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44 45 EXCLUSIVE CANADIAN DISTRIBUTOR AND PROUD PARTNER OF RUBIK’S BRANDS SINCE 2002. www.kroegerinc.com Cube was spotted by Tom Kremer, then the CEO of Seven Towns, Ltd., a small toy company he had started in 1964. He negotiated with Rubik for the rights to the Cube and licensed it to the Ideal Toy Co. in 1980. The Cube was an instant success, selling 100 million units in the first three years, and holding the distinc- tion of being the first puzzle ever advertised on television. Unfortunately, the Rubik’s Cube, as it was marketed, was just as quickly forgotten.Ware- houses were full of unsold Cubes, and no one wanted anything to do with them. Tom used the disinterest in the design to his advantage, and reac- quired the rights to the Rubik’s Cube, re-launching in 1991.While it didn’t regain its initial popularity, the Rubik’s Cube continued to sell well through- out the 1990s and 2000s. Over time, the Cube’s popularity started to grow once again thanks to the growing trend of speedcubing, or solving a Ru- bik’s Cube as quickly as possible. Un- fortunately, because of this resurgence – and, perhaps inevitably - a growing number of fakes were being marketed as alternatives to the brand. Seven Towns created a secondary company in Notting Hill, London– Rubik’s Brand Limited in 2013– to handle all Rubik’s Cube licensing and marketing and to take advantage of opportunities beyond the toy and game industry. “We didn’t become RUBIK’S BRAND LIMITED Rubik’s Brand Limited until about six years ago,” says Head of Marketing, Hayley Woodward. “Seven Towns still exists.We still share an accounts department office building but that’s about it. But Rubik’s Brand Limited and Seven Towns are sepa- rate, now.” The company is relatively small, made up of CEO Mike Townend,Woodward, and Chrisi Trussell, who is the company’s legal and licensing liaison. Two other employees look after social media and the company’s web account. Professor Ernõ Rubik is Honorary Life President. What’s Rubik’s Brand Limited up to lately? The company is expanding into licensing– turning the Cube into a brand rather than just focusing on build- ing toys. “We have ex- panded quite recently into licensing and we’re really trying to push Rubik’s as a brand rather than focusing on the core product and the toy range. So, we’ve moved onboard with the Smiley Company and we’ve partnered with them to leverage all our licensing products.” They’ve signed up a lot of licensees in apparel and back to school wear, home wear, everything you can