ToyNews Issue 94 June 2009

Issue 94 June 2009

The toy industry’s highest circulation trade title

Exclusive media partner

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02 TN94_final 7/5/09 16:20 Page 1

I KNOW you all save your copies of ToyNews inhandy ring binders, arranged in monthly order, sothis month’s cover will be a real treat for thehardcore ToyNews collector.

In a unique promotion with Mattel, we arerunning not one, but four different versions ofthis month’s cover as part of the firm’s ongoingcelebration of Barbie’s 50th anniversary. It’s a firstfor us, it’s a first for Mattel and it’s the kind ofimaginative promotional activity that should beencouraged in the market. I prefer the blonde.

And this month also sees the launch of a newretail opinion spread in ToyNews (P56), givingretailers of all shapes and sizes the chance to airtheir views, vent spleen or set a new agenda. But,as with anything, it relies totally on theinteraction and engagement of those for whom ithas been created. The more retailers from indiesand majors, store managers and store owners getinvolved with suggestions, comments and ideas,however small, the better it will be. You wantsuppliers to hear your grievances? This is theplace to air them. And for suppliers it will be auseful barometer of the toy retail climate.

But it is totally dependent on our retailreaders, so please, don’t be shy, get involved.Ronnie [email protected]

COMMENTFANTASTIC FOUR

The more retailersget involved with

suggestions, commentsand ideas the betterit will be.

18 News

21 Brand Licensing build-up

21 Summer movies

LICENSING

FEATURES30 Hobbycraft carves a niche

32 Vivid’s new model

35 Building Meccano

37 Girls market special

50 Fashion dolls

52 Magnetic toys

56 Talking shop

58 Counter Insurgent

58 Price Check

59 Retail Charts

60 New products

61 Hero Product

72 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

6 Appointments

8 Exclusive NPD analysis

10 Marketing spend data

12 TV ratings

15 Campaign of the month

Contents

Intent Media is a member of thePeriodical Publishers Associations

Editorial: 01992 535646Advertising: 01992 535647

■ ToyNews circulation is 25.5%higher than its closest competitor.

■ ToyNews requested or paid forcirculation is 52.3% higher thanits closest competitor.

■ ToyNews has 100% named circulationand 0% duplication.

AUDITED CIRCULATION:Average Net Circulation: 6,069

July 1st 2007 to June 30th 2008.www.toynewsmag.com

03 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:14 Page 1

JUNE 2009

MATTEL UK has appointed EricaVanKamp as its new director of marketing,UK and Ireland.

VanKamp joins from Mattel Canadawere she was sales director. She has beenwith Mattel for over ten years andpreviously held leadership roles in theGirls’ marketing team and latterly the Wal-Mart sales team in Canada.

Erstwhile marketing director JackieJordan will undertake the newly createdrole of regional marketing services director.

The new position will play a key role inthe development of the marketingorganisation within Europe.

Canadian takes up reins as marketing director ● Makes immediate impact with unique ToyNews cover creative

TOYNEWS IS launching anew retailer opinion forumthis month (see page 56),backed by the TRA and itschairman Gary Grant.

As part of a commitmentto increase its coverage ofthe toy retail sector,ToyNews will be asking forthoughts and opinion from

the whole of toy retail on adifferent topic every month.Gary Grant will becontributing his own leadercolumn to the page.

“What we’re trying tocreate is a part of the magthat belongs entirely toretail,” said editor RonnieDungan. “And its success

and vibrancy dependson the reaction ofretailers. The morethey get involved andinteract with us, themore potent it will becomeas a platform for them to airviews, discuss issues andset agendas that actuallyaffect some change within

the trade. I hope we canspark some enthusiasmfrom all parts of the retailchannel.”TRA: 08707 537437

TRA chief boosts ToyNews

NEW DATA fromchildren’smarket researchspecialistCarrick Jameshas shed morelight on girlstastes andbuying habits,ranking the topten toy choices of girls aged 0-10.

Vivid’s Crayola was top of the listamong girls aged 0-4 years oldahead of Mattel’s Fisher Price Babyand Learning Toys. Unsurprisingly,doll brands also featured heavily,with Disney Princess top amongthem, ahead of Zapf’s BabyAnnabel.

In the older age group of girlsaged 7-10 High School Musicaldolls were the number one rankingtoy ahead of Bratz dolls andCrayola. For girls aged 0-12 HighSchool Musical dolls were thenumber one draw.

Elsewhere in the survey HannahMontana was the top hero amonggirls aged 7-8; CBBC was the topchannel among 5-14 year olds; HighSchool Musical the top TVprogramme for girls aged 5-14.

FAVOURITE TOYS & GAMES,GIRLS AGED 0-41 Crayola2 Fisher Price Baby/Learning Toys3 Disney Princess 4 Baby Annabel 5 Baby Born6 Play-Doh7 My Little Pony8 Barbie Dolls9 Aquadraw10 Vtech Electronic Toys(Source: CJMR)

FAVOURITE TOYS & GAMES,GIRLS AGED 7-101 High School Musical Dolls2 Bratz3 Crayola4 Nintendog5 Barbie6 Play-Doh7 Polly Pocket8 Disney Princess9 Sylvanian Families10 Puppy in My Pocket(Source: CJMR)

Mattel shuffles marketing pack

4 NEWS

by Ronnie Dungan

Girls’ tasteshighlighted

VANKAMP HAS immediately notched up a first with a never-before-seencreative execution for Barbie in this month’s ToyNews

As part of the brand’s ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations, Barbie willbe the star of four different cover designs, which will each be sent to aquarter of the ToyNews readership.

The contemporary execution features head shots of Barbie in four funstyles and is inline with the brand’s new visual strategy. The creative iscurrently being rolled out across all communication touch points includingproduct, packaging and POS.

Mattel marketing director Erica Vankamp explained: “Barbie is already theultimate cover star, but her strength lies in her ability to keep innovating. Thisis another example of Barbie pushing the boundaries of design, andtestament to the brand’s commitment to bringing Barbie to life.”

This is anotherexample of Barbie

pushing the boundariesof design.

Erica VanKamp, Mattel

04-05 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:50 Page 1

JUNE 2009

HASBRO SAYS its autumn/wintergirls’ product line-up is its strongest todate with FurReal Friends, My LittlePony, Baby Alive and Littlest Pet Shopranges leading the assault.

Littlest Pet Shop is a collectableaimed at girls aged six to nine. Thereare almost 300 new pets to collectthroughout 2009. There are LimitedEdition Pets sprinkled throughout therange including a flocked furry camel,colourful toucan and crocodile. TheCollectable Pets and Single Pets areTV supported throughout 2009.

FurReal Friends, meanwhile, isadded to with Lulu, My Cuddlin’ Kitty.The animatronic kitten loves to bestroked, showing her appreciation byrolling on to her back so you canstroke her tummy. It meows and purrswhen it is happy and even cleans itselfwith its paw. Lulu will star in its ownTV campaign in autumn/winter with200 planned TVRs. There will also beactivity in girls’ press titles as well asother PR activity.

Sleep & Twinkle StarSong is one ofthe My Little Pony hero SKUs thisautumn/winter. StarSong comes withmany accessories including a feeding

bowl, sippy cup and dummy, it can tellyou what she is feeling too withphrases like “StarSong sleepy”.StarSong is an ideal comforter fornight-times, as it has a light that glowsin its belly, can sing a lullaby and willshut its eyes when it is sleepy.

A TVcampaign willcomprise 200TVRs inburststhroughoutautumn/winter.

Lastly, BabyAlive is backbut comesrefreshed as

Real Surprises, a doll that pees andpoops, has a variety of facialexpressions, speaks over 50 phrases,giggles and laughs. It comes withnappy, food and juice refills as well as afood bowl and spoon to feed with. Itwill also be TV-supportedautumn/winter.

“We are looking forward to seeingthe success of Hasbro’s Girls Brandsthis year and feel we have some reallyexciting products based on classic,favourite brands appealing to all typesof girls aged 3-9,” said senior brandmanager, Imke Heinrich.

“After the FurReal Friends successwith Biscuit, the Fun Lovin’ Pup in2008 we are excited to launch thegorgeous Lulu, My Cuddlin’ Kitty, thecat that cleans herself.”Hasbro: 0207 569 1234

Major cutbacks at head office planned, losing up to a third of back-room staff

GMTV HAS linked up withToyNews for an online promotion,giving suppliers exposure to 1.7munique users every month.

The deal will enable suppliers togain exposure to the GMTVaudience via a series of competitionson the site, run in conjunction withToyNews. To enter the competitions,consumers have to answer a shortseries of questions about their toybuying habits.

The results of the monthly pollswill then be published in ToyNewsand on its website, giving readersvaluable insight into consumerbuying trends.

ToyNews editor, Ronnie Dungan,said: “This promotion is greatbecause it gives us access to valuableconsumer research from the greattoy-buying public through GMTV’shugely popular website and it givessuppliers a chance to put theirproducts in front of them, too.”GMTV: 0207 827 7000

We havesome really

exciting productsbased on classicbrands.

Imke Heinrich

Hasbro backs girls’ range

BOOKMARK US TODAYmobile.toynewsmag.co.uk

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HAMLEYS is to announce majorcut-backs at its head-office, makingup to 20 people redundant, thoughtto include half of its six-strongbuying team headed up by Ian Gibbs.

Demoralised staff at the boutiquetoy retailer are effectively being re-interviewed for their own jobs.

The news comes after a period ofuncertainty for the firm following thedemise of Icelandic parent companyBaugur, which fell intoadministration in February. Hamleyshas always maintained that the storeoperated independently from itsparent as a self-funded operation.

The recessionary trading climatehas also impacted the firm, however.

“We are clearly in the midst of atough economic climate and we needto improve our operational model tocontinue to be successful,” said CEOGudjon Reynisson.

“The new structure will be flatter,simpler and more flexible, making uswell placed to cope with any furtherdeterioration in economic conditions

and leaving us in a strong position togain when the upside comes.

“We are very pleased our tradinghas been strong recently – we areover five per cent up year on year ona like for like store basis since thestart of April – but we feel we haveto structure the business to cope witha worsening climate,” said Reynisson.

Hamleys makes cuts

www.toynewsmag.com 5NEWS

by Ronnie Dungan

GMTVpolls toybuyers

Heritage brands lend weight to firm’s ‘best ever’ girls market offering

04-05 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:50 Page 2

FORMER CORGI EVP and CardsInc founder, Darren Epstein, hasreturned to the industry, setting up anew company called FactoryEntertainment and has been busybuilding a portfolio of toys andcollectable products and projects.

Also on board is a team of industryprofessionals. Epstein said: “We haverecruited some experienced membersto the team who I have worked withfor many years, to help the companyreach its goals.”

To kick off the offering, FactoryEntertainment is releasing the SuperMario Brothers Sticker Collection,created in conjunction withEnterplay USA.

The firm has also acquired the IPand brand of Master Replicas.

Popular industry stalwart CliveJones is also returning to theindustry, setting up his own firm.

Jones, formerly MD of Dekkertoysand Golden Bear and one-timechairman of the BTHA, has set upClive Jones Leisure. The newoperation will handle sales for anumber of established lines including,initially, Lanard Toys which is best

known for its Corps range of militaryaction figures plus a huge range ofoutdoor toys and water guns.

Longer-term Jones intends toimport products from the Far Eastand Europe, including some licensedlines and develop its own product.

Advanstar Communications hasrevealed a new show director forLicensing International expo.

Liz Crawford will immediatelytake on the role.

She previously served as groupdirector for Questex Media,overseeing the Home Entertainmentexpos, International HotelInvestment Forum, HotelWorld andthe Russia Hotel InvestmentConference.

Crawford has more than 24 yearsof experience in the B2B trade showindustry.

Troubled Mega Brands has beenforced to shed some staff withinternational product controllerGrant Timms and Claire Cullinaneleaving the firm.

Mattel UK has appointed EricaVanKamp as its new director ofmarketing UK and Ireland.

VanKamp joins from MattelCanada were she was sales director.She has been with Mattel for over 10years and previously held leadershiproles in the Girls’ marketing teamand latterly the Wal-Mart sales teamin Canada.

Erstwhile marketing directorJackie Jordan will undertake thenewly created role of regionalmarketing services director. The newposition will play a key role in thedevelopment of the marketingorganisation within Europe.

Hit Entertainment’s senior directorof international marketing Lori Heisshas become the latest high profiledeparture from the licensing firm.

Tomy has reshuffled its in-housemarketing team.

Ane Olsen is still PR manager, butworks in a part-time role, and thereare four brand marketers - AntoniaRainbow, marketing manager, Infant& Preschool; Ruth Beman is seniorbrand manager for Arts & Crafts andGirls; Paul Batchelor is senior brandmanager for Boys Toys and AmandaLoveday is brand manager forNursery.

FROM LEFT: Clive jones, Lori Heissand Erica VanKamp.

6 APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVESClive Jones returns, new venture for Cards Inc founder, departures at Mega Brands...

06 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:02 Page 1

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Kind + Jugend 2009 – perfect for good business !

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The Trade Show for K ids ' F irst Years

17 – 20. SEPTEMBER 2009

07 TN94_final 14/5/09 15:37 Page 1

JUNE 2009

UK RETAIL sales were up 4.6per cent in April on a like for likebasis according to the BritishRetail Consortium. This was dueto Easter falling in April thisyear compared to March in2008, as well as warmer sunnyweather this April, while lastyear it was cold and wet.

This uplift was consistent acrossboth food and non-food withoutdoor leisure, clothing andfootwear particularly showingstrong growth. Non-food internet,mail-order and phone sales grewby 12.5 per cent and continue tofind favour with consumers.

With the moving Easterholiday making like for likecomparison difficult for April, thetoy market has never-the-lessshown signs of improvement withaverage price continuing toincrease, reaching £6.04 in April2009 from £5.94 in April 2008.Traditional toys costing more than£20 now account for 25 per cent ofall value within the market, growingby five per cent for the year to date.The super-categories driving thisprice rise are building sets andoutdoor & sports, where averageprices have risen 16 per cent and 15per cent respectively.

Infant and pre-school continuesto be the biggest super-categoryaccounting for 21 per cent of totalvalue sales for the year to date April2009, with infant toys particularlycontinuing to grow. Infant toygrowth is driven by walkers, mobilesand rattle categories as new parentsare reluctant to compromise ontheir new children beginnings.

The warm weather early in theyear has meant a strong opening for

the outdoor and sports categorywhich has grown one per cent invalue for the year to date April2009. Properties that are drivingthis increase include Little Tikes,Ben 10, In The Night Garden andSwingball – all showing double digitgrowth for the period.

New film and TV releases havebeen driving a number of new

properties so far thisyear. Bolt is now thetenth-ranked newproperty for the year todate, with the plushitems performingstrongly, while Aliens vs.Monsters has alreadybecome the sixth biggestnew property withVivid’s Action Figures

driving the growth.Bakugan and Lego’s PowerMiners continue to be thetop two new properties thisyear with Bakugan now the14th biggest property in thetotal market. However, thereis little change at the top ofthe chart with Ben 10

holding on to the number onespot driven by the new Alien Forceproduct ranges and TV show. Star

Wars is still number two andcontinuing to grow.

With Easter performance boostingsales and some decent weather, thetoy market now starts to lookforward to the summer blockbustersand related new toy launches.Hopefully the number of actionfilms out this year will have abeneficial impact on the toy market.

Toys spring into life

With Easter performance boostingsales and some decent weather, the

market now starts to look forward to thesummer blockbusters and related new toylaunches. Hopefully the films thisyear will have a beneficial impact.

Top 5 propertiesApril 20091. BEN 102. STAR WARS3. THOMAS AND FRIENDS4. IN THE NIGHT GARDEN5. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Best itemprogression April 2009

Monsters vs. AliensMini Figure Two-Pack(Vivid Imaginations)

The film was released in the UKin April and Vivid Imaginations’toy range has already rocketedup the charts from 708th placeto 87th…

Best propertyprogressionApril 2009

HM ARMED FORCESCharacter Options’ eagerlyanticipated launch of thelicensed HM Armed Forcesrange has leapt from 665thplace to 271st…

08 NPD RESEARCH

UK Toy Sales(value, year to date)

April2008

April2009 -14%

Source: NPD

April 08: £5.94 April 09: £6.04

Sales Average Price

PropertiesRetail Sales Trends

08-09 TN94_v3 15/5/09 16:36 Page 1

UK APRIL 2009 (£ SALES - VALUE) UK APRIL 2009 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10CM FIGURES BANDAI

2 KIDIZOOM CAMERA VTECH

3 POWER RANGERS JUNGLE FURY FIGURES BANDAI

4 STAR WARS CLONE WARS BASIC FIGURES 3.75 HASBRO

5 BEN 10 FIGS 10CM ASSORTMENT BANDAI

6 BEN 10 15CM ACTION FIGURES BANDAI

7 BEN 10 ULTIMATE OMNITRIX BANDAI

8 CARS VEHICLE ASSORTMENT MATTEL

9 BAKUGAN STARTER PACK SPIN MASTER

10 STAR WARS CLONE WALKER LEGO

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT MATTEL




5 BEN 10 FIGURES 10CM ASSORTMENT BANDA

6 STAR WARS CLONE WARS BASIC FIGURES 3.75 HASBRO

7 BAKUGAN CARD BOOSTER SPIN MASTER

8 BEN 10 15CM ACTION FIGURES BANDAI

9 SPEED RACER DIECAST VEHICLE ASSORTMENT MATTEL

10 ITNG MINI PLUSH ASSORTMENT HASBRO

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 BAKUGAN CARD BOOSTER SPIN MASTER

7 GORMITI FIGURE FOILBAG ASSORTMENT FLAIR

8 GOGO’S III EXPLORER PACK ESDEVIUM GAMES

9 TALKING THOMAS ASSORTMENT GOLDEN BEAR

10 BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES BANDAI


2 BEN 10 ULTIMATE OMNITRIX BANDAI

3 BAKUGAN STARTER PACK SPIN MASTER

4 SMART TRIKE PLUS GIRLS MOOKIE

5 BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES BANDAI

6 KIDIZOOM CAMERA VTECH





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: Amazon, Argos, Asda, Boots, ELC, Firebox, Freemans, Grattan, Hamleys, HMV, HalfordsLittlewoods, Mailorderexpress, Modelzone, Mothercare, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, Toymaster, The Entertainer and WHSmith. The approximate coverage is of 60%

www.toynewsmag.com 09NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

08-09 TN94_v3 15/5/09 16:36 Page 2

MONTHSUB MARKETS

COMPUTER/ELECTRONICGAMES

TOYS & GAMES/PRE-SCHOOL/LEARNING AIDS

TOTAL (ALL)

YEAR ON YEAR DIFF %

£4,396,430.00 £5,000,653.00 £5,130,918.00 £3,296,292.00 £2,918,446.00 £6,929,557.00

£3,299,101.00 £2,545,422.00 £1,474,787.00 £2,321,496.00 £4,802,763.00 £10,883,892.00

£7,695,531.00 £7,546,075.00 £6,605,705.00 £5,617,788.00 £7,721,209.00 £17,813,449.00

23.03% 76.21% 73.10% -7.76% -31.54% 1.50%

MAY-08 JUN-08 JUL-08 AUG-08 SEP-08 OCT-08SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£)

MONTHLY SECTOR SPEND

MARKETINGSPEND ANALYSIS

10 ADVERTISING TRENDS

MONTHLY ADVERTISING SPEND (12M TO APRIL ‘09) SHARE OF ADSPEND (12M TO APRIL ‘09)

COMPUTER GAMES / ELECTRONIC GAMES 61%

TOYS & GAMES / PRE-SCHOOL / LEARNING AIDS 39%

TOTAL (ALL) 100%

COMPUTER GAMES/ELECTRONIC GAMES

TOYS & GAMES/PS TOYS & LEARNING AIDS

SECTOR SHARE

COMPUTER GAMES/ELECTRONIC GAMES

TOYS & GAMES/PS TOYS & LEARNING AIDS

10-11 TN94_final 14/5/09 15:54 Page 1

The spend data supplied to ToyNews islimited to press and TV (excluding allother media). This is because 90 per centof advertising spend in the toys, gamesand computer games category is in thesetwo media and the monitoring process isquicker so that the data provided is morecurrent than previously supplied (onlyone month in arrears). The press spenddata is discounted rather than ratecard.

