Tag Archives: EPOCH making toys

LEGO enters Hundred Acre Wood with latest Ideas launch, LEGO Winnie the Pooh

Posted on by

The LEGO Group is taking a nostalgic walk through Hundred Acre Wood with the launch of its latest LEGO Ideas project, LEGO Winnie the Pooh, a set based on the original designs from LEGO builder Ben Adler.

Taking inspiration from the tales of A.A. Milne’s adventures of Christopher Robin that have transported readers for almost a century, the new LEGO Winnie the Pooh launch will take fans on a journey to beneath a large oak tree, where Pooh’s house takes centre stage.

The house can be opened up to unveil a host of furniture and unique items such as the Pooh-coo Clock, a box of Pooh sticks, Tigger’s locket, and plenty of honey pots.

LEGO superfan Ben Alder originally submitted the concept to LEGO Ideas; a LEGO initiative that takes new ideas that have been imagined and voted for by fans and turns them into reality.

Discussing the design, Alder said: “I love Winnie the Pooh and remember my parents reading it to me as a child. I now read the same Winnie the Pooh stories to my children, so it is certainly something dear to my heart. I decided to make the set so that my children could bring to life our bedtime stories but never quite expected the positive reaction it has received.”

The new set includes five new moulded characters, each with their own accessories. Pooh himself has his red balloon to collect honey from the bees in the branches above, Piglet is wrapped up in his scarf, and Tigger has just moved to the woods with his sack on a stick. Meanwhile, Rabbit has carrots ready for snacking, and Eeyore comes complete with his tail and a removable ribbon.

Other notable inclusions to the set include a campfire and log for Pooh to think about the things that he discovers, his front door complete with “Mr. Sanders” sign above it, his adorable blue bell to ring the front door, and finally, a signpost to the Hundred Acre Wood to make sure Pooh finds his way home.

Federico Begher, VP of global marketing at The LEGO Group, said: “Winnie the Pooh is a 95-year-old story that is loved globally, so seeing Ben’s design sparked a lot of nostalgia for us all.  Plus, his personal story about how he created the set for his family to play out the lovely Winnie the Pooh stories using LEGO bricks felt like a beautiful combination of family, LEGO bricks, and Winnie the Pooh that we wanted to share with others.

“We also had the rare treat of being able to create all new characters for this LEGO Ideas set. We simply had to see how the line-up of Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Piglet would look like in mini figure shape. As well as creating a brand-new Eeyore figure.

“The stories of the Hundred Acre Wood come to life with this set and there are plenty of intricate details for fans of both Disney and LEGO to discover.”

The LEGO Ideas Winnie the Pooh set is available directly from LEGO Stores and LEGO.com from 18th March, 2021 for LEGO VIP members, and 1st April 2021 for all.

EPOCH making toys: “2021 is a year of huge potential for our Super Mario Games”

Posted on by

EPOCH making toys has earmarked 2021 as a ‘year of huge potential’ for Super Mario Games, as the international toy firm prepares to bolster a range of official Nintendo licensed products launched to UK retail this autumn/winter.

Its current portfolio, comprising the Super Mario Balancing Game that challenges players to balance Mario characters on a swaying stage, the Super Mario Blow Up Shaky Tower, that sees characters attempt to scale a tower, and the Super Mario Piranha Plant Escape, a plant dodging board game, has been launched to a ‘resounding success.’

The toy firm will now expand the reach of the initial launch portfolio as well as grow the range through autumn/winter 2021 in the lead up to next Christmas.

“We see 2021 as a year of huge potential for Super Mario Games,” Kim Nicholls, brand manager at EPOCH making toys, told Licensing.biz. “We’ll have more product in the market and be able to support the range with a multimedia marketing plan.”

Nicholls’ plans follow what she has dubbed a ‘hugely positive response’ to the launch of the initial line of games this year.

“We don’t see the momentum slowing down in 2021, especially with the ramp up to the feature film in 2022,” she added.

2020 has marked a year of high activity for Nintendo’s Super Mario brand that – sharing its 35th anniversary year with Epoch’s own Sylvanian Families – has found itself the focus of a brand re-invigoration within the toy space, that includes a major new partnership with LEGO and licensed ranges from Hasbro.

“The appetite for the Super Mario license is immense in the UK at the moment and as a company we are proud to launch an exciting range of games for such a beloved brand,” continued Nicholls.

“Epoch Head Office has a long-standing relationship with Nintendo that we are thrilled to be bringing to the UK.

“Our Super Mario Games truly offer something for everyone. The variety of gameplay styles within the range vary from solo to group play, balancing challenges to more traditional board game play. The Link System also allows for the games to be played together, which offers players a new experience each time.

“We think Super Mario fans will be wowed by the attention to detail in our game figures, which have huge collectability.”

As the company prepares to extend the portfolio through the coming year, EPOCH making toys has also teased a new addition to the popular Aquabeads line up.

“Not only is the Super Mario Games range an exciting new endeavour for Epoch Making Toys, but fans of Super Mario should also keep their eyes peeled for an exciting launch with Aquabeads later in 2021,” Nicholls concluded.