Mattel Unveils 2012 Toy Portfolio Taking Global Brands to New Platforms and Play Patterns

Published on Friday, 10 February 2012 06:09 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.-( Business Wire )-

At the 2012 New York International Toy Fair, leading toymaker Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) will showcase its newest toys that transcend the traditional playroom and deliver deeper ways for kids and families to engage with their favorite brands including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Monster High® and Fisher-Price®. From redefining toy-based storytelling to leveraging age-appropriate technologies, Mattel’s “brand portfolio” puts the future of play in the hands of kids today.

“Families want toys that fulfill a fun play experience while also expanding children’s imaginations in clever and exciting ways,” says Chuck Scothon, SVP, Marketing, Mattel’s North America Division. “Our iconic brands not only transcend generations, they extend beyond the play room to deliver rich content on today’s multiple entertainment platforms.”

Technology: It IS child’s play

Merging age-appropriate technologies and traditional play patterns, Mattel continues to deliver meaningful content and innovative play at a price point that maintains the integrity of a product. From integrated digital cameras to toys that interact with tablets and smartphones, the line between the two worlds continues to blur.

“Today’s children do not differentiate between toy and device as technology is expected in their favorite playthings,” said Scothon. “What Mattel brings to this convergence is a rich understanding of both the art and science of play.”

To complement its global powerhouse of brands, Mattel infuses play into your tablet with something no one else can – the industry’s top global powerhouse brands combined with rich content for an immersive play experience with Apptivity™. Featuring proprietary technology, Apptivity™ allows kids to take a physical toy and safely play with it on the screen of an iPad®.

Beginning with Hot Wheels Apptivity™ which lets kids take a 1:64 scale Hot Wheels car and race through three exciting game mode in May, Mattel will introduce Apptivity™ to even the youngest techies-in-training with Fisher-Price’s® Laugh & Learn™ Apptivity™Monkey. The Laugh & Learn™ Apptivity™ Monkey is an interactive plush learning toy for babies that also lets them enjoy their very own apps on mom or dad’s iPhone® or iPod® touch device. Toddlers can squeeze monkey's hands and feet to interact with the app, which teaches baby about colors, numbers, animals and much more. Mattel will introduce Barbie®, Monster High®, WWE®, Angry Birds, Cut the Rope™ and Fruit Ninja™ later in the year.

Combining fashion and photos with a simple click, Barbie® Photo Fashion™ Doll is actually a digital camera and Barbie® doll’s tee-shirt serves as the canvas. Girls can showcase pre-loaded graphics or take their own pictures and display them on Barbie® doll’s tee. Girls who loved Fijit Friends® will love the innovative nurturing play of Fijit Friends® Yippits™. These dynamic dancing pets perform tricks when played with so girls can nurture, teach tricks and discover the spontaneous play that comes with the fun, unpredictability of Yippits™.

Preschoolers who want to take their favorite content on the go will delight in the super-cool, kid-friendly Kid-Tough® Portable DVR that connects directly to a TV and set top box to record children’s favorite TV shows. The Kid-Tough Portable DVR gives parents and preschoolers the best of both worlds: parents can maximize TV content they’re already paying for at home and preschoolers can take their favorite TV shows along for the ride – on road trips, flights, family vacations – or wherever their adventures take them.

Customization and Collectability

When traditional toys incorporate a creative, customizable element – imaginations run wild. From designing fashions to entire fashion dolls, Mattel keeps the category engaging for girls of all ages. We know kids love to collect, and this year, we are offering boys a cool, new take on vehicle play.

The Barbie® Design & Dress Studio™ comes with everything a girl needs to create customized fashions for Barbie® including, cloth dress templates, stencils, fabric markers and decorative stickers. For the Monster High® fans who have been designing and sharing their own creepy cool creations via UGC comes the Monster High® Create-A-Monster Design Lab. Girls can assemble even more customized Monster High® ghouls by taking “body parts” from the Create-A-Monster kits or special Add-on Accessory Packs then placing them in the Design Lab to apply any of the desired “skins.”

