouldn’t pick up random drop-ins or passing trade in the way he can at the show. Sometimes this can be in the form of a retail account, sometimes a distributor for a territory.

Retail accounts from all over the world attend the show, and the Chinese mainland is especially well represented. It is a burgeoning market, with the double digit growth the territory has enjoyed over the past few years expected to continue. It is also becoming clear that many Chinese consumers favour Western brands, so there are defi nite opportunities for global companies to expand in the Asia Pacifi c region. One major attraction for European and American toy suppliers is that fact that the Asian market is not as reliant on the white knuckle ride of Christmas for sales as other parts of the world, with a number of holidays and events throughout the year – such as China Children’s Day on 1st June – helping to drive sales outside the Christmas period.

In addition, many global toy distributors walk the halls in search of new product to add to their portfolio. When I fi rst came over to the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair a decade ago, people would say that fi nding an interesting new product at the show was like fi nding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Most of the exhibitors were ‘bread and butter’ Chinese factories, willing to perhaps shave a cent or two off the price of an existing line, but offering little beyond that: aisles and aisles of similar, generic lines seemed to blur into one. In comparison, today’s Toys and Games Fair is a much more vibrant event with a far broader selection of vendors and product. Yes, there are still sections

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Toy World 34

populated by Chinese mainland vendors which look exactly the same as they did a decade ago. But many other sections are far more exciting: Hall 1 and the Brand Name gallery in particular stood out. One exhibitor suggested that a spending some extra money on stand design and construction was well worth the investment, as it allowed his company to stand out amongst the rows of standard slat wall and shelving booths.

Of course, old habits die hard: there are some obvious product copies, and many toy companies don’t like putting their latest products on open view in case they are copied. But I still saw some very interesting new ideas which I would give every chance of working in the global toy market. Among this year’s key trends were:

DRONESA growing number of suppliers are offering drones or quadcopters. What started out as a specialist, niche category aimed at professional adult consumers has developed into a sector which embraces a wide range of different models at varying price points, many of which are aimed at casual radio control enthusiasts and children. I expect this to be a huge growth area this year.

KIDULT TOYSFrom pop-culture collectibles to desk toys, from one-wheeled electric scooters to football fi gures which you control via an app, the toy industry has recognised the opportunity to sell toys to adults as well as children. These ‘young at heart’ consumers love to play, they have plenty of disposable income to spend and they are fascinated by both modern and retro approaches to their favourite toys from childhood.

TECH TOYSThe introduction of cutting-edge technology into toys continues unabated: I saw a host of new lines encapsulating mobile apps, near-fi eld technology and augmented reality, aimed at every age of toy-buying consumer from 0-80. Kids are just as fascinated with the latest technology as their parents, and there is no doubt that the increase in technology-driven toys has enabled the global toy industry to combat the challenge of children moving out of the toy market at a young age. But many of the new technological developments are certainly not just for older children: I saw a range of augmented reality learning cards for pre-school children that were not only great fun, but highly effective, utilising educational methodology backed up by core scientifi c principles such as right brain learning, where visual stimulation is said to make it easier to learn language. I even saw a couple of companies showing the latest 3D printers, which many believe could revolutionise the toy market in the coming years: early models were comparatively crude, expensive and turned out very basic fi gures, but these new versions already appear to be streets ahead of their predecessors.

COOL SCIENCEDo you want to turn an empty drink bottle into a battery-operated tornado maker? How about recycling a drink can into a cable car or calculator? Or perhaps you’d like to set up a radio controlled illuminated model of the solar system? All of these things – and more – are possible with the latest generation of science kits that are as entertaining as they are educational. With science now thought of as cool as a result of TV programmes such as The Big Bang Theory, this is another fast-growing category across the globe.

Managing Editor John Baulch reports from the Nuremberg Toy Fair….

2015 Spielwarenmesse a success

The Spielwarenmesse – or Nuremberg Toy Fair as almost everyone in the UK calls it – is the world’s largest Toy Fair. The statistics are impressive: at this year’s show, the 66th in its illustrious history, a grand total of 2,857 exhibitors from 67 countries,

spread throughout 18 different halls, presented over one million products to over 72,000 visitors from across the globe.

International buyers made up 58% of the total number of visitors, demonstrating the truly global reach of the event. A number of factors contributed to the growth in international visitors this year: in particular, the fact that the show dates did not coincide with the Chinese New Year is believed to have led to an increase in the number of Asian buyers in attendance.

However, the current challenging economic and political situation in Europe also had an impact on the show, although in this instance not so positive. Although the German market grew by 6% last year, the concentration in the domestic retail trade led to fewer German retailers visiting the fair this time round. I was told that there are now around 500,000 less kids in the German market than there were a decade ago, which is clearly bound to have a knock-on effect on the German toy sector as a whole, and specialist retailers in particular.

Nevertheless the German market is still one of the top six global toy markets, and one with its own set of idiosyncrasies. The lack of dominant major accounts is both a positive and a negative: it has undoubtedly helped the independent sector to retain a strong presence, while at the same time presenting suppliers (particularly the large multi-nationals) with a set of logistical and administrative challenges that are very

Show review

Toy World 35

different to markets such as the UK and USA. It is not just the make-up of the retail landscape

which is different: certain product categories – such as action fi gures and licensed toys – are generally less successful in Germany than they are in other territories, while others – particularly traditional sectors – are comparatively stronger. It’s no surprise that the three sectors in Germany that showed the largest growth last year were all traditional categories: outdoor toys (+11%) building sets (+9%) and plush (+9%). A number of local German toy suppliers enjoyed a good year, including Ravensburger, Zapf, Schleich and Revell, while Lego had four items in the top ten sellers of the year. However, VTech also secured two entries in the top ten, showing that good tech items can succeed in even the most traditional of markets.

Subtle differences can even manifest themselves within individual categories: I was intrigued to discover that, although successful, Frozen was apparently not as massive in Germany as it was in the UK and USA. One theory put forward by a very credible source of my acquaintance is that the translations of the songs were not as moving as the original English lyrics. This would certainly be consistent with my belief that it was the soundtrack that ultimately drove Frozen to the dizzy heights it reached in other English-speaking markets.

The other thing that UK toy suppliers might be interested to know is that there are actually four German toy trade magazines – and their page rate is signifi cantly higher than the prices charged by UK titles.

In addition to the reduction in the number of domestic buyers, there was also said to be a decline in Eastern European buyers: for example 51% fewer Russian trade visitors attended this year’s

event. However, a total of 35% of buyers surveyed said that they don’t attend any other fair, so the Spielwarenmesse still provides unique opportunities to interact with visitors that can’t be reached at other shows.

Indeed, for many European territories, Nuremberg serves as a replacement for a domestic exhibition: with toy shows in France, Italy and Spain amongst others disappearing off the radar over the past decade, Nuremberg is now the de facto ‘home’ venue for many exhibitors. In addition, some global companies also choose to concentrate their efforts in Nuremberg rather than having a presence at local domestic shows: Mattel’s stand, for instance, is colossal – I was told that there were 600 Mattel and Mega Brands staff working on the stand alone. Factor in hordes of global visitors keen to see the 2015 range and it is little wonder that the stand feels like a Tokyo railway station at rush hour.

One of the main talking points of this year’s Fair was the ongoing currency issue. It’s a complex situation, with both the rise of the dollar and the fall of the Euro creating both challenges and opportunities: depending on your position – whether buying or selling, and whether the Far East or Europe is your main port of call – the currency conundrum is defi nitely going to affect many parts of the toy market this year. With ramifi cations for sourcing, retail pricing and subsequent sales volumes, retailers and suppliers will be keeping an exceptionally close eye on the currency markets for some while yet. Some retailers and suppliers who foresaw these recent developments have even seen their profi ts boosted as a result of currency trading, although the over-riding feeling from most retailers and suppliers I spoke to was one of concern for the months ahead.

The 2016 Spielwarenmesse will take place from 27th January to 1st February 2016.

Managing Editor John Baulch reports from the North American International Toy Fair.

Life in the Big Apple

I was delighted to be invited to this year’s North American International Toy Fair by the organisers, my fi rst visit to the New York Toy Fair (as it is more commonly known) for over a decade. The last time I attended, the city was ravaged by heavy blizzards and although the snow thankfully

stayed away this year, it was still bitterly cold. The show itself has evolved signifi cantly

since I last visited: the closure of the Toy Buildings at 200 5th Avenue and 1107 Broadway, which featured private showrooms operated by many of the established toy companies, has seen the focus shift to the Javits Centre, where the equivalent of seven American football fi elds were fi lled with a host of brand new toys, games, models and youth entertainment products.

The show started on a Saturday this year, a day earlier than in previous years. I’m told this was due to the New York Governor’s offi ce ‘requesting’ that a boat show be added into the Javits Centre schedule, resulting in an enforced change of dates. There was apparently a modest reduction in numbers on the fi rst day as a result: how refreshing to fi nd an organiser willing to be so open about the situation. The TIA was equally honest when asked whether the new ‘Saturday to Tuesday’ format will stay for next year: I’m told it is not their preference, but that it will depend on negotiations, external factors and other shows (does that sound familiar?).

There was a healthy UK retail presence at the show, including a number of independents such as MidCo, Toy Galaxy, Fenwicks and Toy Hub. Speaking to them in the aisles, they were enthusiastic about the experience, and felt the trip had been worthwhile. There were also numerous UK suppliers in attendance, some exhibiting (such as Hornby, Casdon, Bananagrams, Big Jigs, Bladez and Galt) and many more roaming the aisles in search of new ranges or lines to distribute. That was one of the things that impressed me most about the show: the sheer volume and quality of new products being unveiled - creativity is clearly alive and well in the States, and the New York Toy Fair showcases it in all its glory (and occasionally madness).

Big American toy companies still have a tendency to hold back headline-grabbing new launches for the show: there was no sign of Hasbro’s Furbacca in London, or Mattel’s Hello Barbie (their answer to My Friend

Show review

Toy World 36

Cayla) or the Viewmaster collaboration with Google in Nuremberg. In addition to the big guns, there are large sections populated by small inventor-driven companies – the ones that literally try to grab you as you walk past, passionate to share their idea with anyone and everyone who will listen. How about a pen that cuts paper as it draws? A radio control car guided by a glove rather than a joystick? A gun that fi res marshmallows? A slap-wrist band that creates the sound of drums, guitar, fi ghting swords and many other role play staples? Building blocks that turn into a video game via an app? All this and more, including every kind of robot you can imagine, were on show. You can’t help but admire the enthusiasm and tenacity of their creators. But more than that, there were lines on show that could turn out to be real winners: I suspect the many suppliers diligently combing the halls already know that.

The show also played host to the 15th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) awards, which were held at the Grand Hyatt on the Friday evening, the night before the show opened. Spin Master’s innovative Zoomer Dino took home the coveted Toy of the Year award, while Crayola’s Paint Maker won the People’s Choice award after accruing the most online votes from consumers. Other winners on the night included Lego, who picked up three separate awards for their Fusion, Technic and Juniors ranges; Hasbro for Simon Swipe and

Nerf Rebelle; Moose for Shopkins; WowWee for its MiP robot; Thinkfun for Gravity Maze and VTech for the Go Go Smart Animals Zoo Explorers Playset. Frozen was awarded property of the year, and Pat Feeley and Leslie Berger were inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

The TIA also revealed its tips for the top trends of 2015 at a packed seminar, attended by buyers and media representatives from across the globe. Amongst this year’s predictions were Maker Toys, spotlighting toys which allow kids to build and create items that are unique to them; Open-Ended Playtime, featuring toys and games which help promote creativity, resourcefulness and problem-solving skills by allowing kids the freedom to explore exactly how they want to play; Mini Madness; Smart Play, focusing on Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) products; Under the Sea, an aquatic-based theme; Tech Products and Dinosaurs. Overall, an eclectic mixture of cutting edge technology and traditional play themes, which perfectly illustrates the diversity of the 21st century toy market.

After many years away, I’m glad I got the chance to experience this fascinating show at fi rst hand once again. The dates of next year’s event have yet to be announced, but what is certain is that the show will continue to wrap-up Toy Fair Season. I, for one, can’t think of a better place to fi nish things off in style.

THANK YOU

A big thank you to exhibitors and visitors to Toy Fair 2015 for making it such a successful show. We will update you on the dates for next year as soon as we can

and hope to welcome you next year at Olympia.

Wishing you a prosperous year ahead.

TF_2015_ToysnPlaythings_ThankYou.indd 1 04/02/2015 15:07

Feature

Toy World 38

Action Vehicles

The rise of the drone is probably the most headline-grabbing development in the Action Vehicles category at the moment but there is also plenty of additional activity going on within the diecast area. Emily Ansell

Elfer takes a look at how companies are fi ghting to stand out in a crowded arena for 2015.

Another company working hard to differentiate itself from others in the drones area is Revell. The company has decided that products need to get smaller and zippier – it recently revealed the world’s smallest quadcopter, the Revell Control Proto.

“Drones are the fastest growing sector within our RC range, with most of the new innovation in fl ying RC in the Multi Rotor drone sector. What makes them so popular is that they are relatively easy to fl y and once mastered you can perform fl ips and trick relatively easily. The retail market is suitable for everyone from independent toy shops right up to multiple retailers and everyone in-between,” said Thomas Randrup, country manager UK and Ireland, Revell. “We expect several successes in 2015, including the award winning Nano Quad, Quadcopter Rayvore and WiFi Quadcopter X-Spy. Also, we have just announced the world’s smallest Quad, the Revell Control Proto.”

However, it’s not just drones that look set for a successful 2015 – there are also some exciting goings on in the diecast category. Over at Mattel, the diecast market continues to be a key focus within the company’s vehicle portfolio. According to NPD data, Hot Wheels retains its number one position in the Vehicle Super Category, with Disney Cars and Planes holding number two and number three positions.

Wendy Hill, director of customer marketing at brand communications at Mattel, said: “Hot Wheels has a really exciting product range and marketing programme in place for 2015. We kicked off the year

Ready for action

with our Black Car collector programme engaging boys with the brand whilst driving collectability with our core diecast line. We also have some really exciting new licences with Star Wars, Marvel’s The Avengers 2; Age of Ultron, Spiderman and Batman with Porsche and James Bond launching in autumn/winter. Fresh from Disney Pixar Cars is the launch of the Ice Racers range supported with TV, as well as fantastic diecast assortments from both Cars and Planes.”

HTi is also feeling confi dent about its diecast products, which isn’t surprising as the company is now number two in the market.

Jenny Watson, global marketing director, HTi, said: “We’re feeling very confi dent about the future in vehicles. 2014 saw HTi buck the trend and deliver 31% growth in a category which declined 3%. HTi are now number two in the market as a result of our strong retailer partnerships and commitment to high quality at affordable prices.”

The company is looking to focus on dinosaur themed products for 2015 and position the Teamsterz brand as a real player in the diecast category.

HTi’s senior brand manager – boys, Richard Venner, added: “2015, the year of the dinosaur, looks set to build on our success with our dinosaur themed tracksets and new focus on building the Teamsterz brand.”

Over the following pages, Toy World presents just some of the many products available this year from companies working in the Action Vehicles sector.

Walking round the various Toy Fairs over the past few months, there was no denying that drones are taking the Action Vehicles category

by storm. There was an array of new products on show, all sporting their own fancy tricks and each fi ghting to be a little bit more high tech than the others.

Marcello Rossi, head of retail at This Is It Stores, predicts that drones are going to be big business in 2015 due to being addictive and surprisingly easy to use.

“This is the biggest revolution in fl ight technology in decades and makes fl ying easy and fun, appealing to both kids and adults alike,” he commented. “Once you get the bug and have your fi rst drone it won’t be long before you want to add more to your collection. It is extremely addictive and fun. I remember having to pay a fortune to have my house photographed from a plane but now all I need is a drone.”

