56 SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL MATTEL
Fisher-Price grew by 14 per cent YOY in 2011 (source: NPD), adding more than £8 million to the pre-school category. And, as outlined elsewhere in this issue, a new marketing campaign is set to take the brand to a new level. In terms of product, the new Soothe & Go Bouncy Seat is a compact bouncer featuring special springs, while new additions to the Laugh & Learn line include the Click ‘n’ Learn Remote, plus new interactive plush Dance & Play Puppy.
Also new for autumn is physical
development statement – a collection which encourages a baby’s key physical milestones.
The firm is also launching a Disney infant line featuring Disney Pals and play-sets. Popular Little People will also get the Disney treatment with the Little People Disney Princess Palace. In addition, a new play-set – the Little People Wheelies Loops ‘n’ Swoops Amusement Park – will also launch. Building on the success of Imaginext, new items including the Imaginext Castle play-set will launch this year and will benefit from a full marketing programme. Thomas & Friends, meanwhile, will
have a number of new additions across pre-school, Take ‘n’ Play and Trackmaster lines. New engines and play-sets will also launch to tie in with
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the release of the new DVD, Blue Mountain Mystery.
After the success of Dance Star Mickey in 2011, another key launch is being lined up, while there will also be a new collection for Minnie Mouse. New Disney show, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, will benefit from figures, play-sets, plush and role-play, while Octonauts continues with new characters and plush, supported by a full marketing campaign. Dora the Explorer will also receive
support throughout the year, with the new Dive and Swim Mermaid Dora due in spring and further additions for autumn. Finally, expect news around Handy Manny and Madagascar 3.
LEGO DUPLO
New concept, Creative Cakes, features a variety of individual elements such as candles, cupcakes, muffins, meringues and pastel coloured blocks for pre- school girls to build up. Also joining the Lego Duplo line-up
are two new starter sets. A shape sorter with a Duplo twist, the Creative Sorter aims to teach stacking, sorting, shape and colour recognition. Pre-schoolers can also use the three matching blue, yellow and red sorting plates to build the bricks into animals including a parrot, elephant or giraffe. Meanwhile,
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My First Build comes with four individual building cards to help children visualise each build before they start. Earlier this year, the brand introduced
seven new SKUs to the Legoville line in four themes: zoo, safari, fire and farm. Also new are several Disney licensed
products aimed at pre-school girls aged two to five. Four sets feature pastel coloured bricks and Disney princesses Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella, each with a removable dress, plus Prince Charming.
HASBRO
Mr Potato Head is celebrating its 60th birthday this year, and Hasbro is rolling out a special Mashly In Love Mr and Mrs Potato Head 60th Anniversary Edition. The Playskool Heroes product line has been designed especially for little ones who want all the adventure and fun of big kid action figures. Based on favourite characters from the Transformers and Marvel universes, the range includes figures, vehicles and play-sets. Playskool Poppin Park also returns this
year with a number of new play-sets, including Learn N Pop Lion and the Squeeze N Pop Animal Assortment.
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In the Night Garden Goodnight Friends Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy each come with a light, storybook and removable pyjamas and slipper accessories. Meanwhile, the plush In the Night Garden Friendship Upsy Daisy comes with a number of dress-up accessories. Finally, the Play-Doh line includes the
Candy Cyclone and Swirling Shake Shoppe play-sets. In addition, children can play with the compound in a whole new way with a construction vehicle line that allows them to dig, smash and build with trucks and vehicles.
MEGA BRANDS
The firm has rebranded its core pre- school range for autumn/winter to Mega Bloks First Builders. The new line- up will feature building bags, themed tubs, vehicles and new story telling/role playing buildable toys, all designed to stimulate creativity and learning skills. The firm is introducing new additions to its Big Building Bag, including ABC Spell and 123 Count with 30 building blocks. New themed bags, including Wacky Wheels and Funny Animals, will also arrive. Each bag includes 70 pieces and 18 special parts. Completing the range will be the 150-piece Deluxe Building Bag. The Play n Go Table will see a refresh.
Featuring a school house theme, it will include ABC and 123 stickers, bus driver figure and a school bus character. This will be added to the Themed Tubs, Build n Go Walker and Big Block Wagon. New Lil’ Vehicles products give each
vehicle their own personality, and include Sonny School Bus and Dylan Dump Truck. Steer-Me offers larger vehicles with new play features – Steer- Me Steve is the first in the collection: a truck complete with working dump wagon for transporting blocks. Tiny N Tuff Buildables are available in
three-piece vehicle packs featuring Siren Sam, Fire Fighting Freddy, Timmy Tipper and Racing Rony, plus a larger play-set, Race n Chase Rig.
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The firm’s pre-school offering continues with a new girls range, Mega Bloks Lil’ Princess. The range includes princesses and pony friends for girls to collect, with larger themed play-sets including a Sparkling Tower, a Magic Carriage which can be rebuilt into a garden gazebo, three-storey Enchanted Princess Castle and Twinkle Castle. Mega Bloks will also be introducing a
range of Whirl & Twirl ride-ons, in Race Car and Lady Bug themes, while new product launches are also planned for its Moshi Monsters, Hello Kitty and Thomas & Friends lines.
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