toynews issue 115, march 2011

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THE HOME OF NO.1 TOYS

INSIDE…

TOY FAIR 2011 REVIEWNews and reaction from thebig event at London’s Olympia

Issue 115 March 2011

AND THE WINNER IS....Who won what at the industryretail and supplier awards

OUTDOOR TYPESWhat’s hitting shelves in theoutdoor toys market this year

APPLIANCE OF SCIENCEAll the best from the scienceand educational toy sector

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AS PART of any critique you have to ponder thepositives and negatives in equal measure but,honestly, it really is hard to find any negativeswith this year’s Toy Fair at Olympia.

Just about everything about it worked. Andthat’s not something you can say about it everyyear, or with any show for that matter.

The opening of the Gallery Level was aconcern for some that feared it would become astand ghetto, but it was constantly busy andreally added to the sense that Toy Fair was ashow that had grown considerably on theprevious year. And more importantly had growninto the space at Olympia.

There was plenty of media activity and plentyof media interest on the back of some positivegrowth figures for the industry for a change.

Some of it worked really well, some of it was abit more perplexing (just what were Syed andZainab from EastEnders doing there?) but it alladded to the general gaeity of nations and theoverall feel of an industry with plenty going on.

It’s always difficult to discern a product trendwith so much on offer, and the nationals oftenmanufacture trends that don’t really exist becauseit makes a sturdy angle to hang a story on, but ifthere was one it was that plenty of firms are aliveto the possibilities offered by mobile phonetechnology, in particular Apple’s iPhone and itsuse as a controller, content portal or simplylicensing successful IP from its App Store. Exactlythe sort of canny piggy-backing that the toyindustry needs to be on its toes with.

Next year’s event will build on the momentumcreated by this year’s barnstormer and withexpansion at Olympia coming, there’s yet moreroom to make it even bigger and better.

Oh, I’ve just thought of a negative: that will bemy last Toy Fair. But, hey, no doubt, for some thatwill be another to add to the list of positives fromthis year’s corker of a show. Ronnie [email protected]

COMMENTGOOD VIBRATIONS

Toy Fair was a show thathad grown considerably

on the previous year andhad grown into Olympia.

20 News

LICENSING

FEATURES

25 Awards winners

31 Outdoor toys

41 Science and educational

53 News

54 Counter Insurgent

54 Price Check

55 Retail Charts

56 New Products

57 Hero Product

RETAIL

REGULARS4 News

8 Appointments

10 Exclusive NPD analysis

12 Media Tracker

14 TV ratings

16 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

■ ToyNews circulation is 15.9% higherthan its closest competitor.

■ ToyNews requested or paid forcirculation is 23.4% higher than itsclosest competitor.

■ ToyNews has 100% named circulationand 0% duplication.

AUDITED CIRCULATION:Average Net Circulation: 6,043July 1st 2009 to June 30th 2010.

www.toynews-online.biz

WOW STUFF is hoping to take a leadin the app-controlled toy market, withthe launch of a new iPhonecompatible ‘Apple-approved’ R/Cproduct range – iKon RC.

The products are designedspecifically to be compatible withApple iPhone, iPad and iTouch/iPodproducts. The first in the range is TheBuggy. It uses Apple-suppliedmicrochip technology to create an‘iKon RC dongle’ which attaches tothe port of the iPhone/iPad/iTouch oriPod. The dongle then allows a freeapp to be downloaded to turn thedevice into a fully functional infra-redhandset controller.

“This was always going to be thenext bastion in R/C product and weknew that other toy firms would bepitching hard to create an affordableR/C range for Apple products.

“We were delighted to have gainedthe licence to do this and The Buggyis the first of a range of beautifullydesigned but functionally amazing R/Ctoys to hit the shelves,” said KennyMcAndrew, global head of newproduct development at Wow Stuff.

“Retailers forecast numbers aregoing up all the time. We know what

our production capacity is going to befor 2011 and if it keeps rising at thisrate we are going to get queuesforming on launch and nowhere nearenough product for all.”

An Apple authorised POSinformation stand will be available toapproved launch partners, includingToys R Us, Marks & Spencer,Debenhams and Modelzone.

Due to the current order situationthe first quantity will be available onlythrough regional stores of approvedretailers. It is anticipated that majorApple stores will also launch with

limited stock availability. 12 pre-production samples will be availableon June 1st.

MD Richard North added: “Withthe app market set to grow to over$17.5 billion by 2012 the rate ofgrowth for Apple-controlled productsis here to stay, and here to expandimmeasurably.”Wow Stuff: 0870 054 6000

The rate ofgrowth for

Apple controlled itemsis set to expand.

Richard North, Wow Stuff

RE:CREATION WANTS Razor to be thenumber one outdoor toy brand in theUK – and is confident that it couldachieve this goal in 2011.

The brand is on track to be worthwell over £30 million at retail in 2011,with sales in the UK doubling in eachof the last two years.

There is now a different Razorproduct for every age group, withRe:creation offering around 30different toy, electrical and sports ride-ons and scooters from the portfolio inthe UK. The E100 electric scooter wasthe best selling line last year, sellingover 40,000 units in the UK alone.

“Razor sales have absolutelyrocketed in the last 24 months,” AlexKovacevic, brand manager atRe:creation, told ToyNews. “We wantRazor to be the number one outdoortoy brand in the UK. The next step isto become a genuine householdbrand, known by every parent andchild across the country. This iswhere Razor is at in the USA, withevery kid having at one stage owneda Razor scooter, and we have toemulate that success.”

Key new lines for 2011 include theGraffiti scooter and the eSpark.Re:creation: 0118 973 6222

Re:creationaiming for topspot with Razor

4 NEWS

By Ronnie Dungan

IMAGINATION GAMES hasunveiled a number of changes,including a new logo and newmanagement.

The firm’s new managing director isnow David Snow, who has beenpromoted from his previous role assales and marketing director.

Snow steps up after three years atthe company and takes over fromprevious incumbent, Steve Reece,who will continue to work on theexisting business and help to launchnew ventures on a global basis.

Other moves at the companyinclude a new corporate logo, a freshrange of products and a new name.

The firm believes its updatedtrading name better reflects its corebusiness. Imagination Games UK &Europe will take over the mantle of itspredecessor – Imagination DVDi.

A new logo will accompany thename change.

Finally, having sold a few of itssmaller brands in the UK to SpinMaster, Imagination has introducedfour titles to its portfolio, includingRuckus, Kalide, Get It Wrong toWin and Am I Napoleon?

Ruckus comes straight from the USwhere it has enjoyed strong sales;Kalide is a tactile and competitivemagnet-based skill and action game;Get It Wrong to Win has an obviousgameplay and Am I Napoleon? is anelectronic guessing game for all ages.

The new games join a range ofestablished lines offered by thecompany, including Top Gear, DoctorWho and Catchphrase.

Snow (pictured) explained thechanges, saying: “We wanted to makea statement that we’re still here andthriving after we sold a few of ourminor brands (in the UK at least) toSpin Master.

“A change of image, new leadershipand the largest number of SKUs we’ve

ever unveiled represent areinforcement that we are a successfulcompany in the UK, with years ofsolid growth ahead of us.”Imagination Games: 01270 619100

By Katie Roberts

Snow promoted as Imagination relaunches

The Buggy is the first productin the iKon RC line

Gadget specialist looking to carve out share with Apple-backed R/C range The Buggy first product to hit retail...

New MD named, as company brings in revampedname and logo and introduces a range of products...

Wow Stuff aims for app lead

MARCH 2011

Gallery Level opening creates best show for years as Fair finally settles in to Olympia 2012 event dated...

Trade applauds resurgent Toy Fair

www.toynews-online.biz 5NEWS

AN OVERWHELMINGLY positivethumbs up was the verdict on thisyear’s Toy Fair, with organisers andindustry alike declaring it the bestshow for years.

The expanded event, which thisyear opened up the Gallery Levelspace to exhibitors, was busythroughout the three days and thetrade was overwhelmingly positiveabout the look, feel and organisation.

The BTHA’s director ofcommunications, Natasha Crookes,told ToyNews: “The balcony has beenpopular not just with the people on it,but with the exhibitors downstairs,because the feeling is that it has reallylifted the show. Having 30 per centmore exhibitors certainly helped, but ithas definitely regained that feeling ofpeople doing business in the aisles andback to that kind of friendly toy shopfeeling of Toy Fair as was.

“The media coverage has beengreat, surpassing what we have had inprevious years and that busy, upbeat,feeling has a knock-on effect becauseother journalists then feel that theshow needs to be covered.”

A snapshot of visitor and exhibitoropinion backed up the show’s positivefeel throughout the three days.

Phil Ratcliffe, sales and marketingdirector at MV Sports, said: “I really,really enjoyed being back at Toy Fair.The feedback from the customers andlicensors was extremely positive andmade it all worthwhile. The buzz ofbeing able to show physical product tocustomers as opposed to lap top imageswas fantastic.”

“Toy Fair 2011 certainly created ahuge buzz of passionate people excitedabout toys. It’s a fantastic way tovisualise your strategy for the year aswell as catching up with friends,” saidRyan Collins, head of buying at

Firebox. “There was a surprisingunderground trend of cute miniatureerasers which could create a trend onpar with Silly Bandz from last year.”

Gray Richmond, MD of JumboGames, added: “Toy Fair was an

extremely busy event and we found ourdiaries full with productive meetingsfor the duration of the three days.”

Benn Bramwell, marketing managerat Ravensburger, added: “Wegenerated a lot of customer and mediaattention; media highlights being our32,000 piece puzzle and the 25thAnniversary of Labyrinth. Theatmosphere was positive and thefootfall was massively up. As a resultthe fair has given us the opportunity tobuild on our growth shown in 2010.”Next year’s show will be held atOlympia from January 24th-26th.

by Ronnie Dungan

MATTEL IS backing its Hot Wheelsrange with a new loyalty programmeacross a number of different mediums,including TV, online and mums’ andboys’ press.

A new season of Team Hot Wheels,will run throughout 2011 and willbuild on the success of last year’scampaign that saw 90,000 boys agedfour to nine years-old join up.

This year’s virtual racingchampionship will be backed with anextended partnership with CartoonNetwork. In addition to streaming allfour races, a series of Team Hot Wheels

magazine-style shows will also featurean aspirational mix of real-life racingfootage, extreme stunts and famousracing faces.

A new website –www.teamhotwheels.co.uk – will seeboys earn points for their team byplaying games, undertaking challengesand engaging with content from real-life footage of the world of racing toextreme Hot Wheels stunts.

Print and editorial PR activity willhelp raise awareness of theprogramme, as well as key Hot Wheelsproducts among boys and mums.

Large-scale high profilecompetitions will also run throughoutthe year giving consumers the chanceto experience real-life racing HotWheels VIP-style.

Boys marketing manager, JonathanKirkley, said: “2011 will be a stand outyear for Hot Wheels. This engaginginitiative is just one element of theexciting multi-platform marketingcampaign that will run throughout theyear bringing to life the speed, power,performance and attitude of HotWheels in a totally new way.”Mattel: 01628 500000

Mattel heats up Hot Wheels

Missed us at

the Toy Fair?

Don’t miss out on our audience

Our channels are watched by more

4-9 year old boys than any other Kids’ TV

commercial network in the UK.

(Source: Barb 2010)

TM

Find out more

good stuff at

www.turnermedia

innovations.com

or email [email protected]

There’s afeeling that the

balcony really liftedthe show.

Natasha Crookes,BTHA

6 NEWS: TOY FAIR 2011

Wow Toys won the award for best designed smallstand. Wow Toys boss, Nadim Ednan-Laperhouse,was handed the trophy by BTHA chair, ChristineNicholls and events and fairs manager, Simon Pilling.

Dancing on Ice star Nadia Sawalha unveiled the latest edition of the board game, AboutTime (About Time Friends and Family), at the show.

She commented: “I’d all but given up on board games. About Time has reignited allthat childhood excitement I used to experience all those years ago.

“What I love about this game is that even if you're a bit of an ignoramus (like me), youcan still potentially win and along the way will have learnt amazing facts that you canimpress other people with.”

Costume characters of iconic revolutionaries, including Che Guevara, Martin Luther King,John Lennon and a gorilla, were also seen walking around the fair promoting the game.

Orchard Toys celebrated40 years in the business atToy Fair. Managing directorSimon Newbery (left),founder Keith Harvey(centre) and currentchairman Hugh Beevor cutthe specially-made caketo mark the occasion.

Former 400m Olympic medallist, Roger Black, visited the Golden Bear stand toreveal its full collection of 2012 licensed product.

The new range includes plush mascots, mascot collectables, mascot toys, specialedition mascots and Team GB mascots (available from September).

Black commented: “The Olympic and Paralympic Games have the ability to inspirelike no other event on the planet. The mascot plays an important role both forathletes and supporters as a way of getting behind your team and feeling part ofthe action.

“I’m delighted to join Golden Bear to launch the full range and as a formerOlympic medalist to introduce Pride, the new Team GB mascot for the first time.”

Best designed stand at this year'sshow was won by Worlds Apart. BTHAchair, Christine Nicholls and SimonPilling, fairs and events manager,presented the award to Worlds Apartboss Andy Cooper, Emily McLennen andJohn Stewart.

MARCH 2011

MARCH 2011

TOYNEWS WILL have a new editorfrom the spring, as it looks to furthergrow its market leadership in 2011.

Samantha Loveday is stepping upto replace long-serving managingeditor Ronnie Dungan, who is takingup an opportunity in Intent Media’smusic division.

Loveday has a strong pedigree inthe toy space, having been associateeditor for several years. She was alsolaunch editor of the hugely successfulLicensing.biz, which she willcontinue to oversee.

Dungan steps down after sevenyears and 92 issues in charge ofToyNews. In that time it hasestablished itself as the toy trade’shighest circulation and mostinfluential magazine and website.

John Stanhope has moved overfrom Tesco’s video games division tohead up toys.

Stanhope will take up the role ofsenior buying manager for toys,having also held roles at EUK andWoolworths. His replacement in thegames sector is Sarah Kaye.

Marko Ilincic, MD, Lego UK andIreland is set to swap jobs with

colleague, Drew Brazer, VP sales,US, Canada and Mexico.

The move, which takes place onMay 1st, comes as part of thecompany’s continued efforts tostrengthen succession planning.

Providing significant careerdevelopment for Ilincic and Brazer,Ilincic will gain experience of the USmarket, becoming VP of sales.

Leapfrog has appointed ChrisSpalding to vice president in EMEA& Asia. The promotion comes as thecompany looks to further build onthe success achieved outside of theUS market in the last year.

Spalding will take up the newlycreated role with immediate effectand the promotion reflects theprogress that Leapfrog has madesince he became MD of the EMEAand Asia business in 2010.

Hornby’s Nat Southworth hasbeen promoted to sales andmarketing director. Joining the firmlast year, Southworth played aninfluential role in the development ofthe London 2012 Olympic range.

He will be responsible for all ofHornby’s marketing and UK sales.

Former Conran Group exec, NickThompson, has been appointedfinancial director at Wow Toys.

Thompson has a vast amount ofexperience in the UK toy trade,including a stint as financial directorof the Early Learning Centre.

Two new national accountmanagers have bolstered Vivid’s salesforce. Nick Karmy joins fromRe:creation, where he spent threeyears and prior to that worked in theDVD market for Telstar and Prism.

Ben Smith joins from RainbowDesigns and also has over three yearstoy national account experience.

New directors have joined WorldsApart, as the firm sets out ambitiousgrowth plans for its lifestyle business.

Emily MacLennan and CraigLawton join as category director andfinancial director respectively.

Alison Coates has joined Bandaias national account manager, fromLeapfrog. She will be workingalongside Ray Hughes again (whomshe worked with at Vivid) in a newlook sales team for the firm.

Coates’ previous roles in the toyindustry include six years at Vivid

Imaginations in brand managementand sales.

Hughes will now serve as salesmanager. The recent changes to theBandai sales team follow last year’scompany restructure, when CliveSmith was promoted to generalmanager with Julian Boyerscontinuing as managing director.

Malcolm Breton has beenappointed as agent for Haba in theSouth West and South Wales region.