Billetts captures approximately 20,000advertisements every day and its totaldatabase currently contains some 70million ads. It works with 180

advertisers spending over £3 billion. This enables it to predict, with a greatdegree of accuracy, the cost of each pieceof creative captured.

Its TV coverage monitors ITVLondon, Channel 4 and Channel 5(24/7) all ITV regional terrestrial and25 cable and satellite channels onrotation. Press monitoring includesnational dailies, national Sundays, 28key regional titles and around 350consumer and business magazines plussupplements, inserts, scratch cards, coverwraps and promotions.

£16,496,388.00 £12,161,854.00 £1,630,930.00 £3,348,588.00 £4,643,842.00 £5,043,033.00 £70,996,931.00

£10,278,195.00 £3,308,914.00 £508,355.00 £1,292,312.00 £1,987,424.00 £2,931,543.00 £45,634,204.00

£26,774,583.00 £15,470,768.00 £2,139,285.00 £4,640,900.00 £6,631,266.00 £7,974,576.00 £116,631,135.00

13.51% 10.32% 0.50% -12.95% -9.92% -16.57% 4.83%

NOV-08 DEC-08 JAN-09 FEB-09 MAR-09 APR-09 TOTALSPEND* (£) SPEND* (£) SPEND*(£) SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£) SPEND* (£)

www.toynewsmag.com 11ADVERTISING TRENDS

TOP 20 ADVERTISERS (12M TO APRIL ‘09)

COMPANIES PERCENTAGE OF CHANGEALL SPEND (YEAR-ON-YEAR)

NINTENDO 18.5% 29.1%MATTEL 9.6% -19.6%ACTIVISION 6.1% 95.5%UBI SOFT 5.5% 56.5%ELECTRONIC ARTS 4.4% -21.6%HASBRO 4.0% -5.0%CHARACTER OPTIONS 3.2% -32.1%SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE 2.9% -11.0%THQ 2.6% 31.0%MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS 2.4% 1250.4%ROCKSTAR GAMES 2.3% 145.7%SEGA ENTERPRISES 2.0% 6.7%PLAYSKOOL 1.6% 26.6%TOMY 1.6% -35.0%VIVID IMAGINATIONS 1.6% -55.4%BANDAI 1.4% 13.5%CAPCOM 1.3% 238.6%KONAMI 1.3% 16.3%FLAIR LEISURE PRODUCTS 1.3% -2.3%VTECH 1.2% 149.9%

Billetts Media Monitoring is the fastest and most sophisticatedadvertising monitoring service in the UK that provides both

spend data and latest creative treatments.

To find out how BMM could benefit your business visit:www.ebiquity.com/uk/bmm

or email us at [email protected] (TOP 20) 74.4% 11.0%

TOTAL (ALL) 100% 4.8%

*Discounted

Our monthly marketing analysis page looks at TVand press advertising spend. The information fromBilletts (formerly Thomson Intermedia) accuratelymonitors actual discounted spend across themedia,as opposed to quoted ratecard figures andoffers comparisons with rival sectors as well…

10-11 TN94_final 14/5/09 15:54 Page 2

JUNE 2009

The top-performing children’s TV shows on terrestrial and multi-channel....

The ratings game12 AIRTIME STATISTICS

1 16:35 LITTLE HOWARD'S BIG QUESTION BBC1 181 15.7 1

2 08:15 BEN 10 GMTV1 153 13.0 4

3 07:57 THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES CBBC 151 10.3 11

4 08:34 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GMTV1 151 15.6 14

5 09:01 WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? BBC2 148 10.9 2

6 17:46 CHUGGINGTON CBEEBIES 147 8.8 21

7 16:36 MI HIGH BBC1 147 10.2 3

8 16:36 BLUE PETER BBC1 145 10.7 9

9 08:50 POWER RANGERS JUNGLE FURY GMTV1 145 11.9 10

10 07:42 DINOSAUR KING GMTV2 144 11.6 3

TIME TITLE/DESCRIPTION CHANNEL OOOs % AIRINGS

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES APRIL 09

1 08:34 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GMTV1 200 18.4 40

2 09:00 WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? BBC2 175 12.4 14

3 17:29 GRANDPA IN MY POCKET CBEEBIES 174 9.4 39

4 10:01 BASIL'S SWAP SHOP CBBC 169 10.8 1

5 17:46 CHUGGINGTON CBEEBIES 168 8.7 83

6 08:50 POWER RANGERS JUNGLE FURY GMTV1 166 13.2 64

7 17:01 KERWHIZZ CBEEBIES 162 10.1 17

8 16:46 UNDERGROUND ERNIE CBEEBIES 162 9.3 5

9 16:35 THE LEGEND OF DICK AND DOM BBC1 160 10.2 13

10 08:19 BEN 10 GMTV1 160 15.8 30


SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD APRIL 09


2 07:13 THE BATMAN GMTV2 106 13.3 5

3 08:08 TOM AND JERRY TALES GMTV2 104 7.8 8

4 16:15 HORRID HENRY CITV 100 8 96

5 16:43 GRIZZLY TALES FOR GRUESOME KIDS CITV 99 7.3 38

6 07:32 POKEMON BATTLE DIMENSION GMTV2 95 13 25

7 08:15 SAMSAM GMTV2 93 8 8

8 09:25 TEENAGE MUTANT HERO TURTLES CITV 86 7 9

9 19:30 SONNY WITH A CHANCE DISNEY CH 84 5.2 6

10 10:31 MY GOLDFISH IS EVIL CITV 81 6.6 15


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) APRIL 09

SOURCE: INFOSYS/BARB. NOTE: THESE CHARTS ARE BASED ON AVERAGE PERFORMANCE


2 07:27 TOM AND JERRY TALES GMTV2 114 8.3 32

3 07:42 HORRID HENRY CITV 99 8.3 94

4 06:22 POKEMON BATTLE DIMENSION GMTV2 98 10 68

5 06:00 GRIZZLY TALES FOR GRUESOME KIDS CITV 96 7.1 36

6 07:42 THE BATMAN GMTV2 95 12.0 8

7 08:16 TEENAGE MUTANT HERO TURTLES CITV 86 7 9

8 06:45 SONNY WITH A CHANCE DISNEY CH 84 5 6

9 07:13 SAMSAM GMTV2 81 7 112

10 06:23 MY GOLDFISH IS EVIL CITV 81 6.6 15


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD APRIL 09

12 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:10 Page 1

13 TN94_final 8/5/09 11:48 Page 1

Jumbo Games Limited, 2 Carters Row, Hatfield Park, Hatfield, AL9 5NBT: 01707 289289 E: [email protected] W: www.jumbo.eu

Peppa Pig - Astley Baker Davies/E1 Entertainment 2003. THE MR MEN SHOW™ DILLYDALE™ Copyright © 2009 THOIP (a Chorion company). All rights reserved. Fireman Sam © 2009 Prism Art & Design Limited© 2009 HIT Entertainment Limited. Teletubbies TM Ragdoll Worldwide Ltd.

Products are not to scale

34 TN93_final 16/4/09 15:37 Page 1

JUNE 2009

FORMULA HOT Wheels is an interactive fanclub whereby members can earn points for one offour teams in the championship. Having earnedpoints in a number of ways, from attendingevents to visiting the website, boys can then seetheir team compete in live-action races duringthe year on TV partner Cartoon Network. Theteam with the highest number of points at thestart of each race will win on the day.

The campaign for Formula Hot Wheels bringstogether an extensive TV partnership betweenMattel and Cartoon Network, print partnershipsand online activity.

TVLynchpin of the campaign, an extensivesponsorship and broadcast programme has beendeveloped with Cartoon Network. The campaignfeatures a strong mix of 10, 20, 30 and 60 secondspots aimed at recruitment driving, as well as preand post race awareness. The four Formula HotWheels races will also be broadcast throughout

the day. The races have been filmed toshowcase real Hot Wheels track sets such asthe new Trick Tracks Jurassic Starter Set inaction, providing lots of inspiration for fans athome to create their own race-off.

ONLINEA new website has been designed to host theclub based at formulahotwheels.co.uk. On thesite, members can earn points for their teamand check out how the competition is doing,as well playing games and taking part in HotWheels activities.

PRINTLeading boys title, Toxic, is on board as printmedia partner for the campaign. Print activitykicked off in May with a four page launch insertincluding team fact cards and cut and keepactivities. The title will promote recruitmentthroughout the year both in print and online. Inaddition, high profile competitions will focusattention around each of the four races takingplace. Supporting print activity, a Formula HotWheels poster insert will drive collectability andclub awareness.

EVENTSA Formula Hot Wheels live event will take placethis month, bringing the campaign to life forover 6000 boys, each will be able to take part inactivities themed around each team as well asparticipate in a final race-off for a coveted placeon the podium.

Mattel’s latest marketing campaign to promote the evergreen boys brandcombines a TV partnership with online, print and live events...

Hot Wheels, Formula Hot WheelsMattel

15CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

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The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

This summer will see a raft of majormovies hitting cinema screens - and thetoy industry is set to reap the benefits.ToyNews looks at what licensed productswill be available...

Box office bankersPages 22-27

Details of Hasbro and Discovery’snew joint venture, Star Trek success,Disney Consumer Products plans for2009 and 2010…

NewsPages 18-19

Event director Jessica Blue looksforward to Brand Licensing Europelater this year, talking us throughsome of the early plans...

BLE 09Page 21

17 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:16 Page 1

JUNE 2009

RAF tieswith IMGTHE ROYAL Air Force hasappointed IMG as its new worldwidelicensing agent.

Up until recently, the RAF hadworked with 4Kids to raise its profilein the licensing and merchandisingarena, scoring a number of successes.Its latest venture is as part of the HMArmed Forces toy line fromCharacter Options, which launchedlast month.

“We are delighted and honoured torepresent the RAF and its portfolio ofbrands,” said Simon Gresswell, VP oflicensing at IMG. “We have alreadyidentified a number of distinctopportunities in specific productcategories, which will celebrate thebrand’s attributes and be built onconsumer touch points, from itsproud history to its modern day, hi-tech profile.”IMG: 020 8233 5300

18

HASBRO IS teaming up withDiscovery Communications for a newjoint venture which will include atelevision network and a website.

Both the network and theventure’s online component willfeature content from Hasbro’s vastportfolio of entertainment andeducational properties. Newprogramming will be based on brandssuch as Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, MyLittle Pony, GI Joe and Transformersamong others. Content from theDiscovery library – such as Bindi andthe Jungle Girl and Hi-5 – will also beincluded, along with programmingfrom third party producers.

At the closing of the transaction,Hasbro will purchase a 50 per cent

stake in the venture, which will holdthe assets related to Discovery KidsNetwork in the US, for whichDiscovery Communications willreceive $300m. The joint venture’srebranded network is expected todebut in late 2010, reachingapproximately 60 million Nielsenhouseholds in the US. Programmingwill be geared to children aged 14and below. Merchandisingopportunities associated with on-aircontent will also be available.

“Hasbro continues to evolve as acompany with an unwavering visionof reimagining the potential of ourincredible portfolio of brands wellbeyond traditional toys and games,”commented Brian Goldner, Hasbro’spresident and CEO.

“Today, consumers are embracingour powerful brands through uniqueand immersive entertainment andeducational experiences in a numberof areas, including movies and newdigital platforms.

“We believe the time is right forHasbro to take the next step intotelevision through our partnershipwith Discovery Communications,”Goldner continued.Hasbro: 020 8569 1234

VIVID IMAGINATIONS is pushingahead with the roll out of its StarTrek toy line, following thephenomenal success of the movie atthe box office.

The film took $8.8 million in itsopening weekend in the UK, whilein the US it took $76.5 million, 50per cent higher than industryprojections.

The strong start is also good newsfor the 27-plus licensees signed upCPLG. Vivid is distributing thePlaymates master toy line across theUK, and is now looking to acceleratetoy supplies to meet public demand.

“Nobody expected the Star Trekmovie to out-perform to this extent,”said Paul Weston, Vivid’s UK chiefexecutive. “It is a very welcomesurprise for retailers and ourselves.Retailers are now looking at Star

Trek as a potential top five boysproperty for this year, with the highticker play-sets like the StarshipEnterprise looking to be a majorChristmas volume driver.”Vivid: 01483 449944

Hasbro and Discovery ink key joint ventureCompany continues to grow its offering outside oftraditional toys and games market ● TV network andonline component planned utilising top brands...

by Samantha Loveday

Vivid celebrating earlyStar Trek film success

4KIDS PICKS UP ARTHUR4Kids has secured the licensing andmerchandising rights in the Nordicterritories to the forthcoming LucBesson family adventure movies,Arthur and the Revenge ofMaltazard and Arthur and the War ofthe Two Worlds. The new deal willsee 4Kids develop and managelicensing opportunities in Denmark,Sweden, Finland, Iceland andNorway for Arthur and the Revengeof Maltazard, which launchesthroughout the region on December4th. Arthur and the War of the TwoWorlds will follow in 2010.4Kids: 020 7297 5980

DISNEY HIT BY ‘DIFFICULT’SECOND QUARTEREven one of the world’s biggestentertainment firms isn’t immunefrom the current economicconditions. Profits at the WaltDisney Company as a wholedropped 46 per cent in its secondfiscal quarter. The firm reported netincome of $613 million for the threemonths to March 28th, down from$1.1 billion the previous year.Revenue also dropped to $8 billion.However, consumer productsactually saw a lift of nine per cent,recording revenue of $496 million.DCP: 020 8222 1000

RAINBOW SPA CHOOSESBANDAI FOR NEW PROJECTItalian animation firm Rainbow SpAhas chosen Bandai to be theEuropean master toy partner for itsnew TV show, Pop Pixie. The seriesis due to kick off in spring 2010,with the brand having alreadyenjoyed success in the Italian toymarket with the launch of a limitededition range of dolls back in 2006.Bandai’s line will include dolls,figurines, plush and play-sets, allavailable through Europe fromautumn 2010.Bandai: 01489 790944

MIXED BAG FOR 4KIDS IN Q14Kids saw the licensing revenue inits first quarter (ending March 31st)remain flat year-over-year, howeverits losses did narrow to $2.0 millionfrom $6.4 million for the period in2008. Net revenues for the periodtotaled $10.2 million, comparedwith $15m for the same period in2008. 4Kids’ trading card business,however, continued to be impactedby the wider economic issues.Revenues from the sale of Chaotictrading cards for the quarter was$437,000 compared to $2.4 millionfor the same period last year. Thefirm said this was mainly due todistributors selling existing stockrather than ordering new product.4Kids: 020 7297 5980

IN BRIEF

LICENSINGNEWS

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JUNE 2009

www.licensing.biz 19

WWE SEES Q1 DIPWorld Wrestling Entertainment hasreported its first quarter results forthe period ending March 31st 2009.Revenues totaled $107.8 million,compared with $162.6 million in thecomparable prior year quarter.Operating income was $16.7 million(2008: $27.1 million) and netincome was $10.3 million (2008:$19.5 million). Revenues from theconsumer products businesses,meanwhile, were $33.1 millionversus $43.4 million.WWE: 020 8834 1016

WIGGLES CHARACTERHEADING OUT ON HER OWNDorothy the Dinosaur is to tour theUK with her own live show. The touris due to start at the end of July andwill visit over 100 venues over thecourse of three years. The show,which has been written by the ‘blue’Wiggle, Anthony Field, will beavailable in two formats: a fulltheatre show and a shorter minishow more suited to smallervenues. The tour is being producedand promoted by Amazing Shows.www.amazingshows.co.uk

LICENSING STARS FORMARVEL IN FIRST QUARTERA stronger than expectedcontribution from its licensingdivision helped Marvel to net salesof $197 million and net income of$44.5 million for its first quarter.This is compared to net sales of$112.6 million and net income of$45.2 million in Q1 2008.www.marvel.com

HIT UNVEILS NEW SHOWSHit Entertainment has revealed thatit is working on three new shows.Mike the Knight – from the creatorof Lunar Jim – will be produced inCG animation; new pre-school showThe Real Mees will see Hit workingwith Waybuloo creator Dan Good;while Kids Hate Clowns is in earlydevelopment from Firestep andImpossible Pictures.Hit: 020 7554 2500

IN BRIEF

DISNEY CONSUMER Products isplanning a number of key growthinitiatives for 2009 and 2010 for anumber of its brands.

First up, the Disney Princess brandwill welcome its first new Princess inmore than ten years. Princess Tianawill make her debut in The Princessand the Frog in February 2010,marking a return to 2D hand-drawnanimation for the firm. Leading up tothe launch, Disney’s first classicfairytale, Snow White and the SevenDwarfs, will be released on Blu-rayhi-def and DVD in time forChristmas. Rapunzel will follow laterin 2010.

Disney Fairies, meanwhile, will beboosted by the arrival of the secondfilm in the series in November, TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure. The first,Tinker Bell, became one of the mostsuccessful video releases of 2008.Initially planned as a four-title series,the success of the franchise has ledDisney to add two more films to thedevelopment slate, bringing the seriesto six in total.

This year and 2010 will see DCPexpand product categories andintegrate further Fairies charactersinto product executions alongsideTinker Bell.

Expanded product lines are alsoplanned for Mickey Mouse Clubhousein the pre-school sector, whileautumn will see the arrival of a newline of toys based on Handy Manny.

In the UK, Playhouse Disneyachieved its best ever quarterly

performance, doubling its share year-on-year and attracting 5.8 millionviewers between January and March2009, up 14 per cent on the previousyear. In April, Playhouse Disneyachieved its best ever weekly share,making it the UK’s number one pre-school channel in pay TV.

Moving on, and Cars 2 is beingplanned for 2011, while awarenessfor the brand is being kept highthanks to Cars Toons airing onDisney Channel.

The 3D releases of Toy Story 1 andToy Story 2 are also paving the wayfor the arrival of the third instalmentnext summer.

Finally, Disney’s tween businessremains a focal point as newentertainment is introduced andproduct lines continue to evolve.New TV series Jonas, starring theJonas Brothers, will premiere towardsthe end of the year, coupled with anew season of Hannah Montana.DCP: 020 8222 1000

Disney charging into 2010

by Samantha Loveday

LICENSINGNEWS

Core and evergreen franchises to be boosted with brand extensions and newconsumer products ● New movie content also on way for several brands...

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18-19 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:05 Page 2

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www.toynewsmag.com 21LICENSING BLE 09

PART OF MY preparations beforeheading out to Las Vegas forLicensing International involvedchecking the weather forecast. It was38 degrees. While the temperature isunlikely to reach this level in Londonin October – or maybe ever – it’s stillwell worth making the trip toOlympia for Brand Licensing Europe,especially if you missed out on theheat in Vegas.

Things are shaping up well forwhat will be the 11th BLE show.Sales are up six per cent on this timelast year, with over 100 exhibitorsconfirmed. These include such bignames as 20th Century Fox,Beanstalk, BBC Worldwide,Chapman, Chorion, Sony PicturesConsumer Products, TargetEntertainment and Warner Bros. Ontop of these established companies, anumber of newcomers have signed upincluding Big Bocca Productions,Fitzroy Media, Walker Books andCharacteristix among others.

“Our aim for Brand LicensingEurope has never changed: our goal isto deliver the very best business eventfor the European licensing industryacross all categories,” Jessica Blue,event director, explains. “We’veinvested in new features to enhancethe visitor experience, including morecatering outlets and not to be missedcontent in the Licensing Academy,TV Lounge and Screening Suite.

“Our visitor base is constantlyexpanding and we are witnessingmore and more buyers from sectorssuch as health and beauty, sports andvideo games. This is why we’relaunching three product showcases –The Salon, Licensed Lifestyle and theToy Store to highlight a few of thethousands of opportunities availableacross different categories at BrandLicensing Europe, to make it easierfor visitors to make a direct linkbetween opportunity and productpotential and to direct them toexhibitors’ stands.”

Retail also remains a key focus:“We work extremely hard to addressthe needs of the retail community –including online retailers andindependents – starting with ourretail research programme on sitethat gives us a solid understanding ofretailers’ needs, in relation tolicensing and also the show,” Bluecontinues.

