Many parents will remember Furby from their own childhood, with the interactive toy selling more than 40 million units globally in the first three years from 1998 to 2000.
Now a new generation of kids can discover this little creature, which hit stores earlier this month and comes with a brand-new look and tech upgrades.
“Following its craze-inducing launch in 1998, Furby has taken the world by storm, impacting every corner of the culture zeitgeist, from music to television and film,” says Lisa Van Ross, marketing manager, fashion and preschool, Hasbro Australia.
“For the brand’s 25th anniversary, we wanted to ignite the same excitement for this new generation by harnessing Furby’s power of nostalgia while giving Gen Alpha everything they crave.”
The furry companion features five voice activated modes and over 600 responses to discover including lights, sounds and 10 unique songs. Furby also responds to hugs, pats, belly tickles, shaking and feeding of its pretend Pizza Charm. Kids can care for Furby by feeding them, combing their furhawk and dressing them up with the included clip-on beads and fashion accessories.
“Over the past few years, we’ve done a lot of research to understand what kids would want to see in a new Furby. Through this research, kids told us that it was important for Furby to be their ultimate best friend―a furry companion to do all the things a BFF would do like dance to music, share fortunes, meditate, mimic each other in silly voices and even put on a light show, and that’s exactly what we created,” she adds.
“Over the years, Furby has remained a unique symbol of self-expression for fans across the globe due to the immense and growing fandom that has taken Furby from just a toy to an imaginative brand and lifestyle. Early reads from consumers and retailers on this newest iteration of Furby are very positive and show us that fans are just as excited as we are.”
Furby is available in two new colours, purple and coral, with an RRP of $99.99.
