Hasbro made HISStory with its first G.I. Joe Classified Series HasLab Project | Source: Hasbro Pulse

The direct-to-consumer business is booming at Hasbro.

The company’s latest HasLab crowdfunding project launched yesterday via Hasbro Pulse where the minimum order quantity of 8,000 pieces was met in under eight hours. Timed with the 40th anniversary of Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero brand, the G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra H.I.S.S. is the second G.I. Joe HasLab project and the first for the 6-inch scale Classified Series.

Backers turned out in droves to pledge $300 for the armored High Speed Sentry (H.I.S.S.) tank and Driver, fueled by the early bird promise of a second 6-inch scale Classified Series figure should the minimum be met within a week.

As of this writing, more than 10,405 backers have gotten behind the project, easily unlocking the first of four stretch goals: a pair of side-mounted missile launchers.

The quick success of the G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra H.I.S.S. may signal a sweet spot in terms of product offering, size, and price for future crowdfunding projects. While the HasLab initiative has been successful since its launch in 2018, there have been some misses. The direct-to-consumer program has sent multiple crowdfunded projects into production from the Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers, Ghostbusters, G.I. Joe, and HeroQuest brands. To date, only the life-sized Sesame Street Cookie Monster project and a Star Wars The Black Series Rancor have failed to reach their minimum goals. Another current campaign for a lightsaber inspired by the recent Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+ looks unlikely to reach its goal.

The Cobra H.I.S.S. is packed with play features, including LED lighting, a gunner turret, working treads, and more. The vehicle stands 10-inches tall and is 19-inches long.

Hasbro expects the Cobra H.I.S.S. to begin shipping in the fall of 2023.

Related: Hasbro Inks Multiyear Deal for the Return of Sgt. Slaughter to G.I. Joe

This week, Hasbro Pulse was also recognized as one of the fastest-growing e-commerce sites in a new report from Newsweek and Statista. In the Collectibles category, Hasbro Pulse growth was listed as “extremely high.”

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

archivearrow-chevron-downarrow-chevron-left-greyarrow-chevron-leftarrow-chevron-rightarrow-fatarrow-left-blackarrow-left-whitearrow-right-blackarrow-rightarrow-roundedbookscalendarcaret-downclose-whiteclosedocumenteditorial-archiveeyefacebook-squarefacebookfilesgifthamburgerheadinghearthomeinstagram-squareinstagramlatestlinkedin-squarelinkedinmailmedia-inquiresmessagenewsopen-boxpagination-leftpagination-rightpauseplayprintproduct-archiverecent-productssearchsharesort-filterspotifysunteamtiktoktime_purpletimetrendingtvtwitter-squaretwitteryoutube