For Adults Only
January 31, 2007
The world's largest toy expo, the Nuremberg Fair, is strictly for adults only this year. Since children are banned entry -- the expo is for trade buyers only -- anyone under 16 is refused admittance unless they have been hired as a toy demonstrator.
The adults-only rule has sparked a whole range of new play products which industry observers say is all part of a trend toward stepping up marketing to "aging children": people over 40 who play games to relax.
And Bollywood -- India's most popular cultural export -- it seems, is a grown-up's playground.
The country's trademark hip-gyrating song-and-dance films with its formulaic mix of Indian family values, kitsch and sexual titillation have apparently proved an inspiration for several toymakers. Jigsaws and puzzles depicting Bollywood scenes are all set to feature large at the toy fair. Parents have been warned to keep their kids from sneaking a peek.
"Bollywood is a big topic here, especially among our adult customers," said Bettina Brogsitter, sales representative for the puzzle-maker Lupu.
Some are going in for a more chaste version of India's ubiquitous images.
One German manufacturer of puzzles aims to entice European women who love all things Indian by launching a 1,000-piece puzzle, which would take days to solve, depicting Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom with four arms and the head of a one-tusked elephant.
Other jigsaws on show in Nuremberg are more serene, depicting yoga positions and mandalas -- designs symbolizing the universe.
"People are in search of inner calm," Brogsitter added.