Steve’s breakdown: Having worked the floor of Toy Fair many times I can tell you the new business opportunities are in the trends not the brands. For example, as plush and tech keeps getting paired up in more and more toys, look for more experiential play stores to pop up.
Here’s the Toy Fair rundown from Robin Raskin 0f Living in [...]
Posts in category Industry: Toys & games
Land of opportunity: Toy Fair 2013
Steve’s breakdown: Having worked the floor of Toy Fair many times I can tell you the new business opportunities are in the trends not the brands. For example, as plush and tech keeps getting paired up in more and more toys, look for more experiential play stores to pop up.
Here’s the Toy Fair rundown from Robin Raskin 0f Living in [...]
Sky Bet goes all in on advertising review
https://vimeo.com/49609060
Steve’s breakdown:”Agencies are vying to gain a place on the BSkyB roster after Sky Bet, its gambling division, put its advertising account up for pitch.”
ISLEWORTH, UK: Sky Bet: has worked with WCRS, which created the ‘excitement of uncertainty’ TV spot
The company has approached both roster an [...]
PokerStars deals ad brief
Steve’s breakdown: Last year, PokerStars acquired its rival Full Tilt Poker in a $731 million deal so this account will be significant. Plus they are coming back to America.
The featured video was banned!
DOUGLAS, Isle of Man: PokerStars is talking to UK agencies about an advertising brief to promote the online poker site.
Agency sourc [...]
Gov. Christie green lights Online Gambling
Steve’s breakdown: After months of discussion, debates and vetos, New Jersey will be legalizing online gambling within the state. Every casino in town is going to get in on this but we’re not sure of the wisdom of just using the AOR of the brick and mortar casinos. In other words, we think there’s opportunity washing up at t [...]
New Star Wars business to Pitch
Steve’s breakdown: One of my sweetest account wins was snatching Star Wars: Phantom Menace away from the entire Hasbro agency roster while at Posnick & Kolker. Now with Disney as the future owner, the brand and all the licensing is up in the air.
Oh – and did we mention, they are going to produce NEW movies!!!
SAN FRANCISCO, [...]
Connecticut Lottery in Review
Steve’s breakdown: The due date is March 15th and the RFP is here => Request for Proposal.
Contact: Janice Beckner, CPPB
Associate Fiscal Administrative Officer
Phone: 860-713-2789
Fax: 860-713-2794
Email: janice.beckner@ctlottery.org
ROCKY HILL, CT: The Connecticut Lottery is accepting Proposals from qualified advertising and market [...]
Buzztime bellies up to the bar with a new CMO
Steve’s breakdown: Two things:
1) With this hire comes a social media agency. That said, big marketing thinking, we believe, is the way to approach the new guy.
2) The logos featured are the clients of Buzztime and handling this account might be a good way to get introduced.
CARLSBAD, CA: NTN Buzztime, Inc., a provider of bar and restau [...]
Sega gobbles Relic
Steve’s breakdown: Sega’s has some deep pockets and we suspect they’ll be putting them to use to market the properties of Relic.
SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON & TOKYO: SEGA Corporation acquired all of shares of THQ Canada Inc. and some IPs owned by THQ Inc., a parent company of THQ Canada on January 24, 2013 in order to fur [...]
Tiger Woods targets women: No Really
Steve’s breakdown: EA Sports is targeting women 25 to 45 for this video project. Interesting idea for all you female centric agencies that want to get into sports. The deadline is March 3rd and the creative brief can be accessed here.
REDWOOD CA: Get ready, the world’s #1 selling golf game is back and better than ever! Tiger Woods PGA T [...]
Trouble in Paradise? Accounts won one year ago this week
Steve’s breakdown: It’s Wednesday and that means our weekly instalment of Trouble in Paradise where we list the accounts won this week last year. The idea being most agency-client relationships will break within a year if they are meant to break.
EVERYWHERE USA: So here are the accounts won one year ago this week. The chart shows the client, [...]
Atari US in bankruptcy: Brand & game opportunities spread
Steve’s breakdown: We are in the beginning stages of this financial move but one thing is for sure, the assets of this company will be looking for representation of some sort – soon. In fact, an Asteroids movie is already in development!
NEW YORK, NY: In an effort to untangle itself from its parent company, the France-based Atari [...]
Toys “R” Us doesn’t want to play with its agency anymore
Steve’s breakdown: There’s a lot of speculating going on about this split-up but needless to say, if you are interested, jump in.
TORONTO, Canada: Details are currently foggier than a, well, throw a dart and pick any day in London, but sources familiar with the matter confirm that the Canadian division of Toys “R” Us has parted wa [...]
Consumer Electronics Pre-Show Report
Steve’s breakdown: The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) starts tomorrow and there will be lots of new business opportunities to look into. Here’s Consumer’s Reports pre-show take on a few new products & technologies. We’ll have more all week.
CES 2013 video: Hands on with TDK Q35 [...]
