Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle Between G.I. Joe, Barbie, and the Companies that Make Them [Hardcover]

G. Wayne Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 1998

This is the real toy story, an unprecedented behind-the-scenes journey through a world of influence, fantasy, and multimillion-dollar Hollywood deals, a world where the whims of children make millionaires and topple titans.

This is also the story of an unusual man.  Alan Hassenfeld, the chief executive officer of Hasbro, never intended to run a Fortune 500 company.  A free spirit who dreamed of being a writer and exploring Asia, he was content to remain in the shadow of his older brother Stephen, a marketing genius who transformed a family firm established by immigrant Jews into powerhouse and Wall Street darling.

Then tragedy struck.  Stephen, and intensely private man, died of AIDS, a disease he had not acknowledged he had, even to his family.  Alan Hassenfeld was named CEO, just as Hasbro was facing a daunting onslaught of challenges.  Toy Wars is about Alan's struggle to balance the demands of the bottom line with his ideals about the kind of toys children deserve, as well as the ethical obligations of management.

Wayne Miller, an award-winning journalist and novelist, was granted unprecedented access to Hasbro, the maker of G.I. Joe, Star Wars toys, Mr. Potato Head, Batman, Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, and countless other favorites.  For five years, he sat in on design sessions, marketing meetings, and focus groups, and interviewed employees in every part of the company.  He witnessed a major corporate restructuring; crucial deal with Dreamworks SKG; a hostile takeover bid by archrival Mattel; the collapse of a $45 million virtual reality game; and the company makeover of G.I. Joe, Hasbro's flagship product and one of the most popular toys of all time.

Toy Wars is filled with many colorful characters, including:

Hollywood moguls Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, whose kid-friendly movies can translate into licensing gold for toymakers

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers creator Haim Saban, who tapped into a popular Japanese TV series and made it a worldwide television and merchandising phenomenon

Mattel CEO Jill Barad, the second-highest-paid woman in corporate America, who promotes and defends Barbie with the zeal of a religious crusader

Hasbro executive Al Verrecchia, the loyal second in command who did not let friendship or tradition stand in the way of a dramatic restructuring

Larry Bernstein, arguably the best toy salesman ever, a riotous raconteur whose divisional presidency crumbled when he was unable to meet Hasbro's profit goals

Rich in family drama and written with sly wit, Toy Wars is a deeply compelling business story, a fascinating tour through a billion-dollar industry that exerts tremendous influence on the lives of children everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although it may seem to outsiders like a playful pursuit, manufacturing and marketing toys is not all fun and games. Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle Between G.I. Joe, Barbie, and the Companies That Make Them, by journalist and novelist G. Wayne Miller, reveals the realities of the business and the people behind it. By focusing on Fortune 500 toymaker Hasbro and the Hassenfeld family, which has guided the company since its founding some nine decades ago, Miller offers a rare insider look at this unique industry.

From Library Journal

Miller (Coming of Age, Random, 1995), a writer for the Providence Journal-Bulletin, is given a similar opportunity to that of Mary Walton, who spent several years with Ford obtaining the information for Car (LJ 6/15/97). Miller spent five years behind the scenes at the Hasbro Toy Corporation in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and, like Walton, provides a detailed view of the industry. He describes how movies, television, and comic books influence the development of new toys such as Star Wars Action Figures and the ever popular G.I. Joe. Mergers with Milton Bradley and Kenner Toys as well as an unfriendly takeover bid from Mattel are detailed, and biographies of key individuals provide insight into the creativity and drive needed to be successful in this business. A fast-paced, well-developed, suspenseful narrative that will appeal to marketing enthusiasts, business students, and general readers nostalgic for their old toys.?Steven J. Mayover, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 348 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; 1st edition (January 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812929845
• ISBN-13: 978-0812929843
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #597,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Visit www.gwaynemiller.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Toy Industry is changing, March 18, 2000

By 

Sheila Wegenka (springfield, Mo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle Between G.I. Joe, Barbie, and the Companies That Make Them (Paperback)

Unbelievable how a group of businessmen have changed the way kids pretend play. The process of decision making in this industry is so elementary but yet so critical in shaping our childrens memories, desires, passions, and shaping their past time. This book brought me into a world that I no longer think is just fun and games. I like that Miller gives a broad insight to the industry. At first I felt the personalities of the key players wre being told in too much detail. Now I see that it is these personalities that rule and are changing play time forever. A great book for parents and educators. I do not feel there are many business lessons to learn here as I have seen in other profiles. I completed the book with a true feel for this important industry and that was my goal. Mostly Miller writes a story about Hasbro, family and product ups and downs.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting birds-eye view of a dynamic compnay, Hasbro., July 30, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle Between G.I. Joe, Barbie, and the Companies that Make Them (Hardcover)

Miller was granted clear access to the inner sanctum of Hasbro. His description of the personalities that control the world's leading toy company are insightful and often amusing.

The downside to this book is two-fold; It appears that in return for the access Miller was afforded, he has a tough time writing a bad word about Hasbro, or providing a more balanced portrayal of this corporate behomoth. The fact the Miller was a reporter for the Providence Journal, and that Hasbro is among Rhode Island's largest employers, could be responsible.

The second problem is Miller's lack of insight into Mattel. The book is billed as an "epic struggle" between Hasbro and Mattel, yet Miller clearly had trouble accessing the inner workings of Mattel (a fact he sights in the book). It's possible that Miller's Rhode Island affiliation deterred Mattel from responding to his inquiries or granting him access. Perhaps a co-authorship with an L.A.-based writer, where Mattel i! s headquartered, would have made this book a truely objective portrayal of these two fascinating companies.

Furthermore, Miller could have expounded on the most contentious issue facing the toy industry; the acquisitive appetites of Hasbro and Mattel resulting in the homogenization of the toy business. While one could argue that such merge and purge behavior characterizes many consumer product categories, the dominance of Hasbro and Mattel may be leading to a reduction of product selections for toy consumers.

Note that these companies often recoup the cost of their acquisitions by reducing the number of future items from the companies acquired. Furthermore, to recoup big investments in licensed properties, they spread licensed images and characters across many of the products from the companies they acquire. Finally, their "big company" mentalities often overtake what were originally entrepreneurial, dynamic work environments. These are all consequences o! f the toy industry's consolidation, and could have been add! ressed.

To his credit, Miller does cite the pressure to maximize shareholder value as the basis for Hasbro and Mattel to grow. All in all, Toy Wars is a good read, especially for those curious about the strange and wonderful toy business.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Toy Story, July 21, 2002

By 

Anuradha (Hialeah, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle Between G.I. Joe, Barbie, and the Companies that Make Them (Hardcover)

A well written book that makes for very interesting reading. It is the story of Hasbro and the events that unfold around it. Since the author had a good access to the Hasbro team, he has been able to write up about Hasbro executives in great detail. Competitiors, esp. Mattel get seen through Hasbro eye's and hence maybe make for a one sided perspective.
The book talks well about how toy brands have evolved from simple objects to complex products involving Hollywood, comics, cereals, mega blitz promotions and the like. It offers a good understanding of how the toy business is not a childs play any longer.