JoAnn McLaughlin of Disney Consumer Products on capturing the nostalgic vibe of The Fantastic Four: First Steps through apparel, toys and more

JoAnn, it’s great to connect. We’re here to talk about The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I’d imagine the tone of each film in the MCU lends itself to slightly different product development and licensing strategies. What were some of the key focuses here when it came to consumer products?
The Fantastic Four is widely credited with being Marvel’s First Family and kicked-off the Marvel age of comics nearly 65 years ago. The Fantastic Four’s beloved characters, long history and incredible fandom inspired us immensely on the consumer products side.

Our licensees drew from the film’s retro-futuristic setting, which included mid-century modern details and the iconic Fantastic Four blue hue. They leaned into nostalgia to create vintage-inspired products and packaging that go beyond the big screen and pay homage to the original comic book. The licensed products we developed incorporate story elements that seamlessly translate, such as iconic catchphrases and memorable vehicles, as well as relatable characters and family dynamics.

You mention the film’s ‘retro futuristic’ world. Can you talk me through how this has shaped the design aesthetic for some ranges? What launches do you feel nail that ‘nostalgic’ vibe?
Our team worked closely within the product development phase to authentically embrace and lean into the nostalgic vibe of the Fantastic Four. General Mills brought back its original 1960s animation style for its cereal box designs for this special, film-inspired collection. The goal was for consumers to feel as though they were transported back in time when they saw these retro-inspired cereal boxes on shelves – spanning Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Honey Nut Cheerios, Trix, Reese’s Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

From a hardlines perspective, another licensee that fully leaned into the nostalgic packaging is Hasbro. The Hasbro Marvel Legends Fantastic Four action figures come in retro-style, collectible packaging with such attention to detail that the brand tapped into its archives to feature the authentic 1960s Hasbro logo.

Nice! And Fossil also embraced a retro style with their watches, right?
Yes! Fossil created two film-inspired timepieces, complete with elevated packaging. One of these pieces took inspiration from the watch worn by Reed Richards in the film, reminiscent of one of the first digital watches from the 70s. Both of these timepieces strongly resonated with our audience, as both styles sold out before the film’s release.

Is this retro design sensibility particularly attractive to consumers at the moment?
We’ve seen a huge uptick in consumers who want retro-inspired products. This retro boom stems from consumers craving products that provide them with a sense of comfort through nostalgia. While consumers are delighting in a retro aesthetic, the products’ functionality will not be compromised in any way. Each product has a blended alchemy of nostalgia and function.

You mentioned the retro packaging execution on certain lines. Can you walk us through some of the other design strategies that went into your packaging approach?
We tapped into the blind box craze for some of our Fantastic Four lines, as we’ve seen tremendous fan reactions to these surprise and delight products. Historically, this style of packaging has lent itself well in the hardlines space with toys and collectibles – such as the Fantastic Four enamel pins from Loungefly – but there was also a great opportunity to branch out in the apparel, footwear and accessories space through our collaboration with Advisory Board Crystals.

“Each product has a blended alchemy of nostalgia and function.”

In addition to leveraging the retro-futuristic animation from the original comics, the double-blind release and concealed sleeves for the collection’s t-shirts and sneakers provide fans a unique, collectable unboxing experience and a deeper connection to the story.

The Marvel fanbase is a passionate one – like a lot of fanbases around Disney IP. What are some of the key considerations that go into developing products that delight both hardcore fans and more casual fans alike?
Marvel’s First Family is a staple franchise, with characters relatable to both enthusiasts and casual fans alike. Through relatable, central themes including family and overcoming adversity, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps gave us great opportunity to express these timed-tested sentiments through our unique, expansive cross-category product assortment – for core fans and new fans to appreciate and enjoy. There is truly something for everyone in our Fantastic Four collection.

To wrap up, the MCU has several CP-friendly characters – Baby Groot comes to mind! Fantastic Four has H.E.R.B.I.E., who is already the focus of items like a Loungefly backpack and a RockLove necklace. Why do you feel this character has the potential to resonate in consumer products?
In addition to being a loveable character that fans embrace – as a loyal companion, a skilled copilot and a trusty babysitter – H.E.R.B.I.E. has many design elements that smoothly translated within product development. His tech-forward design and metallic hue lend themselves to the accessories space, as we’ve seen with the Loungefly and RockLove ranges.

For apparel, H.E.R.B.I.E.’s robot build and cheeky name have produced some great pieces such as collections from Cakeworthy and BoxLunch that feature 60’s-inspired graphics and type font.

Looks terrific. JoAnn, huge thanks again!