Without a doubt the biggest talking point on ToyNews Online and our Twitter feed this week has been the mooted Gangnam Style toy.
The Psy action figure can recreate all the dance moves from the video, which has scored over 420 million views on YouTube. It is a brilliant example of the kind of song which can come from nowhere to become an overnight hit, but then disappear almost as quickly.
While it seems that the figure was never meant for mass production, it’s likely that if it had been widely available the manufacturer would have made a killing.
Being able to react quickly to the current zeitgeist is something which the apparel business has been doing brilliantly for years – remember those Team Aniston and Team Jolie tees? Or those created for the last US Presidential election?
It’s harder for the traditional toy and licensing industries to move this quickly. Most importantly there’s the safety aspect, but the amount of approvals involved just renders a quick turnaround virtually redundant. Which is a shame because some amazing opportunities are being missed.
Things are getting better though – back in March, Esdevium was able to tap into the hype surrounding The Hunger Games, with several products launching not long after the film hit UK cinemas.
More toy companies are also working on app properties after the success of Angry Birds in the physical space. But, while brands like Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and Where’s My Water are huge now, there’s a big risk that the target teen audience will be dancing to a different tune by the time toys actually hit shelves.
Something which poor ol’ Psy is likely to discover in a couple of weeks time.
