Tag Archives: hasbro

Hasbro teams with Regatta to launch Peppa Pig ‘adventure ready’ outerwear range for kids

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The British outdoor brand, Regatta Great Outdoors, has partnered with the global play and entertainment company, Hasbro to launch a new collection of Peppa Pig outerwear and leisure accessories for children.

The range has already made its mark on the UK retail space, having launched with Next on February 22nd this year, before rolling out to Regatta stores across the country from March 1st.

The Peppa Pig range encourages girls and boys to be ‘Adventure Ready’ with a collection of 20 products suitable for all weather including puddle suits, wellies, swimwear, jackets and fleeces that are both fun and functional. The outerwear pieces are designed to offer functional attributes such as breathable fabrics, 360 reflective finishes and waterproof surfaces ideal for families keen to enjoy the great outdoors.

A range of outdoor camping and leisure accessories featuring Peppa Pig designs will also complement the range, including sleeping bags, water bottles and camping chairs.

“We’re delighted to see the Peppa Pig Regatta collection launch at Next. This fantastic range of robust, weatherproof Peppa Pig outerwear will get kids ‘adventure ready’ as they explore the great outdoors which is now more important than ever,” said Hasbro’s Nikki Gie, director, EMEA consumer products, family brands.

Hasbro signs five year Fortnite deal with Epic Games for action figures, vehicles, and more

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Hasbro has outlined a five year extension of its partnership with Epic Games and its world-beating MMO gaming title, Fortnite as the toy company looks to expand its product licensing deal beyond outdoor play products and games and into collectable action figures, vehicles, and role-play gear.

The plan was announced last week during Hasbro’s all-virtual investors event, extending the successful two-year deal brokered by IMG between the global entertainment outfit and Epic Games. The partnership kicked off with the launch of a variety of Fortnite themes NERF blasters and a Fortnite Monopoly.

Now, with the growing partnership, Hasbro is excited to bring new products as well as in-game experiences to Fortnite fans of all ages, first with the recent in-game debut of G.I. JOE character, Snake Eyes. Coinciding with the in-game integration of this fan-favorite character, Hasbro released a Fortnite x G.I. Joe Collab Snake Eyes: Zero Point Edition figure available exclusively on Hasbro Pulse for fans aged 16 and older in the US and Canada.

“Hasbro’s expertise in the realm of collectible figure and role-play segments has yielded incredibly positive results for our long roster of entertainment-based action brands,” said Adam Biehl, SVP and GM at Hasbro, Inc.

“We’ve had tremendous success collaborating with Epic Games and the Fortnite brand over the past few years, and this expanded product licensing partnership allows us to deliver an amazing lineup of Fortnite-inspired toys and collector items that we’re confident fans will be excited to experience.”

New Hasbro-licensed Fortnite products are on track to launch in autumn this year.

Fortnite is the completely free multiplayer game where you and your friends collaborate to create your dream Fortnite world or battle to be the last one standing. Fortnite and its Battle Royale and Creative modes are free and available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch and Android.

Hasbro signs five year Fortnite deal with Epic Games for action figures, vehicles, and more

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Hasbro has outlined a five year extension of its partnership with Epic Games and its world-beating MMO gaming title, Fortnite as the toy company looks to expand its product licensing deal beyond outdoor play products and games and into collectable action figures, vehicles, and role-play gear.

The plan was announced last week during Hasbro’s all-virtual investors event, extending the successful two-year deal brokered by IMG between the global entertainment outfit and Epic Games. The partnership kicked off with the launch of a variety of Fortnite themes NERF blasters and a Fortnite Monopoly.

Now, with the growing partnership, Hasbro is excited to bring new products as well as in-game experiences to Fortnite fans of all ages, first with the recent in-game debut of G.I. JOE character, Snake Eyes. Coinciding with the in-game integration of this fan-favorite character, Hasbro released a Fortnite x G.I. Joe Collab Snake Eyes: Zero Point Edition figure available exclusively on Hasbro Pulse for fans aged 16 and older in the US and Canada.

