NEWS
Magic Light sharpens toy focus on The Gruffalo
“Toys are a really important part of what the brand offers alongside the books,” says firm’s Daryl Shute
by Billy Langsworthy
A NEW range of wooden toys celebrating the 15th anniversary of The Gruffalo is helping to expand the category for the brand. The Gruffalohas appeared in films and on bedspreads, puzzles, games, but Magic Light Pictures believes the new selection from Green Owl Toys will help it make its mark in the toy sector. The new range spans
Gruffalo and Mouse figurines, a Gruffalo and Mouse push along, a wooden theatre story scene, alphabet blocks and a story puzzle scene. “We don’t have a huge amount in the toy area so something traditional like this is something interesting and different,” Daryl Shute, brand director at Magic Light Pictures told ToyNews. “Plush is important to us, but having wooden figures you can play with and relive the story with is so important for the audience.” The wooden toys
join The Gruffalo plush,
puzzles and games, and Magic Light believes toys are becoming a key part of what the brand can offer.
IN BRIEF
THE LICENSING AWARDS IS OPEN FOR ENTRIES Entry and nomination forms for The Licensing Awards are now available. The closing date for entering the product awards categories is Thursday, May 22nd, while the closing date for the property awards (which can only be entered online) is Monday, June 30th.
www.thelicensing
awards.co.uk
38 March
THE LEGO MOVIE TOPS THE BOX OFFICE The LEGO Movieenjoyed the UK’s biggest debut of 2014 so far. Screenreported that the Warner Bros. film took £8.05 million in its first weekend, following on from the £2.16 million made in previews the previous weekend. Despicable Me 2 was the biggest debut of 2013, taking £14.9 million. LEGO: 01753 495000
TEMPLE RUN PLUSH ON THE WAY
Imangi Studios is extending hit mobile gaming app Temple Run into the plush sector. Factory Entertainment will launch the new range featuring characters from the series such as Demon Monkeys, Temple Idols, Guy Dangerous and Karma Lee in the autumn.
www.imangistudios.com
SUCCESS FOR REDAN IN LATEST ABCS Redan Publishing’s FTL Peppa Pigmagazine enjoyed another boost in sales for the July to December 2013 ABC period. The title now has an average sale of 98,922 copies, an increase of 14 per cent year on year. FTL Friendsand FTL Peppa Pig Bag-O-Funalso posted strong figures. Redan: 01743 364433
K’NEX REVEALS FAMILY GUY BUILDING SETS K’Nex has teamed with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products for the launch of a new Family Guyinspired construction line. The building system has been combined with key characters and elements from the show including Stewie, Brian, Peter and the Griffin Family station wagon. K’Nex: 0118 949 7000
www.toynews-online.biz Shute added: “The toys
have done incredibly well so far. We don’t have much but that is because we don’t have a huge amount of traditional plastic toys in the catalogue. “Plush by far is our
biggest category and third or fourth is our puzzles and games. Toys are a really important part of what the brand offers. “We’re always looking for
new opportunities and we’re always looking for new products that really fit with the core values of the brand. Toys are a vital part of storytelling.” Magic Light has worked with Baja on the production of the range and Green Owl Toys on the distribution.
Magic Light is focusing
on grassroots marketing for the new wooden range, and believes the toys will stay with families for generations due to the hand me down lifecycle of The Gruffalo. “As we go on with the
lifecycle, what’s lovely about The Gruffalois that siblings hand it down,” Shute added. “We’re moving into a baby/nursery area so that’s why the push along, for 12 to 18 months plus, is a slightly new area. We’re ensuring that each generation of children is engaging with the characters. “We are working with
FilmNation and hopefully from around the end of March to around July, we are running a national schools tour. That will involve having a Gruffalo day at your school which will be around film screenings and making of workshops, book readings, activity packs and teaching packs. “We have also set up a partnership with the Forestry Commission, where we can use the brand values about getting outdoors, adventure and exploring things
for yourself.” Magic Light: 020 7631 1800
By Samantha Loveday
ACTIVISION IS continuing to add partners to its Skylanders licensing programme, choosing US Toy Fair as a platform to reveal it now has over 175 global licensees. Crayola is the latest
to work with the video games/toy hybrid, with Skylanders-branded colour and activity formats including Color Wonder, Giant Coloring Pages and Xtreme Coloring. In just two years, the franchise has notched up $2 billion in sales, including 175 million toys sold worldwide in 27 months. John Coyne, SVP consumer marketing at Activision, told ToyNews at US Toy Fair: “The way we bring the toy to life in a magical and fluid way, it’s not surprising to me that it was a
success. However, the scale of the success – $2bn in such a short space of time – really pleased us.” And while Coyne is
keeping the details of the next game close to his chest – although he did confirm it is due in the autumn – he says that innovation is key. “We invented and were first in the category of toys to life. When you look at enduring franchises, innovation runs very deep and delivering innovation that is meaningful, exciting and delighting is key. We want children to be constantly surprised by Skylanders. “We want to see the
franchise continuing on the current trajectory that we’ve enjoyed over the last three games. Video games have been around for a while, as have toys, so there’s no reason to think our category won’t be. “We have two
areas to innovate
against – the game and the toy – and we
have no shortage of ideas.” Activision: 020 3060
1000
More to come for soaring Skylanders
“We want kids to be constantly surprised,” says Activision’s SVP consumer marketing, John Coyne
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