Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Resurrection Joe | 4

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2020

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s the early 1980s and things are not looking good for Hasbro. The company hasn’t had a hit since Hungry Hungry Hippos; its founding CEO Merrill Hassenfeld has just died; now Star Wars dolls have just about gobbled up the entire action figure market. Hasbro needs to deliver a toy capable of taking on the Star Wars dolls, or else the company risks losing its only source of stable income, the family pencil factory.

But Hasbro’s not the only toymaker plotting to take on Star Wars. Three thousand miles away in Los Angeles, Mattel’s also preparing an assault on the action figure market. A line of fantastical action figures called The Masters of the Universe.

This episode originally aired on April 1, 2019.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to business wars, ad-free on Amazon music.
0:04.6	Download the app today.
0:07.0	It's early 1981, an inside Hasbro's offices in Potucket, Rhode Island, two men are waiting
0:18.6	nervously in the corridor outside the company's auditorium.
0:22.0	Inside, CEO Stephen Hasenfeld is reviewing new product ideas, and these two executives
0:27.7	are due to pitch their latest concept any moment now.
0:31.2	The shorter of the two looks up at his tall, broad-shouldered colleague.
0:34.7	Is this a good idea?
0:36.7	I mean, this isn't just any old toy, it's got emotional baggage.
0:41.7	The larger man shrugs as he puts on a green army jacket.
0:46.0	Then they hear the sound of Henry Filmore's patriotic anthem, Americans We, coming from
0:51.1	inside the auditorium.
0:53.0	Well, it's too late now.
0:55.5	That's my cue.
0:56.9	Don't forget this.
0:58.4	The large man takes a steel pot helmet from his colleague and pulls it down over his head.
1:03.4	So how do I look?
1:05.7	Like Mussolini's long-lost brother.
1:08.9	Screw you.
1:11.3	And with that, the man of the helmet and army jacket marches into the auditorium.
1:17.1	He stops at the lectern and stands to attention.
1:19.8	The lights are dimmed, but he can just about make out Hasenfeld's mop of curly hair and
	...

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