KILLER CEREAL

The LEGO Bionicle franchise was in the early 2000's, a huge success story for LEGO, who's output had begun to take a downturn. Sales of the standard LEGO sets were in a decline and the company's fortunes seemed to be heading for disaster. However, a new team was brought in with an idea for a radical new direction - 'constraction'. Basically a conflation of the words 'construction' and 'action', the idea was to make a range of action figure like models, which would extend the possibility of play. The first Bionicle - or 'Bionic Chronicle' toys were simple robot like figures, each wearing a removeable mask. A backstory was developed, involving a complicated mythology and special powers related to each mask. This in itself was a great idea and proved very popular, but the main selling point of the line was the masks themselves, which were an additional collectible element, sold in blind bags of three. Kids and collectors could buy the models and also pick up a small bag of additional mask parts, with the chance of finding one of several rare versions. Bionicle's success turned the company around and led the way for lucrative themed franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel.

Advertising and promotion for the line was massive, with comic and book tie-ins, a dedicated magazine, games and food premiums. McDonalds did several sets of premiums, including original figures and masks in rare colours and Nestle  had a great little premium tucked away in boxes of breakfast cereal. Looking very similar in style to the early sixties Archer or Tudor Rose spacemen, there were six figures to collect, three good and three evil. Each one was a single piece casting, with a weapon or tool and a flying spinner.

The pinners could be launched with a toothed gear or flexible launcher and would shoot high into the air. Each part was interchangeable with other Bionicle sets and with LEGO Technic models too.

As the success of Bionicle broadened the range, other figural models appeared, such as the large Knights Kingdom figures. These were a series of chunky medieval warlords, which used special articulated joints, but applied standard system style bricks as part of the armour. Once more Nestle was called upon to promote the line, making six small knight figures, each with a small weapon and shield.

Larger Bionicle sets included minifigures, at first they were small solid castings, again very similar in style to Archer spacemen.

A sub line of Bionicle was released, called Hero Factory, which used similar parts and collectible masks, in a similar way. It also included minifigures, but as small articulated versions of the larger models. At just 2" tall, each had a detailed mask or helmet and moveable limbs.
 

The full sized figures have a range of over 100 different masks, with some extremely rare and collectible ones going for several hundred pounds on the secondary market.