Vivid Imaginations

Vivid Imaginations
Private company limited by shares
Industry Toy wholesaling, distribution and manufacture
Founded United Kingdom (1992)
Headquarters Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
Key people
 Nick Austin (Chairman) Simon Macintosh (Financial Director) Paul Weston (Chief Executive)
Products Bratz (2004–2008), Disney, Playmates, Toy BizMoshi Monsters 2010 & 2011
Number of employees
 109 (2007)
Website www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

Vivid Imaginations is a company based in Guildford, Surrey, that manufactures, designs and distributes toys and holds distribution rights on a number of television shows and films. Captain Scarlet was the first of many distribution deals that turned Vivid into the UK's number 1 toy and game manufacturer. Over the years Vivid has produced toys for Thunderbirds, The Simpsons, the Cars, Shrek, Toy Story 3, WWE, Disney, and Bratz, as well as in-house-developed Animagic.

Vivid has produced dolls based on Take That, JLS, The Wanted, One Direction and Justin Bieber. Vivid's portfolio also includes Crayola and Moshi Monsters.

History

Vivid Imaginations was founded in 1992 by former Matchbox Toys UK Managing Director Nick Austin and Finance Director Alan Bennie,[1] with a loan of £380,000 from friends.[2] The annual company turnover was £9.8 m in its first year and increased to over £20 m in 1996.[1] The increase was partly due to acquiring the rights to distribute Disney and The Simpsons products in 1996 and distributing the Toy of the Year, the Pogmaker.[1] Jordan Group, a private equity company from New York City, bought an 80% stake in Vivid in 1998 for £25 m.[2] In 1999, Vivid started distributing Sindy and obtained the rights to Playmates and Toy Biz products.[1]

Vivid became the third-largest advertiser in the United Kingdom and the number three toy company in 2000.[1] In 2003, Vivid Imaginations was bought by Phoenix Equity Partners, its management and venture capital company, for £62 million.[3]

Vivid Imaginations acquired licensing rights to Bratz in 2004.[1] Vivid had a strong market share in the boys' toy sector and saw Bratz as the opportunity to boost its girls' range, which included Care Bears, Disney Princess and Sindy, to rival Barbie owner Mattel.[4] Bratz was the most popular doll in the UK in 2005,[5] and was responsible for 30% of Vivid's turnover.[6] Sales of Bratz and Spider-Man-themed products made Vivid the number one toy company in the UK in 2005, the first British company to achieve this in 30 years.[5][7] Bratz owner MGA Entertainment set up its own UK office in 2008 and ended the distribution deal with Vivid.[6]

The Paris-based Vivid Europe subsidiary was formed in 2008 with the acquisition of Nomad Company, the distributor of Crayola across Europe (except Italy), the Middle East and Africa.[8]

In 2011, Vivid produced a line of toys for the television show Little Charley Bear and partnered with social network developer Mind Candy to produce Moshi Monsters toys.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Company history". Vivid Imaginations. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  2. 1 2 Bawden, Tom (12 February 2005). "Phoenix toys with sale of Vivid". Business. The Times. p. 61.
  3. ↑ "Management buyout of Vivid Imaginations". The Lawyer. 20 January 2003. p. 11.
  4. ↑ "Vivid Imaginations and MGA link up for Bratz UK relaunch". Marketing Week. 17 July 2003. p. 8.
  5. 1 2 Butler, Sarah (1 October 2005). "Bratz doll wrestles Barbie into second". Business. The Times.
  6. 1 2 Dungan, Ronnie (31 May 2008). "Vivid Imaginations". Spotlight. Toy News. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  7. ↑ "Vivid Imaginations". Business. The Times. 1 October 2005. p. 60.
  8. ↑ "Vivid wins Crayola for EMEA". License! Global Weekly E-news. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
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