Games - Hasbro

	Games - Hasbro

Hasbro is a American toy and game company. It is the second largest toy maker in the world, second only to the toy giant Mattel. Hasbro is also the publisher of the world's most popular board game, Monopoly. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

History

Hasbro originated with the Mr. Potato Head toy. Mr. Potato Head was the invention of George Lerner in the late 1940s. The idea was originally sold to a breakfast cereal manufacturer so that the separate parts could be distributed as cereal package premiums. This was not successful and Lerner bought back the rights to textile manufacturers Henry and Merrill Hassenfeld, who did business as the Hassenfeld Brothers, later to be shortened to Hasbro. The toy was a smash success, which led to their development of other toys and games.

Hasbro, Inc. is now the parent company of several subsidiaries. The toys and games produced by these companies retain their brand identity, which is an important advertising consideration. Many of Hasbro's games have been around so long that they have entered into the popular culture.

Some of the Hasbro-owned subsidiaries are:

The largest subsidiary of Hasbro was probably Kenner (in Cincinnati, Ohio). Kenner was the toy company that was behind the success of the Star Wars, Play-Doh, Super Powers, M.A.S.K., Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears toy lines. When Tonka and then later Hasbro acquired Kenner, the Kenner location became the foremost producer for Hasbro "boys toys", leading production on the high-profile lines of G.I. Joe, Transformers
, Batman and Star Wars toys. However, after sales declined in 2000 after the Star Wars toy market saturation implosion, Hasbro faced a difficult decision in cutting back its spending in order to continue to cater to their primary buyers. They decided to close the entire Cincinnati plant, relocating about 100 employees and laying off over 400. This decision, while good for Hasbro, created a ripple effect on the Cincinnati job market which continued to push businesses out of Cincinnati, which, with Procter & Gamble and Hasbro, had managed to be the midwest city for corporate advertising and graphic design.

In the early 21st century, Hasbro allowed for the use of Mr. Potato Head in a community art project similar to those with cows in Chicago and pigs in Cincinnati. Painted and reoutfitted versions of Mr. Potato Head by various artists sprouted up all over Rhode Island and were welcome additions in front of businesses and buildings (including a New England staple, Dunkin Donuts) for the duration of the project.

Hasbro would be the largest toy and game publisher in the world if it were not for Mattel's Barbie franchise.

Toys & games

Hasbro has several brands of toys aimed at different demographics. Some of its more well known brands are:

Battle Beasts
Beyblade
Cabbage Patch Kids (1989-1994)
C.O.P.S. 'n Crooks
Easy-Bake Oven
G.I. Joe
Lincoln Logs
Lite-Brite
Mr. Potato Head
Play-Doh
Pokémon
Spirograph
Star Wars
Tinkertoy
s
Transformers
World Wrestling Federation (1990-1994)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Hasbro ]

Games - Hasbro

History

Toys & games

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