Why no GIJoe toy commercials anymore?

Redmao · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 7:53 am

bcost74 wrote:

(...)only about 10 % of children are buying GI Joe. This is the reason why there are no commercials for GI Joe.

And only 10% of kids buy GI Joe because there's no commercials.

Dun dun dun....

zedhatch · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am **Location:** Neon KY

jcast wrote:

So I've seen the new items from Toyfair and I'm pretty underwhelmed. Some of the items are nice, but a lot of it seems to highlight Hasbro's treatment of the brand. It needs to be said that Hasbro treats the Joe brand like a red-headed-step-child. It could be a major brand, but it seems that the effort just isn't there. Correct me if I'm wrong, but here's some of the things I've seen:

The distribution is lousy:

This is obvious to everyone, but it strikes me as very strange that stores get in one case, sell out, and then the pegs sit empty for months.

the marketing is inconsistent:

Here's your new movie! The line will continue with movie-sculpts! Wait! No it isn't! Here's different sculpts! Here's your new cartoon! Get hyped about it! Wait! We're cancelling it for the new movie! We'll throw out a few items in the meantime, but make sure you get ready for the new movie! which leads to...

Bizarre choices:

Do we really need another Awe-Striker? Why are some of the figures so different from their on-screen counterparts? Can anyone explain this?

Successes are never followed up on:

This really bugs me. I remember how, back in 2006-7, Adventure Team figures were released as store exclusives. It seemed to sell out everywhere (except for the Urban Outfitters Air Adventurer with the wrong outfit). Hasbro decided to capitalise on that success by doing absolutely nothing. Not only that, but according to various message boards, retailers actually asked Hasbro for more AT exclusives, but were turned down! Are you #@$%& kidding me?

Blaming everything on retailers:

I'm not going to list all the problems since I know that some of it is the retailers' fault, but Hasbro acts as if everything is the fault of retailers. Does anyone find it a little strange that only G.I. Joe is held to this standard by stores?

Can anyone explain the moves they've taken with the brand?

All of the above

In addition, dispite some apologists claims, this line has not been marketed to kids at all since the original ARAH run. Virtually nothing has been aimed at getting kids into GI Joe. This runs very counter to everything marketing 101 teaches, the most basic premise, aim at your target audience.

In addtion, ever notice the "kids" excuse is only used when there is some assinine move done by Hasbro that everyone knows is a bad idea but Hasbro wants to push forward-T-Crotches, Action attack, repetive characters, atriculation, repaints, ect. Even when faced with the fact that these ideas simply don't work, they say "but that's what kids like" Spring loaded launchers? When has that worked, now we find out that apparently the Clone wars line that Hasbro has claimed is a mega seller doesn;t sell that well and they are putting it on the back burner, a line loaded withlaunchers (although smaller) aimed at the kiddies. If it fails for the Juggernaut Star wars, what makes them think it will work for Joe?

Macrossmaster · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am

zedhatch wrote:

In addition, dispite some apologists claims, this line has not been marketed to kids at all since the original ARAH run. Virtually nothing has been aimed at getting kids into GI Joe. This runs very counter to everything marketing 101 teaches, the most basic premise, aim at your target audience.

DING DING DING we have a winner. Exactly. I am NOT buying a ton of Joe product. I am 33 now, I have two kids. I just spent hundreds of dollars on bedroom furniture. Not a dime of that went to Joes, even though at this stage in my life I could scoop up a Flagg when I want on eBay or buy lots of figures. You can't sell to us forever, no matter how much we love Joe. They have to aim it at the kids. Remaking our childhood has got to stop. I remember after I got the 8 millionth Viper pack/Officer Pack/CG Pack, etc, that I realized they had made EVERYTHING I wanted, EVER. Now it's time to innovate, to make new stuff.

zedhatch wrote:

In addtion, ever notice the "kids" excuse is only used when there is some assinine move done by Hasbro that everyone knows is a bad idea but Hasbro wants to push forward-T-Crotches, Action attack, repetive characters, atriculation, repaints, ect. Even when faced with the fact that these ideas simply don't work, they say "but that's what kids like" Spring loaded launchers? When has that worked, now we find out that apparently the Clone wars line that Hasbro has claimed is a mega seller doesn;t sell that well and they are putting it on the back burner, a line loaded withlaunchers (although smaller) aimed at the kiddies. If it fails for the Juggernaut Star wars, what makes them think it will work for Joe?

I wouldn't agree with this part. I think they come up with something, test it, and hope it works. T-crotch was probably a compromise in gimmick vs. cost, and didn't work well for kids or collectors (double strike). I don't like spring launchers at 33, but at 6 we might have had a different liking.

Joe needs something BIG, something distinctive, some research into it that makes it a NEW toyline. Something like the articulation that you could not get in 82 that blew everyone else away. I'm seeing something like "Laser Battle GI Joe" where the vehicles incorporate the old Laser Tag tech. Each vehicle gets strengths and weaknesses, exploding cockpits like Captain Power, reloadable missiles, WHATEVER, but something where new and fun tech has been applied. Otherwise you keep selling to 30 year olds, who, even if we bought EVERYTHING, would not be able to keep this thing going.

pluv · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:25 pm

zedhatch wrote:

In addition, dispite some apologists claims, this line has not been marketed to kids at all since the original ARAH run. Virtually nothing has been aimed at getting kids into GI Joe. This runs very counter to everything marketing 101 teaches, the most basic premise, aim at your target audience.