The Hosted Buyer Scheme willreturn to tempt European retailers,the Retail Buyers Centre is also beingintroduced (see box out on right forfurther details) and a visitorrelationship manager will engage withall key retailers.

“We’ve been doing this for manyyears and it paid off in 2008 whenretail attendance accounted for 15per cent of all visitors and we saw amarked increase in the retail buyingteams from the likes of Auchan,Debenhams, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’sand Next.”

Blue believes that, despite theeconomic climate, licensedmerchandise appears to be holding

up well, with people looking tobrands they know and trust.

“Licensing as an industry seems tobe weathering the storm pretty welland licensors are becomingincreasingly aware about emergingterritories and untapped markets,which is encouraging companies toexpand and find out more,” sheconcludes.Brand Licensing Europe takes place onSeptember 30th and October 1st at theGrand Hall, Olympia, London. Go towww.brandlicensingeurope.com forfurther details.

Our aim for BrandLicensing Europe

has never changed - todeliver the bestbusiness event.

If you weren’t lucky enough to be able to make the trip over to Las Vegas for Licensing International this month,worry not, because Brand Licensing Europe is just four months away. Samantha Loveday speaks to event directorJessica Blue to find out what we can expect...

Olympian countdown

ALL RETAILERS visiting the centrethroughout the course of the showwill receive complementary andimpartial assistance from a seven-strong stable of licensing experts.

Led by Keith Pashley of The KeithPashley Project, the independentpanel will include: Karen Addison,Karen Addison Associates; FionaMacleod, Fred and Ginger; ChrisMuggletone, Licensing Advice.com;Richard Pink, Pink Key Consulting;Gill Thomas, Consulting GT; andMelanie Wood, director of training,Advanstar.

“We need to ensure we continueto meet the needs of our evergrowing retail visitor base,” saysshow organiser Jessica Blue. “TheRetail Buyers Centre is the perfect

starting point for retailers tonavigate their way around the 2,000properties on show. Our consultantswill be briefed to assist everyone andevery possible query: from theindependent looking to get intolicensing, to the grocer interested infinding the next pre-school smash,or the major multiple on the huntfor forthcoming moviemerchandising deals.

“Whatever the quandary, ourexperts will be on hand to pointretailers in the right directionthroughout the duration of theevent,” Blue concludes.Retailers are advised to make anappointment in advance by emailingKeith Pashley [email protected].

RETAIL BUYERS CENTRE EXPLAINED

JUNE 2009

21 TN94_final 14/5/09 15:59 Page 1

JUNE 2009

22 LICENSING BOX OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS

It's shaping up to be another strong summer at the box office. With X–Men Origins: Wolverine, Hannah MontanaThe Movie and Star Trek already packing in the audiences, there's still Terminator: Salvation, Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen, Ice Age 3, Harry Potter and the Half–Blood Prince, GI Joe and G–Force to come. Samantha Loveday takes a look at some of the tie–ins that licensees have to offer throughout the season...

A summer of film

JUNE 2009

Hasbro will be hoping to repeat thephenomenal success of the original

Transformers film two years agowhen Revenge of the Fallen hits

cinemas on June 24th.Clearly, the brand will be a key focus

within Hasbro's boys toys range with afull marketing campaign to reflect this.The toys themselves start from thesmallest scale at three–inches, calledLegends, through to Scout, Deluxe,Voyager and Leader, increasing in sizeand scale.

A new action figure of Sam, withBumblebee, is also being introduced tothe range. The character can fit within

the vehicle and Bumblebee cantransform into a robot without havingto take Sam out of the driving seat,resulting in him sitting on his arm firingadditional weapons.

Hasbro also has a line aimed atyounger age groups featuring simplertransformation. These includePowerbots, Gravity Bots and FastAction Battlers. Role–play is also keyfor 2009, with Bumblebee being themain focus. Bumblebee Helmet andArm Blaster will allow fans to play outkey scenes from the movie featuringthe character. Collector lines includeRobot Replicas and Robot Heroes.

Product innovation is evidentthrough the line, with an all–new MechAlive feature in the Deluxe, Voyager andLeader scales. This makes the toysmore representative of their big screencounterparts, showcasing the innerworkings through cut–outs in the chestplates and panels.

The ultimate Decepticon will alsomake an appearance in the toy line.Devastator is a combination of six othervehicles and features lights and

sounds. It will be released post movie.As well as Transformers, Hasbro also

has plans to launch a toy line for GI Joein July. A full range of new action figureswill come with universal projectiles andlaunchers, while vehicles will includejets, tanks and other all terrain items.

All vehicles feature electronic lights,authentic sounds and hidden weaponssystems. The Snake Eyes role play–setincludes a mask and ninja sword, whilethe GI Joe play–set based on the PIT,the fortress headquarters of the team,features a multi–level, expandable basefor figures and comes with sounds anda moving elevator.

TV advertising throughout theautumn and winter will supportHasbro’s GI Joe range.

In addition, Hasbro will becontinuing to support its X–MenOrigins: Wolverine line with TV adsduring the summer. Products includethe Electronic Battle Claw (a wearableplastic glove with retractable clawswhich extend when the wrist is flicked),X Cruiser with figure, action andanimated figures.

HASBRO 020 8569 1234

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www.toynewsmag.com 23LICENSING BOX OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS

JUNE 2009

Mattel is focusing on HannahMontana, with a range of dolls andaccessories that aim to bring the storyof the movie to life.

The Hannah Montana feature doll isdressed as the glamorous pop star,while the everyday Miley Stewart doll

is decked out for life in the country.Also available is the Hannah MontanaFirst Date Miley and Travis gift set,who are dressed in their outfits fromthe Home Town Evening Out,recognisable as one of the key scenesin the film.

MATTEL 01628 500000

To tie in with the premiere ofHarry Potter and theHalf–Blood Prince in July,Re:creation has a new line ofsculpted character actionfigures and an electronicinteractive wand.

The collectible rangeincludes three andthree–quarter inch figures insingle, twin and packs of five.All the key characters areincluded, namely HarryPotter, Ron Weasley,Hermione Granger, GinnyWesley, Luna Lovegood,Albus Dumbledore, BellatrixLestrange and FenrirGreyback, all with their ownunique accessories.

There will also be a choiceof three action figure doublepacks – Harry and RonQuidditch set; Severus Snapeand Tom Riddle and a DeathEater two–pack.

Meanwhile, the interactivewand features authenticmovie sounds and a UVlight–up tip. There are aselection of wands for fans tochoose from, each includingfour different modes of play:single player, multiple player,battle and pursuit.

RE:CREATION 0118 973 9871

Busy Panini has a number ofdedicated titles planned tocoincide with some of thesummer's biggest films.

The Hannah Montanamagazine launched inSeptember 2008, with adebut ABC of 62,615, and has benefited considerablyfrom the recent arrival ofHannah Montana: The Movielast month.

Panini has also launched aspecial sticker collection tosupport the film, withnewspaper exposure in TheSun and on the front page ofthe News of the World,offering a free album and apacket of stickers to everyreader to kick start theHannah collection.

Moving on, and later thismonth, Panini will belaunching a sticker collectionto support Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen,featuring both animated andmovie still images. It will

benefit fromextensivesampling onprimary boystitles andin–papervoucheractivity.

A stickercollectionbacking IceAge 3 willfollow in July –includingmovie stills anda pull outposter. It will besupported withalbum samplingon primary boysmagazines and anationalnewspapervoucher campaign.

Collections are also beingplanned for Harry Potter andThe Half–Blood Prince andG–Force in July, while Paniniwill be launching the official

GI Joe magazine to supportthe movie and toy linerelease. Each issue willfeature comic strip, features,fact files, missed–basedpuzzles, posters andcompetitions.

01892 500105

22-24,26-27 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:26 Page 2


JUNE 2009

Ravensburger is lining up productsbased on Hannah Montana The Movieand Ice Age 3.

The firm's Hannah Montana range isalready well established and it ishoping the extra publicity surroundingthe movie will give it a further boost.To coincide with the film,Ravensburger launched new 100 and200–piece puzzles, showing Hannah inher country girl and city girl guises,plus a redesigned 96–piece Puzzleball.

Meanwhile, the company's Ice Age 3line will include a 96–piece Puzzleball,a mammoth–sized floor puzzle, athree–in–a–box puzzle set and a XXL100–piece puzzle.

“The Ice Age 3 licence is a growingphenomenon – the franchise grew withthe second film, so we're delighted tobe able to offer a range of puzzlesfeaturing the movie's characters,” saidMD Tim Hall.

RAVENSBURGER 01869 363800

Smoby will soon be rolling out the toyline for what is being billed asDisney's biggest movie release of thesummer, G–Force.

The range will include an r/c vehicleand detailed action figures of thefilm's main characters, as well asplush versions of the guinea pigs.Children will also be able to recreatethe animal secret agents’ training withthe Training Laboratory play–set,scaled for use with the action figures.

“We are delighted to be involvedwith this range and believe itrepresents a significant opportunityfor us and our UK trade partners,”says Gary Wood, sales director forSmoby Toys UK.

“The range is mainly targeted at theboys market, as the film is very muchan action adventure movie, but we'resure girls will love the range as well –especially the giant plush toys.”

SMOBY TOYS 01454 629672

Terminator is something of anuntapped brand in the toy universe, soCharacter is hoping that its newcollection of merchandise tying in with

Terminator Salvationwill strike a chord.

The rangeincludes 3.75–inch,six–inch andten–inch actionfigures of all themain characters fromthe film, includingJohn Connor, avariety of TerminatorSalvation robots andthe new stranger,Marcus Wright.Alongside thefigures, there arefuturistic vehiclessuch as theMototerminator,Hunter Killer and theA–10 Warthog.

Alternatively, therange of child–sizedrole play equipmentincludes theTerminator Salvation

Voice n Vision Mask,plus the Deluxe T–600 Power Fist.

The range will be supported by afull TV schedule and PR programme.

CHARACTER OPTIONS 0161 633 9800

Flair's set of Hannah Montana FunkyJewels includes everything girlsneed to decorate jewellery frombangles, rings and pendants topaint, glitter and beads.

The Funky Jewels Maker joinsother Hannah Montana creative playkits in Flair's portfolio including CoolCardz and Magazine Maker.

FLAIR 020 8643 0320

Cesar has added X–Men Origins:Wolverine to its line of licensedcostumes for children. The rangeincludes a printed 'value' Wolverinecostume, deluxe muscle dress–upand a one–piece toddler outfit.

Other Marvel characters in therange include Iron Man, Hulk,Captain America and Spider–Man.

CESAR UK01733 397400

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25 TN94_final 14/5/09 13:12 Page 1


JUNE 2009

Worlds Apart is another firm looking tocapitalise on the current popularity ofHannah Montana.

The company is rolling out a newversion of its popular Tween ReadyBedand Go Glow Light with Projector.

The ReadyBed is an all–in–oneinflatable mattress, pillow and duvetwhich can be used in three positions

for sitting, lounging and sleeping, alsoavailable in a range of other licences.

Meanwhile, the Go Glow Light canbe used as a nightlight, a torch and aprojector, with four slides featuringcharacters and scenes from the film.Both products will be available fromAugust and will be supported withongoing PR and marketing activity.

WORLDS APART 0800 389 8591

Bladez is making its debut into theworld of licensing this year with thelaunch of a Terminator Salvation lineof r/c flying toys.

Kicking off the range are the HunterKillers, artificially intelligentautonomous war machines. Theyfeature six–way directional control, acombat laser function, Terminatorsound effects and aerial search lights.

Meanwhile, the Terminator Heli is askull shaped two–channel MicroTerminator with LED eyes and combatfunction for up to three players. TheResistance Heli is also available. ACombat Pack is also being sold as

individual items or as part of a combatbattle set. Each pack includes aTerminator Skulled helicopter and aResistance helicopter, both equippedwith an on–board laser function. Theaccompanying hand–sets featurebattle sounds and a trigger to fire theinfra–red laser.

Finally, Ultimate Resistance Hell is athree–channel Micro Terminatorfeaturing LED searchlights and combatfunction for up to three players, whilethe Terminator Target Combat Set letsboys fire infra–red lasers at a revolvingtarget with flashing lights.

BLADEZ TOYZ 02392 658255

The poster specialist has ties in forHannah Montana: The Movie;Terminator Salvation, Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen, Ice Age 3, HarryPotter and the Half–Blood Prince andG–Force, making it something of abusy summer for the firm.

Included in the collection are30x30cm canvas, posters and postcardpacks for Hannah Montana; mini, maxi

and door posters, prints, badge packs,3D and 30x30 canvas for Transformers;mini, maxi and door posters andbadge packs for Star Trek and a rangeof posters for Terminator Salvation, IceAge 3 and G–Force.

In addition, 3D, postcard packs,badge packs and mini, maxi and doorposters will be available for HarryPotter and the Half–Blood Prince.

GB EYE 01142 521623

Based on the new look Star TrekEnterprise from the 11th movie,Underground Toys is releasing itslatest keychain to coincide with thelatest film.

The firm is hoping that BasicFun's USS Enterprise NCC–1701keychain will appeal to both existingand new fans of the franchise.Perfect to be used as a marginmaker in–store.

UNDERGROUND TOYS 0207 801 6325

Pyramid has been working closelywith Disney on a range of newHannah Montana stationery lineswhich will be launching later on inthe summer.

The range includes a selection ofitems at pocket money prices.Products include a keyring bagcharm, badges, magnets, stickynotes, door hangers, tin andfriendship cards, notebooks andsticker packs.

Pyramid is also putting together aselection of posters to support GIJoe: Rise of Cobra.

PYRAMID INTERNATIONAL 0116 264 2642

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www.toynewsmag.com 27LICENSING BOX OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS

JUNE 2009

Vivid launched its new Star Trek toyline to coincide with the arrival of thefilm. It features figures, play–sets,electronic role play and vehicles,ranging in price from £6.99 up to£29.99. Each toy is a replica of theoriginal used in the movie, with thecollection boasting the USS Enterprise,Starfleet Phaser and Transporter Roomwith working transporter.

The range will be boosted again inthe autumn, with the arrival of aninteractive Starfleet Utility Belt(£24.99) and a Deluxe EnterprisePlay–set, which will come with figuresand a mini bridge (£119.99).

Vivid is supporting the range with aheavyweight TV and PR campaignrunning throughout the year.

VIVID IMAGINATIONS 01483 449944

Posh Paws is the lead plush licenseefor 20th Century Fox's Ice Age 3: Dawnof the Dinosaurs and is planning to rollout a full range.

Old favourites such as bean toys,boxed plush, window stick ons andfeature plush – this time round afeature Scrat – will be available. Plasticfigure packs will also be available totempt the pocket money crowd.

Barry Groves, managing partner atPosh Paws’ said: “The product is greatquality and value and we are expectinga really strong sell–through with thepromotions we have in place.”

He continued: “Fox have been greaton the marketing side and thepromotion of Ice Age as a brand hasworked really well.”

POSH PAWS 01268 567 317

Wheeled and outdoor toys areincluded in Halsall's Hannah Montanarange, lining up alongside a light updress–up mirror.

The Hannah Montana 16–inchChopper–style bike and 18–inch and20–inch Cruiser–style bikes featurespecial design details including furry

seat covers, glitter frames,handlebar tassels andspinners. The wheeled toysoffering also includeshelmets, as well as inlineskates with flashing light upwheels.

In addition, the freestanding light up mirrorincludes a built–in MP3holder to plug and playsing–along songs, as well ashooks to hang dressing upaccessories.

The company also has ahost of Hannah Montanaoutdoor toys including aSports Pack comprising boombats, a catch ball set, skippingrope and skimmer disc.

Andrew Coplestone,marketing director at Halsall,said: “We are thrilled to be

involved with the multimediaHannah Montana brand. The fantasticmovie will undoubtedly further growthe incredible UK fan base and we areconfident that Halsall's HannahMontana wheeled and outdoor toysand the dress–up mirror are destinedfor the same blockbusting success.”

HALSALL INTERNATIONAL 01253 775684

A number of Top Trumps 3D specialswill be arriving throughout thesummer tying in with movies.

This month sees the introductionof Transformers: Revenge of theFallen, while following in July will bepacks for Harry Potter and theHalf–Blood Prince and Ice Age: TheCollection. In addition, alreadyavailable are Top Trumps Specialsfor Hannah Montana and MarvelUltimate Heroes.

WINNING MOVES 020 7298 9500

The company's Hannah Montanahelmet and pad sets and its range oflight up and non light up scootersand pogo sticks are already a hit atretail and will be aiming to receive aboost with the release of the film.

For boys, Grossman has launcheda collection of Terminator productssuch as inline boots, skateboards,satchel skateboards, scooters,outdoor tents, yoyos, jet balls,Frisbee and camera sets.

Meanwhile, to coincide withTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen,the firm has the two in oneinterchangeable tent, which can betransformed from two single playtents into one large play tent.

H GROSSMAN 0141 613 2525

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JUNE 2009

THE US craft retail business modelwas the basis for the Hobbycraftstores when the idea was developedin 1995. The idea was to create artsand crafts superstores on retail parks,covering 7,000 to 10,000 ft, housing35,000 products and catering for 250creative activities.

As Europe's first, and the UK'slargest, chain of dedicated art, craftand hobby superstores, the retaileroffers both branded and generic,own-label ranges across a wide rangeof pursuits; from knitting to cross-stitch, painting to framing and cardmaking to model making.

MD Chris Crombie explains: “Wehaven’t ruled out opening smallerHigh Street stores. There are a lot ofopportunities to open the currentmodel in towns where we don’t havea presence, and there are certain bigcities, for instance, where a HighStreet store may be relevant.”

For the time being, however, theout-of-town experience appears to beticking consumers’ boxes and salesare performing incredibly well. In theten months to January 4th this year,HobbyCraft’s pre-tax profits rocketedby 122 per cent to £6.1 million. Totalsales jumped 10.1 per cent to £57.3min the ten-month period.

Many explanations can beattributed to the company’s success.Before its launch, craft shops weresmall, offering a limited selection ofproducts and were designed to caterfor specialists.

Crombie explains: “HobbyCraftwanted to make their offer moreaccessible and less intimidating,creating a one-stop-shop for allparticipants of the arts and crafts

market. The stores have a mass-market appeal, catering for generalistand specialist consumers alike.”

Moreover, the recession appears tobe affecting the retailer in a positiveway: “HobbyCraft is weathering thecurrent economic downturn well andbelieves the recession is contributingto robust sales. People are spendingmore time at home, and HobbyCraftbenefits from that. Customers are

looking at low-cost things to do andcraft is a low cost leisure activity.”

Crombie continues: “We don’t seeHobbyCraft’s success waning when thecountry exits recession as people arestill discovering us for the first time,there is a lot of growth left in themarket, and will be for many years.”

The first was opened inBournemouth and started trading onAugust 26th 1995.

Today the retailer has 38 storesnationwide and the firm has nowexchanged contracts on its 39th and40th UK stores in Edinburgh andPeterborough respectively.

Crombie explains the plan:“HobbyCraft has opened four to fivenew stores each year for the past fouryears and intends to continue growingat this rate. For site selection, thecompany uses an ACORN geo-demographic profiling modelproduced by CACI. Using this modelwe are able to identify target townsand cities across the UK, whichwould support a HobbyCraft store.”

In addition to its bricks and mortarbusiness, the firm is expandingonline. In December 2008, itlaunched an online shop on itsexisting website platform,www.hobbycraft.co.uk.

“The purpose behind this was toincrease the presence of HobbyCraftby reaching customers who live toofar from a store, as well as to increasethe frequency of using HobbyCraftacross all channels,” says Crombie.

The online shop will eventuallycarry over 10,000 SKUs withthousands of products being addedevery week. Various promotions arebeing put in place to drive websitesales including a recent free deliveryon orders over £25.

Further marketing initiatives are inplace in the guise of freedemonstrations in selected stores tosupport key trading periods. Crombieconcludes: “The demonstrations addvalue for our customers, helpingthem to see and experience newproducts and inspire them toexperiment with new ideas.”

