OPINION Having fun outside the box


What’s the best way to create a truly eye-catching piece of toy or board game packaging? Go Ballistic Creative MD Roger Laishley shares his thoughts


GAMES marketeers need to have more fun. Whether they are launching a new product or are custodians of a traditional treasure, they should remember it is the promise of fun that attracts the consumer – inside and outside the box. For over 25 years we


have designed toy and games packaging, from new kids on the block, such as Ticino and its new GoSum game, to well established favourites Carte Blanche and its Tatty Teddy Interactive Bears, or for the globally iconic Cluedo, Scrabble, Operation and Monopoly. When developing a new


brand or reinvigorating an old one, you have to be brave. There should be


scope for pack design to be edgy, challenging and even dangerous, because it isn’t any use creating a brilliant toy or game if your intended audience is insufficiently engaged to pick up the box and make the purchase. You have to dare to be different. For example, we have


worked with Hasbro’s design team for many years, refreshing and revitalising its Monopoly brand.We boldly created an all-white pack for Monopoly Revolution to enhance its shelf standout. For the City edition, we enhanced the Monopoly logo by creating a 3D skyscraper version, and for Monopoly Millionaire we rendered the logo as if it were


diamond encrusted. Each time we maintained the integrity of the Monopoly brand, whilst evolving and preserving its relevance for old and new purchasers. That’s no mean feat, considering Monopoly has growing sales of over 275 million in 111 countries and 43 languages. For your product to communicate effectively, its design must solicit an emotional response from


the consumer in seconds. Among toys and games in a crowded aisle, it must attract attention from a distance of perhaps five to seven metres, therefore it must be distinctive against the visual assault of brightly-coloured packages all clamouring for attention. Once the consumer has been tempted into picking


it up, an entire gamut of practical decision-making quickly follows: is the quality good enough, do I understand the gameplay, does it feel good value, and above all, will it be fun? All this must build from the front to the back, like a well crafted story, until the purchase is complete. You must determine what differentiates your product from the rest, be clear about what you are trying to say and to whom, then trust your designer. It is the designer’s job to be ahead of trends, to understand the aspirational tastes of parents and children, together with how they are influenced by TV, film and fashion branding, to create fun products that people want to buy.


Roger Laishley, MD of Go Ballistic Creative, can be help you devise your product’s packaging. Contact roger@goballistic.com or call 01844 218808. A toy ad’s for life, not just for Christmas


When is the best time to advertise on TV to capture that all important Christmas toy purchase? Lisa Shove, associate director at Generation Media, explains


YOU KNOW the festive season has arrived when you see the familiar Coca Cola and supermarket Christmas TV ads on our screens on a Saturday night during X Factor. However, at this point in time (mid to early November), looking at the patterns of TV advertising deployment in the toys and games market, we can see the season is almost over, with a steep decline in ratings, just as the enquiries for purchase are beginning to ramp up. So, as many of our clients ask, when is the best time to advertise to capture that key Christmas purchase? Toys and games TV


advertisers traditionally


kick off the season as early as July, in line with the Argos catalogue launch. This allows companies to benefit from the cost efficient TV advertising pricing in July and August, whilst allowing them to


confidence in the key lines, and can result in repeat orders and an increased sales forecast. We then see a steady build up towards a peak in November, and the market is pretty much over within the first week of


The ideal formula is to begin building


awareness from July, a reminder burst in September, with a campaign to prompt final purchase in Q4. Lisa Shove, Generation Media


measure the initial TV to sales reaction rates for future forecasting. The early sales momentum this creates is valuable in securing retailer


December. Few advertising budgets can sustain continuous presence across this long extended period. The trade-off is between obtaining


momentum and confidence with the trade early enough in the season to sell in, whilst ensuring stock sells through with consumers later in the year. The ideal traditional


formula is to begin building awareness from July, in line with the Argos catalogue launch, a reminder burst in September, with a hard hitting campaign to make the child’s wish list, and prompt final purchase in October/November. But does this account for the variation in consumers’ purchasing patterns, from buying products in Boxing Day sales for next year, to Christmas Eve panic buying? With the toys and games


advertising market experiencing a slowdown in


Lisa Shove is associate director at Generation Media. Call 020 7255 4650 or visit www.generationmedia.co.uk www.toynews-online.biz December/January 19


the back end of 2012, many advertisers are underestimating the power of a last minute push in the final countdown to December 25th. This can stimulate the later purchase, stocking fillers and secondary gifts throughout December and even grab a share of the Christmas money and vouchers spent in the sales between Christmas and New Year. The cost efficient nature of being on air at this time, coupled with the peak in sales value, would suggest a significant opportunity to gain return on your precious advertising budget across December and early January. Here’s to a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.


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  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76