Toys turn their back on the military
January 31 2003 at 04:07PM
By Paul Majendie
London - Forget the smoking gun and weapons of mass destruction - the toy industry has turned its back on the military.
This could well be the year when nostalgia reigns supreme, with the return of The Incredible Hulk and Care Bears to the world's nurseries and playgrounds.
At the 50th anniversary of the London Toy Fair, the chairperson of the British Toy and Hobby Association was in buoyant form on Monday, convinced that even in recession parents will dig deep into their wallets to fulfil their children's dreams.
Pure escapism
"Manufacturers are buoyant and they say the customers are coming in," Bryan Ellis announced at one of the world's biggest toy fairs, with 350 exhibitors from around the globe.
The real world may worry over Iraq - but that is certainly not reflected in the fantasy world of children.
"The industry has been very aware of its responsibilities," Ellis said of the two billion pound industry which accounts for up to 40 000 jobs in Britain.
"If you walk round this fair, you will find very, very few war toys. The emphasis with something like Action Man for example is now about adventure," Ellis said.
"There is still conflict there but it is not military. It is a cross between James Bond and Romancing The Stone."
'Something very magical happens in the playground'
Ellis said: "There are probably fewer militaristic toys around here than ever before. The industry has been very aware of people's concerns and about the influence we have on children and has deliberately steered away from it."
Toy manufacturers, he added, are giving the children what they want - pure escapism.
"Children are spooked by what goes on in the world and they do get concerned," Ellis said. "But they do differentiate between the fantasy world which is theirs and the real world."
Ellis would be a millionaire by now if he could forecast the next big toy but children often confound all the market gurus just by word of mouth.
"Something very magical happens in the playground," Ellis reflected. "Frequently something turns out to be top toy that does not come from a major manufacturer, hasn't had any TV advertising or the benefit of a well-educated middle class marketing department."
But, bravely, he added: "The word on the street is that The Incredible Hulk is going to make an amazing comeback this year with a new film and the re-launch of the Care Bears will be very successful."
The Care Bears, from the land of Care-a-Lot, proved a surprise film hit in the mid-1980s, while comic-book character the Hulk ran on television in the late 1970s and early 80s.