Crafty devilsHobbycraft is side-stepping the difficulties faced by the vast majority of retailers and is in fact posting some impressivegrowth figures along with bold expansion plans. Katie Roberts spoke to MD Chris Crombie to find out more…

30 BRAND FOCUS HOBBYCRAFT

We don’t see HobbyCraft’s successwaning when the country exits

recession as people are still discovering usfor the first time. There is still a lot ofgrowth left in the market and will befor many years.

30 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:22 Page 1

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IT’S TESTIMONY to the strength ofthe Bratz brand that people still talkabout Vivid in terms of its ‘post-Bratz’status even though it has a been afull eighteen months since the firmrelinquished control of the brand inthe UK

But while the firm might also nowbe glad it is not involved in a brandwhich has become better known ascourt case than a toy line, it is true tosay that it is still making adjustmentsto its shape and business model.

This has been as much dictated toby market conditions as any need tofill the gap left by such a huge-sellingproduct range. Even without therecession, the toy market has seenthe price of manufacturing rise anddollar fluctuations put huge pressureon current business models.

For Vivid boss Nick Austin, thechanges that the firm has to make toits business are as much aboutexpanding beyond domesticboundaries as they are about lookingfor the next big thing.

Austin feels UK toy companiesthat want to be in a position toprosper when the economy starts topick up need to invest in productinnovation and look to expand theirdistribution further afield.

“Our bet is this is not going to lastforever,” he says. “We’llprobably start to

come out of it in autumn/winter2010. So if we’re going to take aleadership role and grow, this is thetime to put the burners on and reallygo for it.

“One of the biggest assets we’vegot is that we’re a profitable businesswith good access to capital. So itseems like the time to put theburners on and hope that by the end

of 2010, when consumers are readyto start spending again, we’ve gotproducts that they will want.”

Maybe retrenchment is simply notan option, maybe the only way tosurvive is to continue to invest andstrive to move forward, whichinherently involves some risk.

“I’ve noticed the industry turningin on itself. It’s so risk averse at themoment. The easiest way to trim acompany is to cut R&D, which isquite scary for the industry.

“Everything that’s good about theindustry is about newness andinnovation in both existing brandsand new brands. If you turn the tapoff you’re writing your death warrant.

“The real danger for the industry isif we turn in on ourselves while the

The Bratz distribution deal may be starting to seem like a distant memory, but Vivid Imaginations is continuing toevolve its business in terms of its product line-up, its wholly-owned IP and its distribution. Ronnie Dungan spoke toboss Nick Austin about the way forward without the troubled fashion dolls…

Risky business32 SUPPLIER FOCUS VIVID IMAGINATIONS

So it seems like now is the time to putthe burners on and hope that by the

end of 2010, when consumers are ready tostart spending again, we’ve got products thatthey will want.

Nick Austin, Vivid Imaginations

JUNE 2009

32-33 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:30 Page 1

turnaround happens and then we’vegot nothing that floats theconsumers’ boat to get them buyingthe toys again.

“The consumer is scared at themoment. They’re only spending, say,£20 when previously they would havespent £30. But let’s not over-react.We believe (and we might be wrong)that great toys at £40-£50 are goingto be selling again.”

The level of investment requiredto achieve reasonable numbers issuch that smaller companies find itdifficult to engage in the kind offigures needed to kick-start aproperty. And licensors areincreasingly unwilling to backanything but proven winners.

“Licensing companies only want towork with big players now,” believesAustin. “We persuaded CPLG to giveus Captain Scarlet when we were astart-up company, but there’s no waythat would happen now.

“The problem is also the money itcosts to develop a product. I don’tthink you can go into a new propertyseriously without an up-frontinvestment of at least £500,000,which is such a barrier to entry.

“There are two ways to do it. Youcan make a conscious decision toinvest or get into a joint venture toshare the risk.

“The current economic conditionsfor suppliers are scary. A product thatcost £1 to make a year ago is now£1.50. We’ve been spoiled brats forthree years at $1.90. Retailers are stillasking for those three for twos but itjust can’t be done.

“You’ve got to believe you can do£4m-£5m in the first 12-18 months.The number of players who can spinthat roulette wheel has reduced.”

And, given the return required onsuch an investment, sales from theUK market alone are not enough torecoup it. Which is why part ofVivid’s growth plan includesexpansion into new territories.

The US market is the Holy Grail,but it’s very difficult for UK firms tomake any significant impact acrossthe Atlantic. You can count thenumber of recent UK success storiesthere on one hand. And even thesehave been backed by major licensingprogrammes and huge TV success.

Although, even limited successthere is achievable and certainly

nothing to be sniffed at. “We’ve had some success in the

US with Honey My Baby Pony. It’ssuch a big market, you don’t needhome runs all the time. For the firsttime we’ve got US companiesknocking at our door interested inwhat we’re doing.”

But Vivid’s growing Europeannetwork is also a big part of its planto expand beyond these borders.

“Last year we set up a Frenchcompany which we acquired and wewill also have a Spanish company aswell and will also roll out into otherterritories. The fact that we’ve got avery strong Crayola businessunderpins that.

“You can’t go into every territory atonce, the management strain is so

significant youhave to take it onemarket at a time. And some arevery difficult to make money from.

“The strategy is to over-invest inR&D and build a network that cancarry that and isn’t UK-centric.”

The firm’s overseas businesscurrently accounts for around 25 percent of its turnover and it is aimingto raise this number to 40 per cent.Indeed, Austin believes companiesthat do not evolve internationallywill be struggling.

“It’s an important strategy and it’snot without risk. But I don’t think

there’s a future for companies whowant to do big-scale productdevelopment in the UK-only. Socompanies like Simba and GiochiPreziosi are the reality we’ve got tobecome.

“If we saw a licence that wasUK-only five years ago we wouldhave had a go, but now wewould beverycautious.”

For now, arange of actionfigures andaccessories fromthe just releasedStar Trek movie isits next majorrelease, which Austin

considers a fairlysafe bet.

“It’s quite ‘toy-etic’. It’sfairly low-risk because you know theTrekkies are going to buy into it, butyou can get a new generation of fansinto it as well.”

WWE wrestling products areticking along nicely for the firm too,Roary the Racing Car is another pre-school success story for ChapmanEntertainment, Dinosaur King isdoing well and Aardman’s TimmyTime (an off-shoot of Shaun theSheep) looks like a good bet.

“We have big concepts on theburner – a new pre-school line, newgirls and new boys. You will probablysee more products in 2010 than everbefore from us,” concludes Austin.

The willingness to invest andinnovate is something that has alwaysbeen a key part of the toy market.And right now, talk of risk andexpansion may go against thepessimism prevalent in nearly allbusiness sectors but, one thing’s forsure, standing still is the riskiestmove of all.

We’ve had some success in the US withHoney My Baby Pony. It’s such a big

market, you don’t need home runs all thetime. For the first time we’ve got UScompanies knocking at our doorinterested in what we are doing.

www.toynewsmag.com 33SUPPLIER FOCUS VIVID IMAGINATIONS

JUNE 2009

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JUNE 2009

THE DISAPPEARANCE of itsdistributor Nikko in the UK meantMeccano had to quickly rethink itsstrategy here and led to it setting upits current operation in the UK,which is headed up by former MegaBrands chief Sue Barratt.

Barratt has since built the firm upfrom nothing, having set up the new-look Meccano UK in October of2007. Last year was its first full yearof trading.

Nikko was the firm’s distributor forfive years in the UK. Its decline gaveMeccano’s French head office theopportunity to take greater control ofits own destiny in the UK andintensify the focus on its brand.

“The brand awareness is massive,much bigger than the actualcompany. My job is to change thataround,” says Barratt.

“We’re happy in terms of thegrowth of the business, thedistribution we’ve achieved and ourrelationship with the retailers.

“The downside for us is theexchange rate and the currenteconomic climate. We manufacturein Calais and the business is run inEuros. 40 per cent is made in Franceand the rest in China. But theeconomic climate is not impacting ustoo greatly.”

There’s no question that Meccanois a tough sell in an age withnumerous other entertainingdistractions to occupy the dwindlingattention spans of children.

But, it does have that crucialelement of aspirational parental

choice. Parents want their children toplay with Meccano and, whilst thereis still a mad-keen adult collectorbase, the introduction of fresh fans iscrucial to the continued success ofthe Meccano brand.

“People are more careful aboutwhat they spend money on now;spending it on stuff with longevityrather than a five-minute wonder.

“We’ve always got a newgeneration coming through, which iswhy the four-plus range is soimportant to us.”

Retailers too, recognise theauthenticity of the name as a toybrand. It’s as if every toy shop shouldstock Meccano, just as they shouldLego. And Barratt says retail take-upof the range has been good so far.

“All the retailers are reallysupportive and really happy to helpus and support us in terms ofinformation and selections.

“We retail at the slightly moreJohn Lewis end of the market ratherthan the Woolies end. But there arevery, very few retailers that we’re notsupplying and there isn’t really acategory of retailer that we’re notselling into.”

The key for Meccano, as for manylong-established heritage brands, is tomaintain sales of the core lines whilebringing the brand into other areas.A good example is its recent successwith the Spykee robotic range, whichdid well on the high street and onlinewith an older gadget-loving audience.

“We need to look outside the boxto grow the business,” says Barratt.

“We will do more on price points,more on girls and more on playpatterns to broaden the range. We’vegot to have a range that means theconsumer comes back and buys more.But we need to make sure it’sincremental business and notcannibalise the range.”

As a brand, Meccano still has agreat deal of recognition amongparents and children. And althoughconstruction is a tricky sell in thesethrill-a-minute times, the firmmanaged to double its UK marketshare last year and is now among thetop 50 UK toy firms.

It is still a small operation, takingsmall steps, but there is much moreto come from Meccano. Like some ofits more complex sets though, it justtakes a while to build.

Joined-up thinking

We retail at the slightly more John Lewisend of the market rather than the

Woolies end. But there are very, very fewretailers that we’re not supplying and thereisn’t really a category of retailer that

we’re not selling into.

35BRAND FOCUS MECCANO

New lines will feature in two ofMeccano’s most popular collectionsthis year. The Design and Tuningranges come in vivid colours, flexiblemetal and each set creates realisticmodels with a contemporary designincorporating the latest technology.

New for July is the Design RCConcept Car, which contains parts tobuild three different metallic blueracing cars. It will be the first radiocontrolled car in the range and is setto retail at £39.99.

Just out are the new DesignStarter kits. There are six sets andeach builds one model: beach buggy,tractor, digger, plane, motorbike orhelicopter. They retail at £5.99.

Meccano’s Tuning RC Carbon StyleCar will be one of the latestadditions the popular Tuning range.Available from July, there are threedifferent remote controlled vehiclesto build. Kids can even choose theirfavourite music style – rock or hiphop – to play and will enjoy thesounds effects of screeching tyresand a roaring engine. It also includesneon lighting under the frame of thecar and flashing headlights as wellas flaming stickers, back fin,chromed looking parts and chromerims, retailing at around £44.99.

Out this month, The Tuning RC RedHot Racer has two different RCmodels to build – a racing car and aroadster. A range of tuningaccessories are included such asstickers, back fin and chrome rims,retailing at £29.99.

The Tuning RC Sound System setallows kids to connect their MP3player, turn on the lights and takecontrol of the car. There are three RCvehicles to build and qualityspeakers to hear their MP3 choice orrock or hip hop music. It retails ataround £59.99.

New Ranges

Meccano’s UK operation is continuing to make progress, having started over again with former Mega Brands chiefSue Barratt at the helm. Ronnie Dungan visited the firm’s Oxfordshire HQ to see how it was all coming together…

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JUNE 2009

www.toynewsmag.com 37SECTOR GUIDE GIRLS MARKET

Everything she wantsThe girls market continues to be a lucrative but tricky sector, as toys are constantly battling against other mediumslike music, fashion and gaming. Licensed properties still figure highly, but so do more interactive based toys, witheven traditional plush now featuring these elements. ToyNews offers some highlights of what’s on offer...

Mattel Girls maintains its number oneposition within the total girls category;66 per cent ahead of its nearestcompetitor (Total Girls Toys Value,March NPD.)

With 98 per cent awareness amongtarget girls and over 450,000 registeredusers on her dedicated website, Polly

Pocket continues with new lines forautumn/winter. Additions include theRollercoaster Hotel, which boasts alarge piece count and working rollercoaster and lift.

Also available is a refresh of the Popn Swap range with over 32 fashions ineach pack allowing for over 400

different looks. Polly Pocket is pitchedas ideal for stocking fillers, offering arange of collectible items across dolls,vehicles and pets at a low price pointof £2.99. The range will be supportedby TV, PR, print and digital.

New in large dolls is a baby dollthat taps into the nurturing playpattern. Baby Sneezes actuallysneezes, talks and sings. Little girlscan help her get better withinteractive thermometer andmedicine. Supported with TVinvestment, PR and online activity.

Also new for autumn/winter comesa line of large dolls based on theDisney Princess line. Girls will be ableto collect all their favourite charactersbut with some new features.

Fashion, technology and play arefused with the launch of Girl Tech

Sugar Cubes Worlds in autumn.Sugar Cubes are tween fashion

accessories enabling girls to create andpersonalise jewellery by combiningbeads and interactive electronic cubes.In the autumn, Sugar Cubes Worlds willallow girls to transform jewellerycreations by unfolding beads and

bracelets to build mini environments fortheir Sugar Cubes.

Password Journal has a new look forautumn. Now with a translucent design,it includes a dual-tip pen for both UVand normal writing, an iPod connectionand audio out socket to play music,with memory for girls to store songs.

Girl Tech is supported by a year-longpartnership with a girls’ magazinesplus TV advertising – for both SugarCubes and Sugar Cubes Worlds – aswell as PR support.

MATTEL 01628 500 000

Hasbro is set to launch a range of newofferings from Littlest Pet Shop, FurReal,My Little Pony and Baby Alive.

Littlest Pet Shop returns with 300brand new pets. The collectables will besupported by a TV campaign, as will thenew Day Care Centre play-set. This newaddition to the range is packed withfeatures. There is also a new Littlest PetShop Deco Pets. The five-inch pets arethe perfect canvas for stickers, gems,glitter glue and more.

Lulu My Cuddlin’ Kitty will be thelatest addition to FurReal Friends. Thecat licks her paw to clean her face, andwill roll over for you to pet her tummyand has blinking eyes and moving head.

Lulu will be joined by Zambi the BabyElephant, which will see 50 per cent ofprofits go to the Chikumbuso Women’sand Orphans’ Project, which helpschildren in Zambia who have lost theirparents to AIDS.

Zambi comes in special packagingand includes a charity leaflet andbracelet. Lulu, Zambi and Biscuit will bestarring in TV campaigns later this year.

2009 brings changes for My LittlePony and by autumn, the seven corecast ponies will have a new look. Thecharacters will also be available as babyponies with the introduction of theNewborn Cuties range. The SweetieBelle’s Gumball House will deliver added

play value to the core girl audience withover 15 accessories, as well as a light-upoven and moveable lift that plays the MyLittle Pony theme tune.

The Baby Alive range now featuresthe Better Now Baby. The doll isn’tfeeling well, and needs little girls tomake her better and comes with lots ofaccessories.

A familiar face returns to Baby Alive,with Baby Alive Real Surprises.Following on from her outstandingsuccess two years ago, Classic BabyAlive has been refreshed as Baby AliveReal Surprises – a life-like doll that eatsand poos in her nappy, which is aimedat girls aged three plus.

Vivid’s new range of interactivefeature plush launches in July and iscalled AniMagic, a range of animalswhich respond to touch. There’sPeanut My Playful Pup and Dotty MyPlayful Pup. The more kids play withthem the more playful they'llbecome. Feed them bones to hearthem chomp and bark, then strokethem and they will tilt their headsand wag their tails.

The firm will also be introducingCharlie My Cute Kitten. Kids canstroke, love and feed Charlie. Feedher a bottle to hear her slurp, andthen rub her back to see her pat herpaws, meow and look up at you. Allretail at £44.99 and are suitable forage three-plus. Vivid is supportingAniMagic with a 250 strong TVR andPR campaign.

VIVID IMAGINATIONS01483 449944

HASBRO 020 8569 1234

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38 SECTOR GUIDE GIRLS MARKET

JUNE 2009

The new KeyTweens range is set tolaunch in July. The pop-open play-sets,including dolls, pets and accessories,are unlocked using collectable keys.Little girls can escape into the princessworld with play-sets including aprincess bedroom or bathroom, a teaparty or a castle.

Alternatively, they can travel toAfrica, China, India or the Arctic withthe Adventure World Play-sets.

Dolls, priced from £4.99 to £6.99, arealso fully interchangeable and can beused with all the play-sets. The mix andmatch construction of the dolls allowsfor adaptable outfits and additionalcollectable key charms and pets.

KeyTweens is aimed at girls agedfour and over.

Bandai will be fully supporting thebrand with a TV advertising campaigntotalling 300 TVRs, consumer print,online activity and PR. There will alsobe a dedicated KeyTweens websitelaunching later this year.

Meanwhile, Harumika is the new artsand crafts concept from the firm.Harumika allows girls to create theirown fashion label and design abespoke collection. Aimed at girls agedsix plus, Harumika is simple to use.There’s no need for a needle andthread or scissors and glue, all youneed are some pieces of fabric and thesecret lies in the silicon strip on theback of the mannequins – insert fabricsand they’re fixed.

The Harumika Starter Set will retailat £19.99 and will include twomannequins and a variety of fabrics,accessories and stickers. Once kids areready to show off their designs, theywill be able to upload them at thededicated Harumika website,www.harumika.eu.

Bandai will be supporting the brandwith a TV advertising campaigntotalling 300 TVRs, consumer print,online activity and PR. Harumika willlaunch in August.

BANDAI 01489 790944

Halsall provides a range of HannahMontana wheeled and outdoor toys, aswell as a light-up dress up mirror. TheHannah Montana 16” Chopper stylebike and 18” and 20” Cruiser stylebikes feature detailssuch as furry seatcovers, glitter framesand handlebartassels and spinners.The range alsoincludes helmets andIn-line skates withflashing light-upwheels. The HannahMontana outdoortoys range includes aSports Packcomprising boombats, a catch ball set,skipping rope and skimmer disc.

Based on the large dolls brand fromZapf Creations, many of the BabyAnnabell and Baby Born wheeled toysfeature a baby carrier seat. For theolder girl, the firm has developed a newwheeled range based on Hello Kitty.

Halsall is also planning furtherextensions to its Barbie outdoor toysand inflatables range this year,including a new Wheel Barrow Set anda Tennis Trainer that packs away into a

compact carry case. The firm also has arange of Disney Fairies summer toys,inspired by the world of Tinker Bell andher friends. The range is targeted atgirls aged six to nine years and

includes a Pixie DustForest Pool, a PaddleBat and Ball Set,Skipping Rope andassorted Hula Hoops.

The firm is alsolaunching lines acrossits Mamas & Papasand Silver CrossJunior ranges. Thenew Mamas & PapasHerbie Pram framedesign is a replica ofthe Mamas & Papasnursery pram with the

same contemporary fabric colourwayHot ‘n’ Bothered.

Finally, as Europe’s number oneeveryday toys supplier, Halsall offers aselection of established girls everydaytoy ranges such as Dream Creationsbaby dolls and dolls play-sets, Girlzand Razzle Dazzle toys, cosmetics,dress up, fashion accessories and craftkits, Cosy Cottage house-hold role-playtoys and My Princess Collection fairy-tale toys and dress up.

HALSALL 01253 778888

Leading Born to Play’s girl’s range ismaster toy licence Little Princess.Products for spring/summer includethe Greenhouse Play-set, withaccessories including plant pots, toolsand watering can. Also new are four-inch Foam Balls in three designs.

The autumn/winter rangeintroduces Topsy/Turvey LittlePrincess, which can be turned upsidedown to reveal a happy or grumpyexpression with appropriate phrases.Dress Me Little Princess comes with12 accessories, including a nurse,pirate and maid outfit. Four themedbeanies include Little Princessdressed as a pirate, nurse and in herrainy day outfit. Also available is theGilbert Backpack, the Pram withGilbert and the Character Stool.

