world licensing
O Publisher John Baulch finds out more
ne of the rewarding aspects of working in toy industry long-term comes from watching companies develop, seeing how they expand their business through
product innovation, new licensing opportunities or innovative marketing strategies. A good example is Worlds Apart, a company
I first encountered when they started making kites some 30 years ago, and one which is now seen as a key player in a number of categories including role-play and kids furniture. In the process, Worlds Apart has grown into one of the most successful independently owned toy businesses, one recognized throughout the trade for its slightly ‘off the wall’ culture. Young, vibrant and creative, the company has a working environment which is the envy of many of its contemporaries. Worlds Apart has built a reputation for
developing new categories, such as introduction of the first pop up tents, the invention of Ready Bed and more recently the Go Glow range of night light products. In the past twelve months the company entered the Ride- On market, whilst its successful role play and children’s furniture ranges continue to evolve. Licensing has long been one of Worlds Apart’s
core strengths and it is now firmly established in the top ten manufacturers developing licensed properties in the toy industry. An exciting opportunity with Carte Blanche and the Me to You property takes the company to a new level, as it is the first time it has been awarded what is essentially the master toy licence, giving Worlds Apart a great opportunity to establish itself as a major player in a new sector: girls collectables. Said to be the fastest growing non-media based licensed property in the world, Me to You is driven by the massive collectable appeal of the Tatty Teddy and Blue Nose Friend characters, perennial gift-market favorites particularly with
30 Licensingworld
Worlds Apart takes on Girls collectables sector with Me To You
older girls, estimated to be worth around $800 million at retail in the global market. With story lines and characteristics that
perfectly fit with Worlds Apart’s existing product ranges, the Me to You lines have become firmly integrated best-sellers in its Go Glow and Ready Bed ranges. Worlds Apart Marketing Director Andy Cooper
commented “Having worked closely with the Carte Blanche on the Me To You franchise on our existing ranges, we were amazed to understand the power the brand has with the teen girl market. What really inspired us was to see that younger girls (4to 8yrs) were starting to collect the gift plush with a passion, and that’s with zero marketing to this age group. Our ambition is to harness the potential this brand offers to the Toy Industry, by creating a beautifully crafted collectable toy line supported by a very significant marketing campaign targeting the younger girls” Worlds Apart has used the Me To You
character profiles and storylines to develop an appealing range of collectable characters and
playsets. At launch, there will be 24 characters, all highly detailed, and with flocked surfaces to reflecting the softness of the original brand. With the addition of feature playsets which adopt the existing Blue Nose friends storylines, the range is set to capture the imaginations of little girls. Speaking about the blossoming partnership with Carte Blanche, Worlds Apart Head of Licensing Lucy Wynn Jones said: “We are really delighted to have this opportunity to use our experience and expertise in girl’s products and apply it to create an exciting new range of toys which is new a departure for both Carte Blanche and ourselves. With the product lines now firmly in production, we have moved on to the exciting task of marketing and communications and we will be launching in 2012 with some unique and exciting ideas that we believe will see instant traction and demand.” Worlds Apart has come a long way since the
days of designing and introducing new kites but remains faithful to developing new and innovative products and brands with true staying power.
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