Tag Archives: toys

Just Play launches Early Learning Centre development platform on its Amazon Brand store

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The award-winning UK preschool brand, Early Learning Centre is embarking on a new initiative for the US market with the launch of a raft of new products and concepts exclusively through its Amazon brand store.

The project is being overseen by the brand’s US distributor and licensor, Just Play and will see new initiatives offering developmental content and experiences for families with children launch to the new Learning Activity Centre, part of Early Learning Centre’s Amazon brand store.

The platform will feature extensive resources for parents looking to support their child’s learning an development, including award-winning products, engaging curriculum-driven activities, and expert advice.

To design the Learning Activity Centre, Just Play has worked with specialists to produce a selection of activities that supplement children’s learning across core categories such as physical development, mathematics, personal, social, and emotional development, and communication, language, and literacy. The portal will feature development icons that will help parents navigate and choose products that best support their child.

The platform will draw on Early Learning Centre’s 50 year heritage in creating innovative preschool toys. The Early Learning Centre line, presented by Just Play on Amazon, has been designed to celebrate and expand that heritage with learning toys that tap into key developmental stages.

“Children are at the heart of everything we do,” said David Martin, CEO of Early Learning Centre. “Using our ‘knowledge of developmental play,’ we thoughtfully design unique and timeless preschool toys for all ages and stages that can be passed down from generation to generation.”

Geoffrey Greenberg, co-president of Just Play, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Early Learning Centre on the creation of the Learning Activity Centre on Amazon, which we expect will be a valuable tool for parents and caregivers as they search for products and activities that are the best fit for their children.”

Just Play aims to unveil an Ambassador Program this fall to coincide with the launch of several new Early Learning Centre preschool toys that encourage playful exploration of skills including counting, spelling and color recognition for children from 18 months to 5 years old.

Mattel partners with contemporary artist and activist Shepard Fairey to launch environmentally focused UNO

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Mattel has partnered up with the renowned contemporary artist, activist, and illustrator, Shepard Fairey for the release of a new UNO deck made with sustainable materials and themed around the artist’s environmental activism.

The new deck has been designed by both Fairey and the UNO team at the artist’s LA studio, Studio Number One and features new, original environmentally-themed art in Fairey’s iconic graphic style and design elements. These elements include a consistent illustration style and colour palette to mirror the artist’s signature style.

The latest in Mattel’s UNO Artiste Series, the new launch – housed on Mattel Creations – joins a line up of previous artists to have featured in the UNO series, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Nina Chanel Abney.

Shepard Fairey’s collaboration with Mattel sees the toymaker deliver an UNO deck made entirely with sustainable materials, including recyclable cards, a paper belly band around the cards, wood-free paper for the instruction sheet and the removal of all cellophane wrapping.

This special deck follows an earlier launch of UNO Nothin’ But Paper, recognised as the first fully recyclable UNO deck that did away with its cellophane packaging materials as part of the brand’s plan to remove the cellophane from 100 per cent of standard, paper-based decks in 2021. This is also in line with Mattel’s goal to achieve 100 per cent recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic materials across its products and packaging by 2030.

To take the partnership to the next level, Mattel is also making a donation on behalf of Fairey to Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the oceans through federal and state legislation, in support of his initiatives.

Barbie, Jurassic World, and Masters of the Universe help drive Mattel Q2 2021 sales to $1.03bn

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The global toy maker, Mattel has seen its Q2 2021 net sales increase 40 per cent on last year, with particular success across EMEA where the firm’s growth has exceeded the industry by 11 percentage points.

Mattel bosses have billed it ‘another exceptional quarter’ having witnessed ‘outstanding consumer demand for products,’ driving its net sales for the quarter to $1.03 billion. It’s according to the latest NPD figures that Matte’s point of sale growth outpaced the industry, with ‘strong consumer demand across the portfolio.’

Across the EMEA region, the toy maker was up 54 per cent, with POS increasing double digits.

“We believe we are in the strongest position we have been in many years to improve profitability and accelerate topline growth,” said Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel. “This is an exciting time for Mattel.”

The firm’s CEO stated that the company’s performance over the quarter is now adding momentum to its transformation strategy, establishing Mattel as an “IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”

Net sales for the firm for the first six months of the year are now up 43 per cent. Gross Billings in its North America segment increased 30 per cent, driven by growth in Vehicles, including Hot Wheels, Cars, and Matchbox; Dolls including Barbie, Spirit, and Polly Pocket; Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other, including Jurassic World, Masters of the Universe, WWE, and MEGA.

