Basic Fun! has an agreement in principle with Hasbro to license the iconic Tonka brand.
The Florida-based toymaker plans to relaunch Tonka at retailers next fall with a new collection of classic steel Tonka Trucks, die-cast vehicles, and plastic lights-and-sounds vehicles. Hasbro and Basic Fun! already have a long-standing licensing agreement in place that covers classic brands, such as Lincoln Logs, My Little Pony Classic, Lite-Brite, Pound Puppies, Tinker Toy, Koosh, Weebles, and more.
“Today’s kids are at risk of forgetting how to play with anything but a smartphone, which is why we are so thrilled to be taking on the iconic Tonka toy line that is all about going outside to play and encouraging kids to use their imaginations,” says Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun! “Tonka has always been known for the biggest and best quality tough trucks and toy vehicles in the market, and we plan to make sure consumers know Tonka is the ‘go to’ brand in this category.”
Basic Fun! says that it plans to launch a full marketing campaign aimed at getting kids outside to play and have fun in the fresh air. The new products will have new and innovative elements but will say true to the classic “Tonka Tough” branding.
Tonka was created in 1946 by a gardening supply company in Mound, Minnesota, called Mound Metalcraft, which later became Tonka Toys Incorporated. Hasbro eventually purchased Tonka, and along with its licensees, has been producing new toys under the name since 1991.
