Mattel

Thomas & Friends
Love of Trains Asset Pack

Services Provided: Research & Creative Strategy, Design Elements Development, Product Design, Style Guide Design

Consumer Product Asset Pack Inspired by the Timeless Appeal of Rail Travel

Mattel partnered with our design team to develop the Thomas & Friends Love of Trains Asset Pack, a collection of creative assets that celebrates the enduring passion fans share for trains and the spirit of rail travel. Created for licensed consumer products, the asset pack combines vintage character artwork, timeless railway iconography, and classic editorial phrases with contemporary design elements to capture the warmth, wonder, and adventure that Thomas & Friends has inspired for generations.

Designed to appeal to both children and adult fans, the asset pack provides licensees with a flexible visual system that can be applied across a broad range of consumer product categories.

Vintage-Inspired Design Elements for Licensed Consumer Products

Our design solutions for graphics, badges, and patterns blend vintage typography with classic illustrations of Thomas and his friends to create an authentic railway-inspired visual aesthetic. Leveraging a library of distressed railroad iconography and heritage graphic treatments, the collection evokes the charm of vintage travel while remaining versatile enough for contemporary licensed merchandise.

Together, these assets establish a cohesive design system that allows licensees to develop products that feel both nostalgic and timeless while maintaining a consistent visual identity across the licensing program.

To demonstrate the versatility of the asset pack, our team developed a series of product mockups illustrating how the creative assets translate across apparel, accessories, and lifestyle products. These applications provide licensees with creative inspiration while reinforcing a cohesive, railway-inspired visual language throughout the consumer product collection.

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“Design Force has been one of our “go-to” design resources for the better part of the last two decades. Whether they’re helping us refresh the package design for our evergreen brands, or establishing a design system for a completely new brand, they never disappoint! Their expertise in developing a cohesive packaging look that works seamlessly across product segments and their innovative approach to structure design make them a valuable asset to the Spin Master creative team.”
Kris Jackson
Senior Director, Visual Branding, Toronto, Spin Master Ltd.

“It was an absolute pleasure working with Ted and the Design Force team on the launch of Concacaf’s first-ever mascot, Volar. This was not an easy assignment given we needed a mascot and story that would resonate with our diverse membership of 41 countries across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The Design Force team blew us away with how they immersed themselves into the culture of our sport and our nations and delivered a recommendation beyond our imagination. Design Force was more than agency; they acted like an extension of our team going above and beyond the requirements of the project.”
Heidi Pellerano
Chief Commercial Officer, Concacaf

“For years, we tried to create a style guide for the Super Simple brand ourselves with no success. Despite the name, the brand is quite complex. With a broad variety of shows, character groups and sub-brands all under a single brand umbrella, there's no "main character" to lean on. That's when we decided to engage Design Force. There was much thought and discussion with Ted and his team during the project's Pre-Design Research phase. And, it was time well spent, because what they came back with was nothing short of delightful. Now, when people see our style guide, they don’t see a brand that’s super complicated, they see one that’s Super Simple.”
Brett Jubinville
COO & Head of Distribution, Skyship Entertainment/Super Simple

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Sarah Baines
VP Franchise Marketing for Thunderbirds Are Go, ITV Studios

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Steve Kaplan
President & Commissioner, World Armwrestling League

“Look at their work, read the testimonials, follow Ted's thinking. Try to find someone better. I dare you. Having spent more than 30 years in the design field, including 24 years at Hasbro in creative roles ranging from package designer to Vice President of Global Creative in Licensing, I've worked with countless designers and design agencies. To say that Design Force “gets it” is an understatement. Your design budget simply cannot be better or more wisely spent.”
Michael Provost
VP Global Licensing, Kent International

“While at Toys 'R' Us, I worked with Ted and the Design Force team on the brand repositioning, brand identity and package design refresh, and style guide development for one of our biggest private label brands. Many demographic and cultural factors were taken into account during the pre-design process. Under Ted’s direction, his team employed the perfect balance of design and marketing savvy to execute effectively against our global brand strategy.”
Arline Wall
Former Global Brand Director, Toys "R" Us

“I’ve known Ted for as long as I’ve been with Marvel, and have relied on Design Force as a valued design partner on countless high-profile packaging and style guide design initiatives over the years. Their understanding of the Marvel Universe combined with their industry expertise, research and design approach, and passion for what they do make every project a success. And, they’re an absolute pleasure to work with!”
Chris Fondacaro
EVP Global Brand & Franchise Planning/Creative Services, Marvel Entertainment

“It was amazing to work with the Design Force team on our most recent licensing style guide project. They provided us with great design solutions while accommodating our aggressive timelines. They were extremely patient with all of our feedback and the project was a success for the brand and for our company. We’re glad to have partnered with Design Force.”
Sandra Jo
Senior Manager, Licensing Product Development, Sega of America, Inc.

“We decided to work with the Design Force team on the consumer product style guide and packaging program for The Nut Job 2 because of the world-class work they do for the global brand leaders in the entertainment industry. And they far exceeded our expectations! They perfectly captured the essence and attitude of the film and provided us with a powerful tool for our licensee partners.”
Elena Lee
Assistant Manager, International Business, Redrover Co., Ltd.

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