Toy Review - Earthrise Skylynx

[Magnus]

I managed to find this on the Official NASA website has in regards to licence deals:-

"Product hangtags should not include any NASA logos, identifiers, emblems or devices, though other NASA imagery may be appropriate. Specifically, NASA logos and words like "official," "genuine," "original," "authentic" etc. are not permitted on hangtags, promotional content or packaging. This regulation applies to merchandisers and NASA Exchange entities."

So that seems to suggest that Hasbro aren't even allowed to put NASA on the box, just on the Transformer but I'd say that the fact Sky Lynx and the Micromaster Astro Squad have the NASA logotype on them is proof enough of the licensing deal.

I'm guessing since NASA is a US Government Agency and not a private company, the licensing just works differently.

Source:-https://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/Merchandising_Guidelines.html

Thanks for the find. I'm asking because a lot of people state that Skylynx is an official NASA product, yet nobody has been able to cite a specific source or link. Not only is the licensing not mentioned on the packaging, it's not mentioned on the product description at Hasbro Pulse, either.

When LEGO made the Saturn V and Apollo 11 lunar lander sets, the packaging had the official Apollo logo for Saturn V, and the Apollo 50th anniversary logo for the lunar lander (the product description for the lunar lander states that it was developed in co-operation with NASA), and when DiD made 1:6 figures of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, the promotional photos all had NASA logos and the Apollo 11 patch on them (granted, the product descriptions on DiD's website don't cite NASA approval or licensing either). So it seems strange to me that Hasbro didn't have a NASA logo or didn't cite the licence on their packaging to state that they have permission to use the logotype.

Update: I was asking here because I asked the same question on Reddit, with little by way of informative responses, but I was eventually pointed to video from the New York Toy Fair posted on Hasbro Pulse, where a senior Hasbro employee indeed confirms that Skylynx was branded with NASA approval. Skylynx appears at 17:24 in the Transformers video.

[Seraphim Prime]

Looking at the Regulations page that nalops has linked to, it basically seems like parties can apply to NASA to use the logos and identifiers, but as a government agency, NASA doesn't engage in formal licensing agreements and that use of logos has to only be in the sense of decoration, but can't be seen to be cosponsoring a private product.

[nalops]

My best guess as to why Lego had all the extra licensing and logos and Hasbro didn't is because Lego was using the likeness of a real world vehicle, and so had to do more, while the Transformers are approximations but they can still use the NASA logotype.

[Bidoofdude]

My Sky Lynx arrived today and I am very pleased. He's clearly got a lot of quality put into him, the paint apps are crisp and feel premium. The individual and combined modes are very solid. He is actually a lot larger than I anticipated, but I think it's a perfect size for the character. I didn't understand a lot of people saying he should be a Titan, I feel that would be far too big. In particular he looks great next to Legends figures.

[Tilarta]

Maybe their opinion is based on this scene from the G1 one cartoon:

Since the Titans Return Predaking was Titan Scale, maybe they wanted a Titan Scale Sky Lynx to display with him.
Or maybe they just wanted him bigger so they could fit Autobots inside him. I don't think he has any storage areas though.

Me, I'm perfectly happy with him being the size he is, since it matches well with a CW Combiner, scale wise.
Big, but not too big.

Still waiting for my Sky Lynx preorder to be filled, I requested mine via online store order since my local retailers don't like to carry the larger toys.
I wanted to be certain I would get him and leave nothing to chance.

And yes, I did ask my local Big W stock manager, when the informed response is to shrug and say "We have no information on his release", that says everything about why you should look elsewhere for a supplier.

[reillyd]

Sorry to hear that Tilarta - had bad luck with big w online order fulfilment myself. If you can cancel your order, Amazon.com.au has him for only a little more

[nalops]

I finally opened my Sky Lynx after getting it in December and he's missing one of his landing gear.