The LazyTown, Stephanie-themedpink products for spring/summerinclude an Inflatable Chair, variousPlay Balls, Tennis Racquet with cover,Hopper, Skateboard, Scooters, Skatesand Collectable Character.Autumn/winter products includeplush with sound, Sing-a-LongMicrophone, Bike, Figures and anAction Play-set.

New to the Dora the Explorer rangeis the Dora Rocker and My First Bike.Current items include wheeledproducts in new colourways; furnitureand creative play items. Creative playproducts are also available under theFifi brand and include Paint Your OwnFlowerpots.

There are new furniture items thisyear from a range of licencesincluding Disney Princess, DisneyFairies and Hannah Montana. NewDisney Princess items include SchoolDesk, Bentwood Chair, Patio Set,Character Stool and Disney FairiesCharacter Stool, available fromspring/summer.

For autumn/winter there are newDisney Princess products includingCarriage Toy Box, Fold Up Sofa,Stackable Storage and Cabin Bed inthe shape of a castle. Disney Fairiesautumn/winter products include Tableand two Stools, Shelf Unit andStackable Storage.

Finally, new Hannah Montana itemsinclude Shelf Unit, CD Rack,Freestanding Mirror and Storage Chest.

MARTIN YAFFE 01706 717800

The Leapfrog Tag Reader is availablein pink for girls and has a variety ofsoftware titles that are girl focused.

Read and swim along with Ariel andFlounder as they explore a sunkenboat loaded with treasures. Find outwhat happens when they aresurprised by an unwelcome visitorand their adventure takes anunexpected turn. After the story, playlevelled learning activities withCinderella and Jasmine that help buildvocabulary, reading comprehensionand phonics skills.

On each page of the Olivia book,see the pig dressing up, singingsongs, building sand castles, napping,dancing, painting on walls and goingto sleep. Throughout the story playlearning activities that help buildreading comprehension skills andfoster art appreciation.

Tag books work with the TagReader to bring books to life.

LEAPFROG 01702 200244

Jumbo is launching the Do We Matchgame with Hannah Montana. It is aquestion and answer game whichconsists of over 100 questions andanswer cards. With the Match Makers,players get to know each other’s secretthoughts, what their likes and dislikesare and, after playing the game, willknow who to go shopping with, who toborrow clothes from, who to talk toabout a secret love interest and more.

The Disney Princess Enchantedpuzzles come with special gold foileffect. Puzzles are available in 50 piece,70 piece and Bumper Pack, whichincludes six puzzles.

Also available is a Mini High SchoolMusical Puzzle Extra, only 5cm x 7.5cmhigh, but with 50 per cent more detailthan normal puzzles.

JUMBO GAMES 01707 289289

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JUNE 2009

This year sees theintroduction ofThe VillageSquare to theSylvanian Familyrange, with itsnumerous shopsand stalls. TheApplewoodDepartment Storehas over 200accessoriesincluding clothes,toys and displaycases all withintricate attentionto detail.

Holidays inSylvania isanother newrange. The retro-styled Caravan haseverything for the Sylvanian familyholiday. Autumn will see the launch ofMarita May, the Sylvanian Familiespleasure boat.

Italy’s top feature doll, and a retailsuccess across France and Spain,Cicciobello will soon be available togirls in the UK. This baby boy doll hasunique features and accessories. Builtaround the characteristics of nurture,love and care, Cicciobello teaches girlsthe basics of caring for others. The fullyinteractive features see a poorlyCicciobello being made better and the

secret to makinghim better israndom so it’sdifferent everytime.

My Life, thevirtual lifesimulatordesigned for girlsand one of lastyear’s DreamToys, will haveeven more playvalue in 2009 withnew cartridgesthat will extendthe virtual worldfurther. DiscoWorld andSummer Party are

the new places to be seen – creatingadditional mini-games, new charactersand more.

Hello Kitty will take Flair’s girls’ranges into the area of retro chic. Thereare plush figures to collect includingthe Hello Kitty 10cm Mini Plush in a GiftBox and Hello Kitty 15cm PlushAssortment.

Finally, in creative play the Disneygirls’ licences offer products for a widerange of ages that combine characterswith new concepts, such as the HighSchool Musical Friendship Bands andHannah Montana Funky Jewels.

FLAIR 020 8643 0320

New to Fiesta Crafts’ Tellatale handpuppet range is Cinderella whichtransforms from rags to riches with aremoveable dress and shoes.

Cinderella arrives dressed toimpress in a shiny satin and velvetballgown that will make her quicklyspotted by customers. She also hasremoveable (and perfectly fitting)shiny shoes. But remove her dressand she is once more plain ol’‘Cinders’ dressed in rags.

Girls can also include the TellatalePrince to add to performances.

As with all Tellatale puppets,children get a complete toy with fullymade shaped legs and arms that canbe played with as dolls, as well ashand puppets.

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563

VTech’s Dora Learning Phone is suitablefor girls aged three to six years.

Featuring four modes of playteaching numbers, phonics, letters,characters and music, the educationalgame features the real voice of Dora.

It also includes a 3D animated,dancing Dora character with sevendifferent types of movement activatedby correct answers to questions. DoraLearning Phone includes 12 melodies,light-up number buttons andremovable handset.

The Disney Princess Magical MusicLaptop is for children from four toseven years.

It features 12 activities wherechildren can use the Qwerty keyboard,magic wand and cursor mouse tointeract with the light-up screen as theylearn letters, words, maths, logic andmemory skills. It also includes threemusic disks and a disk player.

This autumn/winter, VTech islaunching 11 new learning games for VSmile Motion, including girl specifictitles My Pet Puppy and Disney Fairies:

My Pet Puppy is for three to five yearolds and allows girls to adopt a virtual

puppy. They’ll learn about followingdirections, spelling and shapes and canplay musical activities. Features twolevels and a two-player option.

The Disney Fairies game is for four tosix year-old girls and teaches colours,shapes, numbers, missing letters,vocabulary, matching and featuresmotion based gameplay.

Following the launch of the pinkVTech Baby range last year, there arenew additions to the category.

The Baby First Steps Baby WalkerPink for kids from six to 30 months,features a sturdy design to support andencourage baby’s first steps, while adetachable learning centre is packedwith activities. Textured wheels, easygrip handle and durable design ensurebaby gets ample support.

Finally, the Baby Soft Singing Radiois for kids from three to 24 months andis also available in pink. By twistingdials and pressing buttons, babieslearn new skills.

Meanwhile, fabric and plastic allowbabies to explore new textures, whiledials and buttons help developmanipulative skills.

VTECH 01235 555545

The 4M My Very Own… range offersartistic chic for girls who want to getcreative. There are three new kits inthe collection including the My VeryOwn Fairy Memo Board kit, fordisplaying reminders and photos. Thisfantasy-themed kit encourages girlsto discover an imaginative world bycreating a fairy memo boardembellished with ribbon and flowers.

Alternatively, the My Very Own FairyMobile kit comes with everythingneeded to create a hanging mobile ofpetals, butterflies and fairy friends asdecoration for any bedroom.

Continuing with the homeaccessories theme is the My Very OwnMermaid Curtain kit. Girls can weaveeach of the five mermaids and thendesign and make sequined threads tohang them from. Once complete, thecurtain can then be placed within anydoor or window frame.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221

There are four different designs of pinkZeebeez, each with its own colouredflower on top. Zeebeez are explosivepocket sized toys: flip, twist and droponto any hard surface and on impact, itwill launch itself skyward as it snapsback into shape.

Re:creation is also offering anassortment of Nintendo DS gamecartridge carry cases on keychains.Available in three colours – red, pink andwhite – each holds four game cartridgesand includes a stylus.

There are also four MB Gameskeychains on offer – working games onkeychains. Options include Connect 4,Twister, Etch-a-sketch and Operation.Razor A Daisy scooter is the original kickscooter that is easy to fold and carry in ahot pink design. Features aircraft-gradealuminium t-tube and deck, patented rearbrake and folding mechanism.

The Pink pocket mod is a miniatureelectric euro-style scooter, which travelsup to ten miles on a single charge.Features a variable speed chain-drivenmotor for maximum power transfer,large 12-inch tyres and rear suspension.

RE:CREATION 0118 973 6222

The new Tree House finger puppet setcombines many of the elements thathave made Puppet Company productssuccessful. Well-designed, interactivetoys, which encourage creative play.

The tree trunk is made with six holesfor each of the woodland animals to livein. Around the top there are threedetailed finger puppets of a Blue Tit,Red Squirrel and Barn Owl.

Each puppet is full bodied with anelasticated entrance fitting to keep it onlittle fingers.

On the ground floor live three morefinger puppets, Badger, Hedgehog andFox. The Fox is a walking finger puppetso you can slip two fingers into his frontlegs to make him walk and run.

The tree trunk holds a secret door atthe back and this allows one of thefirm’s new fantasy finger puppets like afairy, king, witch or wizard to move in forstory telling.

The Puppet Company offers over 750products to choose from.

THE PUPPET COMPANY 01462 446040

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JUNE 2009

After success last year with the GirlGourmet Cup Cake Maker, the rangehas now been extended with a menu ofcraft-in-the-kitchen products to befound under the Let’s Cook banner.

In late summer, the Girl GourmetFondant Cake maker will be introduced:a new concept allowing kids to makeand decorate cakes using colouredfondant icing and gels. Making thecake is the first stage of the processthen, literally any design can becreated, although many hints and tipsare included to get them started.

Alternatively, Girl Gourmet Sweetsallows girls to make jewellery that isgood enough to eat.

The Candy Ring Maker is just oneitem in the collection and comes witheverything you need to make ediblerings, including jewellery settings,marshmallows, decorative candy, sugarglaze and a protective cap to keep thering clean and dust free. Candy BeadStudio and Sprinkle Art Jewellery, plus

a number of refill packs complete thecollection.

Finally, for those who can’t wait tillautumn, the Let’s Cook Fruit Factoryand Ice Cream Parlour will be the wayto create cool fruity treats

Let’s Cook is to be TV advertised andhas a late autumn print advertisingcampaign that will reach three millionreaders in the target age group. This,together with PR will drive girls to thenew Let’s Cook website where furtheractivities and product information canbe viewed.

Also new for summer is Style Six, anew creative play collection targetinggirls aged eight and over and drawingon their passion for fashion.

Style Six allows a girl to design andaccessorise everyday clothingtransforming them into custom pieces.There are many kits and refill packs tocollect, ensuring an eye-catchingdisplay in-store and opportunity forrepeat sales.


For those retailers looking for stabilityin the girls sector, Breyer can provide arange of equestrian models andaccessories. Treasure Trove is now UKdistributor of the brand, and has foundthat even in these challenging timesthere is still demand for this classic toy– from the Stablemates end of thescale, through to the collectibleClassics.

Starting at £2.99 the Stablematesrange is an introduction to thecaptivating world of equestriancollectibles and, more often than not,leads to bigger things in the Breyercollection.

The firm will be continuing Breyer'sclose association with the real horseworld and, in particular, supporting theRiding for the Disabled Association.The latest instalment of thispartnership sees an in-storecompetition, promoting activity sets,which is live now.

In July, Treasure Trove will besponsoring the RDA’s NationalChampionships at Hartpury College,Gloucestershire, and as part of theassociation’s 40th anniversary Breyeris also sponsoring a competition tofind the RDA’s 40th Anniversary Horse,which will then be produced as aBreyer model in 2010.

Moving up the range into Breyer'sTraditional collection, there are alsosome launches. Just delivered isBreyer’s Pony Club Hero, Pippin.

This authentic model is an exclusivelimited edition and is the result of acompetition staged with The Pony Clubas part of its 80th anniversarycelebrations.

Breyer has also helped mark the50th anniversary of the first screeningof the TV series Bonanza.

A traditional model of Cochise, LittleJoe Cartwright’s horse, from the classicseries is now on the shelves.

TREASURE TROVE 01285 762039

Schleich’s collection of equine figurescontains a range of breeds andcolours and includes stables,dressage rings and jumps to collect.

The latest horses vary in size fromthe Hanoverian stallion, past thesmaller Dartmoor Pony with shaggymane and soulful eyes, down to theArabian Foal in the act of grazing.

Alongside the single figures, thereare horse and rider play-sets depictingdifferent ways to compete onhorseback with themes of dressage,racing, showjumping and western.

Schleich’s World of Elves collectioncombines hand-painted horses withfantasy figures. This year new figuresinclude three Sun Elves – Nimsay,Vialis and Surah. Each figure haswings and ornate clothing symbolic oftheir people and comes with its ownunique extra such as a horse forSurah and a pink lilly pad for Vialis.

SCHLEICH 01279 870000

Bella Sara brings the Trading CardGame category out of the realm ofboys only. In addition to thecollectable TCG model, it features aninteractive online world of horses andfantasy play.

The Bella Sara brand is beingrelaunched this spring with asampling campaign to draw in newgirls as well as outreach to those whohave enjoyed the brand in the past.

The brand is supported by booksand video games. Animated TV andDVD series are in development.

Currently available are the NativeLights and Treasures booster packsets, with the Royalty booster packavailable in June. A seven-cardbooster pack retails at £1.99.

ESDEVIUM GAMES01420 593500

The Dollie High Chair is a sturdy additionto the range, along with the Dollie BunkBed. The two-tier bed can be split intotwo separate beds or be played with asa classic bunk bed. The Dollie can betransformed into a rocking hammock,rocking bed or rocking cradle.

The latest additions to the Plan ToysDollhouse range include the ChaletDollhouse. The two sections can bejoined together or played with separately.

To accompany the dollhouse is Décorfurniture. It features a kitchen,bathroom, living room, dining room,bedroom and children’s room.

And, of course, a dollhouse wouldn’tbe a home without a family, so Marbelstocks various dolls to finish the house.

MARBEL 01208 273123

The Charlie and Lola range includesColour in Lola, who wears a plain whitedress which can be decorated with thepens and drawing stencil provided.

The wooden Playhouse Play-set withKitchen Theme enables girls to enterinto Charlie and Lola’s world. The setincludes Charlie and Lola, a table andtwo chairs, pink milk, a tomato and atiger. The collection also includesDaytime/Nightime Lola.

The Peppa Pig range has grown withPeppa Pig’s Fruit and Veg Patch Play-set,Peppa’s Weather Dial, Peppa Pig’s Step nLearn Playmat, Bathtime Play-set andCreate n Play Cardset.

Shaun the Sheep and Cry Baby Timmyalso have their own range. The firm hasalso launched a new range of hot waterbottle covers.

GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308

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JUNE 2009

Gee Gee Friends from Revell is acollectable range of horse and stableplay-sets. From grooming andexercising, to preparing for events, thisrange builds up into a wholeequestrian estate.

Groom and play with a whole host ofGee Gee Friends.

Each of the pony figures are dressedto suit the day’s activities fromdressage to showjumping. With anarray of different ponies and horses tocollect, you’ll never be short of a friendto play with.

Kids can also have their own stablefor their new pony friends. The Gee GeeFriends Westphalian Family set ofponies (£17.99) and Riding Stable(£49.99) affords them the space topamper their newfound pets.

The multifunctional, and highlyadaptable, stable also comes completewith accessories to make sure the GeeGee Friends always look the best atthe show.

In addition, a Jeep and Trailer set(£39.99) is also available.

REVELL 01442 890285

As master toy licensee for the In MyPocket brand, Corinthian is continuingto introduce new play features and play-sets into the series for Puppy, Jungleand Pony In My Pocket.

Joining the Pony In My Pocket rangethis autumn is the Pony Arena (£24.99),a fold up carry case showground, whichallows young pony lovers to create theirown day at the gymkhana. Withexclusive ponies, show jumpingaccessories, prize giving podium and

trophies, this large set includeseverything for a pony show and thenfolds away for storage. The PonyArena will be supported by TV ads.

New to the world of Pocketvillewill also be the Puppy In My Pocketthemed Fashion School, whichintroduces a new play pattern ofFashion Puppy figures wearingclothes and accessories.

Children will be able to preparefor the latest fashion show with

exclusive Puppies DJ Freddy andCatwalk Queen Stella. This fold awayplay-set is also retailing for £24.99, andwill be the subject of a new TVadvertising campaign starting in August.

The Jungle In My Pocket play-setoffering for the year, meanwhile, isbeing strengthened by two new playhuts both with exclusive mum andbabies families. Both the Giraffe andKangaroo Huts will be available fromJuly, retailing for £11.99.

New Glow Creations Draw andGlow Projector, from TheOriginal Glowstars Companybrand, is aimed at the girl’smarket. The easy-to-assembleprojector has 12 picture caps,each with a drawing to copy.Project the drawing, trace andcolour, then add glow in thedark highlights. Includes bonusprojector torch to give glowstickers an extra boost.

Brainstorm’s Glow 3D glow in thedark range benefits from the additionof three new licences. New DisneyTinkerbell and Barbie are aimed atyounger girls, while Hello Kitty crossesall generations, appealing to youngkids, tweens and teens. DisneyPrincesses and Winnie the Pooh arebright, colourful decorations by day butat night, when the lights go out, theyproduce a glowing display.

Also new for 2009 is Zipbin – the toychest that’s also a toy. Each themed binhas four zips allowing the chest toopen up into a playmat.

When playtime is over, it zips backup into a storage box.

Zipbins are available in three sizesmini, small and medium and in avariety of themes aimed specifically atgirls, including Fairy Castle, Unicornand Country Stable.

BRAINSTORM 01200 445113

New from the creative stable ofCreativity International is a range offour craft drawers.

Perfect for little fingers andimaginative minds, the range includeschildren’s licences such as MisterMaker, Numberjacks, Art Attack andMister Men and Little Miss.

These new kits have been tested inthe hands of kids. Each kit containsall the bits and pieces, images,materials, bits and bobs children needto decorate and design their drawers,as well as additional project ideascontained inside.

Each chest of drawers is full ofproject ideas.

Priced at just £10 these boxes offerretailers and customers positiverevenue potential.

CREATIVITY INTERNATIONAL 01384 485550

Sambro has a host of girl’s licensedproducts including My Little Pony,Littlest Pet Shop, Little Princess, PollyPocket and Gogo’s Crazy Bones.

Gogo’s Crazy Bones is one of thebest selling licences of 2009 and thegirls offering focuses on creativerather than swapping. Choose fromthe Mega Activity Set, Art Case, LapDesk among others.

The My Little Pony range includes a13-piece porcelain tea set, a windowpainting kit and a child-size furniturecollection of table, chair and toybox.

Little Princess is currently beingaired on Five’s Milkshake and thecharacter voiced by Jane Horrocks isgrowing even more popular. TheSambro collection reflects thecharacter with a collection of productsincluding a Picnic Felt Fun Set as wellas a Scribble and Sketch set.

Polly Pocket products on offerinclude a Memories Book & Cameraand the Friends file.

SAMBRO 0161 707 5555

Interplay’s range of craft and science kits,the Wild Science collection, are a mix ofscience and a girl’s love of making things.

The girls’ Wild Science kits outsoldInterplay’s expectations after autumn’s TVadvertising, with the Perfume Laboratoryand Bath Bomb Factory leading the way.

Each of the kits delivers educationalplay, mixing aroma science with creativityas girls learn how to make fizzy bathbombs, designer soaps, heavenly scentsand perfumer Pot Pourri.

Another TV advertised line is the newTechnokits which introduce lightrefraction and simple motorisedmechanics, while creating something todecorate a bedroom.

With the Solar Powered TechnokitRainbow Maker, girls can createrainbows every time the sun shines;while the Solar Powered ButterflyTechnokit has everything needed tobuild a butterfly that flaps its wingswhilst basking in the daylight.

INTERPLAY 01628 488944

Wow continues to enjoy success with itsgirls range of toys and this year’sadditions include the redesigned KatieCamper’s Holiday Friends and Poppy’sPony Adventure.

Suitable for pre-school children, 18months to five years, each toy comeswith a range of secret functions andcompartments for children to discoverwithout the need for anybatteries. Sturdy, safe and built to last,they can be played with individually ortogether as all toys from the range arecompatible with each other.

WOW TOYS 020 7471 0980

CORINTHIAN 01494 462640

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Bandai UK Limitedt: 01489-790944

e: [email protected]

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JUNE 2009

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

The wooden Large Kitchen and SweetPastel Kitchen are decorated in pastelcolours. Both include doors that openand close, knobs that click, a removablesink and a clock with moving hands.Even the microwave has a plate thatturns, just like mum’s.

