Saban Fetes 25 years of 'Power Rangers'

Saban Brands is gearing up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "Power Rangers" with a multi-platform campaign spanning digital content, consumer products, strategic partnerships and collaborations.

"Our anniversary campaign is designed to inspire nostalgia as well as encourage our young fans to unleash their inner superhero," says Janet Hsu, chief executive officer, Saban Brands.

Debuting in 1993, "Power Rangers" quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and a Saturday morning staple for a generation of fans. Twenty-five years later, the franchise remains a consistent performer with the original series, its spin-offs, films and consumer products.

In 2010, Saban re-acquired "Power Rangers" from The Walt Disney Company, which held the property for seven years. Under Saban, the "Power Rangers" brand boasts more than 150 licensees and is instrumental in positioning the company at No. 57 on License Global's Top 150 Licensors report. Other recent successes include the brand's latest film, Saban's Power Rangers, which grossed more than $142.3 million worldwide.

The "Power Rangers" 25th anniversary campaign kicked off last month with the "Top 25 for the 25th," which sees exclusive products from partners such as Bandai, nWay, Boom! Studios and Imaginext release online on the 25th of each month. In January, the campaign featured a re-release of the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" Auto Morphin figure, which is one of the first (and now iconic) fan-favorite toys, according to Hsu.

Saban is also planning to celebrate the franchise by engaging audiences across multiple platforms.

"Our 25th season premiered last month on Nickelodeon and will include a highly-anticipated anniversary episode," says Hsu. "We are focused on activating and driving engagement among our target audiences on key digital platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, as well as our fan hub, RangerNation.com. We will also be releasing exclusive anniversary products including a comic book cross-over event, new updates in our 'Power Rangers: Legacy Wars' mobile game and all-new collector toys, amongst other exciting initiatives we'll look to surprise fans with."

Saban will also engage with online influencers from YouTube and Instagram to highlight the brand's messages of empowerment and community action.

"We will be launching a call to action campaign, 'Power Rangers: You've Got the Power,' which will inspire our younger generation of fans to unleash their inner superhero," continues Hsu. "We are partnering with a cause leader to amplify our empowerment message throughout the year. We are extending this campaign through product collaborations, influencer partnerships and consumer products."

The "Power Rangers" brand is also among the few franchises to create a cult following across generations and relies on the importance of nostalgia to attract older consumers.

"To engage our adult fans who grew up with 'Power Rangers,' we will be leveraging the franchise's nostalgia with coveted new products as well as re-releases of iconic collector items and more."

Consumers can visit RangerNation.com for monthly "Top 25 for the 25th" reveals as well as a nostalgic website complete with "Power Rangers" history.