toynews issue 103 march 2010

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WEST LONDON MASSIVEToy Fair returns to Olympia.But was the move a success?

SCIENCE FACTIONSProduct highlights from thescience and education sector

THE GREAT OUTDOORSThe best new offerings in thesport and outdoor toys market

THE GONG SHOWWho won what at theBTHA/TRA awards evening

YOU CAN prove anything with statistics. And inthese days of school league tables, massagedunemployment numbers and expenditure figuresas long as you’ve got the right data it seems youcan convince people of anything.

Time was, when people looked at the evidencearound them and formed their own conclusionsrather than take mere figures as the truth.

Good to see that we are once again relying onthese trusted old methods to evaluate the successof Toy Fair then. Once again, no stats to tell usexactly how many people came through the door,instead we have to depend upon the feel, thebuzz, the perception. And that tells us that ToyFair’s return to Olympia in West London wasoverwhelmingly popular. With a different-sized

hall and a different layout it is difficult to makecomparisons, but there can be no doubt that thiswas a busy show with full aisles and none of thetraditional last day drop-off in traffic.

An unqualified success you could say. Even ourown online poll showed that 86 per cent say thevenue and shorter three-day duration made theshow better. Some might view a return toOlympia as a retreat but it was necessary to keepthe show alive.

And while East London may have had itscharms, and improvements had been made, Ihaven’t heard one single person pining forExCeL, put it that way.Ronnie [email protected]

COMMENTTHE WEST WIN

Even our online pollshowed that 86 per cent

say the venue and shortershow made it better

26 News

28 Toy Fair feedback

LICENSING

FEATURES7 Toy Fair quotes

8 Toy Fair Awards

18 Great Gizmos

33 Science and Education

41 Outdoor toys

51 Retail news

52 Counter Insurgent

52 Price Check

53 Retail Charts

54 Hero Product

RETAIL

REGULARS4 News

14 Appointments

16 Exclusive NPD analysis

20 TV ratings

23 Campaign of the month

Contents

Emily BriggsSales [email protected]

Katie RobertsDeputy [email protected]

Dan [email protected]

Jon [email protected]

Stuart [email protected]

Samantha LovedayAssociate [email protected]

Ronnie DunganManaging [email protected]

Intent Media is a member of thePeriodical Publishers Associations

Editorial: 01992 535646Advertising: 01992 535647

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AUDITED CIRCULATION:Average Net Circulation: 6,011

July 1st 2008 to June 30th 2009.www.toynews-online.biz

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Contact Emily Briggs Telephone: 01992 535 647 Email: [email protected]

MARCH 2010

MATTEL’S HOT Wheels BattleForce 5 brand will be boosted by thelaunch of a new animated TV show,launching this summer, while thelatest Barbie DVD release will do thesame for the fashion doll line.

Featuring the latest CGIanimation, the show, which hasalready received a strong reception inthe US, where it began broadcast onCartoon Network in 2009, deliversracing action with fantasy vehicles.

The show follows the adventuresof a group of elite drivers who try tosave earth from enemy aliens.

Mattel marketing director, EricaZubriski, explained: “Battle Force 5offers a new and excitingentertainment concept withsupercharged vehicle action that HotWheels fans have never seen before.This, combined with our strongbroadcast platform, provides a uniqueopportunity for the brand to reachboys in an innovative and engagingway that is incremental to the coreHot Wheels business.”

Meanwhile, released on DVD onMarch 22nd is the new Barbie film,A Mermaid Tale.

In the film, Barbie is LiahSummers, a champion surfer whoseworld changes when she uncovers a

family secret and sets off on anunderwater adventure.

The release will benefit from aheavyweight four-week TVadvertising and sponsorshipcampaign that will reach 97 per cent

of girls aged 4-9-years-old. Inaddition, Barbie will sponsor fourchannels - Boomerang, CartoonNetwork, CNToo and Cartoonito.

The activity will run for a monthand will include promotional TVspots, a branded microsite andbanner ads, plus a mum-targetedcampaign with week-longsponsorship of This Morning.

It will also continue the successfulpartnership with The Daily Expresswith a promotion giving away abespoke Barbie in A Mermaid Talestory and activity book. Acomprehensive girls’ press campaignand extensive PR activity will alsosupport the range.

Zubriski commented: “We have afantastic toy line that reallycomplements the movie and with ourextensive marketing support, this willbe a must-have and see for girls.Mattel is best-in-class at creatingengaging content that brings toys tolife and developing comprehensivemarketing programmes that engagethe consumer.”Mattel: 01628 500000

CGI-animated TV show to bolster Battle Force range, as new Barbie DVD-release lifts iconic fashion doll line

HASBRO IS making a major pushwith its Tonka line this year, andhopes its new range will complete theiconic brand’s comeback.

The line’s re-invention includesMod Machines (for boys aged four toseven) which can be customised byadjusting the ride height and addingaccessories. They are available inthree sizes – five, nine and 16-inch –with all parts interchangeable.

Also available for autumn/winter isa line of mini-trucks called Mini ModMachines. Each mini die-cast truckcomes with a re-positionable axelbase, body overwraps and tyre treadskins. There will be 30 available.

“Tonka is a line that has so muchawareness,” Holger Kraetschmer,senior director, global branddevelopment told ToyNews. “Whenyou think about brand awareness it’sprobably the number one brand inthe company. It has been reallyinteresting to see how relevant it stillis. And it goes all the way up to theR/C range.

“We’re re-investing in the brand.Stretching the range to capture themacro-consumer trends ofcustomisation and personalisation.”

The range is supported by TV fromAugust to December featuring theMod Machines and the RicochetR/C, as well as with press and PR.Hasbro: 0208 569 1234

4 NEWS

by Ronnie Dungan

TV/DVD aids Mattel brands

by Ronnie Dungan

Hasbro jacks up Tonka lineVehicle brand rejuvenated by new customisable Mod Machines collectable range

Tonka’s brand heritagemakes it one of Hasbro’spriority lines this year

MARCH 2010

LEAPFROG’S targeted emaildatabase of customers connected toits Learning Path has now reached170,000 in the UK, according to thefirm’s latest figures.

The worldwide figure now standsat nearly three million, with the firmadding 50,000 UK names in the weekafter Christmas alone.

Those signing up to receive theLeapfrog emails have to opt in and sofar some 85 per cent of customershave done so. Once they sign up theyreceive information on productrecommendations and retail offers.

“It’s because we know what theyhave bought and what they play withthat we are able to make suggestionsfor what to go for next,” saidmarketing manager David Lubliner.

“This is 100 per cent people whoare the right age, like our productsand want to hear from us,” added UKMD Chris Spalding.

“TV is a very shotgun approach soa lot is wasted on people who are notinterested in the message. Our clickthrough rates are about 20 per cent.”

The system is used to drivecustomers to offers which Leapfrogcreates with its retail partners.

“When you have 4,000 to 5,000people of that calibre being driventowards a retailer offer, that makes ita very powerful tool,” addedSpalding.Leapfrog: 01702 200244

Leapfrog on the right Path

BOOKMARK US TODAYmobile.toynewsmag.co.uk

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THE INDUSTRY has given aresounding thumbs up to the BTHA’sdecision to move Toy Fair back toOlympia, as the feelgood factorreturned to the trade show.

Although there are still no officialattendance figures for the event, aisletraffic was busier and the traditionallast day slump was conspicuous by itsabsence.

Exhibitors were pleased with boththe venue itself, stand appearanceand the quantity and quality ofvisitors attending.

“Shifting venues was key inmaking this year’s show one of themost positive Toy Fair environmentsfor many years,” said KieranMcCloud, marketing manager ofRe:creation.

“We had three full days ofappointments with bothindependents and high streetretailers,” added Simon Pilkington,MD of John Adams and Toy Brokers.

“A large number of both majorretailers and independents visited theMeccano stand over the course ofthe event and the feedback wereceived was incredibly positive,” said

Sue Barratt, Country Manager,Meccano Toys (UK).

Toy Fair chairman, Jon Diver,commented: “This has been a majormilestone year for Toy Fair as our

move back to Olympia has coincidedwith a renewed optimism within themarket. The new format and newvenue have clearly injected a newenergy into the event.”

Industry hails move backto Olympia

www.toynews-online.biz 5NEWS

by Ronnie Dungan

Return to West London venue applauded asrevitalised show regains elusive trade fair atmosphere

JAKKS PACIFIC is readying itselffor another push in the UK with anew, bigger, office in Ascot settingup in March. The firm hasrecently hired Ken Goodisson,formerly of Hasbro, as UKmarketing manager. Productpartners in the UK include VividImaginations, Flair and CharacterOptions. The firm will berevealing more about its plans innext month’s ToyNews.

This is onehundred per

cent people who wantto hear from us.

Chris Spalding

SPALDING: Targeted approach

www.toynewsmag.com 07REVIEW TOY FAIR 2010

“Making it three days was a greatmove as there was no ‘day of death,’which usually happened on theSaturday at ExCeL. Thisconcentrated the serious professionalvisitors mind and the casual visitordid not seem so much in attendance.”Rob Trup, MD, Fiesta Crafts

“I would say the visitors were goodquality and therefore valuable to ourbusiness. We also did a show dealwhich helped sales both during andafter the event.”Vanessa Champion, marketingconsultant, Creativity International

“Shifting venues was key in makingthis year’s show one of the mostpositive Toy Fair environments formany years. There was a real sense of excitement throughout the event and I believe the venue was akey contributor.”Kieran McCloud, marketing manager,Re:creation

“There was a fantastic atmosphere atOlympia. Definitely a positive step toreturn to this venue. It is far easier toget to and closer to the attractions incentral London. We had three full daysof appointments with independentsand high-street retailers.”Simon Pilkington, MD, John Adamsand Toy Brokers

“Overall the quality of enquiries washigh with orders being takenthroughout all three days. Newaccount enquiries were high andappointments for after the show havebeen good. The majority of ourenquiries were from retailers andinternet companies.”Mark Dearing, Sales Coordinator,Earlybird Toys

“We have always supported Toy Fairwhich is the one event that bringsthe industry together in the UK. Notsupporting Toy Fair is in my view not

supporting the industry. The move toOlympia allowed easier access formore visitors and we benefitted fromextra people attending the show.”Kevin Jones, managing director, SpinMaster UK

“Our experience of Toy Fair waspositive and we are currentlyplanning to exhibit again next year.”Sonia Wilkinson, marketing manager,Green Board Games

“We were extremely satisfied with itsnew location for a number of reasonsbut mainly, for the greater atmospherein the halls. The look and feel of thefair was excellent. The only downsideI feel, is that [pre] registration for allconcerned was a mistake. Cartamundiwill definitely be attending 2011 ToyFair, we’ve submitted our forms andwant the same stand.”

Jonathan Rose, sales and marketingdirector, Cartamundi

“We had some very good enquiriesand appointments. It gave us achance to get some great feedbackfrom our customers.”Phil Jones, director, Wind Designs

“There was definitely a betteratmosphere this year and everyoneseemed happy to be back at Olympia.From a licensing perspective, the venuemeant that it was convenient for mostlicensors to pop in for meetings. Theset up was worse, especially with the6pm close on Sunday and the facilitiesbeing closed that day.”Lucy Wynn-Jones, marketingmanager, Worlds Apart

“We were pleased to be back at ToyFair after all these years. We were

busy throughout the show and hadnew enquiries which is alwaysimportant. We also had good meetingswith licensors and inventors.”Michael Berg, head of sales, Mookie

“We are delighted with the positiveresponse to our new ranges at Toy Fair.A large number of major retailers andindependents visited the Meccanostand over the course of the event andthe feedback was incredibly positive.”Sue Barratt, country manager,Meccano Toys (UK)

“It’s definitely, without a shadow of adoubt, worth us coming back. Lastyear, we exhibited at the gift fairinstead, but the team is really pleasedto be back at Toy Fair. It’s a greatlocation and a great show.”Claire McCool, co-founder andmarketing director, Drumond Park

This year’s Toy Fair saw a move back to West London and Olympia and a newthree-day format. Each day was packed with events, visitor and exhibitornumbers were up and feedback has been almost universally positive…

Way out west

MARCH 2010

This year’s Toy Fair was an instant success among exhibitors with its three day format and great deal of licensors and inventors it drew in

The Toy Industry Awards 2009 took place in theglamorous surroundings of Whitehall’s BanquetingHouse. Throughout the night, retailers and supplierswere celebrated for their input into the industry overthe past twelve months...

Everyone’sa winner

08 TOY AWARDS

Imagination toy shop in St

Helier, Jersey, took the Small

Independent Toy Retailer of

the Year Award.

National Multiple Toy Retailerof the Year was won by theDisney Store.

www.toynews-online.biz 09TOY AWARDS

Retail Awards

Stewart Miller ofNorthern Irelandwas named as bothLarge IndependentRetailer of the Yearand Overall ToyRetailer of the Year.

Argos won the Online

Toy Retailer of the year

award for 2009.

The Early Learning Centretook the award for the ToyCatalogue of the Year..

Asda arrived en masse

to pick up the ToyRetailer (Grocer) Award.

LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group. WOR7489.

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www.toynews-online.biz 11TOY AWARDS

Supplier Awards

MARCH 2010

Toy Trustchairman, RobMann updatedthe industryon the charity’slatest activities.

Bandai’s Ben 10 figures werevictorious again and won theBoys Toy of the Year award.

In the first of two awards for the

company, Flair accepted the award

for Girls Toy of the Year with Sylvanian

Family Car and Caravan.

Hasbro won the gong for theGame of the Year withMonopoly City.

Flair’s MD, Peter Brownpicked up the covetedSupplier of the Year award.

Character Options’ Go Go

Hamsters won the overall

Toy of the Year 2009.

Lego won the Construction

Range of the Year accolade.

