INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES
THE BIG REVEAL Toys Tap into the Social Media Unboxing Trend by KRISTIN MORENCY GOLDMAN, communications specialist, The Toy Association FROM BLIND BAGS AND COLORchanging collectibles to pets and characters hidden within compounds, one of the hottest toy trends of 2018 is centered on “The Big Reveal,” according to The Toy Association trend experts. “Kids have been obsessed with unboxing videos on YouTube for the past few years, and now innovative toymakers are bringing that play pattern into toys that kids can play with at home,” says Adrienne Appell, trend expert at The Toy Association. “We’re seeing an incredible range of multi-layered toys that ultimately aim to surprise kids and keep them coming back for more.” The trend had an impact on the hot collectibles market, which helped drive industry growth last year. Thanks to toys such as L.O.L. Surprise! and Hatchimals, global collectibles sales grew 14 percent to $3.9 billion, capturing approximately 8 percent of total industry dollar sales. The connection between the toy industry and some of YouTube’s biggest—and youngest—stars that are famous for their toy unboxing videos also gained a lot of traction. This year, New York Toy Fair welcomed 7-year-old Ryan of Ryan ToysReview and 12-year-old Evan of EvanTube among its media, blogger, and influencer guests. At the show, Ryan unveiled a toy line that bears his likeness. “With millions of subscribers, these young influencers are having an incredible impact on the toy industry,” says Appell. Fans mimic YouTubers on their social media channels and get excited to open the surprise toys, see what they get, experience how it feels, and discover what the toys can do. Many of these toys are affordable, making them attractive to parents and easy for kids to buy with their own pocket money. Below are just a few examples of the many toys that are hitting shelves this year and capitalizing on “The Big Reveal” trend. 5 SURPRISE (ZURU) This new collectible line merges the anticipation of unboxing a surprise with the
addictiveness of collectibles. Kids unwrap, peel, and reveal what’s inside the 5 Surprise capsules, which contain five of more than 300 toys available in the first series. Additional waves will roll out every six months. MOJ MOJ! (MGA ENTERTAINMENT) Moj Moj! is a new collectible brand from MGA Entertainment that brings the excitement of “the claw” arcade game right into the toy aisle. The line features an assortment of soft and squishy limited-edition, rare, and ultra-rare characters in blind bags and innovative packaging. Moj Moj! is a physical embodiment of an emoji, allowing kids to express themselves with their characters. Each new series will be a different emoji. PLAYFOAM PALS (EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS) Playfoam Pals combines unboxing and collectible play with an addictive squishy compound, with a wild animal friend hidden within each pod. Kids can also pop apart their pal and swap its head and body with pieces from other Playfoam Pals to create customized critters of their own. Kids can use the Playfoam in each pod to sculpt nests, beds, perches, and other play props. The collection includes a rare golden animal critter. BUST-UPS (GENTLE GIANT LTD) Bust-Ups are pre-painted, snap together mystery model kits to collect, build, and display. These eye-catching miniature models come in dynamic poses and allow fans to re-create their favorite moments from popular science fiction and comic book franchises. The latest collection includes heroes and villains from the Star Wars universe. SMISKI (DREAMS USA INC.) Smiski are little creatures that love to hide in corners and in small places. These collectibles glow in the dark and come in blind boxes, so fans will never know which secret figure they’re about to unwrap. It features several different series of collectibles, including a
bath and a toilet series. WORLD’S SMALLEST BLIND BOX (SUPER IMPULSE) A tiny surprise is inside every box, with each box containing a secret and classic collectible toy from the World’s Smallest line, including Rubik’s Cube, Chatter Phone, Etch-A-Sketch, and more. This year’s line expansion includes two mystery items per box. Every miniature toy works the same as its full-sized counterpart. TOKIDOKI BLIND BAGS (AURORA WORLD) New Tokidoki plush blind bags will be released this year, including Mermicorno and Unicorno plush blind bags, as well as the debut of Moofia plush blind bags. Kids can continue to collect their favorite characters in adorable plush clip-ons, with each new blind bag potentially featuring a mystery character. ORBEEZ WOW WORLD WOWZER SURPRISE (MAYA TOYS) These collectible figures come packed within an Orbeez Orb. Kids simply add water to their Orb to reveal their hidden Magical Wowzer Pet. As an added bonus, kids can twist the top of the Orb to make their Wowzer dance. » As The Toy Association’s senior communications specialist, Kristin Morency Goldman leads the development of content for the Association’s print and online communications. Her articles on toy trends, toy safety, and industry news can be found in trade and consumer publications around the world. She holds a Master’s degree in media, culture, and communications from NYU.
toybook.com | JULY/AUGUST 2018 | THE TOY BOOK 37