The Energon Pub

News Credits: 33 · by **Genocide G2.0** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:46 pm

KFC are re-branding them selves with a new name "Toys Xpress" this was announced at Auto Assembly this weekend .

KFC.
KFC will soon become Toys Xpress!

Please click like on your favourite logo!

Thanks to Ceno Kibble and Cassy Sark for revealing these at the AA 3rd Party Panel

Help KFC choose there new logo on there FB page . https://www.facebook.com/kfctoys

by **Yotsuyasan** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:47 pm

According to this thread at TFW2005, KFC has announced via Facebook (I'm not on Facebook myself, so I have to take their word for it) that, at the request of retailers, they are rebranding themselves as "Toys XPress." They have two different potential new logos, that apparently they are seeking fan input to decide from.

I've a few questions on this matter...

First of all, changing their name due to retailer requests? What does that mean, exactly? As long as a manufacturer doesn't have an explicitly offensive name, why would a retailer even care? Have customers been complaining to TFSource and BBTS, asking why they've started selling fried chicken? I don't get it...

Or is KFC trying to distance themselves from their current name for some reason? (Perhaps because of the perceived lack of quality some of their past offerings have had.) But they are trying to spin this in a way that doesn't look bad, by shifting blame to nameless "retailers" requesting the change?

Does their Facebook page offer any further elaboration on the matter?

(Edit: Whoops, forgot to include the link to the TFW2005 thread...)

by **Yotsuyasan** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:14 pm

Ha ha... Looks like we were making threads about this at the same time! (Although I guess you beat me to posting by about a minute.) I'm sure the mods will merge the threads soon enough.

News Credits: 33 · by **Genocide G2.0** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:56 pm

Yotsuyasan wrote:Ha ha... Looks like we were making threads about this at the same time! (Although I guess you beat me to posting by about a minute.) I'm sure the mods will merge the threads soon enough.

Haha . Mods just merge this with Yotsuyasans post please .

News Credits: 4 · by **Tsutsukakushi** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 6:38 pm

Like KFC and want them to stay around for a long time. Since they are making the much bigger scaled 3rd party TF toys I want.

Thinks it's a smart move changing the company name. Like the X-Men logo and hoping this gets selected as the new style.

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:07 pm

I guess they figure they screwed up a lot and hope for a clean slate? First Cubex and now KFC, I honestly don't get it.

Well, whatever. As long as they're making tapes I'm happy.

News Credits: 10 · by **Agamemnon** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:10 pm

In an effort to, hopefully, make it easier to merge threads, this is quoted from Yotsuyasan's other thread.

Yotsuyasan wrote:First of all, changing their name due to retailer requests? What does that mean, exactly? As long as a manufacturer doesn't have an explicitly offensive name, why would a retailer even care? Have customers been complaining to TFSource and BBTS, asking why they've started selling fried chicken? I don't get it...

Or is KFC trying to distance themselves from their current name for some reason? (Perhaps because of the perceived lack of quality some of their past offerings have had.) But they are trying to spin this in a way that doesn't look bad, by shifting blame to nameless "retailers" requesting the change?

My gut feeling is that the latter paragraph may be closer to the truth. Perhaps some more recent offerings are better quality. My gut told me that they wanted to get away from the reputation of the poorer quality stuff.

However, it wouldn't surprise me if retailers didn't want a potential issue with IP relating Keith's Fantasy Club with Kentucky Fried Chicken

Even tipping the head was a nice homage to the Colonel. IP can be a tricky issue, and I wouldn't be surprised if some retailers wanted to avoid it...

News Credits: 402 · by **Mkall** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:59 pm

I think the concerns are either:
1) KFC has become associated with cheap quality, meaning that it's more difficult to push stuff, or;

2) People were wondering when Kentucky Fried Chicken started selling plastic stuff.

by **Yotsuyasan** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:24 pm

Autobot Genocide wrote:
Yotsuyasan wrote:Ha ha... Looks like we were making threads about this at the same time! (Although I guess you beat me to posting by about a minute.) I'm sure the mods will merge the threads soon enough.

Haha . Mods just merge this with Yotsuyasans post please .

That worked well! You still get credit as the starter of the thread, which I have no complaint about since, as I said, your thread technically was posted slightly ahead of mine. But my version of the thread title seems to have been used for the combined thread. Seems a win-win compromise!

by **Rated X** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:02 pm

It's like putting lipstick on a pig. :lol:

With that being said, are we still getting those dino cassettes ?

by **Yotsuyasan** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:05 pm

Rated X wrote:It's like putting lipstick on a pig.

Or, in this case, on a chicken. (Which, I suppose, would make it beakstick!)