“Hasbro’s expertise in the realm of collectible figure and role-play segments has yielded incredibly positive results for our long roster of entertainment-based action brands,” said Adam Biehl, SVP and GM at Hasbro, Inc.

“We’ve had tremendous success collaborating with Epic Games and the Fortnite brand over the past few years, and this expanded product licensing partnership allows us to deliver an amazing lineup of Fortnite-inspired toys and collector items that we’re confident fans will be excited to experience.”

New Hasbro-licensed Fortnite products are on track to launch in autumn this year.

Fortnite is the completely free multiplayer game where you and your friends collaborate to create your dream Fortnite world or battle to be the last one standing. Fortnite and its Battle Royale and Creative modes are free and available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch and Android.

New My Little Pony, Transformers, and Magic: The Gathering content among Hasbro’s mass roll-out announcements

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It was a flurry of major new announcements across each of its sectors that Hasbro issued throughout its first all virtual investor event this week, including new film and TV content for its biggest franchises including My Little Pony, Transformers, and Magic: The Gathering.

In an address opened by Hasbro’s chairman and CEO, Brian Goldner, the entertainment powerhouse kicked off proceedings by detailing new financial reporting segments: Consumer Products, Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming, and Entertainment.

“We have simplified our structure to maximise our growth and provide a clearer view to the drivers of Hasbro revenues, profit, margin, and cash generation,” said Goldner during the event.

“Our expectation is that we return to growth in revenues, earnings, and EBITDA in 2021. This includes revenue growth in all three segments to potentially achieve double-digit revenue growth across Hasbro for the year.”

The Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment will include all revenue associated with the Wizards of the Coast tabletop and digital games, including Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, as well as licensed Hasbro digital gaming across the portfolio.

Entertainment spans all revenue associated with Hasbro and eOne entertainment across Family Brands, TV and Film, and music.

The announcement came with an extensive roll-out of new announcements across each of the segments, that included the detailing of new animated and live-action TV and film releases across some of Hasbro’s most iconic entertainment franchises, including My Little Pony, Transformers, Peppa Pig, Magic: The Gathering, and Dungeons and Dragons.

Consumer Products

Hasbro was quick to project a growth of the consumer products revenue above the industry growth rate, fuelled by an increase in its ecommerce business which it expects to make up for 50 per cent of all consumer products business by 2025.

In its direct to consumer channels, Hasbro is to launch Hasbro Pulse to the UK, with additional markets to follow, while it has also detailed a partnership with Amazon on its PlaySkool brand with a new focus on learning and sustainability for pre-school audiences.

The firm is extending its partnership with Epic Games to continue a licensed roster of products for its Nerf and Games Fotnite collaborations, while expanding the IP into action figures and role play this year and beyond.

Hasbro also detailed three new Monopoly launches in Monopoly Builder, Monopoly Crooked Cash, and the community-based Monopoly campaign launching on March 19.

The company is also eyeing new innovation in the gaming space, aligning itself with voice technology to integrate Alexa into its gaming offering with The Wanted Bounty Hunters board game, a titles that gives players an in-game connection to Alexa and the cinematic world of The Mandalorian.

The toy maker will also be supporting its robust theatrical and streaming calendar of content this year with ranges spanning GI Joe, Ghostbusters, Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney Princess new releases.

Completing the bill, and in partnership with Merlin Entertainment, Hasbro will be welcoming the opening of the first Peppa Pig theme park in LEGOLAND Florida next year.

Wizards of the Coast

A segment now spanning its hobby and digital gaming audiences, Wizards of the Coast is, according to the firm, ‘approximately halfway to achieving its target of doubling revenue from 2018 to 2023.’

2020 Wizards of the Coast revenue was $816 million, with Magic: The Gathering revenue up 23 per cent and Dungeons and Dragons revenue up 33 per cent for the year.

Alongside new digital game launches for both Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, the unit has detailed new crossover products within the collectables and social play space with partners Warhammer 40,000 by Games Workshop, and Middle Earth Enterprises, to include characters from The Lord of the Rings universe.

Entertainment

Finally, within its Entertainment segment, Hasbro currently has more than 200 projects underway across TV and film.

