Toy story: Furby returns after digital reboot

Pawtucket, Rhode Island – Hasbro is to release a new generation of Furby toys for the holiday season, this time with a renewed digital interface that is sure to make late-90s Furbies squeal unintelligibly in envy.

This year’s Furby is designed for the smartphone generation. ‘We have re-invented Furby with advanced technology that brings a whole new way to play to kids,’ says Samantha Lomow, senior vice-president new brand franchises and global brand leader at Hasbro. New Furby owners will be able to slide food from their smartphones towards the creatures’ mouths, and watch them react as graphics appear in their LCD eyes.

Furby will be available in toy stores in more than 15 countries, led by a strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

While tapping into the Netstalgia trend among Millennials, the redesign is a great example of a brand repositioning itself to appeal to digital natives. For more insights on these consumers, read our Generation D tribe.