Transformers in BBC Documentary on Marketing on ABC
Apologies if this has been mentioned before (I’ve seen some elements of this discussed here) - on ABC tonight they showed episode 3 of “The Men Who Made Us Spend” (now up on Iview: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/men.../ZX9985A003S00). I hadn’t watched the rest of the series but heard this was focused on marketing to kids so tuned in. For those interested and don’t want to watch the whole thing, watch from about the 13 minute mark where they begin speaking of the freedom for toy companies to use TV to promote their products. Transformers are the focus. Paul Curnitz (I think his name was) speaks to the marketing strategy developed and the meeting with Griffon Bacal and Steve Schwartz of Hasbro where the Transformers backstory was created.
There’s mention of the initial product line (which I’m not sure is recalled correctly) and how they led to the names Autobots and Decepticons (which I think someone had asked about in another thread some time back), the success of the line and marketing and the intent of the cartoon…
Wasn’t a documentary on Transformers – nor could it be for the 3 minutes they spent on them – but it was interesting to get a summary on how the product and marketing developed and succeeded and how it evolved from previous and influenced future campaigns.
(There's also some footage at Comic Con and Transformer Cosplayers - or at least one family)
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