Franchise plans include those with Transformers which has a panned feature film for 2022, a new animated feature film in developments, a third instalment of Transformers: War for Cybertron on Netflix, a new 20-episdoe animated comedy series on Netflix called Transformers: BotBots, and a new original animated Transformer series with Nickelodeon.

Meanwhile, Magic: The Gathering currently has a feature film in development at Fox, as well as a premium animated series in production with Netflix, while Dungeons and Dragons has partnered with Paramount Pictures for its own feature film, and a number of television projects are in the works.

With My Little Pony, a CGI film will debut on Netflix this year, alongside a new computer animated series.

New Peppa Pig content will continue to roll out through to 2023 as well as PJ Masks.

Hasbro partners with Uber Eats to launch free Hasbro Toy Store to families this half term

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Hasbro has partnered with the home delivery app, Uber Eats, to launch a free toy store in time for the half term holidays, as UK parents continue to hunt for new ways to keep their kids entertained during lockdown.

The new collaborative effort arrives as 70 per cent of UK parents admit to feeling overwhelmed as they juggle work and home-schooling, while 56 per cent say they are concerned at the thought of spending a half term holiday with fewer activities to entertain their young ones.

The country’s current lockdown restrictions mean that where families would usually be spending time at the cinema, zoos, or on playdates, parents are now being forced to look for entertainment closer to home. Over half of parents claims their kids are now bored at home, and 50 per cent say they’ve run out of things to do.

In a bid to help busy parents, the virtual Hasbro Toy Store is now offering seven of the toy company’s best-loved toys and games for just the cost of delivery. The initiative will launch on the Uber Eats app from this Wednesday.

The toys and games available through the app – including Cluedo, The Game of Life, Play-Doh, and Yahtzee, were chosen because they encourage family time and imaginative play and offer something for children of all ages. Once ordered, they will be delivered – contact-free – to your door in around 30 minutes.

With the average parent spending £99.55 per week on activities to entertain their children, Uber Eats and Hasbro teamed up to give away the toys to ensure all parents could benefit. It launches as 71 per cent of parents state that they aim to spend extra quality time with their kids this half-term.

The toy store will be open in London and Manchester from Wednesday 17th to Saturday 20th February.

Toussaint Wattinne, general manager of Uber Eats, UK and Ireland said: “Being a parent is tougher than ever at the moment, so we wanted to do our bit to help bring families together and keep the children entertained while opportunities for days out are more limited. Uber Eats delivers items beyond food to help make people’s day-to-day lives that little bit easier.”

Anne Leonhardi,  Marketing Director North Europe at Hasbro, added: “Play is hugely important for children’s development, striking that vital balance between learning and fun. The half-term holidays are no different, so we want to make sure that children and parents get the break they desperately deserve during these difficult times.

“The games and activities in the Hasbro Toy Store are a great way of making sure families have a fun February half-term, whether they’re testing their wits with a game of Cluedo or getting creative with Play-Doh.”

Since the first lockdown in March 2020, Hasbro brands continue to resonate as people spend more time at home and parents look for fun activities to keep the kids entertained.

New York | Toy of the Year awards underscores big year for children’s licenses

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Pokemon, Super Mario, Star Wars The Mandalorian, and PAW Patrol are just some of the leading children’s brands to have won big this weekend when the annual Toy of the Year awards hosted an all-virtual event to reveal its winners.

A tussle of the titans ensued as the awards – recognised as the ‘Oscars of the toy industry’ – watched global toy makers LEGO and Mattel emerge with no fewer than four award wins each, with the likes of LEGO’s Super Mario play-sets and Mattel’s The Mandalorian The Child Plush thrust into the spotlight.

License of the Year went to Disney for The Mandalorian, while the Pokemon Trading Card Game took home Game of the Year. Pre-school Toy of the Year was swept up by Spin Master and its PAW Patrol franchise, while Playmibile drove home at 88mph with the Vehicle of the Year award for its Back to the Future DeLorean play-set.

“It’s an exhilarating feeling to be recognized for our relentless drive to push the boundaries of play,” said Anton Rabie, Spin Master’s chairman and co-chief executive officer of the firm’s win in the Pre-school Toy of the Year category.

