Retailers to benefit from ‘constant 365 day per year connection’ including new animated TV series by Dominic Sacco
THE SUCCESS of Avengers Assemblelast year is being supplemented by fresh activity in 2013 and beyond to drive kids into toy stores.
Marvel has told ToyNews about its Avengers sustaining programme and plans for fresh animated TV series, to prolong consumer interest and get them buying new toys. For example, the Ultimate Spider-ManTV show will get a second season early this year on Disney XD, as season one goes free-to-air. Then the Iron Man 3movie arrives in April, the Avengers Assemble animated TV show follows in mid 2013 and Thor: The Dark Worldhits cinemas in November. In between these big movie releases, other TV seasons will arrive to provide kids with fresh content, which will aim to
constant content driving franchise. If you don’t, kids move on very quickly. “If the sales are in a supermarket and the average shopper goes in twice a week, they need to see something new. “Our goal from a licensing standpoint is to have a constant presence at retail for Avengers.
“When Iron Man comes out, it will expand to absorb the Iron Man merchandise, and then the same will happen with Thor comes out and so on.
PHILIPS: “Our goal is to have a constant presence at retail for Avengers”
keep toy sales strong throughout the year. “Retailers and licensees can be ensured that backing a Marvel franchise comes with content that will be consumed every day,” Disney’s general
manager of consumer products EMEA Simon Philips told ToyNews. “For example, we have an Avengers sustaining programme. No one else has that. There is no other superhero or boys
franchise that can claim to have event movies, a constant animated series and all the other activity going on behind these brands.
He added: “The big thing is that Marvel is all about
“We make content and movies that straddle the line between providing the fans with something they want but also providing the broader audience with something they want. That’s one of the beauties of Marvel – it’s cross- generational.”
Read our full interview with Simon Philips on page 46. Disney: 020 8222 1000
Police set up anti-counterfeit task force
National Fraud Intelligence Bureau will aim to prevent fraudulent toy operations by Dominic Sacco
THE POLICE will be clamping down on counterfeit toy organisations following a report by ToyNews. The National Fraud
Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), a government-funded initiative run by the City of London Police, has
partnered with the IP Crime Unit to ‘proactively prevent, deter and disrupt fraud, and improve the understanding of the associated criminal trends and patterns throughout the UK and beyond.’ A statement read: “As a result of globalisation and emerging technology, the volume and nature of counterfeiting toy operations across the UK and Europe is rapidly
THE FAKES ToyNewshas pledged to do all it can to help prevent the distribution of
Some £19m worth of counterfeit toys are seized in Europe each year
evolving into a serious, organised and complex crime type.”
DCI Peter O’Doherty from the NFIB said: “Counterfeiting and the piracy of toys threaten the health and safety of the consumer,
undermining the industries and making criminal organisations stronger and more prosperous each day. “If we are going to dismantle the criminal networks that are behind these enterprises, there
needs to be an effective and open partnership between the companies whose products are being counterfeited and the appropriate specialists within law enforcement.” NFIB: 020 7601 6999
counterfeit toys across the UK and the rest of the world. We will work with the NFIB, IP Crime Unit, toy companies, industry bodies and more to publicise and prevent counterfeit toys. Check out our August 2011 issue for a closer look at counterfeit toys, or turn to page 26 in this issue to find out what parents think about them.