ToyNews issue 89 January 09

INSIDE…

SPRING FAIR 2009 GUIDEFull preview of the toy hall atthe big Birmingham NEC show

Issue 89 January 2009

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

EXCLUSIVE NPD DATA . . .10

EDITORIAL PLANNER . . . .14

LICENSING . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

RETAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

HIGH STREET . . . . . . . . . .60

NEW PRODUCTS . . . . . . . .62

TOYTALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

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GET SET FOR EXCELThe build up to this year’scrucial UK Toy Fair starts here

WOOLWORTHS SPECIALIndustry reaction to Woolies’slide into administration

The toy industry’s highest circulation trade title

Exclusive media partner

THERE’S A LOT to cover this month – Wooliesgoing under, Magson, toy fairs galore and thelittle matter of that Mattel/MGA case which hashad something of a sensational outcome.

We’ve devoted all our news space to theWoolies situation this month. There’s simply toomuch to say about it and, to be honest, we couldprobably have given it another couple of pages.The positive part of it is that most suppliers hadbeen expecting it for a long time and have hadtime to readjust their commitment to Wooliesaccordingly. But it’s still 800 stores and it’s still abig hit for the market to have to take in thecurrent economic climate.

But with such interest in the chain I find ithard to believe that it will disappear altogether.

The only caveat to that would be that it hasn’thappened at a good time at all and to say it’s arisk averse environment is an understatement.

The Mattel/MGA verdict is massive. Andsomewhat surprising given previous statementsmade by the judge in the case. There’s surelyanother hand to be played in that one though.But if it stands, it’s difficult to see MGA survivingsuch a huge loss. It’s the lawyers I feel sorry for.

And of course we’re about to embark onanother epic trade show adventure, with the ToyFair/ Spring Fair eclipse ensuring a manic time forall. But I really should stop writing before I run...Ronnie [email protected]

COMMENTTOO MUCH, TOO LONG

The Mattel/MGA verdictis massive. But there’s

surely another hand tobe played in that one

26 News

28 Licensing Opinion

LICENSING

FEATURES18 All our yesterdays

21 Russimco

31 Spring Fair Preview

53 Planning for Toy Fair

57 Retail News

58 Lutz Muller

60 High Street

61 Retail charts

62 New products

74 Toy Talk

RETAIL

Adrian MilesAdvertising [email protected]

Lisa FosterManaging [email protected]

Katie RobertsStaff [email protected]

Dan [email protected]

Jon SalisburyEditorial [email protected]

Stuart [email protected]

Samantha LovedayLicensing [email protected]

Ronnie [email protected]

REGULARS4 News: Woolies Special

7 Online

8 Campaign of the month

10 Exclusive NPD analysis

12 TV ad spend data

14 Editorial planner

15 Events

16 Appointments

Contents

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JANUARY 2009

FEARS OVER BAD DEBTS, concernover soaring credit insurancepremiums, worry about who will pickup lost orders and speculation about aresulting shift in consumer shoppingpatterns, are some of the issues facingthe toy trade following Woolworths’slide into administration.

There are some, however, who stillbelieve that with help, the retailer willresurface as a slimmer, profitablebusiness. A number of parties havelogged interest in buying the chain,suggesting a reversal of fortune mayyet be on the cards.

Mattel’s general manager DavidAllmark commented: “The news,whilst disappointing, was notunexpected to Mattel UK. It has beenclear for a number of months thatWoolworths were experiencingsignificant trading difficulties across anumber of their businesses.“

Despite scaling back on the levels ofstock they were supplying to

Woolworths, however, the toy industrywill inevitably lose on some level.

Peter Brown, managing director ofFlair said: “We have bad debts ofabout £700,000 this year [2008]. Thedemise of Woolworths and Youngstershas cost us a lot of money. Luckily wehave credit insurance to reimburse us.”

Brown sees a heavy reliance oninsurers creating a potential problemfor the future, though, and continued:“The economic situation and thecasualties that have resulted willinevitably mean premiums for creditinsurance will go up and this is aproblem the toy industry will have to

face in 2009, along with rising costs ina number of other areas.”

German insurance group, EulerHermes has said that it is expecting tolose up to u52 million (£44.2 million)this quarter.

The announcement stunnedanalysts, who had been expecting afourth-quarter profit of about u18million. The insurer recorded a netincome of u152 million in the firstnine months of the year.

There have also been reports thatmany toy companies aren’t covered bytheir insurance policies and ifWoolworths does not manage toreturn to trading, it has been said thatsuppliers could be set to lose millions.

Many see the retailer’s demise as asign that there will be changes inconsumer shopping habits.

Darrell Jones, marketing director ofBandai said: “We expect some of thebusiness to move to the supermarketsand online, but unfortunately a gooddeal of the business may just be lostand never recovered.”

Jones continued: “If tough tradingcontinues on the High Street I thinkWoolies could be the first of manycasualties. I think we will seeconsumers increasingly moving to the‘discounters’ and online, forcing morewell-known brands to disappear fromthe High Street.”

Nick Austin, MD of VividImaginations also expects to see anumber of adjustments in a post-Woolies retail environment. Heexplained: “Firstly, the consumer willhave less choice and convenience.Secondly, some small towns will losetheir shopper footfall if their localWoolworths does not re-open.

“Thirdly, there will be someimmediate winners at retail level.Local indies and other High Streetoperators will inevitably hoover upmarket share left if Woolworths storesdo not re-open in certain towns.”

Allmark concluded: “Clearly theimpact of Woolworths going intoadministration is significant to the toyindustry. Their toy representation has

Industry takes stock after 4 NEWS

by Katie Roberts & Ronnie Dungan

Some optimism that stores will re-emerge ● Concern over debts & credit insurance ● Estimated £350m hole at retail

Premiums forcredit

insurance will go upand this is a problemfor 2009.

What next for the ailingWoolworths chain?

JANUARY 2009

been a cornerstone of theirmerchandise offering for 99 years andit would be remiss to suggest thatpotentially we will not be impacted bythe lack of visibility and scale theyoffer within the High Street.

“However, Mattel UK is mindfulthat as part of the administrationselling off process, a new opportunitycould be created to satisfy the clearmarket opportunity that exists. Thetoy proposition was not the reasonWoolworths failed to succeed as aretail platform.”

On the retail side of the toyindustry, TRA chairman and MD ofThe Entertainer Gary Grant sees abright future for the retailer despite itstroubles and expects its fortunes to beturned around. He said: “Manyindustries, toys included, would beworse off without Woolworths, so I

expect something will be done to turnwhat was an unprofitable chain into aprofitable business once again.

“There is much debate about howthis might be achieved – perhaps itwill be that 400 stores is a viablenumber and the current number of820-odd isn’t, but whatever decision ismade, if it saves the chain, it’s goodnews for all of us.

“For the 30,000 people who havebeen fearing for their jobs, I amrelieved that there will be a future forall of them.

“Woolworths is being responsibleand implementing measures such asremoving gift vouchers from stores, sothat customers aren’t left withunusable gifts. All staff were also paidat the end of the month [November]and hopefully something can beworked out going forward.”

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Woolies crashes outwww.toynewsmag.com 5NEWS

SEPTEMBER 19TH 2007Trevor Bish-Jones says toys will play acrucial role in the firm’s Christmasfigures as it tries to back “recessionproof” lines.

NOVEMBER 16TH 2007Firm reviews financial structure in amove which could make way for ademerger to secure as much as £100million in new loans against EUK.

DECEMBER 5TH 2007Citigroup Bank claims Woolworthshas no future in its current form. The investment bank cuts its pricetarget in half to just 12 pence andurges investors to sell.

JANUARY 16TH 2008Forecasts a return to profitability in2008 despite a challenging Christmas.Expects to exceed last year's profitsof £21.8 million in the full year andmeet City expectations of between£25 million and £29 million.

AUGUST 18TH 2008 Rejects bid by Baugur to acquire itsstores. The plan by the Icelandicinvestment group was to break up theWoolworths group.

SEPTEMBER 17TH 2008Figures for the six months endedAugust 2nd 2008 show sales downthree per cent to £1.1bn; like-for-likesales down 3.2 per cent and pre-taxlosses increasing from £63.8m in thefirst half of the previous financial yearto £99.7m.

OCTOBER 17TH 2008Retail and operations director SimonTurner quits only a month after thenew chief executive savages thegroup’s performance.

NOVEMBER 19TH 2008Group confirms that it is in talks overa possible sale of its retail business toturnaround specialist Hilco for £1.

NOVEMBER 25TH 2008Woolworths' largest shareholderArdeshir Naghshineh urges the firmnot to sell the business for £1, butinstead to look at selling off a numberof its 840 stores.

NOVEMBER 26TH 2008Shares suspended as the firmcontinues talks to save the business.

Deloitte appointed administrator.

WooliesunravelledHow a High Street icon came apart at the seams…

THERE HAS been no shortage of offersfor the troubled group, since it lapsedinto administration.

The most high-profile suitor wasDragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis whowas interested in a number ofWoolworths’ previously profitablestores, but has since pulled out of therace. He made his name reviving ailingretail chains Rymans and La Senza.

Several meetings have taken placebetween the interested parties andWoolworths’ administrator, Deloitte,since it went into administration.

Tesco and Waitrose are also thoughtto be among the potential bidders andare believed to interested in buyingsome outlets.

Woolworths’ majority shareholder,Ardeshir Naghshineh is believed to be

making plans to make a bid for thewhole group including distributiondivision Entertainment UK and2Entertain, which is a joint venturewith the BBC.

Tony Page, who runs Woolworths'retail stores division is believed to bemounting a bid with other members ofthe management team from the firm’sretail division.

Deloitte is compiling a shortlist ofbidders and says that the chain’s30,000 staff should keep their jobsuntil at least Christmas.

Neville Kahn, reorganisationservices partner at Deloitte,commented: “Since being appointedas Administrators on 27th Novemberwe have received substantialexpressions of interest in both

Woolworths Plc and Entertainment UKLtd (EUK). We continue to holddiscussions with a number of partiesinterested in buying Woolworths andEUK as going concerns, including witha number of new parties which haveapproached us in the last few days.We expect talks to continue into theearly part of next week.

“At the same time, we havereceived a substantial number of bids from parties interested in theWoolworths properties and have gone under offer on a large number of the stores.

“We are working as quickly aspossible to assess proposals. Wecontinue to work hard to ensure thatany sale of the businesses, in wholeor part, will preserve jobs.”

So, what happens next?…

Will Deloitte’s fire sale beenough to save the retailer?

For further details of these or any other products

or to arrange an appointment please call or e-mail us on:

E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)161 707 5555

E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)161 707 5555

5th - 10th Feb 2009Hall 10.0 / D-24

Nürnberg Toy Fair Germany

4th - 10th Jan 2009Room # 1631IntercontinentalGrand Stanford

Mody RoadHong Kong

31st Jan - 3rd Feb 2009Hall: 3.1 / G43Paperworld

Messe FrankfurtGermany

5th - 10th Feb 2009Hall 10.0 / D-24

Nürnberg Toy Fair Germany

4th - 10th Jan 2009Room # 1631IntercontinentalGrand Stanford

Mody RoadHong Kong

31st Jan - 3rd Feb 2009Hall: 3.1 / G43Paperworld

Messe FrankfurtGermany

This month’s news from the wires…

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Brio makes cuts,but UK unaffected

Brio has said it expects to lose about 30

staff as part of a restructuring of the firm

when it streamlines design, product

development and marketing operations.

However, the UK operation will not be

affected by the reorganisation plans.

“It does not affect Brio UK at all,” said

UK MD Paul Sirett. "The UK operation has

actually achieved significant cost savings

already over the last couple of years, so

we are a little ‘ahead of the game’.

“In summary, it is simply continued

good housekeeping for continuous

improvement.”

Hakan Johansson, acting CEO of Brio,

added: “Unfortunately our total sales

have been weaker than expected and we

calculate that the downturn in the global

economy will mean further challenges.

Therefore we must reduce costs in our

efforts to achieve profitability.”

The reorganisation will cost around

SEK41m (£3.3m), but is expected to result

in annual savings of SEK40m (£3.2m), the

firm said in a statement. The company

has 400 employees and reported a net

turnover of SEK930.1m (£75.4m) in 2007.

Crunch hits Character

The Character Group has issued a profit

warning as the credit crunch impacts on

the business. The statement explained

that retailers had cut back orders ahead

of the key Christmas trading period due to

a plunge in consumer confidence after the

global financial crisis.

“They’re very, very

reluctant to take in

inventory,” finance director

Kiran Shah said, adding

Character had seen a

“double digit” percentage drop in sales

volumes in recent weeks.

Re:Creation takes onPopCo range

PopCo has chosen

Re:creation as its new

distribution partner in

a deal that will see

the firm handle the

toy brands in the UK,

Ireland and Europe through 2010. The

agreement includes the range from the

next Harry Potter film, due in the summer.

Popco Entertainment CEO Michael

Cookson commented: “We have been

working hard over the last few weeks to

evaluate our distribution partnership

options in these key markets in order to

ensure that our exciting product line

continues to grow.

“We believe we have found the right

partner in Re:creation, who show great

excitement and enthusiasm for the

product line, as well as a strong

dedication to the customer base.”

"This is a very significant initiative for

both companies, one that synergises our

strengths,” said Re:creation MD Nick

Joslin (pictured above).

“Popco Entertainment has acquired

and developed an outstanding portfolio

of toys and collectibles, and clearly has a

very good eye for licences that deliver.”

Chinese protests ignite

Hundreds of

workers sacked

from Kaida toy

factory in China

clashed with

police and smashed buildings in the latest

bout of violent unrest linked to rising

unemployment.

The riot occurred in the Guangdong

Province after about 2,000 workers

gathered to demand severance pay.

The factory, which has been operating

for over 20 years and employed up to

6,500 workers, is owned by a Hong Kong

firm in Zhongtang that is in the process of

laying off workers.

Up to 7,000 laid-off workers staged a

similar protest in Guangdong last month

after another Hong Kong-owned toy

factory, one of China’s biggest, closed.

China’s social security minister, Yin

Weimin, described the employment

situation across the country as “critical”,

as the nation’s police chief warned his

deputies that this could lead to unrest.

“[You] should be aware of the

challenge brought by the global financial

crisis and try your best to maintain social

stability,” public security minister Meng

Jianzhu told his deputies.

Hamleys plans TV drive

Hamleys has announced its debut TV

campaign next autumn to mark its 250th

anniversary – and is seeking a top-line

sponsor to support the 18-month

campaign.

The drive will

also include print,

radio, online and

direct activity, in-

store events and

promotional projects.

The theme of the work will be ‘past,

present and future’. Hamleys’ head of

marketing Matt Webb said the story

would go “beyond the parameters of

retail”, and hinted that it may involve an

external theatrical production.

Once selected, Hamleys’ top-line

sponsor will be associated with every

aspect of the anniversary campaign.

Webb said he would consider

partnerships with a number of brands

outside the toy industry.

Bedlam makesCrazee decision

Bedlam Puzzles has

changed the name of

its Bedlam Cube to

the Crazee Cube. The

re-branding is down

to two main reasons, according to boss

Danny Bamping.

“There is a limited audience who

understand the meaning of Bedlam,

particularly younger and international

customers. Crazy, or Crazee, has much

wider understanding. It makes sense to

bring this well established, successful

product into the fold of the Crazee range

which now stands at around 40 products.

Crazee Thingz are confident that the

consumers and retailers will like the new

brand of The Crazee Cube.”

www.toynewsmag.com 7ONLINE NEWS

JANUARY 2009

TV30-second ad spots were created for bothproducts featuring the distinctive Spokesfrogcharacter interacting with children with a degreeof humour.

A third spot consisting of 15-second sectionsfor both products featuring Chewbacca of StarWars fame highlighted the Clone Warseducational gaming licence which is exclusive toLeapster2 and has featured extensively during adbreaks surrounding the Clone Wars episodesairing on Sky Movies.

The campaign across both products kicked offwith a high profile Tag spot during the second ofthe live X-Factor Finals shows.

The campaign was booked against housewives’choices and is set to deliver 350 TVRs. Otherhighlight spots include I’m A Celebrity…, ThisMorning & GMTV.

In addition two sponsorship campaigns havebeen running on Nick Jr in support of Tag, andon Jetix in support of Leapster2.

The sponsorships involve heavy TV presencealigned to dedicated microsites that hostcompetitions, demos, additional productinformation and the ability to click through topurchase from key retail partner websites.

The sponsorships allow LeapFrog to put theproducts in front of a dual audience of parentsand children watching together. To this end, the30-second spots created locally for bothcampaigns explore more of the child-focusedbenefits of the products.

ONLINELeapFrog has invested double the 2007 budget in2008 activity.

As well as the activity on Nick Jr and Jetix,the campaign also incorporates advertising andcompetitions on the following parent focusedwebsites: Bounty, Times Online & Pocketlint.

PARTNERSHIPSIn support of the innovative new reading productTag, LeapFrog has created a ‘Tag Love to Read’programme reaching 3,300 UK primary schoolsand 400,000 parents. The programme wasdelivered with educational experts and featuresadvice, teaching resources and fun interactivereading activities for parents, teachers andchildren. The campaign also lead to Nick Jrappointing LeapFrog as one of its Force ForGood suppliers with a dedicated TV ad andonline campaign in September(www.welovetoread.co.uk).

The firm has also partnered with the ScoutsOrganisation to highlight the launch ofLeapster2 to the youngest members of theorganisation, the Beavers Scouts. A SpaceExplorers pack was produced with input from theNational Space Museum, with activities thathelped the Beaver Scouts earn activity badgesand also introduced Leapster2 and its spacethemed games, Stars Wars and Wall-E. Over30,000 packs have already been ordered bymembers.

PRPR highlights include Sinitta in Hello magazineusing the Tag Reading System with her children,the appearance of Leapster2 on This Morning inAugust and Tag stealing some limelight at theDream Toys eventwith a piece aired to6.8 million viewerson GMTV.

Leapfrog’s key new product launches for autumn2008 – Tag and Leapster 2 – have been supportedwith a vibrant mix of TV, online and several PRpartnerships with target group organisations…

LeapFrogLeapster2/TAG

8 CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

JANUARY 2008

ACCORDING TO THE BRITISHRetail Consortium, conditions aretough for consumers and retailers atthe moment and predictions are fora challenging 2009.

The BRC’s latest Retail SalesMonitor shows like-for-like saleshave now fallen in seven of the lasteight months. Eighty-five per cent ofconsumers believe they are feelingthe impact of the recession and arereining in their spending.

Whilst the half-term week didn’tprovide an accurate indication ofmarket performance for theremainder of the year, as is generallythe case, the toy market came out ofyear-to-date October 2008registering no growth over YTDOctober 2007 sales. And while themarket remained flat in value, inunits, however, it has seen a five percent growth over last year’s figures.

This increase in units sold comesas average prices have dropped fiveper cent for the year-to-dateOctober 2008, to a low of £6.11 atthe beginning of the festive period.As at year-to-date October, retailerscashed in a total of £995 million,with November likely to take thesales over the £1billion mark (NPDEpos YTD Data 2008).

With the grey economic skieslooming above, it seems inevitablethat the recession will take its tollon the toy business. The YTD wasflat in sales, and October declinedfour per cent, but all the same sixsupercategories grew in salescompared to last year, which

is helping to drive the toybusiness forward.

The biggest growth still lieswith Building Sets, which isup 21 per cent for the year toOctober. This is followed byPlush and Vehicles, amongstothers. Building Sets, driven bythe whole Lego Star Wars Range,is not the only category to bebenefitting from the growth of theStar Wars licence. Action Figuresand Accessories has also foundsuccess with the licence – andwith the increasingly popular Ben 10.

Infant/ Preschool is showingsigns of growth driven by thestrong performance of the In TheNight Garden property, as well asPeppa Pig, which has conquered thehearts of the young children.

On the properties front, saleshave been led by the boyscharacters, whilst the girls sales arebeing upheld by In The NightGarden and High School Musical,both strong in the Top Ten licenceslist. Dora the Explorer has alsoshown determination in these tough times, with registered growthin the Infant/Preschool as well asthe Dolls Category.

It is with great anticipation thatretailers and manufacturers,

likewise, await the outcome of thefinal weeks trading up to Christmas.With the Government’s drop inVAT, plus retailers’ promotionalactivity to encourage consumersinto stores, it is hoped thatconsumers will eventually come outto spend their money. As we headinto December, hopefully theChristmas spirit will help turnthings around.