“Every year our incredibly talented team, in collaboration with our amazing community of external inventors, raises the bar on innovation with the purpose of developing magical moments and experiences for kids and families around the world. Together, we’re committed to reimagining where imagination can take us.”

Meanwhile, in a surprise announcement, two winners were chosen for the People’s Choice Award; Story Time Chess (Story Time Chess), a classic game re-imagined for the youngest of players, and The Original Spawn Action Figure and Comic Remastered (McFarlane Toys), a fan-favourite that has its roots in Kickstarter success.

Toy of the Year Awards were handed out in 16 categories. The winners are:

Action Figure of the Year: Fisher-Price #ThankYouHeroes Line (Mattel)

Collectible of the Year: LEGO Super Mario Character Packs (LEGO)

Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest (LEGO)

Creative Toy of the Year: Crayola Colors of the World Crayons (Crayola LLC)

Doll of the Year: Barbie Color Reveal (Mattel)

Game of the Year: Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy (The Pokémon Company International)

Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen (Mattel)

Innovative Toy of the Year: Star Wars: The Child Animatronic Edition Toy (Hasbro)

License of the Year: Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Disney)

Outdoor Toy of the Year: Ultimate Go-Kart (Radio Flyer)

Playset of the Year: LEGO Super Mario Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set (LEGO)

Plush Toy of the Year: Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child 11” Plush (Mattel)

Preschool Toy of the Year: PAW Patrol Dino Patroller (Spin Master)

Specialty Toy of the Year: LEGO Ideas Grand Piano (LEGO)

STEAM Toy of the Year: Mega Cyborg Hand (Thames & Kosmos)

Vehicle of the Year: PLAYMOBIL Back To The Future DeLorean (PLAYMOBIL)

Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Toy Association, said: “From 117 outstanding finalists to this year’s TOTY winners, to Hasbro’s Toy of the Year Award and two unique People’s Choice winners, each underscores the joy of play in uncertain times, the togetherness of family game night, as well as the swiftly-evolving retail and e-commerce landscape.

“The TOTYs continue to reflect the toy and play community’s passion and perseverance, all while honoring the richly deserving Hall of Fame inductees. It also raises vital funding for The Toy Foundation as it embarks on impactful new programs supporting children’s hospitals and driving diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the toy industry. We thank the independent expert judging panels and the tens of thousands of individuals who voted this year.”

During the event, four toy industry visionaries were also officially inducted into the esteemed Toy Industry Hall of Fame. This year saw Philip Bloom, founder and former publisher of The Bloom Report; William C. Killgallon, chairman of the board at The Ohio Art Company; Pleasant T. Rowland, founder of American Girl, a division of Mattel, Inc.; and the late Margarete Steiff, founder and creator of Steiff were all inducted.

Read more about the Hall of Fame inductees here.

More than 500 TOTY Award nominees poured in late last summer. Of those, 117 finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges. Category winners were then determined based on votes from toy retailers (mass and specialty), media, Toy Association members, and consumers.

The “Toy of the Year” winner was determined by an expert panel that discussed all the finalists before rendering a decision based on TOTY votes, holiday sales, and media buzz (traditional, online, and social).

The “People’s Choice” award winners were uniquely selected by online consumer votes. All results were audited for accuracy, including the judging and voting process, and The NPD Group validated marketplace acceptance. Descriptions of all TOTY finalists can be found at ToyAwards.org.

Online shopping and gaming surge helps Hasbro hit $1bn ecommerce revenue in 2020

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Online shopping and the world’s lean into family gaming throughout the pandemic have helped global entertainment company, Hasbro maintain a steady ship on 2020’s waters as the firm hit $1bn in ecommerce revenue for the first time last year.

Increased revenue across Hasbro Gaming and Hasbro entire gaming catalogue, including Wizards of the Coast and Dungeons of Dragons, have helped the toy maker maintain an even keel over the course of what’s been billed ‘a most challenging year.’

The pandemic has forced a year of changes most notably across the physical retail space and the TV and film sector. It comes as no surprise then, that in its full year 2020 financials, Hasbro has reported a decrease in film and TV revenues through its eOne segment, as well as lower Family Brands revenue due to retail disruption.