Breton, who runs an agencybusiness operating in the South Westas far as Gloucestershire, SouthWales and the Channel Islands,brings a wealth of experience, havingworked in sales for 32 years and wasalso previously owner of a smallchain of children’s shops.

Bryan Stockton has been namedas the new COO of Mattel, as NeilFriedman leaves his role as presidentof Mattel Brands this month.

Stockton will have responsibilityfor day to day operations, includingoverseeing the design, development,marketing and sale of all Mattel’s toybrands globally, plus its licensedproducts and digital networks.

FROM LEFT: ToyNews editor,Samantha Loveday, Lego’s MarkoIlincic and Leapfrog VP, ChrisSpalding...

8 APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVESNew editor at ToyNews, Ilincic moves to Lego US, Leapfrog promotes Spalding to Vice President, EMEA and Asia,Vivid bolsters sales team, new toys chief at Tesco, Southworth moves up at Hornby, Mattel names new COO…

■ Over 12 years recruitmentexperience, extensive list oftoy, nursery and non foodindustry skilled applicants.

■ Highly experienced andrespected toy recruiterwhich operate in a totallyconfidential way.

■ A complete and total bespokeservice can be offered whichmean clients come back timeand time again.

CONTACT: Amanda Holder 3 The Orchards, Netherend, Woolaston, NearLydney, Gloucestershire GL15 6NQ

Tel: 01594 529 413 Mob: 07796 697 [email protected] www.birchwoodrecruitment.com

MARCH 2011

2010 WAS a growth year for the toymarket with value up nine per centfor the full year compared to 2009and both value and volume saleshigher than in 2008 – pre-Woolworths closure. December isthe most important month of theyear and accounted for 22 per centof annual toy sales. The marketgrew by seven per cent for themonth driven by the grocerschannel, which was less impacted bythe snowfall during December, thanspecialist and mixed retailers whoseHigh Street locations were lessfrequently visited.

Games and puzzles had a strongmonth with the average selling priceincreasing to £9.30 from £8.89 inDecember 2009. Children’s gamesparticularly drove the market withLego’s Harry Potter Hogwarts andDrumond Park’s Pig Goes Pop.Traditional games such as Monopolyand Scrabble also performedstrongly for the Christmas period,with both Monopoly and MonopolyRevolution in the top sellers fortotal toys for the month. However,the must-have Christmas present forthe third year running was VTech’sKidizoom Digital Camera – thenumber one item for December.

Unsurprisingly, Toy Story remainsthe top property both for Decemberand full year, with sales in excess ofthe number two and number threeproperties combined (Star Wars andBen 10 respectively). Another fastgrowing property in 2010 was HelloKitty & Friends, which ended the

year ranked at number 12 for theUK and had items across a numberof categories, particularly HTI’soutdoor range.

“The market was driven by anumber of big events in 2010including the football World Cup,the success of Toy Story 3 and eventhe good summer all helped to grow

sales,” said Jez Fraser-Hook, directorof NPD Group’s toy business, UK.

“Looking ahead to 2011, thereare a number of film licences suchas Cars 2 and Transformers, as wellas an exciting variety of new brandsas introduced at Toy Fair, whichcould make 2011 a big year for thetoy industry.”

Toy market value increasesby nine per cent in 2010

Unsurprisingly, Toy Story remained thetop property for December and the full year,with sales in excess of the number two andnumber three properties combined(Star Wars and Ben 10 respectively).

Top 5 propertiesDec 20101. TOY STORY2. STAR WARS3. ZHUZHU PETS4. LEGO CITY5. PEPPA PIG

Best itemprogression Dec 2010

Articulate (Drumond Park)Another board game that hasrisen through the ranks isArticulate, moving from number421 up to 13…

Best propertyprogressionDec 2010

Scrabble (Mattel)The latest version of the iconicboard game rose from position84 to 41…

10 NPD RESEARCH

UK toy sales(value, year to date)

Dec2009

Dec2010 9%

Source: NPD

Dec 09: £9.32 Dec 10: £9.59

Sales Average price

PropertiesRetail Sales Trends

UK DECEMBER 2010 (£ SALES - VALUE) UK DECEMBER 2010 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 KIDIZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA VTECH

2 ZHUZHU HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT CHARACTER

3 FIRST STEPS BABYWALKER VTECH

4 STAR WARS 2010 TROOPER BATTLEPACK LEGO

5 MINIFIGURES 2010 ASSORTMENT LEGO

6 OFFICIAL FIFA STICKERS PANINI

7 TOY STORY DELUXE TALKING BUZZ VIVID

8 STAR WARS LUKE’S LANDSPEEDER LEGO

9 TOY STORY 3 DELUXE BUZZ JET PACK DELUXE MATTEL

10 KIDIZOOM VIDEO CAM ASSORTMENT VTECH

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 OFFICIAL FIFA STICKERS PANINI

2 HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT MATTEL

3 MATCH ATTAX 2010/2011 PACKETS TOPPS

4 MINI FIGURES 2010 ASSORTMENT LEGO

5 MATCH ATTAX CARDS TOPPS

6 MATCH ATTAX ENGLAND CARDS TOPPS

7 MATCH ATTAX EXTRA 20 TOPPS

8 MATCH ATTAX STARTER PACK TOPPS


10 PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT HASBRO

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

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

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES - VALUE)

1 MATCH ATTAX 2010 2011 PACKETS TOPPS

2 HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT MATTEL

3 MATCH ATTAX STARTER PACK TOPPS


5 MINIFIGURES 2010 ASSORTMENT LEGO

6 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT BANDAI

7 MONOPOLY HASBRO

8 PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT HASBRO

9 HERO FACTORY HEROS 2010 ASSORTMENT LEGO




3 THE LOGO BOARD GAME DRUMOND PARK


5 MONOPOLY HASBRO

6 KIDIZOOM VIDEO CAM ASSORTMENT VTECH

7 FIRST STEPS BABYWALKER VTECH

8 FURREAL GO GO MY WALKIN’ PUP HASBRO

9 MONOPOLY REVOLUTION HASBRO

10 PAPER JAMZ GUITAR 5 ASSORTMENT WOWWEE

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 11NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

12 STATS

SUPERCATEGORY TRENDS (VALUE % CHANGE)

FULL YEAR 10 Vs 09 DEC 10 Vs 09

TOTAL TOY MARKET 7 9

ACTION FIGURES -17 -13

ARTS & CRAFTS 5 8

BUILDING SETS 48 45

DOLLS 6 11

GAMES/PUZZLES 4 -1

INFANT & PRE-SCHOOL 3 6

YOUTH ELECTRONICS 17 8

OUTDOOR & SPORTS TOYS 14 13

PLUSH 34 39

VEHICLES -10 -6

ALL OTHER TOYS 4 16

SOURCE: NPD

MARKET VALUE YEAR TO DATE (DECEMBER)

SOURCE: NPD/TOYNEWS

MARCH 2011

NEWS EMANATING from Olympiathis year appeared to surround themedia rather than the toy industry.

As the media focused on Toy Fair,Sky, Ofcom and News Corp wereengaged in a heavy exchange ofwords over Murdoch’s bid for Sky.

Jeremy Hunt, as Culture Ministeris on the path to a referral to theCompetition Commission. However,before confirming his decision, Hunthas allowed Murdoch more time toprove his bid will not have anadverse effect on media plurality.

Hunt’s situation lends itself tosome classic football analogies. Hefinds himself in this position afterVince Cable’s own goal back inDecember. Cameron had no optionbut to substitute Cable, bring onHunt and force him into playingkeepy uppy with the threeinterested parties. Then to top it all,after allowing Murdoch more time,Cameron gets accused of bias.

I had breakfast with Hunt thistime last year. A very nice man. Justone of seven millionaires inCameron’s cabinet. The purpose ofour meeting was hi-jacked by hisdesire to talk about his commitmentand passion for local-TV.

This subject is close to my ownheart. In today’s multi-channelmarket, stretching from local-TV tonewly launched Sky Atlantic is justwhat digital TV should be offeringconsumers and advertisers. Local-TV, though, doesn’t come easy.

Across the breakfast table Huntspoke about Birmingham inAlabama, the town that supportsseven local-TV stations. These are allfunded by advertising. Birminghamin the West Midlands supports none.

Birmingham, Alabama is a verydifferent place with a very differentlifestyle. Hunt has researched thelocal market, however, Alabama isnot a state best suited to a formerpupil of Charterhouse School.

There’s little similarity beyond thename between the US and UKtowns. The delivery systems wouldbe very different – the US model isbased on a local cable businessaffiliated to a US network, whileHunt’s UK version is based on anational TV affiliate network, whichwould provide opt-outs at certaintimes of day. Add Sky, Virgin and theEPG to the UK mix, together withdifferent structures for the adrevenue and its distribution tostakeholders, and local-TV in the UKbecomes a huge challenge.

Back at Toy Fair and somewelcome respite came to supportthe Culture Minister, still jugglingwith the ball. Greg Dyke (nostranger to the game) announcedthe findings of his report on local-TV,taking the attention away fromthe news surrounding Hunt.

A prospect for up to 80 local-TVstations was some way north of theprevious Shott Report thatrecommended scope for ten to 15.

Despite the size of the challengeto establish local-TV, the CultureMinister is expecting to receiveexpressions of interest by March 1st,with the first local-TV licencesawarded by the end of 2012. There isno launch date as yet but a target ofup to 20 local TV services by 2015.

This year at Olympia we saw howthe digital landscape can facilitatemore exposure for the event and thefirms represented there. TelegraphTV, to name but one, really made adifference. Given the geography ofthe toy industry across the UK andthe huge PR effort that companiescommit to, local-TV will serve toincrease the opportunity for thosewho create stories from business toconsumer, to end user.

Media tracker

2009 2010

By Clive Crouch

BehindTHE SCREEN

[email protected] 670453

£2.85BN

£2.62BN

£3,000,000,000

£2,000,000,000

£1,000,000,000

£0

www.toynews-online.biz 13STATS

VALUE GROWTH/DECLINE (%) BY SUPERCATEGORY

SOURCE: NPD

TV insight from former GMTV veteran, Clive Crouch; toy market value;top licensed toys and comparative market data on all manner ofentertainment products….

MARCH 2011

ALL FORMATS GAMES CHART (W/E 12/02/11)

1 TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2 ATARI

2 DEAD SPACE 2 EA

3 FIFA 11 EA

4 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS ACTIVISION

5 ASSASSIN’S CREED:BROTHERHOOD UBISOFT

6. MARIO VS DONKEY KONG: MINI-LAND MAYHEM NINTENDO

7. JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT

8. MARIO SPORTS MIX NINTENDO

9. GRAND THEFT AUTO IV: COMPLETE EDITION ROCKSTAR

10. LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 SONY

SOURCE: GFK CHART TRACK/UKIE

TOP LICENSED TOYS DEC 2010 RANKED BY VALUE


2 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN DELUXE VEHICLE BANDAI

3 LEGO GAMES HARRY POTTER HOGWARTS LEGO

4 STAR WARS REBEL TROOPER/SNOW TROOPER PACK LEGO

5 STAR WARS LUKE’S LANDSPEEDER LEGO

6 STAR WARS GENERAL GRIEVOUS LIGHT HASBRO

7 SYLVANIAN FAMILIES CARAVAN AND CAR FLAIR

8 FIREMAN SAM DELUXE FIRE STATION PLAY-SET CHARACTER

9 FIREMAN SAM VEHICLE & ACCESSORY SET CHARACTER

10 HOTH WAMPA CAVE LEGO

SOURCE: NPD

-25

-13

0

13

25

38

50

ACTION FIGURES ARTS & CRAFTS BUILDING SETS DOLLS INFANT &PRESCHOOL

OUTDOOR &SPORTS TOYS

VEHICLESGAMES/PUZZLES YOUTHELECTRONICS

PLUSH ALL OTHER TOYS

16

-6

39

138

6

-1

11

45

8

-13

4

-10

34

1417

346

48

5

-17 Full Year 10 vs 09 Dec 10 v 09

Toy market growth in 2010 was driven by extraordinary building sets and plush growth. Within building sets licences are driving growth with Legolaunching Toy Story, Ben 10 and Harry Potter, while Mega’s Halo Wars range and Thomas & Friends also added to growth. For plush the runawaysuccess has been ZhuZhu Pets, which was the number six property across total toys for the year

MARCH 2011

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

Top programmes14 AIRTIME STATISTICS

1 2.80 SUITE LIFE ON DECK: BREAK UP IN PARIS DISNEY CH. 12 237 3

2 2.49 TRACY BEAKER'S THE MOVIE OF ME CBBC 16 211 1

3 2.21 TRACY BEAKER RETURNS CBBC 13 187 28

4 2.15 RASTAMOUSE CBEEBIES 12 182 1

5 2.14 PRANK PATROL CBBC 12 181 23

6 1.98 SADIE J CBBC 10 168 6

7 1.89 GIMME A BREAK CBBC 8 160 1

8 1.88 SORRY, I'VE GOT NO HEAD CBBC 8 159 1

9 1.86 REMOTE CONTROL STAR CBBC 8 157 1

10 1.85 GRANDPA IN MY POCKET CBEEBIES 9 156 39

TVR TITLE/DESCRIPTION CHANNEL SHARE OOOs #

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES JANUARY 10

1 2.80 SUITE LIFE ON DECK: BREAK UP IN PARIS DISNEY CH. 12 237 3

2 2.49 TRACY BEAKER'S THE MOVIE OF ME CBBC 16 211 1

3 2.21 TRACY BEAKER RETURNS CBBC 13 187 28

4 2.15 RASTAMOUSE CBEEBIES 12 182 1

5 2.14 PRANK PATROL CBBC 12 181 23

6 1.98 SADIE J CBBC 10 168 6

7 1.89 GIMME A BREAK CBBC 8 160 1

8 1.88 SORRY, I'VE GOT NO HEAD CBBC 8 159 1

9 1.86 REMOTE CONTROL STAR CBBC 8 157 1

10 1.85 GRANDPA IN MY POCKET CBEEBIES 9 156 39


SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD JANUARY 10

1 1.30 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS CITV/ITV SIM 10 110 6

2 1.00 HANNAH MONTANA CITV/ITV SIM 7 85 8

3 0.96 HORRID HENRY CITV 6 81 121

4 0.89 WOLVES WITCHES AND GIANTS CITV 5 75 42

5 0.69 MY PARENTS ARE ALIENS CITV 3 58 40

6 0.61 ART ATTACK CITV 4 52 20

7 0.54 THE BIG BANG CITV 3 46 20

8 0.52 THE COOL STUFF COLLECTIVE CITV/ITV SIM 4 44 4

9 0.53 TRICKY QUICKIES CITV 3 44 10

10 0.52 EVEN STEVENS CITV 2 44 31


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) JAN 10

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

1 1.30 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS CITV/ITV SIM 10 110 6

2 1.00 HANNAH MONTANA CITV/ITV SIM 7 85 8

3 0.96 HORRID HENRY CITV 6 81 121

4 0.89 WOLVES WITCHES AND GIANTS CITV 5 75 42

5 0.69 MY PARENTS ARE ALIENS CITV 3 58 40

6 0.61 ART ATTACK CITV 4 52 20

7 0.54 THE BIG BANG CITV 3 46 20

8 0.52 THE COOL STUFF COLLECTIVE CITV/ITV SIM 4 44 4

9 0.53 TRICKY QUICKIES CITV 3 44 10

10 0.52 EVEN STEVENS CITV 2 44 31


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD JAN 10

MARCH 2011

IN JANUARY Spin Master launched new girls’collectable brand, Zoobles, with its biggestcampaign to date. Focused around a heavyweightTV campaign and traditional and viral PR, italso includes a number of other initiatives tohelp bring the brand to life.

Zoobles are collectable colourful balls, whichspring open and transform into differentcharacters when placed on their ‘Happitat’.When petted, the Zooble characters react byblinking their eyes, wagging their tails, wigglingtheir ears and more.

The range will feature 150 Zoobles fromdifferent areas of the Zooble Isle – Petagonia,Seagonia and Azoozia. There are also more landsand features to come in autumn.

