It was probably 1983 or ’84, and at some point my parents bought me a set of Fisher-Price Construx. The cool new building set used grey beams with colorful accent pieces, connectors and plates that allowed kids like myself to create some interesting structures and vehicles. I distinctly remember creating “Doozer” towers at one point. While the line didn’t really last long, the name has been used off-and-on, but not for awhile. Now, Mattel has resurrected the name as a new sub-brand to help better distinguish between the two main divisions of the MEGA Brands umbrella – now known as Mega Bloks and Mega Construx. The launch is in-progress, and I’m digging the new campaign – particularly, “The Beyonders.”
MEGA is already the #2 brand in the construction aisle (acquired by Mattel a couple of years back), but as a parent I know that a lot of people still associate “Mega” as being the “big blocks.” That seems to be exactly what Mattel has zeroed-in on as they’ve positioned their big-block product line geared toward kids ages 0-4 under the Mega Bloks name. Mega Construx will be the sets designed for kids ages four through adult collectors. In an announcement, Mattel states that “Mega Construx sets itself apart from the competition with unique character figures, allowing the brand to deliver authentic looks for popular licenses, such as American Girl®, Barbie®, Despicable Me®, Halo®, Destiny, and more.”
“Mega Construx drives a deeper connection to different worlds through unparalleled details in the construction category,” said Bisma Ansari, SVP & Global Brand GM of MEGA Brands. “MEGA encourages creators, or ‘Beyonders’ as we call them, to ‘build beyond’ – a rallying cry for our fans who go beyond the rules of construction and build their world.”
Mega Construx products are available at retailers nationwide, including Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Target and Amazon.