Vivid’s Fluffy Go Walkiestopped the class in theFeature Plush category.

12 TOY AWARDS

MARCH 2010

Supplier Awards

The Pre-school Toy of the

Year award went to VTech

for its Kidizoom camera.

This year, Schleich was the recipient of

the TRA’s Special Recognition Award.

In its second award of the

night, Character took the

award for the Pre-school

Licence range for Peppa Pig.

Bendaroos Mega Packfrom Spin Master was theCreative Toy of the Year.

The Active Toy of the Yearaward was awarded toMookie/G Prentice for theSmart Trike.

Emily Briggs, formerly of RDFRights and ITV, has joined ToyNewsas its new sales executive.

She will be using her experiencefrom the licensing market to work onsales across both ToyNews and sistersite Licensing.biz.

Prior to joining Intent Media,Briggs worked as a brand andlicensing executive at GranadaVentures and undertook a stint as alicensing executive for RDF Rights.

Jo Goodall (nee Birkin) has beenappointed by Hornby as interimgeneral manager, covering AlexBalzaretti’s maternity leave.

The new recruit is taking up aone-year contract with Corgi and willbe based at the firm’s Leicester office.

Goodall has ten years experiencein management at Leapfrog Toys,Jumbo Games and most recently, shewas UK director of Canenco.

Former CBeebies controller,Michael Carrington, has headed toTurner as chief content officer

EMEA following the departure ofFinn Arnesen in October 2009.

Carrington will be responsible forthe development and creation of alloriginal series, co-productions andprogramme acquisitions for TurnerBroadcasting’s portfolio of children’schannels within the UK and EMEA.

Carrington joined the BBC inJanuary 2004 as head of acquisitionsand animation for BBC Children’s.He was appointed Controller ofCBeebies in May 2006.

Turner’s Jeff Kupsky commented:“We are delighted to have made suchan outstanding appointment to thisrole. Michael has impeccablecredentials as a commissioner andcreative leader from both the publicand private sectors and is consideredone of the leading experts inchildren’s television.”

Simon Prest has been promoted tosales director at Orchard Toys. Presthas been working for the firm since1993, when he began as a packer.

Simon Newbery, MD, said: “I amthrilled, as I’m sure our customerswill be, that Simon has accepted ouroffer of sales director, a post whichhas been vacant since John Bouquetretired in 2008.

“He certainly knows the business,and our customers well, and I amsure that with his enthusiasm andpositive attitude to his job he willbring his own stamp to the role.”

Due to its continued expansionand growth, IMC Toys has appointedGuy Rooney to the role of nationalaccount manager.

Commenting on the appointmentJon Gregory, managing director, said:“We are delighted to welcome Guyon board to the fastest growing toycompany in the UK.

“Guy joins us at just the right timeand I’m sure he will be an asset tothe company and our customers .”

Becky Matthews has taken up thenew position of national accountmanager at Golden Bear.

In her new role, Matthews will befocusing on a number of majoraccounts throughout the UK andenhancing the customer services forthe company.

Matthews has previously workedwith the company as businessdevelopment manager and has alsoenjoyed a stint as director of her ownonline toy store.

Chorion has expanded itsexecutive team, hiring two newsenior execs.

Tamra Knepfer has been named asexecutive VP brand management andmarketing, while Steve Cipolla takeson the role of executive VP globallicensing and sales.

FROM LEFT: ToyNews’ Emily Briggs,Orchard Toys’ Simon Prest andBecky Matthews from GoldenBear....

14 APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVESA fresh face at ToyNews and Licensing.biz, promotions at Orchard Toys and Golden Bear, CBeebies controllermoves to Turner, new National Account Manager for IMC Toys and new Interim General Manager at Hornby...

If you are expanding with newrecruits, re-staffing a key position orpromoting or reorganising internallylet us know about it.

SEND YOUR RECRUITMENT NEWS TO:[email protected] call 01992 535646

B A R N E T T C O N S U LT I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L

If you are a Company seeking a newSpecialist or Manager or a candidate

ready to move to a bigger job, contactme for my immediate attention.

PETER BARNETT30 years in Toy Industry

Reruitment

Send your CV [email protected]

or contact 07831 278316

MARCH 2010

A LOOK BACK over 2009 shows amarket of two halves. “There is nodoubt that the closure ofWoolworths at the beginning of2009 impacted the market, hittingthe manufacturers more than theretailers,” commented Jez Fraser-Hook, director of The NPD Group’sToy Business in the UK. “Mostretailers increased their toy businesswhile there were differing storiesacross the manufacturers. It’s alsobeen hard to tell, throughout theyear, how much the generaleconomic conditions impacted thetoy market. Even without theWoolworths closure there’s apossibility the toy market wouldhave been down in the year.”

However, despite this there havebeen some success stories in 2009with Building Sets continuing togrow year-on-year, up nine per centin 2009 verses 2008. A large part ofthis growth is due to Legocontinuing to drive existing rangessuch as Lego City and Lego StarWars, while successfully introducingnew ranges such as Lego PowerMiners. In addition, the last fewweeks of the year saw an increase inMega Blok Maxi Sales.

Furthermore, 2009 saw thecontinued growth of all other toysup ten per cent, which has beendriven by Miscellaneous, Musical,Power Appliance and FoodMixtures Toys. This growth isdriven by the continued playgroundcrazes GoGo Crazy Bones andBattle Strikers for boys, while

Character’s Let’s Cook dominatesgirls spend. The Plush category alsoended the year in positive growth(up three per cent) with pre-schoollicences such as Timmy Time andWaybuloo helping to kick start salesin the second half of the year andthe success of GoGo Pets in thefinal quarter driving sales.

Overall, December was thestrongest month of the year, not justin terms of actual sales, whichaccounted for over a quarter of thetotal toy sales in 2009, but the like-for-like performance was thestrongest all year. For the secondChristmas in a row, Vtech’sKidizoom camera was the numberone item for December and has

made the number one top sellingitem for the year. While a new entryin the top ten items for Decemberwas The Logo Game at numbereight and was the best selling toyacross the market in the weekbefore Christmas (Week 52: 20th –26th December 2009). Games had arevival in December with Hasbro’s

Bop It and Monopoly both in thetop sellers list as well.

Fraser-Hook added: “Theeconomic conditions look to beimproving and Woolworths is lastyear’s story, so with the positiveenergy we continue to see withinour clients, and an upward trend ofconsumer confidence, hopefully wewill see positive trends in 2010.”

Success for toys amid lastyear’s economic crisis

There is no doubt that the closure ofWoolworths impacted the market,

hitting the manufacturers more than theretailers. Most retailers increased their toybusiness while there were differingstories across the manufacturers.

Top Five PropertiesDecember 20091. BEN 102. STAR WARS3. TRANSFORMERS 4. THOMAS AND FRIENDS5. PEPPA PIG

Best PropertyProgressionDecember 2009

Hello Kitty & Friends(Sanrio)

The popularity of this propertyshows no sign of abating. HelloKitty moved up from number 63the previous month to number35 in December. As the 35thanniversary celebrationscontinue, expect further growthin the coming months…

16 NPD RESEARCH

UK Toy Sales(value, year to date)

1,691,408,0002008

1,550,614,0002009 -8%

Source: NPD

Dec 08: £8.41 Dec 09: £9.58

Sales Average Price

PropertiesRetail Sales Trends

Best ItemProgression December 2009

The Logo Game(Drumond Park)The game saw rapid growth inDecember, moving up fromnumber 168 the previous monthto number seven…

UK DECEMBER 2009 (£ SALES – VALUE) UK DECEMBER 2009 (UNIT SALES – VOLUME)

1 KIDIZOOM CAMERA VTECH

2 FIRST STEPS BABYWALKER VTECH

3 BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 10 CM FIGURES BANDAI

4 STAR WARS CLONE WALKER AND DROID LEGO

5 TRANSFORMERS MOVIE DELUXE FIGURES HASBRO

6 BAKUGAN STARTER PACK SPIN MASTER UK

7 HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT MATTEL

8 SMART TRIKE PLUS GIRLS MOOKIE TOYS

9 BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE 15CM DNA FIGURES BANDAI

10 BEN 10 ULTIMATE OMNITRIX BANDAI

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES – VOLUME)


2 MATCH ATTAX CARDS TOPPS


4 CARS VEHICLE ASSORTMENT MATTEL

5 TRANSFORMERS 2 MOVIE LEGENDS ASSORTMENT HASBRO

6 GOGOS III EXPLORER PACK MAGIC BOX

7 BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK SPIN MASTER UK

8 LPS GET THE PETS HASBRO

9 PLAY DOH SINGLE TUB HASBRO

10 GOGOS CB EVOLUTION BOOSTER MARTOMAGIC

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)

1 MATCH ATTAX CARDS TOPPS


3 TRANSFORMERS 2 MOVIE LEGENDS ASST HASBRO


5 GO GO HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT CHARACTER OPTIONS


7 STAR WARS CLONE WALKER AND DROID ASST LEGO

8 LPS GET THE PETS HASBRO

9 BIONICLE 2HY CANS 2009 LEGO

10 PLAY DOH SINGLE TUB ASST HASBRO

1 KIDIZOOM CAMERA VTECH

2 GO GO HAMSTER PACKS CHARACTER OPTIONS

3 FIRST STEPS BABYWALKER VTECH


5 BOP IT HASBRO

6 MONOPOLY HASBRO

7 THE LOGO GAME DRUMOND PARK

8 MONOPOLY CITY HASBRO

9 STAR WARS CLONE WALKER AND DROID ASST LEGO

10 BABY ANNABELL 2009 WHITE ZAPF CREATION

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.toynews-online.biz 17NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

MARCH 2010

PLENTY of companies will tell youthat they are all about the product.Balance sheets, company politics,market share, it’s all window dressing,it’s the product that really counts.

Sometimes it is to deflect attentionaway from some other crisis,sometimes it is genuine passion forthe product. In the case of GreatGizmos it is perhaps because theproduct is the story.

It was a paucity of good arts andcrafts items that led Great Gizmos or,more specifically, its founders Ian andJudith Dayus into the toy market inthe first place. Realising that theymight be able to bring somethingbetter to toy stores, they set up thecompany 13 years ago and it has beenpretty much steady growth eversince. No buy-outs, no acquisitions,no peaks and troughs. Great Gizmoshas sailed on the calmest of waters.

“Even in the first year, everythingwent in the right direction,” says Ian.

Hmmm, this is not the rags toriches story we know and love. Someelement of selling from the back of atransit and struggling to survive oncold beans before that elusivebreakthrough product turned up, isthe more usual sort of story, but for

Great Gizmos it seems everything hasbeen a steady upward curve.

“Arts and crafts is our core,”explains Judith. “But we try to addthings to the range when we think itfits. We keep adding arms on like abig octopus.

“I’ll look at anything if I think wecan sell it to our customer base,” saysIan. “We don’t want to be in just onearea, we want to sell in differentmarkets sectors.”

One such example is the nurserymarket, which the firm has movedinto with a range of wooden toys. Ithas noted the crossover with the toyand nursery sectors. And the firmdoesn’t tend to drift in and out ofsectors either. Products in the rangeusually have a long life.

The firm’s Green Science range hasnow been extended to include GreenCreativity, which encourages childrento perform experiments usingordinary household objects.

The couple’s philosophy behindthe company is fairly simple.

“As long as we’re happy with runningthe business, we’ll keep doing it. Wewant to do more of the same. We’rehappy with how it is, but we want tokeep it strong and fresh,” says Judith.

“I don’t worry about competition,”adds Ian. “We just do what we do, keepour heads down and get on with it.”

Sounds dead simple. And the secretof this apparently effortless success?

“The key is to have products thatcustomers want, will come back forand the retailers can make goodmargins from,” says Judith. “Ourcustomer service is important. We

regularly get compliments on oursales staff, the speed with which weturn around orders and the accuracyof our fulfilment too. Everything isdouble-checked before it goes out.”

Attention to detail and simplicityare the effective, if somewhatunspectacular, cornerstones of thefirm’s success. But who said success inthe toy business had to be difficult?

Great expectationsArts and crafts specialist Great Gizmos has charted a simple but determined rise over its 13-year history with anestablished range of products across a number of sectors including the burgeoning science market. Head honchosIan and Judith Dayus explain their down-to-earth approach to ToyNews...

18 GREAT GIZMOS

NEW GIZMOSGIRLSFairies have been one of the mostpopular themes for Great Gizmos in therecent years with fairy themed craft kitsfrom 4M to choose from.

My Very Own Fairy Magic Kit, filledwith fairy magic tricks, includes a fortunetelling game, a magic hovering photoframe, mind reading tricks and lots ofother fairy magic tricks. Alternatively, theMy Very Own Fairy Light Kit allowschildren to create a magical light up fairywand or a glowing rose ring.

Once hooked on the idea of abedroom makeover, girls will also enjoyadding some ornaments that are notfairy-based with the Paint Your Own

Porcelain Trinket Box and Paint Your OwnPorcelain Mini Shoe Vase Kits.

BOYSGreen Science and Green Creativity kitsteach the values of recycling as well asoffering some scientific facts. Theyinclude the Green Science Dynamo Robotkit, which doesn’t need batteries andallows everyday household items to beturned into a robot which is powered by ahand driven generator. Similarly, theGreen Creativity Plastic Bag Monster kit,will turn bags into monster puppets,while leftover bottles can be transformedinto a working light, with the GreenCreativity Recycled Bottle Light kit.

