Hasbro has developed a branded content series to help Nerf with its goal of growing its relevance with teens.

The six-episode series debuts today with Complex Media, featuring four young influencers – Jae Richards, TreyRichards, Matt Gupta and Ernsto – competing in different challenges that test their skills with the new Nerf Pro Gelfire Mythic Full Auto blaster, accompanied by live commentary to give the feel of sports competition.

The brand worked with its media AOR EssenceMediacom to develop the campaign.

The Nerf brand is best known for its toy blasters that fire foam darts and similar projectiles, but the new Pro Gelfire Mythic Full Auto blaster is Hasbro’s first that fires gel rounds, which are water-hydrated, burst on impact and are fully biodegradable. The slightly grown-up version of the classic Nerf gun is expected to help the brand expand its reach with teens, so it needed a campaign that would be similarly relevant to their interests.

“We wanted Nerf Pro Gelfire to be in culturally relevant spaces and to promote in-person team play,” says Greg Ferguson, VP of marketing at Hasbro Canada. “This campaign achieves both of these objectives. These influencers represent much of what young Canadians are watching.”

The branded content is running across the Complex Media network on its social channels – TikTok, Instagram Reels, Snapchat and Facebok Stories – until August 31, with the broader campaign featuring promotion from each of the influencers.

EssenceMediacom picked Complex as media partner as it enables Hasbro to reach teens where they normally engage with content related to their broader interests, such as music, sports, sneakers, food, celebrities, tech and fashion.