Tom Ellyatt, marketing manager at Wilton Bradley, which distributes Toyrifi c/JSF Quadcopters, commented: “There’s no point in me telling you how big demand for drones will be this year – you already know. For me what is really interesting about the drone revolution is seeing how brands and products differentiate themselves from one another in what will become a crowded market. With JSF Quadcopters, we have approached this challenge early on by creating a wide range of drones with very attractive price points compared to the rest of the market, which are well designed and extensively tested with features that appeal to everyone from children to adults. We will be supporting our customers with strong in store POS and supporting consumers with a UK aftersales team.”

Flying Gadgets’ managing director Joshua Farleigh says that retailers are more confi dent about stocking quadcopters this year than they were in 2014 and have a greater understanding of the products.

He added: “While last year we found that retailers were nervous of the quadcopter category, this year they’re absolutely embracing it. They’re being considered in their purchasing – far from jumping on the bandwagon with any old supplier, they’re being careful to choose specialist companies such as ourselves who can offer a highly enviable level of customer service and support. By doing so, they’re guaranteeing they select the right product to suit their customer which ultimately is how they’ll secure sales success.”

Action Vehicles

Mattel 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.comMattel has a line-up of ranges from brands including Hot Wheels, Disney Pixar Cars and Planes for 2015 as well as the launch of the Hot Wheels Star Wars collection.

Hot Wheels builds off its success in 2014 as it maintains the number one position in the Vehicle Super Category and Mini Vehicles category, and races into 2015 with a new Black Car collector promotion. Children can purchase fi ve Hot Wheels cars from any of the four segments – City, Race, Off-Road and Workshop, to claim their limited edition Black Car.

The spring/summer range includes the TV advertised Diecast Car assortment, as well as the Clip Strip, 5-Car Pack, Blind Pack and Colour Shifter Car assortments that bring the new tracksets to life. The range also includes collaborations with Marvel’s The Avengers 2 and Spiderman, including Character Car and 5-Pack assortments. Autumn/winter sees the launch of the Porsche Anniversary and James Bond assortments.

Star Wars fans will be able to reenact their favourite scenes with the new Hot Wheels Star Wars range launching in autumn/winter. The diecast range includes 1:64 Character Car and the Character Car 5-Pack assortments.

Evergreen property Disney Pixar’s Cars sees the launch of Cars Ice Racers this year as well as a new Cars Garage app. A product range for spring/summer includes the Character Car, Clip Strip and 2-Pack assortments to bring the fi lms to life. Autumn/winter sees the arrival of Ice Racers, including the Single Diecast, Diecast Multipack and Feature assortments.

Following the theatrical release of Disney Planes; Fire and Rescue, Disney Pixar’s Planes continues its range allowing children to recreate scenes from the fi lm with the Die-cast Singles assortment, continuing through to autumn/winter.

Toy World 40

Hornby01843 233525 | www.hornby.com The Corgi Aston Martin DB5 was fi rst released in October 1965, almost a year after the DB5 made its on-screen debut in Goldfi nger. The car was popular in its day, selling over 6,000,000 models. It also received the fi rst ever Toy of the Year award.

In the wake of the classic fi lm, Corgi began its decades-long relationship with the Bond franchise producing many different models, including a gold Aston Martin DB5 1:46 scale model complete with retractable machine guns, ejector seat and rear bullet screen.

Fifty years later, Hornby has unveiled a fully featured re-issue of the Corgi original DB5 with a limited number of special edition gold and silver models produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary milestone. The launch will be supported by a multi-faceted consumer marketing programme spanning TV, PR, digital and in-store.

In the more traditional Corgi range, new trains, trucks, buses and cars have been introduced with collector appeal, including a model of the Short Sunderland Mk iii. This year is also the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain with the introduction of special commemorative packs which will sell alongside the existing World War I centenary range.

2015 is looking to be an exciting year for Scalextric following the launch of the new ARC racing system. With a new brand partnership just announced with Mercedes, the APP linked race-control system allows users to wirelessly create and manage races with a handheld smart device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Users can experience everything fi rst hand just like a real Mercedes driver as ARC records competitors’ lap times and simulates tyre wear, fuel loads and pit stops. There will also be new cars and future developments of the Scalextric App Race Control.

Sales of Simpsons Micro Scalextric have surpassed expectations and will continue as part of the character licensed range. The My First Scalextric provides an entry into the world of Scalextric for new players.

Hero productScalextric is set for a fantastic year as we have two of the most exciting F1 teams on the grid for the 2015 race season. The addition of the tech in our App Race Control system opens up many avenues for expansion of the racing action and we are looking forward to a steady release programme of racing cars throughout the year.Nathaniel Southworth, sales and b rand director

F

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Action Vehicles

Toy World 42

Tomy020 8722 7300 | www.tomy.co.ukThe John Deere pre-school range is a collection of non-scale, soft-touch plastic toys with features such as lights, sounds or rubber finish.

New to the range is the John Deere County Fair Wagon Ride, a pull-along tractor with push button activated animal sounds and music. It has a soft rubbery finish body and two trailers complete with a rotating hay bale and pigs that wiggle as the trailer moves. Three new farm sets join the range – the Johnny & Friends Farm Adventure Playsets include soft touch figures, farm vehicles and farm fencing to create a mini farm yard.

New Johnny & Friends vehicles include Johnny Tractor, Allie Gator and Corey Combine. These models are compatible with the Johnny & Friends Adventure playset wagons.

The Big Scoop John Deere Excavator joins the line-up of sandbox toys. Fully equipped to tackle sandy terrain, this excavator has a strong plastic body, thick durable tyres and a hinged arm with bucket for digging.

The new Monster Treads Shake and Sounds Tractor is constructed of sturdy plastic and features big bouncy tyres for off-road action along with shaking suspension and engine sounds.

The First Farming Fun Tractor Fun Playset will give farm fans their first tractor complete with a driver. The First Farming Fun Load-Up Playset has a farmer which bounces as he chugs around the farm to feed the animals, while the Load-Up Playset comes with its own chunky cow and goat.

The First Farming Fun Harvest Time Playset includes soft touch farm animals – a cow, a goat and a cockerel.

New additions to any play set can be taken from the First Little Farm – Farm Friends range which includes an assortment of characters such as a farmer, farmer’s wife and sheep dog.

Character Options 0161 633 9800 | www.character-online.comNew to Character Options’ Fireman Sam collection for summer 2015 is a range of die cast vehicles that has everything a young firefighter will need to come to the rescue.

These new collectible Die Cast Vehicles are both traditional in their play pattern and up to the minute in their characterisation and design.

With free-wheeling axles and all the detail that traditional die cast can offer, there are lots of favourites to choose from: Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Wallaby One, the mountain rescue helicopter, all of which will stand up to robust play or can be collected as part of a treasured assembly.

To accompany the vehicles, the die cast Fire Rescue Centre playset is a new addition to the rescue collection. Vehicles and the playset can be used together for integrated play.

Flying GadgetsThe Flying Gadgets X-Vision is a new entry-level six-axis gyro quadcopter offering all the flying abilities of larger models in a compact unit whilst maintaining high spec tech credentials. In addition to flip and roll flight abilities, this searchlight-equipped sub-£100 machine has first person view on-board so users can beam back live HD footage to their Apple device attached to the remote control unit. Users can control the X-vision through the app as well as the 2.4ghz controller supplied with the product.

Continuing leading the way in drone technology is the Flying Gadgets X-Voice. The only drone of its kind in the world, the X-Voice uses cutting-edge voice control technology and is pre-programmed with 16 different languages. It’s able to understand accents and dialects and is virtually indestructible thanks to the flexible caging surrounding each of the four propellers. Users can fine-tune flight using the 2.4ghz controller for added precision whilst speaking commands such as take-off, land, dancing and flip right/left/back/forward into the supplied microphone headset.

A brand new mid-size quadcopter, the 2.4ghz Flying Gadgets Gee Quad, boasts an auto level function and comes fully equipped to live-stream video from its high definition camera. The green Gee Quad is an entry-level piece, equally suited to those new to the world of drones and more experienced operators.

The X-Drone is a distinctive addition, with blades surrounded in foam. This midsize quadcopter is fitted with the latest gyroscope technology and an optional high definition camera can be added. The LCD controller (2.4ghz) has three different flying modes, while LED lights ensure the X-Drone can’t be missed.

The Big 1 is a 27mhz radio-controlled monster truck with a range of over 50m. 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.

Flying Gadgets is one of the chosen official distributors for the DJI brand of cutting edge drones in the UK. DJI, which recently unveiled its most advanced drone yet – the Inspire 1 – is one of the leading brands of drones and quadcopters in the world. Flying Gadgets is the first company in the UK to receive stock of the Inspire 1.

Driving Inspiration!©2015 Mattel, Inc. All rights reserved.

Action Vehicles

Toy World 44

Vivid 01702 200 660 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.ukThe Sky Rover Missile Fire Helicopter is new for autumn/winter. This voice controlled helicopter uses the latest in voice recognition software, allowing users to easily fly and command their helicopter using just their voice.

Users can perform aerial manoeuvres using 12 different commands and two missiles can be fired. The Missile Fire Helicopter is stable and easy to control with its GYRO balanced engine and smart hover technology which prevents the helicopter from hitting the ceiling when flying indoors. The Sky Rover will be TV advertised.

Real FX is a next generation slotless racing system which provides a realistic driving experience. Each car is fitted with infrared Opto sensors which read the track at 200 times per second – this artificial intelligence means a second car can drive around the track by itself and compete against the player. Drivers can overtake opponents and deal with track hazards, from tyre blowouts to oil spills – the product combines video gaming and slot racing and will be TV advertised for placing in stores in autumn/winter.

Flair0208 643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.ukThis year will see Flair introduce pre-schoolers to the one of the most prestigious car brands in the world – Ferrari, with a colourful car collection that includes a first Ferrari RC.

The Ferrari Play and Go F2012 Remote Control Car features an infrared steering wheel-shaped controller, with easy to hold handles on the side.

The colourful Ferrari moves backwards and forwards, featuring real moving Pirelli P Zero wheels, a front and rear spoiler, a personal driver and sponsorship to complete the racing experience.

This RC playset vehicle is designed to aid development through play, hand and eye co-ordination and imagination in budding racing drivers as well as being a luxury ride for any child.

Golden Bear01952 608308 | www.goldenbeartoys.co.ukThe Bash `N’ Spin Radio Controlled Bulldog is a new addition to Golden Bear’s Go MINI collection. The trigger on the controller activates the radio controlled Bulldog to drive forwards, then the large Bash button on the top makes the vehicle perform doughnut spins. It has two further buttons which activate barking sounds and headlights.

New to the My First JCB collection is the Build & Go Digger, designed for children to use the chunky screw driver to attach the wheels and front scoop to the cab over and over again.

The Big Wheeler Freddie is another addition, as well as Farm Fun Tractor Tim and RC Doug.

The V-Dubs range is based on the VW Campervan and includes collectible Stylies, Speeders and Custom Chargers. Each vehicle is fully customisable using themed sticker sheets.

COMING FOR 2015!

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Spot

X-Spy Rayvore

Hexatron

FIRST-PERSON VIEW

QUAD!

BEST

ACTUAL WIDTH 48mm

Nano Quad

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. Visit our website at www.revell.de/en

Publication: Toy World Job Number: 4217 Signed-off by: Tom Randrup

Insert Date: March Issue File Name: Revell_ToyWorld_240x315_ad_aw.pdf Date:

Trim Size: 210 x 138 mm Proof Stage: 1

Line Screen: 150 Date: 18-02-15

If any problems arise concerning this document, please contact Oyster Studios on 01582 761212 or email enquiries@oysterstudios.com

SIKUSUPER

1478 MB-trac Winterdienst · Winter service · Service hiver

1480 John Deere Skidder*

3285 1:32 Fendt 724 Vario 3286 1:32 Stey r 6240 CVT Kommunal · Municipal · Communal

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2066 1:32 Moser Heckbagger für Traktoren • Rear end digger for tractors • Pelle arrière pour tracteurs*John Deere Produkte sind nicht erhältlich in Nord- und Südamerika · Not available in North and South America · Pas disponible en Amérique du Nord et du Sud

For UK enquiries please contact: Alpha Toys Ltd. · Phone 0035367 63800

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For Ireland enquiries please contact: Banaghan & Co. Ltd. · Co. Tipperary

Tel. +35367 63800 · Fax +35367 63801 info@banaghans.ie

www.siku.de

Action Vehicles

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John Adams01481 414361 | www.johnadams.co.ukThe RC Flying Dragon is the latest addition to John Adams Leisure’s product offering. It is constructed from virtually indestructible super strong plastic, and is designed to easily survive a few crash landings.

It has scarlet red colouring and a wing span measuring approximately 40cm, and the wings flap when in flight. It can also take off and land from its moveable legs and is powered by infra-red technology.

The remote control comes in a dragon claw design and features a throttle stick and direction/rotation stick as well as a button to make the dragon’s wings flap during flight.

The dragon can go up, down, left and right as well as do a full 360 rotation. The remote control also features three channels so up to four dragons can be used at the same time in the same room. The product has inbuilt rechargeable batteries which take their charge from the controller, so only the remote control requires batteries.

Revell 0845 459 0747 | www.revell.de/enThe 2.4GHz WiFi Quadcopter X-Spy is a first person view drone. It was voted the BTHA’s Association’s Best New Toy in the Tech Toys category for Toy Fair 2015 and is equipped with a camera to instantly stream video or pictures to smartphones via WiFi.

The 2.4GHz Quadcopter Rayvore was voted the BTHA‘s Best New Toy in the hobby category. It is available in blue and green and features gyro stabilization, high-powered motors and four flight modes from beginner to expert.

All Revell Control models are ready-to-run and ready-to-fly and feature the latest infrared, MHz and GHz technology. They are officially tested, compliant with all European standards and come complete with batteries, spare parts and a detailed multi-lingual instruction manual.

Spin Master01628 535 000 | www.spinmaster.comAir Hogs continues to be the number one in radio control toys after more than 15 years at the top of its game.

In the second half of 2015, Air Hogs introduces a twist on the popular Zero Gravity RC vehicle whose patented technology allows users to drive along the ground, wall or ceiling. The bestselling Atmosphere Axis with its patented Wave Control Technology and the go-anywhere RollerCopter helicopter with protective roll cage will again be TV advertised.

Spring 2015 sees the introduction of the Hyper Disc – a 3ft wide helium or air filled flying disc. Its lightweight design makes it easy for children of all ages to toss it, roll it, flip it, bounce it and perform tricks. It flies like a frisbee and floats like a blimp.

The long distance Rip Force Glider is new for 2015. Children can simply pull back the aerobatic glider and no batteries are required.

Action Vehicles

Alpha Toys00353 673 800 | info@alpha-toys.co.ukSiku’s 2015 models range includes a selection of the latest car designs. There are also additions to the SikuFarmers32 range with tractors and a variety of agricultural trailers to add more fun to playing and collecting.

There are also additions to the popular SikuWorld series with new accessory and themed packs expanding existing City, Farmer and Fire service sets. A special feature offers more combination options.

Siku continues to develop many new items in scales 1:87, 1:50 and 1:32. Delayed releases from late 2014 have recently been launched and have already received a good reaction.

There will be four other release packages later in the year. The Blister range with its all year round demand continues to go from strength to strength and will have some additions during the year. Following on from the two limited edition Bugatti sets in 2014, there will be two more in 2015. The first has already sold out and the second consists of three cars in colours not previously released, boxed in a limited edition black gift box.

The main highlights of the March releases are the Fendt 724 Vario in 1:32 scale and the Rear end Digger which fits all Siku 1:32 scale tractors.

Toy World 48

HTI01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.uk Teamsterz, HTI’s die-cast vehicle collectable range, is seeing some major new developments including a new brand logo and packaging design for 2015 ensuring stand-out and on-shelf appeal.