Tin hats onfor a tough 2009

The YTD was flat in sales, but sixsupercategories grew in sales

compared to last year, which is helpingto drive the toy business forward.

Top 5 PropertiesOctober 20081. STAR WARS2. THOMAS AND FRIENDS3. IN THE NIGHT GARDEN4. BEN 105. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Best ItemProgression October 2008

Fur Real BiscuitMy Lovin PupDespite coming in at over £100,Hasbro’s life-sized interactivegolden retriever puppy has leaptup the table from position 234to eight.

Best PropertyProgressionOctober 2008

TagLeapfrog’s electronic readingsystem is continuing to do welland moved up from 244 to 121.The property is likely to befurther boosted by a newschoolscampaign withcelebrity mumSinnita.

10 NPD RESEARCH

UK Toy Sales(value, year to date)

Oct2007

Oct2008 0%

Source: NPD

Sept 08: £6.18 Oct 08: £8.07

Sales Average Price

PropertiesRetail Sales Trends

UK OCTOBER 2008 (£ SALES - VALUE) UK OCTOBER 2008 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 BEN 10 FIGS 10CM ASST BANDAI

2 CARS VEHICLE ASST MATTEL

3 IN THE NIGHT GARDEN TLK PLUSH HASBRO TOYS

4 BEN 10 15CM ACTION BANDAI

5 BEN 10 OMNITRIX FX WATCH BANDAI

6 IN THE NIGHT GARDEN MINI PLUSH ASST HASBRO TOYS

7 HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASST MATTEL

8 POWER RANGERS 12.5CM FIGURES BANDAI

9 TF MOVIE LEGENDS HASBRO TOYS

10 DR WHO FIVE-INCH FIGS ASST CHARACTER OPTIONS

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)




4 MATCH ATTAX CARDS TOPPS

5 TF MOVIE LEGENDS HASBRO TOYS

6 POWER RANGERS 12.5CM FIGURES BANDAI



9 WWE RUTHLESS AGGRESSION JAKKS PACIFIC VIVID

10 DR WHO FIVE-INCH FIGS ASST CHARACTER OPTIONS

NPD Eurotoys is the Number 1information provider forMarket Research to the Toy Industry in Europe

Contact: NPD Eurotoys UK, Rosemount House, Rosemount AvenueWest Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 6LB. _ 01 932 355 580

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES - VALUE)






6 HSM SINGALONG MICROPHONE VIVID IMAGINATIONS


8 BIONICLE MISTIKA LEGO

9 STAR WARS LEGO

10 ZEEBEEZ RE CREATION

1 KIDIZOOM CAMERA VTECH



4 BG BOUNCE N SPIN ZEBRA FISHER-PRICE CORE MATTEL


6 ITNG HUGGLE SNUGGLE IGLLEPIGG HASBRO TOYS

7 V SMILE TV LEARNING SYSTEM VTECH

8 FUR REAL BISCUIT MY LOVIN PUP TIGER ELECTRONICS HASBRO

9 MUSIC & MOTION CHOO CHOO FISHER-PRICE CORE MATTEL

10 BEN 10 DLX OMNITRIX BANDAI

NOTES: All participating NPD retail data suppliers provide weekly data via EPOS systems. NPD figures are not projected to represent non-participating retailers but provide 100 percent of the sales from participating stores. EPoS sample includes the following retailers: Argos, Boots, ELC, Freemans, Gamleys, Grattan, Hamleys, Littlewoods, Mothercare, ShopDirect, Tesco, The Entertainer, Woolworths, WHSmith, Sainsbury's, Toymaster, Asda, Mailorderexpress. The approximate coverage is of 71%.

www.toynewsmag.com 11NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

A TREAT for all you TV ad spendlovers this month. A chance to lookat the full year’s worth of figures tosee who comes out top over thecourse of 12 months. Our figuresfrom Billets/Thomson Intermediashow who maintained theirmarketing over the full course of ayear, as opposed to the occasionalspikes that happen around a bigproduct release.

No surprise to see Mattel at thetop of the estimated spend sharechart, closely shadowed by Hasbro.Character Options leads the chasingpack ahead of Vivid Imaginationsand Tomy. The interesting thingabout looking at the yearly figures isthat the combination of a full year’scampaigns shows which retailers arereally getting behind their toy ranges.Normally the monthly spend is neverenough to grab a decent amount ofspend share, so tends to feature inthe nether reaches of the charts orslip under the radar altogether.

Advertiser Product Estimated Spend Share

PRODUCT SPEND 12 Months to September ‘08

Full-year shows retail power

12 TV TRENDS ANALYSIS

TOYS R US TOYS R US 3.09%

ARGOS ARGOS DEALS 2.01%

HASBRO MONOPOLY 1.17%

ARGOS ARGOS DEALS & GIFT GUIDE 1.14%

LEAPFROG CLICK START COMPUTER 0.98%

HASBRO 3 FOR 2 GAMES 0.93%

VTECH VSMILE BABY 0.83%

FLAIR GORMITI 0.80%

HASBRO IN THE NIGHT GARDEN IGGLEPIGGLE 0.75%

MATTEL CARS DRIVE IN DRAGSTRIP 0.74%

ASDA ASDA CHRISTMAS 0.69%

HASBRO NERF DART TAG 0.66%

BANDAI BEN 10 0.63%

THE IN THING MANDY MIX UP DOLL 0.61%

ZAPF BABY ANNABELL ACCESSORIES 0.60%

BANDAI POWER RANGERS 0.60%

HASBRO TOOTH TUNES 0.59%

MATTEL MY BABY 0.58%

MATTEL GIRL TECH PASSWORD JOURNAL 0.55%

BANDAI TAMAGOTCHI 0.54%

HASBRO PLAYSKOOL 0.53%

HASBRO MY LITTLE PONY PONYVILLE 0.52%

ZAPF BABY ANNABELL DOLL 0.51%

LEGO LEGO CITY 0.51%

HASBRO ELEFUN 0.49%

ZAPF BABY BORN MAGIC EYES 0.49%

MATTEL DORA TALKING CASH REGISTER 0.47%

MATTEL 20Q HAND HELD 0.47%

MATTEL SCENE IT FRIENDS DVD GAME 0.46%

LEGO LEGO BIONICLE 0.46%

HASBRO PLAYDOH OCTOPUS 0.44%

MATTEL PIXEL CHIX ROOMIES 0.44%

MATTEL HOT WHEELS SPEED RACER HELEX 0.43%

MATTEL BARBIE ISLAND 3 0.43%

HASBRO BOP IT 0.42%

MATTEL AMAZING ANIMALS 0.42%

MATTEL PIRANHA PANIC 0.42%

RC2 TAKE ALONG THOMAS RACE SET 0.42%

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SPEND BY ADVERTISER 12 Months to Sept ‘08A full-year sample shows Argos

giving the most backing to its toyoffering, closely followed by Toys RUs as the leading specialist toyretailer. In fact, overall they were thetwo biggest single campaigns, albeitcovering a number of differentproducts over the course of a year.

Asda is the top spendingsupermarket, but is matched nearlyblow for blow by Sainsbury’s, whichhas greatly increased its commitmentto the toy market over the last 12months. Maybe it’s only a loss leader,but the supermarket is certainlyletting people know about it. AndIrish chain Smyths may be largelyclueless about PR, but is reallyputting its money where its mouth isin its bid to establish its presence onthe UK mainland.

And what have been the mostadvertised products in the 12months to September according toour friends from Billets? Hasbro’sMonopoly, that’s what. But Leapfrogis to be congratulated for the effort ithas put behind its Click Startcomputer for pre-schoolers. Its greatrival VTech is not far behind with itscampaign for V.Smile Baby. Flairpromised big backing for its Gormitirange and has delivered just that,although the range has yet to mirrorits success in its native country.

Ronnie Dungan

Estimated Spend Share

TOP SPEND BY ADVERTISER

1. CARS DRIVE IN DRAGSTRIP

2. MY BABY

3. DORA TALKING CASH REGISTER

4. SCENE IT FRIENDS DVD GAME

5. PIXEL CHIX ROOMIES

TOP SPEND BY RETAILER

1. POWER T GUITAR COMPETITION

2. 3 FOR 2 GAMES

3. NIGHT GARDEN IGGLEPIGGLE

4. NERF DART TAG

5. TOOTH TUNES

1. DR WHO DALEKS VOICE CHANGER

2. SHINING STARS

3. GR8 ART BINDEEZ

4. BOYS RANGE

5. DR WHO MICRO UNIVERSE

www.toynewsmag.com 13 TV TRENDS ANALYSIS

1. I LOVE PONIES

2. ANIMAL HOSPITAL

3. LOVE 2 LOVE BEARS

4. FIFI & THE FLOWERTOTS

5. CRAYOLA COLOUR EXPLOSION

Argos gavethe mostbacking to its

toy offering, closelyfollowed byToys R Us.

MATTEL 24.9%

HASBRO 17.41%

CHARACTER OPTIONS 8.3%

VIVID IMAGINATIONS 5.74%

TOMY 4.46%

ZAPF CREATION 3.37%

ARGOS 3.16%

TOYS R US 3.09%

FLAIR 2.5%

BANDAI 2.09%

LEGO 1.73%

DRUMOND PARK 1.6%

MGA ENTERTAINMENT 1.56%

SPINMASTER 1.18%

THE IN THING 1.11%

LITTLE TIKES 1.07%

LEAPFROG 1.07%

MEGA BRANDS 1.07%

RE:CREATION 1.02%

PLAYMOBIL 0.90%

VTECH 0.86%

RAVENSBURGER 0.83%

GROSSMAN 0.82

ASDA 0.81%

RC2 0.70%

CORINTHIAN 0.63%

HORNBY 0.60%

GOLDEN BEAR 0.53%

WORLDS APART 0.43%

TESCO 0.41%

1

2

3

4

5

6

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10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

ARGOS 3.16%

TOYS R US 3.09%

ASDA 0.81%

SAINSBURY’S 0.35%

WH SMITH 0.18%

WOOLWORTHS 0.14%

SMYTHS 0.06%

1. SSHH DONT WAKE DAD

2. CELLA ACCESSORY MACHINE

3. CELLA

4. THOMAS POST OFFICE LOADER MEGA

5. POP UP PIRATE

JANUARY 2009

APRIL 2009 • Boys Market Special • Games & Puzzles • Track Racing and Trains • Kids’ MagazinesEditorial Deadline: February 6th Advertising Deadline: March 13th

MAY 2009 • Toymaster Show Special • Action Vehicles (inc. R/C and Die-Cast) • Pre-School • Large DollsEditorial Deadline: March 13th Advertising Deadline: April 10th

JUNE 2009 • Girls Market Special • Fashion Dolls • Summer MoviesEditorial Deadline: April 10th Advertising Deadline: May 8th

JULY 2009 • Electronic Learning • Dress-Up and Halloween • Creative PlayEditorial Deadline: May 8th Advertising Deadline: June 17th

AUGUST 2009 • Construction Sets • Plush • Green ProductsEditorial Deadline: June 17th Advertising Deadline: July 7th

2009 FEATURE PLANNER

• Show Reviews

• Outdoor Toys

• Toy of the Year Award Winners

• Science and Education Toys

MARCH 2009

Editorial Deadline: January 9thAdvertising Deadline: February 13th

ToyNews ContactsEditorial: Ronnie Dungan, +44 (0) 1992 535646,[email protected]

Advertising: Adrian Miles, +44 (0) 1992 535647,[email protected]: +44 (0) 1992 535648, Web: www.toynewsmag.com

14 FEATURE PLANNER

•EXCEL Toy Fair Show issue

• Nuremberg Show issue

• American Int. Toy Fair Preview

Editorial Deadline: November 27thAdvertising Deadline: December 12th

FEBRUARY 2009

10,000 circulation

Got any events you would like to see added to the calendar? Email [email protected]

Once the destination event for the international toy trade the February showstill attracts more than 20,000 visitors and over a thousand exhibitors…

SPIELWARENMESSEFebruary 5th – 10th 2009Nurembergwww.spielwarenmesse.de

HONG KONG TOY AND GAMES FAIRJanuary 5th – 8thHong Kong Convention Centrehttp://hktoyfair.hktdc.com/index.htm

TOY FAIRJanuary 28th – 31st 2009ExCeL, Londonwww.toyfair.co.uk

TOY RUSSIAMarch 11th – 14th 2009Crocus Expo, Moscowwww.toy-russia.com

ToymasterMay 19th – 21st Majestic Hotel, Harrogatewww.toymaster.co.uk

ABRIN (Brazilian Toy Fair)April 14th – 17thExpo Center NorteBlue & White Pavilions. São Paulo, Brazilwww.abrin.com.br

CANADIAN TOY AND HOBBY FAIRJanuary 24th – 26th 2009Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre,Toronto www.cdntoyassn.com

SPRING FAIRFebruary 1st – 5th 2009Birmingham NECwww.springfair.com

American International Toy FairFebruary 15th – 18thJavits Centre, New Yorkwww.toyassociation.org

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

www.toynewsmag.com 15EVENTS

AmericanInternational Toy Fair

JANUARY 2009

UNIVERS D’ENFANTSJanuary 25th – 28th 2009Grand Hall de Villette, Pariswww.univers-enfants.com

MIDDLE EAST TOY FAIRMarch 23-25th 2009Dubai International Convention andExhibition Centre www.toyfairdubai.com

THE 106TH annual Toy Fair willopen its doors on February15th-18th 2009 at the JavitsCenter and showrooms in NewYork. More than 20,000 visitorsfrom across the globe areexpected to attend.

Although the February is nolonger the must-attendinternational even it once was,and the TIA’s Fall show hasovertaken it in terms ofimportance to the trade, it isstill at the heart of the $22bnUS marketplace and boastsmore than 1,200 exhibitingcompanies from around theworld. Over 100,000 productswill be on display with at least7,000 making their debut atthe four-day show.

Sourcing new product hasbeen simplified this year, withthe recent revision of the 14product-focused FeatureSections. Five new categoriesjoin the section line-up,including Action Figures;Educational Toys & Games;Science and Discovery Kits;Infant & Preschool Toys andAccessories; Outdoor Toys,Play Equipment, Ride-Ons &Sporting Goods; and YouthElectronics, Tech Toys,Interactive Gaming & Robotics.Sitting alongside these, manyof the remaining sections haveseen name modifications.

Up to date information onsafety and regulatory issueswill be presented during aSafety Seminar (being heldMonday Feburary 16th), and anew retail seminar will focuson how to thrive and survive inthe current tough economicclimate (Tuesday February17th). Drop-In LearningSessions will also be held daily

on the show floor.The 9th annual Toy of the

Year (TOTY) Awards will beheld Sunday February 15th.The awards salute thecreativity and success of thetop toy industry professionalsby honouring them and thebest toys developed by theinternational toycommunity. Alsohonoured at the eventwill be Joan GanzCooney, co-founder ofChildren's TelevisionWorkshop (renamedSesame Workshop in2000) and JackPressman, founder ofJ. Pressman &Company (PressmanToys) who will beinducted into the2009 Toy IndustryHall of Fame.

WHERE AND WHEN?February 15th-18thJavits Centre,New York

www.toyassociation.org

JANUARY 2009

Former Jumbo MD Jo Birkin has returnedto the industry, setting up a UK operationfor Canenco.

The Dutch-owned toys and stationerygroup is called Canenco in Europe andSlammer HK group in the Far East, withoffices in Holland, Denmark, Germany andHong Kong.

The plan is to create and develop genericlines under the Slammer brand. Under thebrand Undercover or TCF it is one ofEurope's leading developers in Disneystationery, arts and craft and bags. InBenelux it has been trading for 25 years.

The firm is owned by Martijn Kuenen,buying director and Jan-Bart Kolsteren,sales director.

Kuenen said: “We are delighted to haveJo on board as our UK director. We believeestablishing a UK operation supported witha team that understands the local market iscritical to our growth and future success inthe UK”.

Birkin said: “Canenco have built a strongbusiness in Europe and deliver qualityproduct with strong licenses. I amimpressed with the success to date in theUK and delighted to be a part of thisbusiness. I look forward to building a soundbusiness that offers UK retailers qualityproducts that secure volume sales andhealthy profits all year round”.

She will start 5th January 2009 and be atthe Hong Kong Toy Fair 5th to 9th January.

Polly Cochrane has left Channel 4 tojoin WBUK as its new VP and to head upthe marketing team.

Cochrane will report to Josh Berger,president and MD at the firm and will beresponsible for marketing across a range ofdivisions, including Warner Bros ConsumerProducts.

The appointment has been made as partof a strategy to maximise profitability andensure a consistency of strategy andcommunications.

Cochrane will join the executive boardand be accountable to the UK MDs and

senior divisional management when heractivities relate to their specific businessunits.

Rocket Licensing’s new recruit MichelaBaiocchi joins at a time of growing activityfor the company and underlines thecontinuing expansion of the firm’s businessand client base.

Baiocchi will assist in all sales andmarketing activities and develop and buildthe portfolio, which includes Atari, TheDangerous Book for Boys, The DaringBook for Girls, MGM and a number ofHBO brands.

Baiocchi joins from Warner BrosEntertainment Italy, where she followed upa Masters degree in MarketingManagement at Milan’s Bocconi Universitywith an internship in the consumerproducts division.

During her stint at Warner, Baiocchiacted as licensing assistant with thecategory manager team with a focus onapparel, accessories, houseware anddomestic and automotive categories. Shealso assisted the director of agents anddeveloping markets.

Rob Wijeratna, joint MD of Rocket said:“At a time when Rocket’s progress in thelicensing world reflects its name, we werelooking for someone with enthusiasm,energy, ability and intelligence to help takeRocket even further.

“Michela has all these qualities and mostimportantly of all, shares Rocket’sexcitement in exploring the possibilities ofthe rapidly changing media environment.We are delighted to welcome her to RocketLicensing.”

Publisher HarperCollins has announcedthat Melanie Beer has joined the companyas head of licensing and contentdevelopment, children’s. She started onDecember 1st.

Popular industry personality Beer wasmost recently global merchandising andlicensing director for ITV, a role she left inSeptember.

APPOINTMENTSBirkin returns with Dutch outfit, Beer pops up at Harper Collins…

FROM LEFT: Harper Collins’ Mel Beer; Polly Cochrane from WBUK and Rocket’s Michela Baiocchi

> Good to have you back. I think a lot of people were wonderingwhere you went after Jumbo. There was a little matter of a babyto take care of I believe?

Yes, I cannot report much rest and relaxation in the few months outof toys. Simply baby talk, playing with toys for under-ones andCBeebies. So I guess, in a way, I have been doing my research andkeeping up to date with the world of toys.

> I see. And you still want to come back? It’s murder out there youknow?

Yes I attended the Disney conference and many suppliers I talkedwith were feeling cautious over 2008 final results and 2009!However, Disney did not let me down with focus and enthusiasm foran industry that will always be here. Obviously changes arehappening and the winners will be the ones that embraceopportunity and maybe reinvent themselves to stay in the game. Ican see several innovative toy companies and retailers building for abright future and whilst prudence has never been more talked about,the insustry is still alive! And I guess Canenco are proof of that, stillgrowing despite the tough climate. Although we are very optimistic,we plan to be caution and prudent to ensure we can deliver salesand profit to both ourselves and retail.

> Tell me a bit about Canenco?Canenco is a Dutch-owned toys and stationery group called CanencoGroup in Europe and Slammer HK group in the Far East, withcompanies in Holland, Denmark, Germany and Hong Kong. Its 75people are creating and developing their own generic lines in thebrand called Slammer. Under the brand Undercover or TCF they areone of Europe’s leading developer of Disney stationery, arts andcrafts and bags. In Benelux they have been trading for 25 years.The Slammer brand is specialised in arts and craft, stationery, dress

up, bath and trend items and also develop private label or tailormade solutions for the biggest names in retail. Over the last fewyears they developed a major Disney partnership with pan-Europeanrights and extended rights for the counties were they have their ownoffices.

> Oi. No cutting and pasting :-) Doesn’t sound a million miles awayfrom what Jumbo does. What sort of operation will it be in theUK? Just you or a small team?

For me the two are worlds apart. Jumbo is a specialist in games andpuzzles and trying to hang on to heritage games whereas Canencomaximises its Disney offer and what they’re doing with product issimple innovation. They put together bespoke ranges for retailers tofit a range of solutions. I’m really energised by this opportunity eventhough I’ve never done anything but work with brands before.