MarketingThe TV campaign, which introduced the worldof Zoobles, kicked off in January and will delivermore than 1,000 TVRs, showcasing each newZooble’s land before it ends in June.

A further heavyweight campaign is set tofollow in autumn.

The TV advertising was strengthened by amedia promotion, which ran with Nickelodeonin the run-up to February half term. Girls werefurther immersed into the Zoobles world andwere driven online to find out more and to winone of ten bumper packs or 250 single Zoobles.

Consumer and trade activity, both in print andonline, will continue throughout the year.

PRBeing awarded Best New Girls’ Toy/Girls’Collectable for 2011 at London Toy Fair createda number of national news opportunities, whichadded to the playground buzz already buildingaround the brand. In future, the PR campaignwill highlight new products and the availabilityof new ‘Zooper’ rare Zoobles.

OnlineGirls can find out more about all 150-plusZoobles at www.zoobles.com. Each Zooble has anumber on the bottom and is named so that girlscan easily identify which ones theyalready have and which onesthey need, using theonline collector’stool. The

website also tells the story of the Zoobles isle andeach of its worlds and has games which aredesigned to enhance the play experience.

Elsewhere, the Zoobles Facebook pageprovides daily updates and the Zoobles YouTubechannel showcases the latest commercials.

In-storeRetail will play an important part incommunicating the Zoobles brand. Windowdisplays, FSDUs, decals and shelf strips areavailable to raise awareness.

More PR and sampling initiatives are to comeover Easter and into the

second half of theyear.

Spin Master’s new girls’ collectablerange, Zoobles, is backed with oneof its biggest ever marketingcampaigns, including a mix of TV,PR, online and retail initiatives…

ZooblesSpin Master

The TV campaignwill deliver over

1,000 TVRs, showcasingeach new Zooble’sland before itends in June.

16 CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

Trends UK Ltd, Harwell Innovation Centre, 173 Curie Avenue, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QG

© 2010 NationalGeographic Society. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICand Yellow Border Designare trademarks of theNational GeographicSociety. All rights reserved.

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© Haynes Publishing 2010. All rights reserved. www.haynes.co.uk

BLAST LAB. Copyright:September Films (a DCD Media company), Hamster’sWheel Productions and Ingenious Broadcasting.

BBC logo © BBC 1996. Doctor WhoLogo © BBC 2010. TARDIS image © 1963. Dalek image © BBC/TerryNation 1963. Cyberman image © BBC/Kit Pedler/Gerry Davis 1966. K-9 image © BBC/Bob Baker/DaveMartin 1977. Licensed by BBC Worldwide Limited.

The countdown toLondon 2012Spring Fair saw a wide range of official Olympics and Paralympics product beinglaunched, including Hornby’s die-cast vehicles. Find out more on page 22...

The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

MARCH 2011

WITH ONE eye on my advancing change in role fromthe beginning of April, this year’s Toy Fair for me wasn’tjust about all the licensed product on show, but a way togain a greater understanding of the market as a whole.

So, while trying to quickly expand my knowledge ofthe toy sector, and among all the introductions andcongratulations, it was comforting to see products orbrands I was already familiar with on most stands.

Among the highlights for me was the Golden Bearstand, with the show being the first time I’d seen its fullLondon 2012 range (particularly love the mascotsdressed in various ‘traditional’ London outfits). This wasbacked up a couple of weeks later, with the firm puttingin another impressive display at Spring Fair alongsideother Olympics toy partners such as Hornby, Hy-Pro,Winning Moves and MV Sports.

Vivid’s stand at Olympia, too, was impressive,showcasing just how many strong licences it has in itsportfolio. Stand outs included Moshi Monsters – withthe firm enjoying some good press coverage following

the launch of its toy line – Little Charley Bear, ZingZillasand its collectible Justin Bieber and JLS dolls.

Other highlights included Re:creation’s clever use ofthe Lego licence; Bandai teasingly putting Thundercatsbehind glass; the Captain Jack lookalike on the Flairstand; and the sheer scale of the Lego, Hasbro andCharacter stands.

It was good to see a large crowd from the licensingcommunity at Olympia, too, with brand ownerssupporting their toy partners not just on the showfloor,but also at events such as the Toy of the Year Awards.

Elsewhere, congratulations should also go toEntertainment One, which revealed that Peppa Piggrossed over £200 million in UK merchandise sales in2010 and was also the number one pre-school propertyin the total toy market for the year. Seven years sincelaunch, the brand has built its way up to being thebenchmark in quite possibly the most competitivelicensed sector – and the even better news for eOne isthat there are still areas to exploit.

Samantha Loveday [email protected]

COMMENTFAMILIAR FORTUNES

Vivid showed just howmany strong licences it has

- from Little Charley Bearthrough to Justin Bieber.

20

MATTEL HAS secured a heavyweight dealwith Dreamworks, which will see its Fisher-Price division acting as worldwide master toylicensee for a number of its forthcoming TVand film brands.

The company debuted new toy collectionsfor Kung Fu Panda 2 and The Penguins ofMadagascar at the New York Toy Fair inFebruary. The additional DreamworksAnimation theatrical releases featured underthe licensing relationship include Puss inBoots, The Croods, Madagascar 3 and Legendof the Guardians.

TV properties will include Kung Fu Panda:Legends of Awesomeness.

“We believe that entrusting DreamworksAnimation’s beloved characters to the world’snumber one toy manufacturer will ensure afun, innovative and world class brandpresence in stores across the globe,”commented Kerry Phelan, head of worldwideconsumer products and licensing atDreamworks Animation. “Together withMattel and Fisher-Price, we have crafted a

new ‘pre-cool’ strategy to deliver compellingtoy lines and unique play experiences that areage appropriate for three to eight year-oldmovie fans.”

Diana Dunn-Graves, Fisher-Price VP ofmarketing, added: “We’re excited and proudto be working with a true innovator in highquality entertainment. This alliance is a greatfit for Fisher-Price because we put intochildren’s hands the fun loving charactersthat Dreamworks Animation brings to life onthe big and small screens.”Mattel: 01628 500000

ENTERTAINMENT ONE is continuing totick off the milestones for Peppa Pig, sevenyears since its launch – with the brandgrossing over £200 million in UKmerchandise sales in 2010.

The figure is a significant leap from 2009 –when the brand notched up £100 million.

In addition, for the first time, NPD figuresfor last year show that Peppa Pig was thenumber one pre-school property in the totaltoy market, moving up four places from its2009 position.

Peppa Pig currently has 63 licensees onboard, with eOne still to exploit all productcategories in the UK. The show is also due tolaunch on Nick Jr in the US.

“Peppa Pig reaching the number one spotfor total pre-school toy sales is a keymilestone for the brand and the £200m retailsales figure significantly exceeded everyone’sexpectations,” said Andrew Carley, head of

licensing at eOne. “The ongoing strength ofthe UK market and our plans forinternational expansion, notably the USA,make 2011 and beyond a hugely excitingprospect for everyone involved with Peppa.”eOne: 020 7907 3797

Mattel scores with majorDreamworks agreementFisher-Price named as worldwide master toy partner for TV and filmproperties, including Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots Firmshave developed ‘pre-cool’ strategy, says Dreamworks exec...

by Ronnie Dungan

Peppa Pig hits £200m in the UK

LICENSINGNEWS

www.licensing.biz 21

STRONG START FOR DISNEYThe Walt Disney Company hasreported earnings for its first fiscalquarter ending January 1st 2011 -with net income up 54 per cent to$1,302m. In terms of consumerproducts, revenues for the periodincreased 24 per cent to $922m,while segment operating incomeincreased 28 per cent to $312m. Theincrease was primarily due to higherlicensing revenue, driven by thestrength of Toy Story and Marvel.DCP: 020 8222 1000

DOCTOR WHO EXPERIENCEOPENS ITS DOORSThe first ever shop devoted toDoctor Who has opened alongsidethe new Experience event atLondon’s Olympia. The store willretail over 400 Dr Who skus at anyone time, including toys, games,books and other licensedmerchandise, some of it exclusive tothe West London venue. The 133square metre store has a circular layout, with the tills and checkout areain the centre to mimic the centralconsole of the Tardis.BBCW: 020 8433 2000

UNDERGROUND TOYS BAGSDR WHO PLUSH DEALAmbitious Underground Toyscontinues to grow, inking a dealwith BBC Worldwide to createDoctor Who plush in all territories.The collection will incorporatecharacters from the current series,plus a separate programmefeaturing characters from classicshows. Each will produce uniquenoises tailored to each model andwill be released in several sizes.www.underground-toys.com

TREASURE TROVE ADDSTHE WIGGLESPre-school band The Wiggles havesealed a deal with Treasure Trove todistribute products in the UK andIreland. Musical toys, plush andother pre-school items will launch inMay to coincide with the band’s 20thbirthday celebrations and UK tour.Treasure Trove: 01285 762039

IN BRIEF

Busy Nick reveals Dora, Spongebob and Victorious deals

TURNER CN Enterprises isconfident that its new Generator Rexproperty is in the running to enjoysimilar success within the licensingmarketplace as its boy brandstablemate, Ben 10.

The show launched on CartoonNetwork in October 2010 and sincethen over 60 licensees have beensigned up across EMEA, including 15in the UK. Mattel is the masterglobal toy partner, with other UKlicensees including Mega Bloks,Activision, Egmont, CharacterWorld, Pyramid, Danilo, DNC, VMCand Blues Clothing among others.

“We have received a lot ofproposals following the recent tradeshows and will continue to sign uplicensees on an ongoing basis,”Graham Saltmarsh, UK licensingdirector at TCNE told ToyNews.

“Because ofthe hightech natureof GeneratorRex there havebeen some veryinteresting proposals in from thenew technology companies; it’s allvery exciting.”

Saltmarsh confirmed that there hasbeen a “very positive” reaction to thebrand across the industry and atretail level.

“We have a clear five-yearfranchise management strategy forthe brand that we are sharing withour partners, so everyoneunderstands how we intend tosupport Generator Rex, not just forthe launch but as it establishes itselfas a leading boy property for thefuture,” he added.

“Generator Rex contains all thecharacteristics of an appealing andhighly licensable boy brand. It has agreat story with a likable andaspirational lead character and lots ofcool gadgets, vehicles and weaponsthat can translate well to product.The first TV ratings are hugelypositive and the already fast-pacedlicensing programme indicates aproperty that is definitely in therunning to replicate similar successesto those we’ve enjoyed with Ben 10.”TCNE: 020 7693 1000

NICKELODEON CONSUMERProducts has revealed a swathe ofnew toy products for its keyproperties Spongebob Squarepants,Dora the Explorer and Victorious.

First up, Fisher-Price will launchthe Dora Dress-up Collection Doll,plus four fashion packs; Flower GirlDora; Dance & Sparkle BallerinaDora; Suds and Style Fairy Dora;Magical Fairy Dora; Dora FiestaFavourites Kitchen; and Dora theExplorer Learn Through Music

Touchpad Software. In addition tothis, Mega Brands is planning to rollout several Dora products includingDora’s Vacation Adventure, Dora’sTheatre Adventure and Dora’s ArtAdventure.

Meanwhile, for SpongebobSquarepants, Lego is planning tolaunch Heroic Heroes of the Deepand Glove World building sets, whileHasbro will have Spongebob versionsof Guess Who? and Yahtzee Jr, plusAnts in the Squarepants andSpudBob Squarepants.

In addition, Spin Master has beennamed as the new master toy licenseefor live action comedy show,Victorious. Highlights include theMake It Shine doll, the Tori doll,Locker Decorator and Microphone.NCP: 020 7478 6183

by Samantha Loveday

by Samantha Loveday

LICENSINGNEWS

New boy property can be just as successful as Ben 10, says firmWide range of key licensees already on board

TCNE earmarks further growthfor Generator Rex brand

MARCH 2011

22

WITH GOLDEN Bear’s London2012 line being one of the stars of therecent London Toy Fair, a wide rangeof other licensees unveiled products atSpring Fair last month.

The selection of licensed 2012merchandise includes over 10,000consumer products ranging frommascot bedding, children’s annuals,books and exclusive coins such as 50pence pieces from the Royal Mint.

On top of this, Hornby launched itsrange of collectables, die-cast modelvehicles and pin badges, while aspecial edition of Winning Moves’ TopTrumps was also showcased, featuringa list of past and present GB athletes.

MV Sports’ parent company,Tandem, has also been appointed toproduce official London 2012 cyclingequipment and wheeled toys. TandemGroup is one of the leading wheeled

products manufacturers in the UK,producing adult and children’s cycles,scooters, tricycles, roller skates,skateboard and ride-ons.

The group comprises MV Sports,Dawes Cycles, Falcon Cycles andClaude Butler.

“There are now so many fantasticproducts available to the public andways in which they can get involvedwith London 2012,” commented

LOCOG chairman, Sebastian Coe.“Purchasing some of the officialmerchandise offers the public andexciting opportunity to take a piece ofthe Games home with them, as well ashelp support TeamGB athletes.

“Just as athletes are getting readyfor London 2012, the UK retailindustry should be warming up to bepart of a fantastic summer.”London 2012: 0203 2012 000

WITH THE3D moviedue to hit

cinemas thissummer, Flair

has signed up toproduce a wide range

of Horrid Henry toys.Products will include

the Super Snooper, whichallows users to listen in to

conversations up to 300 feet away, aswell as a Voice Changer Megaphonethat distorts and changes voices.

The Horrid Henry brand is ridinghigh right now – the books byFrancesca Simon have sold over 16million copies across 27 countries,while the TV series is the mostpopular kids show ever on CITV.

“Flair’s brilliant range is packedfull of fun,” said Vickie O’Malley,CPLG’s UK MD, which handles thelicensing rights for Horrid Henry.“We’re launching at the end ofsummer in time for the release ofHorrid Henry: The Movie.”Flair: 020 8643 0320

New London 2012 rangesbolster programmeWinning Moves, Hornby and MV Sports showcase product at Birmingham’s Spring Fair...by Samantha Loveday

Horrid deal for Flair

LICENSINGNEWS

JAKKS PICKS UP CABBAGEPATCH KIDS PROPERTYJakks Pacific is giving 1980s brand,the Cabbage Patch Kids, amakeover, with a new toy line due inthe autumn. A Fashionalities line,plus ABC Play with Me and Dirty toClean Bath Newborns are planned.Jakks Pacific: 01344 638900

MEGA ADDS HELLO KITTYMega Brands is to roll out HelloKitty construction toys in the UKand Ireland later this year, afterstriking a deal with Sanrio and itsagent, Fluid World.Mega Brands: 01844 350033

POSH DEAL FOR CHORIONChorion is linking up with PoshPaws to produce an exclusive line ofcollectable plush for Mr Men andLittle Miss. The collection willlaunch later this year as part of thebrand’s 40th anniversarycelebrations. Initial products willinclude beanie toys of keycharacters, plus large versions of MrTickle and Little Miss Naughty. Newcharacter, Little Miss Princess, willarrive in time for Christmas.Chorion: 020 7061 3874

NEW LOOK FOR BOB THEBUILDER MAGAZINEThe official Bob the Buildermagazine from BBC Worldwide hasbeen given a CGI makeover in linewith the TV series. The three-weeklytitle includes a range of activities,plus an eight-page ‘play and learn’special pull-out.BBC Worldwide: 020 8433 2000

DISNEY REVEALS CARS 2DCP is gearing up for the arrival ofCars 2 in cinemas, with a raft of toyproduct due to support the launch.Themes will include the film’s WorldGrand Prix race and internationalespionage. Key lines will includemore than 150 toys from Mattel,such as Lightning McQueen Alive,and more than 70 new collectibledie-cast cars.DCP: 020 8222 1000

IN BRIEF

APPAREL • ART & DESIGN • ENTERTAINMENT • FOOD & BEVERAGES • PUBLISHING • SPORTS • TOYS & GIFTS

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WHEREVERYOU ARE

BBC WORLDWIDE is bringing backthe In the Night Garden live shows.

Kicking off in April in Sheffield,the shows will run across the UKuntil late August, taking in sevenvenues which also include Gateshead,Manchester, Milton Keynes, Cardiff,Richmond and Tunbridge Wells.