An extensive new range of highly detailed die-cast vehicles and a new Car Transporter with space to store up to 40 cars inside, provides opportunities for collectability. The Transporter comes with 12 die-cast cars plus road play accessories, and features a handy carry handle for compact store and carry-away play.

Teamsterz track sets cover all key price points and offer turbo charged competitive fun for all ages. New for 2015 is the Dinosaur inspired trackset range, including the Triceratops Track Set and a Super Loop Stunt Truck. Both feature vertical drop ramps and gravity defying 360º loops. Players can race wheel to wheel with two cars at the same time through the 3D triceratops or see how far they can take flight through the Stunt Truck’s launch ramp. Everything packs away into the Stunt Truck’s free-wheeling truck body for easy pack away. With a carry handle, children can also take the Super Loop Stunt Truck Track Set everywhere they go.

All Teamsterz track sets are supplied with cars. A wide range of Teamsterz garage play sets and a broad pocket money vehicle range supports the range.

Wilton Bradley01626 835 400 | www.wiltonbradley.comToyrific’s JSF Quadcopters range satisfies the fast growing market demand for affordable flying drones with a comprehensive offering that includes serious drones with cameras and flashing lights as well as mini drones for practicing around the house.

In an industry which has just rocketed and is grabbing headlines in mainstream media, some drones available in the market are in excess of £1000 for the consumer, making it a largely inaccessible product for a lot of people. Drones are going to be big business in 2015 and JSF Quadcopters offer an affordable option.

The JSF Quadcopter range by Toyrific turned heads at the Hong Kong and London Toy Fairs recently. From a retail point of view, all drones have branded free-standing display unit options where required, a full colour box and a fun, in-depth demo video to show the product being used to its full potential. A strong advantage of the JSF Quadcopter range is that they are supported by an After Sales Team offering repairs and replacement parts. All JSF Quadcopters are under the 7kg legal flying requirement and will be marketed to the consumer by Toyrific’s in-house marketing department.

The JSF Phoenix 4 (TY5609) is Toyrific’s mid-range quadcopter, coming into their offering below the all-singing all-dancing Titan 4 drone which has a 2MP video and photo camera with 2GB memory card.

With 2.4G remote control for more responsive, reliable & safe flying, 360 degree rotation with the ability to go up, down, left and right, LED flashing lights, a USB rechargeable battery, a flying distance of 30-80 metres and extra blades, this is a drone that has all of the features of other drones in the market, but for a fraction of the cost.

John Baulch talks to Flying Gadgets’ managing director Joshua Farleigh about how the company started out and what’s currently hot in the radio control category.

Can you tell us how Flying Gadgets began?I was working at the now defunct flying instruction company Cabair which sold remote control toys in its shops. The lines weren’t doing very well and I was asked to step in and assist. I’ve been an avid fan of remote control machines since a very young age and they knew about my passion, this experience led to me setting up Flying Gadgets in 2003.

What attracted you to the idea of starting a toy company?I suppose there was a certain inevitability about it; I’ve been messing about with all things RC since a very young age and my proficiency isn’t just in flying them but deconstructing, constructing and fixing them too. In the early noughties I noticed a distinct lack of quality at the toy end of the RC market and knew there was an opportunity to fill a gap in the market.

What makes you different from other suppliers of radio control and flying toys?The background of the combined team gives us an unparalleled level of experience in the remote control sector. We have over 20 years’ combined experience of flying, driving, fixing, making and enjoying RC and that gives us a real edge over the competition. We’re also really switched on as to what the consumer wants and spend hours researching our products to ensure they’re in-demand. In a nutshell, we know what our customers want.

What have been your most successful lines to date?In the early days it was a 9057

Company Profi le

Toy World 49

Volitation – it was the first big remote control chopper to the consumer market and was impressive. We then had one of the first gyroscopic choppers in the mini Syma – this three-channel chopper sold extraordinarily well for us. The latest line that’s literally flown off the shelves is the near indestructible UFO flyer with its spherical cage, it has appealed to kids of all ages.

What are the stars of your 2015 range?The Flying Gadgets X-Voice has had such an amazing response from both buyers and media alike, the coverage we garnered across broadcast, print and online for this line was almost unprecedented not just for us but for a new quadcopter. We’re looking at our new RC monster truck – The Big 1 – to perform really well and we think the ride-on 12V Beetle is going to be a big seller throughout 2015.

What are the key developments within the radio control/flying toy category to look out for this year?Well there can’t be any doubt people are now looking for multi-task, multi-use quadcopters. Ones that do more than just fly brilliantly like our X-Vision with first person view that can beam back footage to the controller. I think lower price points are inevitable too, with more players eyeing this popular and lucrative market. Another plus point for the consumer is that the units are becoming more and more hardwearing to the

point of indestructibility.

How can toy retailers capitalise on the burgeoning drone market?Try to look at trends that are developing,

don’t simply jump on the current bandwagons – look for points of difference and be first to market with these new trends. The market seems to be splitting into good quality, sub-£100 quadcopters and the higher-end prosumer units.

Looking to the future, where do you see the radio control/flying toy market going over the next few years?I think prices across the board for all styles will fall. We’ll see higher quality cameras on-board and FPV units will come with glasses and headwear control units supplied. Plus Augmented Reality is on the way. There are huge developments coming at a very speedy pace over these coming months and we’re proud to be at the forefront of this innovation.

Do you think mainstream toy retailers will embrace the drone category, or are they nervous about committing? If they do decide to get on-board, what can they do to help maximise the opportunity in-store?

While last year we found that retailers were nervous of the quadcopter category,

this year they’re absolutely embracing it. They’re being considered in their purchasing

– far from jumping on the bandwagon with any old supplier,

they’re being careful to choose specialist companies such as ourselves who can offer a highly enviable level of customer service and support. By doing so, they’re guaranteeing they select the right product to suit their customer which ultimately is how they’ll secure sales success.

Joshua Farleigh

John Baulch talks to Flying Gadgets’ managing director Joshua Farleigh about how the company started out and what’s

Company Profi leCompany Profi leCompany Profi le

Volitation – it was the first big remote control chopper to the consumer market and was impressive. We then had one of the first gyroscopic

Flying to the top

as to what the consumer wants and spend hours researching our products to ensure they’re in-demand. In a nutshell, we know what our customers want.

What have been your most successful lines to date?In the early days it was a 9057

Toy World 49

eyeing this popular and lucrative market. Another plus point for the consumer is that the units are becoming more and more hardwearing to the

point of indestructibility.

How can toy retailers capitalise on the burgeoning drone market?Try to look at trends that are developing,

FPV units will come with glasses and headwear control units supplied. Plus Augmented Reality is on the way. There are huge developments coming at a very speedy pace over these coming months and we’re proud to be at the forefront of this innovation.

Do you think mainstream toy retailers will embrace the drone category, or are they nervous about committing? If they do decide to get on-board, what can they do to help maximise the opportunity in-store?

While last year we found that retailers were nervous of the quadcopter category,

bandwagon with any old supplier, they’re being careful to choose specialist companies such as ourselves who can offer a highly enviable level of customer service and support. By doing so, they’re guaranteeing they select the right product to suit their customer which ultimately is how they’ll secure sales success.

Feature

Toy World 50

Outdoor toys

Toy World’s deputy editor Emily Ansell Elfer looks at how a largely dry and warm 2014 lifted outdoor toy sales and has left the industry feeling positive about the year ahead.

predicts will steal the show, new Disney properties have joined the company’s portfolio – Disney Princess, Star Wars and Avengers.

Further key existing outdoor licensed ranges for MV include Thomas, Peppa Pig and Batman products.

MV’s own brand products also performed well last year and Phil says there are some exciting new introductions to the company’s battery operated E-Moto range.

Michelle Lilley, marketing manager at Little Tikes, says that outdoor will be the company’s strongest range to date with new launches across the category. New products include the Cape Cottage Playhouse, Sizzle n’ Serve Grill and Fish ‘n Splash Water Table.

She added: “The outdoor category is looking stronger than ever – the aspiration to get children active outdoors continues and continued innovation in the category means that at Little Tikes we need to be ready to meet consumer and retail demand.”

Last year was a really successful one for Hy-Pro’s Zinc range, with strong sales in electric scooters; BMXs and stunt scooters. For 2015, the company plans to push the range further and promote active lifestyle for children with a f ocus on travel solutions.

“Our portfolio for this year has grown and developed with new and exciting products to refl ect this such as the Zinc Flyte case scooter,” said Hy-Pro’s commercial director Simon Pickavance. “The wheeled toy category is always innovatively progressing with new product developments keeping the industry moving forward so that children can have an active lifestyle.”

Vance Withers, group sales director at Worlds Apart, says he sees the focus for 2015 as being on traditional products such as trampolines, goals and climbing frames. The company also has a product that aims to get families outside whatever the weather.

He commented: “With an undying faith in the

The great outdoors

fact that we will get a decent summer in 2015, the ranges of outdoor products on display at this year’s Toy Fairs were as varied and exciting as ever. The traditional favourites were in evidence with strong ranges of trampolines, goals and climbing frames, alongside broader ranges of balance bikes, carts and active play. The emphasis is defi nitely on more active play – be it sport/activity based or creativity based. The commitment to get our kids outdoors seems greater than ever.

“Our own new developments with the acclaimed Ugo in Play Tents and our groundbreaking Folding Trampoline allow parents and carers the opportunity to transition play from indoors to outdoors simply and hassle free. Whatever the weather, active play can continue.”

It seems that 2014’s dry summer has certainly left the toy industry feeling generally upbeat about the outdoor sector in 2015.

MV’s Phil Ratcliffe commented: “The outdoor sector showed a higher growth rate than the rest of toys last year largely driven by the good summer weather. Hopefully this year the category will benefi t from a sunny Easter school holiday period and will kick on from there.”

Over the following pages you will see just some of the many products available this year from companies working in the outdoor toys sector.

The outdoor toys category saw a strong performance throughout last year and 2015 is looking bright too, although retailers and suppliers will be keeping a close eye on the weather forecast.

The past couple of years have been good for outdoor toys, with high temperatures and less rain. 2014 offered a good summer with generally dry weather and there was a slight increase in sales over the May to July period for 2014 – up 1% on 2013.

According to NPD, ride-ons and sports toys drove the biggest growth, with the average price for this category increasing by 8%.

Katy Fletcher, brand manager, outdoor, re:creation, commented: “It’s clear that the +8% growth in value is driven by strong performances of higher priced items including Razor’s Crazy Cart and Electric Scooter range. We saw the Electric Scooter range increase by over 30% in volume and 35% in value.”

Katy added that there is no doubt that having the warmest year on record last year helped drive sales across the outdoor category, but there is every reason to believe that 2015 will be another strong year.

“It is already off to an incredible start, particularly bearing in mind that it’s currently one of the coldest months of the year. NPD data confi rms that outdoor is up 15% for January and re:creation’s performance is a staggering +126% for the same period,” she explained.

“A big chunk of this business can be attributed to the Razor Crazy Cart, voted Top Outdoor Toy in the U.S. last year – not a bad performance for an outdoor ride-on with that big ticket price point. Our outdoor offering also benefi ts from the addition to our Air Storm range – FireTek are new light up blasters that already have a strong track record in sales in the U.S.”

Another company gearing up for a good year is MV Sports & Leisure. Sales and marketing director Phil Ratcliffe predicts that movie and event-based properties will perform particularly well in the outdoor sector.

“In the wheeled toy area there is a plethora of very strong, proven licences this year, coupled with movie/event based properties which should provide additional sales opportunities,” he explained.

In-keeping with the movie theme that Phil

Spirit of Air Ltd, The Warehouse,Portland Street, Newport, Gwent,UK NP20 2DP

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Famosa UK01623 237 433 | www.feber.com Standout products for the year are the Baby Evolution Easy Trike, the Ferrari FF, the Modern House, the 6V Range Rover and the Roadstar Venture. All these toys are held in Famosa’s UK warehouse and are available for immediate delivery to meet customer demand.

The Roadstar Venture, an entry-level battery operated car, is powered by a 6V motor and features forward and reverse gears, a foot accelerator and an electric brake. It comes complete with battery and charger.

Available in May, the new replica Range Rover 6V will appeal to those who prefer the look of a four-wheel-drive vehicle. It is powered by a 6-volt motor, has forward and reverse gears, an accelerator and electric brake.

With a sleek black body, stylish alloy wheels and wing mirrors, the Range Rover 6V is a value-for-money alternative to its more powerful bigger brother, the 12V Range Rover Sport.

Feber has won a Gold Award from Bizziebaby.co.uk for the Feber Cars 2 Lightning McQueen. The one-seater car is powered by a six volt motor and comes complete with a rechargeable 6V battery and charger. The vehicle includes forward and reverse gears and can reach speeds of up to 4km/h, yet stop safely due to the electric brake.

Other licenced battery ride-ons performing well are the 6V single-seater Ferrari FF, the 6V Cars 2 Lightning McQueen and the 12V two-seater Ferrari California.

Hero productThe Feber Cars 2 Lightning McQueen was one of our best-selling battery ride-ons last year and we expect continued high demand for this eye-catching red Disney-licensed car. This is the second Gold Award Feber has won in the UK and follows the one awarded by Bizziebaby last year for the outdoor Feber Slide 10 with Water. Nikki Jeffery, UK marketing manager

DKL 01604 678 780 | www.dkltoys.co.ukDKL is the exclusive UK distributor of Miniland Educational toys. Miniland’s plastic vehicles and garden toys are designed to suit outdoor play on grass, sand or gravel.

The vehicles are available in four different sizes, Minimobil, Go Jobs, Dumpy, and Giant which measure 9cm, 12cm, 18cm and 45cm respectively. They can be purchased by stores individually, in tubs or in a CDU. The Go Jobs range offers further variety with themes such as boats, racing cars and ambulances. There is a new Traffi c Box which can be used as portable storage for outdoor toys and also opens up as a play mat.

The yellow and green Super Tractor measures 62cm in length and is the biggest outdoor toy in the range. The Monster Truck doubles up as a ride-on toy.

The Garden Kit consists of nine different outdoor tools, including pots, a watering can, a spade and more. All nine tools are encased within an outdoor bucket which can also be used for imaginative play.

The Giantte Deco is an educational toy for the beach or garden. It includes a shape sorter with four different shapes and colourful numbered stacking cups. The objects can be used as sand moulds and have vents through which water can sprinkle.

DKL supports all its ranges with high profi le marketing campaigns which include dedicated planograms, bespoke visual merchandising and extensive social media and PR activity.

Eduk8 Worldwide 01434 672 336 | www.eduk8worldwide.comEduk8 Worldwide is launching new twin packs of both the large and junior versions of the Belly Bump Balls. These robust play balls bounce and bump off each other.

Also new for this year are the Large Game Mats, with the dice in an enclosed transparent dome. The large mats are 180 x 160cm, are waterproof, heatproof and have UV protection. Consumers can choose from Snakes and Ladders, Hopscotch, Ludo and Number Games.

The Super Star Theatre comes complete with a dressing room, back stage entrance, ticket booth, show time clock, refreshment stand, wipe off marquee and 20 accessories. It also converts into a puppet theatre. Made from durable polyester fabric with a connectable easy-to-assemble sturdy frame, the large theatre measures L99cm x W142cm x H152cm yet fi ts into a compact carrying case.

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Brandnew linesfor 2015

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Outdoor toys

Toy World 54

MV Sports 0121 748 8000 | www.mvsports.co.ukFollowing a successful 2014, MV Sports continues to focus on licensed and own brand wheeled toys. This year MV’s portfolio of leading licences is further strengthened with the addition of several new properties including a multi property licences agreement with the Walt Disney. The new Disney line-up features Disney Princess, Disney Cars and Disney Planes as well as Avengers and Star Wars which are both gearing up for fi lm releases in 2 015.

Disney Princess has proven itself as a stable, staple license in the girls’ pre-school market. The new range combines accessories and features with new regal colourways and graphics.