> And the UK plans?As far as UK goes, I have one account manager, Hein Meurer, whohas been looking after the UK for a little while already so he’s gotgreat knowledge of market. But I think people want to deal withsomeone from this market too who has in-depth knowledge of it. SoI’ll be going back to basics really and using his knowledege of thestationery sector. We first have to hit the budgets we want to hit inthe first six months and then look at how we set up a UK office.

You’vegot mail

Subject:Jo Birkin,UK DirectorCanenco

16 APPOINTMENTS

MARCH 1995 saw me edit my firstedition of Toy Trader and thus begana glorious new era for toy tradejournalism(!) although my first-everissue was not without a bit of a faux pas.

In an article about Pedigree Dolls,I accidentally used a photo of a Tomyfashion doll that twirled on a baselike a ballerina where a picture forSindy should have appeared. Hey,give me a break, I thought. I was 22years old and far more interested inplaying with real girls of my age thanplaying with plastic replicas.

That’ll teach them to entrust theeditorship to a callow youth, Ithought. But it was too late and,before long, I was hooked by the glitz,glamour and intrigue of a business asendearing as the toy market,

Thinking about what best sums upthe differences between the toyindustry of the mid-to-late ‘90s andthe one of today, ‘professionalism’and ‘innovation’ are two words thatimmediately come to mind.

Buyers, always a vital lynchpin inthe sales process in any industry, weretreated like royalty – although thefringe benefits that they were said tobe offered then would make youcringe today, with sexual favours,brown envelopes and white goodsbeing among the most popular.

No names, no pack drills. Youknow who you are.

Of course, it is unfair to single outthe toy business as the sole purveyorof that kind of behaviour. It wasanother age and that was the climateback then. Employees had fewerrights and far more people wouldbend the rules for personal benefit.

There is greater transparency inthe business world these days and thesurveillance age we live in has a lotto do with it. I’m not implyinganything sinister; just that it is harderto hide your mistakes ormisdemeanours nowadays, innocentor otherwise, because of the trail leftby computers. Surely, that has to be agood thing, doesn’t it?

Some people argue against this,citing political correctness gone madas their defence. My partner, a seniorHR professional for a retail PLC, tellsthe story of how staff once dressed up

a blow-up doll in store uniform andsat it at a till. Today, that wouldmean an investigation with headsrolling but, in the early ‘90s, it wascommon for such pranks involvingbullying, sexism, ageism and evenracism to go unpunished. Few peoplecan wish for a return to that era.

My early career in publishing was

dominated by writing aboutindependent retailers and the worldthey moved in. I had worked onmagazines such as Motorcycle Traderand Cycle Trader before the headyheights of Toy Trader beckoned. Ieventually became managing editorof the retail division of that publisher.As a result, the esoteric individualityof the specialist retailer became myspeciality.

If memory serves me right, thecirculation of Toy Trader in 1995 wasover 8,000 copies each month, withover 6,000 of those being sent to

retailers, the vast majority of whichwere independents. What a contrastto today. This magazine boasts thehighest circulation of any UK toymagazine, but the number ofindependents who receive it has been slashed.

Of course, the reasons that smallerretailers continue to struggle arelegion and would demand a lengthyexplanation. But, suffice to say,economies of scale proved irresistibleto bargain-hungry consumers and themarch of the multi-channel multiple(now, there’s a neat alliteration foryou) continues to prove too much for the frail and vulnerableindependent. Enough said.

Product categories have remainedamazingly consistent over my time,with basic descriptions hardlychanging. True, there have beenrefinements and sophistications withineach, but a pre-school toy is still apre-school toy, a doll is still a doll anda soft toy is still a soft toy. I alwaysused to say, rather disingenuously, tojournalists who quizzed me about thetoy industry’s attempts to competewith the rise of video games that: “Youcan’t kick a computer around thegarden or play with one in the bath”when evidence was mounting thatinteractive entertainment was takingover the globe.

That was then….We all know that nostalgia isn’t the same as it was in the old days, so Jon Salisbury was surprised whenToyNews asked him to pen some words on the changes he has seen in the toy market that have brought it towhere it is today. Salisbury tried his best to avoid the maudlin in revisiting what has been his stomping groundfor almost a quarter of a century, but has he succeeded? Only you can tell…

Product categories have remainedamazingly consistent over my time, with

basic descriptions hardly changing. True,there have been refinements, but a pre-schooltoy is still a pre-school toy, a doll is stilla doll and a soft toy is still a soft toy.

JANUARY 2009

18 INDUSTRY OPINION THEN AND NOW

The fashion doll sector continues to be abattleground for the top toy manufacturersto fight over

This is where innovation hasplayed its part and why it hascome to pass now that the twoindustries can coexist. Justwitness The Entertainer’ssuccessful trial in 47 stores withNintendo’s Wii and DS: videogame systems that are every bita toy as well.

Says The Entertainer’sbuying director Stuart Grant ofthe Nintendo experience: “Ithas just been unbelievable.” Headds that those productsperfectly suit the store’s family-oriented target market andNintendo agrees, investing asix-figure sum in refitting all ofthe stores with in-store displaysincluding plasma screens.Smaller stores will have onesingle wall bay, while the biggerstores will have double wallbays with two screens.

Some things never change,though, and the ongoingdispute in the fashion dollcategory continues unabated.The Bratz/Barbie scrap is justthe latest in a long line of eyescratching episodes betweenthe contenders. One incidentearly on in my toy careertaught me never to interferewhen the gals concerned aregoing at it hammer and tong,for which I can finally offer myheartfelt apologies to allconcerned.

Hasbro had becomecustodians of the Britishfashion doll flame, havinglicensed Sindy from the ownersof the brand, Pedigree, and a

re-launch was imminent. I’dseen the new-look Sindy andstupidly faxed a photo toMattel for its comment, neverstopping for a moment toconsider the far-reachingimplications of what I wasdoing... and the proverbial hitthe fan.

I pleaded ignorance whenchallenged by Jim Andrews,then sales director of Hasbro inthe UK. Of course, he knew Iwas to blame and I can onlyhope that, all these years later,Jim can forgive me for beingsuch a plonker.

Fast forward to 1994 andSindy was hurting Mattel andwas within one market sharepoint of Barbie. And JohnHarper, now at Hasbro butthen MD of Mattel UK, hadsecured major investment fromHQ in El Segundo to mountBarbie’s most aggressive evermarketing campaign on theseshores under the ratherunsubtle code name ‘KillSindy,’ with a focus on lower-priced dolls. The results weredramatic, sales flew and therest is history.

That Mattel came out withits guns blazing when it senseda guilty party in the latestattack on its most famousbrand came as no surprise toanyone with any experience ofdealing with the company overthe years. There is nothingmore dangerous than a brandwith its back against the wall in this industry.

JANUARY 2009

While parts of the industry landscape have changed dramatically over thelast 25 years, many toys haven’t altered at all since yesteryear...

www.toynewsmag.com 19THEN AND NOW INDUSTRY OPINION

� A whole myriad of gift ideas

� Classic and modern toys

� Specialist crafts and hobbies

� Nursery goods

� Educational toys

� Collectibles and models

� Die-cast and railways

� Traditional board games and puzzles

� Interactive games and learning

� Wooden Toys

� Outdoor games and products

� Fancy dress costumes and accessories

Pre-register for your FREE visitor entry badge at: www.toyfair.co.uk. Or receive a registration form by calling the hotline on 02476 426471 or by faxing us at 02476 426524.For further information on exhibiting and sponsorship contact: Simon Pilling, Fairs and Events Manager, by telephone: +44 (0)20 7701 7127 or by email: [email protected] Unfortunately members of the public are unable to attend.

TOYFAIR09

WED 28TH TO SAT 31ST JANUARY2009. EXCEL, LONDON

THE TOY INDUSTRY’S SHOWCASE

TNj

FEATURINGPLAYMOBIL•JAMES GALT•INTERPLAY •LEARNING

RESOURCES •BODEN BOOGAMES•MARBEL•PAULLAMOND•ROBBIE TOYS

•TRIMEX

AND MANY MORE

JANUARY 2009

Can you give us a bit of backgroundon Russimco and Gazebo?Russimco is based near Bridgwater inthe West Country and was founded byme and my brother Sam in 1993,initially sourcing products from EasternEurope and importing them to theUK. Far from the days when wespecialised in mainly wooden toys, theportfolio has now changed and has afocus on bringing innovative newconcepts to market that are not seenfrom other firms in the UK.

Myself and my colleague RichardBowman pride ourselves on newinnovation and have a strong ethos ofhelping make the world a better placethrough providing toys that enhancegood old-fashioned play values andhave a real feeling of yesteryear. We’realso focused on creating newinnovative lines that have groundbreaking qualities, such as theEcotronic Toys range.

In 2002 Russimco incorporatedGazebo Games, an established gamesand puzzle manufacturer, also based inthe South West. During 2008 all theGazebo product lines were boughtunder the Russimco banner.

How would you classify the firm?I guess ‘niche’ is the correct way todescribe Russimco. We pride ourselvesin thinking outside of the box when itcomes to toys. This was certainly thecase with Ecotronic, which is a projectthat is close to my heart. When thiswas launched no other toy companywas offering such a product. You haveto ask yourself why no-one hasthought about battery-less electronic

toys before. When looking into thedetails of how many batteries end upin landfill sites each year in the UKalone, I was appalled and knew thatwe would make a real difference if wecould create a dynamo powered range.

What sort of year has it been forRussimco? I think any company that says 2008has not been tough would not be beingentirely truthful. We had a lot of newinnovation and development to pay forwith the launch of the Ecotronicrange, but this has paid off. Thecollection has been really well receivedand we certainly could have sold morehad we been able to supply greaternumbers. But, as with most newcollections we had to apply a degree ofcaution. Now we feel more confidentfor 2009 and have extended the range.

Our Retro Games have also doneparticularly well. We have a hugeselection and the prices are reallygood, meaning that even in thecurrent climate they have sold well.

Do the current economic conditionspose more of a threat to toys that arenot so mainstream?As long as we have distribution then Ido not feel the current climate willaffect us more than any other toycompany. The fact is that we have notTV-advertised in the past and ourproducts don’t warrant it. But they aretoys and games that people instantlywant to buy when they see them instore. There is a real point ofdifference about everything we do andthis constant innovation anddevelopment will help keep us buoyanteven at times like this.

What sort of stores stock yourproduct outside of toy specialists? Right across the board really, we havemany independent accounts and alsowe have been really popular with giftshops and the gift buyers ofdepartment store. But the introductionof Ecotronic has taken us firmly in tomajors and multiple territory.

What has been the reaction to theEcotronic range?Fabulous! The media really embracedthe story and we have had loads ofcoverage for all products in the range.It’s been exciting but it’s the retailbuyer, and ultimately the consumer,that we have to impress. Nearlyeveryone who has seen the collectionhas been really impressed. The factthat items are packaged in eco-friendlypackaging helps too. The packaging hascertainly helped reinforce the wholeethos of this being a range ofenvironmentally conscious products.

Wind-up merchantsRussimco is carving a niche for itself in the science and educational market – inparticular with its range of Ecotronic battery-free wind-up electronic toys.Ronnie Dungan fired some questions at director Sim Oram to find out more…

www.toynewsmag.com 21SUPPLIER FOCUS RUSSIMCO

Nearly everyonewho has seen the

Ecotronic range hasbeen really impressed.The eco-friendlypackaging helps.

TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights (©) JKR. (s08)

© & TM Ardman Animations ltd 2007. All rights reserved.

2009 MasterToy Range

re:creation group plc. | tel: +44 (0) 118 973 6222 | email: [email protected] | web: www.recreationplc.com

TM & © 2008 Nintendo.

TM & © Novel Entertainment Limited 2008.

New Range

[email protected] Hotline 01869 363800

launching Spring 2009

The Simpsons Family : 240 piecesTHE SIMPSONS™ ©2006 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

High School Musical 3 : 96 pieces© Disney

Hannah Montana : 96 pieces© Disney

Disney Princess : 60 pieces4 to collect!© Disney

Ben 10 : 96 pieces

Spongebob Squarepants : 240 pieces© 2008 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Pokemon : 60 pieces4 to collect!

The World on v-stand : 540 pieces

Historical World on v-stand : 540 pieces

14573 TN Puzzleball full page.indd 1 27/11/08 16:52:46

The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

BTHA’s Director General, Roland Earllooks at the formula for creatingsuccessful licensed toys...

Toys and licensingPage 28

Nick Phillips leaves as EntertainmentRights restructures, 4Kids secureslicences for Dinosaur King andChaotic, Chorion teams up withComic Relief...

NewsPages 26-27

JANUARY 2009

MATTEL GIVEN THE BIRDBBC Worldwide has awardedMattel’s Fisher-Price the master toylicence for 3rd & Bird.

The product line will debut inspring/summer 2010 in the UK, withroll-out in other markets, includingthe US, expected to follow.

Under the licence, Fisher-Price hasglobal rights (excluding Asia) todevelop pre-school, infant and toddlertoys including plastic figurines, toys,vehicles, playsets and plush.Mattel: 01628 500000

KOALAS SAY CIAOSpellbound Entertainment hassigned two new broadcast deals inItaly for the Koala Brothers.

State broadcaster RAI 2 has boughtthe first three series plus the 46-minute Christmas special, The KoalaBrothers Outback Christmas. The dealwas brokered by Lilium Distribution.

Disney Channel in Italy has alsotaken cable and satellite rights for theseries and has signed up for all 78episodes, plus the Christmas special.Spellbound: 0207 483 2172

NUMBERJACKS ADDS UPOpen Mind Productions’ Numberjackshas been commissioned for a secondseries by the BBC.

Since launching in the UK in 2006,Numberjacks has achieved strongratings on Cbeebies, regularlyachieving audience figures in excessof 450,000 viewers. DVD sales are inexcess of 175,000 units and itsmagazine is also performing well.Open Mind: 0845 890 9192

HAWKS STORM AHEADThe boy’s action property StormHawks claimed the number one spoton GMTV Kid’s Action Stations blockwith an average 85,000 viewers perday. The figures equate to 6.7 percent of the total audience and 11 percent of boys aged four to nineyears-old.

Storm Hawks is licensed in theUK by Target Entertainment Groupand has five toy lines in themarketplace, manufactured bymaster toy licensee, Spin Master.Target: 0870 164 7474

MORE W&G PROMOSAardman’s brand partnered withBBC One, Kingsmill and Pyrex tocelebrate the firm’s new TV special.

The deals promoted the newChristmas special, A Matter of Loafand Death, which was broadcast onBBC1.

In the run up to transmission, thecharacters will feature as the face ofthe channel in a series of idents,created and produced by Aardman,and the campaign will run over theChristmas holidays.Aardman: 0117 9848 485

IN BRIEF

26

NICK PHILLIPS’ departure fromEntertainment Rights last monthcame just eight months after hereplaced long-standing boss MikeHeap in March and signalled effortsto turn around the fortunes of the firm.

A spokesman for the beleagueredcompany said: “Nick’s departure wasextremely amicable and it wasmutually acknowledged that ERneeds a leader with specificexperience within children’s IP andthe specific ability to help theturnaround process that is already in motion.”

Entertainment Rights’ balancesheet has been under pressurerecently and the firm issued two profitwarnings in as many months at theend of last year. The difficultiesculminated in a £1m emergency loan

in August last year and an operatingloss of £105m for the first eightmonths of 2008.

Phillips’ exit followed the news thatthe UK firm is cutting around 22 jobs,or a fifth of its workforce, in order toreduce debt. The restructuring wasplanned during the announcement ofinterim results in October.

The spokesperson explained: “Thecompany said in interim results inOctober that it would seek to reduceoverheads by around £5 million byyear-end in order to weather thecurrent economic condition. Theinevitable and deeply regrettableconsequence is that there will besome job losses. This is not asituation that the company takeslightly.”

Phillips left on December 5th andwill be the company’s second boss toleave within a year, following thedeparture of Mike Heap in March.ER: 0208 762 6200

4KIDS HAS secured additional licences – including Upper Deck as the licensing programme continues to grow.

Upper Deck is set to producesticker packs and albums for launchin September 2009 in a number ofkey European countries includingUK, Germany, France, Nordic andEastern European territories.

The expanding list of licensees alsoincludes Tennessee in France forstationery, Tournon in France andBenelux for publishing, PyramidPosters in the UK for posters, TheCookie Company in Germany,Austria and Sweden for apparel, SunCity in France and Benelux forapparel, Ares Films in France forhome entertainment, BIP Holland inGermany for confectionary and BlueOcean in Germany for publishing.

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, MD of4Kids, said: “Upper Deck continuesto increase its line of quality DinosaurKing products as the television

series gains more popularitythroughout Europe.

“Kids are going to love theDinosaur King sticker packs andalbum and we look forward to seeingit hit store shelves next year.”

Meanwhile, on the back ofMIPCOM 2008, the firm hasannounced new deals for Chaoticwith broadcasters in France and UK.

The first season of Chaotic is nowscheduled to launch on Gulli TV inFrance, Rede TV in Brazil and Jetixin the UK, beginning in the firstquarter of 2009.

The property’s second season,Chaotic: M’Arrillian Invasion, has alsobeen renewed by Teletoon in Canadaand Jetix in Latin America.

According to Brian Lacey,executive VP at 4Kids, broadcastsales of the series in Germany, Italyand other markets are expected to beclosed imminently.

Produced in high definition, theseries chronicles the adventures oftwo teenage boys who discover afascinating trading card game thattransports them into amultidimensional world of action and adventure.

The series’ global broadcast line-upalready includes the US, Canada,Australia, Belgium, Portugal, SouthAfrica and Singapore, among others.4Kids: 0207 297 5980

Phillips departs as ER beginsrestructuring programmeChief executive of the firm steps down as 22 jobs are cut in an attempt to reduce costs

by Katie Roberts

More Dino licences and Chaotic deals for 4kids

LICENSINGNEWS

ER needs a leaderwith specific

experience withinchildren’s IP.

JANUARY 2009

www.licensing.biz 27

HALSALL MAKESFIFI MUSICHalsall has been awarded thelicence to manufacture anddistribute musical toys based on Fifiand the Flowertots.

The range will launch inautumn/winter 2009. With brand-relevant designs and many uniquespecial tooled lines, the newoffering includes a Fifi FlowerMicrophone, Saxophone, Sing-alongHeadset, Petal Jammer, Band Set,Guitar and Mic Set, Sing-alongKeyboard and CD Player.

Andrew Coplestone, marketingdirector, said: “This exciting dealcaps a great year for Halsall withFifi, as the brand continues to gofrom strength to strength.”Halsall: 01253 778888

TRENDS SNIFFSOUT SKUNKTrends UK has taken on theexclusive distribution rights for theSkunk Fu! Toy range.

The collection is due to hitshelves from Q1 2009 and Galleonwill support the launch withmarketing initiatives including anational TV campaign that will runthrough February.

The distribution deal with Trendsfollows the exclusive deal in the USwith Zizzle Toys. The range has beendeveloped by Croco Worldwide,Galleon’s toy division.Trends UK: 01865 893235

INTERPLAY GETSDANGEROUSInterplay has signed up RocketLicensing’s Dangerous Book forBoys property.

The science and nature specialistis creating a range of science andmodel-making kits, all drawn fromthe best selling books created byConn and Hal Iggulden.

Interplay’s managing director,Ross Ainsworth commented: “Thebook is full of experiments andprojects many of which are to bereproduced in our range of specialDangerous Books for Boysproducts.Interplay: 01628 488344

IN BRIEF

MV signs Goochicoo ranges

CHORION’S MR Men and LittleMiss brands will be the leading thepromotion of this year’s Comic Reliefas part of the charity’s 2009 EarlyYears fundraising activity.

The characters will feature onwww.rednoseday.com/earlyyears, aswell as in the Early Years Kits, whichwill be distributed to groups acrossthe UK in the build up to Red NoseDay this year.

The brand’s involvement will befurther strengthened by thepublication early 2009 of a new MrFunny story, with £2 from each booksale going to the charity.

Mr Funny’s Red Nose Day is beingwritten and illustrated by AdamHargreaves and published by Egmonton February 2nd.

John Collins, Chorion’s seniormarketing manager for Europe,commented: “We are absolutelydelighted that the Mr Men and Little

Misses will be able tosupport such a worthycause. There is acharacter for everyone,so each child willeasily relate to one

who will inspire them in theirfundraising efforts.”