For the first time, Hot Wheels® goes from vehicle to “spherical,” with Hot Wheels® Ballistiks™ creating new, outrageous stunts utilizing 1:64 scale cars. In today’s world, consumers have come to expect instant results, and this is no different for kids. Ballistiks quickly transforms from a Hot Wheels vehicle into a ball and back again for endless play experiences.

The Art of Story Telling

Which came first – the story or the toy? This year, Mattel can answer “yes” to both. From adding characters to car play and a DVD to doll play, content will continue to drive imaginations and fashion storylines for both boys and girls.

Inspired by the real-life crew of Team Hot Wheels™ drivers who will star in 20 webisodes in 2012, the Team Hot Wheels™ Double Dare Snare™ stunt set allows boys to race 1:64-scale Hot Wheels® side-by-side down a twisty track, through a hair-raising loop and over a jump at the edge of a steep canyon. This fall, Monster High™ and Universal Pictures will release its first direct-to-DVD movie, Monster High^™: Ghouls Rule!, that features all of the beloved student bodies and their quest to take back Halloween. Rooted in the dynamic storytelling moments of the DVD, Monster High® will parallel the launch with freaky fab fashion dolls Clawdeen Wolf^®, Frankie Stein®, Draculaura® and Cleo De Nile®. And after 10 years of entertainment, Barbie® is coming out with her first “sea-quel™” and 23^rd direct-to-DVD title, “Barbie™: A Mermaid Tale 2.”

Fisher-Price continues to bring to life the magic of children’s favorite programming through its longstanding licensor partnerships with Disney and Nickelodeon and newly acquired HIT Entertainment, which includes iconic brands Thomas & Friends^®, Barney^® and Bob the Builder^®. Children can recreate scenes from their favorite shows and connect with beloved characters through imaginative role play toys like Master Moves Mickey, Jake’s Musical Pirate Ship Bucky, Fantastic Gymnastics Dora, Come & Get Us!™ Counting UmiCar, Thomas & Friends® TrackMaster™ Risky Rails Bridge Drop and Thomas & Friends® Steam ‘n Speed™ RC Thomas to deepen their overall play experience.

Additionally, Mattel partners with entertainment powerhouses to bring characters from the big and small screen to the toy box. This summer, Batman in The Dark Knight Rises, from Warner Bros. Pictures, will fly into theatres and toy shelves with dynamic action figures and vehicles. For the first time, boys will be able to quickly transform their character favorites with Batman The Dark Knight Rises Quicktek™ Figure Assortment for a play experience that happens at the speed of a super hero. From Disney•Pixar’s Brave, a new animated feature about grand adventure set in the mysterious highlands of Scotland, Mattel introduces the Brave Merida Doll, inspired by the film’s courageous young heroine with fiery red hair and spirit to match. Twelve million viewers tune into the action-packed storylines of WWE® programming each week and this year Mattel turns its Superstars into mom-friendly WWE® Brawlin’ Buddies™. These pillow Superstars bring the ring home but keep the moves safe.

For Mattel and Fisher-Price Toy Fair gallery b-roll and photos please visit www.mattelbrandsmedia.com. Check out Fisher-Price on Twitter @FPToyFair and follow Mattel on Twitter @MattelNews. Consumers can also visit www.MattelShop.com for more information. Please note credentials are required to attend all press events in the Mattel showroom.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) (www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica® and Hot Wheels® RC, as well as Fisher-Price® brands, including Thomas & Friends®, Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2012, Mattel was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the fifth year in a row. Mattel also is ranked among Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" and the "World's Most Ethical Companies." With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 28,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. At Mattel, we are "Creating the Future of Play." Follow Mattel on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mattel

BARBIE, MONSTER HIGH and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by Mattel, Inc.

© 2012 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

™ & © DC Comics.

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