This year families have the optionto buy a separate ticket to meet oneof the show’s characters backstage.BBC Worldwide: 020 8433 2000

Night GardenLive returns

Retailers and suppliers were applauded at theannual TRA/BTHA awards night.....

Toy industryawards 2010

MARCH 2011

In a big night for the Irishchain, Smyths also won theMultiple Retailer award.

The overall Retailer of the Yearwas won by Smyths andcollected by boss Padraig Smyth.

The Grocer category was wonby supermarket giant Tesco.

www.toynews-online.biz 25TOY AWARDS

Argos won the Online Retailerof the Year award.

Retail Awards

The coveted BestIndependent Retail gong was

picked up by Dominoes.

Independent Toy Retailer of the Year: DominoesMultiple Toy Retailer of the Year: SmythsOnline Toy Retailer of the Year: ArgosToy Catalogue of the Year: ArgosToy Retailer (Grocer) of the Year: TescoRetail Week Award for Best Store Design: The Disney StoreOverall Toy Retailer of the Year: Smyths

The winners

The Retail Week-sponsoredBest Store Design went toThe Disney Store.

MARCH 2011

26 TOY AWARDS

There were special recognitionawards for Ravensburger,Orchard Toys and GaltSupplier Awards

Who else but Argoswould win Toy Catalogueof the Year?

Mattel’s Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear pickedup the big one - Toy of the Year

No surprise that Disney’sToy Story 3 won ToyLicence of the Year

Creative Toy of the Year went to Spin Master’sMoon Sand Bake Shop. The firm also wonInnovative Toy for Air Hogs Vectron Wave.

28 TOY AWARDS

MARCH 2011

Lego’s hot-selling minifigures were proclaimedthe Craze/Pocket Money Toy of the Year, whileLego City won the Construction category.

Character Options won the pre-school category with its Fireman SamDeluxe Fire Station playset.

Barbie PuppySwim Schoolwon Mattel’sother award ofthe night in theGirls’ category.

Craze/Pocket Money Toy: Lego Minifigures, Lego Girls' Toy: Barbie Puppy Swim School, Mattel Boys' Toy: NERF N-Strike Recon CS-6, Hasbro Feature Plush Toy: Zhu Zhu Hamsters, Character Options Toy Licence: Toy Story 3, Disney Creative Toy: Moon Sand Bake Shop, Spin Master Pre-School Toy: Fireman Sam Deluxe Fire Station Playset, Character Options Innovative Toy: Air Hogs Vectron Wave, Spin Master Construction Range: Lego City, Lego Game: Pig Goes Pop, Drumond Park TRA Special Recognition Awards: Orchard Toys, Ravensburger, Galt. Supplier of the Year: Character Options Personality of the Year: Peter Brown Toy of the Year: Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear, Mattel

The winners

29TOY AWARDS

MARCH 2011

The Feature Plush awardwent to Zhu Zhu Hamsters.

Game of the Year was won by

Drumond Park’s Pig Goes Pop

Hasbro won the Boyscategory with the NERF N-

Strike Recon CS-6 gun.

Golden Teddies weregiven out to (from left)Paul Edey, GordonParker, Bob Hendersonand George Prentice.

Golden Teddies

Character won Supplier of the Year.

- Big Bang marketing campaign

- TV & Cinema advertising

- Ninjago National Event Tour

- Brand Ambassador activity

- and much more to come©2011 The LEGO Group. 2207

OUTDOOR AND sports toys is thesecond largest supercategory withintraditional toys by value and worth over£345m in the last 12 months (source:NPD Consumer Panel).

Outdoor and sports toys has alwaysbeen heavily seasonal, depending on theBritish weather to deliver sales. The lastyear has seen some strong growth in thecategory with the 2010 summer startingearly – April 2010 was one of the driestAprils on record and the lack of raincontinued until August.

June was the largest month of sales forthe category rather than the normalpeak in December, with sales reachingjust under £40m for the month. (Source:NPD EPoS Retail Tracking Service).The addition of heavy snow inDecember across the UK drove sales ofwinter sports toys and created a second,slightly smaller, peak for outdoor toys asthe country experienced a number of‘snow days’.

For the full year 2010, sports toysdrove the outdoor category, with wintersports toys up an impressive 137 per centon 2009. There was also growth fromthe summer seasonal toys with poolvalue up 40 per cent and water guns up26 per cent.

The number one property is Nerf,which sold nearly three times as much in2010 compared to 2009 and had sevenitems in the top 20 best sellers withinoutdoor toys category. Little Tikescontinued to grow as well with the CozyCoupe the number 12 best selling itemacross total toys.

Other properties which grew in 2010are Recreation’s Razor USA range andAdidas – driven by the World Cup inJune. Licences only account for a smallpercentage of sales – just over ten percent, but the two fastest growing wereToy Story and Hello Kitty & Friends.

A warm UK summer boosted the outdoor sector in June, with December’s snow creating a further sales peak…

www.toynews-online.biz 31SECTOR GUIDE OUTDOOR TOYS

MARCH 2011

The great outdoors

The last year hasseen some

strong growth with the2010 summerstarting early.

(source: NPD)

Total sales of Outdoor & Sports ToysValue (£M) 2009 – 2010

0

10,000,000.0

20,000,000.0

30,000,000.0

40,000,000.0

0

10,000,000.0

20,000,000.0

30,000,000.0

40,000,000.0

Valu

e £ millio

ns

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

Month

2009 2010

MV’s portfolio of outdoor toysencompasses an assortment of playitems, sporting goods and a selection ofbikes, trikes and scooters.

The pre-school wheeled toy range isled by Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom.MV’s range includes trikes, bikes, tri-scooters and accessories. The MusicalRide-on includes music from the show.

The new Tinga Tinga Tales line isbased on the new BBC TV show inspiredby traditional African animal folktales.MV’s wheeled toy collection brings tolife the heart and soul of the property,with vibrant colour-ways and prints.

MV’s older girl offering is boosted byMoxie Girlz and Angelina Ballerina. Thecollections come with shimmering paint,floral decals and rainbow tassels.

The boys’ range is lead by Ben 10. Inits third installment, MV’s Ultimate Alienrange picks up on the success of itspredecessors. New feature drivenskateboards and in-line scooters for Star

Wars and Doctor Who complete theboys’ offering.

With a summer of movie blockbustersapproaching, MV will offer new rangesbased on Transformers 3, Thor, The FirstAvenger and Green Lantern.

MV’s Hedstrom range is a collectionof metal swings, slides, trampolines andmulti-plays. Imagination, social skillsand physical development are allaccounted for within the MV range.

The Kickmaster range of balls, goalsand accessories features a combinationof innovative design and qualitymaterials. The football range isengineered to promote practical skilldevelopment and includes new product.

MV’s parent company, Tandem, hasalso recently been awarded the London2012 licence from the London OrganisingCommittee of the Olympic Games andParalympic Games (LOCOG). The firmwill produce official London 2012 cyclingequipment and wheeled toys.

Re:creation’s outdoor toy category willbe primarily driven by the momentumof global brand, Razor, in 2011.

For over a decade, the Razor creativemachine has been generating acontinuous flow of ride-on toys, fromthe original folding kick scooter in1999, to the Scream Machine and morerecently, the Spark scooter andRipRider 360.

For this year, Razor has continued toproduce new lines. First amongst thesewill be the Graffiti Chalk scooter which,with multi-coloured chalks attached tothe back of the scooter, allows kids todraw, write or simply leave their markon the pavement.

Joining the range for autumn will beeSpark, which combines the featuresof the E100 electric scooter and theSpark and Bogo, which byincorporating leaf spring technology

developed at Carnegie MelonUniversity, creates a pogo stick thatgives vastly more spring than astandard pogo.

In the US, the success of Razor’sproducts has built a brand that sellseight units every minute of the year.

The portfolio of Razor products nowoffers ride-ons for all ages of children,from five to 15 and with sales that havedoubled in each of the last two years, itis becoming an increasingly importantbrand for the firm.

Razor is also at the forefront of thegrowing freestyle scooter scene,having introduced the world’s firstfixed head scooter – The Razor UltraPro. Team Razor UK, a team of some ofthe best pro scooter riders in theworld, will make frequent appearancesat extreme sport and consumer eventsthroughout 2011.

RE:CREATION 0118 973 6222

MV SPORTS 0121 748 8000

Wind Designs has an extensive rangeof toys for outdoor play, includingthrowing and flying toys from Zing Airand Air Hunterz, the latest NerfBlasters and Super Soakers, DisneyCars and Toy Story Blast N Launch toys,as well as Djubi and kites for a range ofdifferent abilities.

Additions to the Zing Air range for2011 include the Z-Curve Launcher, abow and arrow set, which launchesZart darts up to 125-feet. Also availableis the Zing Shot Launcher – ready to gostraight from the pack – it fires foamballs 45-feet with a simple pull back onthe launcher.

In addition the Zip-Bak Launcher canbe loaded with long range foamarrows, which can then be launchedover 95-feet. Alternatively the launchercan be fired against a wall for bounce

back action. The new Benda Blasterenables players to fire at targets fromaround corners, behind them or up inthe air.

The Nerf N-Strike Blasters fromHasbro and a new range of SuperSoakers are also available from WindDesigns this year.

Disney Toy Story and Cars Blast NLaunch toys are new for 2011. LaunchBuzz Lightyear to infinity and beyondand send Lightning McQueen skimmingacross the ground at lightning pace.

Wind Designs also supplies a widerange of juggling equipment, includingDiabolos along with yo-yos andAstrojax, a range of flying discsincluding Aerobie, unicycles and Pogosticks, as well as a range of kitesranging from children’s single line kitesto sports and power models.

Vivid isexpanding itsoutdoor rangefor spring 2011to includelicensed pre-schoolscooters, waterplay andactivity lines.

Yo-Be is afree-stylingflying disk thatcan be flicked,spun andcaught usingthe power leashto performendless tricks.The SplashZone Rangeincludes theSplash Pod,Splash Disc andSplash Blast forwater play.Dunk both halves under water andpush them together to seal the waterinside. When the seal breaks someonegets soaked.

The new ZingZillas outdoor playrange includes ZingZillas Zak andPanzee Space Hoppers along with theZingZillas Coconut Hut Play Tent.

VX Shark is the next generationmicro scooter combining bike and

scooter play.There are morethan six ways toride the scooter.

The VX Sharkfeaturesplatform seat,front and backfoot pegs, neonstyling and easyfold action. Therange will besupported witha TV campaignand PRthroughout theyear.

Crayola’s Arts& Crafts brandnowencompassesan outdoor line.Off the back ofone million unitsales in the US,3D Sidewalk

Chalk, allows children to draw outdoorcreations and have them pop off thepavement in 3D.

For more adventurous kids, theRainbow Rake allows them to drawmultiple lines at once, while the Spira-Chalk Blaster acts like a spinning top,drawing circular patterns. The rangewill be supported with a TV campaignthroughout the spring/summer period.

VIVID IMAGINATIONS 01483 449944

WIND DESIGNS 0844 257 1180

32 SECTOR GUIDE OUTDOOR TOYS

MARCH 2011


MARCH 2011

2011 is bringing an additional crop ofproducts to the Britains Big Farmrange. The new additions join theexisting line, which includes award-winning R/C Tractors.

The Big Farm 1:16 Land Rover is asmall scale replica with chunky designand accuratedetailing.Complete withlights andsounds as wellas classic LandRover details.

The PolarisATV is a quadbike with adifference.Complete withsturdy griptyres to dealwith anysurface, it alsoincludes handlebar detail and lights.

The John Deere Gator has a heavyduty bumper, headlamps and cabin toplamps, haul, or simply power aheadwith the ultimate 4WD off-roader.Available in August.

Big Farm also has SKUs to go withthe farming vehicles, including the JohnDeere Round Baler and the CattleTrailer with Cows, which come withround bale and cattle respectively.

Britains Big Farm is also launching acollection of construction vehicles. TheBobcat E-35 Compact Excavator comescomplete with moveable arm andswinging cabin detail along withcaterpillar tracks.

Attention to detail, quality and ahost ofdevelopmentalbenefits arethecornerstonesof the range.Researchcarried out bychildpsychologist,Dr. AmandaGummer, onbehalf ofBritains,showed thatplaying withfarm toys

helped children in a number of ways.The facilitation of role-play encourageddiscussion about farms, food, animals,machines, work etc and increasedunderstanding of their environmentand play opportunities on a variety oflevels.

Britains Big Farm is suitable forchildren from three years old and overand the new range will be availablefrom May 2011.

LEARNING CURVE 01271 336155

HTI is further extending its range of ToyStory wheeled toys and protection gear.Launching for spring/summer 2011 is aToy Story Wide Ride Scooter with easygrip handles, an extra wide printedfootplate and a colourful front characterplaque. Also new is a Toy Story SteeringTrike which features a removable parentsteering handle, canopy, foot rest andrear bucket. HTI also provides Toy Storyoutdoor furniture including a Patio Set,and new for spring/summer, a DeckChair and Oval Folding Chair.

HTI’s Peppa Pig range of outdoorrole-play sets, beach and gardenfurniture and wheeled toys continues togrow. New for spring/summer is aCupcake Stand with Cakes and a Toasterand Kettle Breakfast Set. HTI is alsooffering a Peppa Pig Patio Set, DeckChair and Oval Folding Chair.

The firm also offers a collection ofHello Kitty wheeled, outdoor toys, patiofurniture and additions to the dollsprams and pushchairs collection. Newfor spring/summer, HTI presents a HelloKitty Pogo Stick featuring durableconstruction with non-slip foot gripsand an easy-hold handle bar.

There is also a new 10” Bike and anew Wide Ride Scooter, which featuresa super wide footplate for extra stabilityfor children and maximum graphiceffect. HTI will also launch a dolls singlestroller during spring/summer tocomplement its prams range.

An extensive range of Barbieinflatables, outdoor toys and summer

lines at pocket money prices alsocontinues. All Barbie items featurestriking packaging and product graphicsto maximise on-shelf visibility.

HTI is also introducing a line ofDisney Fairies summer inflatables,outdoor toys and wheeled toys thisyear, including a Light Up FoldingScooter and a new Wide Ride Scooterwith fairy graphics, as well as a range ofpatio furniture.

For the boys, HTI provides anextensive portfolio of Ben 10 andSpider-man inflatables, and just in timefor the release of the Cars 2 filmanimation, the firm is launching a rangeof Cars outdoor furniture.

Recognising a gap in the market for aquality bubbles brand with a uniquefeature, at a value price point, HTIlaunched an own-brand range calledDubble Bubble, which continuesthroughout 2011. A double wandprovides ‘double the bubbles’ whilebottle designs and packaging have beendeveloped to provide a distinctive andvisually impactful brand identity. TheDubble Bubble collection includessolution bottles, a wand, gun andbubble machine.

HTI also presents new additions to itsalready extensive range of JCB vehicles,role-play, wheeled and outdoor toys.New JCB lines for spring/summerinclude a new foot-to-floor Ride-OnTractor with detachable trailer, as wellas a free-wheeling 16” JCB Wheel Loaderand 16” Dumptruck.

HTI 01253 778888

The classic Bubble Mower remains inthe spotlight for Fisher-Price forsummer 2011. As pre-schoolers pushthe chunky mower along, bubbles willappear. The role-play item comescomplete with sounds and features alarge bubble dispenser and a one-touch refill system for less mess.

The Kid-Tough Digital Camera alsoremains a focus. The camera isdesigned to survive drop after dropand maintains its easy to use formatwith two-eye viewing, sturdy dualhand grips and big buttons that makeit easy for little hands to use. With animage resolution of up to 1.3megapixels and 128MB of memory tostore up to 1,000 pictures, the cameracomes with a 1.44-inch LCD colourpreview screen.

The camera also includes PC-basedvideo software for special effectsincluding stampers and frames.

MATTEL 01628 500000

Great Gizmos’ Classic Ride-ons nowinclude a new Mini Tractor and Trailer.The robust ride-on toy is hand builtfrom strong, bright red steel andfeatures a large comfortable seat andsteering wheel, while the trailer isideal for children to store andtransport their toys.

