Leading family entertainment producer and distributor, Chorion, is thrilled to announce that children’s favourite, Noddy® is back with a brand re-fresh and new product lines for Autumn 2011. The re-launch will be supported by an integrated marketing campaign around the theme, Noddy Takes to the Air, and will kick off with Pilot Noddy making a special character appearance at London Toy Fair* on 25 January with continued appearances throughout the year. The new look places the classic and iconic character firmly in the hearts of children everywhere and includes a wide variety of products bringing Toyland to life like never before. Pre-schoolers will be excited to see Noddy for the first time ever as a pilot and ready to take to the skies. - Budding young pilots can have hours of fun playing with the new My Friend Noddy Pilot and Take Off in Toyland Airport Playset complete with runway mat, plane, helicopter, control tower, stickers and a Noddy pilot figure from Bandai.

Bandai will also be launching exciting toys for car fanatics too with the Noddy Toyland Playmat with Vehicles and the Tiny Toyland Chase Playset and Racecar, with two vehicles and a clip together plastic play mat for racing fun. In addition, the Fix N Go Monster Truck features fixable wheels and grill, push and go features, lights and sounds, making the play experience twice as fun. Some of the other new products for the year include a Nintendo DS game from Avanquest, a DVD release from Universal, books from Harper Collins and an outerwear range from Smith & Brooks.

The re-launch will cover all consumer touch points of the brand and include TV advertising and substantial PR support on the range. The new toy line will also be supported by in-store activities, events and themed POS materials.

Chorion has been working alongside mums and testing the products with hundreds of mums across the UK. Mums revealed they actively seek out Noddy as a constant, safe and trusted friend for their children and recall Noddy fondly from their own fun and happy childhood memories. Children were also drawn to the character, stories and play patterns – proving that Noddy is just as relevant today as ever. 93% of UK mothers with children 1-4 years old endorse Noddy for their children**

Bettina Koeckler, SVP Licensing EMEA at Chorion says, “We are certain that Noddy fans will be very excited when they see the new look for Noddy, the tremendous play value of the new toy line, and that we have preserved the brand values - Noddy is a safe, trusted friend and role model for today’s children.”

Darrell Jones, Marketing Director at Bandai, the toy distributor for Noddy comments: “For over 62 years Noddy has been the top storytelling property for pre-schoolers with children exploring the magical world of Noddy through different adventures that let them learn through play. With such an important year for Noddy, we are excited to be working with Chorion on the brand and are putting in place a strong licensing programme for the property with the addition of over 6 new sku’s this year.”

*The Toy Fair takes place between the 25th - 27th January 2011 at Olympia, London
**Independent research carried out in April 2010 by Prescient, part of the Loewy Group