toynews issue 120 august 2011

INSIDE…

THE PACKAGING DEBATEThe Greenpeace campaignand the toy industry’s response

Issue 120 August 2011

LONDON CALLINGThe official London 2012Olympics products to stock

PLUSH FUNDWhat’s big in the traditionaland feature plush sectors

The toy industry’s highest circulation trade title

Exclusive media partner

THE BIG BUILDWe find out what’s hot in theconstruction category

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xx MCVxxx_v1_Layout 1 20/07/2011 16:14 Page 1

WE LIKE a good moan about retailersseemingly making Christmas start earlier andearlier each year. But Tesco has moved it up anotch this year, revealing its top ten toys forChristmas on June 6th. Hamleys and Amazonhave since unveiled their lists, too.

One thing they all have in common, is thepresence of toys inspired by some of thissummer’s blockbuster movies, includingTransformers 3 and Cars 2.

Interestingly, one of the most read articles onToyNews Online last month was an opinionpiece from US-based contributor, Lutz Muller,asking whether Hollywood has slightly overegged the pudding this year when it comes tothese kind of movies.

According to Muller, manufacturers andretailers in the US are concerned that the toptoy movies don’t seem to have the same pullany longer and that there are just too many ofthem, which could lead to cannibalisation.

Whether these concerns are shared by theUK market, I don’t know. I do think that it’seasy to be cynical and think that the studios areonly interested in presenting a glorified advertto sell toys. I do like to give them the benefit ofthe doubt though, especially as Pixar’s JayWard, the ‘franchise guardian’ of the Carsbrand, recently said: “It has to be a movie first.It has to tell a great story. If you don’t do agreat movie then none of it means anything.”

Samantha [email protected]

COMMENTALL ABOUT THE MONEY?

Toys are only worthdoing if people see the

movie, Pixar’s Jay Wardsaid recently.

20 News

23 London 2012 Special

LICENSING

FEATURES16 News Analysis: Greenpeace

29 Sector Guide: Plush

41 Sector Guide: Construction

53 News

54 Counter Insurgent

54 Tweetpicks

55 Retail Charts

56 New Products

57 Hero Product

RETAIL

Units 8 - 17 Sandhurst, Kings Road, Charfleets Industrial Estate, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 0QY. Tel: 01268 511522, Fax: 01268 513109 or e-mail [email protected]

view our complete range at

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become a fan at www.facebook.com/CartamundiUK

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ContentsREGULARS4 News

6 Exclusive NPD analysis

8 Media Tracker

10 Appointments

12 Campaign of the Month

14 TV ratings

Emily BriggsSales [email protected]

Lewis TylerStaff [email protected]

Adam [email protected]

Jon [email protected]

Stuart [email protected]

Suzanne PowlesProduction [email protected]

Katie RobertsDeputy [email protected]

Samantha [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.

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� ToyNews has 100% named circulationand 0% duplication.

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

www.toynews-online.biz

COMPETITION34 This month, winproducts from GreenBoard Games

Follow us on @toynewsonline

03 TN120_final 22/07/2011 16:04 Page 1

THERE MAY still be a year to go,but toy and gift retailers are beingurged to place their orders forLondon 2012 Olympics andParalympics products as soon aspossible, or risk missing out.

There are over 50 licensees onboard for the London 2012programme, including toy firmsGolden Bear, MV Sports, WinningMoves, Magmatic and Hornby toname a few.

“In order to make the most of thebusiness opportunity presented bythe Games, retailers should definitelybe planning and placing orders assoon as possible,” Lesli Zador,marketing manager, licensing andretail at London 2012, explained toToyNews. “Orders should be placedwith our official licensees as soon aspossible to avoid disappointment.”

A range of merchandise officiallylaunches from August 15th at theofficial London 2012 shops at StPancras International, Paddington

station, Heathrow Terminal 5 andJohn Lewis on Oxford Street. Awider High Street launch will takeplace on September 1st.

By Games time, an estimated10,000 London 2012 products will be

available. It is anticipated theprogramme will generate over £1billion in sales, a target whichLOCOG is confident of hitting.

“With the network of officialLondon 2012 shops, our partnersand, most importantly, significantsales set to go through the regularHigh Street, we are very optimisticabout achieving this goal,” Zador

continued. “We’re thrilled with thecreativity and commitment shown byour licensees. Products are availableto suit every price point.”

To read our guide to London 2012licensed toys, games and gifts, headto page 23.London 2012: 0203 2012 000

4 NEWS

by Samantha Loveday

FOLLOWING research into toypackaging, which found the use ofMixed Tropical Hardwoods, sourcedfrom the Indonesian rainforest,Greenpeace recently launched acampaign against toy manufacturers.

Mattel responded with an officialstatement saying it is in the processof developing a sustainableprocurement policy. The new policywill include requirements forsuppliers to commit to sustainableforestry management practices.

Hasbro’s statement said it wasalready working with supplierstowards using only ‘recognised,independent, certifying bodies, suchas the Forest Stewardship Council’.

Finally, Lego told ToyNews: “Wehave been looking into thesustainability of our packaging for

quite some time and are aiming forall of our packaging to be made fromeither recycled or FSC certifiedmaterials within a year.”

Ian Duff (above), Greenpeaceforest campaigner, said: “This is agreat start, but we now want to seethe new policies put into place.”

To read more about the campaignand the reaction, turn to p16-17.

by Katie Roberts

Industry responds toGreenpeace attack

Orders should be placed as soon as possible to avoid disappointment and maximise the opportunities available...

Retailers urged to place London 2012 product orders now

AUGUST 2011

We’re thrilledwith the

creativity andcommitment shown byour licensees.Lesli Zador, London 2012

Esdevium Games is exclusively distributing Gears of War: The Board Game fromSeptember. Based on the hit video game series, the product contains over 200cards, 30 plastic figures and 75 tokens for players to use as tactical options. As wellas its usual toy and hobby market retail channels, Esdevium is also hoping forsome pick up from the video games sector.Esdevium Games: 01420 593593

04,05 TN120 news_final 22/07/2011 15:00 Page 1

www.toynews-online.biz 5NEWS

INNOTAB, AIMED at children agedfour to nine, will be officiallyunveiled at a media event this monthat the Covent Garden Hotel,London, where it will be presentedby the BBC’s Something for theWeekend gadget girl, Ella Williamson.

To support the retail launch,VTech will be carrying out a largeTV campaign, running fromSeptember, in the build up toOctober half term and Christmas.

The TV ads are expected to reach85 per cent of all adults withchildren an average of nine times.The cross channel placement of theadvertisements will take in CITV,Milkshake, Daybreak, E4, Dave andLiving among others. Launch activitywill also include VOD pre-roll ads,in-store POS and digital spend.

Clive Richardson, marketingdirector, VTech, commented: “Weknow that kids love using theirparents’ gadgets, such as their tabletor smartphone, so our inspiration forthe InnoTab was to create

something that feels like a grown-up’sgadget, but that delivers a funlearning experience.

“We feel InnoTab is extremelyintuitive, meaning that youngsterswill instantly find it very easy to use

and hopefully adults willnow be able to take backtheir own gadgets fromtheir children.”

InnoTab features a Gsensor control tosupport motion basedgames, but also a built-in auto picturerotation, a five-inchLCD touch screen,stylus pen, adaptorjack, SD card slotand USB port.

To complement thebuilt-in games and features,additional cartridges will be available,including licences such as Toy Storyand Cars.

Parents can also downloadadditional games and learning appsfrom their home computer viaVTech’s Learning Lodge Navigator.

Kids can also view photos andvideos on the device, which havebeen taken on Kidizoom cameras.VTech: 01235 555545

by Katie Roberts

WITH OVER 850 exhibitors frommore than 40 countries, theorganisers of Kind und Jugendbelieve it is well worth a visit for toyfirms and retailers from the UK.

Running from September 15th to18th at the Cologne ExhibitionCentre, the show is billed as thetrade show for kids’ first years.Around 20,000 visitors are expected.

Products include toys and gamesfor babies and toddlers from pramsand car seats to furniture, appareland electronics. Newcomers will beamong the 850 exhibitors – the showwas nearly booked out four months

before opening – and 80 per cent ofexhibitors come from abroad.

This year, for the first time, therewill be representatives from Spain,Turkey and Israel, as well as pavilionsfor Australia, US, Taiwan and China.

The Baby Product Association(BPA) will attend with 40 delegatesfrom the UK.

“UK visitors will have the chanceto not only meet British companiesand international key accounts, butalso young, innovative internationalfirms which they would not normallybe meeting this easily,” said aspokesperson from Koelnmesse.

For further details, visit:www.kindundjugend.com.

The firm is introducing the touch screen tablet style learning system to its portfolio…

VTech reveals InnoTab

by Samantha Loveday

Kind und Jugend ready to welcome UK firmsTHE FIRST step of theintegration of Tomy Europe and

RC2 Europehas begun, withGary Hunterappointed aspresident ofTomy Europe.

Hunter hasbeen in the toy industry for 17years and has been head of theRC2 international business forthe past five years.

The former Tomy Europe CEO, Robert Mann, has now leftthe company.Tomy: 020 8722 7300

Tomy welcomesnew president

UK visitors willhave the chanceto meetinternationalkey accounts atthe show...

Our inspirationfor InnoTab was

to create somethingthat feels like a grown-up’s gadget.Clive Richardson, VTech

04,05 TN120 news_final 22/07/2011 15:01 Page 2

AUGUST 2011

FOR THE first five months of2011, the total toy market grew bysix per cent in value driven by anincrease in the average price, whichreached £6.17 in May 2011.

May was a mixed month for toys,without the benefit that thefootball World Cup had on themarket in 2010, both value andvolume were down on last year.However, there were still sevensuper categories in growth andseveral properties continued toincrease sales.

The fastest growing categoryremains building sets, which is nowbigger than either action figures orvehicles, and is the first stop formany when purchasing boys toys.Both Lego and Mega Brands areshowing strong growth, with almostall construction properties ingrowth. The launch of CharacterOptions into the category withCharacter Building Doctor Whoand HM Armed Forces ranges hasalso added to sales in May.

Infant and pre-school also grewin May, up nine per cent, and is thesecond largest area of the toymarket YTD (behind outdoor andsports toys). Electronic learning isdriving this area, with VTech Babythe largest property in infant

electronic learning and growing.Within pre-school electroniclearning, Leapster and Mobigo areboth driving the category, up 29 percent in May.

YTD May, Toy Story remains thetop property across total toys, butthe evergreen licence Star Wars hasseen strong growth so far this year,

especially within action figureswhere the role play lightsabers haveproved popular.

Other properties showing stronggrowth so far this year are Nerf –now ranked sixth across total toys,with the sunshine early in the yearhelping drive sales – and Hello Kitty,now eighth across toys. Hello Kittywas the top licence across Europe in2010 and the variety and depth ofrange in the UK has helped drivesales in the first five months of 2011.

“There has been some fantasticgrowth for both boys and girlsproperties so far in 2011,” said JezFraser-Hook, director of NPDGroup’s UK toy business. “Withboth Nerf and Hello Kitty leapingup the ranks, in addition to the newproperties launched over the last 12months such as Beyblades, Zooblesand, of course, Moshi Monsters,there is a wide selection of choiceand price ranges available toconsumers when purchasing toysthis year.”

Toy market building into summer months

The fastestgrowing

category remainsbuilding sets, which isnow bigger than eitheraction figuresor vehicles.

Top 5 propertiesMay 20111. LITTLE TIKES2. STAR WARS3. LEGO CITY 4. TOY STORY5. HELLO KITTY & FRIENDS

Best ItemProgression May 2011

Moshi MonstersMoshling Figures(Vivid)The collectable line continues togrow with the virtual world,moving from 90 to 29…

Best PropertyProgressionMay 2011 2011

Dr WhoCharacter Building Doctor Whohas allowed the brand to get inon the fast-growing constructioncategory. Moves from 44 to 16…

6 NPD RESEARCH

UK toy sales(value, year to date)

YTD2010

YTD2011 6%

Source: NPD

April 10: £4.74 Apr 11: £6.17

Sales Average price

PropertiesRetail Sales Trends

06,07 TN120 NPD_final 21/07/2011 14:55 Page 1

UK MAY 2011 (£ SALES - VALUE) UK MAY 2011 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 MINIFIGURES LEGO

2 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT BANDAI

3 STAR WARS TROOPER BATTLE PACK LEGO

4 NINJAGO SPINNER WAVE 1 LEGO

5 KIDIZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA VTECH

6 BEYBLADES BATTLE TOP ASSORTMENT HASBRO

7 LITTLE TIKES COZY COUPE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION MGA

8 BAKUGAN STARTER PACK SPIN MASTER

9 NERF BARRICADE MREV-10 HASBRO

10 HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT MATTEL

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 MINIFIGURES LEGO

2 MATCH ATTAX 2010/2011 PACKETS TOPPS


4 MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TRADING CARD GAME TOPPS

5 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT BANDAI

6 PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT HASBRO

7 CRAYOLA SUPER TIPS BRIGHT 12 VIVID

8 HALO WARS HERO ASSORTMENT MEGA BRANDS

9 CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT MATTEL

10 MATCHBOX 1 75 MINATURES ASSORTMENT MATTEL

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. 01932 355 580

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES - VALUE)

1 MINIFIGURES LEGO

2 MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TRADING CARD GAME TOPPS


4 MATCH ATTAX 2010/2011 PACKETS TOPPS

5 PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT HASBRO

6 SUPER TIPS BRIGHT 12 VIVID

7 HALO WARS HERO ASSORTMENT MEGA BRANDS

8 MOSHI BLIND BAG VIVID

9 BAKUGAN BOOSTER PK SPIN MASTER

10 DR WHO FIGURES ASSORTMENT CHARACTER GROUP

1 MINIFIGURES LEGO

2 KIDIZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA VTECH

3 STAR WARS TROOPER BATTLE PACK LEGO

4 NERF BARRICADE MREV-10 HASBRO


6 MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TRADIN TOPPS

7 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10 CM ASSORTMENT BANDAI

8 RAINFOREST MELODIES LIGHTS MATTEL

9 BAKUGAN STARTER PACK SPIN MASTER

10 NEBULUS FOLDING SCOOTER ASSORTMENT H GROSSMAN

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 7NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

06,07 TN120 NPD_final 21/07/2011 14:55 Page 2

8 STATS

VALUE GROWTH / DECLINE BY SUPER CATEGORY

AUGUST 2011

COMMERCIAL television has oftenbeen accused of ‘Clutter’, a termadopted to describe the supposedover commercialisation of abroadcaster’s commercial output. Aregular centre break running orderwould appear in the following format;first a ten second sponsor’s creditfollowed by six or more commercials,the sponsor’s ten second end creditthen a channel promo for anothershow at another time. Despiteconcerns from advertisers this processwas within the broadcaster’s licenceterms. Over time, viewers andadvertisers became conditioned to thepresentation.

The airwaves today, particularlyradio, barely run for 20 minuteswithout a mention of Facebook orTwitter, with Google often thrown intothe mix. I will address this further lateron. Meanwhile, the aforementionedthree are gearing up the value of theirrespective businesses. I thought Iunderstood the rules that govern theBBC in terms of impartiality, but theconstant Facebook/Twitter/Googlemessages mean I am now unclear onthe process. There are many otherequivalent sites offering search andsocial networking that never get amention, let alone one of equality interms of numbers of viewers and/orlisteners. Even though Google hasbecome a verb, a neutral positioncould just refer to a search engine orsocial networking site. The benefitthat these companies enjoy mustsurely have an impact on theirawareness and hence theircommercial value. Facebook alone hasbeen hovering around a valuation of$65 billion to $70 billion, but recentlyearnings are now forecast to top £2billion in 2011 pushing Facebook’svalue towards $100 billion.

In terms of visitors, Google standsat 33.9 million, Facebook at 26.8million and Twitter at 6.1 million. WithTwitter having less than one fifth of

the users that Facebook has, currentperception and valuations appear verytop heavy.

Where would these three bewithout those constant free referencesfrom the UK’s prominent broadcasters;consider again, is that fair play?Recent trends in performance serve todemonstrate my point. Grossingaudience to these social networks isnow driven primarily by the 50 plusage group. Witness Twitter in Maywhen its audience grew by one thirdto 6.1 million, driven by Tweets aroundgagging orders and celebrity scandals.UKOM/Nielsen claimed that thenumber of women pensioners visitingthe site doubled post Ryan Giggs.While Facebook also attributed more‘New Adults’ over 50 years of agevisiting Facebook in the last two yearsthan the under 50s.

Understanding the pattern of takeup and attempting the forwardforecast is not easy. One emergingtrend from Facebook is that growthtends to curtail after reaching around50 per cent penetration (Source: EricEldon Inside Facebook).

As Facebook’s commercial valuecontinues to soar, I am constantlyreminded by Radio 5 Live to Tweet orgo to a Facebook page; Yorkshire Teaand Crunchy Nut also tell me to do so.I learnt recently from Nicky Campbell“that the world stops when RioFerdinand Tweets.” On that day Rioinformed us all that he had beenmoved to toot his car horn at anothermotorist.

Rupert Murdoch was once asked“which company will be the biggest inthe world in ten years time?” Hereplied that “the company that willoccupy that space has not yet beencreated.” Maybe Rio could Tweet us?