Also available are the Classic PedalCars and the Speedster range, sowhatever their style, kids canexperience the great outdoors.

Great Gizmos’ range of classic ride-ons and pedal cars feature manydifferent designs to choose from,catering for ages one to seven.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221

Plum has a number of new productsready to launch in 2011. The firm hasfocused on creating a retail range ofsmaller items such as sand pits, smalltrampolines, infant play centres, metalswing sets and other outdooraccessories. The line will be in colourfulretail packaging to fit into any size store.

The range of infant play centres hasalso been extended, focusing on realplay value. Already available is the MyFirst Play Centre and Steenbuck. Plumintroduce Captain Plum and My FirstActivity Tower to complement the rangeof products for children aged tenmonths to three years. Captain Plum is anautical themed playcentre and the MyFirst Activity Towerhas a number offeatures to keepyoung childrenentertained includinga four-foot playtower and swing armwith baby swing.Both products aremade from premiumFSC certified timberand come with a five-year warranty.

Plum Products hasa comprehensive

range of outdoor play productsincluding trampolines, play centres,swing sets and activity centres, metalswing sets, sand pits, play houses andchildren’s furniture. 2011 will seeproduct launches for almost all of thesecategories, supported by photography,product videos, 360° images, productdisplays and more.

The customer support packageincludes flexibility in order processingsystems, e-commerce support,marketing support, speed ordering andcustomer service support. The firm alsooffers a delivery programme with five toseven-day home delivery timescales.

PLUM PRODUCTS 0844 880 5301

John Crane now has three coloursavailable in its First Bike Collectionfrom the new Tidlo range. The threeversions available include the FirstBike in pink, with a new design ofpink flowers, a racing red version,plus a First Bike in royal blue.

New for 2011, Tidlo has announcedthe addition of more balance bikes –the Lemon Scooter and Red Scooter –a retro, Vespa-inspired take on thebalance bike design.

Each balance bike comes with easygrip handlebars, chunky tyres for asafe ride and height adjustable seats,meaning the bikes grow with children.

John Crane also now offers a bikestand for retailers to display the bikein-store. Made from natural wood, thestand will keep both the First Bikeand retro Scooters upright.

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949


MARCH 2011

Among the new products fromGrossman for 2011 are the SpongebobSquarepants scooters, outdoor tentsand outdoor seats, which join a variedline-up of licensed merchandise forthe brand. Ben 10 Ultimate Force pogosticks are also new for the licensedboy market.

Zhuzhu scooters will continue andGrossman has added a pre-schoolscooter to the collection.

Finally, a range of cycle helmets hasbeen added to the firm’s offering thisyear. The line is designed to befashionable and make helmets moreacceptable for children to wear.

GROSSMAN 0141 613 2525

Great Gizmos Limited Tel: 01293 543221 Fax: 01293 [email protected] [email protected]

Outdoor FunFantastic outdoor fun for both boys & girls!

Design your very own kite or umbrella - Great ideas from Great Gizmos - Rain or shine!

Adding a quirky touch to tried andtested games, Haba offers a range ofwooden outdoor toys. An example is theEgg Race, which adds a twist to thechildren’s sports day egg and spoonrace. The game comes with two woodenbalancing sticks and 22 different pieces,including frogs, clowns, eggs and othershapes. The game challenges kids’dexterity and balance as they raceagainst each other endeavouring not todrop the pieces.

Caterpillar Golf is based on thetraditional game of croquet. With fourcaterpillar arches, the object of thegame is to guide the wooden ball

through the hoops using the woodenmallets provided. The winner is theplayer who hits the finishing caterpillarmaking their bell ring, using the fewesttaps possible.

Haba’s portfolio of products not onlyincludes wooden toys, but has a rangeof outdoor activity toys, which areparticularly suitable for family days outor games on the beach.

Flifix Catch is a traditional bat and ballstyle game, which includes a ball andtwo landing nets for players to catch itin. Another traditional throw and catchtoy is the Flying Object Rotello – a softflying disc, ideal for little ones.

HABA 0161 304 9555

MARBEL 01208 873123

Skipping Pals is a new conceptcombining soft toy handles withcharacter faces, with candy stripedropes, improving health and fitness,indoors and out.

There are six colourful handlecharacters available in the range,

including the Rabbit Skipping Pals,Duck Skipping Pals, Monkey SkippingPals, Ladybird Skipping Pals, FairySkipping Pals and Pirate Skipping Pals.

The product is suitable for childrenaged three and over and is available intime for summer sales.

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563


MARCH 2011

Safsof Rubber Foam Toys are designedand produced to support children’slearning and sports skills and toencourage them to get active. Producedusing Rubber Foam, Safsof toys are softand safe.

The Cricket Bat and Ball features a61cm soft cricket bat; the Super Torpedois a throw and catch game, producedwith a high density soft foam, making itthe ideal size and weight to developphysical skills. The Safsof range

includes many other items to designedto get kids active.

NYBY – based in Gnosjö, Sweden –has been producing garden toolsdesigned for small hands for years.NYBY guarantees quality and minimalenvironmental impact by closelymonitoring the full manufacturingprocess from research and development,right through to production andshipping. Tools include brooms, rakesand forks.

Kiddie Bikes is an online businessselling safe, lightweight, yet robustride-on trikes for pre-school children.

The trikes, in the shape ofmotorbikes, are manufactured inHungary to European Union quality andsafety standards. The two fixed wheelsat the back give extra stability, whilethe steerable front wheel makes it easyto manoeuvre.

The bikes help children improvebalance, coordination and steeringskills. They are compact, easy to carry

and designed for both indoor andoutdoor use.

Available in a range of colours andtwo different sizes, the Kiddie BikeMini is designed for ages one to threeand the Kiddie Bike Maxi is for agestwo to four.

Kiddie Bikes is a family-runbusiness, set up by a Hungarian‘mumpreneur’ from Tunbridge Wells inKent, after being asked by otherparents in the playground where herchildren’s bikes came from.

KIDDIE BIKES 01892 512369

The award winning My Living Worldcollection from Interplay features FieldBinoculars, designed by natureexperts. The binoculars have 6xmagnification, are small enough to fitin a child’s pocket and light enough tocarry around all day. The product alsofeatures a safety neck-strap, plus aninstruction booklet with facts about,and images of, common British birds.

Alternatively, Interplay’s PocketMicroscope features 30x magnification.

It is a real microscope, but easier touse than traditional desk microscopes.It simply unfolds and a lightimmediately illuminates the area infront of the lens.

My Living World offers kits that takekids outdoors to explore the worldaround them, but there are also anumber of kits that bring the outdoorworld inside. Ant World provides aninsight into the world of ants and isclean and safe.

INTERPLAY 01628 488344


MARCH 2011

Mookie has a wide range of innovationsand new products ready for 2011. Springwill see the company introduce the newCreateaway Easel, an R/C range and thePro Tailball.

Createaway has been designed basedon traditional values with quality andvalue in mind. The all in one CreateawayEasel folds up making it easy toassemble and store. Each play-setcomes with various accessories andfeatures and are suitable for ages threeand over.

The Createaway Travel Pod fits on achild’s lap enabling them to draw andstore all their accessories inside whileon the move.

Tailball is a new range of productsfrom the makers of Swingball. Designedas a progression to shuttlecock play,each item features the unique Tailballstreamer, which slows and stabilisesflight. Tailball is available in two sizes –light and extreme. Various gamesinclude the Tailball Back Pack Attack,Two in One Dart Attack, Tailball Extreme,Tailball Light, Tailball Flyer and theTailball Rocket.

For 2011, Mookie introduces the ProTailball. Available with a 3m wide netand larger base for stability, the game issuitable for up to four players andcontains a heavier ball for faster action.

Swingball is also introducing ProSwingball – a stronger and harder wayto play. The game has a larger base forstability, thicker tubing and is now1.75m high to make it harder to hit,

higher swing and a larger coil head for alonger game.

For 2011, Mookie will launch theSwingball and Tailball websites,featuring downloadable content andnews including events, games andstockists. The brand is also available onTwitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The spring launch will be supportedby a national press campaign withextensive TV and mass PR coverage tostart early in the year.

The Scuttlebug and Scramblebugfrom Funtastic are folding tricyclesaimed at children aged from one tothree. The trikes feature a three-stepfolding action and both ranges areavailable in a variety of characters forkids to choose from, includingladybugs, beetles and bumble bees.

UrbanX is a collection of safechildren’s bikes, carts and cars, whichcomplement the success of the SmartTrike. The wheeled toys will be in the

market for spring/summer. Plans are inplace for a marketing and TV campaignto start early in the year.

In the pre-school category, Mookie’sPeppa Pig wheeled range continues togrow and 2011 sees the introduction ofthe refreshed playballs and ride-ons.

Mookie also now has distribution ofthe YBike – a balance bike engineeredwith safety in mind and developed tohelp improve motor development, co-ordination and balance. The YBikemakes the transition to learning to ridea bike effortless for children as youngas two. A marketing and PR campaignwill include a programme for schoolsand nurseries. The YBike extreme willbe coming soon.

The new range of Street Cruzscooters is available for kids from threeyears-old, all with adjustable handlebars. Scooters available include theMini starter scooter for the junior rider,the Retro for beginners; Lightning withfront and rear brake lights; Classic, afolding scooter and Extreme, a proscooter suitable for eight years plus.Mookie is also introducing the newThunderbolt, a low deck scooter.

Mookie’s new R/C range is fullyfunctional and easy to fly. The Titanfamily helicopters come with agyroscope control and are available inthree different sizes: Titan Nano, TitanMid and Titan Grand. Products will beavailable from 2011. Plans are in placefor a marketing and TV campaign tostart early in the year.

MOOKIE 01525 722722

The new wooden RichmondTreehouse Play System features aladder leading to a veranda and agood sized wooden playhouse, asandbox, a giant slide and threeswings. This year Little Tikes is alsolaunching its first two smaller versionA–frame swing sets: the Milano with asingle swing seat and the Romadouble swing seat set.

Two new water play toys will beintroduced for 2011. The Spiralin’ SeasWaterpark develops motor skills askids send character balls down thespiral to the lazy river, whereas theSandy Lagoon Waterpark has twinwaterslides, diving boards, floatinginner tubes and a sand spinner andshovel for the beach.

The new traditional Garden Cartcomes with a sprayer to water plants,flower pots, trowel and fork, plus theCart converts to a wheelbarrow.

The new Cozy Truck featuresrugged styling and off-road wheels,while the new Tikes Castle sports aturret, escape slide and secret door.

Finally, the 30th anniversary of theclassic Turtle Sandbox has prompteda special edition that retains themoulded face, removable lid and largesand play area, but now includes awater channel around the rim withwater spinner and turtles included.

LITTLE TIKES 01908 268480

Brookite’s Once Upon a Time kitesfeature a Unicorn, Dragon and MiniMonster and are aimed at the youngerend of the market. Also new for 2011 is arange of Venom kites. Brookite took onthe distribution of the VenomSkateboards in 2010 and now also offersVenom Kites. Featuring Sport and Powermodels, the kites are for ages ten plus.

Classic Brookite lines continue – lookout for the Tropical Butterfly, SpookyBat, Skybird and Pirate Delta – all singleline kites. In the pocket money rangeMini Tubes, Zipaways and MiniButterflies are also continuing.

Brookite has also introduced twosizes of Play Parachutes – 2.4m and3.5m. The parachutes are made in nylonwith bright rainbow panels and featurereinforced grip straps.

Aerobie products are also distributedalong with Funtrix and Eolo ranges.

BROOKITE 01837 53315

MARCH 2011

www.toynews-online.biz 41SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE & EDUCATIONAL

Earning from learningOffering an added pull for parents, products with a science and educational element continue to provideretailers with something a little different to the usual licensed toys. ToyNews finds out what’s new…

Educational play is the backbone ofall Meccano’s ranges, which offer aconstruction challenge for childrenfrom five years old.

The company’s 2011 line-upincludes a number of new setshitting the Build and Play range.The latest products adopt an,easier construction mechanism ofclipping screws, in addition to therange’s traditional nuts and boltssystem. Build and Play Dinos is anew collection under the 5+ Buildand Play umbrella. The range offersa quirky selection of threetraditional dinosaurs, built usingflexible parts. Collect them all tobuild a bonus model.

Also new to the Build and Playrange is the Mini Build and PlayPlastic Case Assortment. Each ofthe sets builds two vehicles andcomes in a carry case. There’s alsothe new Build and Play Bulldozer,Side Car and Buggy sets, whicheach build a number of bold andbright cartoon-style vehicles.

Meccano’s Construction range,designed to unleash creativity and

imagination, will see a newMotorized Tool Box later in the year.The kit builds ten vehicles, all ofwhich could be found on aconstruction site. The flexibleplastic parts, 6V motor and stickersbring movement and life to themodels. The set comes in a boldyellow toolbox designed for easystorage and is suitable for childrenages five plus.

Sue Barratt, country manager,Meccano Toys UK, said: “The verycore of Meccano is about creatingeducational toys that are value formoney and offer terrific play value.Learning the process ofconstruction through play as a childhas inspired many great engineers,designers and architects.

“This is something Meccano isvery proud of and strives tocontinue to surprise and openchildren’s minds today.”

All models come with aninstruction leaflet and tools and willbe supported through a marketingand PR programme delivered acrosswidespread consumer media.

MECCANO 01844 278888

The new Lego Duplo Play with Lettersset is the follow-up to Duplo Play withNumbers. Children can get to grips withlearning letters with the educational setof big, brightly coloured bricks featuringmatching letters and pictures. Adding anadditional learning dimension to theDuplo offering, the set containseverything children need to build, playand learn letters.

The Play with Letters set contains allthe letters of the alphabet, play starterslike the Duplo child figure and cat,elements that can be used for buildingdifferent models such as windows and a

wagon base with wheels, as well asextra bricks, providing kids theopportunity to learn through play.

Successfully tested in Germany andthe US, the learning concept offersseamlessly integrated play and learningwith a hands-on, minds-on approach.The range is a relevant addition to Duploplay for the older children in the Duplotarget group and appeals to parentswho want to give their children an earlystart in learning letters. Offering an idealintroduction to Duplo, children can playalone or together with a parent giving ahigher play value.

LEGO 01753 495000

New from Gibsons are two additions tothe award winning My World range forchildren. My Lotto is a multi culturalgame containing facts about othercountries and cultures, while MyDominoes features brightly colouredjungle animals.

Both games contain hints and tips forparents for extending play and a slot inthe top of the box so children can posttheir pieces and help with putting away.

As with all Gibsons My Worldproducts, the games areenvironmentally friendly, having beenproduced in the UK on recycled board.

The games are developed inconjunction with child psychologist, DrAmanda Gummer, ensuring they areappropriate for children at every level.Gibsons has also produced a My Worldproduct video, which can be uploadedfree of charge to customers’ websites.

GIBSONS GAMES 020 8661 866

Taiwanese company Weplay has recentlywon an excellence award from theTaiwanese Government for its products,one of only eight companies to receivesuch an accolade. Weplay wasestablished in 1987 and is dedicated toproviding children with positive learningexperiences through products thatpromote physical activities andinteractions between children, parentsand teachers.

WePlay’s products are distributedexclusively in the UK by AgentaMarketing/Earlybird Toys. The collectionencompasses products to improve motorskills, to help with hand/eye and balanceco-ordination and to encourage creativeplay. Many lines are designed to enhancetactile perception and are ideal for usewith special needs children and seniors.The line includes a range of phthalate-free balls for safe and healthy play.

We-Blocks Minis (pictured) consists ofa varied collection of windows andblocks in a range of different shapesdesigned to help children to recognisebasic 3D geometric figures includingcubes and prisms.

The blocks develop children’s visual,spatial and observation abilities andencourages them to convert 2D imagesinto 3D models, strengthening their finemotor skills.

AGENTA MARKETING/EARLYBIRD TOYS 01536 401128

42 SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE & EDUCATIONAL

Ravensburger’s new Discover andDevelop educational games and puzzlerange enjoyed success in 2010, as Tipthe Ship won the award for OverallWinner in Practical Pre-School’s Toys &Games, three to five year age category.The game was praised because ithelped children with the Early YearsFoundation Stage of learning, and thisaim is key to the whole Discover andDevelop range.

