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Toy Story Becomes UK’s Fifth-Largest Toy License

The NPD Group has reported that Toy Story has become the UK’s fifth-largest toy license, and the best selling movie-based license this year to date. Research from the group shows that licensed Toy Story 3 toys have sold an estimated £11m at retail in the UK during the first six months of 2010. Toy Story 2 toy sales in the UK totaled £7m over the comparable 25-week time period in 2000.

By category, Toy Story action figures topped the list of sales, representing almost one-third of all Toy Story toys sold in the UK. Other top categories included building sets, outdoors and sports toys, youth electronics, and games/puzzles.

Toy Story 3 released in the UK on Monday, July 19 (today).

The Juno Company to Release Board Book

The Juno Company is launching a publishing line, which will kick off with the release of Juno’s Musical ABCs board book. The board book takes children on a lyrical journey through the alphabet as they learn that “A is for applause” and “W is for waltz.” Author, actress, and model Brooke Shields will narrate the title, as well as three upcoming storybook CDs. For a limited time, with the purchase of the Juno’s Musical ABCs board book, consumers can register to download a free audio version from JunoBaby.com, which is narrated by Shields.

As with all Juno Baby products, for every storybook sold, the company will donate a special music education DVD to a child in need, as a part of its The One For All program.

Toynami to Debut New Lines at Comic Con

Toynami has been picked as the master toy licensee for UNKL, a designer vinyl toy line known for its characters such as UniPo, HazMaPo, and SUG. Toynami will debut three new toy lines at the San Diego Comic Con, held July 22-25. The lines will include characters such as SearchR for the SUG line; Viking, the premiere release in the new Dreamers line; and Gastro-Normous, the introductory character in the Dad Gummit Blobs line, which will be available for sale exclusively at Comic Con in limited-edition quantities.

UNKL has also signed a merchandise deal with Fifth Sun for a line of T-shirts and hoodies. Licensing Street is the exclusive worldwide licensing agent for UNKL.

Nickelodeon to Release Laurie Berkner Band DVD

Nickelodeon Home Entertainment has announced the release of a Laurie Berkner Band compilation DVD, which will be distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment and will be available in stores September 28. The DVD will include some of Berkner’s most popular songs, as well as music videos from performances on Jack’s Big Music Show. The DVD will run 44 minutes.

Laurie Berkner was the first children’s singer to appear in music videos on Nickelodeon. She has written two books and has released six CDs, as well as a quadruple-platinum-selling DVD.

Exclusive Zoobie Toy Released to Christian Bookstores

Zoobies, LLC and New Day Christian Distribution, a media and gift distributor to Christian bookstores, have partnered to release a Zoobie toy exclusive to the Christian bookstore market. The introduction of Lyric the Lamb will be followed by the distribution of other Zoobie items to Christian bookstores.

Report: Back to School Sales to Increase

According to 2010 sales forecasts, retailers should expect an increase in back-to-school season sales. The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) has predicted a sales increase of 5.4 percent for mid-July through mid-September, as opposed to the decline by .4 percent and 2.8 percent in 2008 and 2009, respectively. ICSC predicts that family clothing will have the strongest increase, at 6.5 percent, followed by electronics at 5 percent.

Additionally, the National Retail Federation’s 2010 Consumer Intentions and Actions Back to School survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found that the average American family will spend $606.40 on clothes, shoes, supplies, and electronics, compared to $548.72 last year and $594.24 in 2008. Total spending on school-aged children is expected to reach $21.35 billion.

The survey also found that spending on clothing, shoes, and electronics will take up the majority of consumer’s budgets, with 44.3 percent of consumers planning to spend more on store or generic brands. Additionally, the survey reported that teenagers are expected to spend slightly more of their own money on back to school items, $31.74 this year compared to $30.88 last year.

TIF Launches Charity Auction of New Star Wars Collector’s Item

The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) has launched a charity auction featuring the Star Wars AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) before it arrives in stores next month; proceeds will benefit TIF programs that support charities for at-risk, abused, abandoned, or ill children. The auction began July 14 and will run through July 19 at noon.

The auction features two of the new Star Wars AT-AT vehicles, donated by Hasbro. The multi-level vehicle is two feet tall, 28 inches long, and 12 inches wide, and can hold up to 20 Star Wars figures. Winners of the auction will have exclusive ownership for two weeks before the collector’s item is available for sale.

The auction is the latest in a series of initiatives to promote individual giving in support of the TIF’s philanthropic activities. The second annual “TIF Birthday Bids” auction, celebrating the anniversaries of characters and toys, will kick off in September.

Marshmallow Fun Company Debuts New Products

Marshmallow Fun Company introduces new products to complement its line of original Marshmallow Shooters, Blasters, Bow and Mallow, and Blower. Each new products can shoot mini marshmallows or regular-sized marshmallows approximately 25-30 feet.

The MForcer is a quarter of the size of the company’s flagship Marshmallow Shooter and perfect for the sneak attack. The compact toy is the first rapid-fire marshmallow shooter, able to shoot 15 consecutive mini-marshmallows after one quick pump.

The Marshmallow Stryker is also a compact shooter that is able to hold up to 15 mini-marshmallows at one time, and can shoot them up to 20 feet.

Users can set their target, draw back the bow string, and let marshmallows fly with the Marshmallow Cross Bow. The high-powered bow shoots large marshmallow, one at a time, up to 30 feet.

The Marshmallow Mazooka is the first battery-controlled launcher from the company. Aimers pull the trigger and the Mazooka launches regular-sized marshmallows approximately 30 feet. The Mazooka sits comfortably on a shoulder, and features a drop-down, illuminated cross-hair site to help users hit their target.

The Stryker, Cross Bow, and Mazooka is available in classic blue and red, or in camo styles.

Disney to Pay $269M in Damages to Millionaire Creator After Federal Trial

Last week, a federal jury awarded British-based Celador International, Ltd. $269.4 million in damages after unanimously finding that Disney subsidiaries ABC Television, Buena Vista Television, and Valleycrest Productions, Ltd., had breached their contract with the company to share profits from the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The lawsuit (Celador International, Ltd. v. Walt Disney Co.) was filed in 2004 after The Walt Disney Co. reported that Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, created by Celador, never made a profit and generated more than $70 million in losses for the company, although the game show took ABC from No. 4 to No. 1 in network rankings. Celador licensed rights to the game show to ABC Television and Buena Vista Television as part of a deal in which Celador would get 50 percent of the profits from the show.

The nine-member jury, after deliberating for two and a half days, found that the defendants breached the implied “covenant of good faith and fair dealing” they owed to Celador.

EU Committee Advises Commission on New Safety Assessment for Plastic Toys

According to Plastic & Rubber Weekly (PWR), the European Union’s (EU) Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks has advised the European Commission that safety assessments of plastic toys should consider overall risk and take account of their likely uses, rather than just focus on the toxicity of substances in the products. The advisory was issued following a request from the commission for guidance on the toys safety directive.