Mattel hires Warner Bros licensing man
US toy giant Mattel has appointed former Reebok global marketing chief Jeffrey Orridge to head the licensing programme for its boys’ division.
As vice-president of worldwide licensing for the boys’ consumer products division, Orridge will be responsible for securing deals for brands such as Hot Wheels and Matchbox.
With more than 14 years’ experience in marketing and licensing, Orridge was most recently head of the consumer products sports licensing department at Warner Bros.
Prior to that, he was director of global marketing for Reebok International, with responsibility for worldwide marketing and licensing.
The recent slump in the toy market has seen companies such as Mattel, and its main rival Hasbro, turn to licensing deals as a way of capitalising on their core brands.
Earlier this year Mattel signed a deal with software company THQ to develop video games based on its Hot Wheels and Matchbox brands.
The global licensing market is estimated to be worth $175bn (&£130bn) and brands expected to be in great demand at this week’s Licensing 2001 International show in New York include UK concepts such as Bob the Builder, Tomb Raider and Harry Potter.