Michele Settle, marketing directorof Comic Relief, added: “Mr Funnyhas been on our radar for a while, soComic Relief is thrilled to have theMr Men brand on board. There’s alot of synergy between what we doand the thinking behind Mr Funny’sRed Nose Day. It’s all about cheeringpeople up, for a good cause.”

Red Nose Day 2009 will take placeon Friday March 13th.Chorion: 0207 061 3800

Chorion brings Comic Relief

THE NEW deal will see thecompany producing anirresistiblerange ofGoochicooplush toys anddoll accessories.

Licensees havebeen quick torealise the brand’spotential and Bulldog hasalready secured deals withIzziwotnot for brandedbedding, Poetic Gem forbaby apparel and Kiss HKfor wooden toys.

Tommee Tippee iscarrying the brand on infantfeeding lines and greetingscards are being distributednationwide by UK Greetings.

Further announcementsare expected shortlyafter strong interestfrom visitors to therecent BrandLicensing Europe show.

Bulldog MDRob Corney

said: “To be adding a firmof MV’s stature to an everexpanding list of Goochicoolicensees is testament to thebrand’s massive appeal. Weare dealing with a steadystream of queries aboutGoochicoo and there aresure to be plenty more dealsto come.”MV Sports: 0121 748 8000

by Katie Roberts

LICENSINGNEWS

Iconic Mr Men characters to promote TV comedy telethon and aid fundraising

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WHEREVERYOU ARE

The BBC has released thefirst image for its big newpre-school hope,Waybuloo.

The 100 x 20-minuteseries, announced earlierthis year, is a unique mix ofanimation and live action.Production has started inScotland and Canada andthe series is scheduled tobroadcast in 2009.

The series transportschildren into a magical

land called Nara – a realworld, which is inhabitedby animated characterscalled Piplings.

Taking what the creatorsbelieve is a completelyoriginal approach,Waybuloo focuses onchildren’s feelings, and thePiplings embody a range ofemotions including love,wisdom, happiness andharmony – all in search ofWaybuloo.

28 LICENSING OPINION

THE TOY and licensing industriesstarted to interact with each othermore than 50 years ago, when SirStanley ‘Wizard of Dribble’ Matthews‘recommended’ New Footy TableSoccer and, since then, a much closerrelationship has developed betweenthe two, much to the financialbenefit of both sides.

More than 25 per cent of toys (byvalue) sold in the UK these days arecharacter licences in one shape orform. The relationships between thelicensing and toy businesses are wellestablished and important for bothsectors. About ten per cent of allattendees to Toy Fair are licensorsand over 40 per cent of all visitors toBrand Licensing Europe areinterested in toys.

Richard Hollis, head of licensing atBBC Worldwide, has been quoted (inThe Licensing Source Book EuropeAutumn 2008) as saying licensedproduct does three things: “It extendsthe narrative, it offers play potentialor it demonstrates allegiance”. Thereason that toys in particular are sucha powerful product partner for somany licences is because – whenmade well – they can perform allthree of these functions.

There is, of course, great potentialfor licensed toys to succeed, often formany years, with customers. It isimportant, however, that newcomersto the licensing industry are awarethat simply applying a licence to a toyis by no means a guarantee forsuccess. In fact, the same commercial

pitfalls exist for licensed toys as theydo for any toys. And sometimes thereare even greater risks associated with

launching a licensed toy, as children’stastes are so hard to predict andchange rapidly.

There is a risk that manufacturerscould become reliant to a certaindegree on influences outside theircontrol: the success of the brand, the

marketing behind that brand and theassumption that kids will still be inlove with the brand when the toys hitthe market. Equally, there is a risk forlicensors in their selection of toycategories and partners.

Having said that, there areprocesses that manufacturers canfollow and questions they can ask to help them create a successful toyand partnership.

For licensed toys to work well forall parties, they must use the licencesensitively, appropriately andcreatively. Manufacturers need to besensitive to the brand, the tastes ofthe child and the perception andapproval of parents.

The toy must be as appealing tothe child as the brand they arebuying into.

Choose a licence that’s right foryour company and your buyers: the

right fit can make for a great toy,played with by children andappreciated by parents. The wrongone can cause problems for bothsides, including simply not selling. Insuch a competitive market, evengreat fits don’t always sell well.

A licence can manifest itself inmany different ways through toys –from action figures and collectiblesfor children, through to board gamesfor all the family. Licences can crossthe adult/child market veryeffectively – parents often likecharacters they remember from their youth and these can transcendthe generations.

Use the existing IP as effectively aspossible. For example, you may wish to take a literal transposition of the licence where players caneffectively recreate the storyline of a film, comic, book or televisionprogramme where the licence was sourced.

Use your imagination and workwith partners to stretch thepossibilities for the licensed playthingyou create. It is possible to develop avery different take on the originallicence if you think it will work betterwith your product and yourcustomers. For example, you coulduse popular characters in a differentway to attract customers to take afresh look at an activity – anythingfrom crafts to bicycles.

Be creative in thinking of ways as to how the application of thelicence may enhance the play valuein your toys.

Licensors and toy makers are allwelcome to this year’s Toy Fair, whichtakes place from January 28th-31st atExCeL in London. To register for avisitor pass, please visitwww.toyfair.co.uk.

Toys and licensing have always had a natural kind of fit, with each helping drive the other’s business and bringingin large amounts of sales. Roland Earl, director general of the BTHA, explains why and offers some pointers onhow to make this special relationship work to the best advantage…

A symbiotic relationship

For licensed toys to work well, theymust use the licence sensitively,

appropriately and creatively. Manufacturersneed to be sensitive to the brand, the tastesof the child and the approval of parents.

Roland Earl, BTHA

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BOOKMARK US TODAYmobile.licensing.biz



WHEREVERYOU ARE

Roland Earl: “There isgreat potential for

licensed toys to succeed”

JANUARY 2009

Springinto action

Spring Fair ‘09 takes place at The NEC,Birmingham from January 31st toFebruary 5th. ToyNews offers you aguide to the popular event...

SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIRwww.toynewsmag.com 31

Toy hall exhibitorsA M International Agencies 5C29A.B Gee 5B35Aa Publishing 5C80Abracardabra 4A23Abscissa.Com 5C64Absolute Fireworks 5J50Alsuna 5A50Amerang 5F70Armadillo Imports 5H62Asia Crafts 5L55Aspin Management Systems 5J43Aurora World UK 5E32Award Publications 5A58Bad Taste Bears 5D07Bananagrams 5D61BBC Worldwide 5C17Bead Shop UK 5B30Bear Bear & Bear 5F49Bellco (Sports) 5C15Best Years 5B76Bigjigs 5A18Bladez Toyz 5J85Bontempi - Comus UK 5D71Brainstorm 5A61Brigitte Rive 5E35Brio 5B32Bristol Novelty 5B60Brite Power International 5C06British Historic Toys Tyme Again 5B13Brookite 5A10Bbtradesales 5B15Bv Leisure 5F76C & A Scientific 5C24Canenco 5H65Carta Mundi (UK) 5A36Channel Island Toys 5D29Charlie Bears 5C66Charlie Crow Costumes 5B71Charl's Toys 5B11Cheadle Royal Industries 5G51Cheatwell Games 5A6Childs Play International 5A14Chelford International 5J61China 2 West 5D06Circa Circa 5J65Clever Little Ideas 4B01Club Rugs 5D65Coiled Spring Games 5D11Colour History 5H49Craftpacks International Supplies 5J77Crafty Kids 4L10John Crane 5A39Crazee Thingz 5D23Creative Conceptions 5A54Cuckoo 5A80Davies Products 5H58

Dean's Ragbook Company (1903) 5C22Cesar UK 5E09Deluxebase 5A70

Depesche UK 5G70The Diabolical Gift People 5F60Discount Radio And Watch Co 5G77Dkl Marketing 5C38Doodlebugz Poster Art & Jigsaws 4L10Double G 5B61Dowman Imports 5A4Dress Fantastic 5F29Dsl Lanka 5H72Duval Trading 5B45E H Caswell 5F57Enchantmints 5B72Eqd 5B19Ernest The Bear Productions 5C33Esdevium Games 5F67Fancy Dress Warehouse 5C64Fia Toys 5B42Fiesta Crafts 5A49Fink Cards 5J83Flair Leisure Products 5C21Florian 5H68Flying Toys 5A41Folkmanis Puppets 5B18Frilly Lily 5D13Funshack 5E07Funnyman Products 5D76Funtime Gifts 5F77Funtosee 5F53Gear For Games 5B57Gibsons Games 5A5Gift House International 5E46Ginger Fox 5C13Golden Bear Products 5D4Gotz Dolls Of Germany 5C36Great Gizmos 5D58The Green Board Game Co 5D10Haba UK 5D55Peter Haddock 5E50Halilit 5D35Handeslhaus Legler 5D08Hansa Toy International 5C02Heritage Playing Card Company 5D67Hermann Teddy/Gebr Hermann 5C26Hj Figurer A/S 5F10Holland Publishing 5B29The House Of Crafts 5A68The House Of Puzzles 5D65Traditional Garden Games/Ibs 5D09Imagination Games 5H70Imc Toys (UK) 5F51The In Thing 5C11Insect Lore 5C04Instant Gifts 5E78Interplay (UK) 5A45Itm Leisure 5B24Jack In The Box 5C27James Hamilton Grovely Puzzles 5B63Jaydee Enterprises 5J62John Hornby Skewes 5D81

John Adams Trading Co 5E51John Hinde 5C58Jumbo Games 5J63Kayes Of Cardiff 5C23Kitfix Swallow Group 5A46The Kuckoo Company 5H76Lanka Kade 5A55Le Toy Van 5A49Learning Resources 5D37Lexigifts 5C43The Little Experience 4B56Little Black Dog 5A60Lonpos 5E37Love That Pony 5J60ALucy Locket 5C74Manhattan Toy Europe 5E48Marbel 5A26Mayhem UK 5F65Melissa & Doug 5F48Merrythought 5H67Millars Ark Toys 5A30Modo Uk 5H60Mookie Toys 5D72Moulin Roty (UK) 5D39Mumbo Jumbo Toys 5D38The Music Sales Group 5A01The Noble Collection 5G62The Noonoo Design Company 4C04The Novelty Gift Company 5D18Oasis Art And Craft Products 5C60Only 4 U 5A38Orange Tree Toys 5B04Orchard Toys 5B59Oxford Diecast 5C08Paladone Products 5F47Palmer Agencies 5F30Pam's Of Gainsborough 5C30Paper Magic Group 5E62Paper Projects 5C50Paul Lamond Games 5E58Peers Hardy 5B27Penguin Books 5B69Personalised Gifts 5E44The Pink Toolbox Company 5A64The Playwrite Group 5B36Posh Paws 5F52Premier Halloween 5E01Professor Puzzle 5C67The Puppet Company 5A73Quay Imports 5A63Rainbow Designs 5D30Ravensden 5D60Ravensburger 5C01Rebel Toys 5A20Revell 5E19Royal Brush Manufacturing 5B78Rubies Masquerade 5A21Russ Berrie (UK) 5D40Russimco 5C05

Sandylion Sticker Designs 5B16

Sanrio 5D32

Sawley Fine Arts 5B1

Schleich 5B65

School Days 5H74

Science And Nature 5B75

Scx 5H78

Second Chance 5H42

Smiffy's 5E4

Spencer And Fleetwood 5B26

Spike Leisurewear 5D15

Spirit Of Air 5E77

Get Retro 5A15

Star Images Enterprises 5D66

Eb Brands 5C71

Margate Steiff 5E20

Steiner 5F33

Stepping Stones Marketing 5J73

Foxground (The Strawberry Group) 5A78

Sugar Gifts 5D45

Susan Prescot Games 5F62

Tantrix UK 5B25

Tapball 5F74

Tasma Products 5H64

Teaching Resources 5C65

Teaching Off The Wall 5J65

Thumbs Up 5C20

Timberkits 5G50

Tkc Sales 5C44

Tobar 5D26

Toddletime 5F55

Top Century Enterprises 5E34

Toys And Fine Things 5B49

Toyway 5A09

Tractorland 5J71

Travis Designs 5D25

Treats And Treasures 4F63

Trousellier 5D54

Ty UK 5D20

Uk Import Corporation 5B40

University Games Uk 5A65

Vesutor 5B14

Webbs 5F32

Where Is Moldova? By Seager Games 5J81

Who's Poorly Too 5H66

Wicked Costumes 5G77A

Wild Republic (UK) 5C40

Wilton Bradley 5G58

Wind Designs 5F72

Winning Moves UK 5F63

Wizard 5B43

Wow Toys 5A44

Wow! Stuff 5D43

Zap 5F46

Zeon Character 5C10

Zeon Tech 5C14

SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

JANUARY 2009

EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND

32

Show floor plan

JANUARY 2009

SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIRwww.toynewsmag.com 33

www.toynewsmag.com 35SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

JANUARY 2009

Interplay will unveil many new productsat Spring Fair, with an increase in itsexisting ranges, plus a new licensedcollection. Drawn from The DangerousBook for Boys, the new series consistsof science projects and classic modelkits, mirroring the spirit of the books.

The Dangerous Book for BoysDiscovery Kits are designed to look likeold-fashioned books from the outside,but contain experiments inside. Thereare five to choose from, includingproducing anti-gravitational forces,creating bound rocket balls and science tricks.

Priced at £4.99, the kits are aimed atthe gift and impulse buying market. Tocomplement the range, Interplay isproducing two model kits that reproducethe heavy artillery of the 1st and 13thcenturies, drawing inspiration from the book.

New products will also be introducedfrom the Wild Science, Living World andGirls’ Technokits.

Ravensburger will expand its children’spuzzle ranges for all key licences inspring 2009. The range featurescharacters from NPD’s top ten toylicences and the company’s strategy isto build on this success.

The adult puzzle range will beboosted by 25 new titles, with key itemsfor spring/summer including new HighSchool Musical and Disney titles,specially commissioned nostalgicscenes, comic illustrations and the CatConundrums.

2009 is the 50th birthday of Memoryand Ravensburger is planning a year ofcelebrations to support the game.Spring will see the launch of onlineactivity targeted at children to raiseawareness of the game, a nationwidecompetition and a major charity tie-inplanned for later in the year.

The firm has also paired characterlicences with the picture matching gameconcept and 2009 will see two newlicences on display at Toy Fair, StarWars: Clone Wars and Power RangersJungle Fury. In addition Disney FairiesMemory will follow the release of theDisney Fairies film on DVD and willfeature heart-shaped cards.

The 3D puzzling concept Puzzleballwill also see new additions to the range.Two new Ben 10 Puzzleballs will beadded, along with designs featuringHello Kitty, Pokemon, SpongeBobSquarePants and High School Musical 3.

Ice Age 3 is the latest licence to besigned by Ravensburger and the rangewill include a 96-piece Puzzleball, amammoth-sized and shaped floorpuzzle, a three-in-a-box puzzle set andan XXL 100-piece puzzle.

Gibsons will launch a range ofchildren’s puzzles entitled My World in2009. The planet-friendly puzzles aremade with recycled board andmanufactured in Britain, meaning theyhave a relatively small carbon footprint.

The range was produced inconjunction with the child psychologistDr Amanda Gummer, ensuring that therange is developmentally appropriateat every stage for the child, linking to the Early Learning Goals andNational Curriculum.

The range consists of eight puzzlesaimed at pre-schoolers and will beavailable from January. Each boxfeatures a slot to allow children to postthe pieces back into it.

The adult ranges see the launch ofeight National Trust jigsaws. These 250and 1,000 piece puzzles include imageryof the vast collection of property,

landscape, wildlife and coastline thatthe Trust is responsible for.

Over 50 other puzzles in varyingpiece counts will be launched over theyear from a number of different artists.Following the Shopping Baskets rangewill be Sweet Memories, four newpuzzles showing the confectionarybrands of the 1940s, ‘50s, ‘60s and‘70s. Also new are four 1,000-piecephotographic puzzles featuring imagesfrom around Britain.

Other new additions include acomplete range of classic games such asBackgammon, Chess, Mah Jongg andDominoes. Each set is complete with ablack faux leather case with whitestitching. The chess sets include carvedIndian chess pieces and an inlaid board.Also in the line-up is a three-in-one minitravel set with metal playing pieces forbackgammon, chess and draughts.

Imagination Games is exhibiting atSpring Fair for the first time in 2009.The firm has experienced strong salesacross a range of its products includingTop Gear, Catchphrase DVD, PlanetEarth DVD, Battle of the Sexes andTetris 3D Puzzle.

2009 will see the company focus onexpanding its distribution points.Strong margins, a flexible approach toopportunities and a number of projectsin the pipeline devised to drivemarketing efforts to cover a broaderbase will help to further growth overthe next year.

Imagination covers all categoriesfrom adults to children, with a numberof products lending themselves to thegifting market. The Top Gear Ultimateboard game encompasses the show,while Beat the Parents is an adultversus kids trivia quiz. There’s also theBattle of the Sexes – Brit quiz, which is a gender-based game thatdetermines which sex rules Britain. The Planet Earth DVD recreates thewonderful scenes from the BBCdocumentary and allows the family towork together to build a puzzle scenefrom the series.

IMAGINATION GAMES 5H70 INTERPLAY 5A45

Following the acquisition of the Dora the Explorer licence, WinningMoves will launch a Juniors Dora theExplorer Top Trumps pack at SpringFair (£2.49).

In addition, the firm has launched aBen 10 Pit and Hello Kitty-themedpack of Waddingtons Number 1playing cards (£2.99).

The latest football Top Trumpsinclude Hull City, Chelsea, Arsenal,Liverpool, Manchester and Evertonfootball clubs and retail at £3.99.

Winning Moves recently signed adeal with the Press Association forSummit Showdown, boosting itsawareness and popularity amongnewspaper readers with a puzzleformat featured in newspapersaround the country each week.

The Clinic, a magazinequestionnaire-style game launchedlate in2008, isaimed atwomenwho areinterestedincelebritygossipand itretails at£14.99.

WINNING MOVES 5F63

RAVENSBURGER 5C01 GIBSON GAMES 5A5

36 SHOW GUIDE SPRING FAIR

JANUARY 2009

Schleich will launch a range of newfigures and play sets at Toy Fair.

A number of new figures will join theWorld of Elves line-up including Nimsay,Vialis and Surah. Each figure featureswings and clothing symbolic of theirpeople. Each elf comes with a uniqueextra such as a horse for Surah and apink lily pad for Vialis.

A host of new figures has been addedto the Wildlife, Farm Life and World ofKnights ranges. Each figure is producedwith a careful attention to detail.

Schleich has a following of collectorsin countries worldwide and will supportretailers further this year with newdisplay units, point of sale materials anda PR programme throughout theconsumer press.

Brainstorm has been appointed as theexclusive UK and ROI distributor of theSmartlab range of products. Toy andSpring Fair will be the major launch datefor the collection.

Kids can learn about the anatomy of aGreat White Shark with the snap-together Shark Model and a book full ofshark facts, while The Human Body kitgives a guided tour of the human body,complete with a human body model.

The Remote Control Rocket is completewith launch pad, remote launcher and abook full of space travel information.

The Voice Changer kit enables kids tochoose between a squeaky, scary,robotic or booming voice, while learningabout the science of sound. The DoubleSecurity Safe allows kids to build a safewith secret code.

2009 will also see Brainstorm launch avariety of Natural History Museum

products. Earth Globecontains a detailed 30cmmodern globe and a posterwith a reproduction of a mapfrom 1787 with details of tenvoyages of exploration.

The Animal Detective is ananimal spotting games witha 50cm inflatable globe and68 cue cards.

The Tyrannosaurus RexScan is a scanner that giveskids an under-the-skin lookat a T-Rex skeleton. It

includes an informative poster. Alongside this, the Glow 3D Dinosaurs

are huge, glow in the dark and come inthree styles.

Brainstorm’s Original GlowstarsCompany brand will launch three newGlow box sets, offering retailers a higherprice point of £10-20. Glow Superstarsincludes over 500 stars and shapes. TheGlow Solar System Kit is a mobileconstruction kit with hundreds of stars.Glow Creations Project, Draw and Glowenables kids to create their own stickersand pictures and add glow in the dark elements.

The firm’s Glow 3D range benefits fromthe addition of two new licences – Barbieand Hello Kitty. Scary Glow will alsolaunch later in the year for Halloween.

