Hasbro Re-enters Adult Play-Doh Market with New Strategy
Toy company Hasbro is launching a new adult-focused product line, "Blooms by Play-Doh," aiming to avoid past failures with a strategy emphasizing influencers over traditional advertising.
Hasbro is making a second attempt to capture the adult market with Play-Doh, following the unsuccessful "Grown-Up Scents" line launched in 2020. The original adult offering struggled to differentiate itself from the children's version, despite being marketed with scents like "mom jeans" and "overpriced latte."
The new "Blooms by Play-Doh" line aims to provide a relaxing, creative experience for adults, guiding users to sculpt floral arrangements from the modeling compound. In a significant shift from its previous strategy, Hasbro is bypassing traditional paid media channels and instead partnering with approximately 200 influencers to reach its target demographic.
Hasbro's Chief Marketing Officer, Jason Bunge, acknowledged that the prior iteration's visual similarity to the children's product was a key issue. This time, the company has established a distinct new brand identity and is focusing on influencer collaborations and organic reach, even bringing its media buying in-house.
The move comes as Hasbro seeks to broaden its appeal and as part of a larger company turnaround. The company recently reported a 13% increase in revenue to $1 billion in its latest quarter, largely attributed to its "Magic: The Gathering" trading card game, while core toy sales remained flat. This new Play-Doh line represents an effort to diversify revenue streams and engage a wider consumer base.