Transform Your Life With Hasbro

This northern summer product placement, viral marketing and film special effects are going to be taken to a new level. I am talking Transformers and the film by Micheal Bay due for release in July (Steven Speilberg is executive producer). I have the feeling this is going to be huge. My 7 year old son worships at the alter of Optimus Prime and many of the adult males I work with recognise the words "More than meets the eye" at their mention (I did not until my son got a action figure last Christmas...who needs Christ when you have Optimus). Now the decks are being cleared for what will be a very distributed release program:

Transformers - with Spielberg reckoned by Hollywood observers to be very much the power behind the film - seems equipped for battle both at the box office and the aisles of Toys R Us. Last month, Hasbro revealed an entirely new line of movie-linked Transformers. And in an effort to make the consumer's world "more than meets the eye" (a longtime teaser for the toy line), it will have further spin-offs in stores at the start of June, such as the Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet, Optimus Prime Big Rig Blaster, and Starscream Barrel Roll Blaster. (The Guardian)

When you think about it, what could be more perfect for product promotion than a group of dynamic polymorphic mechanical robots who can take the form of potentially any mechanical device. So far the companies announced as on board for the Transformers juggernaut are Pepsi, Hasbro and General Motors. I am sure there will be more. It is rumoured that new devices featured in the Tranformers movie will be The Xbox 360 game console, iPod music player, and plasma televisions.

We are discussing whether our 7 year old will see the film on release. I must admit I have a soft spot for the original Transformers (I don't for Beast Wars). However seeing the film and navigating the aftermath of consumption are two different things. Its going to be a hectic summer.