Two new science products are also on the way from the Uncle Milton ExploreIt! brand.

BRAINSTORM 5A61

Corolle Dolls has expanded itscollection with new Babicorolle smalland large rag dolls in vibrant outfits.

There are also additions to the MonPremier Range of dolls, including newCalin Dolls, Calin Cheerful Lavender, are-vamped Calin Darling and manymore. Tidoo Dolls has new dolls suchas Tidoo Graceful and Tidoo Bright.New to the Les Classiques range is theMarie Doll, a 42cm interactive doll thatspeaks six languages.

Wonderworld and softwood toys willsee the addition of more Eco productssuch as the Eco Town Game. The new,two-storey Modern House comescomplete with a family of three dolls.The Mini Vehicles Range will see thenew Mini Taxi and Mini Sport as well asthe new Mini Garage.

The Softwood Nursery Range seesthe inclusion of The Gardening Set,complete with tools and bendableflowers. The new Activity Cushion

includes a mirror, ball and noisesincluding crinkles, beeps and rattles.

Hama Beads offers bead craft kits,including Disney licences. Hama has arange of accessories, assortments ofbeads, pegboards and design booklets.New to the large Hama gift sets areDisney Cars, Woodland Friends and thenew Lacing sets.

Viking Toys has expanded itsChubbies plastic vehicle line. NewVehicles, Chubbies and play sets willbe presented at the show.

WALL-E and Disney Princess are twoof the new licences that Uniset’s MagicStickers will be heralding at Spring Fair.Each Magic Stickers set comprises abackground which stickers are placedon to create a scene that can bechanged by peeling the stickers off and moving.

All products can be seen featured inconsumer marketing campaigns andHama will be on TV over Easter.

DKL 5C38

Bedlam Puzzles has announced abrand change of its Bedlam Cube,which will become The Crazee Cubefrom 2009. The reason for the re-brandis two-fold.

Firstly, there is a limited audiencethat understands the meaning of‘Bedlam’, particularly among youngerand international customers. Crazy or‘Crazee’ has a much widerunderstanding.

Secondly, it makes sense to bringthe product into the Crazee range,which now stands at around 40products and continues to grow.

Crazee Thingz, the sister company ofBedlam Puzzles, is less than two yearsold. Both are owned by entrepreneurDanny Bamping and his 23 AcornsGroup. In 2008, Crazee was appointed

the exclusive distributor of Rhino Toysfor UK and Ireland.

On show at Spring Fair will be Rhino’sOball, a ball that can be played withinside and out. Other Rhino toys give thecompany a summer product range.

Crazee has also secured a licencewith Marvel to create Crazee PuzzleHeads for Spider-Man and IronMan. Other licences include Tate &Lyle, with the Create a Crazee GoldenSyrup Tin. These products feature theunique rotating mechanism that CrazeeThingz owns the global rights to, whichcan turn virtually any object into a 3-Dmobile puzzle.

The Bedlam Cube will not be sold totrade after the 23rd December 2008and remaining stock will be soldexclusively online.

CRAZEE THINGZ 5D23 SCHLEICH 5B65

All the titles in Russimco’s Retro Gamescollection are designed to retain anauthentic feel and a range of new titleswill be launched in 2009.

The Classic Game of Leap Frog is acircular board game for two players inwhich they race to get all their counterson the board. A traditional spinner isused instead of dice.

The Steeple Chase Game is for up tofour players and challenges players torace their horses to the finishing post.

Russimco will also be exhibiting theEcotronic Toy range, the electronicgames and gadgets that requiremanpower to make them operate. Itincludes torches and toys that requireno batteries and use dynamos to powerthem. Now bath toys are to be added tothe Ecotronic collection, with theinclusion of a colourful Tug Boat andSubmarine. They work underwater andare sealed to withstand the water.

RUSSIMCO 5C05


JANUARY 2009

The Little Experience specialises in craftkits for children. The kits offer parents away to create traditional childhoodexperiences that are memorable,challenging and rewarding.

The firm has won ten product awardsin 18 months. All of the product boxesare printed inside with something tomake. Children can cut out the box andrecycle it to make something else.

In 2009, the company is launchingfive new stitching and knitting kits.These kits are designed for the noviceknitter and stitcher.

All of the products in the range areclearly marked with educationaldevelopment and ability guides and arepriced from £5.99 to £18.99.

The firm offers retail solutionsincluding a pre-packed display standfilled with a selection of its products, inall price points.

Golden Bear’s new brand, the In theNight Garden nursery collection, willtarget children from six to 18 months-old, with an emphasis on entertainingwhile developing basic skills.

The range will comprise a mixture of fabric and plastic products based on the characters and graphics fromthe programme.

The Peppa Pig series will beextended in 2009 to include newwooden products based on Peppa andher family. The range will reflectthemes from the animation.

The My 1st JCB range will beextended in 2009 to include moreinnovative lines based on variousconstruction vehicles including MiniJCB Pull Backs. A new character,Freddie Fastrack, will also be added.

The Charlie and Lola collection willbe extended to include new plushitems such as Bouncing Lola, a featuretoy with movement and phrases.

A collection of Shaun the Sheep giftswill also be launched to complementthe existing toy range. The gifts areaimed at an older audience.

GOLDEN BEAR 5D4

Independent UK music distributor JohnHornby Skewes will present a licensedseries of SpongeBob SquarePantsmusical instruments.

Having already launched aSpongeBob junior guitar and ukuleleoutfit, JHS has since added a number ofproducts to the range, including aPinapple ukulele, Flying Vee-shaped Ukeoutfits, SpongeBob electric guitars, with¾-size electric guitar plus small amp anda SpongeBob goes Punk electric guitar

featuring a built-in speaker. A range ofplectrums has also recently been added.

The newest addition to the range,however, is the new SpongeBobSquarePants junior drum kit. The three-piece drum set has full-colourSpongeBob drum shell graphics. Thekit features a 12-inch x ten-inch bassdrum, an eight-inch x six-inch, an eight-inch x four-inch snare drum and a 9.5-inch cymbal plus snare stand and bassdrum pedal, stool and key.

JOHN HORNBY SKEWES 5D81

Travel Buddies are children’s animalsnuggle pillows, designed to supportheads on the go. Light enough to carry,they are machine washable anddesigned for children aged 18 months-plus with a retail price of £9.99. Therange includes six pets to choose from.

The Travel Buddies can beaccessorised with matching junior BagBuddies. These are luggage labels,where details can be written on thebelly of the small plush animal.

The Little Pets Living Big CelebrityLives are making their UK debut.Pawparazzi are collectable palm-sized

plush pets which come with their ownunique couture handbags, celebritystyled magazine, blanket, collar, leadand collectable charm. Pawparazzi Petsare suitable for kids aged four-plus andretail at £9.99.

The Waboba Ball is soft and easy tocatch but also floats, skims andbounces off the water. The ball isavailable in a small palm-sized versionand a larger, softer version is alsoavailable specifically for youngerchildren. The ball can be played with asa game, with rules available fordownload. Waboba starts at £4.99.

TREATS AND TREASURES F463 THE LITTLE EXPERIENCE 4B56

Green Board Games will beintroducing 12 new games at SpringFair. The BrainBox range will beincreased to include new titles –Nature, USA Presidents, Olympics,Inventions,Londonand Maths.

Therewill also betwo newlicensedBrainBoxproducts.ArtBrainBoxwill beproduced in conjunction with TheNational Gallery and ManchesterUnited fans will be tested with theirvery own Man-U BrainBox.

To continue on the theme oflicensed products, Green BoardGames will be announcing anothergame in its Natural History Museumrange. Dinosaurs! will join DinosaurSnap and Dinosaur BrainBox.Dinosaurs! is a board game whereplayers evolve through the age of thedinosaurs, starting in the TriassicPeriod and reaching the end of theCretaceous Period – the winner iswhoever evolves the fastest.

Wordigo, Joggle and Loose Changeare some other new titles that will beon display.

GREEN BOARD GAMES 5D10


JANUARY 2009

Known for its hi-tech gadgets,BBTradesales is to enter the children’smarket with a range of Disney-inspiredproducts from Wesco.

The Disney Cars Lightning McQueenProjection Alarm Clock is a clock thatdisplays the time onto the ceiling or walland features moving wheels and aprojection image of the time and logo.

The Disney Princess accessoriesrange includes a 3D Fairytale Castle-shaped money box featuring SnowWhite, Belle and Cinderella. The moneybox features a removable base plate.

A range of accessories are alsoavailable from Dr Who, Dora theExplorer, High School Musical, Thomasand Friends, In the Night Garden,Transformers and Star Wars, ensuringthere’s a brand for all ages.

Wow Stuff was recently shortlisted forthe 2008 National Business Awards andsince then the good news has kept oncoming for the company.

Recently signed master toy and giftlicences include Top Gear, Wallace andGromit and Puzzler. The reaction fromcustomers has been strong andcompany is expecting the Top Gearbrand to be the number one sellingrange of gifts in 2009.

2008 marked a stellar year for WowStuff with the existing licences ScienceMuseum, Natural History Museum andMensa. The firm has also beensuccessful in increasing sales by 300-500 per cent per square foot using abranded store-in-store concept with in-store TVs and demonstration artists.

New for 2009 from Manhattan are sixhigh performance Automoblox models,which add more power andsophistication to the range.

The limited edition C9-S Berlinettafeatures simulated polished aluminiumwheels, metallic roof and pearltextured connectors. A souped-upversion of the S9 Sedan, the S9-R rideslower to the ground on larger wheelsand is styled in a deep blue hue.

The A9-S features bright whitemoulded parts and high-gloss black

wheels. The C9-R also rides lower tothe ground than the C9 sportscar and isin a deep red.

The C9-P has the same five-spokewheels and low profile tyres as the C9,but is a limited edition shade of pink.

Finally, the X9X has an increasedride-height and charcoal wheels,featuring front and rear skid plates, aroof rack and spare tyre.

Automoblox is distributedexclusively in Europe by Manhattan Toy.Find out more at the Spring Fair.

MANHATTAN TOY 5E48WOW STUFF 5D43

The Green Science collection,launched in 2008, has new additionslaunching at Spring Fair. The WeatherStation allows kids to keep track ofweather changes whilst learning factsabout weather and carrying outexperiments to learn about thegreenhouse effect.

Other items include a Potato Clockand a Water Filter to teach kids moreabout the environment.

Many other new products will jointhe Great Gizmos portfolio over 2009with themes of fairies, robots andmuch more.

GREAT GIZMOS 5D10

Bladez Toyz will launch severalrevolutionary products during SpringFair, which are set to change the waycustomers can interact with radiocontrolled toys, gadgets and computer games.

The R/C Flight Stick is a flight controlportable joystick, which vibrates duringflight giving instant user-feedback, 3Dflight control and combat battlefunction. The Control Platform enablesthe user to control R/C toys throughany computer via the keyboard and mouse.

The Bladez Micro Salvation is amicro-sized 3D helicopter. The CombatBattle Targets are revolving targets,which record users’ scores as they aimto shoot with infrared missiles.

The Micro SD Video Camera attachesto any R/C vehicle and records up totwo hours of video that can then be

downloaded to a computer. The cameracan also be used as a pocket-sizedcamcorder and web cam.

The firm is also planning a range oflicensed products for 2009 inconjunction with a blockbuster film.

The new products increase Bladez’sportfolio to cater for a wider pricerange, encompassing lower pricepoints from £19.99 through to £119.99.The firm offers its retailers a fullsupport package to assist with salesand after-care service, includingpromotional images, DVDs, a customerservice helpline, instructional videos,links with future promotions and thereassurance that all products are RoHSand CE certified.

The Bladez Toyz stand at Spring Fairwill host a Salvation Combat Challengeand give visitors the opportunity to winsome R/C gifts.

BLADEZ TOYZ 5J85 BBTRADESALES 5B15

Best Years is adding the Owl andMouse sets to its knitted toys rangeat Spring Fair. Available in both greenand brown, the products widen thefirm’s range further as the mouse is anew size, retailing at £6.99.

Designed by Best Years in the UK,the toys are made from a machine-washable knitted fabric and havebeen designed and tested to besuitable from birth.

The rest of the range offers designsfrom dinosaurs to pastel pink lambs.Products measure just 8cm and areavailable boxed or unboxed. Therange is aimed at gift and impulsepurchasers.

BEST YEARS 5B76

Recycled Playing Cards printed on paper sourced from sustainable forests

GreenCards

A Better Way to Play

Redwood are delighted to announce thelaunch of their new brand of environmentallyfriendly playing cards. Call Louisa Moger on020 8311 8888 to place your order.

email us at [email protected]

or call us on: 01903 713888www.the-little-experience.com

Award winning unique craft kits for children to make and do. The Little Experience provides crunch busting

retail solutions for your business.

the

experience


JANUARY 2009

University Games will introduce theSplatter Mat at Spring Fair – an activitymat for children aged three andupwards. The surface of the mat iscoated in a unique, patented material –Flip Faze – which changes with heat. As it cools, the mat will return to itsoriginal colour.

The Splatter Mat comes with sevenfoam pieces that can be put togetherlike a puzzle in a multitude of designs.

In Murder Mystery Mansion, playerswork in teams to solve the mysteryusing simple deductive reasoning. Witheach guess, players move one step upon the 3D staircase, getting closer to the mansion.

University Games will also be offeringseveral new items in its extensive glow-in-the-dark line of planets and stars,including the Giant Planet Stick-Ons thatfeature planets, stars, spacemen andspacecrafts.

BBC Worldwide’s stand will be staffedby key members of the newlyrestructured and renamed children’sand licensing team to maximiseopportunities for adult brandsincluding Top Gear, Planet Earth andDoctor Who and maintain existingchildren’s brands such as In the NightGarden, Charlie and Lola andTeletubbies. The team will also be onhand to discuss new licensing projects

such as Lonely Planet, StrictlyCome Dancing and Harry and Toto.

The stand will feature threelarge display areas toshowcase key licensed productcovering ITNG, Charlie and Lolaand Top Gear. Doctor Who andPrimeval will also feature in asmaller dedicated area.

Strictly Come Dancing is thelatest addition to BBCWorldwide’s licensed productportfolio and a central themedarea on the stand is set toshowcase the brand.

Top Gear’s master toylicensee Wow! Stuff isexhibiting its new range ofgifts for dads and lads and thestand will host a branded TopGear area showcasing newproducts such as remotecontrol vehicles, novelty gifts, desktop toys and a doll

of the Stig – all due to hit retailers inautumn 2009.

The Top Gear range will also featurecalendars from Danilo, stationery andtableware from DNC and Top Trumpsfrom Winning Moves.

Charlie and Lola will be given startreatment with the launch of GoldenBear’s new Jumping and Bounding Lolatoy and a comprehensive range ofother plush, games and wooden toys.

The Puppet Company is based in NorthHertfordshire and designs over 750different types of puppets, includingfinger puppets, glove puppets andbody puppets.

Founded in 1999 by Sue and PeterLocket and still directed by them, itproduces a line-up of puppets thatfeature an educational and commercialtwist. Many have full working mouthsand hands and some, like the LargeBirds and Socketts, include sound, butnever with batteries.

The company supplies a range ofpoint-of-sale stands that have a smallfootprint on the shop floor, but canhold up to 35 glove puppets in the

space of a carpet tile, giving you aninstant high impact display.

The Puppet Company is also the UKand Ireland distributor for the Germanbrand Living Puppets. Many of thesepuppets have working mouths andhands too, and as before there is agreat variety of characters and animalsavailable to stock.

The Puppet Company is a member ofthe Gift Association and The British Toyand Hobby Association and is fullycommitted to ethical trading. Allpuppets and The Wiberry Dollcollection have full EN71 test reportsand meet or exceed all current healthand safety requirements.

THE PUPPET COMPANY 5A73

2009 Toy Fair sees the launch of over150 exciting, new products from theBigjigs Toy range.

Over 40 new items have been addedto The Bigjigs Rail selection

has since Toy Fair 2008, with a varietyof individual engines and wagons nowavailable. The new Pink engine retailsat £3.99 and fills a gap the company isoften asked about.

At the other end of the price scale isthe Grand Central Station, retailing at£45. This large item offers extraaccessories including four cars and ahelicopter for the built-in heli pad.Bigjigs frequently gets enquiriesabout a shop rail display stand andthis can be seen for the first time at

the show.The Baby Bigjigs range has

grown with a new shape sorterand a new concept babywalker, which doubles as an

activity center.The 24-piece wooden

puzzles are now supplied ina wooden tray and the line-up of pocket-money itemshas been extended.

The market for role-play items is huge and

the firm has introduceda number of new

‘food’ items. The range of

Santa products hasalso been extended

and a new series ofsingle items, fruits, vegetables

and savouries will be availablealong with a retail display stand for 30 items.

BIGJIGS 5A18 UNIVERSITY GAMES 5A65

Sally Priesig launched Crafty Kids in2003 and is famous for being theoriginal voice of Tweenies’ Bella, andBits in Bits and Bobs, among others.

Crafty Kids produces originalpuppet and craft kids for children.Every design comes in a colourful,spotted, recycled cardboard tub,complete with a good quality brush,paints, glue and instructions. Each kitcomprises of custom-made woodenand recycled cardboard parts.

The puppets are easy to threadtogether using special tags, with noknotting needed. The current 21puppet kits sold well over theChristmas period and five new puppetkits and two craft kits will belaunching at Spring Fair. Each kit willalso now include the addition of acotton Crafty Kids apron.

CRAFTY KIDS 4L10

BBC WORLDWIDE 5C17


JANUARY 2009

Bananagrams has joined forces with oneof the largest international gamingsoftware companies, MajescoEntertainment, and has recentlylaunched on Facebook.

Facebookers will be able to competeagainst friends in one of two multiplayermodes – the Classic Multiplayer Game orthe Banana Café, where players can raceagainst the clock or play in real timeagainst each other, with the ability tochat online the entire time.

There is a solitaire version for thosewho want to hone speed and word-making skills and development for theiPhone, DS and Wii are planned for laterin the year.

IMC Toys will have a range of productssupported by 15 of the UK’s top licenceson display at Spring Fair. The licencesinclude Ben 10, Power Rangers, CloneWars, Barbie, Disney Princess, Winniethe Pooh and Cars.

The varied portfolio includes walkietalkies, an art and craft range includingmagnetic boards and drawingprojectors, radio-controlled vehicles fora variety of ages and a selection of pre-school musical role-play items frommusical mats to keyboards.

The firm will also be exhibiting itsconsumer electronics range, whichboasts a selective Star Wars offering of aradio/CD player, TV combo, MP3 playerand digital camera.

Two of The In Thing’s existing gift linesand a new toy will be on display atSpring Fair.

The Uglydoll line will see new stylesfor 2009 and new display options willbe available for retailers includingcounter top and FSDU.

Baby Bow, a range of boxed babygifts with cutting-edge design, waslaunched in 2008 and virtually everycontainer to date has sold out before ithas arrived, according to the firm.

Spring Fair will see a new Theodoreextension being launched.

Anti Monster Spray is brand new for2009. The lavender-scented essencespray can be sprayed on beds andpillows of children who are afraid ofmonsters, ghosts and spiders. Thespray incorporates calming propertiesand will be accompanied by Splat and Splodge – monster-bustingheatable micro plush characters with alavender fragrance.

THE IN THING 5C11IMC TOYS 5F51

Noonoo will be exhibiting a range ofplaythings and accessories for littlechildren. The award-winning eco,ethical, sustainable and fair tradebrand products are available in the UKand worldwide through retailersincluding John Lewis, Fenwicks andmany other independents in the UK.

The range was awarded a highlycommended and shortlisted status inGA’s gift product of the year, 2007/8.www.noonoodesign.com is thecatalogue and PR tool. Price pointsare available between £6.50 and £45and all products are gift boxed in FSCcertified boxes with compostablestarch acetate.

NOONOO DESIGN 4C23

Esdevium will be exhibiting old andnew trading card games at Spring Fair,with evergreen Pokemon and therecently launched Chaotic.

Chaotic is the trading card game(TCG) community that brings togethertraditional face-to-face game play, freeonline action in the ChaoticGame.comBattledromes and a TV series.

Every Chaotic Trading Card features aunique code, allowing the player to notjust play the game conventionally, butto also ‘upload’ the card to his virtualdeck and, through the freewww.ChaoticGame website, battle

against players from anywhere aroundthe world.

Pokemon will see range extensionswith quarterly launches throughout2009 and collectors’ tins will also beunveiled throughout the year.

