Hasbro Announces Plans for Transformers | Key4Communications | News

Toy maker Hasbro has signed more than 300 licensing and promotional agreements worldwide for its Transformers brand in advance of the franchise’s next film, Transformers: Age of Extinction, which will arrive in U.S. theaters June 27.

Planned activities for the film include:

- Merchandise across all major categories including apparel, digital gaming, publishing, footwear and bedding, to be front-and-center at their favorite mass, department store, specialty and online retailers.

- Nearly 20 new retail initiatives in key regions such as North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. These programs build on the brand’s existing retail presence in firms such as Walmart, Tesco, Carrefour and Toys ‘R’ Us. Eight of the new agreements are direct-to-retail programs with retailers including Ripley (Chile), Walmart (Mexico), C&A Brazil and Mark Fairwhale (China). Several additional agreements will see exclusive fashion collections including with Benetton, Fila (Korea), Honey Barn (Philippines) and Baleno (China).

- Hasbro also launched a global Cybertron Monday online sales event for the first time, which showcased all of the new action figure and licensed products based on the upcoming feature film with participating online retailers, including Amazon, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us, Walmart, K-mart, Tesco, Argos, Ripley, Tmall.com and Toys ‘R’ Us Asia, as well as HasbroToyShop.com.

- A range of global promotions including with Oreo that was supported by a custom TV spot, shot and produced by Transformers director Michael Bay; Chevrolet continues their franchise collaboration with a global marketing campaign; Frito-Lay showed on-pack and premium support on Cheetos Crisp packs in Turkey and Russia; and Duracell offered a gift with purchase promotion in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

- Digital entertainment by game publishers including Activision Publishing, which will launch “Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark” this month to coincide with the release of the movie from Paramount Pictures. Additionally, DeNA will release a mobile game and later this year, Jagex Games Studio will roll out the free-to-play online tactical game.