Toy Tuesday: Thunderbirds are Go!

This intro to the 1960s TV series Thunderbirds brings back fond memories from my childhood as well as my career in the toy industry.

I stumbled upon this article from io9.com, and it looks like Thunderbirds are coming back.

A fansite for Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson (titled Fanderson) is reporting that on the BBC Radio 5Live show creator Anderson confirmed that he has finalized a deal to make new Thunderbirds series.

All Anderson could say about the project is this, "I don't want to sound conceited, but because I'm going to make it... I'm confident that it will be a smash hit!" Which is understandable, since he has signed a confidentiality agreement with the BBC. BUT - the big question still hasn't been answered. Will there be puppets? And will the world embrace puppet theater once again? The people making the Muppet movie are certainly banking on the world's nostalgia for puppets, but Thunderbirds had a very different look. Our guess is the whole thing will be CG, which would be sad, hopefully it won't go that route.

Thunderbirds follows an International Rescue team who traveled the world in their various boats, submaries, spaceships, and planes righting the wrongs and saving the day. They were like team James Bond for kids.

In the mid 1990s at Tyco Toys, we had great success with Thunderbirds toys under the Matchbox brand in the UK and Canada, though we didn't get much traction in the US. Ten years later, Thunderbirds toys were back in Canada when I was working as Marketing Director at Irwin Toy. With (desperately needed) new entertainment coming, let's hope those working on the new Thunderbirds capitalize on all the cool technology that will bring the brand amazing special effects and lots of media formats.

Could whatever new bells and whistles are brought by today's technology be cooler than the original "Supermarionation"?

To a new generation of kids, "Thunderbirds are Go!"

Loblaws Marketing - Smart or Sleazy?

Loblaws' new approach to promoting their baked good as being made with grains is either brilliant or ridiculous, depending on your point of view. We all know that all baked goods are made with grains. Careful choice of words in their flyer copy has Loblaws' new "Go with the Grains" slogan supported by the claim that their products contain "wholesome grains," potentially confusing consumers with truly beneficial whole grains.

For many years I've been an admirer or Loblaws' approach to marketing, particularly with their no name and Presidents Choice house brands. Now, however, I'm a little suspicious of their claims, and their credibility is diminished in my eyes.

What do you think?

Toy Tuesday: Do we need a "movement" to get kids to play?

A recent headline in the New York Times reading "The Movement to Restore Children's Play Gains Momentum" piqued my curiosity and raises some interesting questions. Having spent two decades creating entertainment and "low tech" toys for kids, I was a little taken aback by the article, which states:

For several years, studies and statistics have been mounting that suggest the culture of play in the United States is vanishing. Children spend far too much time in front of a screen, educators and parents lament — 7 hours 38 minutes a day on average, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation last year. And only one in five children live within walking distance (a half-mile) of a park or playground, according to a 2010 report by the federal Centers for Disease Control, making them even less inclined to frolic outdoors.

Behind the numbers is adult behavior as well as children’s: Parents furiously tapping on their BlackBerrys in the living room, too stressed by work demands to tolerate noisy games in the background.

I was particularly surprised to learn that some elementary schools don't have recess because of safety concerns.

The article outlines many initiatives in both the US and Canada to promote imaginative play and to "teach children to play". While I applaud these programs, it's a little disconcerting that they're necessary at all. My experience in the toy industry says that kids will happily partake in "imaginative play" as long as the industry continues to do a good job of providing imaginatiave toys. I've always believed that parents are responsible for deciding how/when/with whom their children should play, and I suppose that these initiatives support parents who are otherwise unable to make it happen.

Toy Tuesday: GENERATIONS

It's been almost a year since I started this "Playful Disposition" blog, and on average, have posted about one item every week. I've focused on things that I think are interesting, or areas where I have a strong point of view. I hope you have enjoyed it.

Looking back, I'm struck by how our experiences give perspective to everything we do. These days, I'm often coming across people working in the industry (toys and kids' entertainment) who played with the toys that I developed, and realize that I have spent a whole generation in the industry.

The industry has changed dramatically since I first started, with most of the changes in the industry (and society) driven by technological advances. I'm looking forward to whatever the next generation is working on for 2011 and beyond.

Happy New Year!