Alongside these will be a range ofspecialist board games including Ticketto Ride, French Fancy and the Settlersof Catan, specifically designed forindependent retailers.

The firm will also be unveiling arange of new wooden games to add toits extensive portfolio. Find out more atEsdevium’s stand at Spring Fair.

ESDEVIUM GAMES 5F67 BANANAGRAMS 5D61

Merrythought has been creatinghand-made teddy bears and soft toysfor eight decades in the WorldHeritage Site of Ironbridge. The firmwill be exhibiting its latest range ofproducts at Spring Fair, includingtraditional jointed mohair teddy bears in a variety of sizes andclassical designs.

One of the most distinctive designsis the Cheeky Bear, which celebratesits 52nd anniversary this year andwas named by the Queen at the 1957British Industries Fair.

Throughout Toy Fair, the firm will bedemonstrating the skill and diligenceimparted into each creation withdemonstrations by its skilled artisans.

Merrythought also considers thecreation of bespoke products forwhich it has the necessary facilities tosample and manufacture to individualspecifications.

MERRYTHOUGHT 5H67

BRIO RailwayWidest Collectable Range

ContactBRIO Ltd, 12 The Office Village, North Road, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 1QJ

Tel 01509 643850 Fax 01509 262099 www.brio.co.uk [email protected]

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Come and see us at

Spring Fair, H

all 5,

Stand B32

Come and see us at

Spring Fair, H

all 5,

Stand B32


JANUARY 2009

Ranging in size from four inches to fourmetres, Hansa’s plushes feature animalsfrom every corner of the globe.

Each animal’s fur is hand trimmed,providing a layered look that can’t beproduced by machine. Larger animalshave light-weight titanium steel frames,enabling them to be ridden by children.

Hansa works closely withconservationist Don Young, both to raiseawareness through various projectsaround the world and to refine thelifelike qualities of the plush.

Each toy comes with a Toys ThatTeach tag, which describes the animal’shabitat, lifestyle, gestation period, careof young and eating habits.

Thumbs Up is going to be bringing itsblend of cool and innovative toys, gifts,gadgets, games and novelties to thisyear’s Spring Fair.

In addition to several new productsin the R/C sector, such as additions tothe Micro-Bladez line of mini-helicopters, the firm is set to unveilseveral new licence acquisitions.

The new licences will take thecompany further into the girls, tween andteen marketplace, as well as continuingto appeal to the boys and gift sector.

The company has also been workingwith independent British inventors inorder to bring their visions to themarketplace and Spring Fair is going tosee several of these inventionsdebuting for the first time.

Thumbs Up is also inviting anyonewith a new invention or idea for a toy,gift or gadget to get in touch and tocome and meet with them at SpringFair, where the firm will be hosting itsvery own ‘alternative to television’sDragons’ Den’.

THUMBS UP 5C20

Spring Fair 2009 will see Marbel returnto hall five with its award-winningWendy House stand. Marbel willfeature over 100 new products,including additions to the Plan Toysand I’M Toy ranges.

All the wooden toys featured on thestand are produced from sustainablewood sources and finished with non-toxic, preservative-free paint.

New products from the Plan ToysPre-school, Activity Dollhouse and PlanCity ranges will be on show.

The Balancing Coral from Plan is a

game for one to four players aged threeand upwards, where each player has tobalance a piece of the coral onto themain stack without knocking the coral over.

The game is not just a game, butalso a statement and message thatcoral reefs are under threat. The gameis manufactured from sustainablerubber wood.

A range of new I’M Toy Trike andRide-Ons will also be on display andMarbel expects a strong reaction fromthe range.

MARBEL 5A26

Flair will be showing a range of retroproducts at Spring Fair.

Since their golden anniversary lastyear, the Smurfs have enjoyed aresurgence in popularity. Flair’s Smurfsrange includes a new collection ofplush, feature plush and poseablefigures and playsets, from a 30cmtalking plush with DVD to 20cm beanieplush assortments to packs of two 6cm figures, and the toys cover a rangeof budgets.

Now over 60 years old, Slinky is stillavailable in its original steel-basedversion. Joining the line-up this year isa brightly coloured Plastic Duo-tone

Slinky, which is larger than the originaland the Slinky Dog made famous in ToyStory is being relaunched.

Hello Kitty is also set for updateswith a 10cm Mini Plush Kitty in Gift Boxand 14cm Kitty in Gift Bag. Extendingthe line will be a selection of accessories and bags, while autumn will see larger 27cm plush,pyjama bags and backpacks added to the range.

Also on show at Spring Fair will beUno, Shaker Maker, and moderngadgets with retro styling such as iNo, the family trivia games licensed by Apple.

FLAIR 5C21 HANSA TOY 5C02

Janod’s Magnetic Rocket toyencourages discovery, learning andplay. The solid wooden toy is made upof six pieces, which when puttogether create the rocket. Because ofthe polarity in the magnets, it is notpossible to assemble the rocketincorrectly.

The rocket forms part of a trio oftoys, the other two being anaeroplane and a helicopter. Janodwooden toys come from the Juraregion of France, which is renownedfor its wooden toy heritage.

MUMBOJUMBO TOYS5D38


JANUARY 2009

Designed by John Yianni from NorthLondon, Army of Frogs requires playersto strategically place frog stones andhop over other frogs, aiming to connectall those of their own colour whilepreventing opponents from doing thesame. The game helps to developstrategic planning, spatial awarenessand problem-solving skills.

The name refers to the collective nounfor a group of frogs. The game issuitable for up to four players of any agefrom four and upwards.

The straightforward rules allow gameplay to start immediately. With no needfor a playing board, Army of Frogsconsists of 40 Frog stones and fourcolour indicator discs, all made of ahighly tactile resin, plus a cloth bag.

Fiesta’s Tellatale puppets and fingerpuppet sets will be bolstered at SpringFair this year with Snow White andCinderella box sets.

The Snow White set includes sevendwarf finger puppets, each with adifferent coloured outfit and facialexpression. And, of course, to completethe set, Snow White herself featureswith a poison apple. The set can beextended with the prince and the witch.

The Cinderella set features the twougly sisters, Cinderella, Prince Charmingand the Fairy Godmother. Cinderellatransforms from the ragamuffin servantinto the fairy tale princess with aremovable ballgown.

Many new single puppets will also bejoining the range, including a panda,squirrel, badger and crow. Eachcollectable finger puppet is handproduced and Fiesta offers a spinningcounter top display unit for retailers.

2009 marks the 25th anniversary ofPaul Lamond. To celebrate this, thecompany is launching a pre-schooleducational range under the Chimp andZee Games brand. The collection willconsist of six games and four puzzles.

Postman Pat has been updated toPostman Pat Special Delivery Serviceand Paul Lamond is offering threeGruffalo products – two puzzles and asnakes and ladders games.

In the children’s sector, there are sixnew Rainbow Magic puzzles, anupdated Famous Five range and theFundex game When Pigs Fly.

The family sector sees the additionof Cacophony, a game of noisycharades and In a Pickle, Luck of theDraw and Revelations, the game wheresins are revealed but not sinners.

Family puzzle additions includeWhere’s Wally, Alex Baird’s ImpossiblePuzzles and three dragon puzzles fromThe Dragon Chronicles.

The Murder Mystery Dinner Partyrange sees the return of InspectorMcClue in A Vintage Murder and theMcNaughty range is extended withSexual Secrets and Legless joining the series.

PAUL LAMOND 5E58FIESTA CRAFTS 5A59

Orchard Toys is launching seven newgames and puzzles, six of which aredesigned for younger children. OneBanana, Two Banana is a game for upto four players that will help childrenaged four-plus with counting skills.

Fairy Cottage is a 15-piece puzzledesigned with girls aged two to five inmind. Great Britain and Ireland puzzleand poster is a 150-piece puzzle aimedat five to 11 year-olds, packed with facts.

The board game Flea Circus isdesigned for up to four players in thefive-plus age group; the aim is to bethe first to build a big top. Doodlebugsis a rally simple card game suitable forchildren aged three and up.

Tuten-loot’em is a card gamefeaturing Egyptian illustrations for upto four players of five years and up.Finally, Fruit Frenzy is another cardgame that helps kids aged four-pluswith their colour recognition andcounting skills.

ORCHARD TOYS 5B59

The Maisto R/C and die cast collectionsdistributed by Rebel toys will see manynew releases for 2009, with two newmajor categories created including thenew Maisto-TECH range of R/C cars andthe Need for Speed – Undercover die-cast collection, which features carsfrom the video game.

The Maisto-TECH R/C collection is launching a variety of new productsin 2009, including a new 1:14th scaleoff-road collection and a 1:10th scaleHummer HX.

The Need for Speed – Undercovercollection features a range of cars fromthe video game, with each car having acode to unlock exclusive in-gamevehicle designs. Models include Audi,Porsche, Lamborghini, VW and BMW ina range of different scales from 1:64th,1:24th and 1:18th.

Maisto also has the very latestMotoGP season bikes in 1:18th and1:10th replica models and a 1:18th kitversion including the 2008 WorldChampion Valentino Rossi.

REBEL TOYS 5A20 TANTRIX 5B25

Ravensden makes its plush animalsas realistic as possible and combinesits designs with high quality fabrics.The firm is always on the lookout fornew and better materials.

The SUMA collection is one of themost thorough soft toy collections inEurope, including an expanding rangeof rare species from around the world.The collection includes big cats,monkeys, sea creatures, Africanmammals, British wildlife anddomestic animals.

Ravensden’s Baby Collectionincludes rattles, cuddles, musicalanimals and bibs in a variety ofanimal designs in pastel colours. Inaddition, there is a range of plushanimals, puppets, clip-ons, back-packs, pencil cases and purses.

The firm holds the Toycredaccreditation.

RAVENSDEN 5D60

New Range!New Range!Guitars, Ukuleles, Drumsand Accessories

Visit us on theJHS stand Hall 5 D81

Spring Fair ‘09

Visit us on theJHS stand Hall 5 D81

Spring Fair ‘09

© 2008 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

Junior 3pc Drum Kit

3/4 Size Electric Guitar Outfit

Complete ‘ready to play’ outfits for beginners and players.

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JANUARY 2009

In 2000, the designer of Where isMoldova, Peter Seager, realised thatpeople had grown tired of their oldfavourite board games. What followedwas two years of research, duringwhich 1,200 households confirmed that board games, although stillpopular, were being overtaken bycomputer games.

As a result, Peter set out to devise aunique game to bring families and

friends back together. It would evenlycombine strategy, knowledge and luck,play in one hour and involve players ofall ages and abilities.

The game was financed, developedand manufactured in Britain. It waslaunched in 2005 at the Secret GamesShop in Tunbridge Wells.

Seager comments: “Developing,financing and marketing Moldova hasbeen a test of endurance.”

SEAGER GAMES 5J81

Wipeout is the Ultimate Tag game anduses chalk dart technology to leaveplayers’ marks on their opponents.Each dart can be used 30 times and the chalk mark wipes off all surfaceswith ease.

The chalk darts are either projectedby the Wipeout Dart Shooter or can befixed into the Wipeout Missile for agame of ball tag with attitude and longrange capabilities.

The product range includes a singleDart Shooter pack with target andsafety goggles, double Dart Shooterpack with safety goggles, the missilelauncher with chalk dart and refillpacks of either three or six darts.

The range will be supported by TVadvertising on Nickelodeon in the runup to and throughout the Easter schoolholiday. Wipeout is distributedexclusively by Paladone Products.

PALADONE 5F47

Flying Toys had a strong presence atlast year’s Spring Fair as it celebratedits 30th anniversary together withmicro sculptor Willard Wigan.

The firm is looking forward toreturning to this year’s show, where itwill be previewing all the latestadditions to the range includingproducts from Silverlit Electronics,Interactive Toy Concepts, Quercetti, De

Ruymbeke, White Wings, Lanard andThe Kite Factory.

Flying Toys provided promotionalsupport for its R/C products in the runup to Christmas 2008 and the firm willbe displaying a range of editorialcoverage on the stand.

A big screen will also feature on thestand, showing demonstration discsthat are available for retailer promotions.

FLYING TOYS 5A41

Armadillo Imports specialises inanimal-themed toys and gifts atpocket-money prices. The newcompany’s founders have around 30years of experience in the animal-based tourism market.

The range is aimed at the gift market at tourist attractions. ArmadilloImports provides strong customerservices, fast turnaround and a wide range of prices to suit a variedcustomer base.

ARMADILLO IMPORTS 562


JANUARY 2009

Brio will be taking the opportunity topresent its ranges and key products atSpring Fair, including the My Very Firstrange of nursery toys suitable frombirth. The Brio Toddler continues to be agrowth area and offers a selection ofwooden toys such as pull-alongs,stacking toys and building blocks.

The Brio Wooden Railway has grownover the last year with the introductionof Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse andMy Friends Tigger & Pooh range.

Launching at Spring Fair, from theBranching Out collection by John Crane,are the Lullaby Rabbit and Lullaby Teddy– two new music boxes.

These springtime keepsakes willensure children remain entertained asthey listen to the lullaby. A wind-up

handle keeps the music playing whilst awoodland character sits on top of themusic box.

This is just a small taster of the newitems from the Branching Out Collection.To find out about further additions, visitthe stand at Spring Fair.

JOHN CRANE 5A39

Ginger Fox is celebrating the success ofits Classic Dining Moment range ofdinner party experience packs.

The collection includes Dinner withthe Mafia, Dinner on the RMS Titanicand Dinner Aboard the British PullmanOrient Express.

The new addition to the range isDinner with Elvis. The pack willtransport dinner guests back to Vegasfor an evening with The King. The pack

will include facts and information aboutthe singer and 60 minutes of originalElvis recordings to provide thesoundtrack.

Each pack contains dinnerinvitations, reply cards, place cards,menus, a CD, a booklet of facts on thechosen theme, character profiles,themed food and cocktail recipes, triviacard game and tips on hosting thedinner party.

GINGER FOX 5C13

Susan Prescot Games has announcedthe launch of its Numberjacks BoardGame. Numberjacks is all about funand learning, thinking skills, problemsolving and maths. Numberjacks isbroadcast by the BBC in the UK and inmore than 30 other countries aroundthe world. The board game has been

designed with the same strong valuesand makes learning fun.

Aimed at ages three and upwards,the game is based on team work,encouraging children to work togetherto achieve their goal to outwit The Numbertaker and save the Buddy Blocks.

SUSAN PRESCOT GAMES 5F62 BRIO 5B32

Cesar will be launching a range oflicensed costumes for children andadults at Spring Fair. A new range ofBen 10 Alien Force costumes will beavailable from July ‘09 and willinclude a complete dress-up costumeand alien characters.

The Marvel collection will also beexpanded. In addition to thecollection of Wolverine costumes, thefirm will be revealing some femalesuper-hero costumes which can bepartnered with existing male styles.

The Gladiators range will also beunveiled, based on the all newGladiators series, airing on Sky One.

CESAR UK 5E09

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www.toynewsmag.com 53TOY FAIR 2009 PLANNING

Docklands developmentsTough times for the industry and a cramped trade event schedule mean that this year’sExCeL Toy Fair has had to make a number of changes. But what is it that people arelooking for from the show this year? Ronnie Dungan canvasses some opinion…

THIS YEAR HAS SEEN morequestions than ever asked about therelevancy, value and future of the UKToy Fair.

All trade shows, it seems, will atsome time go through a processwhere their very existence is calledinto question. Visitors and exhibitorsask whether the show is a businessforum or an expensive industryshowcase. Some parts of the tradewant one, some want the other, somewant both.

This year, a number of factors havecombined to bring such questions tothe fore. The toy market is havinganother difficult year and toys arefeeling the pinch as retailers usethem to drive sales in other, morerecession-affected, areas.

That, coupled with strong shows inHong Kong, Nuremberg and SpringFair (which starts the day after thisyear’s Toy Fair), have all combined tomake it a very difficult environmentfor the 2009 event.

The departure of some notableattendees such as Tomy andDrumond Park and the compressionof the show into the South Hall, witha shell scheme format, has broughtyet more pressure to bear.

But the show still has a healthycommitment from the industry atlarge. There’s still Hasbro, there arestill Vivid, Flair, Bandai, CharacterOptions, Halsall, Lego, Leapfrog,RC2, Spin Master, Playmobil. Thevery heart of the UK industry is stillat Toy Fair.

But there’s no doubt that questionsare being asked about it. Somecompanies will be monitoring theirToy Fair experience very closely.

Lego is one such company. UKchief Marko Ilnicic says: “We wouldlike to have seen greater changesmade to the show in 2009. However,we are willing to evaluate theresponse to 2009 and understandwhat initiatives will be implementedfor 2010 to improve the format,location and timing beforecommitting to 2010 attendance.”

Emma Sherski, marketing andlicensing director at Vivid, is asupporter and the firm was a keyadvocate of the grand shell schemeexperiment. “Vivid takes a stand atToy Fair to give our retail partnersthe opportunity to see our portfolioof brands across the business,” shesays. “Toy Fair attracts Internationalinventors, licensors and presspartners, so we also find the eventvaluable for sourcing new concepts.

“The challenge is to ensure itbecomes a cost-effective showfor suppliers and this is whyVivid are part of the trialmoving to shell scheme to

hopefullyillustrate that you canstill deliver a professional rangepresentation on a cost-efficientbudget, which will be helpedenormously by the show moving to athree-day event in 2010.”

And for others, who have alreadyswitched their plans to Nuremberg,the show is apparently no longerabout the order book, which is so crucial to the small to medium-sized firms.

“For me, Toy Fair has not been ameaningful show for many years as itis not an order writing show, more apreview show which is held too latefor that purpose. The shift is rightlymoving to the buying groupshows, such as Toymaster, wherecustomers write orders,” saysKim Carter at Treasure Trove.

But, the show has never beenpurely about writingorders. It is

apreview show, ashowcase and a chance to compareall that the trade has to offer in oneplace. A chance to gauge where eachplayer stands in the market.

Halsall has a huge showroom at itsFleetwood HQ and has justcommitted to a showroom at

Nuremberg, too. But marketingdirector Andrew Coplestone feels theExCeL show is still useful.

“Being based on the beautifulNorth West Fylde coast has manybenefits, but being local to many UKretailers is not one of them,” hecomments. “At ExCeL we can see allour customers, and follow up onprevious meetings held in the UKand Hong Kong before the all-important selection process begins. Italso provides a fantastic opportunityto showcase all of Halsall’s excitingnew product developments.

Toy Fair’s unique ability to offer avariety of solutions is both its greatestasset and its biggest liability becauseit means it is jack of all trades andmaster of none. There are othersolutions for those who judge itpurely on orders, or those who wantto showcase product innovation. Butno one show offers the same breadth

of options that Toy Fair does. This year’s event will be a

different experience but ifToy Fair can make the shellscheme format work andfind a happy medium thatsatisfies suppliers of allsizes, it can still be a vitalpart of the trade showcalendar.

It’s a tall order andthere’s only one way tofind out if this is the

case, of course.Get along to

ExCeL.

The show has never been purely aboutwriting orders. It is a preview show, a

showcase and a chance to compareall that the trade has to offer.

