London Toy Fair: Stand E75

MV’s Phil Ratcliffe updates on the new MoVe branding and why Toy Fair is the perfect place to showcase the company and its new products…

Last time TnP chatted with MV Sports supremo Phil Ratcliffe he was talking to us about the new branding to the MoVe logo for many of its wheeled toys brands. 

Back in the late summer/early autumn, he was just unveiling the plans but now, as we chat again in December ahead of Toy Fair, and the full launch of the new look and logo, plans are far more advanced and Ratcliffe and team are looking forward to showcasing the brands at Olympia in January. 

“We’ve not gone out big time with it yet,” he says, “but it’s created a lot of interest. We’ve been talking to customers about it and we wanted to make sure everyone was on board with it, licensors and so on.

“But it’s something we’re going to focus on at Toy Fair. It’s a great forum to do it in. People can see it up close and personal.”

He says the reaction so far has been strong. “Everybody we’ve spoken to gets why we’re doing it and understands the rationale behind it. Bringing everything together as a brand that relates to the product is a positive move.”

“With MoVe, how we see it is that first we want to establish it so our trade customers and licensors can see how it’s developed and then we can excite our consumers”

Phil Ratcliffe

Move, or rather MoVe, of course, being the operative word. “It’s quite fortuitous,” laughs Ratcliffe, offering it as a logical step and one that, again laughing, he now says he’s surprised they didn’t think of before. 

This is, he adds, just the first phase in the evolution of the brand and the logo, introducing it to the relevant parties and the industry, while it will move into the next phase, post-Toy Fair. 

“With MoVe, how we see it is that first we want to establish it so our trade customers and licensors can see how it’s developed and then we can excite our consumers.”

Ratcliffe further adds that there are “certain brands we won’t be changing”, Stunted, for example, and skateboards will remain under the Bored banner, as will Kickmaster and Hedstrom. 

Another positive element is the company will be bringing new products bearing the MoVe branding to market. 

“Bringing the brands under one roof has enabled us to launch some innovative new products under the MoVe banner,” says Ratcliffe. 

These include Squishles, essentially wheeled toys that come with squishy pouches and backpacks, tying in with the trend for all things squishy. 

There’s more too: “We’ve branded all our new kids’ electric scooters under the MoVe banner and these are new, innovative products,” says Ratcliffe.

“We’re showcasing a series of light-up scooters and the tech for lights has really moved on a long way. They’ve got loads of different functions; we’ve got one with 24 different light modes.” 

These kinds of innovations, he adds, will sit well with the new MoVe branding. 

Meanwhile, as well as the name change, MoVe is heading into 2024 with the Hollywood production machine now moving again after the settlement of separate ongoing strikes, which should mean a firmer line-up in place for the year and more new product coming through. 

But there are a couple of licences that, he predicts, will be even bigger in the coming year, as a brace “are now really starting to get traction for us”. 

First of the two is Stitch – now a mainstay of the market but one that continues to outdo expectations. The mischievous character and star of Lilo & Stitch has shown longevity despite not even being an obvious licensed product kind of character. Stitch stock is flying out of the door as soon as the company can get its hands on it. 

“Consumers are really buying into it,” he notes. “The reaction we’re getting at retail from our customers is very strong.”

And the other? “We’re very excited about Batwheels,” he enthuses. 

The younger version of Batman is currently on TV, with a wider consumer product launch due next year. “We’ve seen a real success with Spidey and His Amazing Friends, the younger preschool version of Spider-Man – it’s been massive for us this year. 

“Not only does Batwheels offer a similar younger version of a superhero like Spidey, but it’s focused on wheeled products too. It plays right into our category.”

While these two may provide some of the focus for 2024, there’s plenty of other brands that are still performing for MoVe. “We’ve got Sonic the Hedgehog,” Ratcliffe explains, “for us that’s grown this year and there’s activity around it in 2024 too, including a new movie. 

“Barbie has had a good year because of the movie,” he continues, “Bluey and CoComelon are still strong. A lot of our licences are evergreens such as Peppa and Disney.

“There’s a few anniversaries too – Barbie and Peppa – which will come through during the year, and our classic licences are performing really well.”

There are still more announcements of new licences (“I’ve got my eye on one in particular; I’m very hopeful for it and it will be a big one”) and MoVe is also getting back into the Star Wars world: “I can’t go into too much detail, but we’re developing product for this too.”

Ratcliffe is still eager for something big to come along too. “I do think there’s space for a big new stellar property to come through. There’s nothing like a Ben10, In The Night Garden or Teletubbies – something that grabs the industry by the throat, a toy that everyone had to go out and get.”

But as 2023 ends, despite the miserable summer, MV is finishing in a strong position. “We had a wet summer, with slow consumer demand, but looking at our figures for September and October, they’re actually very positive. 

“There are signs that things are starting to accelerate,” he concludes. 

Things really are on the MoVe…