Bandai rolls out Japanese doll in UK toy market

Toy company Bandai is launching a new doll later this month called Unazukin, claimed to be a huge craze in Japan. The toy is a pocket-sized “decision-making doll” that has proved as successful as the Tamagotchi brand in Japan.

Bandai says Unazukin is a huge craze in Japan where it has already sold 1 million units since its launch last year and hopes to repeat this success in the UK. Unazukin is designed to react to questions using a series of nods or shakes to indicate a yes or no response.

The launch will be supported by a major television campaign targeting teenage girls and aims to bring to life how Unazukin can be used in everyday situations, from deciding what to wear to what to do with friends.

The TV ads, created by Origami Films, are shot in the style of a pop video in an effort to appeal to today’s music-loving younger generation.

National press, point-of-purchase material, PR and a sampling programme will support the TV campaign.

Bandai marketing manager Darrell Jones says: “Unazukin has had a tremendously successful launch in its home market Japan. Fun, cute and useful, it’s a toy which appeals to the sensibilities of adults and children of all ages, and we are confident that it will be just as big in the UK.”