Trouble in Paradise? Accounts won one year ago this week
Steve’s breakdown: It’s Wednesday and that means our weekly instalment of Trouble in Paradise where we list the accounts won this week last year. The idea being most agency-client relationships will break within a year if they are meant to break.
EVERYWHERE USA: So here are the accounts won one year ago this week. The chart shows the client, [...]
Mail.Ru Games: US & Europe review
Steve’s breakdown: “Russia’s largest internet group is looking for global agency help for video games launches as part of ambitious international growth. Allods Online is one of Mail.Ru Games’ leading titles
MOSCOW, Russia: Mail.Ru Group is seeking a consumer agency to work on various game launches in the US and Europe.
[...]
OH! Lottery screams for PR shop
Steve’s breakdown: We got a contract consolidation going on here so the account will be twice the jackpot!
COLUMBUS, OH: The Ohio Lottery Commission is looking for an agency that is capable of performing both earned and paid media services to promote the organization.
The winning firm will be required to execute an annual marketing and [...]
Lego in Review
Steve’s breakdown: This is a great company but they’ve always been a little cagey with their ad agencies. Approach with care.
BILLUND, Denmark: The children’s toy brand has been in direct contact with agencies to invite them to take part in a pitch, which is being run out of its headquarters in Denmark.
Lego has traditionally used [...]
There’s a new VP of M on the joysticks of Social Gaming Network
Steve’s breakdown: These companies tend to be all over the place with their marketing tactics and most could use a steady hand to create something that works.
LOS ANGELES, CA: SGN, a leading developer of cross-platform games on social and mobile platforms, today announced the hiring of Ruairi McGuckin as Vice President of Marketing. McG [...]
The Mayan calendar just might be right: Introducing Drag Queen Barbie
Steve’s breakdown: That’s right folks! For $125 you to can get your own Drag Queen Barbie this holiday season.
What’s the new business opportunity? Well, the flood gates are open now and every toy maker, game developer and collectable manufacture is going to be watching this very closely. Just be ready to pounce.
Have a grea [...]
Virtual Piggy banks on new marketing head
Steve’s breakdown: All you kid advertising agencies out there should give this one a look over.
HERMOSA BEACH, CA: Virtual Piggy, Inc. (OTCBB: VPIG), an innovator in safe-online youth purchasing, today announced that they have appointed entertainment industry marketing executive Joanne Wong to head up their global marketing efforts.
“Vi [...]
Trouble in Paradise? Accounts won one year ago this week
Steve’s breakdown: Two things:
1) This was a tactic I developed years ago while at Charron Schwartz & Partners. (They had all the ABC News business back in the 90s) Anyway, I used to have the advertising page cut out of the New York Times and copied for the entire staff to read. Many times it included “accounts won” anno [...]
LeapFrog lands on a new CMO
Steve’s breakdown: We got a Toy-Guy Alert on this one. Between Toys”R”Us, Hasbro and Mattel, this guys has been around the block with kids. If you have too, make that call.
EMERYVILLE, CA: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. LF +0.90% , the leader in educational entertainment, today announced that Greg Ahearn has joined the company [...]
Winning!?! Mattle puts game business in play
Steve’s breakdown: We pride ourselves with getting you the freshest, hottest and most leads in the industry. But sometimes we need to step back and make sure we covered the entire globe and didn’t miss anything. Well, here’s one we missed.
EL SEGUNDO, CA: Mattel is on the hunt for a new creative agency for its games busines [...]
Mattel exec goes to the dark-side of gaming: New CMO at ngmoco
Steve’s breakdown: Toy guy alert! Toy guys love TV ads but on the cheap. The new guy might be different once surrounded by all these geeks. The featured video is a geek recruitment video I thought gives a cool look at the company.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Mobile social games firm Ngmoco has hired a former Mattel executive, Michael Staskin, a [...]
Tapjoy bags Sony executive for CMO
Steve’s breakdown: If Tapjoy truly wants to become a consumer brand they better get their ad on! At least thats the pitch I’d give them and so should you.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Moving from one of the gaming’s key brands to a mobile ad network – no matter how fast it’s growing – might seem to be a strange shif [...]
King.com anoints leader for Global Marketing
Steve’s breakdown: There are a thousand ways to market a global gaming brand. It’s enough to give the best of us attention deficit disorder. If you can help these folks sort this out, give’em a call and pitch.
LONDON, UK and LOS ANGELES: CA Leading cross-platform social games company, King.com, today announced that it is add [...]
$115 million Toys ‘R’ Us media account is in review
Steve’s breakdown: This review looks well underway so it’s time to pull out any magic phone numbers you might have if you want in.
WAYNE, NJ: Toys “R” Us is conducting a media review for its nearly $115 million account, according to executives familiar with the matter.
The company has sent a request-for-information doc [...]
Nintendo Welcomes New Marketing Overlord
Steve’s breakdown: Package goods dude might have a bit of a learning curve at Nintendo but he will bring in some change. Which, as you know, is what we are all looking for. If you know gaming, go for it.
REDMOND, WA: Nintendo of America has finally filled the empty position of Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing with Mr. S [...]