New launches for 2011 include aredesigned version of theclassic game Snail’s PaceRace, where gameplayrevolves around childrenguessing which of thecolourful wooden snailplaying pieces will reach theend of the track first. Theuse of the snails and thecolour spot dice helpsdevelop colour recognitionand social interaction skills,and the game teaches kidsthe concept of taking turns.

Rivers, Roads and Railshas been redesigned in acontemporary art style. Thegame helps to developobservation, matching andlogical thinking skills, with140 cards showing rivers,roads and rails winding theirway through countryside.The aim of the game is tomatch up the cards tocreate a continuous networkof pathways, and the gameis different every time kidsplay it.

Also new to the offering are threesets of colourful flashcards, eachcontaining 50 double-sided cards,designed to help acquire differentskills. My First Flashcards featuresbright pictures and clear text toillustrate first words and can be used todevelop object identification, readingand spelling skills.

My First Number Flashcards clearlyillustrate written numbers andnumerals, and cover numbers one to

20. The set also includes cards showingmathematical symbols, so can be usedto do simple sums, in addition to aidingkids with number recognition and basiccounting skills.

My First Word Flashcards contain 100different words and help to developreading, spelling and writing skills asyoungsters learn to recognize lettersand words. All the flashcards come withtips for parents on how to use the cardswith their own youngsters.

RAVENSBURGER 01869 363800

MARCH 2011

GirlsWildScience!

...fun science kits with real attitude!

Top selling science kits

for girls

www.interplayuk.com

email: [email protected]

telephone01628 488944

...toys & gifts designed to inspire

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New for 2011 is a board gamewith lasers, Khet 2.0. Followingon from the success of the 2005original, Khet, the game hasundergone a redesign –refreshed and improved for 2011.

The game combines laserswith classic strategy for a gamedesigned for players from nineyears old and over. Playersalternate turns moving Egyptianthemed, mirrored pieces, afterwhich they fire real, eye-safelasers, with the goal of blastingtheir opponent’s pieces off theboard, destroying their Pharaoh.

The game has alreadyachieved acknowledgement inthe US, being named as a finalistfor the Toy of the Year awardsand winning the MENSA Selectaward, a prize awarded for‘original, challenging and well-designed games.’

The game rules are simpleand can be learned in minutes.Khet has patented the lasertechnology from being imitated.The game will be released thismonth and is exclusivelyavailable from Esdevium Games.

ESDEVIUM GAMES 01420 593500

2011 sees Brainstorm launch the neweducational toy brand Eureka, designedto entertain and inspire children tolearn more about their environment.

Kids can explore the universe withthe Eureka Deep Space HomePlanetarium and Projector. With twodomes, the planetarium projectsrotating star or constellation patternsonto surfaces. Use the projector toview 24 colour NASA and HubbleTelescope photographs of spacecraft,astronauts, planets and nebulae. DeepSpace also acts as a night light.

The Eureka R/C Illuminated Moonscrolls through 12 illuminated lunarphases, operated by remote control.The authentic moonscape shines lightinto a room. The Eureka R/CIlluminated Solar System includes a fullsun with eight rotating planetsoperated by remote-control. Includes afull colour space facts booklet.

Multi-coloured LEDs in the EurekaMy Very Own Rainbow, display rainbowcolours in the room. The set alsoincludes a sunlight rainbow crystal;position in a sunny window and watchrainbows appear.

The handheld Eureka NatureProjector Torch has two domes toproject patterns onto walls. The torch isavailable in two styles, with seacreatures or wildlife domes. The Eurekatorch has 24 colour NASA and HubbleTelescope photographs.

Eureka will also include The OriginalFlying Bird, a toy that has sold over 20million worldwide.

New to the Fact Finders range isMost Deadly. The product features 40

of the most deadly animals throughoutthe world, including the Great WhiteShark, Indian Cobra and the SaltwaterCrocodile. The wheel provides factsabout each animal and tips on how toavoid them.

Dinosaur Picture Viewer is a newaddition to the Natural History Museumlicence. These pocket-sized, pocketmoney viewers each include 24 animalphotographs. Also available are Wildlifeand Sea Creatures.

BRAINSTORM 01200 445113

MARCH 2011

BoysWildScience!



for boys

www.interplayuk.com




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MARCH 2011

44 SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE & EDUCATIONAL

...nature kits with real attitude!

Top selling nature kits

www.interplayuk.com




NatureKits!

Award Winning

This month sees the launch of a newseries of story books, especiallydesigned to help children from pre-school to seven years old develop theirliteracy skills.

Each book explores a different areaof language, allowing children to focuson one aspect at a time, while enjoyinga story and developing basic skills.

The graded series of books, The LitSet, complements the curriculum up tothe end of Key Stage 1. The stories arewritten in verse and address greentopics covered within the curriculum.The hand-drawn illustrations are

designed to encourage reluctantreaders to remain engaged and to helpinspire children who aren’t able to readon their own to develop listening skills.

Each book focuses on a separateaspect of language: opposites,synonyms, similar sounding words andmore. There are also games at the endof each book designed to reinforcelearning, together with guidance forparents and professionals.

The Lit Set is the brainchild ofCynthia Berman of Anili – the ethicalgame, book and toy company – whoserange of products are created to

develop children’s core literacy andnumeracy skills.

Berman comments: “There are sound educational principlesunderpinning each book and game.When children are entertained theylearn more easily, so our focus is oncreating educational games, books andtoys that they’ll love.”

The first book is called Sun andStorm and teaches children about usingopposites. Forest Fun introduces wordgroups (animals and food), A Tale ofTails highlights homophones and therest of the Lit Set is due to follow.

ANILI 07854 706571

HABA 0161 304 9555

Brightly coloured and fully functional,each piece of Terra Kids equipment isdesigned to educate children aboutnature in many situations.

For example, the Terra KidsMicroscope can be used even in poordaylight, as when the batterycompartment is opened, LEDsilluminate the subject up to 30 times.Supplied in its own compact bag, themicroscope comes with everythingneeded to explore the tiniestspecimens including tweezers,

microscope slides, cover foil and fourcompound capsules.

For long distance observations suchas birds or even a close up view of a shydeer or fox, Haba’s Binoculars can havethe subject firmly in focus with powerfulten times magnification, while the mini-compass in a carry case will give anindication of the creature’s location.

The Anglers Set is supplied with thenecessary equipment to bring about afirst big catch. There is a telescopicfishing rod and landing net, hooks,

floats and weights, while a zippered bagkeeps everything tidy and organised.

As well as a range of lights, pouchesand a variety of simple first sciencegadgets and equipment, Terra Kidsteaches children about physics withsome hands on experiments.

Haba’s Experiments for Explorersincludes three science kits to choosefrom, with activities to teach themabout the science behind wind power,colour and how to create a range ofprofessional knots.

MARCH 2011



www.interplayuk.com





for girls

TVADVERTISED

TVADVERTISED

TVADVERTISED

Storyonics is the new creative story-telling card game from ZooBooKoo. Thegame was first trialled at the five-daySpirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia inNovember 2010, where it was a totalsell-out in two days.

There are two games to play – acollaborative game and a competitiveversion – for ages six and over, withover 200 colourful images in the pack.Storyonics is simple. Having dealt outthe deck, the first player chooses one ofthe four colour images on their card andstarts a story inspired by the image. Thenext player chooses any image fromtheir card and continues the story,

linking the images in some way. Thereare no rules and players can interpretthe images in any way they choose,meaning the story tellers can be ascreative as they wish.

Alternatively there is a competitiveversion of Storyonics, where playerstake it in turns to tell a story against theclock (sand timer included), winning thecards they incorporate successfully.Choose from Magical Mystery Storiesand Amazing Adventure Stories.

Tongue Twister Snap is snap with anew twist, which also sold out at thetrial in November. Deal out the cardsequally, then each player turns over a

card and places it on a pile in themiddle. Players must shout out TongueTwister when the letters match and thefirst player to shout correctly reads asmany Tongue Twisters as possiblebefore the time runs out (sand timerincluded). Players keep the cards theyread successfully and the player withmost cards at the end is the winner.Suitable for ages eight and over.

Alternatively there is a game tocreate the longest Tongue Twister usingspecific words against the clock. Kidscan choose from either SensationalSporting Superstars or AnimatedAnimal Antics.

ZOOBOOKOO 01473 735346

The Savannah Wild Animals set is thelatest addition to Le Toy Van’s animalfigurine range. The hand-finished,painted wooden set includes six wildanimals carved from rubber wood.

The set consists of a giraffe, acrocodile, a lion, a lion cub, a rhino anda rhino calf. Each one is brightlypainted with certain features beingmade from fabric, such as the giraffe’sears and tail.

Scaled to be compatible with Le ToyVan’s Budkins range of figurines andplay-sets, the Savannah Wild Animalsset can help improve a child’srecognition and identification skills.

Each figurine is finished in a tactilestyle that can help aid a child’sdexterity.

Fully safety tested for ages three andover, the Savannah Wild Animal set ispackaged in a window box for ease ofstorage and display.

The collection is supported by theZambezi Wild Animals set, whichfeatures five large animals including anelephant, a baby elephant, a zebra, aflamingo and a hippo.

Each set is supported by other Le ToyVan products including the JungleHospital, the Safari Play Mat and theSafari Doctor Budkins figurine.

All Le Toy Van painted wooden toysare designed in the UK and ethicallymanufactured in Indonesia usingresponsibly sourced materials.

LE TOY VAN 020 8979 2036

Building on its Wild Science for Girlsrange, which includes the PerfumeLaboratory, Luxury Soap Science andBath Bomb Factory, Interplay isintroducing a new range extension toenhance the brand.

Aimed at girls aged eight to 12, thecosmetic science range allows tweens tocreate pampering products of their ownusing one of a selection of new kits.Titles include the Pampering Boutique,Face Mask Lab and Moisturising Lab andeach comes with detailed step-by-stepcolour and illustrated instructions toensure girls create cosmetics, but alsounderstand the science behind them.Already a strong seller in Australia, thenew collection has proven sales and willalso be supported by a targeted girls’magazine campaign and TV advertising.

The award winning Wild Sciencerange also has many boys’ projects thatmix science with hands-on play. TheWeird Slime Laboratory is an exampleand allows boys to create blood clots,exploding slugs and tapeworms, all bythe magic of chemistry. This range willalso continue to be TV advertisedthroughout the year.

All Wild Science kits, whether for boysor girls, come with an easy to follow anddetailed instruction booklet and eachexperiment fully supports the NationalCurriculum Science Key Stage 2.

Science of a different kind comes intoplay with the Technokit’s assortment,including the Stunt Buggy and aTrebuchet that lets children build a scalemodel of the infamous War Wolf, EdwardI’s siege machine.

The iball3 is an interactive memorygame, re-invented for the 21st century,with an electronic display inside.Designed for children from eight yearsup to adult, the memory game is likelyto fascinate and infuriate.

The aim of the game is to get sixlights in sequence to light up all thesame colour within a certain time.There are two levels of play with

increasing levels of difficulty. Once youhave succeeded, the iball3 displays acode, which allows you to open up allthe interactive aspects of the puzzle.

The game uses co-ordination andmemory to solve the puzzle. Competewith other iball3 enthusiasts as thewebsite will tell you how fast you haveactually done it – to within a 100th of asecond.

HTI 01253 778888

New this year from Fiesta Crafts is theDoowell Magnetic Tell the Time chart.Children can learn to tell the time inwords, digital and 12/24 hour-clock,stage by stage.

It features rotating hands and 68colourful magnetic pieces, includingactivity pieces to associate the time ofday with the child’s normal activity at

that time, which will help reinforcegenuine understanding.

Also included are lots of colourcoded pieces to learn minutes, hoursand the time in words. The includedteaching guide will help parents andteachers educate their children withthis tricky but vital concept. Measures36 x 41 cm.

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563INTERPLAY 01628 488 944

John Adams’ new range of educationalscience products feature a twist. TheWallace & Gromit licence receives a bigboost, courtesy of three products, allunder the science banner. Liquid Clock7,000, Porridge Blaster and WensleydaleWatcher, all offer a practical, interactiveexperience. Each of the products are

suitable for ages eight and over andretail at around £13.

Gross Science is a kit containing tenyucky activities. Make squeezable boils,runny snot, fake vomit and maggot filledscabs. Available from May 2011, GrossScience is TV-advertised and retails ataround £20.

JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361

www.toynews-online.biz 47SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL

MARCH 2011

48 SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL

MARCH 2011

Hexbug and its parent companysponsored this year’s London Toy Fair.The campaign included giving awayproduct to visitors in the entrance via aninteractive exhibit, sponsorship of thelanyards worn by every visitor andexhibitor and taking over the awardsceremony with a Hexbug Nano themeddessert and centrepiece.

Collectable and colourful, the smalland at first glance, simple, Hexbug Nanois actually a complex creature. Thescience that goes into making eachNano is a strong selling point for thebrand, which has seen the firm winnumerous accolades for its scientificand educational point of difference.

The Nano may be the smallest insectin the Hexbug range, but it is central to

future plans. Toy Fair gave Hexbug thechance to demonstrate the bugs to awider UK audience.

Each Nano is intricately designed toprovide hours of play for all ages witheach toy powered by a small cell battery,motor and rotating counter weightwhich help it to mimic the movements ofan insect.

Vibration through the Nano’s legs alsoadds to the effect by increasing itsspeed and movement. It is alsospecifically designed with a pointednose and a rubber shell that allow themicro-robot to randomise itsmovements. Finally, if the Nano flipsover, it is also able to self-right, due toits low centre of gravity and point designon the top of its shell.

Wow’s pre-school toys have beendesigned 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 children’s hands.Designed to assist with basic motorskills development right through tomore advanced social interactive role-

play, each toy has mechanical featuresfor kids to discover.

Powerful friction motors, winchesand pulleys eliminate the use ofbatteries. All the toys in the range arecompatible with each other andchildren can mix and match anyproducts. Throughout 2011, Wow willlaunch more toys than ever before asthe company expands its range further.

WOW TOYS 020 7471 0980

Wonderworld offers a range of qualityrubberwood toys, which encourageboth self-education and parent-childrelationships, along with thedevelopment of many skills.

Children can learn addition andsubtraction in an enjoyable way withthe Counting Ball, winner of the bronzePractical Pre-School Award 2006. Thecolourful toy has a unique designwhich uses a lever system to helpchildren of 18-months plus to learnbasic maths skills.

The Fire Engine Sorter aids childrenin learning how to match and sortshapes, and is also a pull-along toycomplete with fireman. The Fire Enginehas shaped holes in the roof and backand includes three wooden shapes to

help develop children’s visual-spatialawareness, trial and error skills andlogical thinking.

The full educational range includes anumber of products that teach a widerange of skills. All Wonderworld toysuse only environmentally friendlyquality materials and non-toxic coloursand lacquers.

DKL accepts that its responsibility isto not only distribute its brands, butalso to offer customers comprehensivemarketing and sales support, and tomaintain a good level of brandawareness. To this end, its productscan be seen regularly featured in highprofile consumer marketingcampaigns, while POS and in-storematerials are always available.

DKL 01604 678780INNOVATION FIRST 01925 454093

John Crane has a commitment tochildren’s learning through play and assuch, works alongside GoGo Toys todesign and produce educational toysand puzzles.

New this year from GoGo is theWhat’s in the Garden game. All heldsafely under Perspex, the minibeast-shaped pieces are lifted and placed withthe aid of a magnetic stylus.

The puzzle teaches children shaperecognition, hand-eye coordination andnew vocabulary.

For younger children, there is the Sort‘n’ Shape, which is a collection of holedshapes that fit on top of familiarimagery. The game teaches number andshape recognition plus colour matching.

An important skill with little ones ismemory and that is exactly what thisgame is called – Memory. Featuringcards with matching pairs of images thatget slid into a playing board, then brightgreen buttons are lifted in turn. Memoryskills help youngsters with reading andearly counting skills.

