W Is For Weintraub, Wenkstern, WWE, Wham-O And Women In Toys, Licensing & Entertainment
LIONEL WEINTRAUB
Lionel Weintraub worked in the toy business for four decades, with a focus on innovation and looking forward he is one of the all-time greats. He is credited with being one of the first toy people to adopt plastic injection moulding, a process which is now ubiquitous in the toy trade, was one of the first executives to embrace the professional inventing community and under his reign at Ideal Toys had one of the first TV advertised toy products in toys. He is also associated with some mightily successful products including Mousetrap, Kerplunk and of course the mighty Rubik’s Cube which his Ideal Toy team launched in the USA.
RUSSELL WENKSTERN
Russell Wenkstern was at the helm of Tonka Toys during their original heyday, between 1961 to 1977. Under his reign Tonka became the biggest manufacturer of vehicles globally. The Mighty Tonka line brought to market by Wenkstern and his team became hugely successful, doubling revenues over 4 years.
WWE
WWE (once was WWF) has been a major brand in the action figures space for decades. Kids and families often love wrestling for the entertainment factor. Many children love the themes and action of goodies vs baddies, of physical confrontation and argy bargy. They also love action figures which allow them to play out boisterous physical play with the figures. When you look at the biggest brands in action figures this millennium, you’ll find these plastic representations of the latest wrestling stars consistently in the mix!
WHAM-O
Founded way back in 1948, Wham-O has been wowing generation after generation of kids and families ever since. They have brought a dazzling array of hit products to market over the years including Frisbee, the Hula Hoop, Silly String and Hacky sack. It’s perhaps no surprise that a company with so many ‘outdoor’ play icons in their stable of brands hails from the sunny climes of California.
WOMEN IN TOYS, LICENSING & ENTERTAINMENT
A global community and non-profit organisation that champions and advocates for the advancement of women through leadership, networking and educational opportunities. For more information: https://womenintoys.com/
We run a Consultancy business helping toy & games companies get ahead. For more information, check out www.KidsBrandInsight.com/services
We also run a Strategic Sourcing Consultancy advising toy & game companies around the world on their Sourcing strategies, reviewing their vendor base & suggesting improvements. To date our Sourcing services have saved our clients $tens of millions. For more information on how we can help, just go to: www.ToyTeamAsia.com