For more than 100 years, Hasbro has brought generations of kids, families and fans together for great play experiences. Its brands are much more than toys, spurring full franchises with in-person experiences, fashion, entertainment, digital games, music, publishing and promotions.
The special Hasbro supplement, included as part of the jam-packed Autumn issue of Licensing Source Book takes a look at Hasbro’s stable of brands and learns how its franchise-first mindset is transforming business.
Over the past year, Hasbro has dedicated a tremendous amount of time transforming its business to drive greater operational excellence and invest more in its winning brands, as Tim Kilpin, president of toys, board games, licensing and entertainment explains: “While the foundation of our business will always be toys, we are energised by a renewed focus on product innovation and expansion into new categories driven by consumer insights. It’s clear that a franchise-first mindset – with toy and game, licensing and entertainment team working cross-functionally alongside world-class partners – is vital to realise the full potential of our brands and exceed fan expectations.”
2024 has been a banner year for Hasbro, with milestone anniversaries across its portfolio – Dungeons & Dragons’ 50th, Transformers’ 40th and Peppa Pig’s 20th – along with new offerings, openings and entertainment.
Continuing momentum from a hot streak last year, the Transformers franchise has released new comics from Skybound Entertainment, footwear and apparel from Converse and SuperX and collabs with Robosen and Mattel.
It’s been an incredible year for Peppa Pig, celebrating the property’s 20th anniversary this year with an impressive lineup of licensed consumer products, live experiences and promotions. Introduced earlier this year was the first-ever LEGO DUPLO Peppa Pig programme; a collaboration including toy, YouTube content, a dedicated app, magazine and live experiences.
The new generation of Furby has been a huge success, capturing the imagination of kids everywhere, just as the original did back in 1998. Hasbro is ramping up the licensing programme, expanding several of its existing agreements to include the lovable toy and taking Furby into new categories. Coming up for this holiday season are new ranges of plush from licensees like Play By Play, Durabo and Famosa.
Fresh from celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, Hasbro is building momentum and continuing to celebrate nostalgia and the enduring relevance of My Little Pony. Retro fashion is leading the way, with some exciting collaborations, such as the recent collection from Irregular Choice and the Inditex retro My Little Pony kids capsule collection at flagship Zara stores.
As it approaches its 90th anniversary in 2025, Monopoly is gearing up for a year of celebration and innovation that will honour its rich heritage while engaging new generations of fans. The brand continues to debut all-new editions tied to major pop culture moments and iconic franchises; so in 2025 look out for Harry Potter, One Piece, Dune and The Beatles.
The 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has been marked by several high-profile collaborations including LEGO, Converse, Reyn Spooner, BlackMilk and Royal Mail. Still to come in 2024 is a new bourbon from New Holland Brewing and jerky from Mythical Meats. This summer saw digital gaming collaborations with popular titles like Destiny 2, Dead by Daylight and Stumble Guys.
The re-launch of Littlest Pet Shop in December 2023 has been a resounding success, with master toy partner, Basic Fun!, introducing 120 bobblin’ pets this year, igniting a global collecting frenzy. A big part of the successful re-launch is an immersive digital play experience on Roblox. Looking ahead, 2025 promises even more excitement, with the introduction of new pets and themes, and expansion of the brand into key categories like fashion, nightwear, home, accessories, plush and arts and crafts.
Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and on Instagram (@licensing_source).
