Toy manufacturer SpinMaster has created a new variation on it’s popular Bakugan toy. The Bakugan are balls that open up into scary creatures that battle each other. The target market is the 5 and up age group. The Bakugan balls are a clever invention that open when magnets are activated. The Bakugan may be too scary for the under 5 group and we really don’t need to encourage the pre-schoolers to engage in battle. So the clever SpinMaster folks have introduced the new Zoobles. They are similar to Bakugan only in the fact that they are balls that open up. The creatures that the Zooble balls open up into are cute little creatures or some might say cute little bodies and they don’t battle.
The Zoobles are cute. They come from the Island of Zooble, which consists of 3 major worlds; Petagonia, Seagonia, and Azoozia. So far the Petagonia seems to be the most popular area where the cute Zoobles come from. One aspect of the Zoobles that make them unique from the Bakugan balls is that they have little springs, hence the spring into like, catch phrase of the Zooble line. They are also cute little intricate creatures fashioned to be similar to animals and other creatures. They come in cute colors and really need to be seen to be appreciated. Zoobles like to rest in their happitats, but this is also the magnetized area where they open up or spring into life. In other words shy Zoobles feel safe in their happitats.
The different play sets will feature happitats where the Zoobles will open up. Most sets will also come with a collectible Zooble or two that can only be purchased with the play set. The smart people at SpinMaster also have exclusive deals with major retailers where each retailer sells an exclusive Zooble, creating scarcity and that collectible factor. The fair way they divided up the exclusive deals also encourages the main toy retailers to feature the Zoobles creatures along with their other SpinMaster toys. The exclusive retailers so far, are Target, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.
The Zoobles are beginning to make their way into the mainstream toy market and they are already getting positive reviews by the early adopters. As fall approaches there is a very good chance that there will be some Zoobles on peoples Christmas list. Will they sell out and be the hit of the season? How about a resounding maybe. Even if they are not the it toy to have this Christmas. They will still be welcome in stockings and under trees everywhere.