For younger boys, the Disney Cars range revs into life with colours, graphic and recognisable Lightening McQueen character features. The collection offers everything from scooters to bikes and helmets to skateboards.

Peppa Pig and Thomas continue to grow and this year had their ranges boosted with products such as the Sit ‘n’ Scoot, which converts from ride-on to scooter at the press of a button and Scoot Cases; travel cases with fl ip down scooter attachment.

Another new pre-school range is In the Night Garden. MV Sports has developed a range of trikes, scooters and ride-ons, featuring multi character products alongside Iggle Piggle specifi c products.

For older boys, trusted favourites such as Batman and Star Wars lead the way. New licences are currently under development for Thunderbirds and World of Warriors.

Marvel’s Avengers promises to be a hit for the spring/summer cinema season with Avengers 2 Age of Ultron due for release in April. Advance orders for the new range of helmets, skateboards, scooters and bikes have been promising.

The company’s Stormtrooper inspired range of Star Wars skateboards, scooters, bikes and helmets has been a star attraction since its launch. It offers an option for retailers in advance of the launch of Episode VII later this year.

MV’s own branded wheeled range has attracted a lot of attention throughout last year and into 2015. The Grow & Go range is focused on a parent friendly combination of convertibility and re-confi guration which allows each product to adapt to the child’s needs as they grow in confi dence.

For older children, the market-leading Stunted range of extreme stunt scooters has been further enhanced with the addition of the XTS and XTC top spec scooters for the skate park and new Voodoo Dirt Scooter for off road. There will be a heavyweight TV brand campaign from April to September.

John Adams 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk Intex has added the Hello Kitty range to its character collection for 2015. The range features a variety of traditional swimming aids, including the Swim Ring, the 20” Beach Ball and Armbands. Each product has recognisable Hello Kitty characters and the Swim Ring is made from durable 8ga. vinyl. The Hello Kitty 20” Beach Ball features characters from the brand and is suitable for family games on the sand. The Hello Kitty Armbands measure 23cm x 15cm and contain two air chambers.

Joining the baby and small pools category for 2015 is the Sea Turtle Baby Shade Pool. Measuring 102 x 107cm when fully infl ated, this soft pool can hold up to 43 litres of water and features a built-in sunshade in a turtle shaped design, providing partial protection from harsh UV sunlight. This new addition joins the 124cm Lazy Fish Shade Baby Pool in the range, as well as a selection of products under the Sunset Glow and Crystal banners. All the pools in the collection are easy to assemble and are available in a variety of sizes.

The company’s spray pools and play centres portfolio includes the 90” Sandy Shark Spray Pool, 99” Gator Play Centre and the 98” Dinosaur Play Centre, which all boast a host of features including water slides, waterfalls, landing mats and water sprayers for added outdoor play value.

Kiddimoto01749 871 175 | www.kiddimoto.co.ukKiddimoto’s range of balance bikes are suitable from a younger age than a bike with stabilisers – so toddlers as young as two years old can get on two wheels and start enjoying the outdoors.For spring/summer 2015, Kiddimoto has the new butterfl ies balance bike design as well as the skullz patterned wooden Kurve. Matching helmets and gloves complete the look.

The Super Junior metal range is a fi rst bike and comes in a range of colours and two different specs. It is an entry level range for shops starting to explore the potential of balance bikes.

The BoxKart is a modern take on the original soap box racers. It is a wooden go-kart with adjustable frame, handbrake and pneumatic tyres and is designed to bring the whole family together.

Hero product“The response to the Boxkart has been phenomenal. Adults are excited as it brings back the nostalgia from their childhood summers and children like anything with wheels that they can race. It’s the perfect outdoor toy for summer 2015.”Simon Booth, founder

Outdoor toys

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re:creation 0118 973 6222 | www.recreationltd.co.ukre:creation has a number of new launches across its Razor and Air Storm portfolios.

Air Storm welcomes the FireTek light-up collection. With the introduction of LED lights, FireTek Rocketz, soon-to-launch FireTek Zeon Bow and FireTek Z-Curve Bows create light display and deliver the same performance that the brand is known for. The FireTek Rocketz can fl y 76 metres into the sky while the light-up Z-Curve Bow can launch illuminated FireTek arrows over 40 metres. Air Storm continues to receive support from a 360 degree marketing campaign including extensive TV, online with an app-based game and PR support as well as in-store demos throughout the year.

Razor’s new Party Pop Scooter features a light-up deck and try-me packaging. The RX200 is also joining Razor’s electric scooter portfolio. It is loaded with a high torque motor and off-road robust, 60 psi pneumatic tyres for tougher terrains. The Crazy Cart has been given a new lease of life for 2015 with the Crazy Cart XL – an adult-sized edition, and the Lil’ Crazy – an edition under the Razor Junior banner designed to offer pre-schoolers the chance to get involved. Razor Junior also introduces the Mini Mod – a pre-schooler take on the evergreen Pocket Mod. Available in pink and green, the Mini Mod can reach gentle speeds of up to two miles per hour.

Another new addition is the Razor Delta Wing which builds on the success of the RipRider 360. The self-propelled Delta Wing takes three-wheeled action to a new level. Its drop frame, large pneumatic tyre and low-angle rear casters makes for a smooth and powerful side-to-side ride.

Following the Electrify your Ride campaign in 2014, re:creation will continue its commitment to TV investment throughout the coming year. The E100 and E90 electric scooters will receive their fi rst spring TV support while kick scooters too will benefi t from TV. The company will also deliver strong 360 degree marketing campaigns for the Razor brands incorporating experiential, PR and online activity.

Among other outdoor lines to be in the spotlight for 2015 is Fuze bike accessories’ strong performing Wheel Writer Deluxe. For children looking to personalise their rides this accessory uses bright LED lights to generate up to 64 images and patterns that ‘magically’ appear as wheels spin, whether day or night. It also includes a real working speedometer and offers the opportunity to create custom images using an iOS device such as iPad. Fuze bike accessories will receive TV and PR support throughout the year.

to generate up to 64 images and patterns that ‘magically’ appear as wheels spin, whether day or night. It

Hero product“We’re really excited about the addition of the funky Party Pop Scooter to our portfolio. It’s received an amazing reception from customers and with its light-up deck and try-me packaging it will certainly deliver impact at retail.”Jonathan Kirkley, marketing director

H Grossman 0141 613 2525 | www.ozbozz.comThe HGL Minions range includes scooters, bikes, skateboards, satchel skateboards, inline skates, helmets and pogo sticks. There is a host of outdoor pocket money items including yo-yos, bubble wands, balls, wobblers and fi ngerboards.

The Speedy Scooter is designed for those who want to know how fast they can go. The aluminium deck provides stability as does the steel T bar steering. The stand out feature is the easy to read speedometer – users can choose to log their speed in km or mph and the speedo logs their fastest speed to date.

The E-star Electric Scooter is suitable for anyone under 70kg and takes between 6-8 hours to charge up. Once fully charged the scooter will run for 8-10 kms at a time. With a top speed of 12km, this scooter will be available in the UK in autumn/winter.

Mattel 01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com BoomCo continues to bring the next generation in adrenaline-fuelled fun to the outdoor market with a range of amped-up blasters, darts, shields and targets built for maximum distance and speed.

Spring/summer sees the continuation of the Twisted Spinner which features a rotating barrel that spins 310 degrees with every dart that is fi red so children can launch eight darts in rapid succession up to 70 feet in the air. With Smart Stick Technology, young users can see exactly where they nailed it as the tip of every dart sticks to the shields and sticky targets only.

New launches for spring/summer include the Railstinger which blasts up to 60 feet featuring two ways to play and the Slamblast. Also continuing this year are the Dual Defenders, Whipblast, Farshot and Clipfi re.

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Vivid01702 200 660 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk After a year of strong sales in 2014, Phlat Ball is the winner in Vivid’s outdoor category. 2015 sees the introduction of the Phlat Ball Jr. Neon which is available in three bright colours – neon pink, neon orange and neon green. The range will also include the Phlat Ball V3 in red, yellow and purple. The product allows children to throw a disc but catch a ball.

The Wubble Bubble Ball is a large stretchy, squishy and lightweight ball that children can kick, throw, catch and even whack. It will be available with a pump in blue and pink as well as without a pump in blue and purple. The brand will be heavily supported throughout 2015 with marketing and PR activity from launch. Wubble was also voted Best New Toy in the Outdoor category at Toy Fair.

Aero Force Sky Riders are sleek, aerodynamic and ultra-lightweight gliders which come equipped with precision wings that are designed to maximise fl ight times. Sky Riders can become airborne by simply throwing them. However, each Sky Rider comes with a launcher to help achieve greater fl ight times and dizzying heights. With no assembly or batteries required, children can start the soaring straight away. The product is available in six different wing designs and will be TV advertised.

Hy Pro01582 670 100 | www.hy-pro.co.ukLast year was a success for Zinc with strong sales in the electric scooters, BMXs and stunt scooters. This year sees Hy Pro continuing to follow trends in promoting an active lifestyle for children with a focus on travel solutions and electric scooters.

The Zinc Flyte case scooter was unveiled at Nuremberg and received a positive response. Designed for ease of transportation, it offers a travel solution for children. It is geared towards travelling to school, sleepovers, weekends away and holidays thanks to its lightweight design and compact size.

The case scooter can be used as a scooter or a trolley once the footplate has been securely fastened to the case. Protected by worldwide design rights and patents, it is impact resistant, easy to clean and splash-proof.

The Zinc backpack scooter was also unveiled in Nuremberg and accompanies the case scooter in the range. It enables children to dismantle their scooter so it can fi t into the detachable backpack. The footplate can be removed easily and placed into its own compartment in the backpack, transforming into a pull-along backpack.

Both these products are available in numerous colours and will be supported by full marketing campaigns for 2015.

The Volt Sport models further extend the Zinc electric scooters range. These models are available in an array of colours, have a sleek appearance and the push-and-go feature allows them to reach speeds of up to 8mph. The scooters have a long life and a fast recharging battery.

The fi rst electric bicycle for children, the Zinc 20 inch ReAction, is powered by a lightweight and environmentally friendly lithium battery.

TKC Sales 01380 872 950 | www.tkcsales.comNew to the market for 2015 is a duelling version of the Stomp Rocket, the original air powered jump rocket. The new version comes with two stomp pads and different coloured rockets to enable players to see who can fi re theirs highest, adding a competitive element to the toy.

May also sees the launch of the LED version of the Stomp Rocket which lights up the sky at night.

Following the success of its Fun Archery range, Petron now extends its Sureshot toys collection to include a pistol, a rifl e, and a stand-alone target. The crossbow continues to receive positive reviews with its sucker-dart technology, high accuracy and easy to use mechanism.

Among TKC Sales’ classic products that are maintaining their popularity are the Aerobie fl ying rings. Increasingly popular with both children and adults alike is the award-winning family of colourful OGO Disk sets. Wow Stuff’s TX-Juice range of remote control toys, including helicopters, planes and stunt buggies, continues to gain recognition in the outdoor fi eld.

The company’s signature range of kites, covering all ages and prices, looks set to repeat the success that it had in its 25th year.

Hero productThe Original Stomp Rocket is simplicity itself. No moving parts and hours of play value make it the best kept secret in the toy industry. Johnny Disco, sales

A.B.Gee of Ripley Ltd. Asher Lane Business Park, Asher Lane, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3SWTel: 00 44 (0)1773 570444 Web: www.abgee.co.uk Email: marketing@abgee.co.uk

Outdoor toys

Toy World 60

Spirit of Air 01633 246 788 | www.spiritofair.co.ukThe new 3D Classical Dragon kites are available in two colour combinations, orange with yellow for the Fire Dragon and blue with lime for the Ice Dragon. They have a wingspan of 195cm and are illustrated with high resolution graphics produced in dye-sublimation printed ripstop polyester. Their bodies and legs move while their wings flap in the wind as if flying.

The theme of high resolution dye-sublimation graphics continues with the Monarch Butterfly Kite range of single line kites. They are available in two sizes, the large Monarch kite at 140cm wingspan and small at 57cm wingspan. Both sizes are available in vibrant red, bright blue and princess pink. They are made from polyester ripstop fabric for durability and long life.

The Large Monarch Butterfly with its 140cm wingspan is designed to fly in a wide range of wind speeds and with minimal assembly required. The smaller size Monarch Butterfly kites with a wingspan of 57cm are supplied fully assembled in their bag and are ready to fly, all that is needed to do is to attach the supplied flying line.

VTech01235 546 810 | www.vtech.co.ukThis year VTech is launching its new Kidizoom Action Cam. The product allows children to take photos and videos on the go and comes complete with a waterproof case and mounts for bikes and skateboards. Youngsters can add photo effects to their images and create stop motion videos.

VTech is also launching an updated version of its Kidizoom Smartwatch. Launching later this year, the Kidizoom Smartwatch now has the addition of three new colours (light blue, green and purple) to the existing range. The smart watch is designed to provide children with hours of entertainment – from taking photos, videos and voice recordings to playing games. This addition to the wearable technology category is easy to use and the perfect fit for children’s wrists. With a 128MB internal memory, each Smartwatch can store around 900 photos or 15 minutes of video, for capturing outdoor moments while on the go.

Little Tikes0800 521 558 | www.littletikes.co.uk Little Tikes is hoping for a strong 2015 with two new launches for spring.

The Cape Cottage Playhouse features a mailbox, two Dutch doors and working window shutters. It comes in three colours – red, tan and pink. The new launch completes the wide range of playhouses in the company’s range and is offered at a competitive price point.

The new Sizzle n’ Serve Grill is a role-play product offering BBQ fun for children who want to mimic their parents.

The Fish ‘n Splash Water Table allows youngsters to use their own fishing rods and scoops to make their catch of the day. The aspiring fishermen can add their latest catch to the fish bowl ready to be counted, then watch it come splashing back down ready to be caught again. The product features a water table, fishing poles, fish and 10 accessories, so it is hoped that children will have endless fun catching, counting, pouring, and splashing in their own back garden.

Email: sales@traditionalgardengames.co.uk

www.traditionalgardengames.com

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Outdoor toys

Toy World 62

Revell0845 459 0747 | www.revell.de/en The pre-painted Micro Gliders Air Jumper and Air Soarer are easy to handle thanks to their size; a highlight is the LED Glider Flying Lights, which is ideal for low light conditions as it has built-in LEDs in the fuselage and wings. The durable, easy to assemble Glider Power Fly offers free fl ight fun, while the XXL Glider Flame Glider has a wingspan of 1.2m and a set of stickers.

The range of planes is completed with the Circler, a battery-powered propeller plane with a pistol grip charger and an integrated charging function. It automatically fl ies in a circle until it lands, is easy to use and quick to charge.

High-performance rocket T-Bolt can reach an altitude of up to 50 metres. It is launched from a stable ramp using a pump from an air pipeline. To prevent any damage when landing, the rocket has a rubber head. The Rocket-Star rocket is made of soft foam, is easy to use and reaches an altitude of up to 15 metres. It includes a starting ramp and airbag.

The new range of outdoor games include an air-cushioned Hover Disc and Fast Arrow, a lightweight throw-around toy with three fi ns for distance and an integrated whistle, and Fly-Ring, a foam fl ying disc with a 20m range.

A.B.Geewww.abgee.co.uk | 01773 570 444A.B.Gee’s new outdoor toy ranges are available to view in the company’s new Outdoor Summer Fun catalogue for 2015.

It is packed with a variety of products ranging from scooters and beach toys to ball games and water cannons. There are products from brands including Little Tikes, Nerf and products featuring favourites such as Peppa Pig, Spiderman and Frozen.

The catalogue is available to read on the company’s new business to business website which includes a 24 hours a day online ordering service with live stock feeds of over 10,000 products.

Traditional Garden Games02877 768 742 | www.traditionalgardengames.comThe Traditional Garden Games range refl ects the importance of tradition and heritage and encourages participation, competitiveness and fun.

