Spin Master

Spin Master Corp.

Type	Public Company
Traded as	TSX: TOY
Industry	Toys, television series
Genre	Children's Entertainment
Founded	1994
Founder	Ronnen Harary, Anton Rabie, Ben Varadi
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Area served	Global
Key people	Ronnen Harary and Anton Rabie (co-CEOs)
Number of employees	over 1,000 (2015)[1]
Divisions	Spin Master Games Spin Master Entertainment Spin Master Outdoors Spin Master International
Subsidiaries	Swimways Corporation[2] Marbles[3] DV Giochi Toca Boca[4]
Website	Spinmaster.com

Spin Master is a Canadian global toy and entertainment company that has been designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer products for children around the world since 1994. Its brands include Bakugan, Meccano, Air Hogs, PAW Patrol, Aquadoodle, TGR, Tech Deck and 2015 Toy of the Year, Zoomer Dino. Spin Master employs over 1000 people globally with offices in Canada, United States, Mexico, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.^[5]

Since 2002, Spin Master has received 82 TIA Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 24 wins across a variety of product categories. Spin Master has been recognized with 13 TOTY nominations for Innovative Toy of the Year, more than any other company.^[6]

In 2007, the company launched Spin Master Entertainment, a media division that develops and produces global entertainment properties, characters and content. Spin Master Entertainment has produced five television series, including Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Little Charmers and its current hit PAW Patrol, which is broadcast in over 160 countries and territories globally. In 2014 Spin Master Entertainment launched a news broadcast named TGR.

In 2016, The Ohio Art Company announced that they sold its Etch A Sketch and Doodle Sketch brands to Spin Master.^[7][8]

In January 2016 Spin Master announced the acquisition of DV Giochi, an Italian board game publisher founded in 1936 with a large portfolio of board games including Bang!, Word Up, Lvel 9, The Game among others.^[9]

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.^[10] 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,^[11] 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.^[12]

Products, Works, and Brands

• Air Hogs
• Aquadoodle
• Kinetic Sand
• PAW Patrol
• Little Charmers
• Rusty Rivets
• Meccano/Erector Set
• Hatchimals
• Spin Master Games
• Spy Gear
• Tech Deck
• Zoomer
• Cool Brands
• Bunchems
• Etch A Sketch
• DV Giochi

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.^[13] Spin Master is also the co-producer of an animated TV series called Redakai: Conquer the Kairu.^[14] Spin Master Entertainment has produced five television series, including Little Charmers, Rusty Rivets, and their major hits Bakugan Battle Brawlers and PAW Patrol.

TGR is a news broadcast program produced by Spin Master Entertainment. This news broadcast presents PAW Patrol.

Air Hogs

Air Hogs was launched in 1999 with the Sky Shark. 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.^[15] Zoomer Dino won the 2015 ToTY for "Boy Toy of the Year" and "Overall Toy of the Year."^[16]

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, a robotic building platform that allows children to build a four foot tall robot that can speak, move, and interact using a number of technologies.

Spin Master Games

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

• Boom Boom Balloon - Winner of 2014 "Game of the Year" from the Toy Industry Association ^[17] Push sticks from an outside frame into a balloon until it pops. The loser is determined by who pops the balloon.^[18]
• Pop Stream - A movie trivia game integrating hundreds of movie clips. It is unlike Scene It because there is a head to head team aspect with wagering points and a game show like feel to it. Played with a smart tablet.^[19]
• RapiDoodle - A fast drawing imagination game where players doodle 4 images on pre-selected shapes trying not to match anyone else playing, under 1 minute.^[20]
• Quick Cups - A fast-paced pattern game. A card is flipped over; the player's job is to match the colored pattern with 5 colored cups as quickly as possible.^[21]
• Hedbanz - An interactive game where players try to guess the gard on their head by asking yes/no questions. Variations include Act Up - charades style play, Disney Hedbanz - licensed Disney Characters included, and Hedbanz for Adults - a more difficult version of Hedbanz.^[22]
• The Logo Board Game - A family board game that tests players knowledge of logos in various ways.^[23]
• Paw Patrol Adventure Game - A preschool game that sends players on an adventure, playing as licensed Paw Patrol characters ^[24]
• Perplexus - A one player challenging 3D labyrinth inside a clear sphere. Twist the sphere in all directions to maneuver the small metal ball through the many obstacles. Versions include: Rookie, Original, Epic, Twist, Warp, and Star Wars Death Star.^[25]
• Moustache Smash - A fast-paced interactive game where players hold a plastic moustache up to their face until a card appears showing their shape or color. When that happens, the first to smash their moustache on the card wins it.^[26]
• Beat the Parents - A kids v. parents trivia game in which teams answer generation-defining questions about the opposite generation. Available in board game and card game versions.^[27]
• Quelf - A completely random game where players pick cards and follow them to move ahead. The cards range from answering crazy questions to performing ridiculous stunts.^[28]
• Family Challenge - A family game where players compete in 4 categories of challenges: Vision, Agility, Smarts, and Luck in order to see which team is the ultimate winners. Over 100 challenges included.^[29]
• Battle of the Sexes - A male v. female trivia game in which teams answer gender-defining questions about the opposite sex.^[30]
• Heads Up! - A fast-paced party game where players try to guess as many words on their heads as they can before a minute runs out. Other players assist by shouting clues to help the player score as many cards as possible. Featured on Ellen.^[31]
• Shark Mania - A fast-paced race to the end, where players compete against opponents to collect the most treasure while avoiding the shark perpetually destroying the path behind them.^[32]

