THERE’S A great comment from Darran Garnham in our exclusive Mind Candy story in this issue. Moshi, he says, will always be the firm’s Mickey Mouse, but it’s important for them to have other brands, too. While this makes it tempting to refer to Mind Candy as the ‘new Disney’, I think the ‘old’ one might have something to say about it – especially considering we also interview Anna Chapman on page 25.
But there’s no denying that the arrival of Moshi Monsters has shaken up the toy industry over the last couple of years, influencing not only those companies directly involved – sales of Vivid’s Moshling figures, for example, have reached well over 45 million – but also its peers. Whether that’s new ways of looking at how to do business, additional places to generate IP or just its sheer, infectious enthusiasm, Team Moshi has been a breath of fresh air.
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But now it faces possibly its toughest challenge yet – international expansion and the launch of that difficult second brand. This is where it can learn from companies such as Disney and Warner Bros. Consumer Products – which we also highlight in a six-page special this issue. And Garnham has already admitted the team has taken a tour of Pixar’s San Francisco base.
There will be many first time exhibitors at Brand Licensing Europe who will be hoping they can emulate even a tiny fraction of Moshi Monsters success. Some will already be on the radar of toy companies and firms from other licensing sectors.
Mind Candy may not have been the first virtual world to go physical, but it was the one which made everyone sit up and take notice, creating a new category which will continue to bolster the toy business for some time yet. Samantha Loveday