Hometown Heroes

Though Spider-Man, Batman and Superman are inarguably some of the most popular superheroes among kids today, a number of toy manufacturers are continuing to craft spectacular role models that resonate a little closer to home. These days, a growing legion of kids and their parents, they say, are clamoring for playthings that celebrate ordinary people who do extraordinary things—and the proof is the slow but significant resurgence in sales of firefighter, police and rescue-themed toys.

"The Emergency theme continues to be the top seller for us," says Sue Tice, product manager for the Mighty World preschool brand of real-life figures and playsets at International Playthings, Parsippany, N.J. "It's doing very well for us this year." The Emergency line offers themed playsets with vehicles—like a fire truck, police van or ambulance—that can be taken apart and rebuilt, as well as individual characters—such as Diego the Firefighter, Wade the Patrolman, Officer Ramon from the K-9 unit and Karen the Paramedic—who are matched with unique accessories. "Ramon with his police dog has been very popular," Tice says.

And though the category overall had declined in recent decades due to "age compression and the rise of electronic toys," Tice says, "after the events of September 11th, I think that we as a society took a step back and realized just what these 'everyday heroes' do for us. This appreciation and respect has increased the popularity [of these toys] among adults as well as children. It's more than socially acceptable for a 6-year-old to want to be a policeman or a fireman—in fact, among his peers, I dare say that it's cool again."

This kind of real-life pretend play is "a valuable tool for children to imagine themselves as real heroes, and aspire to grow up and be like them one day," says Andrea Schauer, CEO of Playmobil, Zirndorf, Germany. "Everyday heroes are an extension of an evergreen trend. They signify a very clean, non-violent play pattern which parents encourage. And the toys have gained popularity following September 11th." Playmobil offers an enormous range of toys with emergency themes—everything from firefighter and police officer figures to vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, helicopters and boats) to deluxe building playsets (fire station, police station and hospital).

The category, which Playmobil considers an enduring classic, has been included in the company's offerings "since the brand's inception in 1974," Schauer says. "It is a natural part of our lives, and is also a great opportunity to deal with an important topic of helping and caring for other people's lives…on the one hand [it] includes action and features to show how to rescue people from dangerous situations and save their lives, and on the other hand [it] offers endless play opportunities for caring and helping other people."

Part of Playmobil's philosophy is to create toys that prepare kids "for life experiences through role play in a non-threatening environment," Schauer says, calling it "a great way to teach children about real life professions while giving them the opportunity to pretend and act out their creative dreams."

"This is a very valuable and growing category," agrees Mark Levine, president of Aeromax, Lake Barrington, Ill. "Our customers continue to see the value of pretend play…it's a positive use of a child's energy."

The company's Get Real Gear line of authentic-looking dress-up clothes—which offers firefighter, police and medical costumes as well as slightly more glamorous garb for pilots, race-car drivers and astronauts—has become a hit in recent years, due largely to its realistic styling and accessories, Levine says. "This stuff is the real deal for kids. Their parents tell us that all the time," he says. "We receive kudos from real fire fighters all the time."

That kind of attention to detail is key to the appeal of the emergency category as a whole for kids, Tice notes. With toys so closely mirroring real-life professions and equipment, kids can directly mimic the actions that interest them most. "I believe the key is the realism and detail in every piece," Tice says. "Our figures are so detailed that you can even see the wrinkle in their clothes. We try to introduce items that kids have some exposure to and familiarity with."

Themes of community and familiarity are also touchstones for Lego's emergency toys, says Michael McNally, brand relations director for the Enfield, Conn.-based manufacturer. "We focus on traditional town themes like fire, police, emergency rescue, construction, airport and trains as a way to give kids a chance to build things that are iconic, but also fun scenes in which to role play," he says. The company's Lego City line is the newest incarnation of its classic lines of town/city transitional sets for ages 5 and up.

"Fire is by far one of the most popular, so we're reintroducing it in 2007 with great models that hearken back to classic Legoland Town days," McNally says. "Police is also a perennial favorite. Toddlers and preschoolers are much more comfortable playing with things that represent real life. Lego City is iconic and familiar. Kids at that age gravitate toward fire, police, boats, cranes, ambulances, airports—and they are intrigued by the idea of creating their own version of these things." The line is "one of our strongest selling traditional play theme lines globally," he adds.

Also on the horizon for Lego in 2007 will be a new line of harbor, cargo ship and loading dock sets, while Mighty World will roll out larger fire and police sets mid-year, plus a new Armed Forces theme. Aeromax also is expanding its armed forces selections. Playmobil, meanwhile, will introduce a new rescue line in 2007.