Gearing up for 1998 with licensed merchandise

Drug Store News, Nov 17, 1997

New fashion and licensed designs, with a thrust in the direction of extreme sports, as well as ergonomic features and value-added packaging, are just some of the themes and features to be found at the seventh annual School and Home Office Products Association Show Nov. 19-22 in Atlanta. Here is just a sampling:

* Newell, which recently acquired the Rolodex line and the Rubbermaid office products line, will show repackaged and re-branded products. This manufacturer will also feature new products for home, office and mobile use, including its new licensed product, the X-treme sports mousepad; Space Maker school boxes in new colors and licensed designs including Looney Tunes and NFL; the 1998 Cool Case line, including new sparkle colors with glitter; and also the new Imprints line, a uniquely shaped box designed for small children to grasp easily.

* 3M is launching a line of spray adhesives in peggable packaging for small craft projects. It is expanding its Command line of adhesive hooks and fasteners and is launching a product called Fabric Cubicle Grips (for cubicle office workers). For the first time, 3M is targeting its Post It Flags (which come in several colors, including the most popular, red) to home office and mass retail. Other new Post It products include signs that can be used with markers or in computer printers that will be marketed to school and home office consumers. The company is also introducing a computer comfort product line including wrist rests and other ergonomic products for the home user.

* Accessory Network has just introduced its first line of computer backpacks. This company is targeting the MTV generation with its full line of backpacks and dufflebags reflecting new trends in licenses, silhouettes, colors and features, such as mesh pockets, full metal zippers, pocket organizers, sunglasses and water bottle holders and padded backs and padded bottoms, which enables the backpack to stand up on the ground.

Its products come with a variety of pockets, including extra notebook pockets on the outside to make it ergonomically easier for a student to use. It also offers a full array of major league licenses, including the WNBA, for its 1998 line and popular character licenses including Looney Tunes.

* Stuart Hall will debut its XGames license--the company's fifth major school license after Coca-Cola Polar Bears, Looney Tunes, MTV and Nickelodeon--with designs showing sports, including rollerblading, skateboarding, mountain biking and snowboarding in portfolios, notebooks, soft side binders and other products.

New designs in its Looney Tunes license include "scratch board" designs (that is, the visual effect of showing background colors when a black foreground has been scraped away). This company will also show its upgraded lines for older students, including the Tech and Peak lines.

In home office, it will show its Looney Tunes line of notebooks for home/office, including new journals and address books (also added to its Winners line), and Life and other Journeys, a new line of notebooks and other products licensed from Hallmark. Stuart Hall will also show its renamed professional papers line, Personal Papers, which reflects the target market of an increasing number of small office/home office users.

* Day Runner will offer two new lines of student planners: X-Toons, featuring Looney Tunes characters playing soccer, bungee-jumping and skateboarding on colorful covers of academic planners and student planners. Also new, Mickey for Kids in assignment books, telephone address books and diaries. Returning student planner lines include Mickey Unlimited and Looney Tunes (in a new op-art design). In home office, DayRunner will offer multi-purpose organizational boards that combine calendar, file pocket, corkboard and other features for work, school and home.

* Mead will offer a new line of school accessories for young girls called the gg line, featuring bright colors with heart, star and flower designs. Also new is the Five Star Sport line of durable school accessories in vibrant colors with matching lunch totes. Its Five Star Line features three new types of policy-index dividers and portfolios and an updated Five Star First Gear backpack.

Mead's Grad line of notebooks and portfolios has a new logo and foil-stamped color graphics, and its Star Wars line of notebooks, portfolios and nylon-based items comes in new designs. New products in Mead's Garfield line include new designs on paperbased products, a zipper pouch assortment and new nylon items. The company will also introduce a Mini Carryall Planner with 3-by-inch page size for pocket, purse and briefcase. Other new licenses and products will be offered featuring designs from Reebok. Hot Wheels, Wallaroos, Zoosters, Valerie Tabor Smith and Schimmel.

* Tops will offer portfolios and notebooks in its futuristic-design Space Rocks with the illustrations of Shawn Lux. Tops is also showing an expanded offering in its Kidz Wisdom line of portfolios, bookmarks and notebooks decorated with animal photos and bright colors, and all feature positive motivational messages for kids.