However, the global business did see a marked uptick in its ecommerce business that, for the first time in its history, hit the $1bn mark as shoppers have turned to online purchasing in response to lockdown restrictions.

Meanwhile, Revenues in Hasbro Gaming grew 21 per cent while revenues across its total gaming category picked up 20 per cent, and while net revenues for the full year 2020 dipped eight per cent year on year, the surge in ecommerce witnessed an increase of 43 per cent to hit the $1bn mark.

Hasbro bosses have credited the team’s resilience, tenacity, creativity, flexibility, and empathy’ for seeing it through what CEO Brian Goldner called ‘a most challenging year.’

“Our teams successfully drove demand for several product categories across our portfolio including our entire gaming portfolio from Wizards of the Coast brands to face-to-face gaming,” said Brian Goldner, Hasbro’s chairman and chief executive officer.

“They found ways to reach the global consumer despite retail closures throughout the year, delivering over $1bn in ecommerce revenues for the first time. We leveraged our global supply chain capabilities and our evolving geographic manufacturing supplier base to get products made and distributed.

“We integrated our acquisition of eOne and while live-action TV and film production was limited, we made substantial progress developing Hasbro IP for storytelling that we believe will lead to enhanced revenues and earnings power from Hasbro brands from multiple income streams.

“We developed toy and game lines for valuable pre-school brands Peppa Pig and PJ Masks to launch later this year. We concentrated on managing expenses and cash, growing adjusted operating profit margins and finishing the year with $1.45bn in cash on our balance sheet.”

Fourth quarter 2020 revenues four per cent which included growth across its franchise brands such as Magic: The Gathering, Monopoly, and Nerf, as well as products for the Star Wars and The Mandalorian franchises, and Hasbro Gaming. Dungeons and Dragons also saw a standout year.

Deborah Thomas, Hasbro’s chief financial officer, added: “Throughout 2020, the global Hasbro team did an excellent job executing in a challenging environment. In the fourth quarter, we grew revenues and adjusted operating profit, overcoming tough comparisons within the Partner Brand category and last year’s theatrical releases.

“Our focus on working capital and expense management delivered $976.3 million in operating cash flow for the year, and as part of our commitment to paying down our debt, we repaid $123 million of the debt we raised to finance the eOne acquisition.

“We continue to see strong retail, consumer and audience support for our brands and content as we look to the coming year. Global points of sale increased last year, despite lockdowns and retail disruption, and 2021 is starting with a strong year-over-year momentum.”

Hasbro extends WildBrain CPLG partnership for eOne brands across Nordics and CEE

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Hasbro Consumer Products has extended its partnership with WildBrain CPLG in a deal that will see the licensing agency represent eOne brands Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, and Ricky Zoom in the Nordics and Central and Eastern Europe.

The popular pre-school brands will join WildBrain CPLG’s existing representation in these territories for Hasbro Consumer Products’ brands My Little Pony, Play-Doh, Monopoly, and Nerf.

The licensing firm’s remit in the Nordics and CEE include merchandising, publishing, promotions, and short-term location based entertainment.

“We’re very excited about expanding our partnership with WildBrain CPLG Nordic and CEE to represent the full combined Hasbro and eOne portfolio locally,” said Delphine de Kool, licensing director for EMEA Agents at Hasbro.

“With a complete portfolio representation and WildBrain CPLG’s local licensee and retail relationships, we see these regions as strong growth markets to continue to deepen our consumer connections and drive meaningful 360-degree retail programs.”

Slawomir Ekiert, managing director CEE and Nordics for WildBrain CPLG, added: “We’ve established a very successful relationship with Hasbro across many of the company’s most popular and iconic family brands in key markets, and the addition of these beloved properties to our rights adds further breadth and depth to our partnership.

“Together with Hasbro, we look forward to building new opportunities to grow these brands in the Nordics and CEE and to creating greater synergy across our European activity.”

WildBrain CPLG already handles Hasbro and eOne brands in Benelux and has scored a raft of new local deals across both portfolios in the territory. For My Little Pony, Canenco is on board for plush, children’s jewelry and make-up to support the brand’s upcoming movie this October.

