Way back in 1964, G.I. Joe first marched into toy aisles, commanding action figures portraying the various branches of the U.S. military. This summer, Hasbro hopes a big budget movie will recruit a whole new battalion of young fans to the brand.
“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” opening Aug. 7, tells the story of an elite G.I. Joe team that uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization.
Hasbro is leveraging the hoopla around the film with a line of more than 140 movie-themed toys and a major marketing campaign centered on Web promotions targeting six- to 12-year-olds.
The online experience lets kids from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States engage with the brand, says Kathleen Seguin, director of global promotions for Hasbro.
Players can “Join the Team” at GIJoe.com by clicking on a dog tag and creating their own action figure avatars in their likeness. They can choose either an avatar based on G.I. Joe (the good guys) or Cobra (the bad guys), and then customize the uniform, gear, back story and skills.
“We wanted to find a way to get consumers across the world together at the same time with this promotion,” notes Michael Ritchie, global brand director for G.I. Joe.
Thirty-nine winners, selected on creativity, will have their faces scanned and put on the body of their character’s 3.75-inch action figure.
The impact of the program will become apparent over time, says Ritchie. “We’re more concerned with the long-term brand strategy in a program like this rather than just short-term ROI.”
Last year, Hasbro spent $455 million on advertising, promotion and marketing programs, up from $435 million in 2007. All of the G.I. Joe marketing includes a call out for the promotion and the “Join the Team” icon. In the U.S., through a partnership with Milk Media Inc., messaging and images of the movie-themed toys will be included on 220 million milk cartons, 20,000 book covers and 20,000 posters in schools.
“We wanted to create a unique experience for our youngest consumers to learn about the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra fantasy and the characters from each side, and then officially join the team,” Ritchie says. “Our goal is to create a whole new generation of fans who will want to experience the brand for years to come.”
