Hasbro picks One Direction for new toy line

April 25, 2012 by Jeremy Dickson

Hasbro has inked a deal with the hit UK-based boy band One Direction to manufacture a line of toys and games based on the five popular young members of the group.

Products including fashion dolls and mini-figures will roll out globally (excluding the UK and Ireland) this fall.

Since finishing third on the British TV music competition The X Factor in 2010, the band (Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson) went on to sign with Columbia Records in North America and released its first single and record in 2011 which quickly rose to the top of the pop charts globally.

The band, which currently has 4.7 million Facebook fans and 3.1 million Twitter followers, recently performed at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and also had to expand its first UK tour to North America, Australia, and New Zealand after selling out dates within minutes.

Tags: Hasbro, One Direction, toys