The Sweet Pastel Kitchen also comeswith a four-piece stainless steelaccessory set including a pot, pan,spatula and soup ladle.

KidKraft’s Retro kitchens featuredesigns that will remind parents of theirown childhoods.

The Red Retro Kitchen, for example,comes with a stainless steel pot, astainless steel pan and a matching redand white cloth apron. The Pink RetroKitchen’s two-piece design meansfriends can come over, play together andjoin in with the cooking.

The Savannah Dollhouse comes with14 pieces of furniture. Embellishedartwork and pretty colours complete thehouse. The Mia Dollhouse for the moremodern little girl features a skylight, achandelier and six other essential piecesof furniture.

Casdon has continued replicating theadult world with The George ForemanToy Grill. Children who enjoy role-playing can cook with this realistic toy,which joins the Dyson Toy Vacuum.

The toy grill includes an imitationside hot plate and comes with realistic

sizzling sounds and various pieces ofplay food. The real Foreman grills areknown for draining fat from the food asit cooks. This functionality hasn’t beenmissed out of the toy and is simulatedby the child pressing the large buttonand water dripping into the tray below.

CASDON TOYS 01253 766411

IMC Toys has developed audio andelectronic role-play for the DisneyPrincess licence, with productsincluding the Intercom which is like areal phone but customised as atelephone from a Princess movie.

This year IMC is introducing a newgame: Electronic Hopscotch withmusic and lights and three differentways to play. Also on offer is a rangeof musical items, an exclusiveElectronic Keyboard with multiplesound effects, accompaniments, plusa record and playback function.

This year Barbie celebrates her50th anniversary and IMC joins thecelebration with a range of musicalinstruments including bestsellers TheElectrical Rock Guitar withMicrophone and Amplifier to sing andperform your favourite songs.

IMC Toys is also presenting a newrange for this year, with The ElectronicMusical Dancing Mat with pre-recorded songs and different gameplay for girls to learn newchoreographies. An MP3 player canalso be connected and kids can learnto dance to their favourite songs. Alsoin the range is a RecordableMicrophone to record and play backperformances.

The New Tattoo Studio allows girlsto decorate themselves or their Barbiedoll with Barbie icons. Designed as abeauty saloon that converts into apractical and portable beauty case.

IMC TOYS01904 720908

The Soft Dolls from HABA are 38cmcharacters including Fee Finja with herlong rose coloured hair and basket offlowers; Souri with her colourful outfitand necklace; Paola, Lotta andAmelie. Phil is a boy doll with cap andrucksack.

The 30cm dolls include the Lilli andNelly and two little boys – Yannik andLukas. Also available are HorseFrederik and Horse Paulina, both withremovable saddle and bridle or HorseSissi. Add the six-piece Horse RidingOutfit and Horse Show Set withfences and wooden rails.

There is also a range of outfits, plusa Portable Doll’s Home with wardrobeand hangers, a chair, sleeping bagand pillows.

The HABA Dolls Buggy has sturdywooden wheels and frame or there isalso a Dolls Pram with bed set. TheDolls Carry Cot includes pillows andblankets and a canopy.

HABA 0161 304 9555

The new Playmobil wedding range iscentred on the church, which featuresthe Wedding March tune and chimingbells. Complete with minister, flowersand the bride and groom.

There is also a pavilion, completewith minister, table on which to sign themarriage register on and, of course, thehappy couple.

The Bridal Couple set comes with athree-tiered wedding cake, topped witha mini bride and groom. Thephotographer is also available, as arethe flower girl and ring bearer.

The Marquee features the chef andhis spread, and guests enjoy a glass ofbubbly after putting gifts on the table. Atthe end of a memorable day, there is thePianist to provide music. Everyonegathers around the grand piano to heartwo melodies.

The Wedding Car arrives to take thecouple on their honeymoon, coveredwith garlands of flowers and draggingtin cans and complete with luggage.

PLAYMOBIL01268 548111

With the decision to return to licensing,2009 has been a strong year for HGrossman with something to suiteveryone with a range girls lines,including the Littlest Pet Shop for theyounger girl.

The Littlest Pet Shop range includes agreat selection of both outdoor andpocket money toys, such as roller boots,skateboards, satchel skateboards,scooters, tents, yoyos, jet balls andfrisbees. Retail prices start from £2.99.

H GROSSMAN 01416 132525

KIDKRAFT 0208 457 2933

The new impulse buy collection fromBranching Out by John Craneencompasses fondant colours, animalsand the element of collecting at pocketmoney prices.

The Countryside Pencil Sharpenersare painted in pink, white, coffee andcream and stand approximately 5cmtall. This collectable family comprises amouse, rabbit, squirrel and beaver.

Alternatively, the second collectiontakes inspiration from the farmyard,with a chicken, pig and cow all includedin the set.

The new Safari Pencils boast adifferent character on its end – a zebra,elephant, lion and giraffe.

Each range is now ready to order vianew quick ordering system on the JohnCrane website.

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JUNE 2009

The continued popularity of LisaSimpson’s positive character andstrong personality has inspired a rangeof dedicated toy lines as part of theLadies of Springfield all femalelicensing programme.

As an A-grade student with an eyeon her carbon footprint, Halsall hasdesigned the ideal mode of transportfor Lisa. The new lightweight LisaMicro Scooter incorporates practicalitywith just the right amount of cutedesign detail on the footplate andframe. Ready to go whenever you are,the Lisa Micro Scooter (£19.99) issuitable for girls seven years and over.Halsall’s new Lisa Inflatable Chaircomes in bright bubblegum pinkfeaturing the Too Smart For My Own

Good slogan. Designed for girls agedfour years plus, £14.99.

Tradewinds World Wide is offeringthe new Lisa Simpson BMX bike. TheLisa Simpson BMX comes with mirrorand is available in a 16-inch and 18-inchframe size. With a matching skate stylehelmet, knee and elbow pads and aLisa wristband.

The character is also gettinginvolved with the computer gamessector, too. A4T has created Lisa-inspired accessories for the NintendoDS Lite bundles, as well as its latestproduct launches which include travelpacks, clean and protect sticker setsand Wii remote grips.

The products are listed by Game,HMV, Gamestation and Asda.

TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX 0207 437 7766

With its Dream Town collectionrecently voted number one in roleplay (Source: NPD December 08),Worlds Apart is set to build on itssuccess with a third play-set.

Crystal Castle is billed as theultimate Dream Town play-set, withthe company saying that it offershours of fairytale role play.

With turrets, grand entrance doorsand drapes, this detailed castle opensup into two halves, with one halffitting inside the other for storage.

Girls can get into character bydressing up in the princess dress thatcomes with the play-set and there’s asparkling banqueting set included.

Voted one of the Best New Girls’Toys at London Toy Fair 2009, CrystalCastle is aimed at children agedthree-plus making it ideal for thosewho have previously enjoyed thetraditional role play of the DreamTown Rose Petal Cottage or CherryBlossom Stores, and are now readyto move into the fantasy world fornew play scenarios.

Worlds Apart is supporting thelaunch of the Crystal Castle with adedicated 20-second TV ad andextensive PR and marketing support.

WORLDS APART0800 389 8591

Manhattan Toy continues to build on itsGroovy Girls collection.

The range features productsdesigned to reflect and appeal to agirl’s sense of fashion and style, as wellas her interests. Suitable for childrenaged three years plus, each GroovyGirls character has a unique lookexpressed in her hairstyle, skin toneand outfit. The brand encourages thedevelopment of a girl’s sense ofidentity and individualism, whilecelebrating friendship and diversity.

The Groovy Girls dolls resemble real-life girls aged nine to ten years-old,

have age appropriate bodies and wearclothes girls might choose forthemselves. They have accessories,pets and furniture and participate inactivities that appeal to young girls.

With over 20 new products launchedso far in 2009, look out for the specialedition mermaids with their colour-themed handbags, shiny fabrics andremovable tails.

New additions to the RSVP.comrange include a collector’s edition dollnamed Darise, as well as PrincessAriana with her sparkling accessoriesand glittering gown.

MANHATTAN TOY 0208 944 3160

Little Tikes’ iconic Cozy Coupecelebrates its 30th birthday this year,with sales reaching over 20 millionworldwide and four million in the UKsince its launch in 1979. Average salesin the UK top 133,333 each yearmeaning that, statistically, by the ageof four years, every child in the UKwill have either owned or shared aCozy Coupe.

To mark its birthday, Little Tikes hasintroduced a Cozy Coupe 30thAnniversary Edition. Over the years,Little Tikes has remained true to thedistinctive shape and robustconstruction of the original CozyCoupe model. However, there havebeen several updates to the CozyCoupe family, including one, which inparticular will be of interest to thelittle ladies.

The Princess Cozy Coupe 30thAnniversary Edition sports a pinkbody, baby blue hood and an all newsmiling face. It comes with a parentgrab handle and a removable footplatform so that youngsters can bepushed, and when they are older, thefoot platform can be removed to allowthem to zoom off on their own.

Suitable for children from 18months to five years, The Little Tikes’Princess Cozy Coupe 30th AnniversaryEdition is available online and on theHigh Street from July.

LITTLE TIKES 01536 462800

New for 2009, Santoro is offering arange of products in the Jeli Deli KittyCat design including a range of bagsand purses, a stamper set, mini egghighlighters and trinket box.

Also new to the Tutti Cuti BestFriends line is a range of bags andpurses, glitter globes, a trinket boxand mini egg highlighters.

SANTORO 01709 518100

Kids@play has launched its new six voltbattery-operated Motor Scooter, calledThe Princess.

Features include tubular steeltraining wheels, working lights (bothfront and back) including brake light andthree gears giving a maximum speed offour miles per hour. The product issupported by a 12/7 customer servicecentre, and a manufacturers warranteeand service option.

KIDS@PLAY 01291 627580

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IN 2008 the total girls’ market wasworth £1.2 billion (excluding videogames) with fashion dolls accountingfor ten per cent of total sales – thelargest category outside of pre-schoolfor girls (source NPD ConsumerPanel Service). Sales of fashions dollsreached £112m in 2008 with agesfour to seven particularly key to thecategory, accounting for 60 per centof the total volume sold. However,ages two to three years are becomingincreasingly important as an entrylevel with 16 per cent of sales nowthrough that age range.

The girls’ market is much lessreliant on films in comparison to theboys’ market, which is very muchdriven by the latest blockbusters andmust-see TV shows, helping to boostlicensed product sales for boys. Withingirls, Barbie, the longest runningfashion doll, has continued toperform strongly and hasrecently had its 50th birthday– succeeding without TV orfilm in the UK.

Most top selling items,however, are relatively newand reinvention seems to bethe key to long life in the market.Barbie’s continual re-development hasallowed her to survive and hasrecently reclaimed top placing infashion dolls from Bratz. However theon-going battle between Bratz andBarbie that has dominated the marketin the past few years has allowed fornewer licensed fashion dolls to moveinto the category.

High School Musical is now thenumber two property behind Barbie

with the release of High School Musical3 on DVD at the end of Februaryboosting sales and Hannah Montanaalso making particularly strong inroadsinto the category.

But it’s not just the dolls that areattracting girls’ attention to the newlicences but also the styling and dressup element, where girls aspire tohave the lifestyle offered by suchlicences as High School Musical andHannah Montana. Licences now

account for 44 per cent of totalfashion dolls & accessories forthe year to date compared to 24per cent for the year to date2008, but still well behind theboys’ action figures market

where licences account for over 80per cent of value sales.

It will be interesting to see if thecurrent trend for licences within thegirls market continues, with only theHannah Montana film specificallyaimed at girls released this year or ifthe focus will move to TV showssuch as The Jonas Brothers and SonnyWith A Chance. Perhaps the girlsmarket will focus on other newranges being launched such as DisneyFairies or perhaps it will be Barbie’sbirthday marketing that dominates.

(source: NPD)

Fashion DollsTop sellers Fashion Dolls YTD 09

Once dominated by the titanic tussle between Bratz and Barbie, the £112m fashion dolls sector is changing,with licensed lines, particularly from Disney beginning to dominate. NPD offers more insight…

1. HSM 3 PROM DOLL ASSORTMENT MATTEL2. BARBIE THUMBELINA LEAD DOLL MATTEL 3. BARBIE DIAMOND CASTLE PRINCESS LIA MATTEL4. DISNEY PRINCESS COLLECTION CHARACTER OPTIONS5. HSM 3 COLLEGE DOLL MATTEL6. BRATZ REALLY ROCK ASSORTMENT MGA ENTERTAINMENT7. HSM COUNTRY CLUB FEATURE DOLL MATTEL8. BARBIE RAPUNZEL CUT N STYLE MATTEL9. BRATZ KIDZ CONCERT SNAP-ON MGA ENTERTAINMENT10. BARBIE DOLL WITH BICYCLE MATTEL

www.toynewsmag.com 49SECTOR GUIDE FASHION DOLLS

JUNE 2009

Not just a pretty face

Most top sellingitems are

relatively new andreinvention seems to bekey to long lifein the market.

49,50-51 TN94_final 15/5/09 10:06 Page 1

50 SECTOR GUIDE FASHION DOLLS

In line with the November DVD launch, SnowWhite has a prominent place in the DisneyPrincess Dolls range this year with Snow Whiteand her Forest Friends which comes completewith seven forest creatures that can help withthe housework just as in the classic scene fromthe film.

The heroine of the Little Mermaid films is theinspiration behind the Colour Change Ariel doll.This doll has a hidden secret - place her tail orher hair into water and they will change to adifferent colour depending whether the water iscold or warm. This doll also comes with colourfulhair extensions.

The Princess Collection has all the Disneyheroines including Cinderella, Jasmine, Belle andSleeping Beauty whilst in the CharmingCollection each doll includes a charm bracelet todecorate with charms from the princess’s dress.Other accessories include a brush and comb tostyle the doll’s hair.

The Disney Princess Dolls from CharacterOptions are supported by TV advertising, girls’consumer competitions and other PR.

Mattel maintains the number one positionwithin the fashion dolls category (value,March 2009 NPD) having had a strong startto the year, marking 50 years of fashion withcelebrations across the globe.

Fashion partnerships and a six-figurebrand campaign taking in digital, broadcast,print and direct to girls have ensuredeveryone in the UK will have heard aboutBarbie’s anniversary on average 11 times.

The strong Barbie momentum is set tocontinue into the second half of the year aswell. The brand will launch a range of feature-driven character dolls and plush fromthe latest animated movie Barbie and TheThree Musketeers.

Mattel will also launch updated versions ofperennial favourites including Barbie’s DreamHouse and Camper Van plus extension in petssuch as the Shower & Show Horse andDoggie Park. Barbie’s brand campaign willcontinue throughout the year along with TVinvestment, PR and retailer initiatives.

Mattel continues its partnership withDisney with developments for High SchoolMusical and Hannah Montana. A UK HighSchool Musical live stage show will runthroughout autumn/winter providing girlswith another chance to engage in thestoryline. A range of HSM product will includethe new collection of 20 mini collectible dolls.

Following Hannah Montana’s debuttheatrical release, Mattel will launch newHannah and Miley character dolls and aTravis & Miley First Date gift set – allrecognisable from the movie.

MATTEL 01628 500000


JUNE 2009

49,50-51 TN94_final 15/5/09 10:06 Page 2

www.toynewsmag.com 51SECTOR GUIDE FASHION DOLLS

JUNE 2009

FLAIR 020 8643 0320

Les Cheries by Corolle are dollsdressed in the latest fashions pairedwith modern accessories. Suitable forgirls five years plus, each dollmeasures 33cm in length and comespackaged in a presentation box.There are five dolls to choose from inthis range; Camille, Clara, Chloe,Cathy and Cecile.

The dolls themselves have in-proportion vinyl bodies and authenticfeatures such as, authenticallycoloured skin, moving eyes andfreshly glossed lips. Their crowningglory is a mane of shiny hair, which isideal for play grooming and styling.

For quirky collectable dolls, DKLhas Les Dollies (three years plus) andles Beedibies (18 months plus) fromCorolle’s Trendies range. The dollshave long multi-coloured stripy legsfinished with eye-catching platformshoes. Dollies also have iridescenthair, varying from shocking pink toblack with pink highlights, which has

been styled into high bunches. Newto the 2009 range is Dolly ToffeeApple. This doll has a toffee applescent and has bright orange hair andgold shoes.

Beedibies are compact dolls withexpressive faces. And with no twoexactly the same, Beedibies havebaby-like features – large doe-eyescontrasting with button noses, smallmouths, tiny out-turned ears, roundtummies, an outie belly button andchubby baby feet. Their hands are ina permanent fist with both thumbsturned upright, so that either can beput in the mouth to suck. Beedibieshave movable arms and legs and aremade of a flexible vinyl emitting avanilla scent.

Beedibies and Dollies are availableas assortment packs of 12 in brandeddisplay boxes. All Corolle ranges aresupported by a sales and marketingcampaign and POS is always readilyavailable to retailers.

DKL 01604 678780

Flair’s Disney Fairies range of fashiondolls launches this autumn in line withthe next major DVD release Tinker Belland the Lost Treasure.

The dolls target girls between fourand six years and focus on theenchanted features in the world ofPixie Hollow. With five Autumn FairiesDolls to collect, the 23cm fullyposeable Tinker Bell and her fourfriends come with a blue moon stonenecklace for the girl to wear; while thefive Light Up Wings Dolls come with a

special flower ring which makes eachfairy’s wings light up.

Tink and Blaze is a 23cm Tinker Belldoll, which makes fairy sounds to herloyal friend Blaze the firefly. Also in thecollection is the 23cm Tinker BellMagic Spiral Wings whose wings spinaround in the air making it seem as ifshe is really flying.

The Disney Fairies range will besupported with a number of PRinitiatives and an autumn/winter TVadvertising campaign.

49,50-51 TN94_final 15/5/09 10:06 Page 3

Opposites attractDespite being one of the smaller sectors in the industry, having been plagued with court cases and safety issues,there remains a great deal of innovation in magnetic toys. ToyNews finds out about the latest offerings…

With the second series recently launched andthe Atomic range out in the summer, boys willwant to collect each of the five 12cm GormitiMagnetic Figures, swapping body parts fromeach of the characters to create their ownunique Gormiti.

Gormiti is a collectable assortment of heroactions figures, trading cards and play-setsand was the fastest growing boys’ brand inthe UK for 2008 (NPD 2008). A PR and TVcampaign for the brand is planned for 2009.

Flair’s licensed Magnetic Play-Sets arethemed around characters from In the NightGarden, Thomas & Friends and Peppa Pig.Ideal for travelling, each set containsbackground sheets and themed magneticpieces for creating scenes in the lid of the tin.

In the Night Garden and Peppa Pig Megaand Mini Doodle Fun are magnetic doodlingboards, which incorporate characters fromthe shows. Draw and doodle on the screenthen slide the eraser to start again.

The Mini Doodle Fun items have beenparticularly successful owing to the mouldedPeppa and Iggle Piggle characters, whichhold the mini board.

Alternatively Flair offers the Hello Kitty12cm Magnetic Plush Assortment –plushcharacters with magnetic hands and feet.

FLAIR 020 8643 0320

With growing excitement for the Augustlaunch, Battle Strikers bring magneticattraction to a range of controllable,customisable and collectible battlingtops. The magnetic feature allows thespinning tops to be guided andcontrolled so boys aged eight to 12 cantake on their mates.

With a host of different products fromstarter kits and additional collectibletops, through to Battle Strikers BattlingArenas, the new range offersopportunities for retailers to become aone-stop-shop for this product.

A high profile summer launch for thebrand will include sampling, a TV

campaign starting early August and PRactivity. Mega will continue to supportBattle Strikers with further heavyweightTV and PR to ensure a strong emphasison building the brand and supportinggift sets as Christmas approaches.

The multi award-winning MagNextrange continues, providing infinite buildopportunities and a creative constructionexperience. New elements expand playpattern including tricks and characterplay, with improved storage solutions,after-play experience and new coloursand graphics across the range.

New system assortments withhundreds of build possibilities will

strengthen the collectability of MagNext.This includes System Tricks, available insolid colours at a low price point, so kidscan create magnetic tricks.