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

50 SECTOR GUIDE SCIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL

MARCH 2011

This year Orchard Toys is celebrating its40th anniversary and although the firmis proud of its past, it is looking forwardwith optimism to what it feels is going tobe a bright future.

In 2010, an expansion plan wasagreed and at the end of the year, workstarted on the company’s newfactory/office extension which, whenfinished, will provide over 50 per centmore space.

This will allow the firm to build upand store much higher levels of stock,ensuring there is 100 per cent

availability. The company hopes thefactory expansion will guarantee itremains a British manufacturer for manyyears to come.

Already this year Orchard Toys haslaunched seven new products that havebeen carefully developed to offer strongquality and value, combined with soundeducational principles.

Remember, life begins at 40, so withits customers’ help, Orchard Toys islooking forward to the company’scontinued success well into the decadeand beyond.

Marbel’s range of science andeducation toys have been carefullyselected to ensure they providemaximum educational and play values.Introduced into the Marbel range in2010, Clics is an example of this.

Clics creates educationalconstruction toys designed toencourage children of four and over toplan, construct and play. The challengeis to create many hundreds ofconstructions possible from the various

tubs, or creating specific models fromthe wide variety of special packs.

Another of Marbel’s core science andeducation brands is Edu-Toys, a brandthat has over 15 years of experiencedesigning high quality educationalproducts. Marbel has selected corescience kits that help children exploreand enjoy the fundamentals of science.With over 20 products to choose from,there is a different product for everyyoung scientist.

MARBEL 01208 873123

Great Gizmos has a selection of newscience and activity kits for kids,including additions to KidzLabs.

With several collections to choosefrom, each with its own USP, theKidzLabs series is one which appealsto scientific minds, with an abundanceof experimental and practical projectsto learn from. With an already widecollection, five new items have nowbeen added to the series

Among the new items for 2011 areKidzLabs Math Magic and KitchenScience kits. Math Magic contains over15 tricks, games and puzzles, frommagic number tricks and speedcalculations, to reading minds. Kidscan get their family involved with thespecially designed Math Memo Card

Game. Alternatively, the KitchenScience Kit will enable kids to performexperiments with everyday materials.The kit contains six specially designedkitchen-based experiments, includingthe ability to generate electricity usinga fork and tomato.

In addition to KidzLabs, collectionsinclude Green Science with the SolarRobot kit which teaches kids the basicprinciples of solar energy, electricityand mechanics, while making a robotthat performs simple tasks.

All science kits from Great Gizmosoffer new opportunities for children tolearn all about science and technologythrough creative play. As with all GreatGizmos’ brands, KidzLabs will besupported with PR and marketing.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525

Trends’ traditional games are given anew twist under the NationalGeographic brand. Dominoes featureAfrican animals and Snakes and Ladderstakes on an Amazonian theme with leaffrog, macaw, monkey and toucan pieces.

Also included are Floor Puzzlesshowing either a panda or an elephant,each with facts about the breed.

The National Geographic line alsooffers outdoor toys, including a DigitalMetal Detector; an Explorer Watch withmagnifying glass flip top; Night VisionGoggles with sonic ear listening device;a Bug Barn to collect and observe bugspecimens and much more.

The line also includes a range of

activity sets, for example, the DoubleGlobe Planetarium, with two globes toproject stars or planets onto the ceiling.

The Haynes licensed range includesthe Internal Combustion Engine, whichallows kids to construct a working petrolcar engine with ignition sound andilluminating spark plugs.

Richard Hammond’s Blast Labcollection includes Super Science, with arange of experiments for kids to try.Phantastic Phun allows kids to test foracids and clean coins, make egg shellsdisappear or make a volcano.

Trends has also recently signed theDoctor Who licence, with product detailscoming soon.

TRENDS UK 01235 838600

Sales Hotline 01869 363800 | [email protected]

24426 My First Number Flashcards

24427 My First Words Flashcards22091 Rivers, Roads and Rails game

24425 My First

Flashcards

22092 Snail’s Pace Race game “ A brightly coloured and well made range

of puzzles and games. The products support the children’s work very well.”

12 puzzles and 16 games available

22034 Tip the Ship game

Early Years Foundation Stage Teacher

Toymaster would like to invite all

Independent Toy and Model Retailers,

both in the UK and Ireland, to attend

the 2011 May Show.

Over 100 suppliers will be in attendance

at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate,

on the 17th - 19th May and we hope

you are able to join us in making the most

of the opportunities offered.

For more details or to register,

please contact Jo Skelton on

Tel: +44 (0)1604 674477

Email [email protected]

May ShowMay Show17th - 19th May 201117th - 19th May 2011

New toys chief at TescoTESCO BUYER John Stanhope hasmoved over from the supermarket'svideo games division to head up toys.

After a two year stint as seniorbuying manager for video games hewill now occupy the same role intoys, having also held roles at EUKand Woolworths. His replacement inthe games sector is Sarah Kaye.

Whilst Stanhope was in charge ofTesco's games division, thesupermarket made a number of keymoves, drastically reducing the size ofits head office team, launching a pre-owned games scheme andsignificantly increasing its marketshare of the video games sector.Tesco: 01992 632222

ELECTRONICS DISTRIBUTORMeroncourt has moved into the toymarket and has brought its virtualwarehousing offering with it.

The firm expanded into theelectronic toy market with the INGOrange of digital cameras, MP3players, portable DVD players andaccessories with licences includingHello Kitty, Bakugan, Disney Cuties,Betty Boop and Ben 10.

Meroncourt transferred many of itsexisting innovative distributionconcepts over to its toy marketcustomer base which has been verywell received.

Steve Walsh, Meroncourt’s salesdirector, commented: “Our ability tooffer a direct to end-user DropShipping Service coupled with NoMinimum Order value has enabledmany of our toy customers to expand

their range with no risk and to makeuse of our services not traditionallyoffered by other toy distributors suchas XML data feeds which enable ourcustomers to mirror our web sitedetails very easily.

“We will continue to grow the toyside of the business and after asuccessful Toy Fair we have manymore licensed brands and differentproducts to add to our portfolio overthe coming months. Including DoraThe Explorer, Spongebob andMomiji.”Meroncourt: 01462 680060

Retail OnlyDedicated monthly retail coverage

News • Data • Opinion

Distributor makes toy moveTHE TOY retail icon could beavailable as part of its Icelandicowner's sale of a number of highstreet assets.

Reports suggest Iceland Foodsis to be sold off by collapsedbank Landsbanki, and Hamleyscould also be part of the sale.

The frozen food supermarket isexpected to fetch up to £1.5billion with founder andshareholder Malcom Walkerexpected to be among thebidders for the firm.

Landsbanki, which collapsed inthe Icelandic financial crisis andis now managed by theLandsbanki ResolutionCommittee, has a 65 per centstake in Hamleys and about 67per cent of Iceland.

There are reports that advisersare about to appointed to handlethe sale.

Icelandics aboutto sell Hamleys?

THIS YEAR’S Toymaster May show,which returns to the MajesticHotel, has sold out.

The show, which is open to notonly Toymaster Members, butother independent retailers aswell, will take place from 17th –19th May 2011 at the BarceloMajestic Hotel, Harrogate.

“We are pleased to announcethat all exhibition space has beenfilled at the 2011 Toymaster MayShow,” said the firm.

“We would like to take thisopportunity to thank thosesuppliers attending for theirsupport and we look forward toseeing them all in May.”

For further information onvisiting the show, contact JoSkelton on 01604 662916.

Or email [email protected]

Toymaster full up

The Lego City space set is thismonth’s featured product...

Hero ProductPage 57

This month’s retail charts featureJohn Lewis, the Entertainer, WHSmith and Play.com...

ChartsPage 55

Page 56New products

Our undercover retail correspondentoffers his thoughts on Toy Fair....

CommentPage 54

New products this month fromLeapfrog, Worlds Apart, Family Fixesand The In Thing..

MARCH 2011

Tinga Tinga Tales 25cmMonkey with Sound

(Bandai)

Nerf N-Strike Clip SystemDart Pack – 36 pack

(Hasbro)

Moxie GirlzBasic Doll

(MGA Entertainment)

HIGHSTREET

COUNTERINSURGENT

54 RETAIL ONLY

ANOTHERROUND ofshows overand now timeto reflect.Great buzzaround,

especially on press day, at ToyFair. Once again, great productand, hopefully, at the rightprice points to encourage themoney into tills across thecountry. What would be nice isa little bit of profit in them tomake it worthwhile.

Plenty of innovation on showagain and it seems to be lightsand beams everywhere.WowWee once again came upwith a cracking line in LiteSprites. Quite how to get it overto the consumer is anotherthing, but that is where pukkatoy shops come in.

Once again, there werethose silly little rooms whereyou have to sign to confirmthat you won’t go and blog onthe internet the latest news

about the new licensed toys.Doesn’t the person who draftsthe document know thatanything we see in these littleclosed off areas is alreadyyesterday’s news and long inthe public domain?

I was exasperated that onday four of Spring Fair anagent who was also at Toy Fairdidn’t know their way around aprice list, didn’t know how toturn something on and lookedeven more surprised than mewhen I pointed out that a big-selling item was discontinued.That was seven whole sellingdays at the show with time inbetween. Maybe I expect toomuch but if I was in theirshoes, I would ensure that Iwas fully mugged up on what Iwas selling.

There are a growing numberof suppliers who claim to offerTV support. If a supplier thinksI’m going to buy into a rangethat is supposed to have TVsupport, however, when they

have no idea about channelsor times two weeks before thecampaign is due to start, theyshouldn’t be too disappointedwhen I don’t order. When Iasked how many TVRs therewere, I got a blank look. Justfor the hell of it, a couple ofyears back I asked two

marketing people from thesame big supplier what theirdefinition of a TVR was, bothgave me different answers.

At least I can make adecision on what to buy. Howthe heck do the little groupsfrom supermarkets make anydecisions? One little group of

seven people spoke in hushedtones to decide whether toreview a single craft line froma big company and thenorganise a follow-up meetingin Germany.

And all this on a productthey would have seen atpreviews before Christmas.With a crap box, no TV supportand to be quite frank, crapproduct, it took me all of fiveseconds not to stock it.

Lastly, is there some kind ofprotest going on that I haven’theard about, or is there a newdress code for agents? Agrowing number aren’twearing ties. It doesn’tpersonally bother me but I dolike the thought of having theoption of tying the moreuseless ones to some railings.I just wonder how theirprincipals feel about it. Yourarely see a manufacturer’s repand management without fulldress. Maybe I am getting oldand grumpy.

Is there some kind of protestgoing on that I haven’t heard

about, or is there a newdress code for agents?

Dispatches from the retail front line...

Star WarsLuke’s Landspeeder

(Lego)

Zoobles BlossomingGarden Play-set

(Spin Master)

PRICE CHECK: MARCH 2011

£11.24 £5.99 £9.99 £25.99 £19.99

£17.19 £4.99 £17.95 £21.99 N/A

£10.90 £3.50 £11.49 £18.38 £18.99

£15.00 £6.00 £10.00 £28.00 £20.00

£14.99 £4.99 N/A £24.99 N/A

MARCH 2011

www.toynews-online.biz 55RETAIL ONLY

RETAILCHARTS

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7

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10

WHSmith.co.uk

Lego Star Wars Brickmaster Dorling Kindersley

Lego Atlantis Brickmaster Dorling Kindersley

My First JCB Wooden Dominoes Set Golden Bear

Lego Pirate Brickmaster Dorling Kindersley

Thomas & Friends Assorted Models Learning Curve

Large Brick Box Lego

Toy Story 3 Four in a Box Jigsaw Puzzle Ravensburger

Sylvanian Families Chocolate Dalmatian Twins Flair

Sylvanian Families Nursery Playground Swing Set Flair

Star Wars Rebel Trooper Army Pack Lego

1

2

3

4

5

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8

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10

The Entertainer

Sylvanian Families The Courtyard Restaurant Flair

Air Hogs Vectron Wave Spin Master

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Brawn Hasbro

Nerf N-Strike Maverick Hasbro

Toy Story Woody the Sheriff Vivid

ITNG Talking Plush Upsy Daisy Hasbro

Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Helios Spin Master

Silver Cross Ranger Dolls Pram HTI

My First Wooden Blackboard/Whiteboard Easel Colorific

Little Tikes Premium Wood Kitchen MGA

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Amazon CHART DATE01/02/11

1

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Mail Order Express

Bananagrams Winning Moves

Peppa Pig Secret Tower Play-set Character

Shopping List Game Orchard Toys

Who’s in the Jungle? Jigsaw puzzle Orchard Toys

Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 Hasbro

Nerf N-Strike Clip System Dart Pack Hasbro

Scrabble Mattel

Addictaball Large Maze Puzzle Game The Sales Partnership

Sylvanian Families Elephant Family Flair

Original Rubik’s Cube John Adams

Born to Play Farmyard Playhouse Yaffe

Oyster Stroller Black Chassis Baby Style

Dareway 08 Silver Ride-on Famosa

Dareway 08 Gothic Ride-on Famosa

Ferrari F430 6V Car Famosa

R/C Cargo Train with Light Playmobil

Lunchbox XB Pro RTR Electric 1:12 R/C Monster Van Tamiya

XB Midnight Pumpkin Tamiya

XB Mini Cooper Tamiya

Digital 1:43 Mario Kart Wii Set Carrera

CHART DATE01/02/11

CHART DATE01/02/11

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4

5

6

7

8

9

10

John Lewis CHART DATE02/02/11

1

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3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Play.com

Maxi Micro Scooter, purple Micro Scooters

Maxi Micro Scooter, black Micro Scooters

Mini Micro T-bar scooter, blue Micro Scooters

Mini Micro T-bar scooter, pink Micro Scooters

Infrared JKart Nikko

Harry Potter Quidditch Lesson Lego

Furreal Friends Butterscotch Pony Hasbro

Sewing Machine John Lewis

Honey Bake Kitchen Set Le Toy Van

Sylvanian Families Car and Caravan Flair

Connect 4: 5 Ways to Play Hasbro

Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 Hasbro

Hello Kitty Playing Cards Waddingtons

Guess Who Extra Hasbro

Nerf Clip System Darts Pack of 36 Hasbro

The Gruffalo 4-in-1 Puzzle Paul Lamond Games

Phineas and Ferb Secret Catapult Pen Character

Jigsaw Roll Paul Lamond Games

Nerf Dart Tag FuryFire Two Pack Set Hasbro

Nerf N-Strike Longstrike CS-6 Hasbro

CHART DATE01/02/11

CHART DATE01/02/11

MARCH 2011

PRODUCTNEWS

THE FLIKER scooterintroduces a new way to getaround. Simply by movingyour body from side to side,the three-wheeled designgets going and keeps moving.

Safely reaching speeds ofup to 25 km/h, the Fliker hasextra strong polyurethanewheels, which will keep it on the road for the long run.

The lightweight frame is made from steel and folds inhalf to transport. The scooter comes with a one-yearmanufacturer guarantee on the frame.

Fliker scooters will be TV advertised throughout Apriland June on a range of key children’s channels. A furthercampaign will highlight Fliker on TV in the lead-up toChristmas later this year.ATM Sports: + 353 (0) 818 333 49

FOLLOWING THE success of lastyear’s Toy Story Alien Go Glow Palfrom Worlds Apart, the company haslaunched a girl’s version – the HelloKitty Go Glow Pal.

As with the Alien version, theHello Kitty Go Glow Pal is a 2-in-1product, offering children a plush toyto play with, which then acts asnight time light.

Children squeeze Kitty’s hand tomake its hair bow glow. After 15minutes, the light shuts off. The GoGlow Pal is suitable for children agedthree years plus. Worlds Apart: 0800 389 8591

56 RETAIL ONLY

SQUIBBLE IS a new way to solve asquabble. A portable gadget,Squibble contains ten individuallysized straws, each numbered one toten. Whoever picks the shorteststraw is the person assigned the taskin question.

According to an independentsurvey carried out by parent

company, Family Fixes, 68 per centof those interviewed squabble atleast once a day, often failing towork out a fair and simple way toresolve everyday minor decisionsand dilemmas.

Squibble can also be used as aforfeit game at parties and will beavailable through Amazon in spring.