The new range ofcreative toys from4M provideexperiementallearning for kids

Great Gizmos founder Judith Dayus believes the key to success is happiness and strength

learn more at www.schleich-s.com

Schleich UK Ltd, 4 Stansted Courtyard, Parsonage Road, Takeley, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM22 6PU, Telephone: 01279 870000, Email: [email protected]

LEADERS IN IMAGINATIVE PLAY. LEARN MORE AT WWW.SCHLEICH-S.COM

MARCH 2010

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

The ratings game20 AIRTIME STATISTICS

1 08:59 TRACY BEAKER RETURNS CBBC 266 15.7 18

2 16:34 THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES BBC1 215 9.8 2

3 17:47 SPIRIT WARRIORS CBBC 211 9.5 2

4 16:05 HORRIBLE HISTORIES BBC1 198 12.8 4

5 08:32 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE GMTV/CITV 193 16.9 2

6 17:04 MI HIGH CBBC 192 11.8 20

7 16:35 MI HIGH BBC1 191 10.7 4

8 12:26 THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES CBBC 176 9.3 18

9 07:38 POWER RANGERS RPM GMTV/CITV 174 12.1 5

10 08:29 CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS GMTV/CITV 171 14.5 3

TIME TITLE/DESCRIPTION CHANNEL OOOs % AIRINGS

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES JAN 2010

1 08:59 TRACY BEAKER RETURNS CBBC 266 15.7 18

2 16:34 THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES BBC1 215 9.8 2

3 17:47 SPIRIT WARRIORS CBBC 211 9.5 2

4 16:05 HORRIBLE HISTORIES BBC1 198 12.8 4

5 08:32 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE GMTV/CITV 193 16.9 2

6 17:04 MI HIGH CBBC 192 11.8 20

7 16:35 MI HIGH BBC1 191 10.7 4

8 12:26 THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES CBBC 176 9.3 18

9 07:38 POWER RANGERS RPM GMTV/CITV 174 12.1 5

10 08:29 CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS GMTV/CITV 171 14.5 3


SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD JAN 2010

1 16:17 HORRID HENRY CITV 102 6.7 106

2 16:49 WOLVES WITCHES AND GIANTS CITV 88 4.9 42

3 09:52 NAUGHTY NAUGHTY PETS CITV 78 4.8 2

4 09:00 SPONGEBOB: SQUAREPANTIS NICKTOONS 75 5.8 1

5 17:04 MY PARENTS ARE ALIENS CITV 72 3.4 13

6 17:04 EVEN STEVENS CITV 72 3.4 18

7 09:25 TEENAGE MUTANT HERO TURTLES CITV 65 4.8 11

8 12:00 ART ATTACK CITV 62 4.0 16

9 13:29 PROVE IT CITV 61 3.9 11

10 10:31 PAT & STAN CITV 60 3.6 40


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) JAN 2010

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

1 16:17 HORRID HENRY CITV 102 6.7 106

2 16:49 WOLVES WITCHES AND GIANTS CITV 88 4.9 42

3 09:52 NAUGHTY NAUGHTY PETS CITV 78 4.8 2

4 09:00 SPONGEBOB: SQUAREPANTIS NICKTOONS 75 5.8 1

5 17:04 MY PARENTS ARE ALIENS CITV 72 3.4 13

6 17:04 EVEN STEVENS CITV 72 3.4 18

7 09:25 TEENAGE MUTANT HERO TURTLES CITV 65 4.8 11

8 12:00 ART ATTACK CITV 62 4.0 16

9 13:29 PROVE IT CITV 61 3.9 11

10 10:31 PAT & STAN CITV 60 3.6 40


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD JAN 2010

1790

Tel: 01494 538999 Email: [email protected] Web: www.greenboardgames.comTel: 01494 538999 Email: [email protected] Web: www.greenboardgames.comThe Green Board Game Company Ltd.The Green Board Game Company Ltd.

COMINGSOON!

Product2010 will see the launch of a number of newcreative play concepts from Flair whichcomplement the existing portfolio and enhance thechoice for retailers and consumers alike. Theseinclude Zubber, String World and Sprayza, thelatest addition to the firm’s feature pens category.

Looking to continue its growth in the category,the firm has created a marketing drive forspring/summer to continue to produce strongsales results.

TVFlair Create will benefit from the biggestspring/summer TV campaign in the company’shistory and, says the firm, probably one of themost high profile ever for the creative play sectorin general.

Over 4,000 TVRs will be achieved in just fivemonths, creating awareness for the brands andcementing the reputation the company hascreated in the category.

Some 13 brands in the portfolio will besupported by major TV advertising in the firsttwo quarters, bringing reach of the combinedFlair Create campaigns to 90 per cent of boysand girls aged four to nine.

Almost all brands will be subject to TV withthe focus on new lines such as Zubber, StringWorld and Feature Pens, which will see new adscreated and broadcast on all mainstream kid’schannels – both satellite and terrestrial.

Zubber, recently presented with a Toy FairAward for best creative play product, will use astructured, frequency building campaign of ten-second and 20-second TVCs over key weeks –including half-term holidays and Easter. StringWorld, another high priority, will have a similarcampaign. Existing lines such as Aqua Beads,Wammy, Cool Cards and Shaker Maker will alsoreceive TV support.

Print, PR and POSIn addition to TV, Flair is ensuring furtherconsumer awareness is gained by the strategicuse of print, with competitions and features in

key titles throughout the period together withsampling activities, direct to children.

POS materials will be available to enhance thein-store presence of many of the Flair Createbrands, such as an FSDU for the feature pensincluding an integrated TV screen, and a clip-ondisplay unit for Wammy.

Flair’s investment in product development has paid off in the arts andcrafts sector, where it has taken poll position in the NPD market sharechart. The firm’s Flair Create range boasts further new additions this yearand is backed with a spend comprising TV, PR and print…..

www.toynews-online.biz 23CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

FlairFlair Create

Zubber, Sprayza andString World areamong the newproducts for 2010...

Over 4,000TVRs will be

achieved in just fivemonths, creatingawareness forthe brands.

MARCH 2010

The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

Show seasonspecialIt has been a busy month in terms of toy trade fairs. Now thedust has settled, we asked some key execs for their views...

MARCH 2010

THIS TIME of year is always exhausting. After what feltlike three solid weeks out of the office at UK Toy Fair,Nuremberg and Spring Fair, I was actually lookingforward to being back at my desk (something which myboss probably thought he’d never hear me say).

For ToyNews, and our sister website Licensing.biz, allof the shows were incredibly worthwhile. And thisopinion seems to be echoed by the licensors andlicensees which attended.

There were times at UK Toy Fair that I thought therewas actually a mini licensing show going on. WhileExCeL is undoubtedly superior in terms of the venueitself, the location of Olympia meant that certain brandowners and licensing agents were happier to attend asthey could just simply pop in for a few hours a time eachday for meetings.

Most were there, of course, to support their exhibitinglicensees and it was encouraging to see so much licensedproduct news coming out of the event, to brand newdeals through to existing agreement extensions.

The show just seemed to gel much better than inprevious years, too. The stand layout was different, ofcourse, and a number of licensees which were exhibitingreported some excellent walk up traffic, somethingwhich they’d never experienced at ExCeL. It was goodto see more open stands, as well – I’ve always believedthat if you go to all the trouble and expense of taking astand at a trade show, you might as well make the mostof it, and limiting your audience seems silly. Go big or gohome, indeed.

And, speaking of big, it was my first year atNuremberg, but again, turn out from the licensingcommunity was notably high, while the sheer enormityof Spring Fair always astounds me.

Of course, a cynic would say that it’s easy to beupbeat and positive when you’re in your trade fairbubble. But, if even a little bit of the enthusiasm andpurpose carries over to other shows – like BrandLicensing Central & Eastern Europe, Kazachok andVegas – and into the business in general, it should makefor an interesting year.

Samantha Loveday [email protected]

COMMENTSTART AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON

The licensing communityturn out in London,

Germany and Birminghamwas notably high.

26

HIT ENTERTAINMENT has revealed itsambitious plans for the 65th anniversary ofThomas the Tank Engine.

Fisher-Price, the global master toy partnerfor the brand, will launch its Take-n-Play lineof portable play-sets in the US, UK, EMEAand Latin America, plus an array of pre-schoolitems. These will include puzzles, games, bathtoys, plush, push n go and pullback vehicles,plus talking pre-school vehicles.

Fisher-Price will also launch newTrackMaster sets in the US and SouthAmerica, while in the UK and EMEA Tomywill continue with new TrackMaster productsand pre-school items until Fisher-Price takesover the brand in the autumn.

In Asia, the firm will launch Take-n-Playacross all territories and will take over theTrackMaster rights from Funtastic(Australia/NZ) as of autumn.

In Japan, consumer products will mark theanniversary with the debut of the first localcharacter – Japanese engine Hiro.

Learning Curve will continue tomanufacture and market the Thomas WoodenRailway and will launch a new Early Engineersline for children aged from 18 months.

Additional partners for 2010 include globallicensee Mega Brands which will launch aline of construction toys; Flair and Sambro

will introduce new ranges of Thomas arts andcrafts products in the spring in the UK, whileUpper Deck (US) will release new Thomas &Friends trading cards.

There will also be plenty of activity outsideof the toy sector.

Recent figures from the NPD EPoS RetailTracking Service revealed that Thomas &Friends was the number one licence in thepre-school category, marking the tenthconsecutive year that the brand has held poleposition in the industry survey.

“Thomas’ 65th anniversary reallyrepresents a unique sales opportunity for allof our partners around the world,” said PeterByrne, EVP consumer products internationalat Hit. “There is incredible momentumbuilding across product, marketing andpromotions, which is guaranteed to drive theThomas brand to a whole new level.”Hit Entertainment: 020 7554 2500

BBCW has renewed Hasbro’s global mastertoy licence for In The Night Garden.

News of the deal broke as 4.4 millionITNG plush toy sales were confirmed in theUK, four every minute since launch. Thedeal will see Hasbro extend the productranges alongside BBCW’s growth strategy forlicensing of the brand.

The show is set to receive a refreshed lookand feel with the launch of the friendshiptheme in autumn/winter.

This will be extended across all licensedcategories and integrated into the styleguides, packaging and non-toy licenseeproduct ranges.

Neil Ross Russell, MD of Children’s &Licensing at BBC Worldwide, said: “Thisdeal cements our, and Hasbro’s, commitmentto entertain generations of children in thefuture with In The Night Garden.”BBC Worldwide: 020 8433 2000

Hit readies Thomas65th celebrationsNew partners, products, content and events planned for pre-schoolbrand as it hits milestone anniversary ● Toys leading the way...

by Katie Roberts

Hasbro renews Night Garden deal

LICENSINGNEWS

MARCH 2010

www.licensing.biz 27

MARTIN YAFFE SCOOPS ZIGBYDRi Licensing has sealed a deal withMartin Yaffe for its pre-school brandZigby. The new master toy partner willbe launching a line of plush, beanies,single articulated figures withaccessories, a ride-on, musical TV,bath toy and play-sets in the autumn.Martin Yaffe: 01706 717800

TOMY JOINS THE A-TEAMTomy will be distributing Jazwares’line of A-Team action figures, vehiclesand role play items in the UK andEurope following a deal between theduo and 20th Century Fox. The rangewill be available alongside the film’srelease in July.Tomy: 020 8722 7300

VIVID GETS STRICTLYVivid Group has been appointed byBBC Worldwide to create a DVD roleplay toy for Strictly Come Dancing.The £25 set will hit retail in July andwill include an instructional DVD,dress up elements and scoring boardsfor the judges. It will be backed withTV ads and a PR drive.Vivid: 01483 449944

HTI ADDS WINNIE ANDHANDY MANNYHTI has scored a brace from Disney –signing up to launch a collection ofWinnie the Pooh role play toys, pluswheeled toys for Handy Manny in theUK. Both ranges will be available fromautumn/winter 2010.HTI: 01253 778888

DCP DIPS SLIGHTLY IN Q1The Consumer Products division ofThe Walt Disney Company saw itsrevenue for its first fiscal quarter(ending January 2nd 2010) decreaseby three per cent to $746 million.Segment operating income was downeight per cent to $243 million. Thelower income was primarily due todecreased earned licensing revenueacross a number of productcategories, driven by lowerperformance of High School Musicaland Hannah Montana merchandise.DCP:020 8222 1000

IN BRIEF

Waybuloo hits pre-school top spot

WARNER BROS ConsumerProducts revealed a host of newlicensee partnerships for six of itspillar brands at a special showcase atNuremberg Toy Fair.

Over 500 industry executives weregiven the latest developments onBatman, Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo,Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry andTweety by Salvador Viramontes,WBCP EMEA VP of sales, marketingand retail.

Highlights of the presentationincluded news of fresh programmingfor Looney Tunes and Batman, plansfor the future of the Harry Potterfranchise and the growth of the Tom& Jerry programme due to strongconsumer demand.

A raft of new licensee partnershipswere also unveiled, including SimbaDickie which has signed up toproduce Batman Brave and the Boldremote control vehicles.

New licensees for Harry Potter –including Lego for construction and

video games, Tomy, NECA, Noble,Trefl, Rubie’s, Hasbro, Carta Mundiand Jumbo – were also highlighted.

The Grune Halle venue wasdecked out with six specially brandedinteractive areas, one for each brand.WBCP: 020 7984 6116

Warner presents plansfor super six line-up

NPD DATA has shown that RDFRights’ Waybuloo was the number onenew pre-school property in 2009.

Fisher-Price’s range is also thenumber one plush licence sincelaunch (NPD Q4 Plush (£)), with itsWaybuloo small plush scooping thetop licensed plush item (NPD Q4Plush Units).

The DVD from 2entertain, is thenumber three new pre-school brandlaunched in 2009, while the BBC’smagazine is the fifth pre-school title.

Waybuloo reached over ten millionindividuals (20 per cent of the UKpopulation) in 2009. Three quartersof the target audience tuned into atleast one episode last year (3.5m).

“Waybuloo has been a phenomenalhit both on screen and at retail,”commented Maria Sze, branddirector at RDFR. “We are absolutelythrilled to be in a position to reportsuch exceptional success given wefirst aired in May with most productslaunching late September.”

