Hasbro’s Colin Cronin on going ‘beyond the board’ when crafting MONOPOLY experiences

Colin, it’s great to connect. Can you talk me through your role at Hasbro and what it entails?
Thanks for having me! I’m part of the team at Hasbro overseeing the creative development and execution of our brands, including MONOPOLY, in the Global Experiences space – what we call LBE (Location-Based Entertainment). My role is all about finding new ways to bring our iconic brands to life in the real world through immersive, interactive experiences. This means collaborating with amazing partners to create everything from large-scale attractions to themed pop-up experiences, ensuring the essence of our beloved games is brought into new environments for fans to enjoy.

MONOPOLY has thrived in the world of LBE – why do you feel the brand has made the leap into this space successfully?
MONOPOLY is such a versatile brand that it naturally lends itself to Global Experiences. The universal appeal and familiarity of the game means that it’s immediately accessible to people, no matter their age or background. But it’s also rich with potential for creative expression. Whether it’s through life-sized experiences, immersive game play or even creating MONOPOLY-themed dining, MONOPOLY is more than just a board game – it’s a shared experience that brings people together. Its ability to merge nostalgia with fresh, fun interactions makes it perfect for LBE. Plus, the big, bold visuals create such a unique, memorable experience that’s perfect for these environments.

When it comes to creative, how do you evaluate which aspects of the game can live in LBE? And what you’ll need to do to certain assets in order to make that leap make sense?
Great question! The first thing we look at is what elements of MONOPOLY are most iconic and impactful – those elements that people instantly recognise and connect with. The board, the tokens, Mr. MONOPOLY – these are foundational, and are part of every MONOPOLY experience in some way. But in Global Experiences we do experiences of all different kinds all over the world, so sometimes the right answer is to go “beyond the board.” We peel back all the layers and versions and ask ourselves: “What is the core of MONOPOLY? What do fans love about it?”

“MONOPOLY is more than just a board game – it’s a shared experience that brings people together.”

From there we can celebrate the attainable luxury of MONOPOLY, and the dream of winning big. Or we can look back at MONOPOLY’S origins and the iconic Boardwalk property for a vintage Atlantic City feeling. A huge part of what our Global Experiences team does is guide our licensees to find the “take” on MONOPOLY that is right for them. Our greatest successes are when there is a space not based on a specific product or graphic, but which still feels like MONOPOLY in a way that is sometimes hard to define. When you can do that, everything is on the table.

Great answer. As you mentioned, MONOPOLY has a rich ‘visual language’, with icons that are likely recognisable by silhouette alone! Have you found certain elements take on a new life, or look especially impressive, when activated in LBE?
There are very few brands – at Hasbro or elsewhere – that have as many instantly recognisable symbols and icons as MONOPOLY. You can remove all the colour and words from the gameboard, and people will still recognise it. It’s just a wealth of potential – pun definitely intended! Giant larger-then-life versions of the tokens and the gameboard are always very popular, even just as photo-ops. And then when you can add a unique version of the classic gameplay on top of that – like at MONOPOLY LIFESIZED – that takes it to a whole other level.

Another fascinating example at MONOPOLY LIFESIZED are the characters you meet in the room. They are actually personifications of the tokens. Moments like that showcase the magic in these experiences. Where else can a guest meet the Scottie Dog – represented by a dog groomer in a powder blue jacket and hat, complete with a huge dog token on top – and think to themselves “of course that’s a thing.” It not only creates new ways to experience the brand, but it also encourages our fans to think about MONOPOLY in a completely new way.

“Being ‘fan-first’ is the secret to really powerful moments.”

Absolutely. Now, what fuels your own creativity?
I try to experience everything I can. Museums, events, theme parks, aquariums – you never know what could inspire the next attraction or activation. When it comes to creating a specific experience, I like to put myself in the guest’s shoes. I come back to this all the time, in everything from Master Planning to finish choices to developing media or content. Our experiences are all about connecting the fans to the brand, that really is their purpose and what they offer to people. So, being “fan-first” is, I think, the secret to really powerful moments.

Colin, this has been great. I have one last question! What’s your go-to token when playing MONOPOLY?
I was always the race car for a pretty silly reason. When my siblings picked the top hat or the thimble, I thought they weren’t thinking it through. Obviously, the race car is the best because it actually can move, and it would definitely be the fastest. Unfortunately, that logic never affected my dice rolls.

Ha! It’s proving a popular pick! Thanks again.