The System Tube, System Deluxe andSystem Ultimate Assortments all comecomplete with free ideas bookletsfeaturing a range of build ideas, whilethe System Ultimate Vehicle featuringJack, a MagNext man, and hundreds ofbuild possibilities is the hero product inthe range.

Designed to support strong sales ofMagNext in the girls market is the newMagNext Creations range. Offering newthemes, play patterns and appropriate

colours and graphics, MagNext Creationsfeatures a variety of assortmentsincluding the Core, Tube, Deluxe andUltimate sets, introducing new parts formore customized builds with decorativefinishing touches and, girly build ideasincluding jewellery box, pictures framesand more.

For gadget loving kids, MagNext’siPark is a magnetic amusement parkand high-tech construction set. TheiPark set boasts an improved iCoasterdesign featuring brand new stunts, 20extreme build options, a new lighteffect magnetic elevator and MP3compatibility.

MEGA BRANDS 01844 350033

52 SECTOR GUIDE MAGNETIC

JUNE 2009

52-53 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:31 Page 2

John Crane has newmagnetic additions toits GoGo Toys range.The Flower Park playingboard features flowershoused under aPerspex cover, keepingmagnets and othersmall parts safelytucked away - even themagic stylus is attachedso nothing can ever getlost from the game.

Based on the award-winning Dino EggCounting, the aim ofthis game is to takeflowers to their rightfulplaces using a magneticmagic wand.

For more braintaxing, there is theMagnetic Labyrinth alsofrom GoGo Toys. Againbeing housed underPerspex, and with thewand attached, thelabyrinth is carved intothe wooden frame andis a complex treat forpuzzling kids. Themagic wand takes smallball-bearings aroundthe maze picking themup either from above orbelow the board.

Treasure Trove first introducedMagnetic Construction in 2001. 2009sees the launch of the new breed ofSupermag; Tryron. Tryron retainsmany of the features which mademagnetic construction such acompulsive and successful category.The new Tryron piece is targeted atchildren aged three plus. Its unusualshape challenges the model builderto create multiple geometric designsas well as models of objects withwhich we are more familiar.

Tryron is available at retail fromAugust 2009 and the Treasure Trovesales team will be selling it from July1st. There are 11 sets in total overthree main retail price points,£14.99, £24.99 and £29.99. Thereare four different themes, blue(boys), pink (girls), green and glowin the dark. Treasure Trove willsupport the brand in 2009 withpoint of sale material and PR.

In 2000 Treasure Trove Toysstarted trading with Quercetti asone of its main brands. Central tothat brand is the classic magneticletters category.

The range has recently beenthrough a packaging facelift whichstresses the Italian manufacturingheritage. The magnetic letters nowcome in hanging acetate packs,while the magnetic play set comesin the re-engineered Combi laptop

design. Finally there is the MagneticMandala Mosaic set which hasbecome another staple in the lineover the last five years.

It is now also five years sinceTreasure Trove introduced MagneticMosaics from the small Canadianmanufacturer, The Orb factory.Magnetic Mosaics are re-useableand there are four key sets in thisyear’s line.

Firstly Magnetic Mosaics Kidsfeatures over 700 foam cubes and20 re-usable templates. Theadvantage of this product is itslower age range of four years plus,which enables children toexperience the mosaic activityearlier. Magnetic Mosaics Metal is amore sophisticated set for ageseven upwards with 2100 metallicfoam mosaics. There are also twosmaller tin sets, Magnetic MosaicsMetal Junior and the WoodenMagnetic Colour Cubes.

Treasure Trove launched Hair-EEMagno-Z in 2006. The company’smost successful sets are the singles,sold in canisters and retailing at£1.99 and the triple packs at £5.99,where one piece is sold blind so theconsumer does not know if it’s acollectable piece or not. This simplemarketing ploy has proved verysuccessful in building collectabilityof this magnetic novelty.

TREASURE TROVE 01285 762039

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

www.toynewsmag.com 53SECTOR GUIDE MAGNETIC

JUNE 2009

52-53 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:31 Page 3

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54 TN94_final 12/5/09 15:38 Page 1

Should toy retailers be looking atselling iPhone applications?

High StreetPage 58

This month’s retail charts featureAmazon, The Entertainer, WH Smith,Asda and Hamleys.

ChartsPage 59

Play-Room debut satisfiesAIS, despite low numbers

BUYING GROUP AIS attractedmore than 70 suppliers to its firstmajor toy show in more than adecade, and declared it a success,despite a seemingly low amount ofstand traffic.

The firm says it is pleased with itsfirst Play-Room at the Park eventand says it had a good turn-out fromAIS members and is looking to buildon the show next year, by attractingmore visitors from outside the AISgroup. Many of the exhibitors that

ToyNews spoke to were enthusiasticabout the location, but were criticalof the visitor numbers. That said,most promised to return next year.

Play-Room controller Joyce Daly,however, told ToyNews that the firmwas pleased with its first toy show forover 16 years. She said: “It has beenreally successful as far as we’reconcerned. It has been really easy forthe suppliers because we do showslike this nearly every week. For a firstshow, we filled the showroom with 75toy brands, we invited all themembers and they’ve all been here,with one or two exceptions.”

She added: “We feel that we canbe justifiably proud of the progresswe have made since our launch inJune 2008. In response to the needsand wishes of our members and withthe support of many specialist

departmental teams within AIS, wehave built a cost effective andreliable service to existing toyretailers and confidently expect toadd significantly to their number inthe coming months. We are certainthat Play-Room at the Park willbecome a central feature in the toyindustry’s landscape as we grow ourmembership and harness theexpertise of our suppliers to build itsreputation and its worth.”AIS: 0121 711 2200

Suppliers out in force for buying group’s first show ● Exhibitors concerned over traffic

Page 60New products

EventsPage 74

Retail OnlyDedicated monthly retail coverage

News • Data • Opinion

On their way this month are offeringsfrom VTech, Character Options,University Games and Flair

55 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:12 Page 1

“The party is over”

“Know your customer”

I HAVE just returned from visitingrelatives Down Under and was verymuch struck by the high cost ofgoods there, a significant changefrom my last visit there whenAustralia had seemed cheaper thanhere. My family over there were notaware of there having been big pricehikes and I realised that the disparitywas not due to a change in Australia

but rather to the effects of five yearsof price erosion back at home.

The UK consumer has benefitedfrom a strong pound, low Chineselabour costs, and the competitionfrom supermarkets to the point thatprices here are now artificially low.

But the party is over. Although theimmediate future will see pricesattempt to be pegged by further

squeezing of margins this will notwork with lower volumes and cannotbe sustained.

The economic facts of a weakpound, rising Chinese labour costs,future inflation (inevitable as a resultof the hugely increased moneysupply) and higher transport costs(oil won’t be cheap for much longer)means that the UK consumer is

going to be forced to acceptsignificant price increases in all goodsgoing forward even without theretailers moving back towardssustainable profitability.

Perhaps next time I visit the folks,Australia may seem a cheap optionby comparison.Jonty Chippendale. The Toy Shop,Cockermouth

PRICING IS the foundation ofmargin and turnover. A price pointwas created by bosses to ensurehonesty from employees. At £4.99 acustomer will wait for the pennychange. Computer EPOS tillschanged the reasons for price pointsand High Street stores competed bygoing to £4.95 to be cheaper, and theinternet is even stranger.

As an independent retailer I can’ttake into account the RRP onbranded product . I have to go withthe advertising and special addedvalue and customer requests. Stockturn is the important topic onbranded product.

I need a margin to pay my bills butI am a specialist in toys with so manysquare feet. I need to have certainlines and with Woolworths gone myissue is space. Why should I stockmore branded goods at a lowermargin when I am already making agood profit?

The demise of Woolworths hasaltered the business module for anyshop that was competing with it. Wehave new customers coming into theshop wanting TV-advertised toys atlower margins for me, but now we

have some stock turn. As anexample our store used to be 20 percent branded and it’s now 35 percent as we have increased whatranges we could but also increasedour other higher margin productranges. The toy trade reports 15 percent down in sales most high streetshops that used to compete with

Woolworths are 15 per cent up on afive-year average. Our average sale isdown to £8.50 but we are serving5,000 customers a month 800 morethan last year.

We all need to make a profit, whydon’t the manufacturers cost and sellat the price they need to make aprofit for everybody and givediscounts for quantity purchased andretros for achieved purchased targetson ranges? The likes of Tesco don’tcare about the toy industry but thetoy industry want to sell to them. So

give the independent retailer a pointof difference and reward them forstocking the range that thecustomers want as well as the highprofile TV-advertised lines. Flairgives a great service and product andoffers a range margin, that pays thebills and makes a profit for all thatstock the range or specific lines.

Consumers have not changed.They want value for money for theproducts they buy and service theyreceive. John Lewis has the right idea- never knowingly undersold. Wegive the same promise in our ownway, we don’t stock items we don’tmake a profit on but we don’t havetime to find out what everything issold for. Customers are never shy inasking for a matched price and wematch if the competitor has it instock. Anyone can sell a product at aloss if they don’t have it in stock.

I am highly opinionated about theproblems created by mis-selling andunfair trading within the toy industryand all I ask is for the suppliers touse a bit of common sense whensupplying toys to shops that don’trely on toys for their profit, toys areused at Christmas by larger retailersto drive customer footfall and wehave to accept that reality. But wedon’t have to stock anything that wedon’t make a profit on but I doexpect my supplier to tell me inadvance if they know.

The independent toy retailershould be the backbone of the toyindustry through Toymaster and AISlarger multiples have their ownbuying power and can achieve goodprofit from low margins and are evenmore important, we all do differentthings and trade in different ways butwe all have to make a profit bytrading with different consumerswith very different needs.

The old saying ‘know yourcustomer’ is the most importantbusiness strategy for any business ortoy retailer.

Mike Arnold, Toywizz, Chichester

Welcome to our new forum for retail opinion, where all toy retailers are invited to share their thoughts, vent spleen,rage against the machine, stick it to ‘The Man’, or maybe just share some good advice with their fellow storeowners. TRA chairman Gary Grant will also be contributing some sage words every month and we will no doubtbe adding more to the mix as it grows. But, ultimately, if you’re a retailer, this is your space. The more youcontribute, the more you get involved, the more useful it will become. If you can only manage a sentence, great. Ifyou want to contribute more, that’s brilliant. Tell us what you want to see here and, in the immortal words of DeliaSmith, ‘let’s be ‘aving you’. This month we kicked off by asking for thoughts on pricing and margin erosion…

Your space, your shout56 TALKING SHOP

We all need to make a profit. Whydon’t the manufacturers cost and sell

at the price they need to make a profitfor everybody? Mike Arnold - Toywizz

56-57 TN94_final 15/5/09 18:02 Page 1

www.toynewsmag.com 57TALKING SHOP

“We can’t absorb it”

“More of a slog, less of a jog”WE ARE new to the toy scene andour web site is still in the process ofbeing built (hopefully up andrunning by about August time), butin my current company is facing thesame challenges that you are.

We have had increase on some ofour products by over 40 per cent. Itis very difficult in this currentclimate to increase our customersprices by that amount. The effect isthat we are now absorbing some ofthe cost and our profit margin hasbeen driven down considerably. Butat least some of our customers havetaken the price increases on the chineven expecting them.

We take about twice as manyorders now than we did two yearsago, that’s at least three per cent lessGP over the year, but takes twice asmuch work.

We cannot absorb any costings fordeliveries, (which costs us around£27k per year) and all theemployment/maternity laws, red tapeand legislation, makes what used tobe a joy to come to work, especiallymy own business, now becomes anecessity to come to work.

Wholesalers throughout allindustries are now insuring theircreditors, which means smallercompanies quite often have theircredit limits reduced, or even worse,some wholesalers in our industry arenow requesting direct debitpayments for credit accounts. Withcustomers taking longer and longerto pay, day to day running of thebusiness becomes more of a slog andless of a jog. Only being a smallcompany employing eight people Iget more hassle from staff than I dofrom customers.

The advent of the internet onmost levels is a good thing, but whenwe have customers that can buycheaper than we can, at less thandealer prices, it becomes verydifficult to explain to them that theproducts may not be what theyseem, the market for all things nowis cost driven, high customer serviceis expected from less than civilcustomers, with free delivery andfree returns. I think that what is aproblem in one industry seems to bea problem in all industries.Tracey Asbury, Toydaddy, Oldbury

SUPPLIERS have put prices up a lotthis year and we can’t absorb it anymore so have had to put up a lot ofour prices. I resisted last year whenthings were tough for us. Everyoneelse more or less seems to be doingthe same so we are not alone.

We are doing very well this year,being on average 50 per cent up onlast year and putting prices up hasn’taffected anything. We still haveoffers and sale items for people totake advantage of and try and stock

enough lower prices items to caterfor everyone. I don’t think manysuppliers are eroding margins as theyare trying to support us retailers,they seem to need me now Woollieshas gone strangely enough.

The toy industry seems to be theonly industry that is putting pricesup but with everything coming fromabroad and the price of plastic andmetal being high this was inevitable.Jacqui Lea, Jac In A Box,Macclesfield

IT’S NOT rocket science to work out that if the exchange rate dropsfrom $1.95 to $1.45, if you’re converting from one currency to another,then somebody has to be disadvantaged if prices don’t go up by thecorresponding amount.

Why are we not seeing toy inflation running at 20 per cent? Theexchange rate changes would require a 20 per cent increase in costprices if there weren’t any other changes in the supply chain costs.

Some of the factories may be helping with cost savings due tolabour or raw material changes (oil is now around $60 a barrel). Butwhere have the other costs been absorbed if we’re not seeing doubledigit RRP increases?

If we’re not seeing these increases, whose margin in the industry istaking a pounding? And whoever’s margin is taking a pounding, is itgood for the long term health of the industry? As a retailer (as anyonewho has dealt with me will tell you) I need to earn my margin, but I alsoneed strong manufacturers too.

I would suggest that, with the demise of Woolies, it’s an opportunityfor retailers to revisit their expense budget versus their expected

income and allowing for a return on capital (cheap money is over –make your money work) review the required margin. This will help tofocus on where the buying priorities should lay.

If retailers are absorbing trade price increases, my question is ‘whydo that’? It’s right that we should be competitively priced, but in mostcases your biggest competitor (Woolies) is out of business. For the firsttime in decades there is an opportunity to review these margins.

For toy retailers to be successful and continue to invest in theirstores and aspire to the ever increasing standards expected by today’sconsumer, we need to be able to compete on the High Street andonline. My guess would be that any retailer running at less than 40-45per cent is struggling to make ends meet.

What is concerning me is the growing trend of manufacturers todeliver a 25 per cent brought-in margin. That doesn’t work. And mychallenge to manufacturers is when you’re working from the top down,why do you expect retailers to support those that publish RRPs thatonly have a 25 per cent margin?

Shelf space has a value. Make yours work – don’t carry passengers.

Gary Grant, Chairman, Toy Retailers Association

ON THE MARGINS

My challenge to manufacturers is...why do you expect retailers to support

those that publish RRPs that onlyhave a 25 per cent margin?

Gary Grant, chairman, TRA

DO YOU HAVE A RETAIL ISSUE WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TOCOMMENT ON? ANY WORDS OF WISDOM (HOWEVER SHORT)

FOR YOUR FELLOW TOY RETAILERS? A PROBLEM THAT WEMIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH PERHAPS? LET US KNOW.

Email: [email protected] call us on 01992 535646 and let us hear your thoughts.

56-57 TN94_final 15/5/09 18:02 Page 2

JUNE 2009

Ben 10 Alien Force CreationChamber(Bandai)

Nerf Dart Tag Two Player Set (Hasbro)

Chattering Charlieand Lola dolls (Golden Bear)

Spykee the Wi-fi Spy Robot (Meccano)

Upsy Daisy and Her Chaseand Play Bed

(Hasbro)STORE

TOY

£27.76 £39.97 £29.99 £146.25 £29.95

£29.99 £34.99 N/A £200.00 £39.99

£28.97 N/A N/A N/A £34.91

£28.99 £34.29 £14.99 £227.99 £34.99

£21.74 £26.24 £29.99 £199.99 £38.99

PRICE CHECK: JUNE 2009

HIGHSTREET

COUNTERINSURGENT

58 RETAIL ONLY

LIKE MOSTretailers, Ialways look atother areas Icould moveinto. Somemanufacturers

have tried the same, withHasbro and Character beingthe most active and some haveworked, others not.

We shouldn’t be afraid ofmoving into areas we don’tknow. Garden centres are nowso diverse that I know of acouple of reps who sell morepuzzles through a gardencentre than any of their toyaccounts. Puzzles fit thedemographic of theircustomers perfectly (heck, I’mstarting to sound like someonefrom a marketing department)and now they are doing morein outdoor play.

I’m not suggesting we startselling what they sell, but tojust be sure we aren’tblinkered in the ranges we sell.

Video games has alwaysbeen a sector that people seeas fitting well with toys. But allis not well there at themoment. Consumers feel videogames are too expensive andthey aren’t considered apocket money purchase. Bythe time a kid has savedenough money he has thirddegree burns from the cashburning a hole in his pocket.

However, even Nintendo andSony are increasingly worriedabout a bigger threat thatdoesn’t just effect the videogame sector but our belovedpocket money sector too.

Apple is the new kid on theblock. The IPod Touch andIPhone are helping sell anoutstanding number of add-ons (apps). The quality ofsome of these apps isincredible value for the money(under £5), easy to buy and alldone via a download at pocketmoney prices. We all know thatwe are up against the ’cool

culture’ of mobile phones. Itisn’t just the cost of calls it isthe ringtones, thescreensavers and all the otheradd-ons hitting the pocketmoney pounds. But believeme, this is another level.

Maybe the next sector weought to move into outside our box should be sellingiTunes top-ups.

Congratulations toCharacter for a great launch ofa real action man in the shapeof HM Forces, brilliant PR.Strangely enough I didmention to Character back inJanuary it would be good tohave a woman and someonenot white in the range. I evensuggested a Ghurka. How I betthey wish they had that ready

for launch, just think of themarketing (OK, now I’m gettingseriously worried about havingactivated a marketing gene).

But it’s not too late,Character could still piggyback this and solve theproblem of a woman doll byproducing a Joanna Lumleydoll. Forget Eagle Eyes, shecould have special eyes thatfired daggers.

I’m sure a lot of the tradewould join most of the countryand get behind the campaignfor allowing British soldiers tolive in Britain.

And finally, a quick word ofcongratulation to Flair on itstenth birthday. A fantasticcompany which has alwaysmade the indies feel loved. Iam sure with the support oftheir new parent company theywill have many more years inbusiness to celebrate.

Now if you will excuse meI’m off to get some therapy formy marketing problem.

Maybe the next sector weought to move into outside

our box should be sellinga range of iTunes top-ups.

Dispatches from the retail front line...