Other toy partners due to roll outproduct for spring/summer includeMartin Yaffe, Golden Bear, Mondo,Inspiration Works and Worlds Apart.RDF Rights: 020 7013 4347

by Samantha Loveday

LICENSINGNEWS

Batman, Harry Potter, Tweety and Scooby-Doo among brands at Nuremberg showcase

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WHEREVERYOU ARE

Viramontes kicked off thepresentation with an

update on Batman

MARCH 2010

28 LICENSING TOY FAIR ROUND UP

“This year’s ToyFair has been a bigstep in the rightdirection to re-establish this showas an interestingmarket. The move

back to Olympia appears to haveincreased traffic, both amongstexhibitors and visitors. I am lookingforward to next year’s show.”Bettina Koeckler, SVP Licensing,EMEA, Chorion

“It was lovely to be back at Olympia;the smaller venue suits the toy tradeand gives it more of a friendlyapproachable feel. It’s always a greatplace to catch up with buyers too and

see new trends in the market. It was areally positive show for us at E1.Peppa Pig continues to be an amazingsuccess, exceeding all expectationsand there was a fantastic buzzsurrounding Ben & Holly’s LittleKingdom, too. We’re very optimisticabout the year ahead.”Hannah Mungo, Licensing Manager,E1 Entertainment

“The whole fairhad a really goodvibe to it andeveryone waspositive about themove back toOlympia. For us it

was brilliant, with Vivid’s product for

ZingZillas generating a real buzz. Asalways, In The Night Garden drew in alot of positive attention too, especiallyin light of us announcing the newfriendship theme. If anything we werea little too busy; there were a coupleof meetings we just couldn’t make, soapologies to anyone we missed out.The only downfall in my eyes was thelack of off-stand seating, but perhapsyou only notice that when you’re sixmonths pregnant.”Julie Kekwick, Senior LicensingManager, BBC Worldwide

“This was a good Toy Fair, not only interms of business opportunities but interms of the feel of the event. It had anice buzzy atmosphere, which I think

Show and tellThe licensing industry is already familiar with Olympia, of course, but how did thisyear’s Toy Fair measure up in the same venue as Brand Licensing Europe? SamanthaLoveday finds out what licensors and licensees thought of the 2010 show, why it is akey event on their calendar and what, if anything, could be improved...

MARCH 2010

LICENSING TOY FAIR ROUND UPwww.licensing.biz 29

stemmed in part from the change ofvenue. Holding the show over threeweekdays was useful as it allowedmeetings to be spread out a bit andgave visitors and exhibitors more timeto talk.

The key concern at events like thisis whether the major retailers attendedand I understand from the exhibitors Ichatted to that they did. Therecertainly seemed to be a lot of activity:the stands were busy and there was alot of foot traffic in the aisles.”Anna Hewitt, Head of Licensing,Coolabi

“Toy Fair was anexcellent start tothe 2010 tradeshow calendar. Itwas fantastic to beback at Olympia,the venue is big

enough to accommodate attendeesand exhibitors, whilst still being easyto navigate and retaining a buzzyatmosphere. Industry feedback for ourbrands and licensing partnerships wasvery encouraging.”Paul Bufton, General Manager,Warner Bros Consumer Products UK

“This was a brisk show for us in termsof retailer and licensor meetings.Confidence seems to be returning tothe market as attendance wasdefinitely up on last year. The venueis perhaps not as slick as the previousone, but the change of location madethe show much more accessible forthe poor Londoners who struggle toget across town.”Max Arguile, Licensing Manager, GB Eye

“It was great to beback at Olympia;it was easier to getto and seemedmore friendly thanExCeL. It wasgood to see what

licences are going to be big in 2010.Toy Story seems to be everywhere andwell supported, which is good newsfor Hallmark and our Disney range ofcards. Also, people were so pleasednot to be working at the weekend.”David Wootliff, Licensing Director,Hallmark Cards

“The Toy Fair this year was anexcellent show.

The X Factor’s Stacey Solomon (top) addedsome glamour to the show

MARCH 2010

30 LICENSING TOY FAIR ROUND UP

The move toOlympia wasabsolutely the rightone – it created anintimateenvironmentwhere all the

business was done on the show flooritself, giving a much buzzier and moredynamic feel to the event. I thinkthose firms which didn’t exhibit willfeel they missed out and I am surethere will be an increased demand fornext year. Given the backdrop of theeconomy over the previous year, andthe tough times ahead, you have totake your hats off to the BTHA fordelivering such a high value event.”David Scott, Managing Director,Rainbow Productions

“We found thatthe new format atOlympia wasmuch better andeasier to getaround and get to.It also seemed that

attendance to the show was greaterthan in the past couple of years. It isdefinitely worthwhile attending as toy

companies have taken time out oftheir buyers’ meetings to talk to us,and more and more of the UK toycompanies are now looking to expandtheir distribution in the rest ofEurope, which is what is of interest tous. In terms of improvement, I wouldlike to see more meeting places withtables and chairs.”Charlotte Hill, Senior Marketing &Communications Manager, EMEA, 4Kids

“I thought theshow was great, itseemed very busyand there was areal feeling ofexcitement for theyear ahead. It was

also great to see more open standswhich helped add to the buzz. Thetoy industry is so full of innovatorsthere is always something interestingto see.”Graham Saltmarsh, UK LicensingDirector, Cartoon Network

“The show was a good one for us. Wereduced the size of our stand this year,but got a much better position, rightat the entrance.

Activities outside Olympia and famous facesinside helped give Toy Fair a boost

MARCH 2010

LICENSING TOY FAIR ROUND UP

Because of this, we got a few walk-onleads which we wouldn’t have had atExCeL. Also, it felt like it was moreproductive and I think thecompactness was a good thing. Otherpeople I spoke to seemed to agree thatthey had also felt like they hadachieved more when walking round.”Robyn Morgan, Licensing Manager,Underground Toys

“The impression Igot at Toy Fair wasthat it hasbenefited hugelyfrom the success ofBLE 2009, both interms of familiarity

of venue, but also the momentumhad carried through from all theactivity that had taken place at theearlier show. Many of the companiesimpressed me greatly and I wasparticularly pleased to see somefantastic Monty Python products ondisplay at the Re:creation stand.”Mark Hurry, Legal & CommercialDirector, PPCE

“It’s definitely worthwhile attendingToy Fair. From our point of view it’s

good to spend a day there to see allthe main toy lines, both new and on-going, for our brands. It also gives usa chance to meet up with licensorsand discuss plans, as well as meetingpotential distributors from our targetmarkets who have also made the tripto London.”Morten Geschwendtner, Director,Kidz Entertainment

“As always, it wasfull of colour andexcitement,however as alicensor, it was alsofull of great ideasand lines which

would lend themselves extremely wellto the Hari’s World licensing range.”Tristan McGee, Managing Director,Hari’s World

“The return to Olympia was a greatdecision for the show. The standswere bustling as were all the aisles. Asper usual, the diary was full andbusiness was done. Always a mustand a very worthwhile date in theshow calendar diary.”Kirsty Guthrie, MD, KJG

www.licensing.biz 31

Overall, brand owners found Toy Fairextremely worthwhile to attend

It was fantastic to be back at Olympia;the venue is big enough to

accommodate attendees and exhibitors,whilst still being easy to navigate andretaining a buzzy atmosphere.

Paul Bufton, General Manager, WBCP UK

MARCH 2010

www.toynews-online.biz 33SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

Rocking scienceContinuing to provide niche sales for specialists and multiples alike, the science market is thriving on the back ofincreased demand for alternatives to screen-based entertainment. ToyNews takes a look at the science andeducation sector…

INTERPLAY 01628 488944

Interplay experienced substantialgrowth in sales last year. A new additionfor 2010 is the Wild Science Ant-O-Sphere – a kit that has seen strong salesin Australia. The futuristic kit allowschildren to experience the innerworkings of an ant colony.

Containing pods, bases and supports,the spheres link together and can befilled to make an atmospheric settingwith plants, ponds and soil. The anttransit ports give a plethora of optionsto twist and turn any way. Two pricepoints are available – a four pod andeight pod kit which can be joinedtogether and added to. The product willbe supported with TV advertising.

Wild Science for Girls was the UK’sbest-selling science range in 2009 andwill continue to be TV supported alongwith a packaging revamp to enhance theon-shelf appeal.

It will be joined by new products andrefreshed packaging for the Boys WildScience range, which is also backed withTV advertising. The HyperlauncherRocket Ball Factory and Weird SlimeLaboratory allows kids to make life-likeblood clots, tadpole soup and guts.

Interplay will also be launching twonew Technokit lines – a Solar PoweredSpider, which crawls up and down awindow driven by light and a Build anElectric Dragster kit. Also returning isthe Trebuchet Siege Machine.

The award-winning My Living Worldcollection offers informative projects ata variety of price points with two newitems for 2010. The illuminated PocketMicroscope kit is easy to use both insideand out and features a x30magnification, a new Pocket Binocularset will also be available and is suitablefor investigation further afield.

MATTEL 01628 500000

Continuing to deliver innovation for theelectronic learning aisle, Fisher-Price’sSmart Fit system remains in thespotlight for 2010.

The Smart Fit system delivers newways to experience active learning in acompelling TV-based plug ‘n’ playformat and will continue to keep kidsmoving as they learn.

Encouraging children to stay physicallyactive, they walk, run, jump and stomp

their way through ten different learningactivities and games using an interactiveplug ‘n’ play activity mat. They’re incontrol of the on-screen action, so thefaster they move the quicker the on-screen characters will, encouraginglearning and physical activity. Smart Fitfeatures activities including letters,numbers, shapes and colours.

Fisher-Price Smart Fit will benefitfrom PR throughout the year.

There are plenty of newadditions to The OriginalGlowstars Company brand for2010. The handheld AstroProjector Torch has three domesto project different spacepatterns onto walls. Choosefrom stars, planets or spacecraftand then watch as the body ofthe torch glows in the dark.

Construct a planet mobilewith Glow Solar System, nowavailable in an impactfulclamshell pack.

3 Maps in 1 is the latestaddition to Brainstorm’s Fact

Finders range. An ingeniousautomatic system allows threemaps to be stored in a handytube and pulled down asrequired. The display systemmeans maps can also be hungon the bedroom or classroomwall or held open on a desk.The maps will be: UK andIreland, Europe and the World.

New to the Natural HistoryMuseum licence is PictureViewers. Pocket sized, pocket-money viewers are available intwo styles: Wildlife and SeaCreatures. Each viewer includes

three discs with a total of 24animal photographs, all withthe added endorsement of theNatural History Museum brand.

US-based Citiblocs hasappointed Brainstorm asexclusive distributor for the UKand Ireland. This educationaltoy contains woodenconstruction blocks that areexactly the same shape and sizeand building requires no glue,mess, connectors or magnets –just gravity and balance.CitiBlocs are available in packsof 50, 100, 200 and 300.

BRAINSTORM 01200 445113

LOGIBLOCS 01727 763700

34 SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

Recognised as one of the world’sleading science centres, HTI’s fullyendorsed Science Museum range isdesigned to encourage youngsters toinvestigate the scientific and naturalworld around them. New for 2010, HTIintroduces new eco-friendly lines aswell as power action-packed play – nobatteries required.

The new eco-friendly ScienceMuseum Dual Powered Car and EcoRacers are all powered by the solarenergy of natural sunlight utilising a360° adjustable solar panel or by ahandle generator – providing 100 percent battery-free play.

Kids can build the Dual Poweredvehicle and then see it come alive asthe solar or handle generated energyfuels the car’s backward and forwardmotion. The Eco Racers are supplied asan assortment of three eco-poweredracing vehicles: the Speed Racer is afast solar car which, when fullypowered, can travel at 24 metres perminute.

The Space Mobile is a solar vehiclewith a front shovel that moves up anddown as it speeds along. The RoboticCar is supplied with a handle generatorthat powers the vehicles speed as wellas the up and down movement of arobotic head.

HTI also introduced six new assortedScience Museum Connect and Learnactivity boxes, developed in line withKey Stages one and two of the NationalCurriculum. Each build-it-yourself boxoffers a different science activity toteach youngsters about basic physicsthrough practical application.

The multi-science boxes are entitled:Maze Challenge, Turbo Air, Flying Disc,Digital Alarm, Spin and Turn Racer andAim ‘n’ Shoot. The boxes can be linkedtogether or used individually.

The eco-themed range also extendsto small compact Science Museum Test

Tubes containing eco scienceexperiment kits. Complete with fullcolour illustrated instruction booklets,the Eco Test Tubes provide theopportunity to learn about wind power,water cycle, global warming and acidrain and erosion at a value price point.

HTI provides a Test Tube assortment toteach the science behind shadows,temperature, skeletons, senses, bath timeand flight. All kits have been developed inline with Key Stage one and two of thenational curriculum and each one comesin a branded counter top display unit.

HTI 01253 778888

MARCH 2010

Logiblocs engages children of all agesand abilities. The coloured lights andsounds and the tactile nature of theblocs themselves all help to buildconfidence and the learning potentialis vast.

The retail kits are at the end of thespectrum but Logiblocs are also usedin about 4,000 primary schools.

Managing director Tony de Rivazsaid: “Frankly, for the average toystore, stocking Logiblocs is still a bit ofa leap of faith. I think this is because ofits conceptual nature, but this is in factits strength. Logiblocs are not just afive minute wonder, they’re a real

investment in a child’s future andbuyers need to take a longer view.”

Logiblocs bridges the gap betweenscience and learning and the world ofelectronic interactive toys. Each colour-coded Logibloc plugs into thenext, all with different functions, tocreate all manner of alarms andautomatic systems.

