Martin Yaffe to Produce ZingZillas Wheeled Toys

BBC Worldwide has appointed new licensees for the CBeebies’ new musical preschool series, ZingZillas. Martin Yaffe has been picked to produce a range of wheeled toys for the brand. Other new licensees include Character World for ZingZillas bedding ranges, DNC for lunchware and melamine items, Trademark Collection for children’s bags and umbrellas, and Danilo for greeting cards and gift-wrap. The new products are slated to hit retailers this fall/winter.
ZingZillas premiered on April 5. BBC has already secured 14 licensees, including the master toy licensee, Vivid Imaginations.

Dentsu, Inc. Forms New Entertainment and Licensing Subsidiary

Dentsu, Inc. has established a new company, Dentsu Entertainment USA, Inc., to develop original content, cultivate global joint ventures with entertainment companies in North America, and globally expand sales of content-related licenses. The new company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dentsu, Inc., located in Santa Monica, Calif.
Just over two years ago, Dentsu, Inc. decided it would develop original animation and character-related content, and expand licensing for movies, toys, and other merchandise on a global scale. Dentsu Entertainment USA will handle licensing for Chub City (toys), Deltora Quest (animation), and Mameshiba, which are original characters developed by Dentsu, Inc.
Additionally, the new company has partnered with JAKKS Pacific to jointly produce an animated TV series and a line of boys’ toys based on the original property Monsuno, set to launch in 2011 in North America, Europe, and Asia. Later this month, the two companies will also form a joint venture to manage the Monsuno licensing business and expand it worldwide.

DBG to Represent Professional Bowling Association

The Dimensional Branding Group (DBG) was chosen as the licensing agency for the Professional Bowling Association. The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional 10-pin bowling in the United States. DBG will develop various consumer product licensing initiatives with the PBA in the toy and game, interactive (console), apparel, and novelty categories.

New Animated Series for Spider-Man

Marvel Entertainment has announced a new animated series for Spider-Man. Ultimate Spider-Man launches in fall 2011 on Disney XD. The new series will chronicle the adventures of naive high-schooler Peter Parker as he comes to grips with his new powers. Along with his new powers, the challenge for the young web-slinger in the new series is balancing his relationships with his friends and family and his super colleagues who can help him gain an understanding of his parent’s legacy and his destiny. Check out more at Marvel.com.

CPSC Proposes Rules Regarding CPSIA

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff has proposed a rule to the Commission that establishes requirements for a testing program and for various testing requirements for children's products, such as testing random samples, and verifying compliance and safeguarding against undue influence on third party testing facilities. The proposed legislation also allows manufacturers to label products as compliant with CPSC safety requirements.
The CPSC has also proposed a rule that establishes conditions and requirements for testing component parts of consumer products. 
A third proposed rule is being considered, regarding the development of a publicly accessible, searchable database on the safety of consumer products and other products or substances regulated by the CPSC.
Earlier this month, the Commission voted unanimously to publish a proposed rule that provides interpretive guidance on a definition of consumer products that are “primarily children's products” under the CPSIA.
For more news on recent proposed and published rules, click here.

TIA to Host Webinar on Environmental Marketing

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) will host a one-hour, environmental marketing webinar this Wednesday, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT. “The FTC and Environmental Marketing Claims: An Overview for the Toy Industry” webinar will discuss the promotion of “green” attributes in products and services.
Laura Koss, a senior attorney in the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s division of enforcement, will provide an overview of the commission’s role in helping marketers avoid making unfair or deceptive environmental claims. The FTC helps ensure that environmental advertisements are truthful, substantiated, and not confusing to consumers. Koss will also discuss the general principles of the FTC’s advertising law, and the webinar will feature a question and answer session.
For more information, visit the TIA’s website at www.toyassociation.org.

Sandbox Summit Panels and Speakers Announced

Preparation for the 2010 Sandbox Summit, “iPlay, YouPlay, WiiPlay: How Play is Changing Media and Media is Changing Play,” is gearing up with the announcement of two panels, and the keynote speaker.
Henry Jenkins, provost professor of communication, journalism, and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, kicks off the summit with his keynote speech, “Toying with Transmedia: The Future of Entertainment is Child’s Play.” The speech will take a close look at Hollywood’s recognition of the larger implications of playing stories, images, and sounds across multiple media channels.
Alice Cahn, VP of social responsibility at Cartoon Network, will lead an interactive panel on the transformation of traditional television to a 24/7 medium. Panelists will include Terry Fitzpatrick, EVP of distribution at Sesame Workshop; 17-year-old future broadcast journalist Nick Gnat; Justin Johnson, creative services lead at Next New Networks; and Brigid Sullivan, SVP interactive and children's media at WGBH Boston.
“Inside Online Games: Why Kids Obsess Over Farmville and Other Lessons from the Field,” will be moderated by Alex Chisholm, executive director and co-founder of Learning Games Network. The panel will bring together Eric Klopher, director of MIT Education Arcade; Mitchel Resnick, professor of learning research, MIT Media Lab; and Constance Steinkuehler, assistant professor of curriculum & instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The 2010 Sandbox Summit is presented by the MIT Education Arcade. The event will be held from May 18-19 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.

