Case Study #3

PLAY TO WIN: Hasbro Scores a Sell-Out Return with new fans After 20 Years

Industry:

  • Retail

  • CPG

  • Toy

  • Web3

My role:

  • Decision maker

  • Budget approver

  • Brand strategist

  • Cross-functional lead 

  • Contract negotiation

  • B2B relationship development

Objective: Reintroduce “Starting Lineup” to Gen Z males who were unaware of its legacy.

Summary: In 2023, the US toy industry was experiencing a continued decline of sales, showing an 8% decrease in that fiscal alone. Hasbro sought to reinvigorate the category by relaunching its famous Staring Lineup figurines – each with its own NFT pairing – targeting adult collectors interested in resale and Web3 integrations. Recognizing Gen Z’s unfamiliarity with the brand’s cultural peak, Hypebeast and Hasbro partnered to create a dedicated digital experience and social media campaign that focused on aligning this release with the customer's love for athletes, drop culture, and collectibles. This led to an increase in brand awareness, engagement and sales. Ultimately leading to a slam dunk with certain SKUs selling out.

Execution

  • Who: Hasbro x NBA x Hypebeast

  • What: Starting Lineup Action Figurines

    Hasbro released a new product after a 22-year hiatus called “Starting Lineup.” While this product was a popular item during that time, the current market of Gen Z sports fans have never even heard of it.

  • When: Q3 2022

  • Where: Nationwide US & E-commerce

  • How:

    • Target Audience: Focused on Gen Z male sports fans, NFT enthusiasts, and art collectors.

    • Digital Experience: Developed an immersive digital platform showcasing Starting Lineup’s athletes, history, and cultural relevance, fostering a sense of fandom.

    • Content & Media: Leveraged custom digital content, display media, and social amplification to educate and engage the audience.

    • Rolling Launch: Introduced athletes in phases to create urgency and drive repeat visits, encouraging purchases.

Results

  • Specific product SKUs sold out

  • Over 9.7 million impressions

  • Engagement benchmarks exceeded by 1.6x

  • 310,000 article views

Key Takeaways

  • Targeted Strategy Success

    The hyper-focused targeting and e-commerce messaging effectively drove sales, with multiple SKUs selling out within two months.

  • Shedding Light On The Problem

    A brand’s history and popularity is not guaranteed to stand the test of time. The consumer insight of drop culture and NFT resale behavior uncovered a learning that – continuing to target young sports fans isn’t enough to engage modern customers. 

  • Consumer Insights

    Drive excitement and sales by tailoring content that focused on customer sentiments that resonate with the modern toy buyer: the value of owning this collectible, the historical importance of this cultural item and pride/status of becoming one of the first to discover this product.