Traditional products on offer include croquet, boules, rounders and quoits. New on offer in the Traditional Sports and Fitness range are the versatile Badminton, Volleyball and Tennis Play Sets available with 3m or 5m length nets.

The Traditional Sports and Fitness range encourages the young to stay fi t and healthy by engaging them in time honoured classic sports.

The company’s Wigwam Play Tent Set stands at 1.9m Tall with a diameter of 1.3m, allowing loads of room inside. It has broad appeal for both boys and girls. With printed designs and dress up accessories.

Worlds Apart0800 389 8591 | www.worldsapart.comWorlds Apart’s active play range, GetGo, has launched to consumers for the fi rst time this year.

The Worlds Apart team do everything from research and development, to design and marketing. They aim to be at the forefront of pop up tent product development and have produced the new Pop Away system and �go Play Tent for 2015.

The Pop Away system was developed following feedback from parents, who highlighted the need for play tents to be easy to put away and store. The new Pop Away system ensures that GetGo pop up tents are just as easy to pop away as they are to pop up through a simple but effective colour-coded popper system, taking the headache out of folding and storing pop up play tents.

The �go Play Tent has a twist up and twist down system. Its umbrella-style design creates a dome tent, designed for both indoor and outdoor play and the �go Sun Tent offers 50 SPF UV protection making it suitable for the beach. The �go Play Tent will be launched with GetGo own-brand designs and characters (penguin, bee and owl designs).

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Outdoor toys

Toy World 64

Interplay 01628 488 944 | www.interplayuk.comInterplay’s My Living World range encourages children to get outdoors. Each kit has been developed by nature experts and the range is currently championed by TV celebrity naturalist, Nick Baker.

Top selling lines include Ant World and Worm World which are mainstays of the range and perennial best-selling lines. Butterfl y World, launched last year, has become a fi rm favourite with both retailers and consumers and sells strongly through the spring and summer seasons. The Bug Safari Kit provides children with insect hunting activities, while Snail World, Ladybird World and Spider World deliver tips and insights into the creatures’ lives. There are 10 fascinating activity kits in total, all designed to encourage children to discover the world around them.

This year, the company is introducing the Instant Flower Press to the range. The kit allows fl owers to be pressed, dried and ready to use in a matter of seconds using a microwave oven. The new gadget received a positive reception at Toy Fair.

Jumbo Games01707 260 436 | www.jumbo.euJumbo Games has launched a range of Giant Foam Floor puzzles. The puzzles are made from durable foam and are easy to assemble giant tiles, which can all be joined together to create a super-sized play mat of youngsters’ favourite characters.

They can be used for outdoor play due to the durability of the foam and can be wiped clean from messy play. The Giant Foam Floor Puzzles currently available include Doc McStuffi ns, Micky Mouse Club House, Disney Planes 2 and Disney’s Jake and the Neverland Pirates. This year will see the company adding Peppa Pig to the range as well as Sophia the First and Frozen.

Learning Resources0845 241 0484 | www.learningresources.co.ukThe Nancy B’s Science Club Black Light Illuminator & Nature’s Mystery Journal is the latest addition to Learning Resources’ popular Nancy B range. Children can create their own crime lab with the Black Light Illuminator and turn private investigator with the Invisible Ink Pen. The product comes with a 22-page journal of scientifi c activities and a blacklight with three LED lights.

The Primary Science Big View Binoculars encourage natural curiosity while helping children get a closer look at the world around them. Made from durable plastic, the tool features soft rubber eyepieces, an easy turn focusing wheel and 6x magnifi cation.

The GeoSafari Jr. Science Utility Vehicle is designed to tackle tough terrains such as carpet, grass, and soil. The colourful 20cm wide x 13cm tall truck features a 3x magnifi er and focusing knob and red and white LED lights.

This Underwater Explorer Boat is a model ‘glass bottom boat’ which has a transparent fl oor with 3x magnifi cation for easy underwater viewing.

Maps01483 776 006 | www.mapstoys.comThe Fire Power Super Soaking Fire Hose squirts water up to 30 feet and the backpack looks just like a piece of Fireman’s kit. The Astronaut Space Backpack Water Blaster not only squirts water up to 30 feet but allows children to fi re water in two different directions at the same time.

Ringstix is a game of skill and dexterity which is designed for all the family. Players can throw the ring and catch on the stix. Balanstix is a game of balance and dexterity where children balance the pole on the palm of their hands or fi nger tips and add as many Balanstix as they can before removing them.

Ogobild is a brightly coloured pod kit construction toy. It enables children to expand their imagination by building large lightweight and fl exible structures.

The Original Aeromax Toy Parachute is tangle-free with no strings, no batteries to replace and no assembly. Children can simply toss it high and watch it fl y.

Sambro0845 873 9380 | www.sambro.co.uk Sambro has extended its new licensed collections to include some outdoor lines for spring/summer 2015. The new Paw Patrol range will include several outdoor products aimed towards toddlers: ride-ons, scooters, roller skates and safety pads. Each product features Paw Patrol characters and decals.

The outdoor ranges also include scooters, ride-ons and skateboards in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Spongebob Squarepants licenses. The lines complement the comprehensive cross-category licensed ranges offered by the company.

Sambro offers a wide range of outdoor pocket money lines across its Disney Princess licenses. Frozen continues to be one of the hottest licenses around and Frozen Skipping Ropes, bubble wands and bowling sets are aimed at impulse price points. The Avengers Assemble range also includes bubble wands.

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DKL Marketing Ltd 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton NN3 6QD, UK tel 01604 678780 • fax 01604 678787 • email dkl@dkl.co.uk • web www.dkl.co.uk

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Outdoor toys

Toy World 66

Bigjigs Toys01303 212 691 | www.bigjigstoys.co.ukSix new lines have joined the Green Toys portfolio of environmentally-friendly products, including a range of construction trucks which feature a Scooper with a moveable bucket, Cement Mixer with a revolving drum and a Dump Truck with a classic open-box bed. Each vehicle comes with its own bulldog construction worker and the figures are interchangeable.

The Bigjigs Magnifying Glass and Bug Keeper or Bug Box allows children to examine minibeasts.

The traditional Rope Ladder and more challenging Triangular Rope Ladder will test the skills of young climbers, while the Flat Swing, Cradle Swing and best-selling Ladybird Swing offer a gentle garden activity. Supplied with adjustable ropes and fastenings, these ladders and swings can be attached to a tree branch or existing climbing frame.

Brainstorm01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk New to Brainstorm’s Outdoor Adventure range is the Creepy Crawly Catcher. Children can catch creepy crawlies using the Spider Catcher, which picks up bugs without harming them.

The new Night Vision Torch has a bright red light, illuminating objects without taking away people’s natural adaptation to the dark. Children can use the Night Vision Torch to read star maps and learn more about astronomy. It includes a glow in the dark on-off button and belt clasp.

The Outdoor Adventure Handbow can shoot suction darts over eight metres with pin-point accuracy. Each handbow comes with three suction darts and there will be a refill dart pack for add-on sales.

The Outdoor Adventure Microscope is handheld and has 20x to 40x magnification, built in illumination and a lanyard. Outdoor Adventure Binoculars are pocket-sized and light weight, with 4 x magnification, soft, adjustable eye pieces and a rubberised trim for non-slip grip as well as a built in compass for additional navigation.

HTI01253 778 888 | www.htigroup.co.ukHTI offers a range of Disney Frozen wheeled toys including 12”, 14” and 16” Bikes, a Three Wheel Scooter, Move & Groove Scooter, Inline Scooter and Inline Skates.

The company also offers Doc McStuffins, Disney Fairies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Minnie Mouse wheeled toys as well as protection gear.

The range of Something Special pre-school wheeled toys feature the popular character Mr Tumble.

The company also offers a range of scooters and accessories under the Rïpp brand. The collection includes the Rïpp Dirt Rider all terrain scooters, showcasing 200mm air tyres, ABEC-5 bearings, Alloy deck, Y Bar, 4 bolt clamp, oversized stem and heavy duty rear brake. The Rïpp Pro Series Stunt Scooters provide a range of spec options. The R500, R700 and R900 feature aluminium cut-out decks, grind rails, three or four bolt clamps and PU wheels with alloy core, ABEC bearings and soft touch grips.

LeapFrog01702 200 244 | www.leapfrog.com/enLeapBand, the first wearable activity tracker for children, encourages active play and healthy habits as little ones play and move with the help of a virtual pet. ‘Jumping like a kangaroo’ or ‘wriggling like a worm’ are just some of the physical activities children can enjoy while wearing it.

Parents are able to set up 36 additional free challenges such as ‘pretend to move like a train’ via LeapFrog Connect. They can also play on-screen games to earn energy points and receive rewards for their pet.

High-tech features on the device include a built-in accelerometer, high-resolution colour screen, rechargeable battery and splash-proof design.

Simba Smoby01274 765 030 | www.smoby.com/enIn the ride-on category, a new learning bike and two new Smoby tractors are available, including the Tractor Builder which is almost 2m long and has excavation and tipping equipment at the front and the back.

The licensed outdoor range is also expanding, with new XS slides featuring Frozen, Sofia the First and Minnie as well as new Picnic Tables for the Minnie and Cars brands. Made in Europe, these slides and picnic tables are competitively priced and available with short lead-times from the company’s French manufacturing base.

The new Smoby Fun Centre integrates a playhouse with slide-out picnic table along with a ladder and slide, 1st floor platform, soccer goal and basketball net. On a smaller scale, the new Smoby Sand/Water Table brings this classic garden toy up to date with an activity station.

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Toy Fair refl ectionsWe ask the toy industry to look back on this year’s Toy Fair and remember the event’s highlights and products that stole the show.

Sponsored bytouchingbase

Toy World 68

VTechClive RichardsonEvery single product on the VTech stand was either new or refreshed for 2015 and the overall reaction from buyers was a terrifi c response to the amount of investment we have put into the new range. The new Toot-Toot Friends range was rewarded with a Best New Toy mention at the show for the Busy Sounds Discovery Home. The performance and growth of the Toot-Toot range was still a clear favourite with visitors who thought the Garage, Advent Calendar and the new Animal Farm were excellent. Hundreds of visitors went home with a special production run of the Toot-Toot Toy Fair Edition of the London Taxi, which was a fun way to help make the fair a special place to visit.

There was a lot of media interest around the new Kidizoom Action Cam which sees the trend in wearable technology continue into this year. Visitors understood the play value of being able to attach this video camera to a bike, scooter, skateboard or even take it under water. One BBC presenter even rode a skateboard up the aisles fi lming himself with the Action Cam attached.

VTech’s strategy of bringing innovation into new categories continues and we were particularly pleased with the reaction from buyers to our new range of girls’ collectibles called Flipsies which introduce electronics to the play pattern in this category for the fi rst time.

A couple of hot new products were unveiled for the fi rst time at the fair, one of which was a hand-held smart device for young children which NPD identifi ed in its Wednesday breakfast presentation as one to look out for in 2015 alongside the Action Cam, Toot-Toot Friends and Flipsies.

All in all, a very productive three days and to top it off we were delighted to win Pre-school Range of the Year at the Toy industry Awards for the Toot-Toot range.

IMCTerry CrewThis was another good Toy Fair for IMC. I thought the Tuesday morning started quietly but from there on in it was very busy; we saw all the customers we had planned to see with a few new potential accounts who just popped on the stand. I also felt that there continues to be a positive feeling throughout the trade. We always have an end of day wine, cheese and Jamon offering and this is proving to be a nice social event, which can sometimes be spoilt by the jealous actions of a certain member of the Character Options team, who bombards us with grapes.

From a business perspective, we were highly delighted with the reaction to our new offering from Disney Miles From Tomorrow, which is looking to be a real hit and is something we have huge expectations of as a brand. Our own range of plush items, Club Petz, continues to over perform with the star Lucy the voice activated puppy being the number one selling plush within the UK market in 2014. Additional items this year will include a ‘pooing dog’ and a truly lovable koala. However, I am sure that Charlie the talking parrot will be the big hit for the coming year.

Within our strong licensing portfolio, Frozen continues to gather momentum and we will TV support our two major product launches this year, a singing/talking Olaf and a radio controlled singing/skating Elsa. We have also had a fantastic reaction to our Minions, Star Wars and Avengers ranges which are supported by evergreens such as Spiderman and Toy Story.

With another strong offering within our IPS range of Minnie and Mickey, IMC is looking for another huge growth in 2015.

Little HelperKim JohnsonHaving visited Toy Fair last year and again for this year, we were not disappointed. Although we felt that the number of visitors seemed less than last year, we did actually have a better quality of visitor to our stand and opened a number of new accounts in the UK and abroad.

We were showcasing new European-brand Oops, but this time focussing on the new SS15 collection of over 100 soft and wooden toys which have a retail price of less than £12.99 and come with their own bespoke POS unit. Having made a commitment to sell these new lines into retailers who owned physical shop space and not internet-only retailers, this was extremely well received and defi nitely had an impact on our success at this year’s show. We work with many national retailers and want to increase the number of accounts we have with the independent sector so Toy Fair was the perfect platform for us to launch the coming season’s lines.

For those who aren’t aware of the vibrant brand that is Oops, Little Helper enjoys exclusive distribution rights for the UK and ROI. Boasting more than 200 products in the range, the collection includes soft and wooden toys and super cute travel goodies for babies and toddlers. The Oops world is made up of eight animals.

Milly&FlynnAlison LakinOur fi rst Toy Fair was a great success in terms of quality of visitors and the huge interest shown in our products. It was important for us to meet with new and existing customers to showcase our products and was the perfect opportunity to increase our customer base in the UK and abroad. Toy Fair was an ideal time to launch our range of quality pre-school puzzles, games and books to the market and we received positive feedback to our ranges from some large high street retailers who are keen to take our range and also many toy and gift shop retailers.

Our major focus was the launch of our Dear Zoo and Disney Winnie the Pooh wooden range of toys and gifts which will be available for September 2015. These proved to be hugely successful with many buyers taking a trip down memory lane with these childhood classic brands. One of the highlights for us was to have Rod Campbell (Dear Zoo author) spend some time with us on the stand and impart his enthusiasm for the range and the brand itself to all he met. The hero products in these ranges are a Skittle Set and Pull Along, receiving extremely positive reactions and then we also have puzzle play trays, shape sorters, puzzle blocks and a character push along in both ranges.

Having had a successful launch at both Toy and Spring Fair, we are looking forward to an exciting year ahead.

re:creationJonathan KirkleyThis was a great toy fair for re:creation. Visitors to the stand were up by 30% on last year. There was keen interest in our new plush lines, Zigamazoos and Necknapperz, off the back of successes seen in 2014 with Stretchkins and Bright Light Pillows. We were also really pleased with our Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory demo zone which drew in a crowd. Our forthcoming Minions edition was a big winner with press and trade alike. We had lots of interest from visitors wanting to see how we plan to follow up the success of the Razor Crazy Cart and wanting to give the new Crazy Cart XL a go. Clearly our fi nest moment of the show though was watching Toy World’s very own John Baulch ‘wiggle’ across the stand on our new three-wheel Razor DeltaWing ride-on. If only we had a camera handy.

Brainstorm ToysNick SaundersWe have enjoyed the same fantastic position at Toy Fair for a number of years now and are ideally placed for customers arriving at the show so work hard to ensure that we refresh our stand every year to showcase our newest ranges. We also used this year’s stand to display some of our TV ad sizzles which were really well received.

This year was really successful for us. We launched a number of new lines including the brand new Foaming Fun which we are readying for a summer launch. It’s a perfect pocket money price point and unlike other bubbles items on the market, children can actually blow long trails of bubbling foam. The team had a little too much fun demonstrating it.

We also demonstrated some brilliant new additions to our Brainstorm Toys collection. The Geodes Discovery Kit includes three real Geode rocks that children can crack open to reveal stunning crystal formations and was very well received, whilst the Shark Torch was considered a fantastic addition to our best-selling projector torches.