Squibble, priced at £9.99, isdesigned by Family Fixes, anindependent company, with amission to create a range of quirkyproducts to make family life easier byproviding busy parents with funsolutions to everyday challenges.

Family Fixes: 07989 558 239

Draw straws with Squibble

ATM unveils Flikerscooter

THE NEW Webkinzcollection is a range of 20cmplush, offered alongsideLil’kinz, which stand at 15cm.

Each toy comes with aunique code, which allowschildren to adopt their petonline in the Webkinz Worldat www.webkinz.com.

The range has so far beenwell received in the US,where, during its worst yearthe range sold 17 millionunits. The online world isdesigned to help kids learnnew things and play and chatin a safe environment.

The ideabehind therange is thatkids collect allavailableWebkinz andLil’Kinz tocreate theirown Webkinzfamily online.

UK distributor, The InThing, is currently running anoffer on Lil’Kinz. Customerscan buy four nine-countCDUs of Lil’kinz for £35.64meaning they receive 36Lil’Kinz for 99p each, opposed

to the normal price is £17.91per CDU.

A TV campaign will rununtil June, with the highestexpenditure hitting in March.The In Thing: 0845 365 3030

The In Thing transforms plushinto virtual pets

LEAPPAD EXPLORER is amultifunctional learning tabletsuitable for children age four plus.

Building on theLeapster Explorer, theproduct combines thelatest technology,educational curricula andentertainment properties.

The firm’s largest-everlearning library isincluded at launch, with100+ learning games, videos, e-Books and flash cards. The tablet isalso compatible with the LeapsterExplorer library.

Education is key and the productaids kids with a range of subjects. Astylus also helps with writing skills.

The tablet device features abuilt-in camera, videorecorder, microphone andanimation studio andautomatically adjusts learningacross all 100+ experiences,allowing children to learn attheir own pace.

An accelerometer andfive-inch colour touch screen add tothe sleek, thin design. The LeapPadcan also withstand rough play.Leapfrog: 01895 202840

Leapfrog introducesLeapPad Explorer

Worlds Apart boosts Go Glow Pal line

MARCH 2011

LEGO CITY Space Shuttle will launch as partof a unique partnership between The LegoGroup and NASA.

The re-introduced Space Shuttle was firstseen 30 years ago and the latest versionincludes an astronaut, opening cargo baydoors, Canadian arm and Hubble SpaceTelescope set to circle the earth.

Lego City has established itself as one of thefirm’s key product lines with six consecutiveyears of double-digit growth.

Also in the range, the Lego City SpaceCentre set combines an iconic space rocketwith satellite and launch pad, control centre,vehicles and four minifigures. Marketingmaterial will also include facts about thevehicles to bring an educational perspective tothe building experience.

Both new products will be supported by anextensive PR campaign targeting nationalbroadcast and online and national, children’sand parenting press.

Lego has partnered withNASA to celebrate the 30thanniversary of the Lego Cityspace shuttle model….

LegoCity

www.toynews-online.biz 57HERO PRODUCT

Lego City hasestablished itself

as one of thefirm’s evergreenproduct lines.

The Space Centrecombines a rocket withsatellite and launch pad...

Release dates:SPACE CENTRE – April 2011

SPACE SHUTTLE – April 2011

CONTACT DETAILS:Phone:01753 495000

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

The place for business

RATES:RATES:

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

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

Brookite 01837 53315

Cambridge Brainbox 01279 821 333

Esdevium Games 01420 593 593

Flying Toys 01702 295 110

Fun Collectables 01844 273 719

Ideal Software 01767 689 720

Jumbo Games 01707 289 289

Logiblocs 01727 763 700

Maps Toys 01483 776 006

Millhouse 01526 351 919

Network Display 01902 493 999

Plastics for Games 01728 745 300

Revell 01442 250 130

Thumbs Up 0845 466 8880

Yoyeti [email protected]

Wow Toys 020 7471 0980

■ Toy Suppliers

Cartamundi 01268 511 522

Richard Edward 0208 311 8888

ESTABLISHED FOR 33 years, and a

regular exhibitor at Spring Fair,

Flying Toys recently launched its

latest products at the NEC.

With 19 fresh Silverlit items

available for 2011, company

directors David and Janine Rawlins

were delighted to offer a new

generation of advanced gyro

helicopters, which represent a

significant step forward for the

innovative manufacturer, which

began the indoor micro chopper

craze in 2006.

Further new Silverlit gyro

helicopters include the Heli

Blaster, which fires up to six

rockets upon command and the

Sky Cam chopper that is able to

take photos and video footage

whilst in flight.

Viewers of The Gadget Show

will have already seen the Silverlit

V-Jet, which transforms from a

helicopter into an aeroplane

during flight, on the show’s

Christmas special.

Similarly a selection of Silverlit

flying toys were put through their

paces, by the children on CITV’s

Cool Stuff Collective.

Customers can see what’s

‘taking off’ for 2011, together with

all the latest product reviews

published in the model press on

the website: www.flyingtoys.com

Not only the UK’s specialist

domestic distributor for Silverlit,

Flying Toys additionally offers an

exclusive collection of outdoor and

pocket money products.

The portfolio includes products

from the world’s leading

manufacturers including Quercetti,

De Ruymbeke, White Wings,

Lanard and the Kite Factory, which

allow excellent margins for

traditional model and toy shops,

visitor centres, mail order

catalogues and internet traders.

Telephone David or Janine

Rawlins for further details on:

01702 295110

FLYING TOYS LIMITEDSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER01702 295110

NETWORK DISPLAYSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER01902 493 999NETWORK DISPLAY is a rising star

in the specialised retail POS

market. In response to an

increasing demand for display

solutions, the firm was formed in

2010 as a new division of Network

Packaging – one of the UK’s

leading packaging distributors.

Network Display specialises in

bespoke point of sale and display

packaging and has built on a

legacy of 15 years of excellence in

the packaging consumables and

bespoke corrugated market.

To say that the increased usage

of retail ready packaging and

bespoke free-standing and

counter top displays in the

modern retail environment has

been meteoric, would be

understated. The use of

incremental and often redundant

floor and counter space to sell

impulse and seasonally focused

goods is now seen as core to the

sales strategy of convenience,

grocery and mass channel

retailers in the UK.

Network Display has a unique

approach and uses its experience

in the corrugated industry to

ensure that products are

produced to the optimum

specification, minimising cost and

waste and maximising

performance and life in-store. The

firm believes these are the

reasons that well-known names in

the toy industry, including Bandai,

use it for their display needs.

By using a team of packaging

industry award winning

designers, equipped with the

latest design tools and AR CAD

facilities, Network Display

believes it can create some of the

most innovative retail displays in

the market. The firm’s

manufacturing process uses

specialised die cutting and the

largest format screen printing

and litho printing and laminating

techniques available in Europe.

For further details:

www.networkdisplay.co.uk

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


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Marketplace

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64 TOY TALK

TOYTALKTrunki and Flair bosses honoured, while a genuine Hollywood legend lends his support to the Cars 2 toy launch…

MARCH 2011

POLITICS AND toys. Never the twain, eh?Well, that all might be about to change ifformer Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld makes arun for US Senate in his home state of RhodeIsland in 2012.

Not that he will be putting toys at the topof his legislative agenda. Hassenfeld saidhe’s been talking with those close to himand wants to consider how he can best helpthe state. Recently, he gave $10,000 toRhode Island’s Moderate Party. Hassenfeldsays he wishes the congressional delegationspent more time on the state’s problems.

Of course, Hassenfeld is no stranger tothe politics of the toy industry, mostfamously when fighting off a mouthwatering $53 a share, $5.3 billion bid forHasbro from Mattel in 1996 when he had todeploy every trick in the book to wage avigorous media campaign to stress thepossible negative ramifications of themega-merger.

If toys and politics are strange bedfellows,how about the increasing numbers of over50s now using social networking sites?

Some 400,000 British adults aged over 50are using social networking sites from theirmobile phones and are three times morelikely to access social media sites thanyounger adults, according to new research.Many brands are focusing on youngerdemographics, but marketers are beingadvised that it would be sensible to focus onmore mature mobile social networkers aswell. As a group, mobile social networkersaged 50 plus have seen a 52 per centincrease in size in the last year, compared toa 48 per cent increase for mobile socialnetworkers aged under 30.

Just look at all the visitors who wereroaming the aisles at Toy Fair glued to theirsmart phones, a fair few of whom were silversurfers it’s fair to say. The Toy Fair app thatwas available included useful stuff forvisitors, but I’d put money on the suspicionthat that wasn’t all they were using them for.

JonSALISBURYObservations froma toy industrysurvivor....

LAW LAUGHS LASTROB LAW, creator of the Trunki brand (you know,the one the Dragon’s Den people broke and thenrejected), has been awarded an MBE for Servicesto Business in the Honours List. Which kind ofgives him the last laugh, doesn’t it?

Magmatic - the company behind Trunki -started trading in 2006. In just under five years,he has grown the business into a globalsuccess story, doubling turnover every year andis on track to turnover £5 million by quarterone of 2011.

“I am hugely humbled to be recognised in theNew Year’s honours list. 2010 was really afantastic year for us: we launched five newproducts; struck a deal with one of the US’sbiggest toy companies; picked up our 36th award- not to mention seeing 750,000 Trunki casesreaching 60-plus countries around the globe.What a journey,” he commented.

Now employing 17 staff, Magmatic’s annualturnover is on track to hit £5m – double that of2009/2010. In addition to Trunki, thecompany now designs and manufacturestravel products including a dual backpack-cum-car-booster seat; the world’s first evermultifunctional travel ToyBox; unique travelpillows that give total head support; andmany more.

Law concluded: “Britain’s design and businesspedigree is already world class, so to be amongthose recognised at such a prominent level istruly an honour.”

FLAIR BOSS HONOUREDON THE subject of gongs, popular industry veteran PeterBrown, who started his career in 1966, is to be honouredwith a lifetime achievement award by the British Toy andHobby Association.

Flair boss Brown will receive the honour on June 29th2011 at the Industry Day at Great Fosters Hotel.

“I am absolutely delighted to hear this great news and Iam honoured that my peers should think I am worthy toreceive this prestigious award,” said Brown.

“The BTHA wishes to acknowledge the enormouscontribution that Peter has made during his lifetimeworking in the toy industry,” said Christine Nicholls, chair ofthe BTHA.

Brown took his first step in the industry at Palitoy,moving on to various companies including Tri-ang, Mettoy,Louis Marx, Byron Jardine, Westco, Tomy, Hasbro and todayat Flair Leisure Products.

The toy trade stalwart has been responsible forlaunching such well-known brands as Playmobil, SylvanianFamilies and K’Nex.

MyFavouriteThings

JaninaMaciejewska,Category manager,toys and stationery,UK licensing, Disney

Favourite album: I think I would be tooembarrassed to say as I’m a bit of an 80’s lover.------------------------------------------------------------------Film: I have lots of favourites but I would sayShawshank Redemption, Invictus and Crashas well as loads of rom-coms.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Book: Memoirs of A Geisha and The Help.------------------------------------------------------------------------------TV programme: Spooks. I honestly want to be one.------------------------------------------------------Magazine: Red Magazine.------------------------------------------------------Holiday destination: Canada.-------------------------------------------------------Pet: I would absolutely love to have my own dolphin, butas I can’t it would have to a big chunky grey cat.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Number one single whenyou were born: I don’t know.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Heroes: David Attenborough. My geeky side is alove of wildlife.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Way to spend a weekend: Little lie in, scrambled eggson chunky bread, long country walk or mountain bike,home to red wine, warming dinner and a good natter.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Game/toy: I am still a bit scarred about not everhaving a Mr Frosty. My mum said I couldn’t have oneas it would rot my teeth.---------------------------------------------------Tipple: Full-bodied red wine.----------------------------------------------------Food: Asian. Especially Vietnamese.-----------------------------------------------------Piece of advice: Live every day as if it’s your last. Packas much in as you can so you never have any regrets.------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 2011

65TOY TALK

GET CARS 2IT’S RARE that properHollywood royalty and theworld of toys collide, but theone and only Michael Cainewas at New York Toy Fair,joined by Emily Mortimer, tolaunch Disney’s new Cars 2collection and reveal new filmcharacters.

The new toy range includesmore than 300 toys, whichwere launched by Caine,voice of the new Cars 2British agent, Finn McMissileand actress Emily Mortimer,voice of his spy-in-training,Holley Shiftwell.

LOWE RETURNSDETERMINED DESTINATION London creator Rachel Lowe hasreturned with a new company called She Who Dares. Aftersome cash flow problems created by delayedlicences sent RTL under, she kept on goingand has been rewarded for her persistencewith an officially endorsed DestinationLondon 2012 board game.

It will feature venues, landmarks andtourist attractions which will be part ofthe Games and beyond. These willinclude the Velodrome, Aquatics Centreand the Olympic Village.

KEEPONWINNINGWOW STUFF’S new robotic toy, MyKeepon, was awarded Best ScienceToy at New York Toy Fair. The littledancing... err... blob has achieved fourmillion views on YouTube and the firmbelieves will be a big cult success. Asif that wasn’t enough, the firm’s otherline of R/C flying toys, Airswimmers,won Best Overall Toy. Initial firstorders for over 500,000 unit weretaken in four days, says the company.

ALLAN ABELTOY TRADE veteran and FenceClub member Allan Abel haspassed away.

The funeral service was heldon February 6th, at WalthamAbbey Jewish Cemetery.

Allan, who was 77, became amember of the Fence Club in1986. He grew up in the EastEnd of London and went towork for the Toy Company, I.Angel & Son which nurturedmany people into the toyindustry. He was there over 20years becoming sales directorand travelling extensively in the1970’s with buying directorKeith Segal, sourcing product inthe Far East often being awayfor five to six weeks at a time.

Following I. Angel & Sons hestarted Allan Abel Agencies.One of his main agencies wasIllco which had a strongSesame Street range. The firmbecame Tyco and wereeventually bought by Mattel. Healso had the Tara Toys agencyfor Barbie accessories in the1980s and 90s.

MARCH 2011

66 FEATURE PLANNER

APRIL 2011 MAY 2011

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

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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PLAYWORLD MIDDLE EASTMarch 7th - 9thDubai International Convention andExhibition Centrewww.playworldme.com

KAZACHOK LICENSING FORUMMarch 31st - April 1stLa Halle Freyssinet, Pariswww.forumlicence.kazachok.com

ABRIN TOY FAIR (BRAZIL)April 13th - 16thExpo Center Norte, São Paulowww.abrin.com.br

TOY RUSSIAMarch 16th - 18thCrocus Expo, Moscowwww.toy-russia.com

AUSTRALIAN TOY HOBBY & NURSERY FAIRMarch 10th - 13th 2011Melbourne Convention & Exhibitioncentrewww.toyfair.com.au

PLAY-ROOM AT THE PARKApril 27th - 28th 2011Cranmore Park, Solihullwww.play-room.uk.com

TOY TRUST G.O.S.H. FUNDRAISERJune 11th 2011Rutland Waterwww.btha.co.uk/toytrust/

THE GADGET SHOW LIVE PROFESSIONALApril 12th 2011NEC Birminghamwww.gadgetshowlive.net

Editorial deadline: Call for detailsAdvertising deadline: March 11th

In April, we’ll bring you the lowdown of what’s hotin the boys’ sector for the coming months.

We’ll also take you through what you should bethinking about stocking from the lucrative gamesand puzzles sector.

Finally, we’ll look at the vast array of kidsmagazines on offer, so that toy firms can be suretheir ads are in the right place and being seen bythe right audience.

Boys’ market specialGames and puzzlesKids’ magazines

The latest introductions to theaction vehicles sector will bepreviewed in the May issue ofToyNews, along with a run-down of the new additions toboth the pre-school and largedoll categories.

Also in the Mayissue, will be a previewof the companiesexhibiting at the MayToymaster show...

Action vehicles (inc. R/C & diecast)Pre-schoolLarge dollsToymaster show special

Editorial deadline: March 11thAdvertising deadline: April 8th

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Has the power to conquer allof your supply chain needs

toynews issue 115, march 2011

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