Jem Advertising

Commercials | Advertising

Here are the advertisments for all sorts of Jem merchandise, dolls, books, shoes and more, international and US. Starting off with Hasbro's own official catalogs. Some you will only find on this site.

Hasbro Toy Fair catalogs:
This was Hasbro's presentation of their new upcoming toys, to introduce them to the toystores. Each catalog included info such as an introduction of each toy and it's accessories, functions, product numbers, doll box sizes, how many dolls were packaged in a box.

  • Hasbro 1986
    123 pages of products, 12 with Jem. While the first set of Jem dolls were marked "1985", they apparently came out in the stores in 1986. Already at Jem's first arrival, she was the cover girl for their catalog of new toys, and the inside starts off with Jem. Hasbro sure showed that Jem was their main toy at the time (and a similar marketing strategy for Europe wouldn't have hurt the line).

    Pages:
    2 Jem doll line introduction, 3 JEM/Jerrica doll, 4 Holograms dolls, 5 Misfits and Rio dolls, 6 Flip Side Fashions, 7 On Stage Fashions, 8 Smashin' Fashions, 9 Rock Backstager playset, 10-11 Rockin' Roadster playset, 12-13 Star Stage playset.

    Some other toys featured:
    My Little Pony, Wuzzles, Transformers, Inhumanoids, and G.I.Joe.

    Funny notes:
    Several items differ somewhat to what the finished product looked like.

    The picture of Rio is a small one with a white background, thrown in on the same page as the Misfit. Perhaps it was taken after the rest of the pictures, and perhaps this was the last toy created for the line.

    Each spread had a little note that said "TV" to indicate to the toystores that this product would appear on TV, probably meaning the cartoon, but perhaps also the commercials (because the Rock Backstager and Star Stage never showed up in the cartoon).

    Hasbro promised a "lively animated television series,", "dynamic commercials", "an agressive advertising campaign" and "premium and promotional support programs".

    We learn that the Misfits were designed especially to set them apart from the Holograms by giving them "their own unique hairstyle with exciting hair colors, wild makeup and hot fashions".

  • Hasbro 1987
    144 pages of products, 18 with Jem. Yet again Jem was on the cover, now with the new Glitter and Gold look. And the Jem line was expanded to 18 pages! But inside, the Moon Dreamers (who also had their cartoon) were presented before Jem.

    Pages:
    10 Glitter 'n Gold JEM and Rio dolls, 11 Glitter 'n Gold Roadster and Glitter 'N Gold fashions, 12 Rock 'N Curl Jem doll Flash 'N Sizzle JEM/Jerrica doll, 13 Synergy and Starlight Girls dolls, 14-15 The Holograms second edition dolls (including Raya, Video and Danse), 16-17 The Misfits second edition dolls (including Jetta and Clash), 18 On Stage and Flip Side fashions, 19 Wrist Rocks watches and Music Is Magic fashions, 20 Smashin' and Rio fashions, 21 Rock Backstager, 22 Video Madness playsets, 23 Video Madness playsets, 24 Star Stage playset, 25 New Wave Waterbed playset, 26-27 KJEM Rock On Guitar playset.

    Some other toys featured:
    Moon Dreamers, My Little Pony, Transformers, Battle Beasts, Visionaries, and G.I.Joe.

    Funny notes:
    Several items differ somewhat to what the finished product looked like.

    Some of the items from the first edition, appeared here aswell, which probably means Hasbro still marketed them for this year also.

    Each new product for this year (not the re-released ones), was clearly marked out with a little note that said "TV" to indicate to the toystores that this product would appear on TV. Clearly this meant in commercials.

    Considering Glitter and Gold was the big new thing this year, with dolls, fashions and a new Roadster, it was surprisingly pushed togheter in one spread.

    Although some of the dolls, fashions and playsets were apparently released at slightly different times, and some were perhaps already released at this point, Hasbro collected evertyhing in this catalog that was new sine the previos catalog.

    The right page in each spread had a hole in it through which we could the Jem logo appear from the last page with Jem.

    This was the first time Hasbro displayed something more than Jem doll line products, but adverstising the wrist watches.

    Not all of the fashion pictures are the same as on the fashion boxes, some are modelled by other dolls.

    Clash is presented with "Clash jams JEM's concerts with her distortion modulator" (which we see nothing of in the cartoon, only cymbals), and Jetta by "Jetta loves to zap the color out of JEM's music videos" (which doesn't make much sense according to the cartoon either).

  • Hasbro Pre-Toy Fair 1988
    54 pages of products, only 4 with Jem. Jem's covergirl days are over, but she is still mentioned on the cover with somewhat a tired phrase "Jem rocks on". A very hard to find catalog. Jem was now down to the fifth toy in order of presentation inside.

    Pages:
    17 Rockin' Romance Jem and American Beauty Jem dolls, 18 The Holograms dolls (Video, Danse, Regine, Astral), 19 Matching Medley fashions and and fashion accessories, 20 Matching Medley fashions.

    Some other toys featured:
    My Little Pony, Fairy Tales, Moon Dreamers, Battle Beasts, Transformers, Visionaries, and G.I.Joe.
    Funny notes:
    Like previous years the products were marked "TV" which means they were going to be seen in commercials.

    For the first time we got to see what the boxes would look like, and since Video and Danse were being re-released their boxes would probably also be the smaller shape and include no cassette.

  • Hasbro '87 (France)
    117 pages of products, 23 with Jem. [Picture by Sylvain]

    Pages:
    22 Rocking Romance Jem and Hollywood Jem dolls, 23 Matching Medley.

