Spin Master

This article is about the children's entertainment company. For the arcade game, see Spinmaster.
Spin Master Ltd.
Private
Industry Toys, television series
Genre Children's Entertainment
Founded 1994
Founder Ronnen Harary, Anton Rabie, Ben Varadi
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Area served
 world wide
Number of employees
 >900 (2011)
Website Spinmaster.com

Spin Master is a toy company that has been designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer products for children around the world since 1994. Its brands include Bakugan, Air Hogs, Aquadoodle and Tech Deck. Spin Master employs over 900 people with offices in eight countries.

The company has also marked an entry into children's media with the launch of Spin Master Entertainment, a television company that has produced PAW Patrol and Little Charmers.

History

Three college friends from Western Ivey Business School, Ronnen Harary, Anton Rabie and Ben Varadi, founded Spin Master with $10,000 in Toronto in 1994.[1] The company's first product, Earth Buddies, was a small head made out of Kmart pantyhoses and grass seeds, which grew "hair" when watered. The Earth Buddy went on to sell over 26,000 units.

Spin Master's first major success came in 1998 with the launch of the Air Hogs brand, and its first item, the Sky Shark. Developed from the prototype provided by inventors John Dixon and Peter Manning, the Sky Shark was a foam plane that used compressed air to enable outdoor flight. Product development took over two years and more than $500,000,[2] but ended up generating $103 million in revenue over the next few years.

However, Spin Master's largest property to date was Bakugan, a card game developed around plastic marbles which popped open to reveal anime-style characters. Developed in conjunction with Sega Toys, Sega Corp and marketed through the Bakugan TV show (TMS Entertainment, Nelvana Inc.), Bakugan reached almost $1 billion in yearly sales.[3]

Current brands

  • Air Hogs
  • Aquadoodle
  • Kinetic Sand
  • PAW Patrol
  • Little Charmers
  • Meccano
  • Sick Bricks
  • Flutterbye Fairy
  • Spin Master Games
  • Spy Gear
  • Tech Deck
  • Zoomer

Spin Master Entertainment

In 2008, Spin Master partnered with Cartoon Network to create "multi-category consumer products programs for Spin Master's portfolio of brands." They won the 2009 Toy of the Year award for Bakugan.[4] Spin Master is also the co-producer of an animated TV series called Redakai: Conquer the Kairu.[5]

Air Hogs

Air Hogs was launched in 1999 with the Sky Shar. Specializing in low price, simple to fly airplanes and helicopters the Air Hogs line has evolved to include air and ground vehicles. Air Hogs products are sold and distributed in over 50 countries worldwide.

Zoomer

Introduced in 2014, Zoomer is a robotic dog that won "Innovative Toy of the Year" at the Toy Industry Association's ToTY Awards in 2014. Zoomer Dino won the 2015 ToTY for "Boy Toy of the Year" and "Overall Toy of the Year."[6]

Also part of the Zoomer line are Zoomer Zuppies and Zoomer Chomplingz, smaller, low price point versions of their large counterparts. These smaller Zoomer items feature much of the same technology and interactivity as their larger counterparts.

Meccano

Acquired by Spin Master in 2013, Meccano (known as Erector Set in the USA) is a European construction brand with over 100 years of history. Spin Master has continued to manufacture and operate Meccano out of their European headquarters. Sets range from multi-build sets, architectural builds, and a build your own R/C car set. In 2015 the company introduced Meccanoid, an open source robotic building platform that allows children to build a four foot tall robot that can speak, move, and interact using a number of technologies.

PAW Patrol

PAW Patrol is an original series produced by Spin Master Entertainment, now airing in over 50 countries worldwide, and up to 14 times per week in the United States. PAW Patrol is a TV series for preschoolers in North America.

Spin Master Games

Spin Master Games is the board game division of the company and includes titles such as:

Sick Bricks

Sick Bricks is a free-to-play video game and integrated line of collectible mini figures and construction sets. It won one of Techlicious’ 2015 Best of Toy Fair Awards [8]

Spy Gear

Acquired in November 2012 from Wild Planet,[9] Spy Gear is a line of spy-themed toys and role play items that aim to empower and inspire kids to become spies themselves. Products are categorized as either Surveillance, Communication, Security, and Spy Essentials.

In 2013 Spy Gear was a McDonalds Happy Meal Partner, winner of an Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, and winner of the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval.

Liv Dolls

Spin Master was once a boy toy market. They had action figures, like Bakugan, but lacked a fashion doll. In 2006, they tried a fashion robot that could move by itself, but this had poor results. They almost gave up, until they finally came up with a new line that was launched in fall 2009: a girl toy line, Liv World [10] The characters are Sophie, Katie, Alexis, Daniela, Hayden,and Jake.

In spring 2012, Spin Master announced that due to high competition and low sales, the Liv World doll line would be discontinued in the fall; it is reportedly to be replaced by La Dee Da.

Lines/Waves

2009

2010

2011

2012

NASCAR Toys

In late 2011, Spin Master released a bunch of NASCAR Toys including replica cars, haulers, and pull back race cars. This marks the return of NASCAR in the toys isles since late 2010 when Action pulled the plug.

NASCAR Collectible 1/64 cars available

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2011

2012

2013

2014

2011

La Dee Da

Released in summer 2012, La Dee Da is a new fashion brand set to replace Liv World, which is said to be discontinued in fall. The line features a young city girl named Dee and her friends, Tylie, Cyanne and Sloane, who started their own fashion label of the same name. They are fashion designers and always get inspirations everywhere they go and see in which is the theme of their new outfits. The character Dee also has a pet who shares the same taste for fashion, Le Bun. "Dee-sign Time" is often used for this style of fashion design. La Dee Da Dolls have been discontinued due to low profits.

Rowdy Shouty Chic is the official tagline.

Characters

External links

Brand Sites

References

  1. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/24/business/fi-20523
  2. ↑ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/how-spin-master-got-its-mojo-back/article22639332/
  3. ↑ http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/spin-master-joins-digital-gaming-ranks
  4. ↑ Turner Newsroom 2010
  5. ↑ TV by the Numbers 2011
  6. ↑ http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/02/14/706456/10120248/en/Zoomer-Dino-Wins-Big-at-Annual-Toy-of-the-Year-Awards-Ceremony.html
  7. ↑ http://www.toyassociation.org/Events2/TOTY_Awards/2014_TOTY_Winners.aspx#.VSVDD_nF9Fo
  8. ↑ http://www.techlicious.com/blog/techlicious-2015-best-of-toy-fair-awards/
  9. ↑ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spin-master-ltd-acquires-key-brands-from-wild-planet-180822851.html
  10. ↑ Turner Newsroom 2010