Logiblocs is introducing two new kitsmid-year – a relaunch of the Buzz kitfor four year-olds following demandfrom many customers and a morecomprehensive kit with some new funfunctions including a counting blocwith lots of educational potential.

GIBSONS GAMES 0208 6618866

Within a year of launch, Gibson’s MyWorld range has won a Good ToyAward, a Right Start Silver Award and aPractical Pre-school Gold Award.

Designed in collaboration with childand play psychologist Dr AmandaGummer, the puzzles match early yeargoals and are made in the UK from 100per cent recycled board.

Gibsons is launching a further fourtitles to the range this spring. They willbe fully supported with a marketingand PR campaignreaching theparenting press.

The first of thenew titles is Headand Tails Jobs, a mixand match puzzle ofeveryday jobs. Piecesare interchangeableso new jobs can becreated and the gameis suitable for agestwo and over.

Above and Belowallows kids to swapthe six interchangeablepieces to create differentscenes with this busy wildlifepuzzle full of animals to find. Suitablefor three years-old and over.

My Body teaches children aboutdifferent parts of the body and offersfun facts as they piece together twobright puzzles. Suitable for age fourand over.

My Town is the final title in the rangeand allows children to swap the sixinterchangeable pieces to createdifferent scenes in a busy town puzzle.It is suitable for ages three and over.

FLAIR 0208 643 0320


MARCH 2010

Flair’s new Creepy Crawlers activityrange has all the nuts and bolts tocreate bugs. Fill them with eggs orguts, then experiment by dissectingand squashing and see their intestinesooze out.

The Creation Station includes adeluxe moulding station, two moulds,three accessory tools, one magic pen,eerie eggs and gross guts compounds.The Creation Station creates CreepyCrawler bugs, which are sticky and

stretchable but hollow inside allowingthem to be filled. Additional mouldpacks are available with a host of newbugs to create and hatch.

The Creepy Crawlers ExterminationStation allows boys to squash anddestroy their Creepy Crawler creationsand then re-use the compound in theCreation Station.

Creepy Crawlers will be launched insummer with a full TV and PR campaignas part of a strategic marketing plan.

Sprig, the eco-friendly range of toys isgrowing its range with a variety of newplay-sets including Sprig Hollow, MotoPatrol and Princess lines for girls, whichall encourage children to broaden theirimaginations. The Adventure series ismade from Sprigwood, a durable, child-safe, bio-composite material made fromrecycled wood and reclaimed plastic andall products are battery free.

All Sprig Hollow lines have beenspecifically designed for maximumutility in water, sand and gardenenvironments and come equipped withdetachable tools and water-resistantmaterials in order to sustain play andexpand possibilities. These include Bee

and Butterfly’s Farm, Dragonfly’s Heli-Scoopter and Dunebug’s Sand Truck.

The new Adventure Series is based onchildren entering fictional worlds. PelicanPete’s stunt sea-plane comes with apropeller and pontoons for bathtublandings. Fred Shred loves adventuresand comes with a baseball cap andbackpack, surfboard, snowboard andskateboard with rolling wheels. OfficerMatt is patrolling Sprigville to keep theroads safe on his motorbike.

The new Princess lines include ThePrincess Pincic Buggy, the Snack andSurprise Birthday Cake, SummerSandwich Party, Playhouse Theatre play-set and Fairytale Friends.

RE:CREATION 0118 973 6222

Educational play with motorisedmovement is the order of the day insome of Meccano’s leading ranges,which offer a construction challengeteamed with a motor to bring models,and the world of engineeringpossibilities, to life.

Meccano’s original construction toyshave been refreshed with new modernmodels, parts, mechanisms andmovements. The new 25-Model Set fromthe Multi models range builds a buggyalong with a number of other modelsand includes a 3V motor, steering andsuspensions. The kit contains more than280 parts and is suitable for boys fromeight years-old. Available from April andpriced at £29.99.

For younger children, Meccano hasdeveloped a Motorized Box for itsconstruction range, which has beenspecially designed for children five andover. Ten colourful models can be builtfrom the 100-plus parts includingvehicles, fairground rides and figures.

A battery powered motor can beadded to any of the constructedmodels to bring the models to life. Theset comes in a tool box to store all theparts. Retailing at around £24.99.

All models come with an instructionleaflet and tools and will be supportedby a marketing and PR programmedelivered across consumer media.

MECCANO 01844 278888

Fiesta Crafts has just launched two newfabric products to encourage childrento learn and practice their alphabet andsimple maths.

Pirate Numbers is an embroideredfabric wall hanging, designed toengage pre-school children in numberplay and early maths. It comes with 55fabric repositionable number coins,together with plus and minus pieces,making maths games interactive.Printed treasure chest number cardscomplete the set and, after play, storeeasily and neatly with the other pieceson the wall hanging.

Children can remove the coins andcount them back onto the wall hanging,they can put numbers in the treasurechest and count up coins to equal the

numbers, or they can use the coins forlimitless shopping and money role playgames. Pirate Numbers makes acolourful bedroom, playroom orclassroom decoration and is an everydayreminder that numbers are fun.

Children will find learning thealphabet is fun with the embroiderednew fabric wall hanging from FiestaCrafts, My ABC. This makes an attractivebedroom or playroom decoration withcolourful pockets for each letter. In eachof the pockets is two cards with upperand lower case letters and picturesstarting with that letter to help engagechildren with letter recognition and thebeginnings of word formations. Eachlower case letter card comes with anoutlined picture for children to colour in.

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563

Tooltime Bob is an educational way forkids to learn about Bob’s favourite toolsand adventures. When one of his tools isplaced in his hand, Bob responds bysaying what the tool is and how he usesit on-site, he also makes sound effectsthat match with the tool he’s using.Tooltime Bob can help to encouragechildren’s fine motor skills.

Children can also learn with thePiplings through Born to Play’scollection of Waybuloo wooden toys andpuzzles. Shape sorting games and liftout puzzles, featuring all of thecharacters, help children to developtheir hand eye co-ordination and alsoencourage problem solving.

Nok Tok’s Tool Box will inspire problemsolving too. The hammer, screwdriverand spanner can be used to attach thenuts and bolts to the toolbox and theaccessories can be tidied away inside.

The Peeka Puzzle has a reversiblepull-out board and ten Peeka holes touncover, providing fun and education.

The Waybuloo Chunky Puzzle, witheight reversible pieces, encourages kid’sunderstanding of shapes and colours.

Born to Play has developed a set ofWaybuloo Activity Dice. Perfectly sizedfor little hands, they display numbersand actions, such as ‘jump’, ‘hop’ and‘touch the sky’, helping children withhand eye co-ordination.

MARTIN YAFFE 01706 717800

Wow’s toy range for toddlers isdesigned to stimulate and encourage achild’s imagination through discoveryand play. Educational value is coupledwith solid and brightly colouredrounded shapes, which are safe,durable and ideal for small hands.

Designed to assist with basic motorskills development right through tomore advanced social interactive role-play, each toy has fun mechanicalfeatures for children to discover.Powerful friction motors, winches andpulleys eliminate the use of batteries.

All the toys in the range arecompatible with each other andchildren can mix and match anyproducts. Wow was awarded GoldWinner for the 12 to 36 months toyrange from the Good Toy Guide 2009.

Stanley Street Sweeper is a push-along toy with big rubbery, rotatingbrushes. The brushes automaticallyrotate and spin rubbish panels.Stanley comes with a removable driver.

Alfie’s Animal Adventure is also new tothe range. It’s a friction-powered animalfeeding truck with a click and turn animalfeeder and removable passengers, anorangutan, giraffe and safari driver.

WOW TOYS 020 7471 0980


MARCH 2010

RAVENSBURGER 01869 363800

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

The new range of Bear Essentials is anew direction for ZooBooKoo. The firmhas entered the world of plush with itsWorld of Letters and World of Numbers –13-in-1 games sets. Each set consists offive bears with detachable scarves. Thebears come with a set of 40 soft chunkyfoam tiles each printed with either aletter, number or maths symbol. A leafletoutlines details of 13 activities andgames. They come with a handy tidy bag.

Designed as an innovative way tohelp you help your children grow, BearEssentials is for children from three to

seven years-old. Both sets aim todevelop social and thinking skills inaddition to learning letters and 250 highfrequency numbers or words andnumber bonds.

ZooBooKoo managing director,Stephen Wattleworth, said: “In ourproduct trials we were overwhelmed bythe way the children were desperate tomake their words or do their sums withthe tiles. That was when we decided wewould increase the number of tiles ineach set – for optimum play value andvalue for money.”

ZOOBOOKOO 01473 735346

Ravensburger launched its newDiscover and Develop pre-school gamesand puzzles range at Toy Fair. The rangeof eight puzzles and eight gamescombines play with education, targetingkey development stages and mixingthem with game play and illustrations.

MD Tim Hall said: “Ravensburgerhas huge experience in thedevelopment of high quality gamesand puzzles. As a company we’ve beenmaking educational games for over 125 years.

“Our new Discover and Developrange supports early years foundationskills, and combines our knowledgewith fantastic illustrations and

packaging, sourced from leadingBritish design agencies.”

The puzzle range includes analphabet puzzle and items highlightingnursery rhymes, telling the time,Noah’s Ark, a Look and Find Farm and ashaped tractor and trailer giant floorpuzzle, which comes with two different templates.

The games range encourages basicskills such as taking turns, colourrecognition, observation, collecting,counting and spatial awareness. Thegames include Checkout Chase, Tip theShip, Ring-a-Ring of Roses, Pack YourBags, Fun on the Farm, On Safari andDodge a Dinosaur.

The GoGo Toys collection by John Cranehas some new additions for 2010,all with an educational twist.

Tube Sorting featurescylinders in three colours,four hues and four sizesand can be matchedusing the play board orstacked upon oneanother or inside one another. Thegame allows shapes, sizes and colours

to be easily taught in the nursery setting or at home.

Alternatively, there’sFlower and Tree, a

collection of slot inleaves, flowers, stemsand bird shapes. Children

can build the plant higherand higher, using all the

colourful shapes. Teaches aboutshape, colour and spatial awareness.

GREEN BOARD GAMES 01494 538999

Green Board Games has introducedInventions – the new title in its Brainbox range.

Working with the Science Museum,the Brainbox questions players aboutgreat inventions such as the railway,locomotive, PC and the space shuttle.

A player has ten seconds to study thecard and is then asked a question fromthe back of the card, chosen by the rollof a die. If the card is answered correctly,the card is kept, if not it is returned tothe box. The most cards held after tenminutes decides the winner.


MARCH 2010

Animal figures teach children about theworld around them while enhancingstorytelling and languagedevelopment too. Schleich’sanimal collections areanatomically correct, highlyresearched and of high quality.Schleich offers a wide selectionwith many new items introducedthroughout the year.

With a host of collections tochoose from, one of the mostpopular lines is Wild Life – areminder of a day at the zoo, or asafari adventure, which provides away to learn about the animals ofthe world.

With animals large and small, from allover the world, including lions,chimpanzees and crocodiles – each figure isgiven painstaking attention to detail.

This year sees elegant predators addedto the range as a lynx and her cub join theseries of big cats, while a wolf depictsanother territorial creature. As with all ofSchleich’s animals, the poses of its animalsare captured in an almost animated way.

Alternatively, within the Farm Lifecollection, there are many new babyanimals to be introduced includingdomestic birds such as ducks and swansand highland cattle.

SCHLEICH 01279 870000

Mixing environmental issues with sciencekits has become a speciality of GreatGizmos, and with many new planet-friendly educational projects for 2010 inits 4M and 4MKidlabs portfolio, therange is growing.

Extensions to the Green Sciencerange and the new Green Creativitycollection has educational projects thatteach the values of recycling as well aslearning scientific facts.

The Green Science Dynamo RobotKit is one example of the range. Thebuild your own automaton projectdoesn’t need batteries and allowseveryday household items to be turned

into a robot, powered by a hand –driven generator.

Alternatively, for those wonderingwhat to do with a mountain of left overplastic carrier bags, there’s the GreenCreativity Plastic Bag Monster Kit,which will turn them into monsterpuppets. The Green Creativity RecycledBottle Light Kit, transforms leftoverbottles into a working light.

This is just a small selection of the4M science-based educational projectson offer. The company is also offeringPR support for all its products, pluskeen margins and customer service forall retailers.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221

HABA 0161 304 9555

To augment the range of numeracy –developing wooden puzzles, block andprism sets and ball and trackcollections (5–7 Educator Gold AwardWinner), a new development for 2010will be Technics.

This new line is a naturalprogression from the Logic BuildingBlocks, which are designed specificallyto foster mathematical perception andare suitable for homes and schools.

Technics is a range of woodenbuilding blocks combined with thetechnology of wheels and axles

creating a range that will enhance anddevelop key learning skills such ashand eye co-ordination, maths,problem solving and early technology.

The introduction of plasticconnectors will also enableconstruction sets to be combined withthe ball track sets making this asystem that can be used in manydifferent ways.

When thinking of early educationaltoys, wood is a natural choice and Habaoffers award-winning products frominfant right through to Key Stage two.


MARCH 2010

WORTH OVER £300m, outdoor andsports toys is the second largestcategory within the traditional toysmarket by value and the fourthbiggest in terms of units sold (source:NPD Consumer Panel).

The sector is heavily seasonal andsales have always been largely relianton the weather, with last year noexception. The category saw twopeaks in 2009 with high sunshinecorresponding to higher value salesfrom May to July when over two fifthsof total outdoor and sports toys for2009 were sold.

There was a second smaller peak inDecember, when Christmas sales werejoined by unusually cold weatherresulting in an early snow fall (source:NPD EPoS Retail Tracking Service).Unsurprisingly, the cold weather hadan impact on winter sports toys,which sold more than double thenumber of units in 2009 verses 2008.