For Nerf, Durabo is creating headphones and speakers, and Kubbinga is creating bicycles with matching gear.

For Peppa Pig, Sambro is launching large-size plush, and Durabo is developing a range spanning arts and crafts, outdoor toys, headphones and speakers. Further new local partners secured by WildBrain CPLG’s Benelux team include: W&O Products, The Cookie Company, Airquee, Karsten, RMS Europe, TM Essentials, Vondels, Leomil, Stationery Team Europe and Aymax.

In addition to its representation of Hasbro properties in CEE, the Nordics and Benelux markets, WildBrain CPLG also handles Hasbro’s Merchandise, Publishing, Promotions and short-term Location-based Entertainment business in Turkey.

Beyblade Burst Surge lands on Disney XD in Feb as Hasbro extends Speedstorm toy line

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The fifth season of the hit anime series, Beyblade Burst Surge is landing on Disney XD next month, bringing with it a run of 26 episodes and an extended toy line from Hasbro that will tap directly into the core base of Beyblade fans.

The highly anticipated fifth season will debut with two new episodes starting at 8am ET/PT on Saturday, February 20th. Following the launch, new episodes will roll out Saturday mornings at 8:30am ET/PT with encore slots Sundays at 8:30am ET/PT and Weekdays at 3:00pm ET/PT.

Leading up to the premiere, Disney XD will air a Beyblade Burst Rise marathon beginning Friday, February 19 at 11:00pm ET/PT.

The new season will follow the adventures of a new cast of characters, along with some familiar faces fans loyal to the Beyblade Burst franchise will immediately recognize. A legend among legends, top Blader Valt Aoi hosts an exhibition match featuring a revolutionary class of Bey: “Lightning Beys”.

Inspired by the battle, two unknown brothers, Hyuga and Hikaru Hizashi, issue a challenge: armed with their own Lightning Beys Hyperion and Helios, this unlikely duo is going to topple Beyblade’s ruling elite.

Fans can also look forward to the full season of Beybalde Burst Rise being available on DisneyNOW throughout February.

Beyblade enthusiasts can already find the Season Five opening theme song, “We Got the Spin,” on the official Beyblade Burst YouTube Channel. This captivating, edgy track was written and performed by Konrad OldMoney and Seboria Peters, and is due for release on streaming platforms in early February.

Finally, long-time global master toy partner Hasbro will support the new season’s launch with the much-anticipated Beyblade Burst Speedstorm product line.

Fans will be able to launch into highspeed head-to-head battles with official Beyblade Burst Speedstorm tops that are designed to harness the power of the inescapable Power Vortex – an energy zone at the center of the Speedstorm Beystadium which has the ability to pull tops in and give them the ultimate speed boost.

Manchester’s Trafford Centre prepares for a £4.5m Nerf laser combat attraction

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Plans have been put in place to launch the first official Nerf Action Experience attraction in Manchester’s Trafford Centre shopping destination through a partnership between Hasbro and Rocafella Leisure Group.

The £4.5 million attraction will mark the first of its kind Britain, mirroring a similar attraction already open in Singapore called Nerf Xperience. The news has been reported following plans to change 25,000 square feet of units at Barton Square were placed with Trafford Council.

According to Manchester Evening News, the application reveals that three first floor units will be combined to create the space to accommodate the adventure attraction. A 4,000 sq ft mezzanine floor is also planned, with room for a café and a viewing platform.

The application states that Nerf is a ‘family entertainment leisure experience, incorporating laser guns and virtual interactions and is a market leading attraction with 20 attractions across Europe’.

“Nerf’s occupancy at Barton Square will be their first UK destination,” it adds.

It is expected that the new Nerf Action Xperience will create somewhere around 50 new jobs.

Word of the partnership between Hasbro and Rocafella Leisure Group was first announced when the event company’s chief operating officer issued a social media statement detailing the launch of the experience at the Trafford Centre “in early 2021.”

“Taking UK family Entertainment Centres top the next level with the first of its kind. A huge thank you to @Hasbro and their dedicated team,” he said.