Our extremely popular Spider Catcher is one of the best and humane insect catchers on the market. Using this unique concept we have created a Creepy Crawly Catcher so that kids can get outdoors and discover the world around them, learning about many different types of bugs and insects. The unique catcher is also suitable for safely picking up small crabs so it’s a great holiday item too.

Our real life Aqua Dragons always cause a stir on the stand and this year we introduced the beautifully illustrated Aqua Dragons books. Now children are able to give their aquatic creatures a personality of their own as they are brought to life in a series of entertaining stories.

We have returned from all the shows with some fantastic orders and look forward to promoting these and other lines throughout 2015.

HornbyJim Procter-BlainIt was great to be at Toy Fair and meet so many of our long standing customers. It was also extremely encouraging to talk to so many new customers, who were equally as enthusiastic about our brands. The reception to our new ranges was very positive, although unsurprisingly the Corgi Aston Martin DB5 stole the show. Having a successful Toy Fair is a brilliant way to start the year and provides the platform for a strong 2015.

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Feature

Toy World 70

Stylised toys

Action fi gures are certainly not just for kids: in addition to solid growth in the adult collectible action fi gure market, the quirky end of pop culture has gained a foothold in the category through a selection

of stylised, ‘geek chic’ ranges which appeal to fans of all ages. Toy World’s Daniel Rich investigates the impact this trend is having on the toy industry and how retailers can get involved.

Styling it out

Despite their diverse forms, the majority of stylised toys tend to follow conventions reminiscent of caricatures. Usually standing between three

and four inches tall with exaggerations of some characteristics and oversimplification of others, these vinyl figurines are visually arresting and hugely popular with fans of all ages. Using these stylistic guidelines, companies depict a vast array of pop culture icons, both real and fictional, from movies, TV, comic books, video games, sports and other cultural platforms.

The trend for stylised toys is gaining in popularity across the globe; there is even a section of the North American International Toy Fair which is devoted specifically to this area, Popstop, which consists of several aisles populated by a host of companies which specialise in this area. Toy retailers have a great opportunity to capitalise on the trend, especially as shops dedicated to the whole pop culture area are still few and far between in the UK (unlike the USA, where they have grown

into a significant distribution channel in their own right). Numerous companies have introduced ranges of stylised, pop-culture toys into the UK market, including Underground Toys, Big Chief Studios, Premier Licensing and Toonstar Toys.

The sheer diversity and individuality of stylised toy ranges not only increases the likelihood that there’s something for everyone, it also creates a totally separate market to standard licensed figures: “To modify the look of a leading brand or character is not just an opportunity, it is a serious responsibility we take on to maintain the integrity of pre-existing content. If we do this without ‘style’ the

concept is flawed and what’s more, the items wouldn’t sell,” asserts Andy Oddie, managing director at Underground Toys. The company was one of the trail-blazing suppliers of stylised toy products to the UK toy market through its distribution arrangement with leading American supplier Funko. Funko’s Pop! Vinyl is the number one stylized vinyl collectible in the world, with a staggering 10 million

Toonstar Toyswww.toonstartoys.comToonstar Toys is a range of collectible pop vinyl fi gures and money boxes featuring iconic celebrities based on original cartoon designs by Toonstar.

The arrangement with Toonstar enables the company to transform over 200 instantly recognisable caricature artworks from the world of music, TV and fi lm into fi gurines. Toonstar do not hold offi cial licences to the characters.

The fi gures stand between 2.75” to 3.5” in height and are supplied with various accessories and ID cards. The accessories which vary according to the character can be positioned in either hand and can be swapped between different characters. The fi gures include articulation – both the arms and head can be rotated 360 degrees. Figurines are available in either single or twin packs, are packed in stylish window boxes and eye catching POS livery for in store display.

In addition to the seven existing ranges, the summer marks the release of characterised money boxes. The money boxes will stand at 10”, with slots on top of the character’s head to deposit money and access gained via the base of the fi gure. New series of vinyl fi gures for the autumn will include Space Rebels, Space Warriors, School Kids and The Geeks.

Stylised toys

Toy World 72

Underground Toys0207 801 6325 | www.underground-toys.comUnderground Toys’ unique approach gives fans and the wider market a unique interpretation on major properties. Underground Toys has been key to bringing a world originally thought of as a toy subculture to the broader market.

Underground Toys joined forces with Funko in 2013 in a partnership covering all of Europe. Funko are renowned for their Pop! vinyl range which has encapsulated the stylised trend and now offers over 1000 highly collectable vinyl figures consistently created with a common look across brands. A vast variety of licenses are available in Pop! form from Frozen to Star Wars to Breaking Bad.

Funko and Underground Toys have recently launched a new stylised plush range named Fabrikations as well as Mystery Minis, smaller stylised vinyl toys hitting a lower price point.

At a higher price point Underground has just unveiled its 15” premium stylised animatronic Roar and Rage Chewbacca, equipped with sound and movement.

With most of the top movies due for release in 2015 in its program, Underground Toys are in prime position to extend its reach in this fast growing category.

units sold in the last three years. Funko was originally founded as a Bobblehead company in 1998 by Mike Becker. In 2005, Becker sold Funko to its current owner, Brian Mariotti, who set his sights towards rapid growth in the licensed gift and novelty world. Since then, the company has expanded rapidly in both product lines and distribution, and is considered by many to be the market leader in this burgeoning category.

The success of early pioneers such as Funko has encouraged many other suppliers to target the sector. I asked Gregg Andrews, project manager at Big Chief Studios, about the target audience for his company’s ranges:

“Our main target audience are the people who love the shows we make product for. For the vinyl Dynamix range we tend to have a varied age range from 10 upwards, while our 1:6 scale Collectible figure range has a much higher age range. These figures are a collectible piece and are not really suitable for anyone under the age of 14 years. So overall we do aim for the higher age of the toy collectors.”

James Garton, key account manager at Premier Licensing, explained the company’s core fan base: “Our target audience is quite varied: it includes sports fans, supporters, enthusiasts, collectors and film fanatics.”

So what’s driving stylised toys and how can they appeal to a child yet also capture the imagination of an adult? Gregg Andrews believes: “The market is being driven by vinyl designer toys which are produced in limited numbers and are based on an artist’s creation, either being his or her own work, or their style or take on licensed characters. Our Dynamix range for Doctor Who is based on the art work by Nick Roche, one of the comic book artists for IDW: we really liked the whole anime feel of his work. But you can’t deny that Funko’s Pop! figure range is taking over the world, they have managed to find a style that people have gone crazy for and at a great price point.”

With popular culture and artistic style driving the market across both the vinyl and plush mediums, licensing plays a key part in the appeal of these instantly recognisable characters. Fans of a given licensed product or franchise from TV, film and music are drawn in, and with each series featuring a range of different items, there is also a collectible element.

Posh Paws01268 567 290 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.ukPosh Paws has a wide range of high quality plush toys, gifts, backpacks and accessories that cover all ages. Its ranges are mainly themed around licensed characters. It works closely with licence holders in the UK and Europe including Disney, Disney Junior, Marvel, CBeebies, Universal and Nickelodeon.

When it comes to stylised toys, Posh Paws recognises that bright eyed, big headed and chunkier plush characters are hugely appealing to young children. With this in mind Posh Paws has developed a stylised range of product with the characters from Disney’s preschool show, Doc McStuffins.

This new stylised Doc McStuffins range is soft and includes all of kids favourite characters from the show; Doc, Hallie, Lambie, Stuffy and Chilly. The stylised Doc McStuffins collection is available to retailers now.

This stylised look and feel has also been applied to other Disney characters in the Posh Paws range, one for the boys is the Marvel SuperHero Squad range. This range includes Marvel characters from Hulk and Spiderman, to Iron Man and Thor. These characters have all been designed with an all over chunkier look, making this plush product collection the perfect gift for the littlest of Marvel fans.

Lauren Hayward, group brand manager, Posh Paws, comments: “When it comes to plush product we try to cater for different age groups and we find that the stylised look in plush caters to kids aged two to five years. Parents and grandparents often like to purchase these for their children and grandchildren due to their soft and cuddly look and feel.”

Stylised toys

James Garton comments: “Sports play such an important part in the market these days, as do character licences based on characters from films and TV series. We feel we are in a great position to fulfil consumer demand with the exclusive distribution for Bleacher Creatures in the UK and Ireland. Bleacher Creatures are true-to-life plush figures that turn the greatest athletes and entertainment icons into characters. They have been a real success in the United States and as the exclusive distributor we are looking forward to replicating that success in the UK. As well as licences for the top football teams including Manchester City, we have also signed deals for DC Comics, MGM and RFU.”

The collectible appeal is also a beneficial factor for retailers, as particular lines within a product range can be limited or made exclusive: “All of our products are genuine limited edition runs. We also offer different variants of our Dynamix range with either different accessories or a different paint scheme or costume. For example our 10th Doctor Dynamix (an exclusive version) comes complete with a brown suit, interchangeable head and 3D glasses. It is limited to only 500 pieces worldwide,” confirms Gregg Andrews.

A new entrant into the stylised toy market is Toonstar Toys. “Toonstar Toys offers retailers an alternative range of stylised figures at an affordable price. In addition to complying with European Toy Safety Standards, they appeal to both kids and adults alike. The series of figures are inspired by iconic stars from music, TV and film,” comments David Kanter, director at Toonstar Toys.

As a category, stylised toys looks set to continue the rapid expansion it has enjoyed over recent years. Not only could stocking these products benefit toy retailers by attracting new customers, it could also enable add-on sales to be made; how many parents will come in looking to purchase a toy for their child and end up leaving with a little something for themselves as well? Successful independent toy retailers such as Midco Toys and A1 Comics are already enjoying considerable success in this area. Whilst their personal passion for these products has undoubtedly informed their selection process, a little homework should enable other toy retailers to successfully dip a toe in the water. Happy hunting and may the force be with you.

Big Chief Studios0121 667 8194 | www.bigchiefstudios.co.ukBig Chief Studios are licensed with BBC Worldwide to produce 1:6 scale highly detailed collectible figures, 1:6 scale environments and dioramas, vinyl figurines and art prints of Doctor Who. All of the merchandise are on limited edition runs. All its 1:6 scale figures are fully articulated and have hand tailored costumes and come with multiple accessories. Its first release of the 11th Doctor and 10th Doctor 1:6 scale figures are now sold out and very sought after and have a high price tag on the secondary market.

In January Big Chief Studios released its first Doctor Commemorative Edition 1:6 scale figure limited to only 500 pieces with a great success. Big Chief Studios are to release the 11th Doctor, series seven, in Q2, the 12th Doctor in Q3 along with the 1:6 scale 11th Tardis. These are all currently available for pre-order. The new 1:6 scale 10th Doctor in blue suit has been available for pre-order since the end of February.

The Dynamix vinyl figure range consists of two limited edition versions of the 10th Doctor. The blue suit variant (with interchangeable head and complete with spectacles) is limited to 3000 pieces and the brown suit variant (with interchangeable head and with 3D Glasses) is limited to 500 pieces.

There are three versions of the 11th Doctor, series five, (with interchangeable head, wearing a fez) and 11th Doctor, series seven (with a purple coat with interchangeable head, wearing fez) each limited to 3000 pieces. Finally, the 11th Doctor, exclusive series five, (with interchangeable hand holding a mop and head wearing fez).

Big Chief Studios is also licensed directly with Hartwoods films to produce 1:6 Scale highly detailed collectible figures, 1:6 Scale Environments and dioramas and art prints of Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch). Just like the Doctor Who products they are all limited edition runs. Big Chief Studio’s next release is the 1:6 scale 221B door environment, due for release in March followed by the ‘Consulting Criminal’ Moriarty and Mycroft Holmes 1:6 scale collectible figures.

Big Chief Studios sells direct though its website and offers exclusives, signature editions, host contests on its products and also stocks other products from 1:6 scale companies such as Star Ace Toys. It also sell to retailers and wholesale.

Premier Licensing02891 811 900 | james@premier-licensing.com | www.bleachercreatures.co.ukPremier Licensing, one of the leading suppliers of licensed gift and sports accessories in Europe, is delighted to announce it will be bringing Bleacher Creatures to the UK gift and collectible market, exclusively.

Bleacher Creatures are unique true-to-life plush figures that turn the greatest athletes and entertainment icons into characters, have been nothing short of a phenomenon in the US. Premier Licensing are hoping to replicate this success in the UK and Ireland.

Kevin Funnell, director, commented: “We’re delighted to be adding Bleacher Creatures into our portfolio of products and licences. The products are fantastic and they fit perfectly with our other licensed products – so we’re excited about bringing them to market in 2015.

“As well as Batman, Superman, the Hobbit, DC Comics and other sports and entertainment licenses, we’ll be working hard to use our relationships to add other UK football and rugby licenses to bolster our proposition in the UK.”

Toy World 74

David RipleyCOO of Winning Moves

viewpoint

Toy World 76

Toy World shares insight and opinion

A digital mind-set Toy fair is usually the time when I start to hear how the sales presentations have gone down with the retailers. The retailer feedback and commitment to the products will form a key part of our planning for the rest of the year and so it’s a busy time over February as we start to refi ne the plans that we put together before Christmas.

For a number of clients heading into this Toy Fair season we created a number of video ‘sizzles’ which were shown to the retailers to get them excited about the products. These videos weren’t the fi nal TV

commercials but were designed to give a real fl avour of the product and what the fi nal creative would look like. Presenting video is so much easier than trying to bring a product to life from a fl at powerpoint presentation and I am sure we will be doing much more of this heading into next year too.

The process of submitting marketing plans to the retailers at Toy Fair has always felt like a fl awed process to me. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, most buyers still want to know fi rst and foremost what TV commitment will be made to support the product. They are less interested in the wider integrated campaign, unless it includes some point of sale or in store retail execution. I think retailers are still a long way off understanding the power of a digital content led marketing strategy.

I know for a fact that no retailers ever seem to check whether the number of TV spots promised in the marketing presentation actually ever happened or not. They simply look at the rate of sale – and don’t track back to understand what actually drove the interest in the product. The assumption continues to be that TV is the main driver for sales and if the sales weren’t good enough, then the TV creative must have been to blame. I think manufacturers themselves need to better understand which channels worked

best for them and share this insight with the retailer, or nothing will really change.

We have recently organised Facebook chats to take place on the retailers’ own social communities but while the numbers of likes and followers look healthy, the level of engagement is so low. These communities have been built on the back of running competitions and promotions and there is little to no brand loyalty. Their social communities at the moment offer barely any commercial benefi t to manufacturers wanting to work within them which is such a shame and a wasted opportunity – for everyone.

One of the brands that I noticed that continues to embrace the digital opportunity is Lego. Whilst a lot of the content you see on social channels is organic, they do a good job of being part of the social conversation. This is a sign of a healthy brand and it is no coincidence that they continue to succeed commercially too. They have a digitally content led approach which makes them relevant every day and gets their brand so much more visible than others in the toy market. Most people will say that it’s Lego and of course they would be great at this social marketing but the reality is that they work very hard to maintain their relevance in every day conversation – and that is not delivered through a 10 second TV spot.

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

Make or Buy? The title of this month’s column is the simple question asked by buyers in all manufacturing based organisations, is it cheaper to buy something or manufacture something in house? This question is becoming increasingly easier to answer with the technological advances in 3D printing.

3D printing has huge potential to disrupt traditional consumer product manufacturing, from clothing to batteries and most defi nitely plastic based products such as toys.

Both capability and usage of 3D printers are advancing rapidly, to the point where household ownership of a 3D printer for making simple plastic products is just a 52 week Eagle Moss part works collection away, buy part one for £1.99 and then it’s just £70 per issue thereafter...

The media has focused on how consumers will be able to manufacture toys and mobile phone covers from the comfort of their own homes, good luck with making the packaging. As a result makers of simple toys and plastic components could become obsolete. A whole manufacturing industry disrupted by advances in 3D printing.

