NI Oct 09 PG14-15.PASSED:NOV_08_p.6-13_News_legal.qxd 20/10/2009 10:22 Page 14
Ni Voice
with a top quality toy range
Becci Knowles caught up with Nadim Ednan-Laperouse,
Managing Director of WOW to find out what this independent
UK toy brand has to offer...
Swatting up on the company en route to London, I was suitably impressed by
WOW’s credentials as a UK toy manufacturer. Owned by Nadim Ednan-
Laperouse this global company remains committed to innovation, design and
quality in the pre school area, refusing point blank to deal with multiple and
discount retailers that ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’ to the detriment of the
brand. Having long championed the efforts of the independent toy retailer,
WOW wants to do exactly the same in our sector, hence my visit to its brand
new West End base.
As soon as I walked in I sensed a great vibe in the WOW office. Sitting on a
comfy red sofa in keeping with the company's corporate hue, the brand’s logo
jumped out at me from every corner of the room. Strong in its simplicity, the
use of onomatopoeia in a cartoon style speech bubble represents the brands
desired effect - to invoke gasps of delight when opened.
Quietly observing the office dynamic, I saw an individual at every desk and
by individual, I mean exactly that. No personality crushing office casuals to be
seen here - Nadim’s employees come to work as themselves. As he recalled
Why WOW?
team building events, brainstorming sessions and lunchtime barbecues on the
WOW toys are powered by children's energy and imagination, without the
office terrace over looking the Thames, I could tell that this was one very
need for environmentally unfriendly batteries. "Our friction motors and clever
exciting place to work. They all love their jobs and as a result, retailers in 40
mechanical features provide long lasting play value without the worry that
countries worldwide love their toys even more.
batteries might run out." Explaining that without batteries many toys are
Nadim’s talent and passion for design was obvious from a young age. He
redundant, Nadim added: “Lacking in imagination, battery operated toys often
boast unsophisticated features that scream 'look at me' but inspire little
designed some big toy ranges in the early 90’s for a number of hugely
creativity beyond that.”
successful companies, including The Early Learning Centre. By the age of 25 he
"Consumers love our toys because of their ability to encourage learning
had a portfolio to be envied but, a born innovator, he was determined not to
through creative play and discovery, with a mix of vibrant colours, sounds and
stagnate; quite the opposite. Despite his relative youth, Nadim set up his first
mechanical features. The toys introduce themes from real life into the home
toy design company ‘NAD Associates’ in the early 90's.
helping children make sense of the world around them - the objective being to
NAD Associates was a huge success story, but Nadim quickly became
stimulate learning through imaginative and interactive play."
disillusioned with his paymasters, who he said:"Began slashing budgets in
To demonstrate, Nadim showed me an air ambulance together with an
favour of expensive marketing campaigns, a strategy which ensured the quality
accompanying range of 'injured' animals each of which could be magnetically
of the toys would suffer." Nadim decided instead to go it alone and
attached to the vehicle and ‘flown to safety’. A simple concept, this would
established his own brand of toys, WOW in 1997.
clearly appeal to all children within the 1-5 year age range. As a child becomes
“We have grown as a company, we are designing toys for
increasingly dextrous this, like others in the range, will encourage his fine
motor skills - with the action of moving the animal and attaching it to the
the future now”
vehicle representing a milestone in development. The stories that could be
made up around the product are endless - no batteries, just a plethora of
opportunities for imaginative play. Perfect.
Nadim likens his company's journey as to the process of a boy becoming a
"You have to consider how chaotic children are and design for the reality of
man, formulating a belief system by which to live and work. "We pulled out of
their abilities," said Nadim. Explaining just how uncoordinated a child's hands
the supermarkets completely 10 years ago and have no great ambitions to go
can be, he showed me another toy: a truck with a ramp. The truck is set in
back," he told me. "We are designing something for the future now. We have
motion via a motor that is powered by pulling back on the wheels several
grown as a company and we now know who we are and what we want."
times before letting go. A cord is pulled from the ramp making a great friction
Incredibly humble, Nadim didn't volunteer the information that he was in
like sound and magnetically attaches to the truck to pull it back up the ramp.
fact the youngest ever person to be awarded an MBE for his services for the
Every stage of development is catered to here, the next step being
toy industry - I had to push him on it before he went on to tell me how he
the story telling and role play exercises that might be attached to the
gratefully accepted the award at a ceremony eight years ago at
various actions.
Buckingham Palace.
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52