TOYFAIR09

JANUARY 2009

EntraEntrance S4

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PIE

Waterfront CaféWaterfront Café LIFT

CharacterOptions

VividImagination

Hasbro

Creche Gosh

CoiledSpring

DiamondComic

Distributors

Fiesta Crafts

Carta Mundi

Wilton Bradley

BureauVeritas

Brainstorm

XanaduGames

House ofMarbles

Leapfrog

RC2

Mega Brands

Sales Partnership

WestDesign

Bigjigs

Step2UK

Meccano

Intertek

BTHA

PhotoWall

ToyNews Cheatwell GamesHKTDC

Great Gizmos John Crane

Ernestthe Bear

RichardEdward

OrangeElephant

LearningResources

K CGames

Elron BV Leisure

PlumProductsImagination

Games

Interplay Gelert

WinningMoves

UpperDeck

AbysseCorp Sarl

CrazeeBT

Bears

EsdeviumGames

PyramidPosters

54 TOY FAIR 2009 PLANNING

JANUARY 2009

1745 Trading Co. - Quests of the World GH318TH Wonder SB2Abysse Corp Sarl SL29ALF SE36Art Meets Matter GH100Artesania Latina GH9B V Leisure SM19Bandai UK SE60Barnardo's SL25Berg Toys GH17Bigjigs Toys SM35Boden Boo Games GH61Bontempi Comus UK SE19Born to Play (Martin Yaffe) SE40Brainstorm SK30

Britannia Games SE2Carta Mundi (UK) SK16Cassidy Brothers SC9Character Options SP50Cheatwell Games SL1Clementoni Spa SP40Coiledspring Games SJ1Corinthian Marketing SA30Creativity International SG25Cuckoo GH18Desser & Co TBCDiamond Comic Distributors SJ9DKL Marketing SC29Earlybird Educational Supplies SG15Ecoboo GH51

Eezee Kricket GH8Elron Enterprises: Playlearn SM16Ernest The Bear Productions SP20Esdevium Games SP26Feel Good Friends GH30Fiesta Crafts SK10Flair Leisure Products SC20James Galt & Co SG20Games and Gadgets GH72GB Eye SH2Gear for Games SE30Gelert SM39Getretro.co.uk GH81Gilbow(Holdings) SJ46Golden Bear Products SG10

Gosh International SP1Great Gizmos SP10H Grossman SJ30Halilit SJ10Halsall International SA24Hands in Wax GH71Hasbro UK SP19Hive Entertainment GH1House of Marbles SJ35Imagination Games SM20Injusa SA45Interplay UK SM26Intertek Testing Services (Leicester) SM30John Crane SM9Jumbo Games SC19

EXHIBITOR STAND

EXHIBITOR STAND

EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND

GH1 Hive EntertainmentGH3 J C Games GH4 Cuckoo GH7 My Wonder GH8 Eezee KricketGH9 Artesania LatinaGH11 The Music Sales Group GH17 Berg ToysGH21 Tailten GamesGH30 Feel Good FriendsGH31 1745 Trading CompanyGH39 Mapcargo Int'l GH41 Just PalsGH48 The Wagon CompanyGH51 EcobooGH60 Kamtronik GamesGH61 Boden Boo GamesGH70 SionicaGH71 Hands in WaxGH72 Games & GadgetsGH75 NPDGH79 Yes! SuperBaby GH80 Micro ScootersGH81 GetretroGH84 Point Zero GamesGH89 Art Meets MatterGH90 AardvarkGH95 Street SurfingGH94 Trimex UKGH99 Yanki Toys

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Waterfront Café

CAR PARKTICKETS

Waterfront Café

CRUNCH &

SQUEEZE

LIFT

BarnardosFeature

Cassidy Bros.

Jumbo Games

Gear for Games

Re:Creation

Star Images

Worlds Apart

LeToy Van

8th Wonder

Flair Leisure

Padget Bros

Lego

Playmobil

HalsallInternational

University Games

Bontempi PaulLamondGames

Ravensburger

Born to Play(Martin Yaffe)

BritanniaGames

Bandai

DavidWestnedge WowGB Eye

Theo KleinHalilit

Marvin'sMagic

EarlybirdEducational

James Galt

Paladone

Russimco

Marbel

Red Robin Creativity Int'

H Grossman

BachmanToyway

Melissa and Doug

Schleich UK

CorinthianMarketing

DKLMarketing

Alf

Golden Bear

Spinmaster

Melville The InThing

Suttons Consumer Products

Gilbow

TechnicalWorkshop Theatre

Kidkraft

OrchardToys

Injusa/Rolly Toys

NATLL

WickedVision

TRA

Syot

Clementoni

JANUARY 2009

Exhibitor list & Floor Plan

Just Pals GH41K C Games SM10Kamtronik Games GH60KidKraft SC40Theo Klein SG9Paul Lamond Games SE20Le Toy Van SC10Leapfrog Toys (UK) SJ37Learning Resources SK15Lego UK Company SC60Marbel SJ20Marvin's Magic SJ16Meccano SK29Mega Brands SJ59Melissa & Doug SJ50

Micro Scooters GH80Music Sales Group GH11My Wonder GH7Orange Elephant Co SN20Orchard Toys SC46Padgett Bros (A to Z) SA39Paladone Products SG30Playmobil (UK) SA40Plum Products SK19Point Zero Games GH90Ravensburger SE29RC2 SJ43Re:Creation Group SC59Red Robin Toys SJ26Richard Edward SN19

Robbie Toys SA45Rolly Toys SA45Russimco SG36The Sales Partnership SK9Schleich SJ60Sionica GH70Spin Master Toys UK SG40Star Images SA9Step2 UK SP30Suttons Consumer Products SH25Tailten Games GH21The Bogies SL35The In Thing SE45The Wagon Company GH48ToyNews SN02

Toyway SJ40Trimex UK GH109University Games UK SE10Upper Deck Europe SN45Vivid Imaginations SP39West Design Products SM29David Westnedge SG1Wicked Vision SC30Wilton Bradley SK20Winning Moves UK SP46Worlds Apart SA20Wow Toys SF1Xanadu Games TBCYanki Toys GH120Yes! Superbaby GH79

EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND EXHIBITOR STAND

www.toynewsmag.com 55TOY FAIR 2009 PLANNING

8961Crystal Sweeper

8960Thunder Driller

8959Claw Digger

8958Granite Grinder

8957Mine Mech

8956Stone Chopper

For more information, please contact LEGO Customer Services on 01753 495001

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In-store promotions, price watch andCounter Insurgent…

High StreetPage 60

This month’s retail charts feature:WH Smith, The Entertainer, Amazon,Mail Order Express, Hamleys andJohn Lewis…

ChartsPage 61

ASSOCIATED Independent Storeshas announced its first major toyshow at Cranmore Park, Solihull.

The exhibition will take place onApril 21st and April 22nd, 2009, and all Play-room Cenpac supplierswill be invited to exhibit, withprospective members invited to attend.

Six months after itslaunch, AIS’s toy division– Play-room – has 35members, with more than100 retail outlets, and the company expects toadd to this numbersignificantly during 2009.Terms have been agreed

with more than 90 suppliers and halfa million store-specific Christmasbroadsheets were designed, producedand then distributed duringNovember 2008.

Play-room has offered bothautumn/winter 2008 andspring/summer 2009 FOB importprogrammes, which have given

members access to more than 700branded toys at high margins.

The division’s marketing plans for2009 are already in place, with awindow kit system planned fordistribution to members in early spring.

A member website for informationsharing and selected electronicordering is also nearing completion.

AIS offers key servicesspecifically designed tomeet its members needssuch as central paymentfacilities (CENPAC),marketing, training,logistics, procurement andinformation technology.AIS: 0121 713 4487

TROUBLED TOY and stationerydistributor Magson has been placedinto administration.

Neil Bennett and Michael Healy ofLeonard Curtis have been appointedas administrators to the business.

The firm acquired the failingYoungsters business back in April,along with the chain of ToyZonestores and the remaining stock.However, it quickly closed the 20 stores.

First established in 1925, as a localwholesaler of toys, stationery andgreetings cards, the business wasincorporated in 1959 and,throughout the late 1980s, grew froma regional to a national business,with additional distribution centresin Glasgow, Ipswich, Banbury andHailsham. It had a customer base ofleading independent shops, buyingassociations and larger multiples.

In late 2007, the business wasacquired from the Magson family andthe purchasers have made majorefforts to modernise the business.

Turnover for the ten months toOctober 2008 was £20.2 million.

“The current financial climate,with reduced consumer spending on the High Street, combined withpoor weather over this last summer,badly affecting toy sales, has nothelped this business,” commentedNeil Bennett.

“The business has spent heavily,streamlining systems and reducingthe staff levels by almost half.

“Unfortunately the timing has notbeen good – hence our appointmentas a protective measure. We havehad to make the majority of theemployees redundant; we haveretained a small number to assist inthe administration. ”

Magson’s HQ, showroom and a150,000 sq ft state of the artwarehouse are in the Clifton Moorarea of York, where the 200 staff arebased. The additional warehouseselsewhere have been disposed of anddistribution was contracted out.

“This is a company that hadrecently undergone a substantialtransformation but was still, owing tothe current credit crunch, unable tofind a purchaser,” concluded Bennett.Magson: 0845 3000 376

The currentfinancial

climate, with reducedconsumer spending,has not helpedthis business.

Page 62New products

Retail OnlyDedicated monthly retail coverage

News • Data • Opinion

Look out for offerings from CharacterOptions, Hy-Pro, David Westnedge,Hasbro and Manhattan Toy…

Magson goes into administration

AIS unveils debutshow plans

FOUNDED IN 1978, Giochi Preziosiis the biggest player in the Italian toymarket and, by its own definition, itis also the fourth largest toy operatorin the world.

Giochi markets and distributes toysunder its own brands. In Italy thegroup has a direct presence in theretail sector, with its 434 stores underthe names of Amico Gio, Giochettaand Giochi Preziosi, which makes itthe largest toy retailer in Italy. Thecompany is owned by three parties –Bank Intesa Sanpaulo owns 40 percent, the Italian buy-out firmClessidra owns 15 per cent and thefounder, Enrico Preziosi, owns thebalance of 45 per cent.

The company had sales of €723.4($1,065) million worldwide in 2007and is running at an estimated €850($1,071) million clip in 2008. Thisturnover is split up between toys (52per cent), retail (28 per cent) andothers (20 per cent). Italy accountedlast year for 88 per cent of the salesand the rest of Europe 12 per cent.

The firm’s mainstay is the actionfigure range first released in Italy in2005 under the brand name Gormiti,now representing something like$150 million in sales this year and, inthe words of Marathon International,“the fastest growing boy’s brand that ever hit the world, having sold, to date, more than 100 millionaction figures.”

Giochi is present in all Europeancountries including Germany, whereuntil recently it had a joint venturewith Simba Dickie, Germany’s largesttoy manufacturer.

This joint venture was designed toexploit the potential of Gormiti inGermany and it was successful indoing so. Toys R Us Germany ratesGormiti as one of its fastest movingaction figures, which is not a bad featin a year when Batman: The DarkKnight and Star Wars: Clone Wars arebattling it out on the shelves. In fact,Giochi claimed that it has already soldmore than a million sets in Germanyin the nine months since the launchof the range in January this year.

However, the collaborationbetween these two European toymanufacturers came to an end

because of strategic conflicts.Basically, Giochi decided that itwanted to paddle its own boat inGermany in anticipation of a majormarketing effort throughout Europeand the US scheduled to break nextyear for Gormiti.

With the same objective in mind,Giochi established its own presencein the UK earlier this year when itacquired 95 per cent of Flair Leisure.The two businesses already had arelationship through Gormiti, whichFlair had been instrumental inlaunching into the UK in November2007. Today, Gormiti is one of theUK’s best-selling toy ranges on thestrength of very heavy televisionbacking, supported by PR efforts, in-store merchandising and point of purchase activities.

The impending worldwide majormarketing effort mentioned here hasas its backbone, an animated TV filmseries called Gormiti, the Lords ofNature. The film was co-produced bythe Italian Mediaset broadcast groupand the French TV network M6. It isin a 26-minute format with 52episodes. It was showcased in Cannesat MIPCOM in October this yearand turned out to be one of the mostwatched presentations at the event.

Worldwide TV and video sales arehandled by Marathon International,whereas Giochi Preziosi handlesworldwide marketing andmerchandising. Negotiations arealready ongoing for the film rights in the US and Canada. The movie is expected to be released in Italy in December and in the US inautumn 2009.

To facilitate its entry into the USmarket, Giochi Preziosi opened itsown subsidiary earlier this year –Giochi Preziosi USA in Irvine,California. It then appointed toyveteran John Sinclair as presidentand CEO early this year. JohnSinclair knows the toy market in theUS very well – he was with Playmates

JANUARY 2009

Champion GiochiThis month our US correspondent Lutz Muller ruminates on Italian toy giant Giochi Preziosi’s move into the NorthAmerican market and examines the chances of a successful Gormiti launch…

58 RETAIL SCENE LUTZ MULLER

Today, Gormiti is one of the UK’s best-selling toy ranges on the strength of

very heavy television backing, supported byPR efforts, in-store merchandising andpoint of purchase activities.

The Gormiti brand showsa similar level of onlinepopularity to SpinMaster’s Bakugan

JANUARY 2009

from 1988 to 2006, rising through theranks to become de-facto CEO of theUS operation.

The Playmates connectionbecomes clearer when we considerthat in July 2008 Giochi Prezisio andPlaymates entered into a jointventure with the objective ofexploiting the Gormiti businesspotential in the US and Canada.Giochi owns 55 per cent of the deal,Playmates 45 per cent.

Giochi provides three of the fivemanagers, including the CEO (theaforementioned John Sinclair), withPlaymates providing the other two.Playmates has an extensivemarketing, sales and distributionoperation in the US and Canada andis expected to provide the overall

infrastructure – marketing, sales,distribution, and administration – forthe joint venture for all of NorthAmerica. Incidentally, Playmates lostthe Strawberry Shortcake licence toHasbro with effect as from January2008 and Gormiti is obviouslyexpected to make up for this loss.There may also be a pay-backmotivator at work here given thatHasbro’s second largest toy categoryis action figures.

Playmates is an effective but so farnot overwhelming participant in theaction figures scene. It has had theTurtles licence for years and justgarnered the Star Trek licence intime for the movie release in 2009(and obviously Giochi did not regardthis as a major conflict). It has good

distribution with the majors: Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us.

Probably as a result of thiscollaboration with Playmates, GiochiPreziosi has already begun to gettraction in the US market. As anexample, it just placed seven SKUswith Toys R Us. These are plushitems under licence from Disney.

However, the success and failure ofthe Giochi Preziosi effort in NorthAmerica will stand and fall with theGormiti range, which will probably beintroduced at Toy Fair 2009. Thelaunch will likely be accompanied bymassive TV advertising support,(echoing its successful UK introductorymodel) to be further strengthened bythe release of the animated film seriesin autumn 2009.

The introductory line will includecollectible battle figures with cards, afeature-driven playset and a starterset with an original animated DVDthat introduces the Tribes, theirleaders and their struggle to savetheir once peaceful island of Gorm.The product line will expand tofeature additional collectible figures,playsets, and more in autumn 2009.

Each figure includes a card with acode that enables collectors todiscover exclusive Tribes, characters,stories and island environments onthe GormitiClub.com website. Thewebsite also offers a 3-D Island ofGorm to explore fast action flashanimation games, downloads, strategy tips, character power profiles and more.

The target group for the toys is boysaged five-to-eight, the same as for theTV series. The product range willprobably consist of a fairly extensiveassortment of 1½-inch to two-inchaction figures.

There is already a fairly brisk tradein them on eBay, where currently 112different figures are featured, rangingin prices from $6.37 to $69.99.

All in all, I would not be surprisedif we saw in Gormiti a repeat of SpinMaster’s Bakugan success story.Bakugan is now running at $100million at retail in the US, on thestrength of great product, excellentmerchandising and on the back of asuccessful animated TV series.

It would seem that its toys arealready strongly out there in cyberspace and the marketing effort hasnot even started yet...

www.toynewsmag.com 59LUTZ MULLER RETAIL SCENE

Lutz Muller is a Swiss who has livedon five continents. In the US, he wasthe CEO for four manufacturingcompanies, including two in the toyindustry. Since 2002, he has providedcompetitive intelligence onthe toy and video gamesmarket to manufacturersand financial institutionscoast-to-coast.www.klosterstrading.com

Giochi Preziosihas already

begun to gettraction in theUS market.

JANUARY 2009

IN STORE PROMOTIONSToys R Us is offering a freegift when customers spendover a specified amount on arange of brands. Thepromotion includes a freeFold and Go Easel with every£50 spent on Thomas andFriends, a free Iggle Piggleblanket when £40 is spent onIn The Night Garden, and afree Omnitrix Alien Viewerwith every £40 spent on theBen 10 range, among others.

The retailer is also offeringa ‘buy two, get the third free’promotion on MB and ParkerGames and a number ofcompetitions. Customershave the chance to win aNintendo DS Lite console witha Disney Fairies: Tinkerbellgame to promote the newmovie and toy line-up. Topromote the HSM range, ToysR Us is running a competitionto win a Nintendo Wii withHigh School Musical gameand microphone.

Customers can save 25 percent off the price of a varietyof brands including Scalextric,Bob the Builder, Puppy In My Pocket, Fisher-Price,Disney Princess, PowerRangers: Operation Overdriveand Baby Born at Argos. The store is also offering aselection of £10 toys on a‘two for £15’ promotion.

A chance to save 25 per centon Hasbro games andpuzzles, Bratz toys, Bob theBuilder toys and PowerRanger toys, and a massive50 per cent off Kung FuPanda toys is available toTesco Direct’s customers.

Any purchases ofLeapfrog’s Tag Reader will bediscounted by £10 and Tescois running a competition towin a dance masterclass withthe UK cast of High SchoolMusical: Live on Stage.

The Entertainer is offering 50per cent off MB and Parkergames and the Crayola range.A competition to win a rangeof Match Attax TCG productsis also available online.

Roll to the RescueSleuthin’ Tigger

Mattel

FurReal Friends BiscuitMy Fun Lovin’ Pup

Hasbro

Power Rangers OperationOverdrive Mega Lasers

IMC Toys

Magnext i-CoasterMega Brands

Animal Hosp. on LocationIce Rescue StationVivid ImaginationsSTORE

TOY

£33.74 £124.94 £29.99 £69.99 £24.99

£42.99 £140.00 N/A £59.99 £24.99

£48.99 £118.99 N/A £71.99 £22.99

£44.97 £129.99 £14.99 £79.96 £29.97

£35.99 £129.99 £19.99 £69.99 £29.99

From left: Ben 10 watch; Power Rangers: Mystic Force figure; Kung Fu Panda Kicking Po and the Crayola Spinaroo…

PRICE CHECK: JANUARY

HIGHSTREET

COUNTERINSURGENT

60 RETAIL ONLY

At the beginning ofthe year, I said itwas going to be abumpy ride. I thinka year equivalentto riding the Pepsi

Max at Blackpool would have beena better prediction.

I said there would be high profilebusts and I had Woolies in my mindwhen I wrote it. With Youngsters/Toyzone it was a blow to thestomach, but this month hasfollowed up with a double whammyto the head of both Woolworths andnow, to a lesser extent, Magson. Ican only hope that this isn’t thefinal nail for a few suppliers.

Some suppliers have beenbowing to Woolworths’ demandsbecause of the distribution it couldoffer. 800-plus stores is a difficultfigure to turn down. I’ve beenstaggered by the exclusives anddeals that have been made forWoolworths over the years, andsome of it seems to be all aboutgetting your brand seen. But thechain didn’t show the same loyaltyto brands as it should have. ‘ParallelMarketing’ is a term that springs tomind. Be honest, the only brand thatWoolies cared about was Woolies.

Do suppliers chase thesupermarket pounds? Tesco isflexing the muscle and paying later(please don’t tell me that is cashflow), but that doesn’t sell ranges.

Do suppliers look at othermarkets? A few have tried that –the gift market wants to buy inones, no carriage paid and have a200 per cent mark-up, so that ain’tgoing to work. The computergames sector only wantssomething that makes you want togo to the loo and by the time thetoy industry has broughtsomething out that might work, theprice is a joke and it is six months,no, sorry, 12 months out of date.

So is there a platform forsuppliers to go with all theseexclusives and deals they offeredWoolworths? Of course there is.An indie in every town would besomething we can only dreamabout. I just hope that indies willjoin me in thinking this is anopportunity and not a time to getback at the suppliers who havesupported the Woolies brand likelemmings for years.

Dispatches fromthe retail front line...