As a manufacturer of board games the benefi ts of utilising 3D printing are obvious, especially in accelerating the product development process and negating the cost and time of tool making. A recent report from GEP consulting on ‘Procurement in 2025’ identifi ed 3D printing as one of fi ve mega trends over the next 10 years. The report suggests that when 3D printing advances are harnessed on an industrial scale by western manufacturers it will provide the necessary competitive advantage to allow mass production to return from the far-east.

After a few false dawns, it appears that mass toy

manufacturing in the UK could once again become a reality with the acceleration in printer resolution and higher-defi nition coloration.

The bright sparks at McKinsey also believe that the recent advances in 3D printing for medical breakthroughs utilising varying materials, including human tissue will completely disrupt traditional supply chains and drive localised manufacturing. Boeing were early adopters of 3D printing technology and are now using 3D printers to manufacture 200 different components for 10 different models of aircraft. There are very few industries beyond aerospace and medical equipment which require faultless quality and 3D printing is now constantly achieving that standard.

3D printer are also great news for Toy & Game inventors, inexpensively supporting the product development and prototype stages – which can be restrictively expensive and time consuming when approaching local plastics manufacturers.

The future of 3D printing has breached the tipping point and is assured mainstream status, fi nally shaking off its original label as a novelty technology. Just how far 3D printing can go in disrupting traditional supply chains will become evident long before 2025.

The NPD Group’s Rory Partis looks back at 2014 and predicts a positive 2015 for the toy industry.

The importance of a positive start

It has generally been accepted that 2014 was a very positive year for the UK toy market, our NPD figures reported a +4% increase in value and whopping +12% in volume over 2013. This is great news and the products seen at Toy Fair in January have given us an optimistic

view of what 2015 could bring, with some great new ranges and big licences for the year ahead. 2015 has started very well, the first month of the year was +9% in value and +8% in volume. But just how important are the early months of the year? The first months of the year are generally the lowest in terms of actual value, but do positive early trends really help set the tone for the year or does it not have too much importance, as the sales are so heavily weighted to the end of the year? January has certainly been strong in 2015 but January and February together only accounted for 8% of the total market in 2014, so how important will it actually be for 2015?

It’s worth having a quick look at last year, as it was one of the best years we’ve had for a while, and January last year actually grew by +6% over the previous year. So it was a good start to a very good year. Looking at the quarters in 2014, we had a modest +1% in Q1 and then a huge +6% for the half year and Q3, which ended up with +4% for the full year. So some evidence for a strong start with an amount of slowing down during the all-important last quarter period. Looking at 2013 we can see a different trend but with a similar theme, the start to the year was not quite as strong and this lead to a half year that was -2% in value terms, though the market did finish at -1%. Comparing 2014 and 2013, the start to the year was quite different with the first couple of months being +4% in 2014 and the same period only being +1% in 2013. So although these months are the lowest in terms of value, there is some evidence in the last two years that suggests the momentum from the start to the year is a big help to a positive

contribution to the overall market trend, with 2014 being such a positive year and 2013 being -1%. In fact, if we go as far back as 2012 we can see that the start to the year was flat and the year finished at -1% too.

There are other factors of course, such as the Lego Movie release in Q1 last year and loom bands in the summer which added to the strong position of the market in the first half of the year. So should manufacturers be aiming to get new items out there early in the year? Looking at 2014 and the top 10 manufacturers for that year, there were six manufacturers which finished the year with a positive growth figure. Out of that six, the top three performers in growth terms had a very strong January. If we extend this out further to the top 25 manufacturers in the market we can see that out of that group 15 had a strong start to the year with January growth, so again more evidence that a good January sets the groundwork for a strong year. There will be exceptions to this of course; if you were exclusively a games manufacturer for instance, which traditionally sell a higher percentage around Christmas, I can imagine there would be less importance placed on your Q1 performance.

So what does this mean for 2015? Well as mentioned before January has been great this year, with +9% growth this is the strongest January

NPD Column

Toy World 77

Rory Partissenior 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 profi table growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food/food service, home, offi ce 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 fi eld 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

growth we have seen for the last few years, so it bodes well. NPD has forecasted 2015 to be +3% and we have seen that a positive start is a good momentum builder for the year ahead. So maybe we’ll need to scale that +3% up a little…

The NPD Group, Inc. | Proprietary and Confidential

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Amethyst Group has over 30 years’ supply chain expertise. The company offers leading-edge specialist services to its chosen market sectors of toy and baby, fashion and beauty, pharmaceutical, homeware and automotive and machinery markets. It adapts to each of its clients specifi c requirements to meet the needs of manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and e-tailers.

Amethyst Group operates up to a 650,000 square feet of shared-user warehousing with circa 450 full time employees in seven distribution centres over four locations.

Amethyst is a specialist warehousing and distribution business offering a range of 3PL services to manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, retailers and online clients. All its services offer the core benefi t of releasing its clients’ time with capital and management focus to concentrate on their core business whilst Amethyst gets on with the logistics.

The company continually invests in its assets, capabilities, skills and expertise to ensure its clients enjoy a competitive advantage. Its resources include centrally located ISO9001 accredited shared user warehousing and up to 1,000 full time employees at peak periods.

Amethyst understands its clients’ success depends on accurate and timely delivery of goods, cost effi ciency, fl exibility, quality control and above all outstanding customer relationships with its core goal to grow its business by helping clients to grow theirs.

Amethyst handles full loads, pallets, cartons, hanging garments and packets either using partnerships with trusted carriers operating in the UK and globally and/or its in-house transport management to optimise vehicle-fi ll reducing cost and environmental impact.

Its added value capability includes pre-retail processing, point of exit processing, co-packing returns processing, recall and quarantine processes. It offers fl exibility and short lead times using onsite teams for urgent reworks when things go wrong earlier in the supply chain.

Amethyst has fully featured warehouse management systems maintained and continually improved by its in-house development and deployment team. These can be integrated with clients stock control systems by its skilled integrators who have worked with many web platforms and clients’ ERP systems.

The distribution centre managers are accountable for the clients in their business centres. Clients also benefi t from dedicated fi rst point of contact administration teams and online activity reporting.01580 892 211www.amethystgroup.co.uk

Feature

Toy World 78

Services & Suppliers

Toy World’s Daniel Rich explores various services on offer to toy companies and how they can be advantageous to business.

Logistics

In a nutshell, logistics is getting things to the right place, at the right time, in the right condition and at the right price.

The concept is simple, although how do logistics apply to the toy industry and what are the key issues currently affecting toy

suppliers?“A key issue affecting toy suppliers at the moment

is increasing labour costs in China and the price of oil, forcing companies to move manufacturing to more affordable alternatives locations such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia. On the other hand, the price of oil has the ability to positively impact toy suppliers by reducing transport costs,” comments Paul O’Malley, UK sales director, FCL Global Forwarding.

Clients’ customer’s demands are greater than ever before, from order receipt to delivery, with more customisation and tighter delivery specifi cations. Effi cient personnel, processes and systems are essential for clients to maintain excellent and penalty free customer service in these circumstances.

The massive Christmas peak and dealing with the volume of online sales is a prime example of a demanding period. Christmas 2014 saw enormous pressure on logistics, particularly parcel delivery, as it was tremendously diffi cult to cope with such high peaks in service and high expectations from

customers, many of whom left their shopping/deliveries until later and still expected a timely arrival.

So how do toy suppliers go about tackling these issues?Firstly it’s vital to understand the needs of the customer, the problems they are experiencing and what impact these are having. Meeting the customer’s individual requirements is pivotal in creating and sustaining a successful business partnership as opposed to taking a ‘one size fi ts all’ approach. The next step is to optimise warehouse layout, create operating processes, train teams and integrate systems in order to quickly establish a reputation and long-term working relationship with customers.

Claire Muir, business developement manager, Amethyst Group, explains: “We maintain strong partnerships with our clients. Some of our toy brands have been with us for well over 15 years. The key is to work as a team with Amethyst being involved at all stages of forecasting and planning, especially for peak trading periods. Amethyst continues to seek ways to deliver an improved service. Our system developers work hard to add benefi cial upgrades to processes and our operations teams focus on staff and training.”

Forming strong, long term partnerships with customers enables logistics companies to craft a tailor made service solution that meets the

operational requirements of their clients regardless of the size of the company.

Factors affecting service costs include exchange rates and the aforementioned price of oil, and with prices at the lowest since November 2007, how do the experts think this will impact retail and transportation costs?Stephen Basey-Fisher, the managing director of Century Logistics, comments: “It will be interesting to see if prices reduce in the shops. Goods imported should be a bit cheaper but this may take some time to have an effect on the high street and of course there’s nothing to say the current exchanges rates will stay. The cost of transportation won’t change in a hurry. Traditionally the transport industry bulks buys fuel in advance of using it so the price at the pumps isn’t necessarily felt by the hauliers for some time. Also with the transport sector fi ghting daily to make minimal margins we’re sure they will take any opportunity to recoup some profi t before fuel raises up again. Hopefully consumers will feel a bit more money in their pocket and take to the high streets, at least that way we all win.”

Toy World presents information on some of the logistics providers to the UK toy trade below:

Have you got the best partner?

Amethyst is the brand leader in UK Toys and Games Logistics

Our flexible and proactive service optimisescost for our clients and we deliver a pain free

peak year after year

For a stress free, multichannel, logistics solution please contact:

info@amethystgroup.co.uk01580 895600 www.amethystgroup.co.uk

Feature

Toy World 80

Services & Suppliers

Import Services. A unique partnership between DP World London Gateway and Import Services will ensure that all shippers - large or small – benefi t from low-cost supply chain opportunities at London Gateway’s new Common User Facility.

Following a rigorous selection process, DP World has appointed Import Services to act on its behalf as operator and manager at the CUF now being built at London Gateway Logistics Park. The steelwork for the fi rst phase of the 386,000sq ft multipurpose cargo handling centre is nearly complete and the development is on target to open in Q2 2015.

Peter Ward, DP World London Gateway’s head of supply chain, said: “We are delighted to be working with Import Services. The company has demonstrated a common vision and real understanding of our mission as the UK’s new deep-water national hub port and logistics park. We found the team to be tuned into our strategy and combined with their expertise in the fi eld of port-centric logistics, they put forward a very compelling plan.”

Import Services will initially take on a signifi cant portion of the new development and provide a menu of logistics services and activities on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ basis. Services will range from basic devanning to cross-docking, storage and value-added activities such as pick-and-pack, labelling, pre-retail and distribution.

London Gateway Logistics Park, located on the doorstep of Europe’s largest consumer market enables exporters and importers to reduce costs, carbon emissions and increase effi ciency and reliability. As demand for logistics and distribution facilities closer to market increases, coupled with a greater need for fl exibility and agility in supply chain networks, the shared-user model on offer at London Gateway will provide a ‘best-fi t’ solution

DP World London Gateway and Import Services have been working together to develop the fi t-out of the CUF building and establish the day-to-day processes such as internal shunting of containers from the port’s quayside to the logistics park.

Mike Thomas, client services director, Import Services, said: “This is an exciting new venture for Import Services and we are delighted to be working in partnership with DP World London Gateway. Operating the Common User Facility will enable Import Services to launch a twin port strategy, replicating our port-centric logistics model in Southampton to facilitate growth for both our existing and new clients at DP World London Gateway.”01489 799 500www.importservices.co.uk

Century Logistics is a provider of cost effective and innovative warehouse and logistics solutions in the United Kingdom.

There are four key features to Century Logistic’s service offer, it stores – that’s receiving products on behalf of its customers and retaining them in its warehouse. It delivers – that’s getting goods to its retailers or consumers. It fi xes – that’s providing warranty and customer service programmes for its brands. It sells – it turns end of line and customer returns into cash.

Century Logistics offers a very fl exible and tailored approach to its customers, meaning they can opt for any of its services.

Stephen Basey-Fisher, managing director, Century Logistics, said of the company’s relationship with current toy clients: “The two key words are partnership and fl exibility. We form long term partnerships with our customers which enables us to build a tailor made service solution that moulds around their operational requirements. This can’t be done overnight and of course will change as businesses grow and the retail environment changes and this is where the service needs to be fl exible. We run our contracts as though they were in-house logistics solutions. The difference being we can spread the resource over a number of contracts leaving us able to fl ex up or down to better manage cost and service.”

Century Logistics’ focus has been on growing the business, looking after retailers and building its brand. Therefore its shared goal is to minimise the burden whilst managing client’s costs and delivering a fl exible service. Its unique business model allows it to share risk, deliver exceptional customer service and achieve tangible cost savings.01284 413 100www.centurylogistics.co.uk

FCL Global Forwarding believes that logistics in today’s globalised economy are no longer ‘just logistics’. For many of the companies it represents, the quickest and most price-effi cient movement of their goods is a key part of an overall strategic route to market, and can make all the difference to their bottom-lines.

FCL is one of the fastest growing logistics companies in the UK, it specialises in the movement of goods by sea, air and road. It prides itself in standing out by aligning with it customer’s needs, building trust and delivering competitive service.

FCL understands the needs of its customers and makes their needs and interests its own. To do this, it listens and advises. FCL has established a reputation among its customers for listening to their needs and going the extra mile to ensure they get more than they need.

The company’s personnel consider trust to be a mandatory requirement to the development and sustainability of working relationships with each other as well as customers. FCL demonstrates its worthiness by being honest with customers, by being knowledgeable, reliable and proactive.

FCL delivers competitive services and provides complete solutions. It achieves this by valuing its partnerships with its carriers. Having strong, positive and progressive partnerships with its carriers allows FCL the access to market that it requires to ensure its customers benefi t from not only competitive services but having a depth of choice when it comes to carriers.

In summary FCL knows one size doesn’t fi t all in logistics and it has an ability to listen and understand the needs of its individual customers. FCL believes in the partnership approach and acts as an extension to its customers business. 01215 551 040www.fclgf.com

When your business is growing, it’s vital to find partners you can truly trust. Century is a large, established, family-owned business built on family values. What’s more, we’re experts in the nursery and toy sector.

Who better to entrust your logistics to? Find out more by talking to us today.

CALL 01284 413 100or email sales@centurylogistics.co.uk

www.centurylogistics.co.uk

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Feature

Toy World 82

Services & Suppliers

Toy World’s Daniel Rich investigates the changes to toy safety legislation in 2015 and how manufacturers can stay abreast of them.

Testing

The primary piece of legislation covering toys in Europe is the Toys Safety Directive 2009/48/EC. It substantially amends the old directive across virtually all safety aspects, and fulfi ls the newest

health and safety standards. It also improves existing rules for the marketing of toys that are either produced in or imported into the EU, with a view to reducing toy related accidents and achieving long-term benefi ts.

The main area of change for 2015 involves increased chemical restrictions in toy production, such as the introduction of restrictions in the Toy Safety Directive relating to certain phosphate ester fl ame retardants (TCEP, TCPP, TDCP); and Bisphenol A.

The use of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons will be restricted (REACH Annex XVII No 50) and there are more substances of very high concern being added to the candidate list.

EN 71-14 on trampolines has just been published and will come into effect during 2015.

Toy manufacturers should also be aware of changes to the battery and accumulators directive which affects button cells containing mercury.

The new requirements for Bisphenol A, TCEP, TCPP and TDCP as well as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), come into force in 2015. Bisphenol A is used as a monomer in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and has been found in toys during certain investigations. The restriction is for items for children under 36 months or toys intended to be placed in the mouth. TCEP, TCPP and TDCP are fl ame-retardant plasticisers used in polymers. The main uses are within the building and furniture industries; however, the substances are also sometimes used within textile manufacturing, especially in locations outside of Europe.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found in extender oils that are used in the manufacturing process of natural rubber, synthetic rubber and fl exible plastics. They are used as a lubricant between the stiff

rubbery polymers and softeners and enable the manufacturer to vary the characteristics and properties of the material. They are also found in carbon black pigment that is used as a colourant for plastics. They have been restricted for product labelled with the GS mark for many years in Germany, but this has three categories that have different limits so care should be taken when comparing the requirements.

