toy awards 2008

riday 4 April
Media Announcement
Funtastic Takes Out Toy of the Year 2008
Funtastic has been awarded the most prestigious industry award in the country – Australian Toy of
the Year 2008 for LeapFrog TAG Reading System – presented as part of the annual awards held at
the Australian Toy Fair in Melbourne today (Friday 4 April).
The next generation, all-new LeapFrog Tag Reading System, quite simply brings books to life. Easy
to use, amazingly responsive and small enough for a child to take anywhere, the Tag stylus takes just
one touch to make words talk and pictures sing. A small, sophisticated infrared camera at the tip of
the stylus ‘reads’ letters, words and symbols printed on the special dot-patterned pages of books in
the Tag library.
The LeapFrog Tag Reading System was also awarded Pre-school Toy of the Year 2008.
Funtastic won a further award with the Garden Girlz - Large House ‘Meadow Mansion’ selected as
Girls Toy of the Year 2008.
Garden Girlz Meadow Mansion is a play set with a twist – use your imagination, and your green
thumb, to plant a garden and watch it grow in just seven days. The main flower house blooms open
to reveal a magical doll house, complete with a guest house. Take a ride down the Garden Gondola
to play in your very own enchanted garden, or stop along the way and catch a few rays on the
sundeck.
The Australian Toy Association Awards were followed by the announcement of three further awards
from the Retail Tracking Agency GfK OzToys which presented Funtastic with:
•
2007 Top Selling Toy of the Year (value) - Tamagotchi Jinsei
•
2007 Most Successful Toy Release – FlyTech Dragonfly
•
2007 Fastest Growing Interactive Games Key Distributor (value) – Funtastic Interactive
Games
The ATA awards are seen as an important indicator of sales success for the year.
“The awards are judged by industry experts well versed in what translates into fantastic toys kids will
love, so they are one of the clearest predictions of what will actually be leading the charge to toy
boxes around the country,” Tony Oates, Funtastic’s Managing Director, said.
Not just one of Australia’s largest toy product companies, Funtastic is also an entrepreneurial
marketer and distributor of consumer branded lifestyle merchandise with product spanning all aspects
of family life – from children’s toys, apparel and footwear to sporting goods, nursery, manchester,
homewares and DVD, film entertainment and gaming.
The company’s Madman division is responsible for major cinema releases like Kenny and driving the
enormous interest in Japanese anime DVD sales.
While now encompassing so much more than its traditional toy roots, Funtastic’s business remains
firmly based in leading children’s licenses and brands like Thomas & Friends, Bratz, Disney,
LeapFrog, Wow Wee, WWE, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ben 10, Cabbage Patch Kids and many,
many more.
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For more information on Funtastic, visit the web site at www.funtastic.com.au and for comment
contact Tony Oates, Managing Director, Funtastic Limited Ph: 03 9535 5888 or Anna Kirby, Public
Relations for Funtastic Limited Ph: 0409 484 894 or 03 9486 9357.