    Some other toys featured:
    My Little Pony, Wuzzles, Battle Beasts, G.I.Joe, and Transformers.

    Funny notes:
    Has more pages than the american version of the same year.

  • Hasbro '88 (France)
    76 pages of products, but only 2 with Jem as far as I know, only showing half the products from the US Hasbro Pre-Toy Fair 1988 catalog. [Pictures by Sylvain]

    Pages:
    22 Rocking Romance Jem and Hollywood Jem dolls, 23 Matching Medley.

    Some other toys featured:
    My Little Pony, Moon Dreamers, Transformers, Battle Beasts, Visionaries, and G.I.Joe.

    Funny notes:
    Jem is actually called Rocking Romance with a "G" at the end of "Rockin'". American Beauty Jem is renamed to "Hollywood Jem".

  • Hasbro fold-out catalog (Germany)
    2 pages of Jem.

    Pages:
    Inside: First year dolls, fashions and playsets.

    Some other toys featured:
    My Little Pony, Wuzzles, Watchimal, and Tommi Tausendfuss.

    Funny notes:
    Some early protoype shots of the fashions, Stormer has a white flower, Jem has a Misfits bracelet, and the dolls' instruments have no decals in two of the pictures.

  • Hasbro 1987 (Italy) [Information by Enzo Gervasio]

Animated broadcast ads, 1986-1987:
These are from different issues of the broadcast magazine from 1986, which I believe was a television industry trade magazine published by the Taishoff family. It's very interesting to see the early Jem art that was used to introduce the Jem series.

  • Now we bring you Jem
    Jem was first aired in short segments in late 1985, but this ad appears to be from Jem's debute as an animated series in 1986, and menions the dates may 3 and 4 as the premiere. Here is a large picture of Jem, and instead of the Holograms we see the Misfits and Eric Raymond, next to the logos of Claster Television Productions, Sunbow Productions, and Marvel Productions Ltd.. Also mentioned are G.I.JOE and Transformers. [Picture by theMitigating]
  • The new sound of success this fall!
    This ad talks about Jem's first five days having rocked the weekday ratings. The early cartoon art features Jem and Rio. But Jem is copyrighted 1987 at the bottom. Here also a company called Tribune Entertainment Company is pictured with it's logo at the bottom. [Picture by theMitigating]
  • Already a monday to friady winner!
    Another weekday success. Same image of Jem holding Rio. Also copyrighted 1987. [Picture by theMitigating]
  • Jem is #1!
    Now Jem is number 1, and advertises the series for the fall. But is also copyrighted 1987. Same picture of Jem and Rio. [Picture by theMitigating]

Panini stickers (Italy):
Three differently arranged ads by Billy juice, all for a contest where you could win one of 140 Billy backpacks by filling in a form included in the Panini sticker album. Apparently the backpack has no obvious relation to Jem.

  • Ad 1

    Appearances:
    Panini Sticker Album (Italy).

  • Ad 2
    Jem Magazine (Italy) Anno 1 No 1, Anno 1 No 2, and Anno 2 No 1.

    Appearances:

  • Ad 3

    Appearances:
    Jem Magazine (Italy) Anno 1 No 1, Anno 1 No 2.

Dolls (Italy):
Three differently arranged ads that appeared in the Topolino magazine.

Dolls, (Italy):
Three different ads that appeared in the comics.

  • Star Stage

    Appearances:
    Jem Magazine (Italy) Anno 1 No 1, Anno 1 No 2, and Anno 2 No 1.

  • Shoes

    Appearances:
    Jem Magazine (Italy) Anno 1 No 1.

  • Sticker album

    Appearances:
    Jem Magazine (Italy) Anno 1 No 1, Anno 1 No 2, and Anno 2 No 1.

Dolls and more, (UK):
Four different ads that appeared in the comics.

  • Dolls
    Introducing the Jem, Holograms, and Misfits dolls. Doesn't mention Rio though.

    Appearances:
    No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and Special No 1.

  • Rock Backstager / Cassette
    The cassette, containing the songs "Who Is He Kissing?", "Jealousy" and "Universal Appeal", was free when sending in the form along with the Jemstar Points, only from the Jem/Jerrica doll. Offer closed on February 28 1987.

    Appearances:
    No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and Special No 1.

  • Annual book
    Advertising the 1987 Annuals for Jem, My Litte Pony and GLO Friends.

    Appearances:
    No 1, 2, 3 and 4.

  • Video and Music cassette
    Actually a contest, with the questions: "Can you name the three members of The Holograms? What is the namne of Jerrica's computer which projects holographic images? In which contest did The Holograms defeat The Misfits?".

    Appearances:
    No 1.

Mexican Jem comic, (Mexico):
Appeared on the back of other comics released by the same publishing company.

  • Jem y las Holograms
    Showing cartoon drawings of Jem and the Holograms in the same style as in the Mexican Jem comics.

    Appearances:
    On the back of other comics released by the same publishing company.

  • Ya está a la venta Jem
    Showing cartoon drawings of Jthe Misfits in the same style as in the Mexican Jem comics, and with three barely noticable Jem faces in yellow in the back.

    Appearances:
    On the back of a Jesus comic released by the same publishing company.

The new 2012 dolls, 2012:

  • Ad
    Advertising for the new dolls, or atleast Jem, Jerrica and Rio.

    Appearances:
    First spread of the Haute Doll November issue.

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