Renewing the force
Collectibles and old-school figures satiate Star Wars 'geeks'
By Staff -- Playthings, 10/1/2006
The force is definitely with Hasbro this season. Their updated Star Wars site lets fans get the latest collector news, see almost 360-degree view of figures (with and without their accessories) in the Action Toy Arena, play Star Wars Galactic Arcade games or buy toys directly. And Hasbro brings something old, something new and something borrowed to the Star Wars toy line this holiday, with more for 2007.
This fall, Hasbro is offering collectible boxed figures from each film, including Star Wars Transformers figures, 10-pack sets of mini figures, new vehicles and a few exclusives.
Derryl DePriest, Hasbro's director of marketing for the Star Wars line, says the company today is appealing to adult fans as much as it is to kids. The Saga line, for example, takes the 3¾-inch figures, what he calls the “emotional heart and soul of Star Wars collectors,” and adds retro packaging to the mix with images from all films. “The things that resonate with the adult audience are the same things that resonate with the kid audience,” he says. “The adult audience, while they don't behave like kids, they still love the things that kids love—the same characters, but new play patterns.”
Tinned starsThis holiday, the Saga Figures Tin line will include four standard figures per tin. Four versions of Galactic Heroes will feature 10 mini figures from each film. The assortment's packaging is semi-circular and can be transformed into a play set by lifting the outside cardboard. A Darth Vader Star Fighter is one of the new Transformers figures, as is an exclusive AT-AT vehicle, complete with moss decoration.
Next year, Hasbro has more surprises in store to mark the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, including offering aluminum coins packaged with all 60 basic action figures, something that was done in the 1980s after Kenner (original maker of Star Wars toys) merged with Hasbro. A coin album is scheduled to hit shelves in January.
“There's a real art to marketing of the toy,” says DePriest. When working with retailers, Hasbro will help provide imagery and product release updates, in case they wish to bring the line front-of-store, as Toys “R” Us' did for its Star Wars Feature Store.
It's all part of Hasbro's effort to keep the property viable in the post-movie era. “Even though the last movie is behind us, the future looks bright for the Star Wars brand,” DePriest says.