Tricycles and pedal ride-ons grewin 2009 driven by the continuedsuccess of the Smart Trike with the

Smart Trike Plus Girls being one ofthe top ten items in the total toymarket’s best sellers from April toSeptember 2009.

Mookie’s Smart Trike was thenumber one property for outdoor andsports toys, with Little Tikes atnumber two, both showing positivegrowth in 2009.

Licences within the category onlyaccount for just over ten per cent ofvalue sales compared to the 27 percent that licences account for in thetotal toy market. The fastest growingproperties were Ben 10 and Peppa Pig,although Thomas remains popular.

Grocers continued to grow in thiscategory, with an increase of three percent in value in 2009, whilespecialists struggled in the face ofgrowing competition from theinternet and the demise of Woolies.

Online retailers are known to shipthe more bulky items saving

consumers the effort of carryingproducts home, but eliminating theimpulse purchase element many HighStreet stores rely on. The grocers’growth comes from high priced items£10 plus, but the under £5 category isstill most important, accounting forover half of all value sales.

The heavy snow at the start of2010 should have helped early sales ofwinter sports toys this year and whileforecasting the summer months hasremained notoriously unreliable, thereis always the hope that this year willsee high levels of sunshine and aboost for outdoor and sport toys.

Sales of outdoor and sports toys are always reliant on weather and 2009 was no exception. The summer saw twopeaks during spells of good weather and the early snowfall in December gave the category another boost…

www.toynews-online.biz 41SECTOR GUIDE OUTDOOR TOYS

MARCH 2010

Let’s go outside

0

10

20

30

40

Jan Feb Mar April May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Outdoor £m - 2008 Outdoor £m - 2009

Unsurprisingly,the cold weather

had an impact onwinter sports toys, assales doubledyear-on-year.

Two fifths of total outdoor andsports toys in 2009 were soldfrom May to July

Outdoor toy sales2008 – 2009

(source: NPD)

At the forefront of MV’s wheeled toysrange is the unique Secret Scooterconcept where both the tri-scooters andin-line scooters come with a secretcompartment containing authenticcollectibles. New models are supportedby strong licences such as Ben 10 AlienForce, Puppy in my Pocket and Bob the Builder.

MV’s new line-up for boys is roundedoff with two licences – Doctor Who andStar Wars. The new Doctor Who rangehas been designed using all new aliensthat will accompany the 11th Doctor onhis travels. Pioneering the Star Warsrange is The Clone Wars Secret In-lineScooter, equipped with a secretcompartment containing authenticClone Wars figures.

MV’s boy’s pre-school line-up is ledby the classic trio of Thomas, Bob andFireman Sam. The new Thomas FullSteam Ahead range is a newdevelopment in wheeled toys where therider generates authentic enginesounds. Fireman Sam is boosted by areal working Fire Extinguisher tri-scooter and a broader range with lightand sound sirens.

MV’s bestselling Kickmaster brandwill sport a limited edition Englandthemed range including goals, footballs

and accessories. Each product carriesthe Kickmaster England crest with iconicEngland style. Continuing with therange are the training goals available inPorta goal format and lightweightplastic.

The Hedstrom outdoor playequipment range is synonymous withquality and value for money and for2010 the new GMax Range is fullygalvanized and comes with a five-yearframe guarantee.

MV SPORTS 0121 748 8000

42 SECTOR GUIDE OUTDOOR TOYS

Launching new for spring/summer is aToy Story Three Wheel Bubble Scooterfeaturing a motorised bubble machineto the rear of the foot plate ensuring atrail of bubbles as children scoot along.

Also new for autumn/winter 2010 isa 14-inch Buzz Lightyear Dynamo Bike.The rocket unit at the rear of thebicycle generates power as the childpedals along to fuel the light andsound effects. The pedal powerDynamo is not only a fun feature, it isalso an environmentally friendly wayto fuel the action on two wheels.

There’s also a Folding Scooterfeaturing flashing light-up wheels and

a lenticular footplate providing twoToy Story images in one. HTI alsoprovides Toy Story outdoor furnitureincluding a Patio Set.

HTI’s Peppa Pig range of outdoorrole-play sets, beach and gardenfurniture and wheeled toys keep goingfrom strength to strength. TheGardening Set comprises everythingnecessary for kids to tend to thegarden with Peppa, including alawnmower, wheelbarrow, wateringcan, fork and spade.

The Garden Caddy comprises awatering can, four plant pots, fourlabels, trowel, hoe, fork and rake that

all pack away into the portable caddyfor tidy-away play. A Peppa Pig Bubbleis also available. George’s Car WashKit is a role-play toy for helping towash the car. The set includes a Jetwasher, which attaches to the gardenhose, a bucket and a George shapedsponge. And for outdoor relaxing, HTIoffers a Peppa Pig Patio Set, DeckChair and Oval Folding Chair.

HTI is introducing the new wheeledtoy designs with Chuggington, HelloKitty, Gormiti and SpectacularSpiderman. The firm has also beenawarded the rights to manufactureRoary the Racing Car three-wheel and

folding scooters which will complementthe new wheeled toy range forspring/summer. In addition, there areextensions to existing wheeled toyranges such as Fifi and the Flowertots,Baby Annabell and Baby Born, JCB andGogo’s Crazy Bones.

The firm also introduces a newrange of Barbie inflatables, outdoortoys and summer lines at pocketmoney prices. All Barbie items featurenew packaging and product graphics.HTI has also worked its magic on arange of Disney Fairies summerinflatables, outdoor toys and wheeledtoys for 2010.

HTI provides a range of Ben 10inflatables, outdoor toys and pocketmoney summer lines. New itemsinclude a Mini Boom Bat Set, MiniSkimmer Disc Twin Pack, Jet Gliderand Paddle Bats, all developed to hit a99-pence price point.

HTI has developed its very ownbrand bubble range called DubbleBubble. A double wand provides morebubbles, while unique bottle designsand packaging have been developedto provide a distinctive brand identity.The Dubble Bubble collection includessolution bottles, a wand, gun andbubble machine across all major valueprice points.

New additions will be added to therange of JCB vehicles, role-play,wheeled and outdoor toys forspring/summer including a foot-to-floor Ride-On Tractor with detachableTrailer as well as a 16-inch free-wheeling JCB Wheel Loader and Dump Truck.

HTI 01253 778888

MARCH 2010

KIDDIMOTO 01749 871175

This spring, Kiddimotoextends its range of woodenride-on balance bikes withadditions to the Heroes range.

Celebrating worldmotorcycling champions of thepast 50 years, the Heroesrange inducted Carl Fogartyinto the fold at the close of2009. Now, four more stars –Kenny Roberts, Wayne Rainey,Kevin Schwantz and EddieLawson have been addedtaking the total to 14 modelsin the Heroes range.

Aimed at early years, theeco-friendly bikes areconstructed from tough anddurable natural birch plywood,and teach children the motorskills of balance and co-ordination in a controlledmanner.

An ideal first bike, withoutpedals or brakes, Kiddimotobypasses the need for stabilisers, allowingchildren to quickly move on toa pedal cycle or automaticmotorcycle.


HY PRO 01582 670100

Waybuloo play balls and wheeled toys,including a trike, scooter and My FirstBike, bring the property to life throughstriking colours and character imagery.

Following the launch of Born toPlay and Fisher-Price’s Grow With Meoutdoor play collection, two newwheeled lines, the Grow With Me Trikeand My First Bike, join the Grow WithMe Scooter, Brite Rider and UKmanufactured Farm play-set.

Explorer’s Wanted, the new Doratheme for 2010, has been

incorporated in to Born to Play’swheeled and outdoor furnitureranges. Trikes, bikes, chairs andtables, in vibrant pink and greencolours, all roll out through the year.

Manufactured in the UK, Bob’sSand and Water Construction Site andThomas’ Sand and Water Depot arenew to the pre-school licensed lines.

LazyTown bikes and skateboardsare whizzing in to Born to Play’s 2010master toy line-up. Developed to keepkids moving, the new wheeled and

outdoor sports ranges in Sportacusblue and Stephanie pink complementthe brand’s universal appeal.

Born to Play is also introducing newgarden-based games and play items.Little Princess’ play greenhouse,features gardening tools andaccessories, while In the Night Gardenplanting sets and Thomas and Bobcrazy golf sets are great ways tointroduce children to the garden.

New and refreshed patio andgarden furniture items roll out early

2010, including single chairs, tablesand patio sets. The patio chairs in therange benefit from a unique patentedlocking mechanism and, along withthe new parasols, are made using aUV protective fabric. Sets under thenew Waybuloo licence sit alongsideupdated and fresh lines from In theNight Garden, Dora and Thomas.

Ben 10 rubber, PVC and foam balls,in refreshed Alien Force colourways,feature new characters from Ben’slatest adventures.

MARTIN YAFFE 01706 717800

MARCH 2010

With all the coverageand attention Hy-Pro’snew proprietary brandof wheeled toy rangeZinc is receiving, it’s easyto forget that the outdoorand sporting goods giantis also a key company in thelicensed sector. It has threemajor licensed rangesplanned for release thisyear.

Scheduled to coincidewith the release of thelatest film, Hy-Pro’s new ToyStory rangehas alreadybeen selected byseveral UKretailers. The lineincludes play mats,rubber playgroundand PU balls, an array of differing sports sets and a Toy Story trampoline.

Having already worked with some ofthe best-known Marvel characters andafter continued success with its MarvelExtreme range, Hy-Pro has taken on the Marvel Super Hero Squad wheeledtoy licence.

Hy-Pro has years of experience inthe pre-school sector with licencessuch as Little Tikes and Thomas theTank Engine. This year it will be puttingall that knowledge and experiencebehind new educational propertySuper Why. Centring on a range ofwheeled toys, which debut atNuremberg.

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

John Crane is introducing threecolour-ways in its First BikeCollection from Branching Out.Pink, decorated in hearts andflowers, racing red and thelatest addition, royal blue. Ithas already wowed judges andwon a clutch of awardsincluding a hotly contendedPractical Parenting Award.

Each First Bike has a paddedseat to ensure a comfortableride and comes with easy griphandlebars ideal for littlefingers. Plus, the chunkypneumatic tyres not only meana safe ride, but also give theFirst Bikes a grown-up feel. Allbikes have height adjustableseats so they can adjust as totsgrow. The blue version has all ofthe main features but alsoboasts a useful carry handle.

There is also now a bikestand, ideal for busy retailerswho need a hand to make theultimate in displays for theirstore. Made from natural wood,the stand will keep the FirstBike upright and looking itsbest at all times.


MARCH 2010

Worlds Apart continues to introducefresh licences and innovative designsto its Pop-Up play tent portfolio. Idealfor outdoor active play, the tentsprovide an extra role-play element,which adds value and furtherstrengthens the appeal of the range.

The new Toy Story Buzz RocketTent with its imaginative design andsound unit is quick and easy toassemble, the Pop-Up tent withsupport rods features a roll up doorand window, escape tunnel andcontrol panel. The portable soundunit provides three sounds and anLED light, and can be clipped onto

the child’s wrist or onto the rocketcontrol panel.

The new Toy Story Wendy Housefeatures all the characters from themovie. As with the Rocket Tent, it has aquick and easy-to-erect pop up design,which then folds down neatly forcompact storage. Both tents aresuitable for outdoor and indoor play.

Worlds Apart’s multiple Europeanand international patents remain inforce for its pop-up range. The firmoffers retailers a variety of outdoortoys and will continue to support thesector with PR and marketing activityin 2010.

WORLDS APART 0800 389 8591

New from Vivid Imaginations, the VXShark is the next generation microscooter with more than six ways toride. Choose between the kneelie,the scoot, the cruise, the side ride,the tight rope and the cross over.

It features a platform seat, frontand back foot pegs, neon styling andeasy fold action.

Available from June, Vivid will besupporting the VX Shark with 300TVRs. It retails at £59.99.

VIVID 01483 449944

Each item in the Terra Kids collection is a fullyfunctioning piece of apparatus that has been scaled down to suit smaller hands. Fromcompasses, to microscopes, discovery belts totelescopes, the collection helps children to explorethe great outdoors.

The Discoverer’s Belt set comes ready for aBritish spring and summer, right down to the raincape. The belt itself is packed with equipment for ayoung explorer, such as a screw top box forcollecting shells, stones and pebbles and asynthetic whistle to attract attention.

For retailers, Terra Kids is instantly recognisablewith its trademark lime green and orange brandingand comes with many POS solutions that willensure an eye-catching display in store.

HABA 0161 304 9555

The classic Bubble Mower remainsin the spotlight for summer 2010.Ready for the rough and tumble ofgarden play, pre-schoolers willenjoy the bubbles that appear asthey push this chunky mower along.

This great role-play item iscomplete with sounds and alsofeatures a large bubble dispenserand a one-touch refill system forless mess. Bubble Mower will besupported with PR activity.

MATTEL 01628 500000

Spring/summer will see theintroduction of two new Toy Storyflying toys. The unique lines at lowprice points include Buzz Light Yearon his outdoor adventures with theBuzz Air Twist, in the shape of Buzz’sflying Space Command and the BuzzSkyboard to surf around the galaxy.

For speed and distance you can'tbeat Buzz’s easy to catch Air Twist. Witha specially weighted and shapedcockpit, the Air Twist can be thrownover enormous distances. Just bypulling with one finger, you set Buzzskating through the air, soaring highand floating gently down to the ground.

RE:CREATION 0118 973 6222WIND DESIGNS 0844 257 1180


MARCH 2010

One of Wind Designs’latest Ranges, Zing Air,has many productssupported by TVadvertising starting inFebruary and running

through to thesummer.

The entireproduct range

aims to keep children active both indoorsand out over the coming spring andsummer.

