The iconic toy truck line will join other Hasbro brands in Basic Fun!’s licensed portfolio, including Pound Puppies, Lite-Brite and Lincoln Logs.
Basic Fun! has announced that it has an agreement in principle with Hasbro for the Tonka brand. The multi-year deal would expand the licensing relationship between the two companies, which already includes Pound Puppies, Lite-Brite, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toy, My Little Pony Classic, Koosh and Weebles, among others. Basic Fun’s new line of Tonka trucks is expected to launch at retail worldwide in autumn 2020 and will feature the classic steel Tonka Trucks, die-cast range, and traditional plastic lights and sounds products.
The company plans to launch a dynamic marketing campaign aimed at kids and gift givers focusing on getting kids out to play and having fun in the fresh air. The new vehicles and play sets will have innovative elements to appeal to kids, yet will also stay true to the nostalgic Tonka Tough brand legacy generations of fans have come to love for over seventy years.
“Today’s kids are at risk of forgetting how to play with anything but a smart phone, which is why we are so thrilled to be taking on the iconic Tonka toy line that is all about going outside to play and encouraging kids to use their imaginations,” said Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun!. “Tonka has always been known for the biggest and best quality tough trucks and toy vehicles in the market, and we plan to make sure consumers know Tonka is the ‘go to’ brand in this category.”
Paul Fogarty, Basic Fun! VP Europe, added: “There is a lot of internal passion to really get behind this brand and elevate it – it’s a big deal for us.”
“We are excited about bringing one of our jewels to a trusted partner like Basic Fun!,” said Casey Collins, general manager and senior vice president, Entertainment and Licensing, Hasbro. “For years, the company has become an important collaborator of ours, effectively managing many of our classic vault brands. Tonka is perhaps the biggest of them all, and we know the programme is in great hands with the Basic Fun! team and its vision to reimagine the brand for today’s kids.”