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W.H. SmithThrough the Seasons Jigsaw Collection WHS

R/c Range Rover Sport New Bright Industrial

Giant 24-piece Noddy Floor Puzzle Jumbo

Only Fools and Horses Board Game Toy Brokers

Games Compendium WHS

Wood Worx Steam Train Kit Colorific

Christmas Village Jigsaw WHS

R/c Land Rover RockCrawler New Bright

Bop It! Extreme Pink Hasbro

Number Snap WHS

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The EntertainerFurReal Friends - Butterscotch Pony Hasbro

Ben 10 - Alien Laboratory Playset Bandai

FurReal Biscuit My Fun Lovin’ Pup Hasbro

Baby Born Doll with Magic Eyes Zapf Creation

Power Tour Electric Guitar Hasbro

V Beat Air Drum Silverlit

Hot Wheels Speed Rache Sky Jump Grand Prix Mattel

Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera - Blue Vtech

Li’l Luvables Fluffy Factory Spin Master

High School Musical 3 Got the Moves Dance Mat Vivid

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Mail Order ExpressPicooZ helicopter Silverlit

100-piece Ben 10 puzzle Pressman

Top Trumps – Top Gear Winning Moves

20Q Version 2 Radica

Bop It Extreme 2 Hasbro

Original Rubik’s Cube Drumond Park

Pictureka Hasbro

Guess that Pokemon Game Pressman

Bath Bomb Factory Interplay

High School Musical Sing Along Microphone Vivid Imaginations

Fireman Sam Jupiter Ride-on and Sound Helmet Martin Yaffe

Bob the Builder Clicker Construction Set Martin Yaffe

Fireman Sam Firestation Playset Martin Yaffe

Academy Desk and Chair Martin Yaffe

Spykee the Wi-fi Spy Robot Meccano

Disney Princess Vanity Table Martin Yaffe

Pink Cosmic Light Scooter Ozbozz

Baby Annabel Happy Holiday Set Zapf Creation

Fireman Sam Firefighter Set Martin Yaffe

Fireman Sam Friction Action Jupiter Martin Yaffe

CHART DATE20/11/08

www.toynewsmag.com 61RETAIL ONLY

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John Lewis50 Greatest Magic Tricks Marvins Magic

Hamleys Bear Timothy Hamleys

AA batteries four pack Energiser

Hamleys Infinite Bubbles Hamleys

Picco Z Helicopter Silverlit

Insecta Silverlit

Nail Jazz Kit (matt) RDM

Magic Drawing Board Hamleys

Nail Jazz Kit (Metalllic) RDM

Rainbow Art Sticker Scratcherz Flair

FurReal Biscuit My Fun Lovin’ Pup Hasbro

Mini Micro T-bar Scooter - Blue Micro Scooters

Playskool Kota Triceratops Hasbro

Mini Micro T-bar Scotter - Pink Micro Scooters

Evergreen Country Cottage Little Tikes

Wooden Labrador Baby Walker Hibba

Circus Ring Playmobil

Digital Camera - Pink Girl Gear

FurReal Smore Pony Hasbro

Baby Driver 4 Smoby

CHART DATE(Year to Date)

CHART DATE17/11/08

RETAILCHARTS

mobile.toynewsmag.com The latest news straight to your phone

BOOKMARK US TODAY

JANUARY 2009

PRODUCTNEWS

THE TABLE football seriesfrom Hy-Pro is the official rangeof many of the premiership’sleading teams, includingManchester United, Chelsea,Liverpool and Arsenal.

Each table recreates the scope and scale of each team’shome ground with detaileddesigns and is branded witheach team’s emblem. The line-up retails from £59.99.Hy-Pro: 01582 670100

THREE NEW characters arejoining the Groovy GirlsRSVP.com range of interactivedolls from Manhattan Toy. Thenew dolls include Amelina, Alesaand Amara, are all 33cm highand retail at £10.99 each.

Also new to the line-up arefive pets, including three puppies– Lilac, Locket and Luckie – andtwo cats – Liola and Lunna. Eachtoy features a code that opens upa virtual party experience on thegroovygirlsrsvp.com website andenables girls to interact withother owners around the world.Manhattan Toy: 020 8944 3160

NEXT SPRING and summer will seethe launch of Princess Peppa and herLadies in Waiting, along withPrincess Peppa’s Royal Family figures.

Other launches in early springinclude a six-inch talking Sir George,a seven-inch talking Princess Peppaand Princess Peppa’s Royal Train.

This month sees the introductionof the Royal Carriage, which is ahorse-drawn carriage featuring SusieSheep, Princess Peppa and SirGeorge figures.

A fold-away Princess Peppa Palacewill launch in May, includingthrones, guardsman figures and

Princess Peppa, along with a range offurniture. There will also be a SirGeorge and the Dragon Playsetfeaturing a treasure chest, articulateddragon and push-along horse.

Further products will roll-outthroughout autumn/winter.Character Options: 0161 633 9800

Hy-Proscores withnew range

DAVID Westnedge has gainedexclusive UK distribution rights forcard game Rock. The game wasdesigned by a resident of Cornwall,but has proved successful in theUS and the rules are now beingtranslated into Spanish, Germanand French.

Rock is a fast and furiousversion of the evergreen gameRock, Paper, Scissors. Players flipover cards and race to name thewinning card. Each card has adifferent design, so the gamerequires a sharp eye and a veryquick wit.David Westnedge:020 8871 2654

DavidWestnedgeRocks out

62 RETAIL ONLY

HASBRO HAS launched a detailedreplica of the rebel spaceship fromStar Wars: Clone Wars – theMillennium Falcon. Measuring overtwo and a half feet long, thespaceship features light-upheadlights and a variety of electronicvehicle and weapon sounds,including engine boast, cruise mode,fly-by and firing cannons.

The ship is complete with HanSolo and Chewbacca figures and

can fit up to 16 moreinside the smugglingcompartments, pivotinggunner station andmissile-firing mini fighter vehicle.

Further sounds thatbring the vehicle to lifeinclude movie phrases,lightsaber noises anddeployment sounds.Hasbro: 020 8569 1234

New Millennium Falcon blasts off

Character crowns PeppaThe Peppa Pig range is set to grow in 2009 with a new royal-themed line…

Manhattan Toy gets groovy

JANUARY 2009

The Spykeefamily is going

from strength tostrength. We offerthe mini Spykees aseasy-to-buildlittle brothers.

A resurgent Meccano launches its latestelectronic construction innovation – theSpykee Mini Vox – next month…

MeccanoSpykee Mini Vox

www.toynewsmag.com 63 HERO PRODUCT

SPYKEE MINI VOX is the latestself-build robot from Meccano. Thesmall warrior robot has anexpressive face like its biggerbrother and is voice activated,responding to eight different voiceorders including movement, danceand attack.

On sale from February, Mini Voxis constructed from 20 pieces withboth instructions and toolsincluded. Suitable for ages seven-plus, it is priced at around £49.99.

The robot has several inbuiltsound and light effects, enabling itto move, attack and dance whileplaying music. It stands 16.8cmhigh and carries many of the samestylistic design features as SpykeeVox to create a warrior-like look

that differentiates it from the othermembers of the Spykee family.

Sue Barratt, country manager forMeccano UK, says: “The Spykeefamily is going from strength tostrength. With demand comingfrom a wide audience, we arecontinuing to offer the miniSpykees as easy-to-build littlebrothers that have some keyfunctions to offer good play valueto our younger consumers.”

There is on-going trade andconsumer PR support, a dedicatedSpykee helpline to deal withconsumer enquiries, and onlinesupport in place for 2009.

Further robots are due out thisyear to form a Spykee family ofeight by the end of 2009.

Release date:FebruaryRRP: £49.99CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: 01844 278 888www.spykeeworld.com

The Spykee MiniVox is only onemember of thisunique family of robots

The eye-catchingbox will turn heads

Advertisers

1/4 page: Annual charge £1,395 (minimum twelve months booking)Get your company featured: [email protected] T: 01992 535 647RATES:

WOWSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER0207 381 2302

British-designed andaward-winning WOW hasbeen producing toys withtrue 'WOW' appeal forover ten years.

A pre-school favouriteand a consistently strongseller at retail, the rangehas grown to over 40 lines,much to the enjoyment ofboys and girls in over 36countries worldwide.

WOW’s famousvehicles, pushed by littlehands, provide real, long-lasting play value andstimulate learningthrough creative play anddiscovery. They are a firmfavourite with children andmothers as well asnurseries and playgroups.

Each toy from WOW isdesigned by its owntoymakers, who produce award-winning toys every year. Vibrant incolour and extremely durable,WOW only uses the highest graderaw materials and employsrigorous quality control

proceduresto preserveits highstandards.

Its toyscome packed with excitingfeatures such as friction motors,winches and secret compartmentsfor children to discover. A trulymodern selection of toys withtraditional play values.

WOW supports itscustomers by developingnew and excitingpromotional tools everyyear to assist theindependent retailers whochampion the WOW Pre-School concept rangethroughout the UK.

The WOW toy range is ahighly innovative andindividual concept. Thanksto WOW’s unwavering anddedicated approach toproducing the highestquality toys for the under-fives, the line-upmakes for a refreshing and creative approach to

play. Both trusted and safe, thetoys have no need for batteriesthanks to their clever designs, and promise sheer fun and lasting play.

For further information pleasecontact customer services on:020 7381 2302 or [email protected]

■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.JellyHead 3D 0208 441 2158

Rainbow Productions 0208 254 5300

■ Point of Purchase ManufacturersDaytona Visual Marketing 01827 54551

■ Safety TestingCMA Testing (852) 2698 8198

SGS 0208 991 3410

STR 0118 939 8700

■ Suppliers/ManufacturersApplepie Toys 0207 490 7694

Bachmann Europe 0870 751 9990

Cambridge Brainbox 01279 821333

Danbar International Ltd. 01707 260 111

Debut Sport 0117 966 8889

Esdevium Games 01420 593 593

Flying Toys 01702 295110

Games Workshop 08700 134 411

Gowi (Earlybird Educational Toys) 01536 200925

Logiblocs 01727 763700

Marvin’s Magic 01582 849 000

Plastics for Games 01728 745300

Ravensburger 01869 363800

Revell 01442 250130

The Puppet Company 01462 446 040

Thumbs Up 0845 466 8880

FT Creations 020 8965 7087

Voila (Agenta Marketing) 01536 401128

WOW Toys 0207 381 2302

■ Toy SuppliersCarta Mundi 01268 511522

Plastics for Games 01728 745300

Richard Edward 0208 311 8888

Sambro 0161 707 5555

The place for business

RATES:RATES:

RAINBOW PRODUCTIONSSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER020 8254 5300

Adrian Miles: +44 (0)1992 535 [email protected]

Rainbow Productions has over 25years’ experience in creating highquality, bespoke costumecharacters for brands andorganisations within the toyindustry – such as the Toy FairBear and Doll on behalf of BTHA.

These bespoke brandcharacters are commissioned foruse in photo calls, at productlaunches and to provide addedentertainment in brand experiencecampaigns.

As a licensee, RainbowProductions also represents over90 properties, offering anunrivalled portfolio of licensedcharacters, available to book forMeet and Greet guestappearances (examples includeBob the Builder, Noddy andPostman Pat). A number oflicensed characters will beattending photo calls at the 2009Toy Fair.

Licensed characterappearances help raise awarenessof that particular property in themind of the end target user, bychildren and families interacting

with the TV star at events –whether in-store, within ashopping centre or at places suchas nurseries.

Examples of pre-Christmaslicensed character appearances –booked to help promotemerchandise and generate in-store theatre – include visits tothe Peter Jones Toy Department inSloane Square by Peppa Pig andthe Little Princess. Hamley’s in

Dublin was alsovisited by five HITEntertainmentproperties: Bob theBuilder, Pingu,Angelina Ballerina,Fireman Sam andBarney. Licensedcharacters alsosupported theWest End VIPshopping event inOxford Street, allplaying a role inpromoting licensedmerchandise andbrand loyalty.

To find out more aboutcommissioning RainbowProductions to create you abespoke brand character forpromotional use (PR, trade showsetc) or for advice on licensedcharacter appearances, pleasecall 020 8254 5300 or [email protected] information is alsoavailable atwww.rainbowproductions.co.uk

Constantly

striving to offer more

services to our clients, we recently

began working with some high profile

Clients such as Warner Brothersand Disney

Consumer Products to provide lifesize plush

toys made in the UK by our own skilled

production team. This has proved a great

success offering our clients much

shorter lead times and first class

products. As

well as this, the launch

of our Event Management

Department will offer clients the

opportunity to have us maintain and

store your costumes plus organise

character appearances, arrange staff

and chaperones, storage and

cleaning in the UK and

abroad.

Not

forgetting what we do

best and that's to produce

high quality, long lasting character

costumes for hire, events, trade fairs

and promotions. Our clients include

Procter and Gamble, 4 Kids

Entertainment , Tesco, Asda,

and Motorola.

WHAT GETS SEEN GETS BOUGHTCostume Characters � Point Of Sale � Props � Giant Promotional Plush

Event Management � Storage and Maintenance � Costume Hire

Contact - Kelli Bromley, Sales Manager

T: 0208 441 2158 M: 07760270209

www.jellyhead3d.co.uk [email protected]

Doctor Who logo © BBC 2004. Cyberman image ©

BBC/Kit Pedlar/Gerry Davis 1966. Licensed by BBC

Worldwide Limited.

Millennium

FX is the Award

Winning Special FX Company

behind the Doctor Who monsters

and Jellyhead 3d are an officially

approved agent to provide public

appearances for these iconic

characters!

■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.

Marketplacewww.toynewsmag.com | Advertising: +44 (0)1992 535 647

■ Point of Purchase Manufacturers

Danny Smith

ADVERTISINGTHAT WORKS!

To advertise here please contactAdrian Miles:

+44 (0)1992 535647

[email protected]

Marketplace

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

■ Safety Testing ■ Safety Testing

■ Safety Testing





Innovation in modern table design

Lunar Pool Table

LED Under Cloth Illumination

Ball Storage Bays

Built-in MP3 System

Contact Debut on T: 0117 966 8889 E: [email protected] visit www.debutsport.co.uk © Copyright Debut 2008

From the UK’s No 1 games table supplier, Debut introduces the Lunar Pool Table.


Marketplace


■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers






ADVERTISINGTHAT WORKS!

To advertise here please contactAdrian Miles:

+44 (0)1992 535647

[email protected]

Marketplace


■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

Revell GmbH & Co. KG, 64-66 Queensway, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 5HA. Tel: 01442 250130. Email: [email protected]

No. 1 in the UK for model kits and accessories

Fax Order Hotline: 01442 245619







Marketplace

■ Toy Suppliers

■ Toy Suppliers

■ Toy Suppliers

Sambro International Limited

Unit L1-3 Lyntown Trading Estate, Lynwell Road, Eccles, Manchester,

England, M30 9QG. T: +44 (0)161 707 5555

Contact Nikki Samuels on E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)7802517303

Contact Paul Cook on E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)7769900901

TM & © 2008 The Larry Sch

warz Company

■ Toy Suppliers


Advertisers Index■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.JellyHead 3D 0208 441 2158 [email protected] www.jellyhead3d.co.uk

Rainbow Productions 0208 254 5300 [email protected] www.rainbowproductions.co.uk

■ Point of Purchase ManufacturersDaytona Visual Marketing 01827 54551 [email protected] www.daytonavisual.com

■ Safety TestingCMA Testing (852) 2698 8198 [email protected] www.cmatcl.com

SGS 0208 991 3410 [email protected] www.uk.sgs.com

STR 0118 939 8700 [email protected] www.struk.co.uk

■ Suppliers/ManufacturersApplepie Toys 0207 490 7694 [email protected] www.applepietoys.com

Bachmann Europe 0870 751 9990 [email protected] www.bachmann.co.uk

Cambridge Brainbox 01279 821333 [email protected] www.cambridgebrainbox.co.uk

Danbar International Ltd. 01707 260 111 [email protected] www.danbartoys.com

Debut Sport 0117 966 8889 [email protected] www.debutsport.co.uk

Esdevium Games 01420 593 593 [email protected] www.esdeviumgames.com

Flying Toys 01702 295110 [email protected]

Games Workshop 08700 134 411 [email protected] www.games-workshop.com

Gowi (Earlybird Educational Toys) 01536 200925 [email protected] www.agenta.demon.co.uk/sand_water.html

Logiblocs 01727 763700 [email protected] www.logiblocs.com

Marvin’s Magic 01582 849 000 [email protected] www.marvinsmagic.com

Plastics for Games 01728 745300 [email protected] www.p4g.co.uk

Ravensburger 01869 363800 [email protected] www.ravensburger.com

Revell 01442 250130 [email protected] www.revell.com

The Puppet Company 01462 446 040 [email protected] www.thepuppetcompany.com

Thumbs Up 0845 466 8880 [email protected] www.thumbsupuk.com

FT Creations 020 8965 7087 [email protected] www.ftcreations.co.uk

Voila (Agenta Marketing) 01536 401128 [email protected] www.agenta.demon.co.uk/voila.html

WOW Toys 0207 381 2302 [email protected] www.wowtoys.com

■ Toy SuppliersCarta Mundi 01268 511522 [email protected] www.cartamundi.com

Plastics for Games 01728 745300 [email protected] www.p4g.co.uk

Richard Edward 0208 311 8888 [email protected] www.richard-edward.com

Sambro International +44 (0) 161 707 5555 [email protected] www.sambro.co.uk

1/4 page: Annual charge £1,395 (minimum twelve months booking)Get your company featured: [email protected] T: 01992 535 647

RATES:RATES:RATES:

Marketplace

JANUARY 2009

74 TOY TALK

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

© Intent Media 2008 No part of this publicationmay be reproduced in any form or by any meanswithout prior permission of the copyright owners.ISSN: 1740-3308

Intent Media is a member of the PeriodicalPublishers Associations

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TOYTALKLego up in arms, Binnie upping sticks (?) and some slick moves from the buyingteam at John Lewis…

MY No.1s

Sponsored by

Suzanne Panter,PR & Communicationsmanager,Re:Creation

Number one album:It changes regularly, but thisweek, most played on my iPodis Only by the Night, Kings of Leon.--------------------------------------------------Film:It’s got to be Dirty Dancing.Pure cheese.--------------------------------------------------Website:Now that would be telling.Recently though I’ve been onwww.sprigtoys a lot!--------------------------------------------------Hero:I really admire anyone that makesthe most of their life and doesn’tlet anything hold them back.--------------------------------------------------Book:I like thrillers. Sue Grafton’salphabet series is easy to read,intelligent and exciting.------------------------------------------TV programme:Greys Anatomy. PatrickDempsey. Say no more.-------------------------------------------Number one singlewhen you were born:If I told you that, you would allknow how old I really am. It wasWithout You by Nilsson.--------------------------------------------------Pet:I’ve got three cats. The mostbeautiful creatures in the world.--------------------------------------------------Magazine:I’m a mag junkie and buy far toomany. There are two that I nevermiss – Heat as it satisfies my celebgossip requirements and thesecond is Spirit and Destiny.

JL TAKES THE BISCUITCrafty buyers at JohnLewis have snapped upWoolies’ stock ofHasbro’s Fur-Real BiscuitMy Lovin’ Pup.

According to reports,buyers at the chain havebought up all stock ofBiscuit which wasdestined for Woolworths.John Lewis apparentlysold nearly 1,000 of the£129.95 dogs in a week.

LEGO JOINS WAR ON TERRORLego UK has hit out at a US firm which modifies its Mini-Figs intocontroversial ‘terrorist’ figures.

Following some ridiculously over-the-top press reports in the good oldDaily Mail and the Telegraph, Lego UK was forced to distance itself fromthe figures made by US firm, BrickArms, clarifying that it is not affiliatedwith Lego and did not receive permission to create the modified toys.

BrickArms, which specialises in creating “custom molded weapons andcustom mini-figures” from Lego blocks, sells the ‘terrorist’ figure -branded “Mr White the Bandit” - for $14. It comes with a miniature pistol,machine gun, rocket launcher and grenades.

“Lego UK is not associated with the toys being sold by BrickArms,which have been customised without Lego UK’s knowledge orpermission,” a Lego spokesman said.

“BrickArms is not licensed by Lego UK to customise Lego figures andhas no links to the Lego brand.”

So there you have it. Terrorist = bad. You want one though, don’t you?

EVA SALTMANHamleys has announced the passing away of Eva Saltman who was the marketing manager at thestore group for over 11 years.

A statement from the firm said: “Eva was a great personality which, added to her amazingfashion-style, was her hallmark. Everyone loved working with her, both internal and suppliers whoEva worked very closely with.

“During her time with Hamleys Eva was pivotal in introducing and developing the retail theatrethat is today enshrined into the Hamleys culture. Eva had a network of contacts which allowedher to deliver fantastic events, giving visiting children and families lasting memories.

“In addition to her work with Hamleys, Eva was a very active member of the Regent StreetAssociation, finally becoming a member of the Board. Eva will be sadly missed by both hercolleagues at Hamleys, but also her friends and acquaintances in the press and media businessfrom where Eva came before joining Hamleys.”

BINNIE ON THE MOVE?Rumours abound that Warner Bros ConsumerProducts’ UK general manager David Binnieis about to depart from the licensing giant aspart of a reshuffle. No confirmation as yet,but WBCP’s silence on the matter might be agood indicator…

Documents

ToyNews issue 89 January 09