Once loaded, the Zyclone Zing RingBlaster sends the soft Zing Ring over 60metres in the air. Simply pull back, twistand launch. For added play value, two

can play back and forth with blasters. Zartz Urban Darts are soft foam

throwing darts that when thrown stickto a wide range of surfaces. The Zartzsets include a Zartz dart and two handtargets and are fun for both indoors and out, for those playing solo or withfriends.

Zoomarang is the original backyardboomerang. Throw it and watch it makea big, curving arc of 30 foot diameter,before returning back to you.

Finally, a hand throw makes theHelirang perform a 36 foot swoopingarc, flying right back to you. For thegarden or the park, the soft foammakes even crash landings safe.

IMC has launched a licensed range ofBarbie outdoor toys. The Barbie MusicalJumping Hoop allows girls to jump to therhythm of the music, incorporating amovement sensor that activates themusic and lights each time the userstarts jumping.

The Barbie Musical Hoop alsoincorporates a movement sensor thatactivates the music, so girls will listen atdifferent rhythms each time they play with the toy. Finally, the sensor in the Barbie Musical Jumping Ropeactivates the music each time girls start

jumping. The rope is adjustable to playalone or with friends. The range includesbatteries.

IMC TOYS 01904 720908

Great Gizmos’ Okiedogride-on toys are designedto facilitate a toddler’sfirst foray into the greatoutdoors.

Fropper and Cheeky Chickare two ride-ons designed for 18 to36 month-olds and will help a childmaster the basics of locomotion.Fropper is a bouncer and a rider all inone and comes ready to use straightfrom the box. Castor wheels to thefront make cruising around safe andeasy for young racers and the quiet,non-abrasive wheels make it ideal forindoor or outdoor. Available in redand green or pink and purple, it foldsto a fraction of its size and features acarry handle.

Alternatively, Cheeky Chickdoubles up as a ride-on and walkerwith raised handlebars and wide frontwheels for support so a child canstand in front and push it backwardsto get around. A parental handle isavailable that can be attached toboth the Fropper and Cheeky Chick.

The Okiedog ride-ons join arange of other outdoorproducts from thefirm such as theGreat Gizmos’range of classicride-ons andpedal cars, whichprovide plenty ofopportunities forkids to becomemobile. There are many differentdesigns to choose from catering forages one to five.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543 221

Mookie’s new range of BMX Dirt-stylehelmets, T-shirts and gloves completethe Kiddimotista collection.

Createaway is based on thetraditional values of sand and waterplay. The all in one sand and waterplay-sets, fold up making them easy toassemble and store. Each play-setcomes with accessories and featuresand is suitable for ages three and over.Available with or without the unique UVprotected sunshade.

Tailball is the new range of productsfrom the makers of Swingball.Designed as a progression toshuttlecock play, each item features theunique Tailball streamer, which slowsand stabilises flight. The range will beavailable in two sizes with variousgames including the Tailball Back PackAttack, 2 in 1 Dart Attack, TailballExtreme, Tailball Light, Tailball Flyer andthe Tailball Rocket.

The Scuttlebug from Funtastic is afolding tricycle for kids aged one tothree. It has a three-step folding actionand is available in six characters.

Mookie recently acquireddistribution rights for Toymonster. Thenew Urban X Stride Scooter has aunique step pedal system. Designed forkids aged five and over, the adjustablehandle bars will suit any size.

Smart Trike introduces the new Zoocollection, Recliner and the All in Onefor 2010. TV commercials willcommence in spring and autumn.

Mookie is also introducing a MusicalLight and Sound Ride-on to the PeppaPig wheeled lines.

MOOKIE 01525 722722


MARCH 2010

A recent winner of a Right StartAward, the eight foot StarTrampoline from TP Toys features‘intelligent’ feet and an octagonalbounce for safe play.

The most compact of the Startrampolines, the eight foot is closeto the ground so ideal for childrenaged three years and over and forgardens where space is limited.With a fun space pattern and theme,the octagonal frame and hi-performance springs deliver thebest and most reliable verticalbounce.

Intelligent adjustable feet make itstable on uneven ground and athick cushioned pad providesadditional safety. The soft feelsurround looks great but alsoguides jumpers safely onto thecentre of the mat and away from theedge.

It is easy to assemble and storeaway. It can be left in the garden allyear round thanks to its collapsiblesurround/cover and lifetimeguarantee against rust. The eightfoot Star comes complete withsafety net, cover and ground stakes.Retails at £385.

TP TOYS 01299 872892

Toymaster would like to invite all Independent Toy and Model Retailers,

both in the UK and Ireland, to attend the 2010 May Show.

Over 100 suppliers will be in attendance at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate,

on the 18th - 20th May and we hope youare able to join us in making the most

of the opportunitties offered.

For more details or to register, pleasecontact Jo Skelton on +444 (0)1604 674477

or email [email protected]

May Show18th - 20th May 2010

How the freezing weather brought asmile to our Counter Insurgent...

High StreetPage 52

Our retail charts feature John Lewis,Amazon, Play and The Entertainer

ChartsPage 53

Logistics firm targets toysTRILOGY HAS been acquired byvideo games distribution specialistGem and renamed Gem Logistics.

The firm is now targeting toy clientsand believes Gem’s existing contactswith Toys R Us, Argos and otherretailers will enable it to offer a goodway in for suppliers struggling to gainretail shelf space and increase existingdistribution to wider channels.

“We’ve not been actively marketingourselves to the toy market for acouple of years but with the size of theGem group we can give it moreattention and focus,” said Trilogyfounder and Gem Logistics’ generalmanager Matthew Allen.

“We’re not just a pick, pack, shipoperation. We offer telesales,

invoicing, credit control, and we willshortly be able to offer an onlinebusiness to business portal where

retailers will be able to browse ourwhole catalogue.”Gem Logistics: 07739 990651

UK FOOTFALL figures reveal thatJanuary 2010 has been the worst startto a year for retailers in half a decade.

According to Synovate’s RetailTraffic Index the number of shoppersin non-food stores over January wasdown by five per cent year-on-year,the biggest drop since January 2005when it was down by 5.2 per cent.

For the second month running andonly the second time this decade,none of the regions showed a year-on-year rise in store traffic. Themonth-on-month fall of 27.5 percent against December was slightlybetter than forecast.

Synovate analyst, Dr Tim Denison,explained: “2010 has kicked offdesperately slowly for retailers,lending support to retailers’ concernsthat, despite a strong Christmas, it’sgoing to be another tough year onthe High Street. The tumble hasbeen accentuated by a number ofclear factors.

“In terms of damage to thenational footfall figures, it was the

heavy and persistent snow falls acrossmany parts of the country during themonth that had the most impact,giving retailers the worst possiblestart to the year.

"When advised to travel ‘only ifessential’, recreational shoppingfailed to fit the bill, adding toretailers’ woes. At its worst on the6th, numbers were down 30 per centnationally, and for days after thescene was little better.

“Last January... in an effort to clearunwanted stockpiles, they werediscounting aggressively to temptreluctant shoppers. Not so this year.”

Page 54Hero Product

All the latest toytrade happeningsto pencil intoyour diary....

EventsPage 66

Retail OnlyDedicated monthly retail coverage

News • Data • Opinion

Interplay’s new Ant Sphere product isthis month’s highlighted line.

Footfall affected by big freeze

HAMLEYS IS planning a secondDubai store following a surge in salesover Christmas.

The franchise store in Dubai, runby partner Retail ArabiaInternational, reported a festive-season like-for-like sales increase of54 per cent.

Hamleys plans to expand furtherin the Middle East, where the toyindustry has been growing almost 12per cent annually and is worth about$1.5 billion per year.

The expansion plan marks the firsttime Hamleys will have two stores inone city outside of Europe. The newbranch will be in Mirdiff CityCentre.

Nabil Daoud, MD and CEO ofRetail Arabia International,commented: “Here in the MiddleEast, we have a very youngpopulation and consumers with highspending power, which makes us atop market for the toy trade.”

Hamleys growsin Middle-East

ALLEN: “We’re notjust a pick, pack,ship organisation.”

MARCH 2010

Waybuloo Peekand Pull Yojojo

Mattel

Sylvanian Families CaravanFlair

Bugsby Reading SystemVTech

HIGHSTREET

COUNTERINSURGENT

52 RETAIL ONLY

The time hadcome to gointo the darkdepths of thewarehouse tobring outthose long

lost treasures called sledges.Some of the staff buckled

and found those little jobs thatI’d been asking them to do forweeks, leaving me to go aloneinto the corner of thewarehouse untouched foryears. Massive cobwebs withspiders that would make HarryPotter screech and plantsgrowing through tiny cracksthat would interest the NaturalHistory Museum. I half expectedto find the crazy old tramp wehadn’t seen on the streets for acouple of years.

After clearing the way, Iemerged unscathed and calledfor help. It was like the openingof Indiana Jones where thenatives are scared of what liesbeyond – the unknown, but I

knew the treasure was sledges,and hundreds of them.

The staff couldn’t work outwhy I was so happy. It’sbecause we haven’t had proper,hanging-around snow for years.McDonalds Breakfast Snow wecalled it – here in the morning,gone by 11am (or is it 10.30?).So yes, I was happy, at last wehad some money back on aninvestment of 500 sledges atvarious prices four years ago.

So let me take you to anotherpicture an hour later. Still, withnone of the promised snow, Isprang out of my office beamingand told the staff more sledgeswere on the way. That was toomuch for some. Whispersstarted about my sanity. Localhospitals were called. And thenthe phone rang. Knowing whatit would be for I answered it,and a small timid voice askedthe wonderful, delightful,magnificent question: “Do youhave some sledges?” I nearlyreplied: “Too bloody right we

do.” But I managed to containmy excitement.

Within the hour snow hadfallen in good quantities about20 miles away and wascreeping our way. The phonestarted to ring off the wall, youcould sense the wave effect as

it got closer, then the first flakesfell outside and I wanted to skiparound the shop.

At first the ‘McDonalds effect’kept sales sluggish, but as thesnow deepened and the pesterpower kicked in, they started tofly out of the door. All the

sledges sold and the staff askedwhy I hadn’t had more than thetwo pallets that had come in.

I will touch on the round ofshows next month, but I have tosay Toy Fair was fantastic. It hada great atmosphere, great buzzabout the place and all the floorspace was full. Who knows? Wemight be able to throw thingsoff the balcony next year.

Just about got round inthree days, but if anymorerefuseniks come back it might be tight. One final wordon the show, put a stamp on the envelopes and post thebadges please.

At first the ‘McDonaldseffect’ kept sales sluggish,

but as snow deepened and pesterpower kicked in, theystarted to fly out the door.

Dispatches from the retail front line...

Girl Gourmet Cup Cake MakerCharacter Options

Power Rangers Nitro BlasterBandai

PRICE CHECK: MARCH 2010

£14.99 £34.99 N/A £24.99 N/A

£26.99 N/A £29.99 £34.49 N/A

£26.99 £39.99 £29.99 £29.49 £19.99

£34.99 £44.99 £17.92 £16.41 £19.96

N/A £39.99 £29.99 £27.99 £24.99

MARCH 2010

www.toynews-online.biz 53RETAIL ONLY

RETAILCHARTS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Play.com

Nerf Clip System Darts (Pack of 36) Hasbro

Waybuloo Peek and Pull Yo Jo Jo Mattel

Waybuloo Peek and Pull Lau Lau Mattel

Gogo’s Crazy Bones: Top Trumps Winning Moves

Fisher Price Chatter Phone Mattel

Waybuloo Lau Lau Play-set Mattel

Nerf N Strike Recon CS-6 Hasbro

Nerf Mega Dart Tag Refill Hasbro

Nerf N-Strike Raider Hasbro

Toy Story Woody and Buzz to The Rescue Lego

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Amazon

Bananagrams Bananagrams

Mr and Mrs Game New Edition University Games

Shopping List Orchard Toys

Go Go Hamster Funhouse Deluxe Gift Set Character

Lego Star Wars Clone Walker Battle Pack Lego

Monogamy Creative Conceptions

Bakugan Battle Pack Spin Master

Timmy Time Night Night Timmy Vivid

Kidizoom Camera Plus (pink) VTech

Who’s in the Jungle Orchard Toys

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

CHART DATE04/02/10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Mail Order Express

Sylvanian Families Lakeside Lodge Flair

Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Hasbro

Automatic Tommy 20 and Belt Blaster Pack Buzz Bee

Disney Club Penguin Igloo Play-set Jakks Pacific

Bendaroos Mega Pack Spin Master

Sylvanian Families The Caravan Flair

In the Night Garden Upsy Daisy Dress Up VMC Accessories

3-in-1 Smart Trike Pink Mookie

Mega Farm Set Playmobil

Transformers Human Alliance Bumblebee with Sam Hasbro

Family Camper Playmobil

Tellatale Theatre & Shop Fiesta Crafts

F1 Hamilton/Massa Slot Racing Set Carrera

Red Corsair Playmobil

Transformers MV2 Construction Devastator Hasbro

City Industrial Set Hornby

Born to Play Table and Two Chairs Martin Yaffe

Born to Play Fireman Sam Friction Venus with Penny Martin Yaffe

Farm Mega Set Playmobil

Three Piece Wild Animal Set Toyway

CHART DATE04/02/10

CHART DATE05/02/10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

WHSmith.co.uk CHART DATE04/02/10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

John Lewis

Littlest Pet Shop Single Toys Hasbro

Brickmaster Pirate Lego

Limited Edition Panoramic Jigsaw WHS

Littlest Pet Shop Pack of Two Hasbro

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway Susan Prescott Games

Crazy Action Contraptions Lego

Rabbit Pen Playmobil

Pass the Bomb Gibsons Games

Categorically Speaking WHS

Junior Pass The Bomb Gibsons Games

Mini Micro T-bar Scooter, Blue Micro Scooter

Mini Micro T-bar Scooter, Pink Micro Scooter

Maxi Micro Scooter, Black Micro Scooter

Hospital Playmobil

Wooden Desk and Chair Other

Star Wars Snowtrooper Battle Pack Lego

Maxi Micro Scooter, Purple Micro Scooter

Robo Champ Game Lego

Babydriver 4 Smoby

Twister Hasbro

CHART DATE08/02/10

CHART DATE05/02/10

The Entertainer

MARCH 2010

THE PRODUCTThe Wild Science Ant-O-Sphere has alreadylaunched in Australia where it is a success.

