Sparking Global Ideas For Hasbro
Our software enables inventors worldwide to submit ideas to Hasbro following the global roll-out of Spark.
What we did
Following the success of Spark, Hasbro wanted to encourage toy innovation from further afield
We replicated Spark and rolled it out to several other territories
Considerations included local language and legal requirements
More locations might be created in the future
The client
International toy and game manufacturer, Hasbro, a client of ours for some time. One hundred years old and owner of famous brands such as Monopoly, Mr Potato Head, Play Doh, Transformers, Star Wars and My Little Pony, to name but a few.
The request
Having created Spark, a hugely successful, interactive web platform which allowed amateur inventors in the USA to submit toy ideas directly to Hasbro, the company wanted to go global. Recognising that ‘the best ideas can and do come from anyone, anywhere’, we were tasked with replicating Spark for Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
What we did
Globalising Spark was one of the most technically challenging and rewarding projects we’ve undertaken. More than simply translating the text, each new territory required its own front-end with bespoke elements and incorporating local legal requirements, such as GDPR.
Over the course of four months - an incredibly tight timescale - the team created multiple versions of the site for Canada (which alone necessitated two language options: English and French), Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Each version then required its own customised Ignite back-end, too.
The first step was to revise the existing system, future-proofing and updating the text stack so that the portal was foundationally robust and up-to-date (a lot has changed since the original 2016 release). This meant it would be able to easily cater for language changes, plus any further builds (i.e. additional countries). These revisions were additionally made to enable an even better user experience and ensure overall longevity.
In the spirit of a true partnership, we wanted to ensure the global software would also provide an enhanced user experience for our client. As Brian Chapman, Hasbro’s president and head of global design and development for toy, game and consumer products says: “We love the ideas we receive from the outside because they truly give us a different perspective. They make us think about our business in a different way.”
What the client said
“I wanted to finally jump in and say THANK YOU to everyone who had a part in this roll out. This was a huge achievement across the board, and in an amazingly short amount of time. The excitement around this launch has grown internally and especially within our Leadership where we’ve been celebrating this entire team’s efforts”
Jared Wade - Hasbro SVP Design Innovation & Inventor Relations.
Summary
As the global portals went live, Hasbro threw parties around the world in celebration. It’s anticipated that it’ll receive large numbers of submissions from each of the new locations, generating exciting ideas which will resonate with potential new consumers.
While we continue to host the platform on a day-to-day basis and maintain its UX, rumours abound that more locations are coming soon - possibly Germany, Israel and Brazil, but we couldn’t possibly comment. In the meantime, we’ve produced some fun Hasbro University video content around the Spark platform, starring none other than Mr Potato Head .
Essentially, we understood just how important independent inventors and diverse ideas are to Hasbro, and considered this throughout the project. Hasbro’s aim is to ‘Create the world’s best play experiences’ and it is our aim to make this a continued reality for our client.