Media tracker

By Clive Crouch

BehindTHE SCREEN

[email protected] 670453

MARKET VALUE YEAR TO DATE (MAY)

2010 2011

£268.4m£253.7m

£200M

£150M

£100M

£50M

SOURCE: NPD

SOURCE: NPD

VALUE % CHANGE

YTD MAY 11 VS 10 MAY 11 VS 10

TOTAL TOY MARKET 6 -5

ACTION FIGURES -14 -13

ARTS & CRAFTS 12 16

BUILDING SETS 24 30

DOLLS 17 21

GAMES/PUZZLES -5 5

INFANT & PRESCHOOL 6 9

YOUTH ELECTRONICS 3 0

OUTDOOR & SPORTS TOYS 11 -23

PLUSH 16 16

VEHICLES -5 14

ALL OTHER TOYS -13 -31

Toy market growth for the first five months in 2011 is driven bybuilding sets, dolls, plush and arts and crafts categories. Buildingsets has overtaken action figures and vehicles as the largest boyscategory, with both Lego and Mega Bloks growing. Dolls has seen anumber of new launches in 2011 such as Zoobles and MoshiMonsters, while favourites like Barbie and Sylvanian Familiescontinue to grow. Traditional plush has seen growth – Club Penguinand Hello Kitty are top properties.

£0

£250M

08,09 TN120 stats_final 21/07/2011 15:45 Page 1

www.toynews-online.biz 9STATS

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

AUGUST 2011

UK BOX OFFICE TOP 10

1 HARRY POTTER:THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 WARNER BROS

2 TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON PARAMOUNT

3 BRIDESMAIDS UNIVERSAL

4 KUNG FU PANDA 2 PARAMOUNT

5 THE GUARD SONY

6 TREE OF LIFE FOX SEARCHLIGHT

7 ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA EROS INTERNATIONAL

8 BAD TEACHER COLUMBIA

9 THE HANGOVER PART 2 WARNER BROS

10 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES DISNEY

SOURCE: IMBD 17/07/2011

TOP 10 CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS

1 THE GRUFFALO MACMILLAN

2 WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD MACMILLAN

3 THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD MACMILLAN

4 STICK MAN ALISON GREEN BOOKS

5 THE PRINCESS AND THE WIZARD MACMILLAN

6 NORMAN THE SLUG WITH A SILLY SHELL SIMON & SCHUSTER

7 THE SMARTEST GIANT IN TOWN MACMILLAN

8 THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE MACMILLAN

9 MONKEY PUZZLE MACMILLAN

10 THE PIRATE CRUNCHER TEMPLAR PUBLISHING

SOURCE: WATERSTONES.CO.UK 19/07/2011

6

-5

Total ToyMarket

ActionFigures

Arts &Crafts

BuildingSets

Dolls Games/Puzzles

Infant &Preschool

YouthElectronics

Outdoor &Sports Toys

Plush Vehicles All OtherToys

-14 -13

12

16

24

30

17

21

-5

56

9

3

0

11

-23

16 16

YTD MAY 11 VS 10

MAY 11 VS 10

-5

14

-13

-31

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

08,09 TN120 stats_final 21/07/2011 15:45 Page 2

Thumbs Up has hired James Maylingas national accounts manager.

Mayling brings over eight years oftoy industry experience to the role,previously working at VividImaginations on accounts such asBoots, John Lewis and Debenhams.

He commented: “Working withThumbs Up is a great opportunity forme. It is a reputable brand that pridesitself on being a front-runner in thegift and gadget industry, striving tobe the first to market with key trendsand products. I am looking forwardto breaking into new territory withthe company and to building a verysuccessful career with the business.”

Outdoor toy company PlumProducts has appointed DavidWoodman as quality assurance andtechnical manager and CarolineWebb as export sales manager.

Peter Balcombe, MD of PlumProducts, said: “We are really excitedto have David and Caroline onboard. They have a wealth ofexperience in the toy and consumergoods sector and will both play a keyrole in the company’s growth.”

Popular industry personality, CliveJones, was named as the new

president of the British Toy andHobby Association at theorganisation’s AGM and IndustryDay, taking over from Vivid’s NickAustin. Lego’s Drew Brazer andMattel’s Geoffrey Walker were alsoaccepted to council, followingvacancies that arose from theresignations of David Allmark,Marko Ilincic, Nick Joslin and RobertMann. The BTHA also decided toreduce the number of members to 21.

Mumsnet has boosted its licensingcredentials, appointing Liz Reeve asbrand licensing manager.

Reeve arrives from Classic Media,where she was responsible for thepublishing category, looking afterbrands such as Where’s Wally?,Postman Pat and Tinga Tinga Tales.

In her new role, Reeve will primarilybe responsible for projects includingthe Mumsnet Best Awards and theMumsnet Family Friendly Programme.She will also be developing otherlicensing opportunities.

“It’s great to have someone withLiz’s expertise joining Mumsnet,” saidCarrie Longton, co-founder ofMumsnet. “Our 1.6 millionMumsnetters have long known the

value of Mumsnet product reviews,recommendations and insiderknowledge and it’s great to have Lizon board, bringing our content to awider audience.”

Turner Broadcasting has hiredAnthony Lukom to spearheadstrategy across programming, digital,ad sales, licensing, marketing andcreative services.

Lukom takes on the role of vicepresident and general manager, UKand Ireland, leading Turner’s entireentertainment business.

This includes Cartoon Network,Boomerang, Cartoonito, TurnerClassic Movies and Adult Swim.

He initially joined the firm in May2010 as acting general manager.Lukom reports directly to PeteFlamman, SVP and general manager,Northern Europe.

Lukom said: “Turner Broadcastingis one of the most dynamic andforward thinking media companies inthe business, and the opportunity tohead up its entire UK division is oneI am delighted to accept.”

Bluebird Brands has welcomed anexperienced executive from thegifting and collectables sector as itsnew business development manager.

Vicky Lee most recently spentthree years with Xystos, while she hasalso held positions at Mamas &Papas and Russ Berrie. She will beresponsible for identifying newprospects and developing existingbrands within the Bluebird portfolio.

Posh Paws, supplier of amusementplush throughout Europe, is lookingfor a new group quality assurancemanager at its Basildon head office.See page 18 for further details.

10 APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVESThe BTHA welcomes new additions to its council, as well as a new president, former Vivid man Mayling moves to Thumbs Up,Mumsnet hires brand licensing manager, Plum Products appoints duo, Turner Broadcasting adds UK VP and general manager...

ADVERTISING ON TELLY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE

HARD WORK

Senior Product Manager/Director Designate - Die-cast ModelsExcellent Salary & Benefits

Well established, successful wholesale businesslocated on the South Coast with anenviable portfolio of exclusive brandsseeks an experienced Product Managerto help them develop their productoffer through traditional and onlineroutes to market. Managing a portfolio of die-castbrands, the position comprises all aspects of a typical Senior Product Manager/Director Designate role, with an emphasis on deliveringcommercially viable ranges for the sales team to sell. Successful candidates willbe expected to develop and source new product ranges including own brand,working closely with both existing and new suppliers/manufacturers.

The role will typically appeal to existing product managers with toy experiencelooking for a senior management role with increased responsibility. Interestedparties will be commercially aware and able to deliver marketable and profitableranges. Applicants must possess strong negotiation skills and have someexperience of dealing with a global supply base of own label and brandedsuppliers. We are looking for experienced hard working individuals who aregood team players and want to be a part of our success.

Interested applicants should apply in writing with a C.V. to Graham Hales, Amerang Limited,Commerce Way, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8TA

www.amerang.co.uk

FROM LEFT: Thumbs Up’s new national accounts manager, James Mayling; Liz Reeve,Mumsnet’s brand licensing manager; Bluebird Brands’ Vicky Lee...

10 TN120 Appointmenst_final 21/07/2011 16:54 Page 1

CREATING TOY CAMPAIGNS IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK THANKS TO OUR ONE-STOP-SHOP OF IN-HOUSE CREATIVE, SALES, INSIGHT AND NETWORK TEAMS.

Whether it’s your first time on TV or you’ve been on the box before, there’s a place for you on our channels.

Switch on to TV today: visit www.turnermediainnovations.com/toynews or call our Sales Director, Andrew Mallandaine, on 0207 693 1143


Dance Star MickeyFisher-Price

12 CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

MATTEL’S 360-degree campaign will target bothadults and pre-schoolers, positioning Dance StarMickey as the must-have toy for Christmas.

The interactive dancing Mickey Mouseannounced himself to the UK near the end ofJune, joining forces with a hit UK street dancegroup for a viral video campaign. Taking part in abattle of the bands style dance-off with Britain’sGot Talent crew Flawless, Dance Star Mickeyshowed the group some moves to envy.

The clip has notched up thousands of viewsacross YouTube and consumer, blogger andnational websites including The Sun and OK,while Flawless group members have also beenrepeatedly posting the news to their followers viaFacebook and Twitter.

The marketing campaign will pick up moremomentum heading into the festiveseason. Heavyweight TV supportwill begin in October and runthrough to Christmas including highprofile, prime time Channel 5Milkshake sponsorship. Further onlinesupport will include interactive dedicatedMickey Hubs and display advertising across DisneyJr and AOL websites, plus electronic direct mail tothousands of mums on the Fisher-Price database.

Dance Star Mickey will also receive furthersignificant PR support throughout the autumnwith a retailer store tour, competition placementand Christmas gift guide placement.

Dance Star Mickey walks, talks and dances tofour different songs including Techno, Mambo,Shake Your Groove Thing and ‘M’ to the ‘I’,even performing the Moonwalk. It has twointeractive settings, including songs and games.

Already a hit in the US, Fisher-Price is planning amarketing campaign worthy of a VIP for the UK launchof Dance Star Mickey...

AUGUST 2011

12 TN120 cotm_final 21/07/2011 16:39 Page 1

For more details please contact 01895 202 840 or [email protected] www.leapfrog.co.uk

TV

ADVERTISED

2000+ TVR’s

TV

ADVERTISED

2000+ TVR’s

The first learning tablet created for children

Over 100+ learning games & apps including books & videos and a built in camera!

Ages

4-9

No.1 manufacturer in preschool ELA*

* Source: NPD April, May, June 2011 Data.

AUGUST 2011

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

Top programmes14 AIRTIME STATISTICS

1 CBBC NEWSROUND BULLETIN 2.50 21 212 18

2 CBBC DENNIS AND GNASHER 1.90 21 163 23

3 CBBC PET SQUAD 2.10 18 176 4

4 CBBC SPLATALOT 2.60 17 224 24

5 CBBC ARTHUR 1.10 16 92 50

6 CITV/ITV SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 1.50 15 130 7

7 CBBC YOUNG DRACULA 1.50 14 125 8

8 CBEEBIES LOUIE 0.50 14 43 38

9 CBBC THE SCOOBY DOO SHOW 1.80 14 149 41

10 CBBC HORRIBLE HISTORIES: GORY GAMES 2.10 14 180 17

CHANNEL TITLE/DESCRIPTION TVR % OOOs AIRINGS

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES JUNE 11

1 CBBC NEWSROUND BULLETIN 2.50 21 212 18

2 CBBC PET SQUAD 2.10 18 176 4

3 CBBC SPLATALOT 2.60 17 224 24

4 CITV/ITV PHINEAS AND FERB 2.00 15 175 8

5 CITV/ITV HORRID HENRY 1.40 15 120 24

6 CBEEBIES LOUIE 0.50 14 43 38


8 CBBC HORRIBLE HISTORIES: GORY GAMES 2.10 14 179 21

9 CBBC HEDZ 1.30 13 109 22

10 CBBC THE SCOOBY DOO SHOW 1.70 13 147 163


SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD JUNE 11


2 CITV/ITV AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES 1.10 13 90 4

3 CITV/ITV KICK BUTTOWSKI - SUBURBAN DAREDEVIL 0.70 12 60 4

4 CITV/ITV THE HIVE 0.20 12 18 4

5 CITV/ITV SUPERNORMAL 0.80 11 62 10

6 CITV/ITV BABAR AND BADOU 0.30 11 24 8

7 CITV/ITV JUNGLE JUNCTION 0.20 10 22 8

8 BOOMERANGTOP CAT 0.00 9 4 30

9 CITV/ITV DORA THE EXPLORER 0.20 9 11 4

10 CITV/ITV TATI’S HOTEL 0.40 9 35 4


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) JUNE 11

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

1 CITV/ITV PHINEAS AND FERB 2.00 15 175 8

2 CITV/ITV HORRID HENRY 1.40 15 120 24


4 CITV/ITV BABAR AND BADOU 0.30 11 25 52

5 CITV/ITV HANDY MANNY 0.20 11 20 24

6 CITV/ITV CURIOUS GEORGE 0.40 11 38 10

7 CITV/ITV AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES 1.00 11 84 8

8 CITV/ITV THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT... 0.50 11 39 18

9 CITV/ITV HANNAH MONTANA 1.70 11 144 17

10 CITV/ITV SUPERNORMAL 0.80 11 62 10


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD JUNE 11

14 TN120 GMTV_v2.qxd 21/07/2011 16:41 Page 1

GREENPEACE’S campaign initiallytargeted what it sees as the ‘big four’toy companies – Mattel, Hasbro,Lego and Disney.

Forensic testing was commissionedon the paper layers in the packagingused by the toy companies, in orderto find out the source of thematerials being used. Analysis of thefibres in the packaging showed thatMixed Tropical Hardwood (MTH)fibres were being used, whichGreenpeace says is only produced ona commercial scale by two companiesin Indonesia, one of which is AsiaPulp and Paper (APP). The other isAPRIL, which does not producepackaging materials in Indonesia.

APP is one of the largest papermanufacturers in the area, whichGreenpeace says is ‘notorious fordeforestation and destroying Orang-utan and Sumatran Tiger habitats’and the organisation says it hasfound links between the four toy

companies it is targeting and thepaper supplier. Mattel was the first tobe targeted and back in JuneGreenpeace launched a campaignusing Ken and Barbie, with viralvideos and posters suggesting thatKen was dumping Barbie as he’d

found out she was into deforestation.The global press picked up on thestory, as well as the likes of The Sunand The Daily Mail in the UK.

Next in line was Hasbro and at thecompany’s Christmas in July pressevent, Greenpeace campaignersarrived dressed in Santa costumes

and roamed the main room, handingout letters from children, who areupset that Hasbro’s toys are packagedin rainforest destruction.

One of the letters said: ‘DearSanta, I don’t want any Hasbro toysbecause they are cutting down the

rainforest and killing lots of animals.’After the Santas were evicted,volunteers dressed as the iconic tophat-wearing figure from Monopolymanaged to enter the event,throwing customised Monopolymoney, featuring an orang-utan,around to the assorted buyers.

Greenpeace is looking not only forthe toy companies to cease the use ofthe suppliers and replace thematerials with sustainable or recycledpaper, but also to change their long-term procurement policies.

Ian Duff, Greenpeace forestcampaigner (pictured above), tellsToyNews: “Lego will phase this inover the next year and is changing itspolicies. We’re really pleased aboutthis and it’s now up to the otherthree companies to follow suit.

“To date we are still waiting for theother three to change their policies.Hasbro and Mattel have reacted byinstructing their suppliers not to useAPP, which is a great start, but wenow want to see the newprocurement policies put into place.”

Greenpeace has also written toHamleys, Toys R Us and HitEntertainment about the issues andat the time of writing has not yet hada response.

16 NEWS ANALYSIS GREENPEACE

AUGUST 2011

The deforestation debate

The toy industry is, in some ways, muchfurther behind than other industries.

There has been a debate on reducingpackaging, which is great, but we also needto address the source of the packaging.

Ian Duff, Greenpeace

A recent high profile campaign by Greenpeace attacked toy companies for the use ofpackaging material linked to the deforestation of the Indonesian rainforest. Katie Robertsspeaks to the organisation and the suppliers involved to find out more…

16,17 TN120 treehuggers_final 22/07/2011 14:53 Page 1

It is unlikely that these companieswill be targeted with such highprofile campaigns, but theorganisation is working hard tochange how toys are packaged acrossthe board. Duff says: “At themoment the focus is on the majorcompanies, but we are hoping towork with others in the future.”

It seems the toy industry has manymoral and environmental issues totackle and Duff believes it nowneeds to focus on the packagingissue. He comments: “The toyindustry is in some ways, muchfurther behind than other industries.Their main focus has been on otherissues such as child labour. There hasrecently been a debate on reducingpackaging, which is a great issue, butwe also need to address the source ofthe packaging.

“Unfortunately the toy industryhas left itself wide open tocampaigns like ours.”

www.toynews-online.biz 17NEWS ANALYSIS GREENPEACE

AUGUST 2011

MATTELFollowing thecampaign, thesupplier issued thefollowing

statement on June10th 2011:

‘Today Mattelannounced the

company is developing a sustainableprocurement policy for all of Mattel’sproduct lines which will address theimportant issue of deforestation. Thepolicy will include requirements forpackaging suppliers to commit tosustainable forestry managementpractices. In addition to addressingcurrent concerns about packagingsourcing, Mattel’s policy will also coverother wood-based products in its toylines, such as paper, books andaccessories.’

