I can recall feeling a bit of betrayed once I realized the backstory of my favourite cartoon. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe didn’t get its begin because the brainchild of a tv author or a comic book ebook artist. No, the muscle-bound toy got here first—which meant my most popular leisure was primarily a 30-minute industrial for motion figures. (Battle Cat offered individually.)
However though He-Man’s origins appear crass and capitalistic, there’s actual popular culture affection for him and his franchise; in any other case, there’d be no live-action Masters of the Universe in 2026.
Creating He-Man could have been motivated by nothing greater than revenue, however Mattel’s choices garnered lifelong, generation-spanning attachment to the character. And companies and entrepreneurs can study from Mattel’s instance.
Right here’s what Mattel’s creation of He-Man toys, the Masters of the Universe cartoon, and the world of Eternia can educate us about marketing.
The historical past: Recovering from a missed alternative
In 1976, Mattel famously turned down the chance to license Star Wars toys, which turned out to be the form of mistake that retains a CEO up at night time for many years. Within the wake of that disastrous determination, Mattel requested toy designer Roger Candy to give you a toy line that would compete.
The corporate carried out market analysis on what boys ages 5 to 10—its goal market—had been most taken with. That demographic wanted futuristic navy know-how (like in Star Wars), present navy, and barbarian fantasy. So Candy created a line of toys that included all three.
He-Man appears to be like and clothes loads like Conan the Barbarian (to the purpose the place Conan Properties sued Mattel . . . and lost) and he lives within the magical world of Eternia that is stuffed with skull-shaped castles, mystical swords, and shape-shifting sorceresses. However one among He-Man’s most trusted allies is Man-at-Arms, a soldier and weapons professional who wouldn’t look misplaced subsequent to G.I. Joe. He-Man’s mom is an astronaut from Earth who crash-landed on Eternia, and most of the battle scenes embrace using space-age know-how, equivalent to ray weapons.
Which is to say, He-Man’s world-building is bonkers.
The lesson: Give your prospects precisely what they need
Most corporations would most likely take a look at Mattel’s market analysis and determine to give attention to one or two of the goal demographic’s pursuits, particularly contemplating “barbarian fantasy” doesn’t match with the opposite two.
It could have been troublesome to persuade Mattel’s higher-ups that mashing these three ideas collectively was the precise solution to go—however they had been merely following their prospects’ preferences.
And it’s clear that Mattel was proper to take action. Though the storytelling behind Masters of the Universe isn’t totally logical, the children who wished to play barbarians and troopers in area weren’t on the lookout for logic of their playtime.
Corporations usually make choices based mostly on what is sensible to the executives, quite than listening to what their customers want. However discovering out what your viewers needs and giving it to them—with out judgment or alteration—is the way you create a multi-decade legacy.
The historical past: Profiting from modified FCC laws
Earlier than Ronald Reagan’s presidential inauguration on January 20, 1981, the Federal Communications Fee and the Federal Commerce Fee each had guardrails in place to manage promoting throughout youngsters’s tv programming. However Reagan promised a business-friendly federal authorities, which included deregulation of the FCC and lowering the FTC’s authority over promoting geared to youngsters.
This left the door open for Mattel to start out producing He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. As of 1983, the cartoon aired 5 days every week, giving Mattel a every day half-hour industrial for the He-Man toy line, which had already been in manufacturing for a number of years.
And though Reagan’s authorities had deregulated promoting for kids’s tv, it did go away some free tips in place. Particularly, any programming made for youths wanted to incorporate at least 90 seconds of an educational component.
For this reason He-Man (and G.I. Joe, Captain Planet, and all of your different favorites from the ’80s) ended every episode by speaking on to the digital camera about what all of us realized from the earlier 28 minutes of the cartoon. With each episode, Mattel gave us a tacky public service announcement based mostly on the story we’d simply watched—as a result of in any other case the corporate risked dropping the chance to promote us He-Man collectible figurines.
The lesson: Prosocial storylines can encourage lifelong loyalty
Ask anybody who lived by means of the Nineteen Eighties in the event that they imagine that “knowing is half the battle!” and it’s possible you’ll see a really epic eye roll. That’s as a result of the vast majority of the PSAs imparted to youngsters within the ’80s had been foolish, pointless, and corny.
However there was additionally one thing particular in regards to the classes included in He-Man, partly as a result of the present’s writers usually created storylines that lent themselves to life classes. Whereas not each PSA associated to the story that got here earlier than (He-Man sometimes just warns kids to be careful), many underlined the prosocial lesson of the present’s plot.
