The 2018 Thomas world adventure was launched recently in Changzhou Dinosaurland, east Jiangsu province in China.

They highlighted an online film and cartoons series that are scheduled for Chinese fans within the year and related product lines will hit the market soon as well.

The film, named Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor, will be available on online video platforms in May and Thomas, in the film, for the first time, leaves Sodor for a world adventure and meets with new friends from across the world during the journey. The latest journey theme of Thomas & Friends caters mainly to evolving parents' perception in China for child education which demonstrates full respect to children's instinct and strong urge to explore the unknown world, according to Frida Zhang, Senior Marketing Director of Mattel Greater China.

Frida Zhangtold the media at the launch that the new initiatives featuring the world tour by Thomas aimed to enlighten the Chinese children with team spirit and encourage them to explore the world and themselves and deal with difficulties within the process.

More than 70 years ago, the image of Thomas was created by a father who wanted to give a companion to his child when he was away, she added. "Today, apart from unchanged parental love to the children, we bestow the image of Thomas with new development and meaning – courage and exploration."

According to her, in addition to the online film, related cartoon series will be shown within the year as well.

Moreover, certified products such as Thomas-themed restaurants, school bags, clothing, and toys are expected to meet the fans in China during the second half of the year.

From the business point of view, starting 2013, Mattel launched the China accelerated development plan, setting up product distribution networks and channels and investing more into branding and China staff team building.

"We aim high for China, expected to become the second-largest market for the company, only after the US," she said.

To better understand the market and targeted customers like the young parents in the country, Mattel China launched in partnership with Alibaba the research institutes of the mothers, exploring young mothers' demands via digging into the big data gathered at the Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms.

Zhang said Mattel would make full use of the data analysis to design and produce products desired by Chinese children and their parents.

Thomas & Friends is the name of the cartoon series based on the Railway Series by the Reverend W. Awdry. It was adapted for television by Britt Allcroft using the original stories from the Railway Series before using original stories written by independent writers.

The series has been broadcast in more than 185 territories and has spawned twenty-one cartoon seasons, a theatrical film, and fourteen specials.

Thomas & Friends is a cartoon series mainly based around railway engines that live on the Island of Sodor. The show is mainly about the title character, Thomas, a cheeky little blue tank engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome.

Mattel, Inc. is an American multinational toy manufacturing company founded in 1945 with headquarters in El Segundo, California. The products and brands it produces include Thomas & Friends, Fisher-Price, Barbie, Monster High, Ever After High, Winx Club, Hot Wheels and Matchbox, Masters of the Universe, American Girl, board games, and WWE.