The toy shopping season is under way and the major Canadian suppliers have begun the annual race to have the top one or two toys of the year in their stable.
Strategy asked a cross-section of leading toy companies about their hot properties and marketing plans for the industry’s busiest season.
Year of growth
Patricia Pape, vice-president of marketing for Mattel Canada, says the company is looking forward to a successful Christmas season and ‘a year of growth in 1992.’
Pape says the company’s concentration on its strengths – core brands such as Barbie, the doll that catapulted Mattel to the forefront 33 years ago – is the reason for her optimism.
The Barbie line, which has been expanded to include Sparkle Eyes Barbie, Sun Sensation Barbie, Pretty Surprise Barbie, Rollerblade Barbie and Totally Hair Barbie (with tresses to the floor), continues to be on the Canadian Toy Testing Council’s yearly list of recommended toys.
The council’s Toy Report, now in its 40th year, recommends toys which offer good play value and good value for the money spent, with three stars as the highest rating.
The hottest new addition to Mattel’s line of fashion dolls is a group of five based on the main teen characters of the popular Fox Television Network tv program, Beverly Hills 90210.
A four-week tv campaign began in mid-September to herald the new product launch.
Large dolls
In the large-doll category, Mattel thinks it has a winner in Baby Rollerblade, a battery-operated, self-propelled doll that moves around on in-line skates.
Mattel is also adding to its Disney line of plush and fashion dolls with plush Bambi and 101 Dalmatian characters.
Beauty and the Beast dolls have been popular in both categories, with Cinderella and Snow White fashion dolls in big demand.
To coincide with Disney Studio’s mid-November release of the animated movie Aladdin, both plush and fashion doll Aladdin characters will be added to the line-up.
Mattel will tie-in with the movie release with product displays in theatres and a tv and print campaign through to mid-December.
Pape says 80% of Mattel’s advertising is directed at children, primarily the tv campaigns, with the 20% targetted to adults appearing in parenting and women’s magazines.
J. Walter Thompson of Toronto is the agency for Mattel Canada. Most creative is made in Canada, with some adaptation of u.s. creative from Ogilvy & Mather and fcb.
Toronto-based Irwin Toy markets its own products in Canada and the u.s. and licenses some to foreign companies.
Irwin also distributes several lines in Canada under license from foreign companies.
Most recently, the company acquired exclusive distribution rights for the Meccano construction system from Paris-based Meccano.
Irwin also represents Sega, Cabbage Patch, Ohio Art and Tasco brands, and this year entered into agreements with two Japanese companies: Tomy, for its quality pre-school toys and afx road race line; and Nikko, a leading maker of radio-controlled vehicles.
Irwin has flagged its top contenders for this season and is backing them up with a big-budget campaign of 15-second and 30-second tv spots in major markets and magazine inserts for Tomy brand.
Creative is handled in-house and placement through its own Irwin Media.
One brand expected to contribute to the 1992 bottom line is Little Souls, a line of soft-sculptured dolls ready to pick up where Cabbage Patch Dolls left off.
Another to watch is Talkin’ Lil Runaround, a 14-inch lightly scented doll that walks and runs unassisted and says 12 phrases in French or English.
Super Turbo Land Shark, from Nikko, is a battery-operated, radio-controlled vehicle with wide rubber tires that take it where similar toys fear to tread, complete with sound effects.
Irwin’s list of top 10 toys for 1992 also includes the Sega Genesis Video Game System and Game Gear, 4-in-1 Master Workshop, Creative Imagineers, Ghost Writer, Anne of Green Gables Doll and Fun Colour Copier.
Fisher-Price Canada is looking to maintain its position in the industry this year with a strong line of basic toys for children under the age of six.
Fisher-Price has made additions to its pre-school, crib and playpen lines, as well as to Puffalump Kids, Little People, Audio Visual and Ride-Ons groups.
Dino-Roars, plush dinosaurs that make a silly roar when squeezed, could be the Fisher-Price toy of the season.
Puffalump Dress-Up Babies, for children aged two and up, are billed as the perfect first dress-up doll and come with removable diaper and dress.
Bob McDonald, vice-president of marketing with Fisher-Price, says the company will promote its new toys with ads in consumer and trade magazines and a tv campaign that launched earlier this month.
The Canadian agency is Toronto-based FCB/Ronalds-Reynolds, which primarily handles placement and adaptation of u.s. creative from Waring & LaRosa of New York.
Hasbro Canada is a company that markets a wide range of well-known brand names such as Parker Brothers, Kenner, Tonka, Milton Bradley and Playskool.
Company spokesperson Donna Piasentini says Hasbro has built on its strong stable of classics such as Mr. Potato Head, G.I. Joe action figures, Monopoly from Parker Bros., Easy Bake Oven and the Playskool line-up for the under-six set.
Hasbro’s big seller for Christmas will be Puppy Surprise, a plush dog that reveals either three, four, or five puppies hidden in its tummy.
Griffin Bacal handles advertising and The Agency takes care of media and public relations. Both are Toronto companies.