‘“Mattel has a long track record ofplaying responsibly across all areas ofour business, which includes how weimpact the world around us,” said LisaMarie Bongiovanni, vice president ofcorporate affairs at Mattel. “While wedon’t have all the answers yet, we areworking to make continualimprovements across our business, andthat includes packaging. In fact, earlierthis year, Mattel completed a lifecycleassessment of packaging acrossmultiple product lines to identifyimpacts and opportunities for futureimprovements.”

‘Mattel’s sustainability strategy isfocused on helping the companyminimize its footprint throughout thevalue chain and across theorganization, and emphasizes theimportance of personal commitment inbusiness as well as everyday actions.

‘First, by “designing it” with the endin mind, Mattel is focused on exploringopportunities for sustainability in thedesign of products and packaging;“making it” with eco-efficiencies thatallow the company to identifyopportunities to reduce environmentalimpacts through the manufacturing anddistribution of its products; and by“living it” with personal commitmentthrough employee-inspired grassrootsinitiatives.

‘Bongiovanni, who oversees Mattel’ssustainability initiatives, went on tosay: “In line with our long-held practiceof transparency, we will continue tocommunicate with interestedstakeholders on our progress in thisimportant area.”

A second statement read:‘Today Mattel announced the

company is developing a sustainableprocurement policy for all of Mattel’sproduct lines which will address theimportant issue of deforestation. Thepolicy will include requirements forpackaging suppliers to commit tosustainable forestry managementpractices. In addition to addressingcurrent concerns about packaging

sourcing, Mattel’s policy will also coverother wood-based products in its toylines, such as paper, books andaccessories.

‘As we have stated previously:� Mattel supports sustainable forestrymanagement. � Mattel has directed its packagingsuppliers to stop sourcing pulp fromSinar Mas/Asia Pulp & Paper. � Mattel is asking its packagingsuppliers to clarify how they areaddressing the broader issue ofdeforestation in their own supplychains.

‘In line with our long-held practiceof transparency, Mattel will continueto communicate with interestedstakeholders on our progress in thisarea.’

LEGOLego toldToyNews:“Lego has nowish tocontribute todeforestation.We have been

looking into the sustainability of ourpackaging for quite some time and areaiming for all of our packaging to bemade from either recycled or FSCcertified materials within a year.”

The firm also issued an officialstatement, which reads as follows:

‘The Lego Group has taken severalsteps to reduce the environmentalimpact of packaging materials andpaper used in Lego products.

“There are three key areas where theLego Group is working at reducing theimpact on the environment when itcomes to packaging materials for ourproducts,” says Helle Sofie Kaspersen,vice president Corporate Governanceand Sustainability, the Lego Group.

‘The first and most ambitious goal isto reduce the amount of packagingmaterials used. As documented in theProgress Report 2010 the Lego Group isactively working towards this.

‘“Secondly we will always userecycled fibre when it is possible from achemical product safety point of view.Last year more than 75 per cent of thepackaging material the Lego Group usefor packaging is actually made fromrecycled material,” says Helle SofieKaspersen, and adds:

‘“Thirdly when it is not possible touse recycled fibres, we must ensure,that the pulp based packaging we useis produced in a sustainable manner.”

‘The Lego Group has taken action toensure this, a decision is made to useonly FSC certified fibres in packagingmaterials for Lego products in future.

‘“We have been working towards thisfor several months, and are currentlydeveloping an ambitiousimplementation plan to meet ourobjectives in this area. We expect to bewell under way in a year’s time.”

‘While the Lego Group will only useFSC certified fibres in packagingmaterials in future, Helle SofieKaspersen acknowledges that it will bemore difficult to control, if suppliers inaddition to FSC certified fibres alsomanufacture paper-based materialswhich leads to deforestation.

‘“However, it is our intent that wewill only source material from suppliersthat are not involved in deforestation,”says Helle Sofie Kaspersen.

‘The Lego Group plans to continuewith regular updates to stakeholdersabout the implementation of this andother aspects of the sustainabilityarea.’

HASBRO Hasbro’s officialresponse is asfollows:

‘Long beforethe recentpublicitypertaining todeforestation,

Hasbro had beenactively working with its paper

packaging suppliers toward our goal ofresponsible sourcing from recognized,independent, certifying bodies, such asthe Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).These ongoing efforts support our 2010announcement of a sustainablepackaging initiative, when we set a goalthat at least 75 per cent of paperpackaging will be derived from recycledmaterial or sources that practicesustainable forest management. By2015, Hasbro has set a goal of 90 percent usage of these materials andsources for all of its paperboardpackaging and in-box content. Inaddition, Hasbro has pledged toeliminate all wire ties from packaging,beginning this year. Hasbro hasinstructed its paper suppliers to ensurethat APP-sourced paper is not used inHasbro packaging.

‘Hasbro is committed to continuousimprovement in all aspects of CSR,including responsible sourcing. Wewill continue to work with our paperpackaging suppliers to ensure thatfuture paper materials are sourcedresponsibly and in accordance withour commitment.’

DISNEYAt the time of going to press, Disneyhad not made an official statementregarding the Greenpeace campaign.The company wasn’t available tocomment on the issue.

THE RESPONSE

16,17 TN120 treehuggers_final 22/07/2011 14:53 Page 2

GROUP QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER

SALARY £35K PER ANNUM-NEGOTIABLE

The Whitehouse Group which comprises Whitehouse Leisure LLP, POSH PAWS International LLP, And Whitehouse Travel Retail LLP have a vacancy for an experienced QA Manager.

Whitehouse Leisure LLP are the largest supplier of amusement plush in Europe, POSH PAWS distributes a large range of high quality plush products to most major retail accounts in the UK and the Travel Retail division supply a variety of products to the majority of airlines in the UK and Europe. The successful candidate will have full knowledge of all current relevant European legislation and will be expected to ensure that the Group companies are proactive in the implementation of new regulations. They will have to be a good communicator as they will be expected to work with major account customers on any issues that arise and to ensure the smooth introduction of new product ranges.

This is a position for a strong, experienced individual who will need to take on a high level of responsibility and it is unlikely that candidates with less than 5 years experience would be suitable.

Salary is negotiable depending on the experience of the successful candidate.CV’s to Mark Van Hees, Operations Manager. [email protected]


The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

Eyes on the prizeThere’s just a year to go until the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games begin.ToyNews takes a look at just some of the officially licensed products now rolling out...

19 TN12 Licensing cover_final 21/07/2011 11:16 Page 1

TARGET Entertainment iscontinuing to grow the licensingprogramme for PlayStation brandEyePet, signing a new multi-territoryplush deal.

IGS Corporation is now on boardand will be rolling out an initial

range of plush key chains,beanies, large

plush,

animated plush and sound activatedplush across Europe from October.The products will also be availablethrough www.gameonstuff.com.

“We are delighted to have IGS onboard to kick off the EyePet licensingprogramme in Europe,” commentedLindsay Pearl, director of licensingand children’s acquisitions at TargetEntertainment.

“EyePet is an adorablelittle creature that

loans itself verywell to plush.

You’ll just want tocuddle up with

him.”Target is actively

seeking partners for EyePet incategories such as publishing,

bedding, back to school and gifts,as well as toys.Target: 020 7535 7200

A NUMBER of toy companies will behoping to emerge victorious fromSeptember’s Licensing Awards.

Fighting it out in the Best LicensedToys or Games Range category willbe Bandai (for its Ben 10 UltimateAlien line); Learning Curve(Chuggington Interactive range);HTI (Hello Kitty role play toys, dollsprams and patio furniture); Vivid(Moshi Monsters); UndergroundToys (Star Wars Talking Plush) andCharacter Options (Peppa Pig).

Smiffy’s and Rubies Masqueradeare among the firms nominated inthe Best Licensed Dress Up or PartyRange – for Sesame Street andTransformers respectively.

VTech is in the running for theBest Licensed Written, Listening orLearning Range for its Buzz LightyearLearn & Go, while Inspirationworkshas been nominated in the samecategory for its Peppa Pig ElectronicLearning range.

In addition, Imagination Gamesalso stands a chance of picking upthe Innovation Award for its PlayThat Tune board game.

“Participation in the Awards atevery level has been at an all timehigh this year,” said Ian Hyder,director of The Licensing Awards.“We have seen a record breakingnumber of products entered, while

over 80 top retail buyers have formedthe judging panel.”

Taking place on September 13th inThe Great Room at London’sGrosvenor House Hotel, theaccolades will be presented by The

Inbetweeners star Greg Davies.Tickets are still available for the

evening. Call Tracey at EventSolutions and Promotions on 01372841001 or email her [email protected].

Toy firms ready to battle it out at Licensing AwardsBandai, Vivid Imaginations, Underground Toys, VTech, Learning Curve and HTI among those up for accolades...

by Samantha Loveday

HIT ENTERTAINMENTbelieves that Day of theDiesels will be Thomas theTank Engine’s biggest evertent pole release, with thegreatest ever number oflicensees on board.

A wide range ofthemed product will belaunched to help create amajor impact at retail.

Day of the Diesels willhit 68 Vue cinemas inSeptember ahead of itsDVD release, with a special WestEnd blue carpet celebrity and VIPpremiere. Several marketingactivities promoting the launch havebeen organised.

A ‘Really Useful’ pre-school packfilled with Thomas-themed activitieswas sent to 20,000 nurseries and400,000 Thomas Activity booklets

are being distributed through variousoutlets including DVD inserts,Thomas Land, Toymaster stores andVue cinemas.

A special Day of the Dieselsstorybook will also be available viaretail promotions.Hit Entertainment:0207 554 2566

Diesel boost for Thomas

20 LICENSINGNEWS

AUGUST 2011

Target ties IGS for EyePet

20,21 TN120 licensing news_final 21/07/2011 11:14 Page 1

www.licensing.biz 21 LICENSINGNEWS

UNDERGROUND TOYSUNVEILS DR WHO PLUSHTalking soft toys based on the hitBBC Worldwide property, DoctorWho, will launch for the first timefrom Underground Toys. Series onewill include a Medium Tardic - with aflashing lamp and sound - plusMedium Talking Daleks. A miniplush assortment will include theCybermen. Phrases and soundsinclude the Tardic materialisationand ‘Exterminate, Exterminate’among others.Underground Toys: 020 7801 6325

NEW CHUGGINGTONCHARACTERS STEAM INLudorum will introduce three newcharacters to its hit pre-schoolproperty Chuggington. The thirdseries of the Cbeebies show willintroduce Piper, Decka and Skylar.In addition, three specials arecurrently in development and will bereleased on DVD from 2013.Ludorum: 020 8246 4012

JUMBO GROWS ADULTPUZZLES COLLECTIONGreeting card brand CountryCompanions is joining propertiessuch as Coronation Street and CarryOn in Jumbo Games’ adult puzzleline. A 1,000-piece puzzle will beadded to the Falcon range thismonth, with further products due tofollow in 2012. The image featuresEd Hedgehod and Tom Mouse, SamRabbit and Badger.Jumbo Games: 01707 289289

VTECH PARTNERS WITHGIOCHI PREZIOSIElectronic learning specialist VTechis to roll out a Puppy in my Pocketbranded laptop, after striking a dealwith Giochi Preziosi. The kids’laptop will go on sale in France,Germany and Spain next spring. Itwill use character voices and teachage appropriate curriculum,covering basic maths, logic andmemory skills. Puppy in my Pocket:Adventures in Pocketville launchedearlier this year.VTech: 01235 555545

IN BRIEF

BBC WORLDWIDE has beenappointed as the licensing agent forboth the England and The FA Cupbrands, after striking a deal with TheFootball Association.

The firm is planning to roll out aprogramme in Europe over the courseof the four-year deal.

BBC Worldwide’s Neil Ross Russellsaid: “The FA’s profile sits perfectlyalongside the licensing programmeswe’ve developed with partners fromsome of the biggest British TVbrands, plus our sports expertise onthe likes of Match of the Day andQuestion of Sport.”BBC Worldwide: 020 7612 3000

THE LAUNCH of Mattel’s hotlytipped Octonauts toy line has beenbrought forward by over a month,due to strong consumer demand.

This is the first time ever thatFisher-Price has brought forward atoy launch – and comes just eightmonths after the debut of Chorion’sTV show.

Octonauts is the number oneanimated series for children aged fourto six on Cbeebies, while it is alsoranked number two for kids aged fourto six across all channels.

“Consumer demand for this toycollection is like nothing we’ve seenbefore,” said Wendy Hill, Fisher-Pricemarketing manager.

“We’ve been gettingcalls from parents on adaily basis desperate to hear whenthe toys will hit shelves. Finally wecan say the toys are out.”

The new collectionwill include an Octopod Play-

set, vehicles and figures, with pricesranging between £5 and £35.Mattel: 01628 500000

BBC Worldwidescores with The FA

by Samantha Loveday

Fisher-Price line of play-sets, vehicles and figures to hit retail over a month early...

The Batman Live World Arena tour has kicked off – beginning in Manchester, theshow will take in Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Liverpool,Nottingham, Dublin and Belfast, running until October 8th. It will then head toEurope, visiting Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France and Norway, beforearriving in North America in summer 2012. “The Batman Live World Arena showis a great example of an event that will provide fans with a ‘real life’ experienceof the brand that will drive consumer demand for Batman related content andconsumer products long after the show leaves town,” said Bruno Schwobthaler,SVP, sales and business development, WBCP EMEA. www.batmanlive.com

Parent power brings Mattel’sOctonauts toy launch forward

20,21 TN120 licensing news_final 21/07/2011 11:14 Page 2

www.licensing.biz 23LICENSING LONDON 2012 SECTOR GUIDE

AUGUST 2011

Going for GoldWith a year to go, the licensing programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is in full swing.Samantha Loveday takes a look at some of the officially licensed products which toy retailers should considerstocking to make the most of the event…

GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308 MV SPORTS 0121 748 8000

With the firm’s initial mascot rangealready available, Golden Bear hasintroduced new mascot productsmarking one year to go.

The new London 2012 Union Jackmascot range features Wenlock andMandeville in patriotic skins. The lineincludes plush toys in various sizes,plastic figurines, pens and charms.

An addition to the core mascot rangeis the new feature plush toy, WinningWenlock. Available from October, the toydances to the official mascot song and

will be backed by a hefty TV ad and PRcampaign through autumn/winter andspring/summer 2012.

The Team GB range willlaunch from Septemberincluding soft toys,pens, figurines,charms and keyrings.

Hy-Pro will be launching its Olympic sportsand toys range this autumn/winter.

The firm has collectable Team GBducks, with cycling, swimming andboxing themes. In addition, the companyis confident of success with its otherTeam GB key lines such as inflatablemascots, mini balls and gymsack sportsets. Hy-Pro believes it has something inits range to suit all pockets from sportsballs and outdoor games, through topocket money lines.

Focusing on the Team GB signaturecolour ways of bold red, white andblue, alongside the official British Lioninsignia, MV has developed a range ofbikes and wheeled toys to appeal to abroad age range.

Headlining is a selection of Team GBbicycles. In addition to two 12-inchyoung children’s bikes, there are Team

GB BMXs in sizes 12, 14 and 16-inch, plus two new

racing stylemodels in 20

and 24-inch

sizes.

The two larger bikes are especiallysuited for athlete emulation,combining sleek frame design withTeam GB graphics, with a uniquefeature on child size bikes, racing bikestyle drop handlebars.

In addition, MV has a range ofaccessories such as flags, bells,bottles and combination sets.

To complete the range, MV has puttogether an array of wheeled toys. Aswell as skates and skateboards, thecollection will include an assortmentof scooters such as tri-scooters foryounger children; an inline scooter; atime trial scooter with an on boardspeedometer; BMX style stunt scooterand a racing style scooter with largewheels, suitable for kids and adults.

HY-PRO 01582 670100

23,24,26 TN120 Olympics_final 21/07/2011 11:39 Page 1

AUGUST 2011

24 LICENSING LONDON 2012 SECTOR GUIDE

WINNING MOVES 020 7298 9505 SPEARMARK 01480 213633

British Olympic Legends Top Trumps(£3.99) includes over a century of Britishtalent from Eric ‘Chariots of Fire’ Liddellto Rebecca Adlington’s Beijing double.

Players will be able to see if Chris Hoyis indeed the greatest ever cyclist, whotriumphs out of Seb Coe and Dame KellyHolmes and if there is anyone who canbeat Sir Steve Redgrave.

A London 2012 Top TrumpsTournament (£24.99) will also launch.Packs include British Legends, WorldLegends, Paralympic Heroes, OlympicSports, Ones to Watch and FantasticOlympic Moments.

Finally, London 2012 Olympic GamesEdition Monopoly (£29.99) includesGames venues such as the OlympicStadium and Aquatics Centre, as well asother venues around London and acrossthe UK.

MAGMATIC 0117 9542 787

Magmatic has created a special London2012 version of its award winning ride-on suitcase, Trunki.

Designed in sheer white, the Trunkihas turquoise and red union jack detail,official Olympic and Paralympic logos,plus sparkly horns.

It is made from the same hardwearingplastic as adult suitcases and is hand

luggage approved. It features two carryhandles, secret compartments, lockingcatches, a bits pouch and teddy bearseatbelts (or internal straps). The Trunkiis CE marked, holds the EN71 safetycertificate and is recyclable.

Available from this month for £40through London 2012 shops, John Lewisand trunki.com.

Spearmark has launched an extensiverange of housewares products acrossthe historic, mascot, Team GB andLondon 2012 themes.

