Transformers Had Its Most Famous Voices Advertise an Iconic Toy Gimmick

The Transformers have had their fair share of gimmicks over the decades that helped the brand grow. But its best one featured its most iconic voices.

The Transformers have become a staple of animation and action figures since they made their debut in America back in 1984. The heroic Autobots' battle against the evil Decepticons has become the stuff of legend and as it inspired the minds of generations, also pushed the action figure market. Now, these figures have become some of the most advanced toys on the market, able to offer screen accurate portrayals of its characters while delivering satisfying transformations. But even though the story of The Transformers has been a successful one, it wasn't without its speedbumps.

From the discontinuation of characters like Optimus Prime, leading to Prime's death in The Transformers: The Movie, to the lackluster performance of movies like Transformers: The Last Knight, these hardships translated into the figures. One of the best examples of a struggle the brand had to overcome, as explained by YouTuber Chris McFeely, came with the onset of copycat and knock-off transforming robot toys. As a result, Hasbro retaliated with a clever gimmick that even included the iconic voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron: rubsigns.

There Were Many Transformers Copycats Over The Years

The Transformers had the advantage of being a brand whose name advertised exactly what it did. But with that, there was the double-edged sword of any other brand that capitalized on the transforming robot shtick being confused with a transformer. This led to the creation of various other transforming robot brands like The Mighty Orbots and Zybots. Though they resembled the basic ideas of The Transformers, their stories were what made the brand stand apart from Hasbro's titan. Even Voltron wasn't free from being tied to the "transformers" correlation as it featured changing robots years before a more logical comparison like Power Rangers made it to the United States.

Perhaps the most iconic "competitor" to The Transformers was the Go-Bots, which was one of the more successful of The Transformers copycats and followed the Guardians against the Renegades. Though the story was similar to the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, the Go-Bots didn't reach the same heights as their competition. Considering they still had a following, even decades after the line stopped being produced, the reason for its lack of success could be due to the rubsigns that Hasbro instilled in their figures. Nevertheless, the influx of transforming robot figures showed that even before rubsigns, The Transformers struck gold in the toy market.

Rubsigns Was A Clever Marketing Tactic That Crossed Into TV

One thing that The Transformers always had over the competition was the distinction between their heroes and villains. Even if a fan was unsure about which faction their character was on, the Autobot and Decepticon insignia was always present to help answer the question. However, as more transforming robot figures popped up, more than a simple insignia was needed to help reel in fans. As a result, Henry Orenstein and George Dunsay designed and patented the rubsign sticker, a unique gimmick that contained thermochromic liquid stickers that responded to heat. When rubbed on, the logo of the character's faction would be revealed and change color before becoming black again.

Not only was this gimmick exciting for young fans, but Hasbro took things to the next level by advertising the stickers with a commercial featuring Optimus Prime and Megatron. The best part was that Peter Cullen and Frank Welker reprised their respective voices to advertise that only real Transformers carried the rubsign sticker. As a result, it added a bit of mystery to the toy line as no one knew what side the character was on until the rubsign was used. However, it also gave a deeper exclusivity to the line as only genuine Transformers had the sticker and if anyone disputed it, Optimus Prime and Megatron said so. But this was only the start of a longtime trend that continued throughout the G1 era of The Transformers.

As The Transformers: The Movie hit theaters, the figures designed specifically for the movie featured rubsigns as well. But rather than just be placed, the sculpting of the figures was made to accommodate the tiny square, making it even more exclusive to the line. Even pairs of characters, like Wingspan and Pounce, would have rubsigns to show their faction and which character they were. However, the concept that was used to ensure the longevity and exclusivity of The Transformers only continued to evolve over the years and cross over into more forms of media, impacting future generations that wouldn't have known of them otherwise.

Rubsigns Defined Generations Of Transformers Fans

While G1 introduced and took advantage of the rubsign gimmick, the Beast Wars era took the idea to a whole new level. Now, in an era where animals could transform, the rubsigns became hidden in the figure so that when kids transformed them, they'd be surprised. Even still, many rubsigns weren't seen until the animal changed into their robot form, further emphasizing the importance of "robots in disguise." For a brief time, the rubsigns were retired but came back in full force during the Michael Bay era of Transformers movies with gimmicks like "Reveal the Shield." There was also the Transformers: Animated TV show that marked one of the more recent uses of rubsigns in a TV series when Lockdown used one to fake his allegiance.

The comics also had instances of using them with one storyline having the Decepticons adopt the sticker to hide their side as they geared up to kickstart the Great War. In the end, the allure of transforming robots will likely never go out of style. But the importance of The Transformers was tied specifically to how the line adapted to change and the rubsigns were the perfect example of this. Simplistic in design and execution, rubsigns offered a more complex layer of storytelling that transitioned into animation even decades later. Even still, one of the most important things that helped was the inclusion of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker in a commercial giving their seal of approval. Now, no one can forget that only the real Transformers have the symbol, and it's a symbol that has continued to endure.