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Hasbro introduces new lifestyle brand, Hanazuki, on digital platforms


?Hanazuki Full of Treasures? will be Hasbro?s first foray into making a digital animated series, and was made available on the platforms yesterday. The Hanazuki brand is inspired by character creations originating out of Amsterdam, and is being brought to life by Hasbro through a storyline focused on ?the power of embracing how you?re feeling, no matter what your mood.?

?The Hanazuki brand was developed with the modern tween in mind, not only through her modern attitude and design, but also with the thought that we could reach tweens in the current moment, which is what Hanazuki focuses on,? said a Hasbro spokesperson. ?Through our immersive story, characters, and her unique lunar world, Hanazuki champions the power of embracing emotions and feelings.?

Hanazuki
Produced by Hasbro Studios in collaboration with Titmouse Studios, the ?Hanazuki Full of Treasures? animated digital series treats viewers into a ?distant galaxy full of colorful moons, and a mysterious dark force that threatens this new world.?

The series will feature 27 11-minute animated episodes released throughout the year timed to the full moons. The first nine episodes are available now and can be viewed on the Hasbro YouTube page and in the YouTube Kids app.


And Hasbro is mounting a full-court press with its new property, especially on mobile-specific platforms. A Hanazuki digital app is launching in April, and the company has already debuted an Instagram page for the brand. The toy company will also release a Bluetooth-enabled and app-connected wearable, enabling kids to share and express their moods, just as Hanazuki does in the animated series.

?Choosing to launch Hanazuki through digital platforms allows us to reach our target demographic through the platforms they frequent on a daily basis,? the spokesperson said. ?With YouTube being the largest and most used global streaming platform, we felt it was the perfect place for us to introduce kids to the story of Hanazuki and the most accessible place to upload new content as we plan to from January to June. 

?Instagram allows us to showcase the brand through a visual lens, complementing the visuals, bright colors, aesthetics, music and cool heritage of Hanazuki.?

Digital-first
Brands have been going the extra mile to present novel content on mobile-optimized platforms. In support of its Shopathon Red holiday promotion, AIDS-awareness brand Red provided us with the music video we did not know we needed: a parody of Kanye West?s controversial music video for Famous, starring exclusively dogs (see story). 

And Hasbro was one of the first brands to release a mobile app geared exclusively towards children with its My Little Pony: Twilight?s Kingdom storytelling app (see story). 


?It?s extremely important for all companies to be on mobile,? the spokesperson said. ?As attention spans are lowering and tweens are becoming more mobile invested, it?s becoming the dominant access point for information, content, and commerce. 

?Mobile is the method in which consumers find our stories in the first place and we look to capitalize on it even further in the future.?