Its Infant, Toddler, and Preschool segment, including Fisher-Price and Thomas and Friends also performed well.

Meanwhile, net sales in the international segment increased 57 per cent, while across EMEA, Mattel outpaced the industry in the first half of 2021, growing two times faster than the industry total.

According to NPD, in Q2 alone, Mattel was up five per cent while the industry declined.

International sales have been driven by growth across Mattel’s Dolls, Vehicles, Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other, as well as Infant, Toddler, and Preschool.

Worldwide Gross Billings for Dolls were $395 million, up 51 per cent versus the prior year’s second quarter, while worldwide Gross Billings for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool were $229 million, up 15 per cent on last year. This was primarily driven by Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends.

Worldwide Gross Billings for Vehicles were $266 million, up 68 per cent and driven by Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Cars, while worldwide Gorss Billings for Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other were $258 million, up 32 per cent. This was driven primarily by growth in Jurassic World, Masters of the Universe, WWE, and MEGA. It was partially off-set by Games, including UNO.

Amid the second quarter success for the toy maker, however, Mattel has been making headlines this week as bosses at the global company indicate towards upcoming price increases, following a rise in costs of raw materials and the ongoing issues around shipping and the current ‘sky-high’ prices of containers.

“We will be looking at increasing prices in the second half of [the] year,” Mattel’s chief executive Ynon Kreiz told the BBC.

“We haven’t broken out [which products will be affected], but this is in response to some of the inflationary pressures. We’re not the only ones who did it, in our industry everyone did – and no-one is surprised by [price increases].”

Mattel encountered supply chain issues due to problems with shipping but had got around the worst of them due to the scale of the business.

“We were able to leverage our size and partnerships that we have with our vendors and retail partners and mitigate some of these issues, so we did not have any impact on our business in the second quarter,” he said.

The London Toy Company launches its first TfL train sets all made from recyclable plastics

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The London Toy Company has lifted the lid on its venture into new toy categories this year, with the launch of its Transport for London licensed train set and trains, all made from recyclable plastic.

The new launch marks the first time that The London Toy Company has entered the plastic toys market, having made a name for itself in the plush sector, working with a wealth of reputable licensing partners, including TfL.

Following a two year period of product development, the curtain has been drawn to reveal the firm’s new London Underground Electric Train Set (£39.99), which includes a track and tunnels made from cardboard that can be constructed at home. Having worked closely with TfL engineers, the track presents an authentic shape and feel to a London Tube station, and features an included sound module, reminding fans to ‘Mind The Gap’.

The new line-up also includes a standalone entry level model of the newest S Stock trains on the system, priced at £7.99.

“It’s all very exciting for us to be expanding on our ever-successful Underground soft toy range with a raft of new products for all ages and budgets,” Joel Berkowitz, founder and director of The London Toy Company, told Licensing.biz.

“Although our soul lies in soft toys, we had fantastic opportunities to expand into the plastic/hardlines category with our licensors. The price point for our new products will fit well into the pocket money category which was a key area we have been wanting to access.”

Early reaction to the toy line has been extremely positive, Berkowitz has revealed, with clients already telling the team that its new Underground Train Set ‘will be the star of the show this Christmas. Many have also championed the company’s decision to use recyclable materials in the production of its new range.

“We have committed to offsetting our carbon footprint and that’s why we have taken the decision to ensure all of our new plastic toys are made from recyclable materials, and are also recyclable themselves,” said Berkowitz.

“TfL is all about encouraging a greener lifestyle and what better way to emphasise this with sustainably manufactured toys that capture the brands’ identity and values.”

Already on board to stock the range this season are the likes of Very.co.uk. Amazon, and IWOOT, while Berkowitz is filled with surety that the range “will fly” at wider retail.

The company has since teased numerous developments across other key brands within the portfolio and strong performances with Harry Potter and JCB.

“We are also working directly on projects with a number of clients such as Boeing, The Tank Museum, Merseyrail, Goodwood, RAF, Steven Brown Art and other on some incredible new toys,” said Berkowitz.

“Over the last year and a half, I have experienced the roller coaster of extreme pessimism, and extreme optimism.. Collapsed tunnels, yet also tunnels with the brightest light at the end. What I can say is that we have emerged from Covid in ways I had never imagined.

