Anyone who has casually perused a toy store lately can attest that the Angry Birds brand has grown to become one of the largest current toy brands. The birds and their pig nemeses can be found on everything from plush toys to lunch boxes – and there is even an Angry Birds-branded soda.
This wildly successful merchandising didn’t come about by chance, however. In the three years since the release of Angry Birds, Rovio has strategically partnered with companies to put their brand in the hands children in both Europe and the U.S. – and they won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Rovio announced this week that it has expanded its licensing agreement with Hasbro. The toy company will continue to manufacture Angry Birds toys, including ones related to the lucrative Angry Birds Star Wars property.
“Angry Birds is one of the most recognizable entertainment franchises in the world and we’re thrilled Rovio has chosen Hasbro as its premier toy and game licensee,” said John Frascotti, CMO at Hasbro.
In addition to the Hasbro deal, Rovio also announced that it intends to expand its merchandising reach with even more partnerships. The Finnish company has partnered with Power A to provide mobile and video game accessories, with Thermos to create Angry Birds storage containers, and with Pez to create new Pez dispensers. In addition, Gemmy Industries will be creating inflatable toys and Halloween costumes, while Natrol will create Angry Birds multivitamins for kids.
“We are thrilled to have these companies onboard with us,” said Naz Cuevas, SVP of Global Consumer Products Licensing at Rovio. “We are committed to developing great products for our fans with our dedicated partners, resulting in even deeper retail integrations.”