Little youngsters watching their muscly hero and his buddies defeat evildoers soaked up these messages. They wished to see the great guys prevail—and to study that He-Man’s bodily power was much less vital than his thoughts, that it was doable to regain confidence after a setback, that whoever raises you and cares for you is your parent, and you can admit if you make a mistake.
Though Mattel included these PSAs to remain on the FCC’s good aspect, the corporate stumbled right into a system that made He-Man much more beloved. Prospects usually wish to really feel like they’re on the aspect of the angels, and making a prosocial storyline helps entrench that feeling.
Tesla presents a transparent instance of how an organization can create loyalty using such a storyline—and how quickly loyalty can disintegrate when the prosocial storyline not matches.
The historical past: Avoiding a definitive origin story
He-Man’s story formally started in minicomics that had been packaged with the unique motion figures. He then appeared in some DC Comics restricted collection earlier than he lastly landed his TV present. Over all of these numerous media, Mattel by no means bothered to provide He-Man an official origin story, aside from the monologue that began each episode of the cartoon.
In that introduction, He-Man tells us he’s Adam, Prince of Eternia and defender of Citadel Grayskull, and that he found fabulous secret powers on the day he held aloft his magic sword and mentioned, “By the facility of Grayskull! I’ve the facility!”
In contrast to Superman, Batman, and Spiderman, all of whom have particular and well-established origin tales, He-Man’s adventures begin in medias res. Though the cartoon typically exhibits flashbacks to moments up to now, Prince Adam’s preliminary transformation to He-Man isn’t a part of the unique collection.
Mattel most likely prevented creating an origin story for pragmatic causes. In contrast to the comedian ebook artists behind Superman et al., Mattel wasn’t primarily taken with telling a cohesive story; the thought was to promote as many toys as doable. So it didn’t make sense to spend time developing with an origin story because it wouldn’t introduce further motion figures.
The lesson: Depart room on your prospects to personalize your merchandise
He-Man’s origins remained shrouded in thriller as a result of Mattel didn’t want one to promote toys. However leaving that element out was additionally savvy (if unintentional) advertising, because it allowed each He-Man-loving child throughout the globe to put in writing their very own model of Prince Adam’s first foray into Citadel Grayskull protection.
This meant that though He-Man toys had been a part of a franchise, they nonetheless allowed youngsters to interact in a type of open-ended play, which inspires creativity, problem-solving, language growth, and social-emotional intelligence. The looseness of He-Man’s story meant that youngsters might play inside that story framework whereas nonetheless partaking within the form of artistic and open play that’s each helpful to rising brains and extra gratifying than merely re-creating a well known scene.
This additionally implies that He-Man seems like he belongs to all the children who grew up together with his motion determine—in a approach he won’t if his story had been extra exact.
Equally, your product might be greater than only a buy. In case you go away room for personalization, as Mattel did, your product may very well be one thing your buyer co-creates and takes possession of.
For instance, Apple can level to a number of reasons for its prospects’ enduring loyalty, however personalization is actually a part of the enchantment. Apple was the primary laptop producer to supply personalization through the 13 brightly colored iMac G3 alternatives again within the late Nineteen Nineties, and it continues to offer prospects with myriad methods to co-create their Apple products.
By the facility of promoting!
He-Man could have began his life on Eternia as Mattel’s determined try and make up for misplaced Star Wars income, however he has develop into a lot greater than only a generically named money seize. The truth that He-Man continues to please and encourage so a few years after his preliminary creation signifies that Mattel created one thing better than only a toy.
It began with the truth that Mattel’s toy designer gave youngsters precisely what they wished—fantasy barbarian troopers with area know-how—quite than deciding to supply one thing that made higher logical sense. And prospects cherished it.
Then Mattel took benefit of the altering FCC laws to supply He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon, which was primarily a 30-minute industrial. However the firm caught to the rules that required academic content material, which meant creating storylines that impressed long-term loyalty. The kids within the viewers appreciated feeling a connection to He-Man’s prosocial classes.
Lastly, Mattel prevented writing an origin for He-Man (possible for sensible causes, because it wouldn’t promote extra toys). However by leaving his beginnings hazy, Mattel’s prospects might co-create He-Man by means of open-ended play, which helped them really feel far more loyal to the person within the furry battle shorts.
Clearly, companies and entrepreneurs can study a factor or two from He-Man—and Mattel.