58 TN94_final 14/5/09 16:03 Page 1

JUNE 2009

www.toynewsmag.com 59RETAIL ONLY

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Mini Dinosaur Natural History Museum

Brainiac Prehistoric Pets Sky One Brainiac

Pirate Patch Excavate a Skeleton WHS

Brainy Baby DVDs (Nine Pack) The Brainy Baby Co

Scrabble Deluxe Mattel

Wooden Pirate Ship WHS

Totally England Cricket Set Mookie

Brainy Baby DVDs (Four Pack) The Brainy Baby Co

Risk – The World Conquest Game Hasbro

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

The Entertainer

V.Smile Pro Learning System (inc. Scooby Doo) VTech

10ft Mercury Trampoline TP Toys

Wolverine Electronic Battle Claw Hasbro

Metal Wheelbarrow Besteam

Fisher-Price Bubble Mower Mattel

N erf M-Strike Recon CS-6 Hasbro

Rapide Slide Set – Green TP Toys

Rescue Pals Swim to Me Puppy MGA

Speed Stacks Character

Roary the Racing Car Bouncy Castle Halsall

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Amazon CHART DATE11/05/09

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Mail Order Express

Original Rubik’s Cube Drumond Park

Matchbox Mega Rig Space Shuttle Mattel

Ben 10 Deluxe Omnitrix Bandai

Crayola Gigantic Colouring Book Vivid

Medical Carrycase Peterkin

HM Armed Forces Infantryman Character

Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Insect Lore

VTech Kidizoom Camera Pink VTech

VTech Kidizoom Camera Blue VTech

Ben 10 Puzzle 100 Pieces Pressman Toy

Animal clinic Playmobil

Indiana Jones Temple of Akator Lego

Star Wars Millennium Falcon Hasbro

Imperial Dropship Lego

Off Roader Lego

Spongebob Squarepants Good Neighbours at Bikini Bottom Lego

City Construction Site Lego

Power Miners Fun with Wheels Lego

Take Along Pirates Treasure Island Playmobil

Vet with Car Playmobil

CHART DATE11/05/09

CHART DATE11/05/09

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Hamleys CHART DATE11/05/09

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Asda

UFO Mini Infrared RDM Creations

Infinite Bubbles Hamleys

Sticker Scratcher Hamleys

AA battery four-pack Energizer

50 Greatest Magic Tricks First Class

Matt Nail Jazz Silverfern

X-Rotor PiccoZ Silverlit

Mystery UFO Wow Stuff

Metallic Nail Jazz Silverfern

Magic Plastic Perrin & Nissen Hamleys

Hotwheels Basic Car Mattel

Turbo Cars Asda

Mini Vehicles Asda

Mini Lying Animals Asda

Gormiti Figures Flair

Magic Writer Asda

Ben 10 Alien Force 10cm Figures Bandai

Cars Character Assortment Mattel

In the Night Garden Push n Play Hasbro

Power Rangers Jungle Fury Figures Bandai

CHART DATEApril

CHART DATE11/05/09

59 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:29 Page 1

JUNE 2009

PRODUCTNEWS

FROM July, Flair will be addingone of the most popular pre-school licences in the market toan already successful concept,with the new Thomas & FriendsFold and Go Easel.

The versatile easel containseverything kids need to createpictures of their favouritecharacters and will keep totsentertained for hours. Draw onthe chalkboard or use the specialpens provided on the wipe cleanboard and when finished, simplywipe clean and it’s ready to startagain. Clip a colouring sheet tothe easel for that extra specialpicture to treasure and keep.

The Easel has sliding drawers tostore the marker pens, crayons,chalks and sponge included andfolds down flat for easy storage.Flair: 020 8643 0320

ARMY OF Zero is a new battle cardgame harbouring a secretriddle. Players must solve a series ofpuzzles hidden within the cards towork out the solution and crack theriddle brainteaser. Point Zero Gamesis running a competition to win £1,000cash for the most elegant way ofunravelling the riddle.

IT expert, Steve Mainprizelaunched the game at the 2009London Toy Fair. Mainprize ran hisown software company for 15 years,but at the same made up games withhis children.

Their favourite game developed athome evolved into Army of Zero.Point Zero Games was set up in 2008and the final game was produced.

Mainprizesaid: “The ArmyOf Zero riddledoes make thegame veryunusual. We

wanted to add an extra dimension toturn it into more than just anothercombat game, and we are pleased atthe way that the game and the puzzleswork together.”

Army Of Zero is a two-player cardgame suitable for ages seven plus, andis based on two warrior armies incombat against each other. It isavailable now fromwww.pointzerogames.com for anintroductory offer price of £10.Point Zero Games: 01625 540 493

AFTER MORE than 50years of success in the US,University Games is bringingColorforms to the UK.

Invented in 1951,Colorforms are vinyl piecesthat ‘stick like magic’ todifferent playing surfacesand can be repositioned for“limitless creativity andimagination”. A range ofColorforms items is being

launched in conjunctionwith the 40th anniversary ofThe Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The new productsinclude a Very HungryCaterpillar 3D DeluxePlay-set, a Very HungryCaterpillar Fun Pocket anda very Hungry CaterpillarColorfelts Play Board.University Games:01359 243900

Thomas showshis artistic Flair

60 RETAIL ONLY

VTECH HAS introduced a newrange of pink toys.

First came four pink additions tothe VTech Baby range, including theBaby Lullaby Teddy Projector, theBaby Soft Singing Radio, the FirstSteps Baby Walker and the AnimalSounds Music Box.

Kids can also get creative with thetwo new pink products in VTech’sKidicreative range. The KidilookPink is for ages three and over.Children can now view pictures on-the-go with new pink Kidilook – aportable digital photo frame with a1.8”screen.

With options to create a photostory or use the clock mode, and thecapacity to store over 100 photos. Amotion sensor activates a randompicture mode. To upload images,either transfer photos from Kidizoomor use supplied photo managingsoftware to acquire from a PC.

VTech’s KidiDog Pink is for agesfive years plus. The pink electronicpuppy reacts to voice commands.Perfect as a desktop companion, kidsuse voice to interact with KidiDogand play games. By asking it todance, eat food, tell jokes, change itsface and more, children learn socialskills, numbers, food and letters.VTech: 01235 555545

VTech is in the pink

PART OF Character’s HMArmed Forces collection andpowered by night visiontechnology, the new NightVision Goggles allow kids tosee up to 15 metres inabsolute darkness.

Invisible infraredillumination lets young secretagents stay hidden, whilegiving them the advantage ofseeing their opponents in a pitch-black night. Sliding the colour switch allowsyou to select a green or black and white screen display.

Rotate the viewing knob to select viewing mode and in MaximumSurveillance mode, the goggles operate at full power and emit a barely-visiblering of red light. Meanwhile, Close Proximity Stealth mode is for missions thatrequire a closer look; the goggles operate at partial power and generate lightthat cannot be seen by the human eye.Character Options: 0161 633 9800

Character sharpens its vision Battle it out for the Mainprize

Colorforms come to the UK

60 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:23 Page 1

JUNE 2009

KIDS CAN build and personalise their turbolauncher by selecting one of 16 differentmagnetically enhanced and element-themedspinners, depending on each tactic. Once built,the turbo launcher is then charged, allowing it tospin straight into battle.

Using the controller, kids can accelerate theirstriker at 7500 RPM and feel the magneticpower as the controller is used to knockopponents out of the game.

There are 16 spinning tops to collect with fourdifferent themes: fire, earth, air and water, andindividual performance levels and names. Kidscan customise the Strikers and there will be twoin the collection with limited availability.

To get straight into the world of BattleStrikers, the Starter Pack includes the turbolauncher, controller and one exclusive Striker.The Tournament Set includes two Strikers, twoturbo launchers, two controllers, and an arenafor quick and furious battles. The Battle Strikerarena is also available to buy separately.

MARKETINGMega Brands will support the launch of BattleStrikers with an extensive marketing campaign,including TV and print advertising, eventsand online PR activity.

A major retail launch with acelebrity ambassador isplanned for centralLondon, The firmwill also berunning 800TVR’s in Augustand Septemberacross the UK andRepublic of Ireland,with further campaigns tocome for the main season.

In addition, Mega has secured asponsorship deal with a high profile children’sTV network, reaching its prime target audienceand will be hosting Battle Striker Turbo Tours inholiday hot-spots throughout the UK.

Mega launched its latest MagNext product at Toy Fair earlier thisyear with the help of teen sensation, George Sampson. MagNextBattle Strikers is now getting ready to spin onto the shelves…

Mega BrandsMagnext Battle Strikers

www.toynewsmag.com 61HERO PRODUCT

Release date:August 2009CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: 01844 350033Website: www.megabrands.com

61 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:21 Page 1

Advertisers

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

As a brand owner, slick service

throughout your supply chain is

crucial in delivering to your

distribution channels and

ultimately, to the consumer.

As a manufacturer of card

based product and strategic

partner to many brands including

Top Trumps and Monopoly,

Richard Edward understands its

part in the process; getting

products in consumers’ hands at

the right time and price point.

Established for 30 years,

Richard Edward has the capacity

to produce over 40 million decks

of cards per annum using our fully

integrated in-house facilities.

From card components for

board games, stand alone card

games, trading card sets and

cards for promotional use, the

firm delivers worldwide.

The London-based plant

benefited from £4.5million

investment in 2006, and the firm

offers a range of specialist

printing and finishing processes to

ensure the most demanding

creative briefs are met.

From foiling, to glow-in-the-

dark or inks that react to

temperature, there are many

processes which enable an

interactivity with your consumers.

With diminishing barriers to

global trading, Richard Edward

recognises it is easier than ever to

source products overseas. And

with corporate social

responsibility at the forefront of

agendas and increasing consumer

awareness, it is every buyers’

responsibility to source ethically.

Richard Edward’s working

practices are exemplary, offering

excellent environmental

credentials including FSC and

Green Mark, with scope to reduce

carbon footprints by purchasing a

truly British product.

We are also audited to Global

Sourcing Principles, the ETI base

code, and hold both Investors in

People and ISO 9001

accreditations.

For further information contact:

0208 311 8888

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

Rainbow Productions 0208 254 5300

■ Point of Purchase ManufacturersDaytona Visual Marketing 01827 54551

■ Safety TestingSGS 0208 991 3410

STR 0118 939 8700

■ Suppliers/ManufacturersBachmann Europe 0870 751 9990

Cambridge Brainbox 01279 821 333

Creativity International 01323 485 550

Danbar International Ltd. 01707 260 111

Esdevium Games 01420 593 593

Flying Toys 01702 295 110

Fun Collectables 01494 562 727

Games Workshop 08700 134 411

Ideal Software 01767 689 720

JC Games 01323 647 886

Logiblocs 01727 763 700

Maps Toys 01483 776 006

Plastics for Games 01728 745 300

Point Zero Games 01625 540 493

Ravensburger 01869 363 800

Revell 01442 250 130

SandPlay 0115 937 5147

The Puppet Company 01462 446 040

Thumbs Up 0845 466 8880

Voila (Agenta Marketing) 01536 401 128

WOW Toys 0207 381 2302

■ Toy SuppliersCarta Mundi 01268 511 522

Plastics for Games 01728 745 300

Richard Edward 0208 311 8888

Sambro International 0161 707 5555

The place for business

RATES:RATES:

DANBAR TOYSSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER01707 260111

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

THE NANO COPTER Babez series

from Danbar Toys is probably the

world’s smallest and lightest

helicopter range. The toys are

ready to fly; easily charged from

the remote control within minutes;

have a longer flying time and

improved manoeuvrability and

flight controls.

Danbar’s toys have a super

wide, precision infrared range

control to assure hovering

stability. Charging directly from

the remote control transmitter for

only a few minutes, ensures the

built-in rechargeable battery

provides three times longer flying

ability than other similar products.

The Nano Copter helicopters

use tri-band technology.

Predefined infrared channels

allow up to three models to be

flown together.

The copters can be used both

indoor and outdoor where you can

host flight competitions with the

Nano Copter helicopters.

The copter’s body is made from

a unique material that withstands

crashes and comes fully

assembled to get flying in no time.

If you are looking for the

coolest gift for lasting hours of fun

and entertainment – this is the

perfect r/c helicopter for any

occasion. The infrared controlled

Nano Copter series come in a

unique gift box exclusively

designed by the Danbar team to

make the ultimate gift.

For further information on Danbar

Toys product range, contact:

01707 260111

RICHARD EDWARDTOY SUPPLIER0208 311 8888

62 TN94_final 15/5/09 16:26 Page 1

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.

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

Event Management � Storage and Maintenance � Costume Hire

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.

Contact - Kelli Bromley, Sales Manager

T: 0208 441 2158 M: 07760270209

www.jellyhead3d.co.uk [email protected]

■ 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

■ Safety Testing

63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:16 Page 1

Marketplace

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

■ Safety Testing ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:16 Page 2


■ Suppliers/Manufacturers




63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:16 Page 3

Marketplace




Play with friends and family

Play with friends and family

at home or on your travels

at home or on your travelsPlay with friends and family

at home or on your travels

www.qbgame.co.uk

www.qbgame.co.uk

www.qbgame.co.uk


63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:17 Page 4


��

��

�� !��!� ��!� �� !��

��

��

� !"#�$%& �'()%*�+#,■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:17 Page 5

Marketplace


■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:17 Page 6



ADVERTISINGTHAT WORKS!

To advertise here please contactAdrian Miles:

+44 (0)1992 535647

[email protected]


63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:17 Page 7

Marketplace

■ Toy Suppliers

■ Toy Suppliers

■ Toy Suppliers

■ Toy Suppliers

63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:17 Page 8


Advertisers Index

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

Marketplace

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

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

■ Suppliers/ManufacturersBachmann Europe 0870 751 9990 [email protected] www.bachmann.co.uk

Brookite 01837 53315 [email protected] www.brookite.com

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

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

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

Flying Toys 01702 295110 [email protected]

Fun Collectables 01494 562 727 [email protected] www.fun-collectables.co.uk

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

Ideal Software +44 (0)1767 689 720 [email protected] www.idealsoftware.net

JC Games 01323 647886 www.qbgame.co.uk

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

Maps Toys 01483 776 006 [email protected] www.mapsww.com

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

Point Zero Games 01625 540 493 [email protected] [email protected]

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

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

SandPlay 0115 937 5147 [email protected] www.sandcastlemoat.co.uk

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

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

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

WOW Toys 0207 471 0980 [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

63-71 TN94_v1 15/5/09 16:17 Page 9

TOYTALKMilitary operations, another photo-fit, bee keeping and DIY make-over shows…

MAKEOVER FOR JOHN CRANEJohn Crane will grab itself a bit of free publicity laterthis year when it features on ITV show 60 MinuteMakeover, hosted by Terry Dwyer.

In a show due to be aired sometime this autumnthe company’s Cow and Sheep Chairs, the FarmyardToy Chest plus a Activity Table, all from Pintoy, will allmake an appearance.

The firm donated the products that will be used inthe hour-long show giving valuable coverage for thebrand in the run up to Christmas.

The show also offers website links on its site for upto two years for all the products used, so potentialcustomers can be directed to a John Crane retailer tocomplete their purchase.

JUNE 2009

FIT UP YOUR BOSS

JOE’S GRAND DAY OUTWowWee's Joebot made his UK debut at theGrand Designs Show.

The robot took centre stage at the House ofFuture presented by Samsung at the show inLondon. Starring alongside examples ofinnovative technology and next generationconsumer electronics such as entertainmentpods, the world's thinnest LED TV, a 3DMonitor and, of all things, an electronic tonguewhich identifies the ingredients in your food.

Joebot previewed his cool beatbox, danceand battle moves in front of thousands ofpeople visiting the show.

WANNABEEFormer Radica and PopCo MDDenis Horton has returned witha new manufacturingorganisation and already boastsa staff of around 25,000. Itseems Denis has been keepinghimself busy and doing his bitto help the mysteriouslydwindling bee population byacquiring his own hive. Expectjars of honey on Toys R Usshelves any day soon.

72 TOY TALK

If you fancy seeing yourself, your colleague or better still, your boss here and

winning a Kidizoom camera while you’re at it, send your snaps to

[email protected] and we will give it the makeover it requires.

To be honest, we weren’t sure whatkind of reaction we would get to ourpleas for people to send in pics oftheir colleagues to be sabotaged byus, but I guess we didn’t bank on howdeliciously vindictive our readershipwas because we’ve not had a problemobtaining fresh candidates.

And last month’s plea for some bravesoul to send in a picture of their bosshas been answered by Sam Johnson,toys and games buyer at Boots, whohas sent in this pic of his guvnor,buying manager Marc Edwards. Abrave move in the currentemployment market.

72-74 TN94_v4 15/5/09 10:09 Page 1

JUNE 2009

CHARACTER GOES ON MANOEUVRESAssorted press and industry turned out in force to see CharacterOptions launch its much-hyped Armed Forces action figure androle-play ranges at RAF Northolt. The story got blanket coverageon the day across press, radio and TV. Some did their best to try tocreate a story that wasn’t there by claiming the collection didn’tinclude any black or female figures, but all in all it generated hugepublicity for the range, which went on sale on May 8th.

MY No.1s

Sponsored by

Nancy Davies,Sales director,Interplay

Number one album:Anything by The Mamas and The Papas------------------------------------------------------------------------------Film:Death in Venice------------------------------------------------------------------------------Book:Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy------------------------------------------------------------------------------TV programme:Eastenders------------------------------------------------------------------------------Number one singlewhen you were born:Not sure... but probably something by Elvis------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hero:The divine Bette Midler------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thing to do at the weekend:Have all the kids home------------------------------------------------------------------------------Gadget:My geriatric Nokia 6310------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tipple:Ledaig Single Malt------------------------------------------------------------------------------Piece of advice:Don’t tell lies---------------------------------------

Director Joe

Kissane found out

just how cramped it

is inside the

cockpit of a Harrier

jump jet and then

made a quick

vertical take off of

his own when he

found the joystick.

Character’s managing director JonDiver fielded questions from theassembled press and thensurprised everyone with a movingrendition of We’ll Meet Again.

73TOY TALK

72-74 TN94_v4 15/5/09 10:09 Page 2

JUNE 2009

74 FEATURE PLANNER

Electronic learning ● Creative Play ● Dress-Up and Halloween

The ever-innovative electronic learning

category comes under the spotlight lead by

a resurgent LeapFrog and the continued

success of VTech’s V.Smile and new V.Smile

Motion consoles. We also highlight creative

play, which includes the thriving arts and

crafts sector plus dress-up and halloween.

Editorial Deadline: May 8th Advertising Deadline: June 17th

JULY 2009

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

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE 09September 30th - October 1stGrand Hall, Olympia, Londonwww.brandlicensingexpo.com

US INTERNATIONAL FALL TOY PREVIEWOctober 6th - 9thDallas Market Centre TXwww.toy-tia.org

SHOWCOMOTION July 1st - 3rdSheffield Media and Exhibition Centrewww.showcomotionconference.com

AUTUMN FAIR 09September 6th - 9thNEC, Birminghamwww.autumnfair.com

LICENSING INTERNATIONAL 2009June 2nd - 4thMandalay Bay Convention Centre, Vegaswww.licensingshow.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

© Intent Media 2009 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

www.toynewsmag.com ToyNews is published 12 times a year byIntent Media ~ Saxon House, 6a St.Andrew Street, Hertford, HertfordshireSG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648 AUDITED CIRCULATION

Average Net Circulation:6,069 July 1st 2007 to June 30th 2008,

SUBSCRIPTIONSUK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90The international cost applies persubscription and covers airmail dispatchof 12 issues

To order your subscription via Visa,MasterCard, Amex Switch or Deltacontact [email protected] call 01580 883 848. Alternatively visitour website www.toynewsmag.com

Subscriptions Manager - Hannah [email protected]

Circulation &Subscriptions

TOYNEWS FIVES July 10thPowerleague, Barnetwww.topcorner.co.uk/toynewsfives

ConstructionToys

The competitivebricks and blocksmarket continues

to sell well with sometried and trusted playpatterns and brands.

Plush

Now dominatedby licensing, theplush sector isalways a strong

toy category with lots tohighilight.

GreenProducts

A growingcategory,with anumber of

canny suppliers comingup with eco-friendly toys.

Editorial Deadline: June 12th Advertising Deadline: July 7th

AUGUST 2009

DON’T

MISS OUT!

BTHA AGM AND INDUSTRY DAYJune 18thGreat Fosters Hotel, Egham, Surreywww.btha.co.uk

THE LICENSING AWARDSSeptember 10thRoyal Lancaster hotel, Londonwww.thelicensingawards.co.uk

74 TN94_final 15/5/09 17:08 Page 1

TOYNEWS FIVES RAISING MONEY FOR THE TOY TRUST

TO ENTER NOW PLEASE CALL 020 7700 1888 OR VISIT WWW.TOPCORNER.CO.UK/TOYNEWSFIVES

FRIDAY JULY 10

TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY WILL GATHER FOR A CRACKING DAY OF FIVE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL ACTION

£100 FROM EVERY ENTRY GOES TO THE TOY TRUST SUPPORTING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES

� AT LEAST SIX GAMES PER TEAM � GOURMET BARBEQUE � TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL TROPHY PRESENTATIONS

GET YOUR KIT ONFOR THE 2009 TOYNEWS FIVES

83 TN93_final 15/4/09 13:11 Page 1

76 TN94_final 12/5/09 09:35 Page 1

Documents

ToyNews Issue 94 June 2009