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Hasbro may make Di doll
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March 26, 1998: 8:46 a.m. ET
Princess of Wales fund talking with toymaker about Diana collectibles
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Hasbro Inc. apparently is looking to create a line of dolls, jigsaw puzzles, board games and collectibles bearing the likeness of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Hasbro is negotiating with the Princess of Wales Memorial Fund to gain the rights to her image, according to Thursday's Wall Street Journal.
The discussions are ongoing, but Hasbro (HAS) is the only toymaker being considered for the task of producing the doll, which could be in stores by the end of the year.
Rather than creating a mass-market doll, the two sides are more likely to create a higher-priced collectible doll which, they hope, will head off the appearance that they are seeking to capitalize on the death of the princess. Such collectibles typically sell for about $50.
A spokesman for Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro would tell the Journal only that it is holding talks with trustees about a number of products. The Diana fund said it hasn't made any final decisions yet, but reiterated concerns that it wants to be sensitive toward Diana's public.
The Diana fund will use proceeds of the sales for causes supported by Diana in her lifetime.
Since Diana's death, a wide variety of Diana-branded products have surfaced, including ashtrays, pens and T-shirts, although none of these products was authorized by the fund.
Britain, where Diana's support would seem to be the strongest, has experienced somewhat of a backlash toward Diana items. Particularly bothersome was Unilever Group's Flora margarine, which bears Diana's signature. Unilever said the proceeds will go to her fund, however.
Such "endorsements" have raised the ire of many in Britain, even eliciting concerns from British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In the United States, interest in Diana-related items is surging, apparently with less soul-searching. Ty Inc. last week hit the stores with its Diana Beany Baby, a purple stuffed toy with a white rose. The white rose is Diana's symbol. The fund said it has endorsed only the margarine thus far.
The trustees are anxious about all the unlicensed Diana products in stores, which are estimated to have brought in tens of millions of dollars, very little of which has reached any charities.
If it strikes a deal with Hasbro, the toy company could help the Diana fund to take action against unlicensed Diana memorabilia.
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