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:59 am

This is deffo to get away from being associated with poopy quality.
A shame, cos the old logo was pretty cool.

by **Yotsuyasan** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:15 am

Some interesting tidbits from the TFW2005 thread I linked in my first post:

Well, obviously the first proposed logo is awfully derivative of the logo of a film series based on a comic book about mutant super heroes. (I didn't really need TFW2005 to point that one out.)

The second one seems more than slightly similar to the logo of a Google product:

As for the new name, it seems there is already an existing business using that name, which has been in operation since at least 2012.

So, if the goal with this change was to get a more original name & logo (rather then "KFC" and the rather obvious Gundam headed Colonel logo) then... Fail.

News Credits: 461 · by **mooncake623** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 8:34 am

I thought the name was the best thing about this company...

by **NOS** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:37 am

Better quality products speak louder than name-changes.

by **Yotsuyasan** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 10:55 am

Just read this tidbit over at the TFW2005 forums. (Sorry to keep using them as a source... But they are having quite the interesting conversation there! Yet I only lurk there, as opposed to here where I am an active participant in matters of interest.)

Anyway:

starfish wrote:I was at the panel at Auto Assembly where all this was announced. It was quite funny really, the designers complaining about an "online smear campaign" and almost begging people to give them a second chance.

So apparently, complaining about poor quality products is an "online smear campaign"?

Is the company formerly known as KFC run by Amy from Amy's Baking Company?

I do hope that their products improve in the future, both in quality and in choice of what to produce. (I'm still boggled that they went ahead with a Masterpiece Ultra Magnus when it was all but certain an official one would be coming someday, and indeed is!)

But denying one's own history (by complaining that poor opinion of their products amounts to a "smear campaign", and by changing their name to distance themselves from their own well earned reputation) is not the way to inspire confidence.

Hey, KFC! How about you own up to your past, admit you've made mistakes like any company still in their early stages might, say you're learning from them, and then promise better products in the future!

Of course, then they'd have to live up to that promise. This way, they can just continue to claim "online smear campaign," and we can all start taking bets now as to what new new name they will change to in another few years.

I only have one KFC product myself, the Decepticon pair of combining cassettes. And while far from perfect, it isn't a bad product. But I'll admit not being terribly impressed with what I have seen of their other output. Still, I would have been willing to judge future efforts on their own individual merits. Alas, if this is indeed their company's attitude, to heck with them. Between Hasbro and the plethora of other third party companies out there, there are plenty of other people vying for my money, and I'd rather not give it to a company acting in an openly condescending manor.

News Credits: 461 · by **mooncake623** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 11:20 am

From CenoKibble @TFW

Hey guys, just want to try to clear up a few things. I did use the phrase "smear campaign" online, which might not have been the best choice of words and for that I apologise. No-one is saying you cannot complain online, and certainly from my past history with MMC during the Cyclops release period, complaints coupled with constructive feedback can be the best way for a company to improve on what they're doing.
I feel with KFC it has gotten to the point that a lot of the online posts are very bitter and negative, with little to no constructive merit, but again I would stress that if that what people feels that is what the internet is for, then more power to them.

From how I understand it, the rebrand is an attempt to draw a line under the mistakes of the past, rather than trying to hide away, cover it up or sneak items out deceitfully under a different name. It is publicly announced for this very reason and the set-up of a dedicated care email address is to help reinforce the commitment to improvement.

Cassy Sark is a respected designer with Hexatron, Feral Rex, iGear Sharkticons, Raptor Squadron and Citizen Stack under his belt as well as many, many more designs. His presence on stage was purely to engage with the fans and talk about cool toys and designs he is clearly passionate about.
At no point would I say that either of us were begging anyone to give KFC a second chance, we were merely hosts representing the slideshow as it was presented to us with our understanding of the situation put forward. Some of the companies included on the sideshow, neither of us have any affiliation with, but we felt it was important to include a cross-section of the history of the various 3P companies. Remember, both iGear and MMC had bad names in the 3P forum at once point, and both have improved massively

In the panel we said that KFC had definitely made some mistakes in the past, and were working hard to improve themselves, and it is my fond hope that people focus on the positivity behind that rather than the negativity of my poor choice of wording. Once again, I'm sorry for any offence caused and the onus is on me.

I feel bad for everyone involved as I offered my time up freely to co-host the panel, and the feedback we had at the event was that it was the best panel at the show and people really wanted to see it return again next year, and it is a real shame that it has become another point of contention between KFC and the fans.

That's great of Cenokibble to try to explain everything but I would still never buy from these guys...

by **Yotsuyasan** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 11:29 am

Ah... Well, if that is their tone going forward, then hopefully they can maintain that tone (rather then letting emotion override common sense, as may have been the case with complaints about a "smear campaign") and back it up with quality output.

by **NOS** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:28 pm

mooncake623 wrote:From CenoKibble @TFW

From how I understand it, the rebrand is an attempt to draw a line under the mistakes of the past, rather than trying to hide away, cover it up or sneak items out deceitfully under a different name. It is publicly announced for this very reason and the set-up of a dedicated care email address is to help reinforce the commitment to improvement.