The new requirement under REACH applies to both toys and other consumer items that come into direct, as well as prolonged or short-term repetitive contact, with human skin or the oral cavity, under normal or reasonable foreseeable conditions of use.

Judith Russell, operations manager at Eurofi ns, said: “We anticipate our customers investigating their current range in the beginning part of the year and making any necessary adjustments necessary by the end of the year.

In addition, there are drafts currently under discussion that will impact on toy manufacturing in the future, for example, the draft relating to the limits for lead. This will, if approved, signifi cantly lower the allowed migration of lead from toys.

Another draft will add six new chemical restrictions to Appendix C to Annex II for toys that are intended for children under 36

months and other toys intended to be placed in the mouth”

Such detailed and complex information would be more easily understood by a leading toxicologist, so expert assistance and guidance clearly need to be sought by reputable toy companies in order to fully understand and comply with the issues. What can manufacturers do to keep on top of such intricate new safety regulations?

Keith Richards, consumer technical manager at UL recommends: “Get a copy of the relevant standards, legislation and guidance documents in order to understand the basic requirements. Build a relationship with a competent accredited laboratory such as UL which has knowledge of the product types and the market it is supplying. UL will be able to provide advice and guidance regarding potential issues with products at development stages before any costs from manufacture are incurred. They should talk to their suppliers and get as much information and certifi cation from them as possible, regarding material compliance with legal requirements prior to manufacture.”

Toy World spoke to two established testing houses about how they can help toy suppliers meet testing and compliance requirements.

WORKING TO PROTECT OURCHILDREN

With unmatched industry expertise and active involvement in the development of international toy safety standards, UL’s global team of quality assurance experts can develop comprehensive quality assurance programmes to help ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and brand specifications.

No matter where in the world you source or sell, UL’s network of accredited laboratories and field services can help mitigate supply chain risk and launch products that delight both children and parents.

• PRODUCT TESTING • QUALITY INSPECTIONS • MANUFACTURING AUDITS • DESIGN EVALUATIONS • CHEMICAL SAFETY ASSESSMENTS • ADVISORY SERVICES

W: ul.com/toys E: qaenquiries@ul.com T: 0118 927 3340

UL and the UL logo are trademarks of UL LLC © 2015.

Leading The Way In Toy Safety And Quality

Feature

Toy World 84

Services & Suppliers

Eurofi ns Product Testing is part of a global network of laboratories with 12,500 employees across 170 sites in 33 countries. It works hard to balance this global facility with the need to work individually with its customers and tailor its offering to each customer’s needs. Eurofi ns does not believe in ‘one approach fi ts all’ as its ethos is each product and each customer has specifi c needs and it works to answer those.

Eurofi ns prides itself on the fact that its business is setup so that customers can always talk to someone technical with their queries. It knows that customers sometimes need help to understand the implications of toy legislation, and partners with customers to work as an extension of their quality departments, assisting them with all their testing and legislation queries. Eurofi ns’ consultancy service is key to this and something that its customers appreciate. It has a team of knowledgeable and approachable personnel that can help with guidance, interpretations and general advice.

Eurofi ns’ background in the scientifi c sectors makes it ideally placed to offer assistance on the chemical aspects of the toy safety directive. In the ever-evolving world of chemical legislation Eurofi ns provide an unparalleled range of testing and support services, both in Europe and in China. It also has specialist facilities for the microbiological testing of toys which is required for toys containing water.

Testing to the Toy Directive and the related legislation can be an expensive process. Eurofi ns assesses each product and looks for cost effective ways to ensure compliance, it gives guidance on the risks associated with toys and produces test plans based on those risks. Eurofi ns works in a variety of ways with its customers, from component testing with some clients, to evaluating the need to test on the basis of a Bill of Materials/Bill of Substances (BOM/BOS) with others. It discusses the options with clients and gives them the pros and cons of different ways of working. Eurofi ns also works with customers to devise quality protocols that ensure that they are effective in catching any batch to batch variations in production, whilst keeping costs to a minimum.

In addition, due to the unique way Eurofi ns is structured, the company works with other product areas such as craft items, cosmetics, chemicals and food contact items. It can therefore offer advice on the overlap or grey areas between toys and many other goods. Its experts have a wealth of experience to draw from, with retail and manufacturing experience, as well as many years within the laboratory testing world.01618 687 600 www.eurofi ns.co.uk

UL Consumer Products is a premier global independent safety science company with more than 120 years of history. Employing more than 11,000 professionals in over 100 countries, UL has three distinct business units - UL Commercial & Industrial, UL Consumer and UL Ventures - to meet the expanding needs of its customers and to deliver on its public safety mission.

UL Consumer Products provide independent quality assurance testing, audit, inspection and responsible sourcing services for the consumer products industry. With global capability and expertise across a wide range of products including toys, books, premiums and licensed goods, UL has extensive experience in helping to develop, implement and maintain customised quality programmes.

As an independent provider of third-party testing, audit, inspection and responsible sourcing services, its experts are available to help answer questions about product compliance and international safety standards and regulations. UL’s full cycle quality assurance solutions can help mitigate supply chain risk, providing confi dence in product safety, quality and performance throughout its lifecycle.

Product safety and quality is absolutely critical for toys and children’s products to safeguard consumers and protect brand integrity - often a company’s most valuable asset. Ensuring all goods meet safety and quality requirements such as the European Toy Safety Directive, as well as any brand specifi cations, is vital for both manufacturers and retailers. 01189 273 340 ul.com/toys

WORKING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDRENLeading The Way In Toy Safety & Quality• PRODUCT TESTING • QUALITY INSPECTIONS • MANUFACTURING AUDITS • DESIGN EVALUATIONS• CHEMICAL SAFETY ASSESSMENTS • ADVISORY SERVICES

W: ul.com/toys E: qaenquiries@ul.com T: 0118 927 3340

For all your Toy Testing needs: Advice and Consultancy

Accredited Testing to European,

US ASTM / CPSIA and China – GB standards

Specialists in chemical testing and requirements

EC Type Examinations

Contact: Judith Russell Tel: 0161 868 7600 Email: toys@eurofins.co.uk www.eurofins.co.uk/product-testing

Your industry is our focus

Feature

Toy World 86

Services & Suppliers

Digital advertising is becoming more and more of a useful tool within the toys and games sector. Toy World spoke to Generation Media about how the toy trade is beginning to make its mark in the digital

landscape and how marketing companies can meet the toy industry’s digital requirements.

and YouTube where dual but separate targeting of children and parents is important to an advertiser. The company also reaches out to parents and engages them through sites such as Mumsnet or social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Generation Media’s pricing also provides appeal to toy companies and other potential customers, as well as the fact that the company is a leader in the services that it offers.

Martin commented: “As leader in this space our clients obviously benefi t from best in class pricing, but we don’t feel that this is reason enough to maintain ongoing business relationships.”

Martin says one of the most important things that toy companies need to be doing at the moment when it comes to digital marketing is to ‘think mobile’, as the average three to four year old spends more than two hours per week using a tablet.

“In the wider market, mobile will break the £3bn barrier in 2015 – revenues are likely to be bigger than print. In the children’s space, larger advertisers are experimenting with the medium – although for Generation it is a case of test, measure and refi ne in order to make mobile work for our clients.”

Generation Media considers strength as its specialism. The company only works on entertainment, parent, child and youth focused brands and products. With young people being so important now in most purchasing decisions, the company’s roster of accounts ranges from food and packaged goods to toys, entertainment properties and video games.

The company is the UK and Ireland’s largest independent media buyer of toys and games advertising. It prides itself in the development of winning TV campaigns on what may be considered modest budgets – this alongside executing effective digital, press, cinema and outdoor media strategies.

Generation Media is one of a very small number of European communications companies that focuses on the leisure and entertainment markets.

Digital Marketing and Advertising

It plans and implements marketing programmes where young adults, children and parents are involved in the decision making process.

The company’s services include media planning and buying, strategic planning, qual and quant research, digital media solutions and the team can help customers source and benchmark their creative requirements including advice on creative traffi cking and Clearcast approvals.

Generation Media is an award winning CPD Gold accredited member of the IPA and an active member of the IAB. It is fully recognised by all the UK TV owners as well as being a member of the PPA.

The company is part of the Generation Media Group which also includes iGen, the research and Insight agency, and GMX – a media planning and buying agency.

0207 307 7900 www.generationmedia.co.uk

Generation Media’s head of digital Martin Doyle says that fi ve years ago there was very little in the way of digital advertising within the toy industry and that

the company saw 2010 as the year when things really started to change.

He commented: “Apple released the iPad, the fi rst real smartphones such as the iPhone completed their fi rst contract cycle (so parents began to pass them down to their children), Angry Birds exploded and so many things came together in that year that any child born in 2010 or later has to be considered the ultimate digital native.”

To adapt to these changes, Generation Media quickly transformed the digital element of its media plans from a secondary medium, like radio or cinema, to an essential component. In order to fully achieve this, the company set up nGen, its digital engagement team.

“TV is still the outstanding platform for making a brand famous, but digital offers unparalleled opportunities for instant engagement. It’s great to be on TV; with a carefully planned and bought campaign your target audience will know who you are. But run a complementary digital campaign and not only are you adding an additional touchpoint to your media mix, you’re also offering brand engagement and a purchase opportunity with a few clicks or swipes,” added Martin.

“With children now spending around 12.5 hours per week online, if a brand does not have online presence then it is falling behind its rivals both large and small.”

Martin says that there are a number of key benefi ts to toy companies if they choose to work with Generation Media on digital campaigns. Among these is the company’s expertise in launching clients into the digital arena and incubating their business in this sphere – Generation Media has not only worked with children’s sites such as Disney and Nickelodeon but has also run successful campaigns across the Google Display Network

Martin Doyle

GM_DeanWeller_V1 1 19/12/2014 07:20

Feature

Toy World 88

Services & Suppliers

TradeRiver Finance offers toy importers and distributors an innovative online funding solution. Toy World spoke to Alex Hambrook to fi nd out more….

Innovative online funding for UK toy importers

The 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 mid-market 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

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

MOST REPEATED PHRASE: “Sorry, I’m not allowed to show you the Star Wars line.” Clearly people don’t want to end up in Disney prison - and neither frankly does Allegedly - so despite reservations that the measure is perhaps a little over-the-top, it’s no big deal as far as far as this column is concerned. Interestingly, however, post-show feedback from retail buyers suggests that there were a number who found the whole security process frustrating. It seems in particular that signing the offi cial secrets act in order to view some images on a laptop was a bridge too far for some. Based on feedback from retailers who have seen the lines, Lego’s range has been widely praised, while if Hasbro has indeed ‘kept it tight’ (as has been suggested), that is arguably a shrewd move. Minor niggles notwithstanding, licensees have reported that buyers are “piling on”, so even though the new movie doesn’t arrive until the very tail end of 2015, it will clearly still have a major impact on this year’s toy retail landscape.

PHRASE THAT NEEDS TO END: As usual, the passengers on my fl ight over to Nuremberg largely consisted of fellow toy folk. In these situations, there is literally always someone who says “If this plane goes down, what will happen to the industry?” When it was fi rst uttered – probably around 25 years ago- it was mildly amusing, if a little disconcerting: now Allegedly is suggesting that the fi rst person to say it on each fl ight should make a generous donation to the Toy Trust (and the same goes for the licensing fl ight to Vegas in June – donations to the Light Fund for a similar transgression).

BIGGEST HAZARD: As if it isn’t hard enough navigating the bustling streets of Hong Kong with locals who show little regard for walking logically or courteously, an increasing number are now going about their haphazard perambulations whilst looking at their mobile phone. What could possibly go wrong? Everything actually....

MOST FUN: Nearly destroying Worlds Apart’s Hong Kong showroom playing with their new Laser Pitch line. Close runner-up: watching Dragon-I’s Dave Cave demonstrating his new dancing robot by, well, dancing like a toy robot – full marks for ‘living the brand.’

MOST FORTUITOUS MEETING: This took place at the TOTY Awards in New York. I had gone to the bar to get my wife and I a drink, and came back to fi nd her sitting with a couple who had asked if we minded them joining us at our table. My wife was already deep in conversation, so I joined in. We spoke for 15 minutes about where we’d been so far this year, what we’d seen that we liked and other toy-related subjects. Eventually I noticed it said ‘Toys R Us’ on his badge, so I asked him what he did: “I

run the US operation” was his rather unassuming reply. It turns out that I had indeed been shooting the breeze with none other than Toys R Us President Hank Mullany, a thoroughly charming individual who clearly has a great passion for toy product and the market in general. I am no expert on the American retail landscape - and in particular the fi nancial aspects thereof – but it struck me that the company is in good hands.

FIRST RIPPING OF VELCRO AT TOY FAIR AWARD: You know who you are. Let’s just say the time was just before 4 PM and the destination wasn’t far from our stand. Just be grateful that the BTHA takes a far more sanguine view of this behaviour than the organisers of the Nuremberg Toy Fair: exhibitors were told in writing before the show opened that anyone found breaking their stand down before 6 PM on the fi nal day would be fi ned 50% of the cost of the stand. I would imagine that acted as a suffi cient deterrent.

WORST-KEPT SECRET: I was asked by probably half the toy industry why I hadn’t mentioned the fact that Dave Martin would be leaving KD Toys in the summer. For the record, it was because I hadn’t been told ‘offi cially’, and didn’t want to cause any undue embarrassment to either party. But there can’t be many left who don’t know by now, so I fi gure it must be fi ne to print at last.

MOST INAPPROPRIATE STAND OUTFIT: A clear winner here – step forward Amav, who seemed to believe they were exhibiting at a car show in the 1970’s, or perhaps auditioning for a new Benny Hill series rather than trying to encourage buyers in Nuremberg to buy their products. One could not help but feel sorry for the poor girls in ridiculously small bikinis and stilettos: there really is no place at a toy show for this kind of thing (it’s nearly as bad as the replica guns at the Hong Kong show). It’s also apparent that they didn’t really think it through: given the high percentage of female buyers working in the toy retail sector, surely the move alienated far more accounts than they might have won over with this badly misjudged initiative.

BEST STORY BEHIND A PRODUCT: So there is this guy, a surgeon, who lived on a sailing boat in America for three years. He and his family used to jump into the ocean at night to swim, and noticed bio-luminescent creatures that lit up the sea after dark. He cloned the protein gene that causes the luminescence, then adapted a medical instrument which is traditionally used for removing gall bladders and created a gun which fi res glowing water (all-natural, non- toxic, doesn’t stain). What will happen to the product is anyone’s guess, but it is possibly my favourite ever answer to the stock question “so how did you come up with this product.”A

llege

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TOY FAIR SEASON IN PICTURES

Is it just me or is this Spider-Man in a wheelchair?

The Award for the most generous Toy Fair organiser goes to…..with this Mr Organiser, you are spoiling us.

I’m sorry, you’re fooling no-one calling it ‘My Little Penguin’ – it’s a knock-off Furby with

eyebrows.

ALLEGEDLY TOY FAIR SEASON AWARDSEveryone else seems to be launching award ceremonies, regardless of whether anyone actually needs them, so not

wanting to feel left out, Allegedly has decided to devote this month’s column to a distinctly irreverent, tongue-in-cheek

set of awards based on experiences and observations from Toy Fair season. Look away now if you’re easily offended (or if

you work for Amav)…..

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONCONTACT MIKE THOMAS ON 01489 799500

MIKETHOMAS@IMPORTSERVICES.CO.UKwww.importservices.co.uk

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Information flow is now central to the new world of retail logistics. At Import Services TRAC gives you the ability to access, monitor, download and decide in real time, from wherever you connect to us, via the Web.

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