World of Toys Redesigns Website with Worldwide Market and Show Info

Spielwarenmesse eG has re-launched its World of Toys website, www.world-of-toys.org.  The redesigned site provides more information about worldwide trading platforms and background knowledge on the industry’s international sales channels.
At the website, visitors can view toy market statistics, general market trends and developments, and trade show information for Europe, India, Japan, and Russia, as well as for the Middle East, North America, South America, and Asia-Pacific regions.
For more information or to subscribe to the World of Toys’ newsletter, visit www.world-of-toys.org.

Toy Russia Information

In last week’s Toy Report we printed an incorrect link for information about Toy Russia. For more information about this trade show, visit www.toy-russia.com.

JPMA Executive Joins International Baby Planners Association Board

Michael Dwyer, executive director at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), has been appointed to the International Baby Planners Association (IBPA) Trusted Advisory Board for 2010-2011.
Dwyer will work with an esteemed list of colleagues on the board to bring awareness to the baby planning industry and aim to strengthen the credibility of the profession. Dwyer and other experts help baby planners provide high quality service and give up-to-date industry knowledge to help new families globally in areas such as child safety, maternity, pregnancy, non-toxic baby products, pediatrics, business, and marketing.
To learn more about IBPA, visit http://internationalbabyplanners.com.

RC2 Appoints Execs to New Positions

RC2 Corporation has named Gregory J. Kilrea as executive vice president; he will also retain his position as COO. Kilrea joined RC2 in 2004 and has served as senior vice president of planning and corporate development, as well as in various management roles including COO since 2007.
RC2 has also named Jamie A. Kieffer as its chief marketing officer, expanding his current role as senior vice president of marketing.
Kieffer joined RC2 in 2008 and heads all marketing efforts including the company’s digital, consumer, trade, and brand marketing areas. Prior to joining RC2, Kieffer was an executive at Leo Burnett.

Former Disney Licensing Director Joins CPLG Canada

Al Fedrigoni, former director of licensing at the Walt Disney Company Canada, has joined CPLG Canada as senior licensing director. Fedrigoni will handle the company’s top TV brands including Johnny Test, Inspector Gadget, The Latest Buzz, and Totally Spies. He will also oversee book properties such as The World of Eric Carle and Richard Scarry, and continue to build the design brand It’s Happy Bunny, which the company expects to hit $1 billion in sales in 2010. 

Mattel Reports First Quarter 2010 Results

Mattel, Inc. has reported its 2010 first quarter financial results. For the quarter, the company reported net income of $24.8 million, or $0.07 per share, compared to last year’s first quarter net loss of $51.0 million, or $0.14 per share.
For the quarter, net sales were $880.1 million, up 12 percent compared to $785.6 million last year. First quarter gross sales increased 12 percent in both the U.S. and international markets. Operating income for the quarter was $45.2 million, compared to prior year’s operating loss for the quarter of $55.2 million.

Hasbro Reports First Quarter 2010 Results

Hasbro, Inc. has reported 2010 first quarter results. The company reported net revenues of $672.4 million, an increase of $51 million or 8 percent, compared to $621.3 million a year ago. First quarter 2010 net revenues grew 5 percent excluding the positive $20.4 million impact of foreign exchange. The company reported net earnings for the quarter of $58.9 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, an increase of $39.2 million compared to $19.7 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in 2009. First quarter 2010 net earnings were $0.26 per diluted share excluding a favorable tax adjustment of $21.2 million, or $0.14 per share.
U.S. and Canada segment net revenues were $424.7 million, an increase of $20.2 million or 5 percent, compared to $404.5 million in 2009. The U.S. and Canada segment reported an operating profit of $61.1 million compared to $41.6 million in 2009.

GHS Dutton Initiates Coverage of Pacific Entertainment

Pacific Entertainment Corporation, creators of the Baby Genius brand, has announced that GHS Dutton initiated coverage of the company on March 31.
A report published by GHS Dutton states Pacific Entertainment is on the verge of significant brand expansion that may lead to meaningful organic growth from the company’s brand licensing initiative.
Last year, Pacific Entertainment appointed Battat as the master toy licensee for its Baby Genius brand.
To access the complete report from GHS Dutton, click here and then click on the “Research” tab.