Um... yeah... changing their name is essentially that. Hiding away and covering up the past to keep sneaking items out deceitfully under a new title...

mooncake623 wrote:
Cassy Sark is a respected designer with Hexatron, Feral Rex, iGear Sharkticons, Raptor Squadron and Citizen Stack under his belt as well as many, many more designs. His presence on stage was purely to engage with the fans and talk about cool toys and designs he is clearly passionate about.
At no point would I say that either of us were begging anyone to give KFC a second chance, we were merely hosts representing the slideshow as it was presented to us with our understanding of the situation put forward. Some of the companies included on the sideshow, neither of us have any affiliation with, but we felt it was important to include a cross-section of the history of the various 3P companies. Remember, both iGear and MMC had bad names in the 3P forum at once point, and both have improved massively

Uh, no... iGear is improving marginally with each release, but still maintains a rather shoddy reputation. You can't even contact them with product issues via email... MMC did have issues, but went though extensive lengths to correct those mistakes and it shows with each new item they release.

This guy is a flippin airhead...

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:38 pm

In respect to KFC changing their name to "hide away" - it's easier to do that by changing your name quietly and not announcing it. Unique Toys is an example of that; they used to be CHMS. So, I don't think they're trying to hide.

Complaining about people complaining is a terrible idea. But, honestly, it doesn't affect me in the least. If they make something I want I'll buy it. If they don't I won't.

by **NOS** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:42 pm

Gauntlet101010 wrote:In respect to KFC changing their name to "hide away" - it's easier to do that by changing your name quietly and not announcing it. Unique Toys is an example of that; they used to be CHMS. So, I don't think they're trying to hide.

Complaining about people complaining is a terrible idea. But, honestly, it doesn't affect me in the least. If they make something I want I'll buy it. If they don't I won't.

The fact that they're taking the easy path instead of owning up to their mistakes and trying to make up for them irritates me to no end. To add insult to injury they want to compare themselves to iGear and MMC?

Actions first, words later. Glad I know about the name change... I'll be sure to avoid them like the plague just like KFC.

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 3:21 pm

NOS wrote:
Gauntlet101010 wrote:In respect to KFC changing their name to "hide away" - it's easier to do that by changing your name quietly and not announcing it. Unique Toys is an example of that; they used to be CHMS. So, I don't think they're trying to hide.

Complaining about people complaining is a terrible idea. But, honestly, it doesn't affect me in the least. If they make something I want I'll buy it. If they don't I won't.

The fact that they're taking the easy path instead of owning up to their mistakes and trying to make up for them irritates me to no end. To add insult to injury they want to compare themselves to iGear and MMC?

Actions first, words later. Glad I know about the name change... I'll be sure to avoid them like the plague just like KFC.

What "easy path?" The easy path would be NOT to announce it , open up a whole new company, and pretend they're someone else.

Being wary of them is understandable, but it really isn't an "easy out" when they themselves announce it.

by **NOS** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 3:47 pm

Feels contradictory to split hairs here, but for prosperity's sake... they should have analyzed what was earning them their 'smear campaign' remarks and tried to make up for them. They're shedding their skin and putting on a new coat. Throwing away the name that is tarnished to hide under a fresh name sure looks like an easy way out to me.

I won't drag this out further and I'm sorry to ruffle any feathers, but a new name won't fix a shoddy product or bad business sense.

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 4:01 pm

NOS wrote:Throwing away the name that is tarnished to hide under a fresh name sure looks like an easy way out to me.

Again, though ... I'd have agreed if they kept it secret. By publicly linking their new name to the old they've effectively tied their new company to their old (bad) reputation. By doing that they haven't actually shed anything.

It's like if I changed my name here on the forums, but had a signature that said "I used to be Gauntlet101010." If I did that I'm not hiding my old identity or my old reputation.

Making something public is the opposite of hiding.

I won't drag this out further and I'm sorry to ruffle any feathers, but a new name won't fix a shoddy product or bad business sense.

Agreed. Hopefully they've learned their lesson: take your time on QA. Don't make excuses (well, they haven't really learned the second part).

Edit: I will say that this is pretty cosmetic, though. There's nothing of substance in changing your name.

News Credits: 4 · by **Tsutsukakushi** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:06 pm

The Marvel, X-Men francise-company does not own any exclusive sole rights to the circle with the X in the middle. Sure they made it famous and iconic but others were using it way before they started using it. It's hard to patent or trade mark something that is considered a generic every day thing like this symbol. Since they don't own it,no patents, no trade marks they can't sue other companies for using that symbol.

Don't think anyone here will argue that the Change in company name from KFC to Toy Xpress was done to avoid the bad products reputuation that the company initially created.