Vivid Imaginations

Infobox Company
name = Vivid Imaginations

type = Private company limited by shares
genre =
foundation = United Kingdom (1992)
founder =
location_city = Guildford, Surrey
location_country = United Kingdom
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = Nick Austin (CEO)
industry = Toy wholesaling, distribution and manufacture
products = Bratz (2004-2008), Disney, Playmates, Toy Biz
services =
market c

revenue =
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assets =
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owner =
num_employees = 90 (2004)
parent =
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subsid =
homepage = http://www.vividimaginations.co.uk
footnotes =
intl = yes

Vivid Imaginations is a company located in Surrey, England that wholesales, manufactures and distributes licensed toys, including Bratz from 2004 to 2008; Disney lines such as Winnie-the-Pooh and Disney Princess, television and movie merchandise from "The Simpsons", "Spider-Man" and "Harry Potter"; Crayola and Cabbage Patch Kids.cite web |url=http://www.vividimaginations.co.uk/pages/about-us.php |title=Company history |accessdate=2008-08-28 |publisher=Vivid Imaginations]

Vivid Imaginations was founded in 1992 by former Matchbox Toys UK Managing Director Nick Austin and Finance Director Alan Bennie, with a loan of £380,000 from friends.cite news |first=Tom |last=Bawden |title=Phoenix toys with sale of Vivid |work=Business |publisher="The Times" |date=2005-02-12 |page=61] The annual company turnover was £9.8 m in its first year and increased to over £20 m in 1996. The increase was partly due to acquiring the rights to distribute Disney and "The Simpsons" products in 1996 and distributing the Toy of the Year, the Pogmaker. Jordan Group, a private equity company from New York, bought an 80% stake in Vivid in 1998 for £25 m.

In 1999, Vivid started distributing Sindy and obtained the rights to Playmates and Toy Biz products. Vivid became the third-largest advertiser in the United Kingdom and the number three toy company in 2000. In 2003, Vivid Imaginations was bought by Phoenix Equity Partners, its management and venture capital company, for £62 million. [cite news |title=Management buyout of Vivid Imaginations |publisher="The Lawyer" |date=2003-01-20 |page=11]

Vivid Imaginations acquired licensing rights to Bratz in 2004. Vivid had a strong market share in the boys' toy sector and saw Bratz as the opportunity to boost its girls' range, which included Care Bears, Disney Princess and Sindy, to rival Barbie owner Mattel. [cite news |title=Vivid Imaginations and MGA link up for Bratz UK relaunch |publisher="Marketing Week" |date=2003-07-17 |page=8] Bratz was the most popular doll in the UK in 2005,cite news |first=Sarah |last=Butler |title=Bratz doll wrestles Barbie into second |work=Business |publisher="The Times" |date=2005-10-01] and was responsible for 30% of Vivid's turnover.cite news |first=Ronnie |last=Dungan |title=Vivid Imaginations |url=http://www.toynewsmag.com/spotlight/13/INTERVIEW-Vivid-Imaginations |work=Spotlight |publisher=Toy News |date=2008-05-31 |accessdate=2008-08-28] Sales of Bratz and "Spider-Man"-themed products made Vivid the number one toy company in the UK in 2005, the first British company to achieve this in 30 years. [cite news |title=Vivid Imaginations |work=Business |publisher="The Times" |date=2005-10-01 |page=60] Bratz owner MGA Entertainment set up its own UK office in 2008 and ended the distribution deal with Vivid.

The Paris-based Vivid Europe subsidiary was formed in 2008 with the acquisition of Nomad Company, the distributor of Crayola across Europe (except Italy), the Middle East and Africa. [cite news |title=Vivid wins Crayola for EMEA |url=http://www.licensemag.com/licensemag/Toys+&+Games/Vivid-Wins-Crayola-for-EMEA/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/526714 |publisher=License! Global Weekly E-news |date=2008-07-01 |accessdate=2008-08-28]

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