Spin Master Toys Interview
expression for kids. With a penchant for innovation, Spin Master is on a mission to reimagine where imagination can take us.
How has the toy landscape developed into digital games? At Spin Master, our toys are designed to foster creativity and imagination, with open ended play opportunities. Our digital games offering mirrors this ethos, with Toca Boca apps created as digital playgrounds for kids to explore, free of rules, competition and scoring - facilitating social play. While digital games were already on the rise, their popularity was further amplified by the pandemic as kids turned to them not just as a form of entertainment, but to connect and interact with their friends virtually. Recently we have also seen the evolution
of toys entering virtual worlds. An example is our Purse Pets line of interactive purses which partnered with Adopt Me, a world record breaking Roblox Game, to bring a virtual version of Purse Pets to life for their community of over 64 million monthly active players. Players could buy a Purse Pet in the virtual world, the first ever animated accessory offered within the game. To date, more than two million virtual Purse Pet’s have been purchased. Similarly, in September our global battling
franchise Bakugan entered the metaverse. Anchored by an anime adventure series that also boasts digital content, an innovative toy line, card game and video game, Bakugan engaged fans in an immersive viewing experience on Roblox. A brand-new episode of the series debuted within the Roblox metaverse – the first ever premiere of a full-length episode series on the platform. The immersive experience brought together existing Bakugan fans and attracted new ones.
How have you created a balanced offering between physical brands, entertainment franchises and mobile digital platforms? Spin Master started as a toy company, and over the years, we developed a deep understanding of play. Our entertainment and digital games creative centres are areas that we are continuously investing in and expanding, as we see opportunities for further growth. This was exemplified this past quarter (Q3 2021) where we saw entertainment and digital games grow over 120% combined compared to last year, accounting for approximately 15% of our total revenue, which is more than double what it was in 2020. It’s rewarding to see that our strategic approach to toy innovation, multi-platform engaging storytelling, and open-ended digital play is driving strong, diversified global revenue growth across all three creative centres.
Do you see multi-platform content as an important avenue for success? Absolutely, multi-platform content is an important avenue for success. We want to be where kids are and are investing in content
“Innovation has inspired many of our own award-winning brands such as
PAW Patrol, Bakugan, Kinetic Sand, Air Hogs, Hatchimals and GUND”
that resonates across platforms. Across our three creative centres we
are driving innovation and growth and interacting with our customers more broadly and more deeply than ever before. Families and kids can access our products and content through a wide range of channels including brick-and-mortar retailers, direct to consumer websites, streaming services, broadcasters, digital platforms like YouTube, in theatres, via subscriptions and our games as a service model. Our physical toys promote imaginative play and are often complemented with
additional content to be experienced across platforms. This year we kicked off our toy licensee with Universal Brand Development for DreamWorks Animation’s preschool series Gabby’s Dollhouse that airs on Netflix. The characters from the show are brought to life in playrooms through our toy line and we also extended the world of Gabby with an app, inviting preschoolers to interact and explore Gabby virtually. Our toy line features QR codes to download the app plus families can unlock bonus items and features in the app when they purchase Gabby’s Dollhouse toys. Our entertainment franchises also span various platforms. For example, our global Bakugan franchise consists of an exciting anime-adventure series, a YouTube destination, an action role-playing video game and integrations onto other popular platforms including Roblox. This fall we were the first ever to premiere a full-length series episode on the global online platforms that brings millions of people together through shared experiences. Lastly there is Toca Boca from our digital games creative centre. With 65 million kids currently playing the digital game, there is also a collection of YouTube digital shorts.
Fans further engage creating their own Toca-inspired content that they share across their own social platforms – TikTok alone has generated a total of over 16 billion views. The quirky characters are so loved they’ve also extended beyond the digital world with make and play subscription boxes and an H&M kidswear collaboration. Whether a toy, a character in a TV show or a colourful cast in an app, we succeed by creating engaging storylines and aspirational characters that are accessible across multiple platforms, resonating with kids across the globe.
Jan/Feb 2022 | toy news | 13
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