Interplay will take the success of Ant Worldin the company’s My Living World collectionand build upon it with new futuristic kits thatallow children to experience the innerworkings of an ant colony.

There are two sets to choose from, eitherwith four pods available now or the colossaleight pod version, available from July. Eachset contains pods, bases and supports thatcan be custom-connected into manydifferent designs to become a stimulatinghabitat for ant colonies.

The spheres link together and can be filledto make an atmospheric setting with plants,soil and ponds providing the new colonywith different environments to explore. Theidea is to link and twist each pod togetherwith the ant transit ports and watch as youdiscover what purpose the colony gives each area.

THE BRANDAnt-O-Sphere will benefit from the strongbrand awareness of the Wild Sciencecollection and its boys’ and girls’ best sellinglines, such as the Wild Science PerfumeLaboratory, Luxury Soap Science and theWeird Slime Laboratory.

This year the entire brand, which pridesitself on clear instructions, plentiful projectsand the ability to teach children the principlesof science without them even realising it, will see refreshed packaging for increased on-shelf presence.

MARKETINGInterplay has seen success with its marketingof Wild Science products, using TV as itsprinciple media tool backed up by strong PR.Ant-O-Sphere will also benefit from a highprofile TV campaign throughout the yearwith creative commercials that capture theintriguing nature of the product.

Its share of the science and nature market is somethingthat the team at Interplay is vehemently proud of andone it expects to build on, adding products such as theWild Science Ant-O-Sphere to its portfolio….

InterplayAnt-O-Sphere

54 HERO PRODUCT

The Four pod (top right) and Eightpod (above) Ant-O-Spheres fromInterplay’s Wild Science Collection,educate children on ant colonies.

Info:RELEASE DATE:Four Pod Ant-O-Sphere – Out nowEight Pod Ant-O-Sphere – July

PRICES:Four Pod – £19.99Eight Pod – £39.99

CONTACT: [email protected]

The idea is to linkand twist each pod

together with the ant transitports and discover whatpurpose the colonygives each area.

Organised by:

A big thank you to exhibitorsand visitors to Toy Fair 2010 for making it such a successfulshow. We look forward to seeingyou next year at Olympia GrandHall 25th-27th January 2011.

Wishing you a prosperous year ahead.

Advertisers

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

■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.Rainbow Productions 0208 254 5300

■ Point of Purchase ManufacturersDaytona Visual Marketing 01827 54551

■ Suppliers/ManufacturersBachmann Europe 0870 751 9990

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Logiblocs 01727 763 700

Maps Toys 01483 776 006

Plastics for Games 01728 745 300

Ravensburger 01869 363 800

Revell 01442 250 130

The Puppet Company 01462 446 040

Thumbs Up 0845 466 8880

Wow Toys 020 7471 0980

■ Toy SuppliersCarta Mundi 01268 511 522

Richard Edward 0208 311 8888

The place for business

RATES:RATES:

RAINBOW PRODUCTIONSCHARACTER COSTUMES & P.O.S.0208 254 5300IF YOU attended press day at

this year’s Toy Fair, you will

probably have been greeted by

a dozen licensed costume

characters, including Timmy,

Fireman Sam and Fifi.

Rainbow Productions

managed the appearances of

these characters on behalf of

the respective licensors. Not

only do characters at trade

shows help highlight licensed

product ranges on display on

licensee’s exhibition stands;

through walking the aisles, the

characters also act as walking

brand ads and offer photo

opportunities. Other trade

shows attended by characters,

include Spring Fair 2010 and

Brand Licensing Europe.

As the official UK licensee,

representing over 90 licensed

cartoon characters – all

exclusively available to book

through the company for ‘meet

and greets’ – Rainbow’s

character appearances also

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For toy companies looking

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Rainbow: 0208 254 5300

JUMBO IS looking forward to a

strong year in 2010 with key

product launches and the addition

of new licensed properties.

The Falcon brand sees new

launches including Home Sweet

Home, a triple pack containing

500, 750 and 1,000-piece puzzles,

generic puzzle range, Travelling By

and many more nostalgic images.

Falcon is also launching

licensed puzzles to celebrate the

Carry On film series, including a

1,000-piece puzzle and a puzzle in

tin, and the 50th anniversary of

Coronation Street. The puzzle will

feature 50 images – one from each

year of the ITV soap

The company plans to

strengthen its position in the

children’s puzzles market with a

portfolio of licensed brands,

including the launch of products

based on Ben and Holly’s Little

Kingdom and Guess with Jess. The

firm has also expanded its Disney

licensed range to include Toy Story

3, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,

Handy Manny and new summer

blockbuster film Prince of Persia.

Further developments include

the launch of a generic puzzle

range, Grow with Jumbo, aimed at

kids up to six years-old. The

concept is based on stages and

each puzzle includes a certificate

and stickers.

Showcased for the first time at

Toy Fair, Jumbo entered the infant

electronic category with the

launch of the Jo Jo range which

combines traditional play with

new technology to create toys with

sophisticated interactive qualities.

Jumbo: 01707 289 289

JUMBO GAMESSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER01707 289 289

Marketplace

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RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS

COSTUME CHARACTER SPECIALISTS

� Ranging from Angelina Ballerina to Paddington Bear to Scooby-Doo, our portfolio of 90 licensed cartoon characters are exclusivelyavailable to book through Rainbow Productions for personalappearances.

� To add an extra dimension to your toy-related campaigns, Rainbowalso creates high quality bespoke costumes and puppets.

Contact Kelly MorrisonT: 020 8254 5300E: [email protected]

■ Character Costumes & P.O.S. ■ Point of Purchase Manufacturers


Marketplacewww.toynews-online.biz | Advertising: +44 (0)1992 535 647

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers■ Suppliers/Manufacturers


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ADVERTISINGTHAT WORKS!

To advertise here please contact

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64 TOY TALK

MARCH 2010

TOYTALKA new regular column from Jon Salisbury, a little monkey business, and news of the Licensing Awards....

TWENTY FIVE years. You could get less formurder but that was my sentence in toyyears when I became editor of Toy Traderin February 1985 at the callow age of 22.

I was appointed just after Earls Court1985 and March was my first ever issue.But how things have changed in thatquarter of a century - or have they?

Hasbro had Transformers and My LittlePony but had bought MB Games andPlayskool to give it a foot in othercategories, while Mattel was basking inthe glow of Masters of the Universe,although the globalisation of Barbie wassome way off. Kenner and Parker werestill independent forces to be reckonedwith, Bandai and Tomy were not yetinternational power houses and Lego, theonly European giant, had yet to roll outglobally, while Toys R Us had just dippedits toes into foreign markets.

So many of those names remain salientin the 2010. Brands come and go but somany have stood the test of time thatwriting about the toy industry todaysometimes feel like déjà vu - all overagain.

Take Lego, currently on a roll and proudof its latest achievements but still thetarget of copyright challenges. Lego’strade mark is regularly the subject ofcourtroom drama and the Danishcompany has just appealed a decision tocancel its application to register its brickas a Community trade mark. Expectsparks to fly but, as my lawyer once saidto me: “I knew the judge in one of thosecases and he said that the respectiveparties can argue all they want but whenyou step a toy brick in bare feet it f*ckinghurts no matter who made it!”

Ouch in 1985 and ouch still in 2010.

JonSALISBURYObservations froma toy industrysurvivor....

Gorilla tactics were notenough to beat Robert Mann

MARATHON MANToy Trust chairman Robert Mann is training hard for his appearance in the London Marathon in April, where hewill attempt to better the time put in by the bloke in the diving suit. Mann took part in his first 'race' recently,the delightfully named Brass Monkey, a six-miler in Corby. He said: “Although only six miles it is the first time Ihave ran anywhere with an audience. I’m pleased to say I finished without any walking in 61 mins 45 secs and Iwasn't LAST! And I beat the gorilla.”

GADGET SHOW BACKS RE:CREATIONRe:creation has benefitedfrom a double thumbs upfrom Five’s The GadgetShow, which chose both itsRazor RipRider 360 andChatman products in its toptoy list for 2010, with theRipRider in the covetednumber one slot. Chatmanwas at number three.Launching in April 2010,Chatman is designedspecifically to make chatsessions, web surfing andgaming more fun. It hasthree personality options,over 500 actions and over 25customisable moods.

MyFavouriteThings

Rob Trup,Marketing manager, Fiesta Crafts

Favourite album: Amy Winehouse,Back to Black. Never a bad time tolisten to it.----------------------------------------------------Film: The Italian Job (original) ---------------------------------------------------Book: At the moment, the HarryPotter series. They are truly motivating my son toread.--------------------------------------------TV programme: The Sopranos -just sublime.---------------------------------------------Magazine: Occasionally I'll buy a cycling title.----------------------------------------------Holiday destination: I learned to love the non-CostasSpain when I was living there.-----------------------------------------------------------------Pet: Never had one, but it looks like we are going toget frogs this spring for our empty frog tank!-----------------------------------------------------------------Hero: No real 'heroes' but I do think Barack Obamahas made an awe-inspiring journey.----------------------------------------------------Way to spend the weekend: Trying to steal as much rest as possible inbetween the endless arrangementsfor kids and family.--------------------------------------------------Game/toy: I play ultimate frisbee - abit like football but played with aflying disc. (and no, no dogs)-----------------------------------------------------------------Tipple:Good malt whiskey doesn't go amiss. -----------------------------------------------------------------Food: Love Indian, the spicier the better. Re-'discovered' vindaloo at Nuremburg this year.-----------------------------------------------------------------MARCH 2010

65TOY TALK

LICENSING AWARDS RETURNThe date has been set for the LicensingAwards, for which ToyNews’ sisterwebsite Licensing.biz has become theofficial online media partner.

The event returns on ThursdaySeptember 9th, at the LancasterLondon Hotel with a new headlinesponsor, website and new award.

The Awards - owned and organisedby The Licensing Source Book Europe(part of Max Publishing) - are now intheir fifth year and are officially open forentries. A newly designed website haslaunched incorporating the entry forms, nomination forms, ticket booking forms, plus avariety of other information on the awards.

Categories for 2010 include specific accolades for licensed products, retailers andlicensing properties, plus for the first time there will be an award for Best LicensedMarketing Communication Campaign.

"It is wonderful how The Licensing Awards have become such an integral part of thelicensing industry calendar," commented Ian Hyder, director of The Licensing SourceBook Europe. www.thelicensingawards.co.uk

CRANE STANDS OUTJohn Crane won the prize for BestDesigned Stand at Toy Fair, while StreetSurfing took the accolade for best shellscheme stand.

Eponymous boss, John Crane,pictured far left receiving the award fromRoger Dyson with MD, Jonathan Thorpeand BTHA events manager, SimonPilling, commented: “We work closelywith our stand designer and builder tocreate the space each year. We alsopreviously won an award at the BabyShow, so we are proud of the standdesign. I'm delighted to have won thisaward.”

Street Surfing, a Dorset-basedcompany supplying skateboardingproducts, took the award for the BestUse of Shell Scheme/Economy ShellScheme. The company was exhibiting inthe Greenhouse area of the show anddesigned the urban style stand usingcorrugated iron and spray paint graffiti.

Mike Hickling at Street Surfing said:“We'll have to start thinking of how wecan improve again next year now. We’veset ourselves a high standard.” Thefirm’s MD, Oliver Webb added: “It's greatto have won the award, we're reallypleased.”

John Crane takes his award from the show organisers

MARCH 2010

66 FEATURE PLANNER

Editorial deadline: Call for details Advertising deadline: March 12th

APRIL Boys’ market special ● Games and puzzles ● Track and trains ● World Cup special

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

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

© Intent Media 2010 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.toynews-online.biz 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:6,011 July 1st 2008 to June 30th 2009,

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Circulation &Subscriptions

BRAND LICENSING CENTRAL ANDEASTERN EUROPEMarch 8th and 9th Corinthia Grand Hotel, Budapestwww.brandlicensing-budapest.com

TOYMASTER MAY SHOWMay 18th-20th Barcelo Majestic, Harrogatewww.toymaster.co.uk

BRAND LICENSING EUROPESeptember 29th-30th Grand Hall, Olympiawww.brandlicensingeurope.com

TOYZERIANovember 25th - 28th Istanbul World Trade Centre, Turkeywww.toyzeria.com

TOYNEWS FIVESJuly 9thPowerleague, Barnetwww.topcorner.co.uk

The April issue willhighlight whichnew productlaunches are likelyto dominate in the all-importantboys sector.

Also included inApril will be a lookat what’s new ingames and puzzlesand a guide to thelatest in tracks and trains.

In the run-up tothis year’s WorldCup, we will alsorun a special guideto what’s availablein football toys.

THE LICENSING AWARDSThursday September 9th Lancaster London hotelwww.thelicensingawards.co.uk

PLAY-ROOM AT THE PARKApril 20th and 21st Cranmore Park, Solihullwww.cranmorepark.co.uk

Some seehalf full...

We see the wrong sized glass

Adding value to your business

Some see half empty...

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Gem Logistics provides the following services to theVideo Game, DVD and Toy markets:

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The 1st construction system to mate with all other construction brandsThe 1st construction toy to encourage children to recycle

Now in the UK and supported by

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Half the range retails at under £10.00

THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTIONTOYS

www.treasuretrovetoys.co.ukCall: +44 (0) 1285 762039 [email protected]

NEW

toynews issue 103 march 2010

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