At the younger end of the scalethere are mascot lunchbags, melamineand drinkware items including puzzlemugs, novelty character straws and 3DWenlock and Mandeville water bottles.

In Spearmark’s core range are adultcool bags, lunchboxes with integratedfreezer gel, drinkware items such as

sports bottles and water bottles withgel freezer stickers, plus aluminiumand stainless steel bottles.

Due to launch in September, theTeam GB and Paralympics GBcollections will also include waterbottles and lunchbags in red, whiteand blue team colours.

In addition to the housewares,Spearmark also has tinware product –including cake tins, tea, coffee andsugar tins – due to launch in November.

RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS 020 8254 5315

Costume character company RainbowProductions is manufacturing theLondon 2012 costumes and willmanage the personal appearances ofWenlock and Mandeville.

The firm originally translated themascot designs into walkaboutcharacters ahead of the public debutin May 2010. Since then, they have

been widely used at schools all overthe UK as part of ‘Get Set’ – theLondon 2012 education programme.The characters have also helped tosupport sponsors, licensees and retail partners with a series ofnationwide appearances.

Rainbow was also mascot providerto the Athens Olympics in 2004.


AUGUST 2011

26 LICENSING LONDON 2012 SECTOR GUIDE

HORNBY 01843 233500

Hornby has an extensive range ofLondon 2012 Olympic and Paralympicgames souvenir Hornby train sets,Corgi die-cast toys, figurines, key ringsand Team GB Scalextric.

The range’s flagship product is theTeam GB Velodrome Cycling Set(£69.99). It follows the traditionalScalextric slot racing format and hastwo miniature cyclists dressed in TeamGB outfits. Available from September,the set includes two handheldcontrollers and 15 track pieces, whichcreate a banked Velodrome circuit.

Hornby also has a special range ofLondon 2012 Great British Classic toyvehicles, a five-piece collection ofBritish vehicles – the Routemaster bus,Black Cab, Classic Mini, Concorde andtube train (£9.99).

The collection also includes 3D die-cast key rings (£6.99) inspired by

British vehicles, landmarks and theLondon 2012 mascots and venues.

In addition, the Destination London2012 Taxi collection is an assortmentof 40 cabs each representing adifferent Olympic or Paralympic sport.Four taxis are being released everythree months before the Games, withthe first 20 already available. Each taxicomes with a miniature ‘collect themall’ leaflet and individually numberedproducts to aid the search and collect.Hornby will be supporting thecollection with a range of 40 realliveried taxis out and about on Londonroads from now until the time of theGames. Each is priced at £4.99.

Finally, Hornby also has miniaturedie-cast replicas of the official London2012 mascots, dressed as charactersincluding a Queen’s Guard, a policeofficer and a Beefeater (£9.99 each).

HONAV UK 020 7515 0446

Honav is offering a collection of pinbadges which include iconic Londonimages such as a London Routemasterbus, taxis and landmarks.

There are also badges showing theLondon 2012 logo, as well as Union Jacksand the mascots of the Games, Mandevilleand Wenlock. Retail price points rangefrom £4 up to £250 for collectors.

According to Honav, the mascot launchpin sold out in two days and is now sellingon second hand markets at roughly fourtimes the retail value.

PANINI 01892 500105

Panini will be launching the officialsticker collection and trading card gamefor the London 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games, as well as a range ofsticker sheets.

Both the sticker and trading cardgame collections – due for release earlynext year – include facts, figures, guidesto the games and imagery. Each Olympicdiscipline will be covered, from archeryto wrestling. The collections will also besupported by extensive promotional

campaigns including nationalnewspaper sampling, widespread covermounting with a selection of keychildren’s titles and sampling andpromotions with major retailers, sportsclubs and regional newspapers. TV andPR campaigns are also planned.

The sticker sheets will launch thisautumn. The sticker album starter packis £1.99, with sticker packets 50p, whilethe trading card starter pack is £4.99and the cards 60p. Sticker sheets, £2.50.

THAT COMPANY CALLED IF 01751 475757

Toy retailers looking to present a morerounded Olympics offer to customerscould introduce IF’s bookmark lines,made in plastic, paper and metal.

The range is presented in co-ordinated displays, with a compactdesign making it ideal for placement

on a counter top or near a pay point.There are a range of display options,with all the firm’s London 2012 linesdesigned with euro slots and can beadapted for counter displays, floorspinner or clip strips.

Prices range from £2 up to £8.


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28 TN118_TN iPhone Ad_final 5/5/11 10:21 Page 1

FOR THE full year 2010, the totalplush market was worth £247 millionand had grown by 23 per cent(source: NPD Consumer Panel).

Unlike other toy categories, plushhas a larger value purchased forrecipients over 18 years, whichaccounts for 14 per cent of totalsales, meaning plush items arefrequently bought for adults.However, 42 per cent of all plushsales are made for those aged two tofive years. The category is heavilyweighted towards girls, who accountfor 75 per cent of purchases and havebeen driving the growth, increasingsales by 29 per cent.

Plush is divided into two mainsectors – traditional and special

feature plush. The largest section istraditional plush, which has seensome tremendous growth – sales areup 28 per cent in the first five

months of 2011 (source: NPD EPoS).This area is dominated by licences,which account for 37 per cent ofsales value. Traditional plush is a

strong area for pre-school licences,with Winnie the Pooh, Peppa Pig, Inthe Night Garden and ZingZillas all topten selling properties.

However, the top property YTDMay 2011 is Club Penguin, which hasseen steady and consistent growthover the last year.

Hello Kitty is the number twoproperty and is also in positivegrowth. The top selling traditionalplush item so far this year, however, isthe Moshi Monsters Moshling SoftToy assortment.

Special feature plush accounts for41 per cent of total plush sales and is

also in growth YTD May 2011. Thecurrent trend for plush pets meansthat the top three properties areZhuZhu Pets, Furreal Friends andAnimagic. These three propertiesalone account for just under twothirds of all special feature sales andseven of the top ten items. Afterthese brands, pre-school licences arepopular with Waybuloo, In the NightGarden and Moshi Monsters beingthe top sellers.

The plush category is an extremelydynamic sector of the toy business,where the property appeal is the keyto success.

The traditional plush sector is enjoying a particularly healthyspell at the moment, with sales up 28 per cent in the first fivemonths of the year. Boosted by several strong pre-schoollicences, as well as special feature plush, the sector is lookingto push on for even further growth across the rest of 2011. Wetake a look at what’s coming up from some of the key players,but first NPD presents the figures…

www.toynews-online.biz 29SECTOR GUIDE PLUSH

AUGUST 2011

Soft sell

In 2010, thetotal plush

market was worth£247 million and hadgrown by 23per cent.

29 TN120 Npd Cover_final 21/07/2011 11:29 Page 1

Available this month is the TV advertisedSweet Dreams Rosie and Raggles.Rosie’s tummy can be squeezed to hearher sing a lullaby and make her cheeksglow. Also available is Ring o Rosie.When she joins hands with children,Rosie will sing the theme tune from theshow. My Best Friend Rosie speaks whenher hand is squeezed. Then there’s thecuddly Playtime Friends with Rosie andRaggles to collect.

New for AniMagic is the deluxeinteractive Benji My Best Friend. Theanimatronic puppy will let children knowthat he’s pleased to see them by sittingup, wagging his tail and barking. Benjiwill play tug of war with his rope,growling playfully and when he’s tired hewill lie down to rest. Also available isSunny My Pick Me Up Puppy, who will

jump up and down when he seessomeone, and then calm down whenpicked up and stroked. Another newaddition to the AniMagic family is Cassygoes Catwalk. The cat will go for walkson her flashing lead, meowing andpurring as she goes. Vivid will alsointroduce the Flufflings, a new range ofunique and interactive plush pets withindividual personalities.

Vivid’s Moshi Monster plush toysfeature secret codes that can beredeemed for free in-game items atmoshimonsters.com. There’s the Soft ToyAssortment and the Talking Monsters,while autumn/winter will see the arrivalof Mosh ‘n’ Chat Poppet & Katsuma.

Vivid will also be launching LittleCharley Bear this autumn after thesuccessful series launch on CBeebies.

Dance Star Mickey comes to life whenhe walks, talks and dances to fourdifferent songs including Techno,Mambo, Shake Your Groove Thing and'M' to the 'I', and does the Moonwalk.With two interactive settings, includingsongs and games, Dance Star Mickeywill receive a strong marketingcampaign including a viral push withBritain’s Got Talent stars Flawless.

Voted Toy of the Year in the US, theSing-a-Ma-Jigs collection burst into theUK on a high note at the beginning ofthe year with an underground launchincluding a substantial viral campaign.New to the collection this autumn arethe crew of Duets which sing, chatterand harmonise with their own friends.

Autumn will see Love to Walk Poohjoin the Fisher-Price collection. Hecomes with four different speeds,which can be randomly programmed toencourage toddlers to walk. Offeringwords of encouragement as they toddlealong after him, Pooh can beprogrammed to work with soundactivation and says over 30 phrasesand plays a walking melody as he goes.

Waybuloo characters Lau Lau,Yojojo, Nok Tok and De Li areshowcased in the Fisher-Price plushcollection including both specialfeature and collectible mini soft plush.

Meanwhile, the Angelina Ballerinaplush comes with moveable arms andlegs and a sparkly ballet outfit.

MATTEL 01628 500000

VIVID 01483 449944

This autumn see the launch of theSesame Street Squeeze-A-Song PlushAssortment from Hasbro’s Playskoolcollection.

The soft plush pals are aimed atmusic-loving pre-schoolers.

Both Elmo and Cookie Monster singsongs, and now pre-schoolers cancontrol them by making them sing loudlyor softly. A soft press of the toys’tummies will make Elmo (pictured) andCookie Monster sing gently, while harderhugs will have both of them singinglouder and louder.

For In the Night Garden fans,meanwhile, there is the Talking PlushAssortment.

Give the noisy 12-inch plushIgglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and MakkaPakka characters a squeeze to hearsounds, songs and phrases from thepopular Cbeebies pre-school show.

When it’s time for bed In the NightGarden Goodnight Friends Igglepiggle &

Upsy Daisy need to be tucked in andread a bedtime story. The cuddly plushfigures come with a soothing lantern, abedtime storybook, removable pyjamasor nightdress and slipper accessories.

JAKKS PACIFIC 01344 638900

HASBRO 020 8569 1234

Each Webkinz plush pet comes with aunique code that allows kids to adoptthe pet online via the WebkinzWorld.

The platform is a virtualworld where users roam,explore and watch theirpet transform from a softplush toy to their online pet.

Once users have adoptedtheir pet within WebkinzWorld, they can play arcadegames, enter trivia quizzes, feed, carefor and look after their pet, helpingchildren to practice both their mathsand spelling while playing on thewebsite.

Boasting one new user every minute,Ganz – the company behind the virtual

adoptable plush pets – has welcomeda whole new populationof Webkinz owners

across the UK in the lastfew months.

The plush pets areavailable to buy through theWebkinz UK distributor, The

In Thing. A slightly smaller LilKinz plush is available as a

lower-price point option.Webkinz are suitable for children

aged three and up, and are supportedby a marketing programme including PRactivity and a TV campaign.

THE IN THING 0845 365 3030

Jakks has a wide range of plush toysfrom Disney’s popular online children’scommunity, Club Penguin.

Covering different price points, Jakkshas Plush Penguins and Puffles in avariety of sizes. The main line is the 6.5-inch Plush Penguin, and each one comeswith its own unique costume andaccessories.

Going smaller, the four-inch PlushPuffles come in many different brightcolours, while the mini Clip-On Pufflesare even smaller versions suitable as key

rings or for hanging in the bedroom.Each toy comes with a coin with a code,which can be exchanged for newfeatures and virtual items atclubpenguin.com.

30 SECTOR GUIDE PLUSH

AUGUST 2011

30,32,36,38 TN120 Plush_final 21/07/2011 14:31 Page 1


AUGUST 2011

The newest member of the Rescue Palsfamily is Train and Play Puppy, withrealistic features and functions. Thefluffy Train and Play Puppy can sit, standor walk and can be taught new tricksincluding sit up and beg, and whenrewarded with a treat, he will even poop.Train and Play Puppy comes with aremote clicker to change and start thepuppy functions.

An adoption certificate, a reward treatand a heart-shaped sticker are alsoincluded with the four-legged friend.Suitable for children aged three yearsand up, Train and Play Puppy is fully TVand PR supported.

Also available in the Rescue Palsrange is the Healthy Pup Check Up, asoft cuddly beagle puppy, who needshelp to make him feel better. His foot ishurt and glows red until the cast is

applied. Then he’ll need an injection andwill whimper until the pain goes away.Children can check that he’s well bylistening to his beating heart using thevet’s stethoscope and patting his head.

Healthy Pup Check Up comes with hisown adoption certificate, stethoscope,cast, syringe and heart-shaped sticker.Suitable for children aged three years.

MGA ENTERTAINMENT 0845 0533 333

My Travel Toy is a travel item designedfor kids on the go and is being pitchedas the ‘perfect travel friend’ for longjourneys with young travellers.

The plush toy is partly made with anew mixture of bamboo and organiccotton velour, designed to keep the childentertained while on the move and toprovide them with comfort when theyneed to rest.

My Travel Toy is a two-in-one productwhere design and functionality meet.The toy side is a pet character wearing a100 per cent cotton knitted jumper invibrant colours with colourful and tactileappliqué shapes to stimulate the youngminds curiosity. These textured shapesrelate to each character and aim to helpbabies and toddlers develop their senseof touch.

The range has six contemporarycharacters: Bobbo The Bear, Daddo TheDog, Bola The Cat, Luno The Owl, FanteThe Elephant and Mono The Monkey. Allcome in their own gift packaging with ahandle to carry.

Qatch was founded by Inma Garcia, atextile prints designer and a new mother,who had to give up her job designing fora big department store in the UK to lookafter her daughter. She wanted to designa toy, which could become very useful attimes and for her daughter to carry withher when going to the nursery andcomfort her.

The new range was launched at theLondon Toy Fair and has since beenpicked up by John Lewis online and inthe retailer’s Oxford Street store.

QATCH 020 8886 6326

The new Noddy Pilot soft toy, in a red flight jacketand helmet, is being introduced to mark theNoddy Takes to the Air theme so that children canre-enact aeroplane adventures in Toyland. Theplush toy features in the My Friends large plushcollection alongside Bumpy Dog, PC Plod andthe cuddly Tessie Bear. An assortment ofminiature plush is also available.

The bright and colourful soft toys withinthe Tinga Tinga Tales range are suitable forpre-schoolers, with the interactive Up, Down and AllAround Monkey proving to be favourite. Newcharacters in the plush collection for this seasoninclude Tortoise and Tick Bird who both sing the TVseries theme tune when their tummies aresqueezed. A refreshed assortment of miniatureplush also sees Zebra and Chameleon joiningthe Tinga Tinga Tales family.

BANDAI 08456 028782

In the Lilliputiens Collection, Baby Roseand Baby Chou are two dolls whicharrive in flower shaped baby carriers,one green and one pink, with smallhandles meaning girls can take themeverywhere.

Made from cuddly plush fabric, thedolls aim to encourage role-play andimagination. Each doll wears pyjamasand sucks on a bottle in readiness for agood night’s sleep.

A cuddly toy helps aid sweet dreamsand matches the dolls slippers.

Alternatively, Baby Zoe and BabyChloe lay snugly in their baskets, eachcovered with a reversible quilt. Bothdolls wear a nappy and pyjamas whichare easily removable for dress-up play,while the quilt forms a play mat.

The Collection prides itself on attentionto detail in every single product, plusmost are machine washable.

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

Rainbow Designs’ plush collectionfeatures popular licences fromchildren’s literature and TV.

The three plush Wibbly Pig BeanToys all have different outfits, includinga tutu and bow tie. The Wibbly Pig withComfort Blanket features Wibblyholding a blue and white stripyreversible blanket with embroideredlabel detailing. Also new is the plushWibbly Pig Backpack which has a softWibbly face and wiggly ears. Retailerscan complete themed gift displays withthe Wibbly Pig Hand Puppet.

Stripy Horse is instantlyrecognisable – the character startedlife in the classic picture book Who AreYou, Stripy Horse? and is the star of aseries of stories, published by EgmontPress, which have been read onCBeebies.

Rainbow’s colourful collectionincludes the new soft and tactileComfort Blanket with an embroideredStripy Horse logo, soft satin signaturestripy trim and Stripy Horse’s cutesmiling head. Also available is theStripy Horse 30cm plush toy.

RAINBOW DESIGNS 01329 227300

There are over 100 cuddly companions in Marbel’sWWF plush range, covering a whole host of differentspecies from different habitats.

From the 40cm lioness from the Savannah desert,through to the penguin from Antarctica there isanimal for everyone.

Buyers of the plush animals are making acontribution to the mission of the WWF: a future inwhich humans live in harmony with nature.

MARBEL 01208 873123


SMURFSTM & © Peyo 20__Licensed through Lafig Belgium/IMPS. The Smurfs, the Movie © 2011 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Sony PicturesAnimation Inc. All Rights Reserved. Game Software excluding Columbia/Sony and LafigBelgium Elements: © 200_ Ubisoft Entertainment. All rights reserved. Ubisoft and theUbisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.