“Silver lining really are a thing. Stay focussed, stay passionate, and do the things you don’t always want to do… and and have fun.”

 

Crayola and OceanX | “We’re encouraging partnerships to have a profound impact on supporting our planet”

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The global non-profit ocean exploration organisation, OceanX has expressed its hope that its new partnership with the children’s arts and crafts brand, Crayola, will inspire more collaboration between brands and conservation groups.

The pair joined forces earlier this month to launch a new range of crafts kits to the US market, each designed to educate and inspire the next generation of ocean explorers and conservationists by blending hands-on creativity with a digital experience.

Titled The Crayola Experience Home Adventure Ocean Edition, the kits aim to ‘bring the wonder of the sea into homes across the US,’ by guiding children through a learning experience spanning the five layers of the ocean. Crayon characters will take them on their journey as they create a series of crafts inspired by sea creatures.

The education experience will also engage kids with its interactive video content, featuring nine activities including a drawing tutorial led by a Crayola designer.

Mark Dalio, founder and creative director at OceanX, told Licensing.biz that the hope is the partnership between the two will “encourage other companies and organisations to think about how they can creatively collaborate” to “have a profound impact on supporting our planet.”

He said: “This partnership exists at the intersection of Crayola’s creativity and youthfulness and OceanX’s mission to share the wonder and beauty of the ocean with the world. It’s always been our goal to put audiences in the front seat of exploration, and partnering with Crayola will help us spark a lifetime of interest, curiosity, and love for the ocean.

“Crayola is one of the world’s most renowned family brands, trusted by parents and educators everywhere to use its signature thoughtful, colourful creativity to educate and inspire children.

“This partnership illustrates Crayola’s role in highlighting important issues facing our society while also inspiring the next generation to be stewards of our planet’s most treasured natural resource.”

Designed to inspire environmentalism and conservation, the Crayloa and OceanX collaboration has also launched an immersive experience across the Crayola brand’s own physical Experience attractions in the US.

The message, says Crayola’s executive vice president and general manager of Crayola Attractions and Retail, Victoria Lozano, is “consistent and congruous” with the brand’s mission to “help parents and educators raise creatively alive kids and inspire the next generation.”

Lozano told Licensing.biz: “This includes teaching them to preserve the world in which they will live in as adults. Our partnership with OceanX will help us create content and engaging experiences to accomplish that through cultivating a sense of wonder for the mysterious playground of the deep blue.

“This partnership will continue to develop creativity products and educational content to bring to kids everywhere.”

London’s iconic Hamleys makes major play for video gaming market with new department launch

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The iconic London toy store and toy retail brand, Hamleys is making a major new play for the video gaming market with the opening of a new state-of-the-art console, PC and gaming accessories department in its Regent Street location.

The new 1,326 square foot gaming space is situated within the Lower Ground Floor of the seven floor London flagship store and features leading consoles, from PS4 and PS5 to Xbox One and XS, Nintendo Switch, and a wide range of PC games and accessories.

As well as signifying a dramatic shift in audience for the London retailer, the department also now becomes the largest gaming retail site on London’s Soho area and features the latest top ranked games and best-sellers across the gaming platforms, spanning titles from publishers including EA, Capcom, and Activision, as well as Nintendo, Ubisoft, Rockstar Games, and Bandai Namco.

Accessories brands in the new gaming offer include XRocker, Turtle Beach, Anda Seat, Power A, Nacon and Hori and feature everything from keyboards and mouse pads to a wide range of gaming chairs, controllers, arcade sticks and headsets.

“We are delighted to unveil this exciting new development in our Regent Street store, where we will deliver the very best range of products and the first-class expertise and service our customers have come to expect. This is a natural fit for Hamleys and in time, we would like to see gaming roll out across our wider global retail estate,” said Hamleys of London CEO Sumeet Yadav.

Top games available on Playstation 4 range from LEGO Marvel Collection and Batman Arkham Knight from Warner Bros to Asterix & Obelix – XXL Collection from Maximum Games and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End from Sony Interactive and Call of Duty Black Ops III from Activision. On PS5 they include Marvel Spider Man Miles Morales Ultimate Edition, Ghost of Tushima and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart from Sony Interactive.

On Nintendo Switch games include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword from Nintendo, while on PC lead games include Minecraft from Mojang Studios to Diablo III from Blizzard.