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.^[33]

The core of Sick Bricks exists as an action RPG title available on Android and iOS which encourages players to "beam" physical figurines into the digital game ^[34] using the camera on their mobile device. Players can create new versions of existing figurines by physically combining different parts (e.g. arms, legs, head) and then scanning the resulting character into the game.

Spy Gear

Acquired in November 2012 from Wild Planet,^[35] 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 McDonald's 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 ^[36] The characters are Sophie, Katie, Alexis, Daniela, Hayden,and more.

Lines/Waves

NASCAR Collectibles

In late 2011, Spin Master released a bunch of NASCAR Toys including replica 1/64th scale cars, haulers, pull back cars, remote control cars, and Bashers. This marks the return of NASCAR in the retail toy aisles since late 2010 when Action pulled the plug. In late 2015, it was then seen in stores that Lionel Racing had taken over NASCAR Authentics, ending Spin Master's 5-year run.

La Dee Da

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.

Rowdy Shouty Chic is the official tagline.

Characters

• Dee - The 16-year-old lead designer of La Dee Da. Creative and caring, she absolutely loves fashion design and her friends; she also believes that her sketchbook, her pincushion-like bracelet, and her pet dog, Le Bun, are her very important inspiration tools. Her signature color is red, as this is her favorite color, and as with her birthstone, ruby. She loves epic accessories and stand-out colors in her designs and fashions.
• Tylie - The 15-year-old jewelry maker of the line. Energetic and smart, she is quite intelligent about a design and always favors new ones. She also hates boredom, which means she could be impatient and can easily get upset at times. Her birthstone is amethyst, and her favorite color is hot pink, which implies she loves bold colors and her designs and fashions usually stand out from her friends'.
• Cyanne - Also 15 years old, she is the hair and makeup artist of the group. Sweet and ladylike, she loves skirts, stylish shoes, and stand-out makeup. She is also resourceful, as she states to have perfected a handmade wash-away hair color. Her birthstone is diamond, and her favorite color is aqua, which implies that since she loves to sparkle, she loves dramatic looks that are typically in shades of blue.
• Sloane - Also 16 years old, she is the stylist of the label. Intelligent and cool-headed, she loves putting together new outfits and tearing out magazine pieces for inspiration for a new look. A great thinker, she is also an excellent problem solver. She likes the color purple and animal prints, and her birthstone is emerald, which implies that she has a taste for designs that are usually suggested by African-American people.
• Le Bun - Dee's pup. He shares a love for fashion with his owner and is really fun and entertaining to be around. Whatever Dee has any leftover fabric, she uses to create Le Bun stylish outfits. With an eye for style like Dee, he also has a very keen sense of smell.

References

External links

• Spin Master Official Website

Brand Sites

• Air Hogs Website
• Chatsters Website
• Flutterbye Website
• Sick Bricks Website
• Paw Patrol Website
• Zoomer Website
• Zoomer Dino Website
• Meccano Website
• Spin Master Games
• Spy Gear Website
• Perplexus Website
• DigiBirds Website
• Sew Cool Website
• Wackytivities Website
• Tech Deck Website