For more information contact your Gem account manager on 01279 822822 or visit www.gem.co.uk

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Smurfs Single Page MCV V2_Layout 1 19/07/2011 09:43 Page 1

dps MCVxxx_v1 copy_Layout 1 20/07/2011 10:54 Page 1

dps MCVxxx_v1 copy_Layout 1 20/07/2011 10:54 Page 2


AUGUST 2011

Best Years’ range of knitted and crochetplush toys are a combination of retrodesigns and practical and tactile knittedor crochet cotton.

New lines arriving this month includethe Nutcracker and Ballerina, plus thequirky crochet monsters. They join adiverse range which stretches fromcrochet donuts, to the hugely successfulOctopus right up to the iconic and verypopular Humpty Dumpty.

Measuring eight inches tall areanother line of crochet toys, handmadein Peru from organic cotton. The rangecomprises of six lines, reindeer andmouse, bunny dolls and two ragdolls

Other designs include a giraffe,elephant, penguin, snail, robin and ateddy bear.

BEST YEARS 01327 262189

Following on from the Cozy Plush rangeof fully microwavable soft toys, Intelexhas recently launched a larger luxuryversion which is made from the samehigh quality furs and finished withcontrasting piping.

The premium designs are also filledwith a special new organic fillingmaterial that has been developed byIntelex over the past 18 months.

The filling is softer, lighter and‘squishier’ than before and the overallresult is a range of microwavable toysthat are both cute and cuddly.

Intelex has recently developed severalother new fully microwavable soft toyand gift ranges.

INTELEX 01933 679 777

The Driver Dan’s Story Train collectionincludes feature plush toys of thecharacters from the show.

Driver Dan comes to life as a talkingtoy, and with a gentle squeeze to histummy he will say one of five phrases.

Also available is Tallulah theElephant. Pull Tallulah along on herplastic base by the cord to see hersway from side to side or squeeze herto hear spoken phrases. Othercharacters including Sweetie, Preciousand Driver Dan are available as soft toycollectables.

There is also a range of Ben andHolly’s Little Kingdom feature plushtoys. Ben, Holly and Nanny Plum areavailable as talking soft toys, whichwill each say five different phraseswhen squeezed.

Fluttering Wings Holly and FetchStick Gaston, who shakesand barks, are alsoavailable in the range.

Golden Bear alsohas an official line ofplush for the London2012 Olympic Games.

GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308

Breyer, which continues to capitalise onthe growing base of horse lovers in theUK, will be introducing various productsdesigned to attract new audiences.

For the pre-school audience is thePonies Gone Wild collection, anassortment of plush ponies offeringretailers the opportunity to carry anappealing gift line with a CDU containing18 fabric ponies in a vibrant choice ofcolours and designs. Each Plush Ponymeasures three inches, occupying thepocket money price point.

Liz Nield, Treasure Trove’s salesdirector for Breyer comments on thecompany’s strategy for this Christmas:“Last year, our focus was very much onThe Saddle Club and building on theseven to 11 age group. This year, we areturning our attention to the collector’smarket, one which is highly profitable to

the brand in the States and, we believe,has huge potential here in the UK.

“Secondly, our aim is to be able tobring the magic of Breyer to the underthrees,” Nield continues.

TREASURE TROVE 01285 762039

Aurora World UK has launched fournew characters in the Yoohoo &Friends range.

The new additions – a Pink RiverDolphin, a Tarsier, a Scarlet Macaw anda Sea Lion – are all based on authentic,

endangered or rare animals fromaround the world.

Since the launch in 2007, the linehas become a strong seller. The toysaim to appeal with colourful, cute andbig-eyed designs.

AURORA WORLD 01256 374260

2011 continues to be a year expansionfor Tomy’s product range with theannouncement of its deal with ThePokémon Company International tolaunch an extensive line of plushPokémon characters across Europe inSeptember 2011.

As the video games reach sales ofmore than 11.5 million copiesworldwide, Tomy’s products will caternot only to a massive existing fan basebut are aimed at a wider, growingaudience.

The Pokémon plush take theirdesigns from the all new Pokémoncharacters introduced in the record-breaking Pokémon Black Version andPokémon White Version video gamesfor the Nintendo DS.

These two titles introduced morethan 150 Pokémon.

From September, Tomy’s Pokémonplush line will feature eight-inch plushand large size plush of the videogame’s three new starter Pokémoncharacters, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott,plus Pikachu. Four additional Pokémonare set for release in January 2012.

Voice-activated Pokémon talkingplush characters will also be available,with Pikachu launching in Septemberand the other new characters followingin January 2012. The cuddly interactiveplush toys recognise different tones ofvoice and will chatter to you accordingto how you speak to them. Theinteractive plush can recognise eachother and chatter away together.

TOMY 020 8722 7300


62 TN119_final 13/6/11 12:26 Page 1


AUGUST 2011

FLAIR 020 8643 0320

Underground Toys has expanded itsDoctor Who range. New items areavailable as four-inch mini talkingplush clip-ons and nine-inch mediumtalking plush in gift boxes. Charactersinclude the Daleks and theTardis. The range boastsauthentic sound effects andlight up technology. Itemsinclude the Mini TARDIS, MiniCyberman, Mini Red Dalek,Mini Blue Dalek as well as aMedium TARDIS, Medium BlueDalek and Medium Red Dalek.

The Star Wars talking plushrange is set to benefit from the releaseof the original films in 3D, starting withRevenge of the Sith in February 2012.The range comprises of four-inch minitalking plush clip-ons, nine-inchmedium talking plush in gift boxes and15-inch deluxe talking plush. Selected

characters from Series Oneinclude Yoda, Darth Vader, R2-

D2 and Chewbacca. New characters for2011 and beyond include Boba Fett,Jawa, Wicket the Ewok and Darth Maul.Sound effects include Yoda’s “For 800years, have I trained Jedi” and DarthVader’s classic line, “I am your father”,as well as R2-D2’s whistling andChewbacca’s growl.

UNDERGROUND TOYS 020 7801 6325

Dowman Soft Touch has recentlylaunched a new range of plush based onthe pre-school brand Hari’s World. Thetoys are plush versions of charactersfrom the Hari’s World series of books,which are about having fun and enjoyinglife, with subtle safety messages woveninto every adventure.

Dowman has produced six plush itemsin an array of sizes – Hari, Moe Mouse,

Max the Dog, Sting the Wasp, Pinch theCrab and Peck the Seagull. The productsare currently on sale in retail outletsincluding gift shops, garden centres andmajor animal attractions like DrummondSafari Park, Edinburgh Zoo and The DeepAquarium in Hull.

The Hari’s World stories lendthemselves to interactive play, with handand finger puppets also in the range.

DOWMAN SOFT TOUCH 01487 840530

Bawi has plush lines ranging from big tosmall: from the Enormous Horse, which achild can climb onto to ride and rollaround with, to the Bawi Pyramid Play-set, a soft stacking toy for small hands toget a hold of.

The Bawi range is soft and safe forchildren, with stimulating rattles,squeakers and crinkly bits. Eachprovides a soft toy and play station inone, made to stimulate, educate andentertain babies and toddlers.

ASOBI 01628 200077

Worlds Apart is launching a new Go GlowPal to join its collection of plushnightlights. The newest version, Me ToYou, is a collaboration between WorldsApart and Carte Blanche Greetings.

The new Me To You bearjoins Hello Kitty, whichwon a Toy Fair Best NewToy award in the FeaturePlush category this year,and the Alien character fromthe classic Toy Storymovies in the range.

As well as beingcuddly toys, the GoGlow Pals gently glowduring the night to helpchildren who are scared ofthe dark. Children simplyhave to squeeze the handsof their Go Glow Pal to seeMe To You’s heart beam,Hello Kitty’s bow glow orthe Alien’s eyes light up tohelp them drift off to sleep.After 15 minutes the nightlightautomatically switches off.

Also new this year is the Winnie thePooh Interactive Friend.

Pooh acts as a friendly day-longcompanion for children that parents canset to follow individual routines withmorning, meal-time, play and bedtime

modes. Equipped with a honeypot and spoon for mealtimes, Pooh alerts

children when he getshungry, saying “I’ve got a

rumbly in my tumbly”, andasks to get dressed in themorning. Always ready for

bed at the right time foryour child, Pooh says

“Time for Bed”. With aninteractive hide andseek game in play modeand a variety of over 50

phrases spokenthroughout the day, thenew toy promotesphysical activity and co-ordination for the childand offers longstanding

play value. Worlds Apart will

support the new Me To You Go Glow Paland the Winnie the Pooh InteractiveFriend with PR and marketing activity.

WORLDS APART 0800 389591

For babies and toddlers, the newCuddles Crafts collection includespuppets, squeakers and pyjama cases.The soft toys are made to be a first giftfor babies.

Made from extra soft materials, kidsand parents can choose from a sheep,cow and duck. They are fully machine-washable.

The new additions to the ‘Baby byFiesta Crafts’ range build on thesuccessful Mama Duck & Ducklingstoys. For babies, Cuddle Puppets arecute animal hand puppets made withsuper soft fabric.

A duck, sheep, rabbit, chicken,mouse and teddy bear are available.

Cuddle Squeekaboos, meanwhile,are soft toys that squeak, jingle andcrinkle and are ideal for playing peek-a-boo games.

All Squeekaboos come with aspecial gift tag.

Cuddle Pyjama Cases are both a toyand a convenient storage tool for jim-jams. Also made with super soft fabric,choose from a sheep or mouse for acombination of gift and bedroomdecoration.

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563

Plush, feature plush and realisticanimatronics are all available from Flair.

Emotion Pets are interactive plushtoys that give girls and boys acompanion to care for.

Toffee the Pony enjoyed a successfultime at retail in 2010 and now the bunnyrabbit Milky joins the line. Milky hasanimatronic moving eyes, nose and earsinside a plush body.

Both Toffee and Milky have true to lifeemotions; eating juicy carrots andgrumbling when hungry.

While Toffee likes to be brushed,Milky, when tickled under his feet, willkick them and make a giggling sound.Like all pets Toffee and Milky also havetheir sensitive sides when scared, theyclose their eyes and their ears tremble,meaning they’ll need to be soothed untilthey feel better.

Another plush range comes in theform of the Smurfs. There are 20cm and

30cm plush to choose from. Flair’s HelloKitty plush collection includesaccessories such as handbags, shoulderbags and purses, as well as a variety ofluxury plush toys.


International Business Media Services Ltd.

4th Floor, 205/207 City Road

London EC1V 1JN

Tel: 20 7566 6340

Fax: 20 7566 6341

[email protected]

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Imagine. Build. Play

K’Nex leads the way for the next generation of budding engineers!

For further information please call the sales department on 020 8722 7300email: [email protected] www.tomy.co.uk

Re-enact crazy stunts from

Top Gear such as Car Darts and

4x4 vs Copter! Range includes

selection of popular racing

cars and each kit comes with

everyone’s favourite test

driver - the Stig.

LAUNCHAUTUMN

2011

Thanks to K’Nex, here’s a Super Mario

game that gets kids away from their

console. With motorised karts and real

obstacles from the game, its fun to build

and to play!

K’NEX MARIO AND LUIGI STARTING LINE BUILDING SET

K’NEX TOP GEAR STIG’S ATTACK COPTER

KNEX TOYS NEWS AD .indd 1 12/07/2011 12:41

The ultimate in construction, Airfixmodels give children and adults alike thechance to develop their modelling skills.

The Spitfire Mk1a Starter Kit will builda scale replica of the best-known fighteraircraft ever. For older children, Airfix haslarger construction starter sets,including Europe’s premier swing rolefight jet The Eurofighter Typhoon.

For car enthusiasts, Airfix’s 1:32 scaleAston Martin DB5 is ideal for getting intomore complex construction. The modelreflects all the design features anddetails of the real thing.

Meanwhile, Airfix’snew 1:24 scale DeHavilland MosquitoNFII/ FBVI has a totalof 617 parts, a lengthof 522mm and wingspan of 688mm. Themodel is based on thefamous de Mosquito.

HORNBY 01843 233500

Produced in Belgium, Clics is aneducational construction toy that growswith the child and aims to help develop achild’s logical thinking.

Popular in Europe, Clics are nowavailable in the UK through Marbel.

All Clics pieces and figures are fullyinterchangeable with all the sets. Whileother toys can be fiddly and frustratingfor small hands, Clics pieces aredesigned to be easy to connect andmake long lasting creations.

The models can be as simple or ascomplicated as the child likes, fromsimple blocks to cars, planes anddinosaurs. Products and price pointsrange from the pocket money to gifting categories.

MARBEL 01208 873 123

Since the beginning of the year, NPD data has shown increasing sales in building sets have been helping to boostthe growth of the overall toy market. ToyNews found out about the latest products and licences to hit the sectorwhich has always been a favourite among boys...

The big buildwww.toynews-online.biz 41SECTOR GUIDE CONSTRUCTION

AUGUST 2011

New for Lego City is the EverydayHeroes concept, offering the newHarbour theme. It introduces kids to arole-play experience revolving aroundtwo hero sets: the Power BoatTransporter, featuring two minifigures,a floating speed boat and transportertruck with trailer, and the Harbour setwhich incorporates a large cargo ship, acrane, a heavy duty truck, fourminifigures and more. The theme willbe supported by the release of theLego City video game in September.

The latest Lego IP is Alien Conquest,combining space adventure, new playworlds and characters, with buildingsets designed for ages six and up. Theassortment of vehicles and bases areaimed at boys aged seven to 12 andcollectability is driven by various alienand astronaut minifigures. The conflicttheme of good vs evil is explored ineach set, which also includes multiplefunctions: light, sound andabductable action feature. Hero setEarth Defence HQ features sixminifigures, a mini UFO and mobilelaunch station that splits into threeseparate vehicles.

Upgraded spinners and newcharacters will be launching in theNinjago range this month,alongside the Mountain Shrinetable top battle, featuringspinners within a combative play-set format.

With pocket money pricing, anew building system, coolmissions and iconic, buildableheroes, Lego Hero Factoryappeals to collectors andimpulse purchasers andfeatures interchangeableweapons and models.Bigger models launchingthis month include the newRocka XL hero figure with doubleblade/claw tool, which is 29cm tall

alongside the Witch Doctor, whichcomes with a skull-decorated staff andis 36cm in height. Hero Factory will besupported pre-Christmas with more CGITV specials and marketing support.

Lego Star Wars continues to grow in2011 with the anticipated release ofLego Star Wars III video game alongsidethe new series of Star Wars: The CloneWars and the launch of all six Star Warsmovies on Blu-Ray. Key products fromthis month include the Republic Frigatefeaturing five minifigures, an openingcockpit and multiple action functions,and the iconic Millennium Falcon setincluding six minifigures, opening hulland many other features.

Building on the success of thelaunch in 2010, Lego

is extending its System range of HarryPotter sets and minifigures with threenew products; The Forbidden Forest,The Knight Bus and the Battle ForHogwarts set featuring sevenminifigures and locations from themovie. The range will also feature theHogwarts Castle play-set, re-launchedfor this year.

Lego Cars 2 System play-sets andvehicles will feature classic charactersfrom the first movie, alongside a hostof new vehicles following the newstoryline. Hero products include Flo’sV8 Café featuring six Cars figures,slammer function and car wash, Spy JetEscape set and Big Bentley Bust Out.

The Lego Technic brand continues tobring older boys more challengingbuilds and has been enhanced with the

Supercar, which uses the built-inPower Functions to open itsscissors doors, extend the rearspoiler and open the bonnet.

Lego Duplo, meanwhile, isdesigned to give children anintroduction to the world ofconstruction play.

The Deluxe Brick Box comeswith two Duplo figures, windows, awagon base and a variety ofcolourful shaped bricks. There is arange of challenges, from a dog

made of two green bricks to acastle with four towers.

Other building sets includethe Small Brick Box, MyFirst Duplo Set and

Creative Building.As always with Duplo

blocks, the colouredbricks provide replayvalue, with limitlesscombinations and

reusability. Duplo canalso help develophand-eye coordinationand motor skills.

LEGO 01753 495 000

41,42,43,47,48,50 TN120 construction_final 22/07/2011 14:58 Page 1

42 SECTOR GUIDE CONSTRUCTION

AUGUST 2011

The Red Toolbox was designed tofocus on building genuine and usefulcarpentry projects that a child caneither use or simply display.

The company says the kits aredesigned to encourage parent-childbonding.

Available kits include TreasureChests, Bird Houses, Soccer Tables,Catapult Sets, Go Carts, plus Real Tools.

Meccano has new additions to the Build &Play, Construction, Turbo and MultiModels ranges, plus the new Space Chaos collection.

First up is the Motorised Tool Box, a newaddition to Meccano’s ConstructionToolboxes. Suitable for children aged fiveand over, the large yellow toolbox containsover 70 parts which make ten differenteveryday construction site models. There’salso a powerful six-volt motor which addsmechanical motion to the models.

The Space Chaos range sees theaddition of new Silver Force and DarkPirates Fighters, which come completewith either light or sound effects. TheFighters also transform into two different models.

The evil forces of the Dark Pirates isboosted with the new Commander,comprised of over 150 parts and makestwo different models with lights andsound effects. Bringing hope to the galaxyis the new Silver Force Destroyer,furnished with missile launcher and lightand sound effects.

