Mattel names Ruth Henriquez Head of Consumer Products for EMEA

Mattel has announced the appointment of marketing veteran Ruth Henriquez as Head of Consumer Products for the EMEA region. In this role, Henriquez will oversee the entire consumer products portfolio across all Mattel IP brands, as well as further integration of the CP division into franchise marketing.

Henriquez has had a successful decade at Mattel EMEA with expert knowledge across the company’s portfolio, having worked on every Mattel brand both at local and regional level.

She joined the Mattel finance department in 2011 before moving into marketing and heading up marketing teams in both Italy and the Iberia region, where she successfully accelerated the business in both her appointments. In her most recent role, where she relocated to the UK, she was Marketing Director for EMEA Infant and Preschool Brands including Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends and Fireman Sam.

Roz Nowicki, Head of Global Consumer Products and Franchise Marketing, says: “We are delighted to appoint Ruth in this role with her wealth of experience in the European market. Together with her team, she will focus on accelerating growth and amplifying the value of the Mattel brands through engaging Consumer Products programmes.”

In the last financial reporting, Mattel EMEA was the fastest-growing region for the corporation. For the quarter, Gross Billings increased 18% with POS up Mid-Single Digits, and for the full year, Gross Billings gained 20% with POS up Low Double Digits.

 

 

Rubies extends Fireman Sam license

Costume manufacturer Rubies has announced the continuation of its successful partnership with leading global toy company, Mattel, Inc., as they announce the extension of the Fireman Sam license.

The new deal signifies the strong relationship built over the years between Rubies and Mattel, as they look to expand their dress-up portfolio across EMEA.

With over 30 years of legacy, the Fireman Sam brand holds a special place in the hearts of millions of children and adults across the globe, with the series airing in over 100 countries. Rubies will continue to manufacture and distribute its current styles along with the addition of exciting new designs to the range for 2022.

Tracey Devine-Tyley, Head of Portfolio and Licensing at Rubies, says: “Our partnership with Mattel and its subsidiaries, responsible for the creation and continued success of the Fireman Sam brand over the years, is set to grow exponentially following this extension. The Rescue Team have been educating young children for over 30 years on the importance of teamwork and safety and we are proud of the values it upholds as they align with our own company morals which we wish to share and impart on our youngest audience, children.

“We are happy to be able to continue to provide youngsters with dress-up that encourages them to act in the heroic and ambitious way that the rescue team of Pontypandy do. Part of our company mission is to inspire children to be the best they can be with our costumes and therefore we are delighted to be able to continue doing this.”

Helen Genia, Head of UK Licensing and Hardlines EMEA Mattel Consumer Products adds: “Fireman Sam is an important piece of British pop culture and a much-loved character across toys, books, fashion, nightwear and dress-up. We are thrilled to expand the license with Rubies to offer children more role-play opportunities and bring to life the characters and world of Pontypandy through fantastic new dress up looks, allowing children to play out heroic adventures.”

Fireman Sam content has over 9.36bn global views to date on the official YouTube Channel and it is a top 5 preschool character brand in Europe, with 360 integration, including toy, consumer products, live events, and publishing.

The Fireman Sam show is produced by Mattel Television and WildBrain and distributed by WildBrain, and is available to watch in the UK on Cartoonito, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Milkshake (Channel 5) and Virgin Media, as well as networks across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The official Fireman Sam costumes are available to order from Rubiesuk.com or from online stores including Amazon.