In addtion, ever notice the "kids" excuse is only used when there is some assinine move done by Hasbro that everyone knows is a bad idea but Hasbro wants to push forward-T-Crotches, Action attack, repetive characters, atriculation, repaints, ect. Even when faced with the fact that these ideas simply don't work, they say "but that's what kids like" Spring loaded launchers? When has that worked, now we find out that apparently the Clone wars line that Hasbro has claimed is a mega seller doesn;t sell that well and they are putting it on the back burner, a line loaded withlaunchers (although smaller) aimed at the kiddies. If it fails for the Juggernaut Star wars, what makes them think it will work for Joe?

Sigma Six, Action Battlers, Adventure Heroes are just some of the lines Hasbro used specifically to target kids. Those 10" movie figures coming out "tested very well with kids. They loved to play with them." That was from the head designer of the Joe brand. I'm pretty sure he knows when something made for kids.

Made for kids isn't the same as successful with kids. They test this stuff. They really do. But it is still in a test environment and not at their friend's house where video games and peer pressure come into play.

To answer the question though, I don't see too many commercials for any action figures these days. Clone Wars. That is about it. Marvel? Nope. Green Lantern? I can't remember any. Not even Transformers. Granted I don't watch a ton of tv but I DVR a lot and My Little Pony has more tv spots than any action figure line.

Wowboy · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am

pluv wrote:

Made for kids isn't the same as successful with kids. They test this stuff. They really do. But it is still in a test environment and not at their friend's house where video games and peer pressure come into play.

I've always wondered what the test environment is like... do they just put some kids in a room with only the specific toy they are testing and then ask the kids if they had fun playing with it? Or do they put the kid in a room with the toy they want to release, along with it nearest competitor in style and pricepoint, and also a video game system just to see which grabs the kids attention?

Redmao · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:26 pm

pluv wrote:

zedhatch wrote:

Green Lantern? I can't remember any.

When the line came out, there was a few commercials where kids fought the big villain in a great city diorama with their various GL gimmicky figures, each sold separately.

You want to reach kids, make commercials and put them on cartoon channels since the major networks don't have cartoon blocks anymore. It's plain and simple. It worked on us in the 70's and 80's, I can't see why it wouldn't work today.

pluv · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:48 pm

Like I said I couldn't remember anything for GL. I think I saw a hot wheels playset and a fast food tie in but I didn't remember the action figure commercials for it.

Are there any other action figure lines out right now getting tv commercials?

zedhatch · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am **Location:** Neon KY

pluv wrote:

zedhatch wrote:

In addition, dispite some apologists claims, this line has not been marketed to kids at all since the original ARAH run. Virtually nothing has been aimed at getting kids into GI Joe. This runs very counter to everything marketing 101 teaches, the most basic premise, aim at your target audience.

In addtion, ever notice the "kids" excuse is only used when there is some assinine move done by Hasbro that everyone knows is a bad idea but Hasbro wants to push forward-T-Crotches, Action attack, repetive characters, atriculation, repaints, ect. Even when faced with the fact that these ideas simply don't work, they say "but that's what kids like" Spring loaded launchers? When has that worked, now we find out that apparently the Clone wars line that Hasbro has claimed is a mega seller doesn;t sell that well and they are putting it on the back burner, a line loaded withlaunchers (although smaller) aimed at the kiddies. If it fails for the Juggernaut Star wars, what makes them think it will work for Joe?

Sigma Six, Action Battlers, Adventure Heroes are just some of the lines Hasbro used specifically to target kids. Those 10" movie figures coming out "tested very well with kids. They loved to play with them." That was from the head designer of the Joe brand. I'm pretty sure he knows when something made for kids.

Made for kids isn't the same as successful with kids. They test this stuff. They really do. But it is still in a test environment and not at their friend's house where video games and peer pressure come into play.

To answer the question though, I don't see too many commercials for any action figures these days. Clone Wars. That is about it. Marvel? Nope. Green Lantern? I can't remember any. Not even Transformers. Granted I don't watch a ton of tv but I DVR a lot and My Little Pony has more tv spots than any action figure line.

As I said, Marketed for kids, comercials, how are they reaching the core audience. I said nothing about play testing which has nothing to do with what I was saying, play testing does not get the word out about what is available. You can't sell a product if you don't try to reach your target audience, simply because the people you are trying to sell to won't even know the product exists.

Yes, as mentioned GL did have comericals and I have seen sparadic Transformer Prime toy comercials (Mostly on Cartoon Network which does make sense).

But again, if the lines are targeted to kids how is Hasbro (Or more accurately Hunter PR) getting that word out to kids? Toy news sites, they recieve press releases, but those sites are generally geared to us adults (Even this one), there are noc omercials, even if one was in comics the bulk of that is in the adult crowd. Marvel is clearly an adult collectable, ask any comic shop owner who sells them. You can't find them in the other stores.

Seriously, maybe they are trying to pull kids in, but theya re not aiming at those kids to let them even know what's going on.

Redmao · **Posted:** Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:12 pm

I saw a wrestling figures and spinning ring commercial yesterday and I saw a Power Rangers commercial about their latest robot this morning.

Those two big franchises have a weekly presence on TV, yet Mattel and Bandai both thought it might still be a good idea to advertize their products.

Meanwhile, Hasbro seems to rely only on the upcoming movie to sell their toys.

Why no GIJoe toy commercials anymore?

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