Complementing the range is the newonline Space Chaos game, which will belaunched in September on the SpaceChaos website atspacechaos.meccano.com. Suitable forchildren aged seven and up.

The New Generation Multimodels Setsare designed to appeal to all generationsof Meccano fans. Suitable for ages eightand over, the five, seven and 20 Model

Sets explore new variants, frommotorbikes to a racing car.

The Five Model Set features over 110 parts, the Seven Model Set has over 190 and the 20 Model Sethas over 230 parts. There’s also a new640 part Super Construction Set whichmakes 25 models and includes a six volt motor.

Meccano’s mechanics have been hardat work in the pit lanes introducing newtime-saving modifications to the Turborange. New models include the R/CRacing Car and the R/C Pro.

Each set builds two remote controlracing vehicles with full R/C functions and is suitable for children aged sevenand above.

MECCANO 01844 278 888

Haba’s catalogue of wooden buildingblocks, marble runs and technical blockscontinues to grow with the addition ofnew sets and accessories.

The system has been conceived tostimulate the natural learning process,and through play, children discovershapes and quantities, spatial dimensionsand physical laws. Additionally, all ofHaba’s construction blocks and sets canbe combined so a child’s collection cangrow and develop with age and ability.

Haba’s Building Blocks Technics adds anew dimension to construction play withwooden blocks, plus wheels and clampsfor creating vehicles, offering stability todaring constructions. The blocks can alsobe combined with Haba’s Ball TrackConstruction Sets which add an elementof speed.

The latest addition to the range is theBall Track Sounds Starter Set, which has arange of acoustic sound effects which canbe set off in sequence.

HABA 0161 304 9555 RED TOOLBOX+353 (0)91 521857


This summer, K’Nexhas added to its traditionalproduct range, incorporating the new Mario Kart Wii and Top Gearlicensed products.

K’Nex has given fans of Super Mariothe ability to bring the characters out oftheir console and into their hands withkarts and bikes that kids can build, eachwith their own buildable character. Tocomplete the set, there is also the Marioand Luigi Starting Line Building Set,featuring two motorised Karts with Marioand Luigi characters, a race circuittogether with a buildable obstacle fromthe game called Thwomps.

Each element uses classic K’Nexassembly, together with building bricks.

Tomy has also launched a range of TopGear licensed K’Nex sets which are basedon popular vehicles and stunts from theshow. The Stig features in the Stig’s TrackCar & Building Set, Race Car Set and RallyCar Building Set and for young racing fansthere is the Car Darts Challenge BuildingSet and the 4x4 vs Copter Building set.

K’Nex still has a range of moretraditional construction sets for the threeand up, five and up, seven and up andnine and up age groups. These includethe moving Amusement Park Sets,Monster Jam packs and a series ofchunkier sets for young children.

Tomica has been the top road andrail toy for over 50 years in Japan and2010 saw it launched into the UK. Therange is made up of buildings, roads,vehicles, trains, tracks and people.

Children can watch as trains speedaround the track and cars cruise aroundthe city together.

With new additions to the range thissummer, kids can add an undergroundtrain network to their Tomica city.

The new large Metro City Setcomes with a metro train withlights to illuminate its journeythrough the underground tunnels.Tomica trains can now travel aboveground and undergroundsimultaneously.

Adding another dimension to aTomica world is the must-haveMega Station Set, with a stationthat allows trains to speed roundthe track, before stopping at thestation and letting cars across theautomatic level crossing.

Asobi is distributing the Calafant range of cardboard constructiontoys. Designed in Germany andmade from high quality,recyclable cardboard, Calafant issuitable for children aged threeand over and covers a range ofprice points.

All the pieces are pre-cut andpre-punched so the cardboardtoys can be put together withoutglue or scissors, using theCalafant slot-system.

The cardboard toys can bepainted and decorated as the childimagines it, so ideas can bebought to life.

From castles and tree houses, torobots and dinosaurs, the range issimple and provides imaginative play.

The range has garnered coverage ina number of national press titles.

ASOBI 01628 200077

SECTOR GUIDE CONSTRUCTION

AUGUST 2011

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TOMY 020 8722 7300


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7049 Alien Striker6-14 years

7050Alien Defender7-14 years

7051Tripod Invader7-14 years

7052Alien Abduction7-14 years

7065Alien Mothership8-14 years

7066Earth Defence HQ8-14 years

7067Jet-Copter Encounter7-14 years

Invading televis

ions from August

. Strong in-season TV campaign . Sponsorship campaign on Pop and Kix . Kids Press and PR . Activity in LEGO Club magazine and on LEGO.com

Kre-o construction sets givebuilding fans aged six and upthe chance to createTransformers characters.Kre-o Transformersfeatures Autobot andDecepticon charactersfrom the past 25 years.

Each building set has twotypes of builds: deconstruct arobot to create a vehicle ordisassemble the vehicle tobuild a robot.

Most sets come with themedaccessories and there are 16 KreonTransformers figures to collect. Thesefigures and accessories are included tooffer other playing scenarios.

The Kre-o line includes a variety ofofferings from basic to deluxe sets.

The 2-in-1 Kre-o TransformersBumblebee set allows fans to create andrecreate the Autobot character. In robotmode, builders can convert the wings onBumblebee into a glider for Kreonfigures to balance on. In vehicle mode,the driver’s door can open up to seat twoKreon figures. Set includesthree Kreon figures and morethan 300 pieces.

The Optimus Prime setcomes with more than 500pieces – the largest amountfeatured in any of the 2011 Kre-o sets. Builders can assemblethe Optimus Prime character invehicle mode, as the notable semi-

hauler truck, or in robot mode tocreate the leader of theAutobots. When in vehiclemode, the truck’s removablecab converts into a mini-command station and thetrailer opens to fit the twomotorcycles and five Kreonfigures inside. The setincludes orange traffic conesand decorative stickers.

The Decepticon Starscreamcan also be set to vehicle or

robot. In vehicle mode, kids canopen the jet’s canopy to fit a

figure in the cockpit, blast off removablerockets and turbo thrusters, or use theretractable wheels. Complete with morethan 300 pieces and two Kreon figures.

The Sentinel Prime set in robot modeincludes shield and sword accessories.Or the 350 Kre-o pieces can be madeinto a fire truck with two ladders andfour Kreon figures. The set also featuresa launcher brick for projectile action.

Kre-o bricks are compatible with othermajor brick-based construction sets.

HASBRO 020 8569 1234

There are three different Build it withBob sets available, all of which enablechildren to build structures with realmini clay bricks and cement. Aftermixing Dizzy’s cement powder withwater, children can then build whateverthey like. If they don’t want to keeptheir building, simply soak it in water,the cement will come off and the brickscan be used again. Additional packs ofbricks and cement are available.

Toobeez is a giant construction toy. Akit of 57 pieces includes tubes andspheres which connect together tobuild castles, dens and playhouses.The set also includes fabric panels forcreating covered structures. Forconstruction on a smallerscale, EZ Fort is Toobeez’little brother. Containing54 pieces, it provides 20metres of end-to-endbuilding play.Both kits aim tohelp with criticalthinking skillsand develop thecreative thoughtprocess.

Bloco is aconstruction toy thatuses high densitybrightly coloured foampieces which are shapedto link together. Oncelinked together withspecial connectors, the

pieces can be moved to any angle.Children can collect and make differentsets including Dinosaurus, Wildcats,Horses and Unicorns. Single creaturesets featuring Dinosaurs and Primatesare also now available.

Squashblox are large softconstruction panels which attachtogether to build whatever a childwants to create. As well as aconstruction toy, Squashblox canfunction as a play mat for babies, astory boards that holds felt figures anda tumble floor mat.

HTI has an extensiverange of JCB vehicles,role-play, wheeled andoutdoor toys.

The JCB replicavehicles have functionaland detailed styling withplay based on theconstruction vehicles ofthe real world. New forautumn/winter is theJCB Pack Away Tyre Play-set, which is a two levelconstruction site play-setwith large crane, roads andramps. It includes two scalereplica 1:64 die-cast vehicles –JCB Backhoe Loader and JCBDumptruck and all packs awayinto a JCB style wheel for mobile play.

Also new is the JCB Megalift Cranewith full function remote control. Usingthe controller kids can move the vehicleforwards, backwards, left and right andmove the hook on the crane arm up anddown. The Megalift also has light andsound features.

Fresh for autumn/winter, a newsegment within HTI’s JCB offering isMulti Construct, which lets kids build asmany different vehicles as they can thinkof, all based around an iconic JCB vehicledesign. The range consists of the MultiConstruct Backhoe Loader, MultiConstruct Dumptruck and MultiConstruct Low Loader & Backhoe.

Inadditionto these itemsis the Multi ConstructAssembly Plant, a setting for buildingand dismantling. The Assembly Plantcomes with a Multi Construct BackhoeLoader and a range of accessories forcreative construction play. The AssemblyPlant packs away into a case.

Within the JCB role-playsegment, HTI brings new

products based on thereal life JCB tools. Thenew JCB Site MasterElectronic Workbenchincludes a pillar drillwhich has a wheel tomove the drill up anddown and the circularbench saw hassound effects. TheWorkbench has lotsof other toolsincluding saw, drill,pliers, hammer,spanner, wrench andbench vice.

Also new is the JCBTool Case & Tools. This

durable, hard, portable toolcase contains 12 different

real-life JCB-inspired toolpieces, which all pack away

into a compact case. The new JCB Pack Away Workbench

also comes with a host of tools. Itfeatures 57 pieces including battery

operated drill, hammer, spanner, sawand cut-apart wood. All the elementsconveniently pack away into a compactportable case.

The role-play range is complementedby the battery operated JCB Power Toolsproviding budding builders with thechoice of a drill, jigsaw or nail gun.

HTI 01253 778888

MAPS TOYS 01483 776 006

www.toynews-online.biz 47SECTOR GUIDE CONSTRUCTION

AUGUST 2011

INTERPLAY 01628 488944

Interplay’s build and play Tecknokitsaim to show the fun side oftechnology and construction.

The Technokit range opens thedoor to the world of technology,where children can explore scientificprinciples while creating projects.

An established model within therange is the Electric Dragster, whichallows kids to construct a turbo-charged motor racer.

For a more historical project, kidscan unleash the Warwolf with theancient Trebuchet Kit. The siegemachine, when complete, is a replicaof the war machine.

With Technokits both young andold can enjoycreating technologyprojects designed to stimulate apractical knowledgeof technologythrough play.



AUGUST 2011

Mega Bloks is launching three newlines in its Maxi system range. The 3 in1 Build ‘n’ Go Walker is a wagon, walkerand building platform, which includesplenty of blocks and features a buildingplate that can be mounted on the bin.The Maxi Tub Collection features bigstorage containers with Maxi buildingbloks, featuring classic play themes.

The second half will see new SKUs inthe Thomas & Friends range, with arefreshed buildable characterassortment, new buildable buckets,character packs, Whiff’s Messy Day andlarger buildable play-sets including AllAboard at Knapford Station, TidmouthSheds & Day at the Dieselworks, basedon the upcoming feature length film,Day of the Diesels.

The pre-school portfolio will bebolstered with the ChuggingtonCoaster, Round-House Racing set andChuggington Repair Shed.

For the new Need for Speed line,there will be three scales of vehicles:Action Scale, Custom Scale andCollector Scale. Need for Speed StarterPacks (1:55) feature six differentmodels and a branded key launcher,Custom Scale Packs (1:38) have fivecars, the Wheel Launcher, the DreamGarage and exclusive Collector ScalePorsche GT3 RS (1:14).

Celebrating Halo’s tenth anniversary,Mega is launching newproducts in its HaloAuthenticCollector’s Series.New bases,structures,

playscapes,vehicles and characterfigurines are being introduced. The toyline, which combines vehicle play andUNSC and enemy Covenant characters,will now be augmented and unified.

The new collection includes HaloSeries 3 Hero packs: blind packs with abuildable micro action figure. Othernew products include the Halo ODSTDrop Pods with two new Covenant DropPods and two ODST Drop Pods; theHalo UNSC Falcon or the Warthog ofthe Skies and the UNSC Rockethog vs.Anti Aircraft Gun which comes withHazop Spartan, Marine, Combat Eliteand Jump Pack Brute. To complete therange in autumn/winter there are twonew vehicles – the Covenant Phantomand the UNSC Elephant.

A range of blind pack Micro ActionFigures from different product

brands such as Halo (Series3), Dragons Universe,

Marvel and HelloKitty will alsolaunch.

MEGA BRANDS 01844 350033

Little Tikes has a host of heritage brandsin its portfolio – Large Waffles are oneexample within the constructioncategory. The construction blocks wererecently brought back into production inresponse to ongoing consumer demand.

The Large Waffles are suitable for thegarden or the playroom. Offering kids3D construction play, each set includes18 interlocking blocks designed tostimulate imagination while kidsconstruct a number of creations.Comprising of solid blocks, window anddoor blocks, Waffles are lightweight andconnect in every direction. Children can

climb on their designs. The pieces aredurable with double wall thickness, andare aimed at kids aged 18-months plus.

LITTLE TIKES 01908 268 480

Fix and Learn Speedy encourageschildren to learn key skills includingcolour and shape recognition, as wellas developing matchingand motor skills.

With the includedracer tools, childrencan learn how to use a screwdriver andspanner throughinteractive play bytightening up Speedy’swheels, nuts, bolts along with thetiming belt.

By popping Fix and Learn Speedy’sbonnet, kids can get Speedy ready for arace by checking the oil with thedipstick, using the petrol can to fill it upand tuning up the engine.

Fix and Learn Speedy will also playalphabet or counting songs when itsnumber plate is pushed.

Suitable for 18-months and over, thetoy picked up a best infant and

pre-school award at the ToyFair Best New Toy

Awards. Samantha

Harris,marketingmanager at

Leapfrog, says:“Speedy has been

designed with a really funand friendly personality to engage withchildren and this new addition to ourrange teaches key life skills in a fun andexciting way.”

LEAPFROG 01895 201520

Green Board Games is theexclusive distributor ofMindware and Keva woodenconstruction toys.

Two of the offerings areCatapults and Contraptions.With Catapult, kids can build anauthentic catapult with planks,a little glue and help from thestep-by-step instructions.

Then, the experimentation begins.What shoots farther, a marshmallow or apiece of macaroni? How does theobject’s course change when the childpulls the arm back to different points? Ifa kid makes the flight deck higher, howdoes it affect the hurl? The set includespre-drilled planks, wood glue, a leatherstrap, a ruler, rubber bands, a cup, twoballs, a target mat, fasteners and theinstructions for use.

Contraptions has been designed sothat children can build ball trackstructures with the stacking planksystem. Kids can create ramps, funnels,

chutes and contraptions likethe Black Hole and Bounce Plate, withno glue or connectors.

Once a course has been built, it istime to find out whether the ball will rollas expected.

Built to encourage creativity andexperimentation, Keva planks build anearly understanding of proportion andbalance, teaching basic principles ofphysics and engineering.

The set includes 50 identical woodenplanks, one specially designedlightweight ball for maximum action andan 18-page idea book, with projectphotos and quick-start instructions.

GREEN BOARD GAMES 01494 538999

Joining the Flairportfolio this year isGeomag, with a hostof new brandextensions comingin the autumn.

Central to thebrand is Geomag Kids, a rangeof sets at different price points. Thesets feature traditional magnetic rodsand chrome spheres. The new rods arenow 58cm long and with piece countsof 22, 44, 66 and the 88-piece set.

Geomag Panels sets add triangularand square panels for more colour,depth and solidity to all constructions.New for autumn is the 114-piece setwith which larger 3D designs can bebuilt, while the Glow in the Dark setsinclude Scary and Space. Further 36and 74-piece Geomag Panels setsare also available, all of whichmix and match with theoriginal Geomag Kids setsfor constructors to collect.

GeomagWheels combines two

classic toy sectors, construction andvehicles. The hero line is the 100-pieceMonster Truck Twin Set, with twointerchangeable big-wheeled trucksthat can race and perform stunts on theramps provided. Once constructed,these vehicles are totally solid but havethe added bonus of being transposablefor truly customised action.Alternatively, the 62-piece Hot Rodssets and smaller Drag Racer and Sports

Car provide faster moving play. Geomag is fully supported with

TV advertising throughout theautumn along with attractivePOS options.

FLAIR 020 8643 0320

mic.o.mic is a collection ofplastic construction toys forchildren aged three and over.The textured parts areconnected by pins and clipsusing a unique assembly tool.

There is a wide variety ofbrightly coloured sets includingcars, motorbikes, trains andplanes, as well as two boat designswhich can float on water.

A feature of all mic.o.mic products isthat they can be disassembled at anytime, allowing the model to be created

over and over again. Each kit boxencourages children and parents to play

together and comes withparts to make one vehicle,

a construction tool and aset of instructions.Accessories such as

play mats and storage bags are

also available and there are nearly 30

different models rangingfrom the Small Plane to the BigBreakdown Crane.

DKL 01604 678 780


JAKKS_RealConstructionAd_ToyNews_August11.indd 1 20/07/2011 10:08


AUGUST 2011

Real Construction is designed to providechildren with the most authenticconstruction experience. Using Real-KidWood, kids can create a number ofbuilding projects which look as close tothe real thing as possible.

By using tools like a saw and ahammer, Real Construction aims to teachpractical, life-long skills, such as creativeproblem solving, craftsmanship andhand-eye coordination.

