Hasbro, Inc. showcased its global franchise brands, including Transformers, Nerf, My Little Pony, Littlest Pet Shop, Play-Doh, Magic: The Gathering, and Monopoly, at the International Licensing Expo on June 18. This year’s lineup highlights the company’s effort to market brand extensions across licensing categories such as publishing, digital gaming, apparel and plush, homewares, food, health, and beauty.
Hasbro’s Transformers brand features the Autobots and Decepticons engaged in battle on multiple storytelling platforms, including film, TV, digital gaming, publishing, and theme parks. Hasbro and its licensees provide the Transformers fan base with merchandise including digital gaming, toys, apparel, sporting goods, and more. DeNA and Hasbro recently announced the launch of Transformers: Legends, an action card battle game based on the Transformers franchise, which is now available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on Google Play for Android devices. Transformers: The Ride – 3D is open in Singapore and Hollywood, and will officially open on June 20 at Universal Studios Orlando.
The My Little Pony franchise includes the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic animated series, created by Hasbro Studios and currently airing in more than 180 countries and available across multiple platforms including iTunes and Netflix. The merchandising program reaches categories including apparel, plush, publishing, toys, and accessories. Hasbro continues the brand momentum with the June launch of the movie, My Little Pony Equestria Girls, a full-length feature introducing a new dimension into the world of My Little Pony.
Building on the Littlest Pet Shop brand, the Littlest Pet Shop animated series, created by Hasbro Studios and currently airing on the HUB Network in the U.S., is also garnering a viewership throughout Europe. The series, which premiered last November, features a new cast, story, and animation starring aspiring fashion designer actress, Blythe, who can talk to the pets and understand them. The Littlest Pet Shop brand’s global licensing program includes licensees across categories at retail such as lifestyle, apparel, footwear, accessories, electronics, and digital gaming.
Hasbro continues to expand the Nerf brand with more than 60 licensees across many licensing categories, including sporting goods, electronics, accessories, and apparel. The Nerf-licensed experience extends the brand’s offerings of fun foam, water blasters, and sports toys. In addition, launching this fall is the Nerf Rebelle product line. Inspired by current pop culture trends and based on insight from girls, the Nerf Rebelle product line brings the Nerf property into new categories including accessories.
Hasbro continues to expand the Play-Doh brand into categories such as publishing and arts and crafts. Silver Dolphin Books, a publisher of novelty and activity based books for children ages 2 to 12, has collaborated with the Play-Doh brand to launch three Concept Learning Books, two novelty board books, and one jumbo sticker book in March of this year, which use the iconic compound to help illustrate early learning concepts. Book-Plus kits will launch later this fall. Arts and crafts, including basic art supplies and art activity sets, have launched based on the French D’Arpeje program, with a new direct-to retail program in Chile and Peru.
Magic: The Gathering, a global trading card game, provides an entertainment experience through play programs, global community, and storytelling. The foundation of Magic is strategic game play with resonant Planeswalker characters and five color archetypes. Players take on the role of Planeswalkers and participate through branded play experiences run at local hobby stores around the world in the Wizards Play Network. Through a lifestyle licensing program, fans can immerse deeper into the game through apparel, game play accessories, comics, and more. Magic’s offerings transcend face-to-face and are integrated into the digital realm, from acquisition products like Duels of the Planeswalkers, to the daily conversation players have through the Magic website and social media, to the almost weekly event coverage of high levelplay.
Monopoly has been played by more than one billion people in 111 countries around the world. Whether fans play face-to-face, on mobile, online or participate in casino or lottery gaming, Hasbro and its licensees continue to deliver experiences to fit every lifestyle.
The Furby is an evolved, interactive friend with ‘A Mind Of Its Own’ and advanced technology that gives each Furby an unpredictable nature. Last year, almost 15 years after its debut, the Furby creature returned and inspired a global licensing program that continues to grow. Furby fans can find merchandise from apparel to home décor, party goods, food and beverage, and sporting goods at hypermarket and specialty stores as well as wholesalers throughout the U.S. and Europe. The Furby licensing program will launch in Asia and Latin America later this year.
