Transformers Fashion Line Part of New Hasbro Licensing Deals

LONDON/FÜRTH: Hasbro has announced several licensing deals timed with Brand Licensing Europe 2015, including a Transformers fashion line and the return of classic characters Action Man and Stretch Armstrong.

In an effort to expand its presence throughout Europe, Hasbro will launch a comprehensive lifestyle licensing portfolio focused on high-end apparel lines for the Transformers and My Little Pony brands. U.K. designers Fyodor Golan will roll out a collection of high-end Transformers-branded apparel, with Philipp Plein handling dresses based on the property. Catalan designer Maria Escoté is set to unveil a My Little Pony fashion range in February, joining an apparel line for the brand that includes an underwear and nightwear collection from Undiz.

The company will also increase its licensed toy and game offerings, inking a deal with Dickie Toys for vehicles and themed play sets based on Transformers. The lineup will be launched at the 2016 International Toy Fair in Nuremberg.

Tom Warner, the senior VP for the Transformers franchise for Hasbro, said: “The Transformers franchise continues to thrive with its fun-filled story lines featuring the battle between the Autobot and Decepticon characters, specifically with the latest animated series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise. We’re excited to celebrate the vehicle forms of our beloved characters through this collaboration with Dickie Toys, putting fans in the driver’s seat to recreate scenes from the animation.”

Oliver Naumann, the managing director of Dickie Toys, added: “We are delighted about the cooperation agreement with Hasbro and are looking forward to developing a successful new range of Transformers licensed toys. The content of our product range is virtually predestined for this fascinating licensing theme in which vehicles convert into action heroes.”

Werner Lenzner, who is responsible for licenses and strategic marketing at the Simba Dickie Group, said, "The Simba Dickie Group is active in over 30 countries across the globe. The Transformers brand has been delighting fans of all ages all over the world since the 1980s. We can therefore see huge international potential in our long sought-after license with Hasbro."

Additionally, Hasbro is set to launch next year a range of collector-edition Action Man figurines. Developed by Art + Science International, the toys will commemorate the classic character’s 50th anniversary.

Peter Rooke, the managing director of Art + Science International, said, “This unique range is being developed exclusively for the gift and collector’s market and we hope that it triggers many fond memories of everyone’s childhood play, including my own! Through a series of themed releases starting in 2016 we hope to capture the very best of the Action Man brand.”

Meanwhile, The Character Group will release in summer 2016 a line of toys based on Stretch Armstrong, the action figure first launched in 1976. Another licensing deal is the re-launch in the U.K. of the Stickle Bricks and Mr. Frosty brands by GP Flair.

“Entertainment and immersive storytelling have been the driving force behind our powerhouse portfolio of franchise brands,” said James Walker, the VP of brand licensing for Hasbro Europe. “We’re proud to grow our licensing program across Europe by translating great entertainment into an incredible lifestyle lineup that allows us to bring our stories to life and engage consumers across multiple mediums including entertainment, publishing and even more branded experiences.”