Real Construction Deluxe Workshophas over 120 pieces, the deluxe set is theultimate workshop and has everythingkids need to start up a builder’s

workshop. With eight projects to choosefrom, the set contains a saw, hammer,screwdriver, hole borer, small detail saw,nails, screws and multiple pieces ofReal-Kid Wood.

Real Construction also offers anassortment of refill packs and tools,from a tool belt to a mallet, screws andnails. There are no limits on how big theworkshop can grow.

The range is supported with a PRdrive and TV supported with 500 TVRs.The brand was also backed by TommyWalsh, the ex-Ground Force star, duringits launch last year.

JAKKS PACIFIC 01344 638900

2011 and beyond sees a boost forRevell’s hobby brands, with over 80 newreleases scheduled and a host of highprofile licences.

In the cars category, licensed F1 modelkits include the McLaren driven by LewisHamilton and Jenson Button, MichaelSchumacher’s Mercedes and FernandoAlonso’s Ferrari. Following close behindare road car models of the Citroen 2CVand super sports car Audi R8 Spyder.Revell also offers the London Icons Busand Taxi.

Revell’s airplane category features theRed Arrows this summer; the range ofeasykits for beginners includes theHawker Harrier jump jet, the Apachehelicopter and the Star Wars collection;

and modellers can boldly go with StarTrek’s Starship Enterprise.

Worldwide the most successful plasticmodel kit is the Titanic: over two millionreplicas have been sold to date.

Play and education are combined with Revell’s newer brands. TheLeonardo da Vinci collection introducesfour complex functional wooden modelsthis year. Based on his original sketches,there is the vitruvian man, theparachute, the printing press and thegiant crossbow. Meanwhile the humanand animal anatomies are explored withX-ray, a collection of snap-togethertransparent models.

New additions to the existing line-upinclude the Human Body and Skeleton.

REVELL 01442 890285

The Interstar range from Halilit hasbeen extended with the recent launchof four new themed sets, each ofwhich can be used separately or canbe mixed and matched as all theInterstar pieces interconnect. All thenew sets are suitable from the age ofthree. The informative colour themedpackaging, with each box containing aminimum of 30 pieces, clearly showsthe choice available: Animals, Bricks,Geometric Shapes and Wheels.

Babies from as young as six monthscan enjoy playing with the InterstarRings – vibrantly coloured tactile starshaped construction rings which aredesigned for small hands to connectand detach.

Halilit also distributes Brik-a-Blok, amodular construction toy systemwhich allows kids to build a playhouse, fort, castle or other play area,either indoors or outside and thenwhen they have finished playing, it iseasy to take apart and store.

Other construction toys distributed by Halilit include My SoftWorld with a choice of City, Farm orCastle; Mini Edublocks andEdublocks – soft flexible buildingblocks; Wood-Like Soft Blocks and BigWood-Like Edublocks, soft and safewood-like building blocks; GiantBlocks – giant soft foam buildingblocks and the 3D magneticconstruction toy, Magic Shapes.

HALILIT 01254 872454

Playmobil’s giant Empire Castle comeswith Lion Knights and fully functioningweapons and there’s also a FalconKnight’s Castle.

Children construct everything from thewalls to the trap doors and the fullyfunctioning portcullis to the weaponry.Once the castle is built, the flags areflying and the weapons ready, they canselect the armour for their knights todon and lead the charge.

Every element fits together and thedetailed visual instructions help makebuilding straightforward.

All of the smaller parts within theKnights Range have constructionelements too. There’s a TreasureTransporter with horses, knights, shieldsand weaponry, Battering Rams andCannons with firing mechanisms and aFiring Crossbow with an adjusting launch angle.

Whether children choose to championthe Lion or Falcon Knights, fromchoosing knight’s armour to puttingweapons together, building is involvedevery step of the way in the latest rangefrom Playmobil.

PLAYMOBIL 01268 548111

Le Toy Van’s Construction Set is a newvehicle play-set which joins existingvehicle sets such as the top-sellingLondon Car Set.

It includes a crane with swivelplatform and extending arm, asteamroller, a road digger, a dump truckand a high digger with rotatingarticulated arm and two traffic cones.Each vehicle is constructed using rubberwood from ethical sources and isfinished in a glossy yellow paint with LeToy Van branded livery. Wheels and otherdetails are made from sturdy plastic forincreased durability.

Great focus has been placed onmaximising play value, so the set canfully integrate with Le Toy Van’s existinggarage range and is particularly suitedto Le Toy Van’s popular car play mat,which features a detailed image of abuilding site.

Each set is packaged in a window boxto allow for convenient storage anddisplay and makes for an ideal gift idea;whether sold separately or as anaccompaniment to larger items in Le ToyVan’s range.

All Le Toy Van painted wooden toysare designed in the UK and ethicallymanufactured in Indonesia usingmaterials from responsible sources.

LE TOY VAN 020 8979 2036Zoob from Great Gizmos offers aversatile construction system withbrightly coloured plastic pieces thatsnap, click and pop together in 20different ways.

There is a wide selection of kits in theoriginal Zoob collection – ranging fromthe 15-piece starter kit to the stackable125 and 250-piece tubs, right throughto a 500-piece mega set that comes in alarge carry case which doubles as abuilding table.

There are many themed sets –choose from Zoob Dudes, Zoob Mobilesor Zoob Creator with brightly coloured,tactile foam shapes.

A new development in the world ofZoob is the addition of the Zoob-Botset. This model has instructions for kidsto build four different Zoob-Bots, butkids can use their creativity to inventlots more. The Zoob-Bot set includes 50Zoob pieces, a pull-back motor, four

wheels and a replaceable battery forthe light-up eyes.

With the new Zoob Mobile Fastbackset, kids can build a race car, then pull itback and watch it zoom across the floor.The pull-back motor propels the car upto 25-feet without batteries. TheFastback includes 20 Zoob pieces inspecial racing colours, one pull-backmotor (no batteries required) and fourwheels with tyres that are notched towork like gears.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221


24 TN119_final 14/6/11 11:04 Page 1

Mothercare sees UK sales dip

MOTHERCARE’S international armis continuing to outperform its UKbusiness, with like-for-like sales down4.3 per cent at home in the 15 weeksending July 9th.

Ian Peacock, chairman ofMothercare commented that thedomestic market remained “difficultand competitive.”

On the group’s UK retail strategy,he said: “Our property restructureand cost reduction programme areprogressing well. As announced inMay, we are targeting a moreprofitable portfolio of circa 266 UKstores by March 2013. The new storeformat trials have been well receivedby customers.”

Mothercare and Early LearningCentre stores are being relocatedfrom the High Street and into

combined premises in larger, out oftown retail parks and shoppingcentres (ToyNews, June).

Mothercare now boasts a portfolioof 1,289 stores across 55 countries,with ‘strong growth’ beingexperienced in Eastern Europe, AsiaPacific and Middle East territories.

Peacock continued: “We arefurther developing our newest

market, Latin America, and plan toopen stores in Chile for the first timelater this year.

“International sales grew by 15.2per cent on top of strongcomparatives of 20.3 per cent in thefirst quarter last year. During thequarter we opened our 900thoverseas store.”Mothercare: 01923 241000

A THEMED window display hasbeen unveiled at Hamleys for MindCandy’s Moshi Monsters.

The display marks the beginning ofa long-term retail partnershipbetween Moshi Monsters andHamleys. The retailer will stock thefull range from master toy partnerVivid and trading cards from Topps.

Hamleys will also offer in-storepromotions including floor andescalator vinyls. A gift-with-purchasepromotion is running: each MoshiMonsters item purchased will comewith a Golden Mini Ben Moshlingcharacter trading card, featuring anexclusive code that unlocks an itemwithin the game.

Hamleys will also set space asidefor a dedicated themed retail spacein-store, launching later this year.

Darran Garnham, head of globallicensing for Moshi Monsters,commented: “We are delighted topartner with one of the UK’s mostprestigious and internationallyrenowned toy stores.”Hamleys: 0871 704 1977

Retail OnlyDedicated monthly retail coverage

News • Data • Opinion

Now Moshi Monsters take over Hamleys

THE NUMBER of retail searchesbeing carried out on smart phonesand tablets has more than trebledfor the second quarter of 2011,new figures from the British RetailConsortium show.

In Q2, total retail search volumesgrew by 27 per cent compared withthe same quarter a year earlier –with the increase driven by a rise inmobile search volumes of 216 percent year on year.

“While the retail sector as awhole is going through a difficultperiod, the boom in online retailcontinues,” said Stephen Robertson,director general at BRC.“Consumers are always looking formore convenient ways to shop.”www.brc.org.uk

Mobile searchvolumes soar

What’s selling at WHSmith, TheEntertainer, Amazon, Play.com,Very.co.uk and John Lewis...

ChartsPage 55

Page 56New products

Stock levels and forward payments areworrying Counter Insurgent this month...

CommentPage 54

New offerings from MV Sports, ZapfCreation, Tomy, Mega Bloks andUniversity Games...

by Lewis Tyler

by Katie Roberts

Learning Curve’s ChuggerChampionship Deluxe play-set is thismonth’s Hero Product...

Hero ProductPage 57

But the firm enjoys overall growth thanks to a global sales increase of 15 per cent...

53 TN120 retail cover_final 21/07/2011 15:49 Page 1

AUGUST 2011

HIGHSTREET

COUNTERINSURGENT

54 RETAIL ONLY

WHEN WE arewatching ourbudgets andsales closelywe all try tokeep a handleon our stock

levels and forward payments. So you can imagine how

happy I am that the 50 per centof forward orders placed at arecent show have come in earlyby one month, three monthsand even five months. Lookingat my copy orders (that I alwayswrite out myself and write thedelivery instructions in at leasttwo places on the order), it isvery clear when the ordershould come in.

The excuses we all know:“didn’t see it on the order form”(nope – impossible on any orderI write out); “a new person inthe office” (I don’t care. Teachthem properly); and the bestone “we needed to meet ourquarter targets” (and bugger upme making my payments when

you want money then). Theseorders are very often booked inby using a carrier who has noidea what the order, number ofreference is, and its only whenyou look at the delivery note doyou find the problem.

The sensible and most costeffective way to handle this is tore-date the invoice, but as themessage never gets through tothe credit control department(or maybe they choose not tohear) we now require theinvoice to be credited and thenre-invoiced with a correctpayment date. This can, in somecases, mean re-issuing aninvoice two months later as thebuying group’s system is set upfor normal terms, either that orcollect the goods and redeliver.So far I’ve had five re-invoices,but not a single credit.

As for those who chose touplift, I have a pile of boxescausing aggro in the loadingbay and in two cases they mayas well just leave it now, as it is

due in next month anyway. Idon’t particularly want mywarehouse to phone me up tocheck on every delivery, I getenough of my time wasted byuseless phone calls as it is.

But the one that takes thebiscuit was a small companythat I’ve had a bombardment ofphone calls and emails fromtrying to sell a product that Ihave tried and can’t sell in the

past, slipped in some items onSOR for me to try. Sent with aninvoice (payable seven days)and a promise of a credit if ithasn’t sold within two months.

So a polite message to all mynice supplier friends – if youwant forward orders on thesystem, if you want us to putorders down to help with yourforecasting, then play the gameand follow the very simpleinstructions: don’t try and twistthe system and we will all getalong fine.

50 per cent of forward orders Iplaced at a show have come in

early by one month, threemonths and even five months.

Dispatches from the retail front line...

TWEETPICKSWe read retailer tweets so you don’t have to…

Follow ToyNews on Twitter - @toynewsonline

@Cuthberts_ToysOur July issue of Toy News just arrived, mighthave a little sit down and a read. (excuse fora rest)

@WoodenToyShopUK Today we're working on relating products. Asin if you're choosing this toy you may alsowish to consider this toy.

@Hobbycraft Our Leeds store is getting a makeover! Thestore will be closing at 5pm Sun 17th July &will reopen on Thurs 21st July!http://ht.ly/5Fgbs

@TouchWoodToys When the weather's like this, there's nothingwe like more than doing a good puzzle onthe living room floor. We've got lots tochoose from.

@knotjustjigsthawing out after a very damp day at the craftfair, back again tomorrow for more of thesame :(

@toysandinterior We are launching a new website sellingchildrens toys tinyurl.com/65abcba please'like' our facebook page & be the 1st to knowabout offers

@thetoyparade Had great fun yesterday sourcing someunusual products for a couple of customers.Any requests for unusual toys - just let usknow!!

@ROBROYTOY Hopefully I can tweet a bit more now thanksto Google don't forget to have a look at thesite & see you soon, Robin. http://www.rob-roy.co.uk

@wheniwasakid If you dont follow @mummymatters then youSHOULD. A genuinely honest, caring andthought provoking Mummy with a fab blog

@toystotreasureThe pocket money pound was very strongtoday in the shop - good to see the kids aresurviving the recession :)

@wheniwasakid customers are our world and we doeverything we can to make them happy butsome of them are just plain rude - politenesscosts nothing #sad

@toyshopukThink our next survey should focus on thecontinued rise of Mommy/Daddy Blogging inthe toy industry. Seems you either "get it" oryou don’t

@Moonflowershops Thank you Stroud for supporting us onIndependents' Day. @maryportas Defsomething to build on. #indieretail #bira#independentsday

@TheBeanstalk Only just got home. Lots of lovely new thingsarrived this afternoon but they took a lot ofsorting

54 TN120 High Street_final 22/07/2011 15:09 Page 1

AUGUST 2011

www.toynews-online.biz 55RETAIL ONLY

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WHSmith.co.uk

Lego Large Brick Box Lego

Peppa Personalised Playgroup Story Book Penwizard

Peppa Personalised Christmas Story Book Penwizard

Lego Star Wars Tri fighter Droid Lego

Lego Star Wars Brickmaster Lego

Toy Story 3 Space Ship 40-piece Puzzleball Ravensburger

Disney Princess 4 Puzzles in a box Ravensburger

London Routemaster Bus Corgi

Lego City Camper Lego

Lego City 4x4 & Horsebox Lego

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The Entertainer

VTech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera Pink VTech

Ben 10 Ultimate Alien 10cm Azmuth Bandai

Toy Story - Woody’s Horse Bullseye Vivid

Bakugan 7 In 1 Maxus Dragonoid Spin Master

Chuggington Interactive All Around Chuggington Set Learning Curve

Hello Kitty Scooter HTI

Lalaloopsy Sahara Mirage Doll MGA

Hexbug Nano Elevation Set Innovation First

10-Foot Genius Trampoline with SurroundSafe TP Toys

Belling Foldaway Kitchen HTI

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Original Rubik’s Cube Drumond Park

Bananagrams Game Winning Moves

Lego Harry Potter: The Forbidden Forest Lego

Top Trumps Moshi Monsters Winning Moves

Moshi Monsters Mash Up TC Starter Pack Binder Topps

Nerf N-Strike Clip System Dart Pack (36 Darts) Hasbro

Nerf N-Strike Maverick Hasbro

Peppa Pig Sit n Bounce Mookie

Crayola Gigantic 130 Page A4 Colouring Book Vivid

Aquadoodle Classic Drawing Toy Tomy

Top Trumps: Spongebob Squarepants 3D Winning Moves

Me To You Daisy Daisy Fleece Blanket Character World

Lego Star Wars: Rebel Trooper Battle Pack Lego

Weird Science Lab: The Bouncy Ball Factory Worldwide Co

Moshi Monsters: Moshling Blind Bags Vivid

Trixie Trunki Magmatic

Nerf: N-Strike Hasbro

Weird Science Lab: The Fart Experiment Worldwide Co

Crayola: Bouncing Butterflies Vivid

Science Museum Technorobot Great Gizmos

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Discovery Tree VTech

Anchors Away Sand and Water Table Little Tikes

First Steps Baby Walker VTech

Bounce n Spin Zebra, Pink Fisher-Price

Toy Story Lots-o-Huggin Bear Vivid

Neptune Swing Set Hedstrom

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe 30th Anniversary Edition, Pink MGA

Toy Story Talking Woody Mattel

14-inch Doctor Baby Doll Lissi

Crayola Twistables Case Vivid

Mini Micro T-Bar Scooter, Blue Micro Scooters

Super Miracle Bubbles Imperial Toy Corp

Mini Micro T-Bar Scooter, Pink Micro Scooters

Quadpod TP Toys

Maxi Micro Scooter, Black Micro Scooters

Nerf Super Soaker High Tide Hasbro

Maxi Micro Scooter, Purple Micro Scooters

Little Tikes Evergreen Country Cottage MGA

Lego Minifigures Series 4 Lego

Genius Octagonal SurroundSafe 12-foot Trampoline TP Toys

CHART DATE18/07/11

CHART DATE18/07/11

55 TN120 Retail Charts_final 21/07/2011 15:08 Page 1

56 RETAIL ONLY

AUGUST 2011

PART OF MV Sports’ Kickmasterrange, Boot It is an interactive,indoor football game designed tohelp players improve theirtiming and footwork byfollowing lights andcommands to ‘pass,dodge, run and shoottheir way to victory.’

Boot It has fourdifferent game modes. In CareerMode, players start from a trial andwork their way up to winning a cupfinal. In Team Play Mode, playerswork together to achieve a highscore, while in High Score modethe player has to try and score asmany goals as possible as the speedof the game increases. Finally, thereis Versus Mode, where two Boot Itgames can be linked togetherallowing players to compete againsteach other. The toy is pre-programmed with 120 commandsand commentaries to add longevity.

