Toys Will Be Toys
Will kids want to enter Barbie’s dreamy world via computer, nurture a new virtual pet, walk and talk with Big Bird or beat up bad guys with movie action figures?
That’s the question facing some of the world’s top toy makers as they prepare to unveil their latest creations at this year’s American International Toy Fair, which starts Monday. Some 1,700 exhibitors from 23 countries will show off this year’s toys during the eight-day event.
Attending the trade show are buyers from influential retail chains whose decisions will determine what ends up on store shelves later this year.
An early look at the toy industry’s latest innovations shows that manufacturers are sticking with categories that have been successful in recent years. Toys based on movies and TV shows, updated versions of traditional toys, and high-tech versions of popular toys remain top priorities for toy manufacturers in 1998.
While many manufacturers seem to be playing it safe, a few are taking risks. In a bid to tear older boys from video games, Denmark-based Lego plans to launch Lego Mindstorm, a line of robotics toys intended for kids 11 and up. By programming a microcomputer with their own computers, robots can be built and ordered to move around obstacles or follow a trail. The set is pricier than some video game systems, retailing for $200.
The toy industry generally is coming off a good year, with strong sales of electronic virtual pets, licensed merchandise such as “Star Wars” action heroes and classics such as Hot Wheels and Barbie.
The Toy Manufacturers of America will release the industry’s 1997 financial results on Monday, but analysts estimate the overall growth somewhere between 5% and 9%, well ahead of inflation and retail sales overall.
“It will turn out a bit better than I had expected because virtual pets took off at independent retailers,” said Jill S. Krutick, an analyst with Salomon Smith Barney.
Given such results, it is not surprising the industry isn’t tinkering with success. Licensed playthings, which account for about half of all toy sales, are out in force this year, led by action figures based on the upcoming TriStar Pictures release, “Godzilla.”
TriStar Pictures and its consumer products division, Sony Signatures, will make a big push with its “Godzilla” toys, based on the much-anticipated film scheduled for a summer release.
Hasbro Inc. has high hopes for its “Teletubbies” plush toys, based on a British television hit that will debut in the United States this spring on PBS.
The nation’s No. 2 toy maker is also betting on Steven Spielberg’s “Small Soldiers” to be this summer’s movie blockbuster and will introduce a line of action figures based on characters from the film.
“You have your classic good-versus-evil theme, and boys will be able to re-create stories at home,” said Ginger Kent, Hasbro’s president of global brands and product development.
Appealing to baby boomers by offering updated versions of classic toys continues to be another key strategy for manufacturers.
Hasbro, for instance, plans to promote the 35th birthday of the Easy-Bake Oven, while Mattel Inc. will promote the 30th anniversary of Hot Wheels.
Tyco Preschool, a division of Mattel, is following last year’s hit--Sing & Snore Ernie--with an assortment of Sesame Street Walk & Talk characters: Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster. The plush characters, clad in sneakers, are designed to walk and talk on command. They will retail for $30 and arrive at stores in July.
“Sesame Street is an evergreen product,” said Neil Friedman, president of Tyco Toys. “Today’s parents grew up with Sesame Street and feel comfortable with the characters because they know they’re wholesome.”
The industry is betting interactive and high-tech toys will continue to sell.
El Segundo-based Mattel, which had a hit with a Barbie computer program that allowed girls to make clothes for the doll, plans several launches in this category, including Barbie DigiCam and My Interactive Pooh.
With Barbie DigiCam, girls use a digital camera to snap photos, then enter Barbie’s world by importing the photos into their computers. When Barbie pulls up in a red convertible and asks the girl if she’d like to join her for a ride, the girl can pop her picture next to Barbie’s. The DigiCam is slated for a fall arrival and will sell for about $65.
My Interactive Pooh is a plush Winnie the Pooh bear that talks and sings to kids, calling them by name and remembering personal information about them. The toy, which also requires a computer, arrives this fall and will sell for about $100.
