You're the tops!

Hollywood is hot with kids this year! In the KidzEyes/Funosophy 2006 License Tracker survey, conducted by marketing firm Funosophy Inc. and C&R Research, thousands of boys and girls nationwide rated the popularity of the country's top evergreen licenses—and Hollywood came out on top.

Included in the License Tracker survey were the 50 most popular kids' properties (gender neutral, boy and girl) on the market today. More than 8,000 kids ages 6-17 rated the popularity of these licenses, giving kids' marketers an inside look at each license's life cycle, age skew and gender skew (for gender-neutral licenses). This article, exclusive to Playthings, is based on responses from children ages 6-11, focusing on the boy-specific and girl-specific properties included in the survey.

Movies, television shows and celebrities are tops with boys and girls this year. And whether examining gender-neutral licenses or specific boy and girl properties, digital media is delivering on its promise of reaching the masses. Case in point: Of more than 20 top boy-specific properties included in this survey, three of boys' top five picks were Hollywood blockbusters (see chart above). Non-movie properties Yu-Gi-Oh! and Nintendo's Mario rounded out the top five spots.

Star Wars is still boys' number one pick this year, even though it has ebbed since last summer's series ending movie release and the corresponding 2005 DVD release. Even so, more than 50 percent of boys surveyed believe that the multi-generational property will continue to be “very popular” with boys their age this year.

Although movie licenses top the charts with boys 6-11 overall, younger boys (ages 6-8) tend to be more interested in movies than older boys (ages 9-11). Older boys' interests are shifting toward various sport franchises, according to the study. In fact, three of the top five picks for boys ages 9-11 were sports franchises—the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. Star Wars and Nintendo's video game hero, Mario, also placed in the older boys' top five.

Girls aren't immune to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, either. When asked to rate the popularity of the top girl licenses on the market, including the hottest toy and doll brands, three of girls' top five picks were current or former TV stars, with Raven of Disney's That's So Raven taking top honors as most popular among three hi-watt stars. Build-A-Bear and Bratz completed the girls' top five.

Although glamorous Hollywood celebrities were tops with girls, their popularity seems to fluctuate. One star on the rise this year with girls 6-11 is television-star-turned-movie-star-turned-music-mogul Lindsay Lohan, who has edged up in popularity points over the past year.

Although girls are seemingly growing older younger, there's still cause for hope. Celebrities were high on their lists, but younger girls (ages 6-8) still ranked a toy brand (Build-A-Bear) their most popular pick.

Movies and television shows and their stars are resonating with today's kids more than almost anything else, according to the survey. Complete survey results, including popularity ratings for the top 50 gender-neutral, boy and girl licenses, age skews (ages 6-17) and gender skews, are available from Funosophy Inc.