Launching this month, Boot Itwill be supported with a nationalTV ad campaign on key children’schannels in two blocks, withactivity ramping up towardsChristmas. On top of this, twointeractive websites atKickmaster.co.uk and Bootit.co.ukwill also be launched.

In addition, MV Sports has plansto expand the Boot It concept withmore interactive football productsnext year.MV Sports: 0121 748 8000

MV Sports to kick-off BootIt with August campaign

ZAPF IS ADDING Patchy Dolly toits portfolio of doll toys. Children canalter the doll’s facial expressionsusing interchangeable mouthand eye pieces. Her dress canbe customised too, withVelcro fixtures for changingthe doll’s outfits.

Suitable for children agedone and above, all of thepieces are brightly colouredand designed to be easy forsmall hands to use.

Marian Davis, marketingmanager at Zapf Creation,said: “We are really excitedabout this latest addition to ourportfolio. Patchy Dolly is theperfect playmate to help inspire theimagination of pre-school children.The colourful facial pieces areperfectly sized for little hands andwill help children to create lots ofquirky and funny expressions.”

Patchy Dolly will be supported by aheavyweight marketing programme,which includes TV advertising, PRand social media.Zapf Creation: 0845 0533 333

Zapf expands its rangewith Patchy Dolly

MEGA BLOKS will enter thepuzzle market with a new conceptcalled Breakthrough.

Bringing a twist to puzzlemaking, children can see theirfavourite characters as if theywere coming to life.

Mega Bloks has structuredBreakthrough into three difficultylevels. Level 1 has approximately100 pieces and is aimed atchildren aged six and up.Licences include Spider-man,Marvel Heroes, Princess Heart andSpongebob Square Pants.

Level 2 has over 250 pieces with amoderate difficulty aimed forchildren aged eight and up. Licencesinclude Cars 2, Mickey Mouse,Minnie Mouse, Dolphins, Hot AirBalloons, Disney Princess, Flowers &Butterflies and Tigers.

Level 3 has over 300 pieces and isaimed at advanced puzzlers andchildren aged 12+.

Licences include moredetailed Spider-man scenes. All areavailable from September/October.

First, the two-dimensional jigsawpuzzle background must be puttogether. The next step is creatingthe 3D image. Kids use specially-designed clips to construct thecardboard pieces into 3Dcomponents, creating images that fitonto the overall puzzle artwork,creating the breakthrough effect.Mega Brands: 01844 3450033

Mega’s 3D puzzle Breakthrough

THE GX BUGGY has risen to cultstatus in Japan, where fans have beenshowcasing what the mini R/C stuntcar can do on YouTube.

Reaching a top speed of 22 Km/h,that means if the GX Buggy was thesize of a normal car, it would go 770Km/h. Weighing 42 grams, it’scontrolled by a 2.4ghz frequencyradio signal. Up to ten of the cars canbe raced against each other.

The GX Buggy can perform backflips, soldier flips and is able tolaunch itself up to 85cm into the air.Tomy: 020 8722 7300

Tomy’s GX Buggyready for launch

UNIVERSITY GAMES isdistributing 5 Second Rule, a newboard game which tests generalknowledge under time pressure.

When the timer starts, playershave five seconds to name threeanswers within a specific category.A twisted timer makes the timeseem like it’s running out fasterthan it actually is. Players alsohave the opportunity to skip theirquestion or try to out play theiropponents by using Switch andPass On cards. The game issuitable for ages eight and up.

5 Second Rule won a Best NewToy award in thegames category atLondon Toy Fair.UniversityGames: 01359243900

University Gamesintroduces 5 SecondRule to the UK

PRODUCTNEWS

56 TN120 product news_final 21/07/2011 16:30 Page 1

AUGUST 2011

LEARNING CURVE is expanding itsChuggington die-cast range with the kid-poweredChugger Championship Deluxe Play-set.

The champion racing set sees the ‘chuggers’battling it out to win the Chuggington Trophy.Powered by hand, this expansive set sees the die-cast Koko and Harrison engines pitted against

each other in a race to see who will be crownedChugger Champion.

The actions of each engine can be changed asthey race. The first trainee to shoot through thefinish line makes the trophy pop up to show thewinning engine. The set includes exclusivelydecorated Harrison and Koko character engines,track and destinations.

The set is built for speed with over four foot oftrack, flags and special racing destinations. The

engines are started by pressing down thestarting gate, and once they are

released they whiz past Vee

into the crank-powered tunnel launcher. Theythen go through the Saw Mill and out onto thespecially designed banking track. Vee’s switchgate keeps track of each lap until the winnershoots through the trophy tunnel and out to thefuel depot. One or more engines can be racedaround the track.

The set is part of a suite of ChuggerChampionship products inspired by Ludorum’spre-school show. The Chugger ChampionshipSeries 4-Car Pack contains specially decorated

Wilson, Brewster, Chatsworth and PufferPeter engines. The entire range places

its emphasis on collectability andrecognisable characters.

Both products will besupported by autumn/winterTVRs and an extensive PRcampaign targetingchildren’s, parenting,regional and online press,including mummy anddaddy bloggers.

www.toynews-online.biz 57HERO PRODUCT

Learning CurveChugger Championship Deluxe Play-setThe firm's Chuggington pre-school toy collectiongets a boost with the arrival of a new play-set...

Release date:August CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: 01392 281900

57 TN120 Hero Product_final 21/07/2011 16:44 Page 1

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:

MILLHOUSE SUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER01526 351919

THUMBS UP designs, develops and

distributes innovative gifts, gadgets

and toys on the market. The R&D

team has a ‘no limits’ approach to

product development and prides

itself on its imagination, creativity

and sheer unwillingness to accept

the norm. The team travels the

world for inspiration and ideas, and

is always thinking about current

trends and that all-important next

big seller.

Established in 2004, Thumbs Up

has developed a reputation for

selling high quality novelty gifts and

gadgets. Readers may recognise

many of Thumbs Up’s best selling

products including Sudoku Loo Roll,

the Emergency Phone Charger and

the Remote Control Gyro Helicopter.

Thumbs Up currently has 310

products in distribution across

categories such as gifts and

gadgets, home and lifestyle, toys,

electronics and accessories, with

more fresh items coming to market

in time for Christmas. The new

range will launch at this year’s

Autumn Fair International trade

show. Product highlights include

the R/C Solar Car, the Emoticon

Balls, the 8 Bit Cubes, the Roller

Wheel and the Pinball Master.

Wojtek Kolan, business

development director, Thumbs Up,

said: “Our initial 2011 range has

already proven a great success but

we’re every bit as excited with the

new range that will be ready just in

time for Christmas.”

He continued: “The Autumn Fair

is the last chance retailers will have

to see our new products and

historically it has always been a

very successful show for us,

especially amongst the e-tailers and

fast decision making businesses.”

Thumbs Up is also proud to have

launched a trade ‘iPhone App’. This

is testament to the company’s

commitment to providing its

business partners with simple,

modern service solutions.

Thumbs Up will be at stand

5C20-D21 at Autumn Fair

International, 2011, NEC,

Birmingham, September 4th -7th.

For further details, call:

0845 466 8880

www.thumbsupuk.com

THUMBS UPSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER0845 466 8880

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

Plastics for Games 01728 745 300

The Puppet Company 01462 446 040

Revell 01442 250 130

Thumbs Up 0845 466 8880

Wow Toys 020 7471 0980

� Toy Suppliers

Cartamundi 01268 511 522

Richard Edward 0208 311 8888

MILLHOUSE has been designingand manufacturing children’stoys and furniture in the UK forthe past 30 years. In that timethe firm has primarily suppliedto the education market – itshigh quality products havingmade the company a top choicefor schools and nurseries acrossthe UK.

Utilising this extensiveknowledge and expertise,Millhouse has developed its firstretail range, and in doing so,picked up 13 toy industry awardsin its first year of trying.Accolades included the Right

Start Best Overall Toy in theunder threes category for theZoomster ride-on.

The company prides itself onthe use of quality materials,solid construction methods, acommitment to sustainability,and the design of safe,innovative products withtimeless appeal. Millhouse is amember of the BTHA and FIRAand, last year, the firm receivedfull membership of FISP(Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme).

Millhouse is currently workingon its new autumn/winter 2011

retail collection which will launchlater this year. For moreinformation visitwww.millhouseathome.co.uk.

“We are keen to speak anddevelop lasting relationshipswith buyers, agents, retailersand distributors throughout the

UK and abroad,” said MattBrown, managing director of thecompany.

www.millhouseathome.co.ukwww.millhouse-md.co.uk

Tel: 01526 351 919Trade enquiries:[email protected] Press enquiries:[email protected]

Millhouse ManufacturingDesign Ltd, Roughton Road,Kirkby on Bain, Woodhall Spa,Lincolnshire, LN10 6YL

58 TN120 Marketplace Cover_final 21/07/2011 14:01 Page 1

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


� Suppliers/Manufacturers� Character Costumes & P.O.S.


59-63 TN120 Marketplace_final 21/07/2011 16:28 Page 1

Marketplace


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64 TOY TALK

TOYTALKAn industry legend is honoured and the trade gathers in Milton Keynes for Argos’ annual Toy Extravaganza...

AUGUST 2011

MOST OF US have made mistakes in ourbusiness and private lives that we havelater come to regret. For me it was allowinga tough negotiating Isaac Larian to beat medown on price for exhibition space at myNew York media show to feature Bratz thatgave him the upper hand in futurenegotiations. But that pales intoinsignificance when you consider whathappened to Sir Torquil Norman, the ex-owner of Bluebird Toys who once bought aType 57 Bugatti for £500 and sold it for£2,500. Much to his surprise, he recentlydiscovered a similar one was sold at auctionfor £17m. Now that’s a really mind bogglingfaux pas that you would kick yourself formaking for the rest of your life.

On a more serious note, nearly a monthafter Mattel said it had taken steps to avoidusing packaging that contributes todeforestation, Greenpeace renewed itscampaign to pressure the firm. DespiteMattel’s concessions, Greenpeace says thecompany has yet to “take concrete action tosolve this problem”.

In June, Greenpeace accused Mattel ofpackaging its toys with paper productsderived from trees in the Indonesian rainforest. To draw attention to their cause,Greenpeace activists last month unfurled agiant banner on the toymaker’sheadquarters in El Segundo to highlight thefirm’s environmental practices. Mattel hadresponded by announcing it launched aninvestigation into the allegations in additionto working to create a company policy toavoid deforestation.

Mattel is not alone in being criticised.Hasbro, Lego and Disney are also wrappingtoys in paper products coming fromIndonesian rain forests. The first of thesetoy companies to announce moresubstantive action is Lego.

Greenpeace might be a bit of a nuisancebut you can't help admire their dedicationto the cause.

JonSALISBURYObservations froma toy industrysurvivor....

Here’s Flair CEO Peter Brown accepting his LifetimeAchievement Award at the BTHA’s Industry Day lastmonth. “Peter Brown is a very worthy recipient ofthis Lifetime Achievement Award,” said the newpresident of the BTHA, Clive Jones. “He has been thedriving force behind the creation of more than onesuccessful and lasting toy business and has servedthe British Toy & Hobby Association with distinctionover the past 22 years.”

Andrew KaySales Manager, Gear 4 Games

What was your first job in the toyindustry?This is my first post which I joinedin 2007. Prior to this I was in thefinance sector working overseas inthe Isle of Man.

What do you love most aboutworking in the industry?It’s very serious in its own waybut manages to have a real funelement. I personally still believeno matter how old you getcertain toys will still draw a smileand bring that kid in you, backout to play.

What would you do if you weren’tin your current role?Be involved in another sales rolewith some form of seniormanager capacity.

What does your average workingday consist of?My day to day role is tomanage/analyse and understandkey business drivers, developstrategies and deliver operationalsuccess aligned to growing bothtop and bottom line financialreturn for the company.

What’s the best bit aboutyour role?Seeing projects through from startto finish, seeing that deal throughto a successful completion.

And the worst?When the recession took hold ofsome companies. Seeing themsuffer or even go out of businessdespite all efforts to try seeingthem through this tough period.

Use three words to describeyourself. Confident, assertive, astute.

Tell us a funny story from yourtoy industry career.At London Toy Fair in 2009 acontractor was running late towear our Churchill mascotcostume, so I jumped into thehuge heavy suit and did a walkround the hall. I was having achat with some of our staff, whenour MD Andy Oddie snuck upbehind me and knocked me ontomy back. Due to the size andshape of the costume I couldn’tget upright. The head piece waspulled off, and a few pics weresnapped before I was rolleddown the aisle.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH IN ASSOCIATION WITH

AURORA NAMESCHARITY OF THE YEAR

Plush specialist Aurora World has namedNaomi House Children’s Hospice in Hampshireas its charity of the year for 2011/2012.

Aurora World has already held a fun day atthe hospice, with children getting the chance tomeet the Yoohoo & Friends characters. It is thefirst time the company has had a charity of theyear, and it is planning more fundraising activityincluding challenge events, static bike ridesand an It’s A Knockout competition.

64,65 TN120 ToyTalk_final 21/07/2011 15:04 Page 1

MyFavouriteThings

Ben Hogg,Marketing Executive,Esdevium Games

Number one album: Bobby Long, A Winter Tale

Film: The Departed

Website: Play.com

Hero: David Beckham

Book: Ben Elton, Chart Throb

TV programme: Take Me Out

Magazine: FHM

Holiday: Florida

Pet: My Old English Sheepdog, Buster

Game/toy: Pokémon

Tipple: Single Malt Whiskey

Way to spend a weekend: Watching a football match

AUGUST 2011

65TOY TALK

OVER THE LIMIT? US?A wide selection of toy companiesattended Argos’ annual ToysExtravaganza at Horwood Housein Milton Keynes last month.

This year’s theme sawrepresentatives from firmsincluding Bandai, Tomy, CartoonNetwork, Vivid, Ravensburger,Flair, BBC Worldwide, MV Sports,Jakks Pacific and ToyNews toname a few, take part in a SoapBox Derby.

Once the cars were built,teams took part in various eventsincluding a Ladies Drag Race anda Speed Slalom. Ravensburgertriumphed in first place, followedby Flair and Vivid. And,amazingly, there were no injuries,despite more than a littledrinking and driving…

Piece of advice: It’s nice to be important, but it’smore important to be nice.

Number one single when you were born:

T’Pau, China in Your Hand

Food: Homemade Chilli Con Carne followed by Häagen-Dazs

64,65 TN120 ToyTalk_final 21/07/2011 15:05 Page 2

66 FEATURE PLANNER

OCTOBER 2011

AUGUST 2011

Got an event you would like to see added to the calendar? Email [email protected]

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

© Intent Media 2011 No part of this publicationmay be reproduced in any form or by any meanswithout prior permission of the copyright owners.ISSN: 1740-3308

Intent Media is a member of the PeriodicalPublishers Associations

www.toynews-online.biz ToyNews is published 12 times a year byIntent Media ~ Saxon House, 6a St.Andrew Street, Hertford, HertfordshireSG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648 AUDITED CIRCULATION

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

SUBSCRIPTIONSUK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90The international cost applies persubscription and covers airmail dispatchof 12 issues

To order your subscription via Visa,MasterCard, Amex Switch or Deltacontact [email protected] call 01580 883 848. Alternatively visitour website www.toynews-online.biz

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Circulation &Subscriptions

THE LICENSING AWARDSSeptember 13thGrosvenor House Hotelwww.thelicensingawards.co.uk

AUTUMN FAIRSeptember 4th - 7thNEC Birminghamwww.autumnfair.com

KIND UND JUGENDSeptember 15th - 18thKoelnmesse, Colognewww.kindundjugend.com

DALLAS FALL TOY PREVIEWOctober 4th to 6th Dallas Market Centre, Texaswww.toyassociation.org

BRAND LICENSING EUROPEOctober 18th - 20thGrand Hall, Olympia, Londonwww.brandlicensing.eu

CHINA TOY EXPOOctober 12th - 14thShanghai New Int. Expo Centerwww.china-toy-expo.com

TOYZERIANovember 24th - 27thIstanbul World Trade Centrewww.toyzeria.com

HONG KONG TOYS AND GAMES FAIRJanuary 9th - 12th 2012Hong Kong Convention and ExhibitionCentre www.hktdc.com

Editorial deadline: August 24thAdvertising deadline: September 7th

Brand Licensing Issue (extra circulation)

Wooden Toys

Electronic Toys and TV Games

Children’s TVThe entire ToyNews team will be at Brand LicensingEurope to bring you the best coverage from the event.

We’ll re-visit electronic toys to check out the latestinnovations, and take a look at the wooden toys sector.

We’ll also provide a full breakdown of the keychildren’s TV channels and programming blocks.

Free App available now from iTunes

Up-to-the minute news direct to your iPhone

Search for Toy News on the AppStore or use your QR scanner >

Sponsored by

66 TN120 Feature Planner_final 21/07/2011 15:01 Page 1

75 TN119_final 22/07/2011 13:47 Page 1

toynews issue 120 august 2011

Documents

thepresence of toys

toys forchristmas

toptoy movies dont

news23 london

toynews circulation

plush41 sector guide

greenpeace29 sector

toy industrys responseissue