Moose takes top toy gong
FOR leading Australian toy manufacturer Moose Enterprise, technology is child's play.
The toy design and development company was rewarded for its animated plush toys at the 2012 Australia Toy Association Awards.
Moose Enterprise's Talking Tom and Ben plush toys were named as the winner in the Girls' Licensed Toy of the Year category.
The plush toys mimic the best-selling Talking Tom and Ben applications, which have clocked in more than 107 million downloads worldwide by smartphone and tablet computer users.
The virtual characters are known to repeat everything their master says in an addictive, humorous voice and the plush versions allow users to pat them and grab their tail.
Moose Enterprise director Paul Solomon said the company first saw success by "app-lying" itself to the evolving toy landscape when it launched the Angry Birds plush toys last year.
"Our Angry Birds range stimulated growth in the plush category for 2011 and from what we saw at the recent US Toy Fair the level of interactivity between apps and toys is set to explode this year," Mr Solomon said.
Other plush toys based on apps within the Moose stable include the new Fruit Ninja and Annoying Orange.