On Xbox One, games range from Star Wars Squadrons and UFC4 from EA Sports to Snowrunner from THq1 Nordic and Call of Duty Black Ops III and WWII. On Xbox X/S they include Overcooked All You Can Eat and Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle from Warner Bros.

 The new Hamleys Gaming Department opened on 23 July 2021. The Regent Street store is open from 10am on weekdays and Saturdays and 12 noon on Sundays.

Mattel’s Richard Dickson and Roz Nowicki to deliver keynote at Licensing Expo Virtual

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Mattel’s president and COO, Richard Dickson and the firm’s head of global consumer products and franchise marketing, Roz Nowicki will be taking to the stage at the upcoming Licensing Expo Virtual next month, when the pair deliver the online conference’s Day Three Keynote address.

In a fireside chat titled Mattel and Living its Brand Purpose, the pair will explore how the IP driven toys and entertainment company empowers the next generation by introducing purpose-driven products from its portfolio of brands. You can sign up for the free-to-attend keynote presentation here.

Joining senior executives from Warner Bros. Consumer Products, who will open the event as keynote speakers on Day One, Dickson and Nowicki will address the event’s thousands of attendees confirmed to date, who will get an inside look into building and progressing the toy giant’s brand purpose.

Attendees of the event – running from August 24th to 26th – will benefit from the duo’s combined experience that exceeds 50 years of leading brand and innovation strategy, design and development, and franchise marketing. They are responsible for the worldwide growth of brands including Barbie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Peanuts, Hot Wheels, among many others.

The keynote presentation will begin at 8:00 a.m. PST/11:00 a.m. EST, followed by a final day of live content including the new Digital Brand Roadshows, Retail and Sustainability Clinics, industry networking, and many meeting opportunities with hundreds of leading brand owners.

“Year after year, Mattel is an industry leader in delivering new products that not only excite consumers but bring characters and stories to life in a meaningful way,” said Anna Knight, VP of licensing at Informa Markets.

“We are thrilled to announce that Richard and Roz will impart learnings from their work that spans a full range of toy and entertainment brands across categories.”

Mattel’s president and chief operating officer, Richard Dickson, added: “We are proud to represent Mattel at the upcoming Licensing Expo Virtual event this August and speak to a topic that is foundational to our business: delivering purpose-driven products that help shape how children perceive, engage with, and someday, influence the world around them.

“Licensing is a powerful tool that enables us to build brand stories and reach a global audience – Roz and I could not be more excited to share our learnings that attendees can incorporate into their work.”

In addition to announcing the Day Three keynote, Licensing Expo Virtual has also revealed a selection of exhibitors participating in the all-new Digital Brands Roadshows, a collection of curated exhibitor case studies designed to spotlight compelling brands and IP broadcast live at the live event.

Among those participating are:

  • New Exhibitors to the Event with Chan-Chan, Playlife Media, Piney: The Lonesome Pine and Boat Rocker
  • Heritage & Nostalgia with MGM and Art Brand Studios
  • Licensing Around the World with Wildbrain CPLG and Yale University
  • The Live Experience with Penske and Nickelodeon
  • Animation & Anime with Viz Media

Licensing Expo Virtual also confirmed some of the experts as part of the exclusive retail program, composed of ‘Ask me Anything’ live Q&As and sessions on how brand licensing can support retail businesses.

Speakers for this program include Steven Heller, founder of The Brand Liaison; Andrew Cohan, co-founder/co-CEO, ACI Licensing; Sharon Weisman, CEO, Power Station Studios; Michael Connolly, founder & CEO, Retail Monster; Julia Redman, Retail Expert, Buyers Eye; Ankit Mangal, Director, Wayfair; The Insights Family.

From the US | Mighty Mojo Toys named plush toy partner for Geronimo Stilton

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The Italian entertainment media company, Atlantyca Entertainment has secured a new US toy partner for Geronimo Stilton, bringing its popular children’s book IP into the plush toy sector thanks to Mighty Mojo Toys.

In a deal brokered by the appointed US licesing agency, Firefly Brand Management, the plush range will be based on the series’ cast of characters to the North American market.

Created by Elisabetta Dami, the adventures of Geronimo Stilton and his family and friends have featured across almost 250 volumes, selling more than 175 million copies in 51 different languages around the world. 

