Marvel's The Avengers Brand Experience
In 2012, Marvel's The Avengers was one of the most anticipated theatrical releases of the year, bringing together iconic superheroes in a massive cinematic event. Hasbro launched an extensive toy line to coincide with the film — action figures, role-playing toys, and collectibles that let kids bring the adventure home.
Toys"R"Us needed a digital experience to showcase this catalog and drive engagement ahead of the theatrical release. As a lifetime fan of comics and superheroes, this was a dream project for me.
My Role
As designer at Triad Retail Media, I created this full-page interactive brand experience for Toys"R"Us.com, working within Flash to deliver an immersive, engaging showcase for the Avengers toy line.
The Concept
Rather than simply displaying product listings, I wanted to immerse kids in the Marvel Universe, making them feel like part of the Avengers team from the moment they arrived.
The experience began with a pre-loader styled as a retina-scan "authentication" by Nick Fury, granting access to a fictional S.H.I.E.L.D. database. This playful security theater set the tone and made kids feel like they were being recruited into something special.
Once "authenticated," users could explore:
- The complete catalog of Avengers action figures and role-playing toys
- Character bios for each Avenger
- Downloadable coloring pages
- The theatrical trailer
The interface mimicked classified S.H.I.E.L.D. files and technology seen in the films, creating visual continuity between the movie marketing and the toy shopping experience.
Intro/Loader designed to appear as a retina scan sign-in to a S.H.I.E.L.D. database
The experience featured "windows" for Avengers' bios and action figures
Scrolling revealed additional windows for role-playing toys, vehicles, Loki's bio, and the theatrical trailer