In North America, the book series is published by Scholastic for all English speaking countries, making Geronimo Stilton one of the most globally popular kids’ books series.

Meanwhile, Mighty Mojo Toys has experienced its own success on the global stage, having enjoyed a fruitful run of plush lines for the popular children’s YouTube series Booba, PBS’ Super Why, and the Instagram celebrity, Doug the Pug.

The toy firm’s most recent releases include several officially licensed products from Spin Master’s Etch-A-Sketch.

“We’re so excited to be collaborating with the Geronimo Stilton team,” said Arash Maghaddam, CEO of Mighty Mojo Toys. “As fans, we’ve been watching its popularity explode over the years and cannot wait to share what we have in store for Geronimo and his friends.”

Cynthia Modders, president of Firefly Brand Management, added: “We are thrilled to be working on expanding the Geronimo Stilton programme with Mighty Mojo Toys. Geronimo Stilton is one of the best selling children’s books series, the famed mouse journalist is loved by children everywhere, maintaining a huge young fan base who are certainly going to enjoy these devoted character plush and toys.”

Mattel and Playmobil ready new ranges as Universal launches Spirit Untamed across EMEA

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Universal Brand Development has launched a cross-category consumer products programme centered on the latest chapter in the DreamWorks Animation Spirit franchise, as the new animated feature film, Spirit Untamed rolls out across EMEA this summer.

Having premiered in Central London last weekend at an event attended by celebrities and their families, the film is swiftly moving through the EMEA region, with Russia, Italy and Spain already out of the stable gate, with Germany ready to welcome the film to screens from July 22nd, and France from July 28th.

“There’s something really special about the connection between girls and horses, and DreamWorks Animation’s Spirit Untamed taps into that emotional bond, bringing audiences along for the ride,” said Shannon Vacca, vice president, global franchise management, Universal Brand Development.

“We set out to create consumer products celebrating wholesome characters that empower girls around the world and reinforce Spirit Untamed as the ultimate story about what it means to be wild and free.”

Master toy partner, Mattel is expanding the Spirit adventure beyond the screen with its broad range of horses, character dolls, and play-sets, all featuring innovative details and storytelling accessories, as well as games. In addition, Playmobil is a returning franchise partner with new pay-sets supporting key moments from the film, alongside Just Play with basic plush.

Additionally, Outright Games, alongside Universal Games and Digital Platforms, is launching DreamWorks Spirit Lucky’s Big Adventure, a new video game set in the adventurous world of the award-winning Spirit franchise.

In the game – distributed by Bandai in EMEA – players can go on an adventure and explore the wonders and dangers of the frontier with Lucky and her wild mustang, Spirit. This original story celebrates themes of adventure, friendship and the special connection between a girl and her horse.

Lucky teams up with best friends Abigail and Pru to embark on a fun-filled quest for hidden treasure in Miradero. DreamWorks Spirit Lucky’s Big Adventure will release on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC digital in summer 2021.

Asterix and Obelix to make their Playmobil debut when play-sets launch in 2022

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The iconic comic book and movie character Asterix is getting a Playmobil makeover via a new partnership between the toymaker and the Asterix brand owner, Les Editions Albert Rene.

Under the partnership, a series of play-sets will be developed, marking the first time that Asterix and his sidekick Obelix have been given the Playmobil treatment.

The play-sets are scheduled to land sometime in 2022.

Playmobil issued a statement this morning that read: “Editions Albert Rene and Playmobil are pleased to announce the creation of a new universe around the famous comic book characters Asterix and Obelix, for the first time in Playmobil figurines.”

The message signed off that fans will require ‘a little more patience’ before the plans are unveiled in full, but that the collection promises to be a ‘magical’ one.

Asterix is a French comic book series about Ghaulish warriors and their adventures in fighting the Roman Republic during the era of Julius Caesar during the Gallic wars. The series first appeared in the Franco-Belgian comic magazine Pilote in 1959 and has subsequently become a world-revered brand and the focus of a slate of live action films.

This is the latest in a series of teases from Playmobil this month who recently unveiled a collaborative project with the classic TV series The A Team.

Since the launch and subsequent success of its Back to the Future play-sets, and the nostalgia driven success of its Scooby Doo collection, Playmobil has sought to tap further in the classic IP space, eyeing a large market in the kidult fan sector.

The Adventures of Asterix boasts a loyal cross-generational following around the globe.