Commercial

And watch the cartoon, too! It's not nearly this pretty, but it gives you time to blink.

Despite the existence of comics, cartoons, and other media intended to advertise Transformers toys, Hasbro has routinely commissioned standard television commercials to promote their current toy lines.

Commercials for Transformers typically use a combination of animation and live-action film featuring the characters/toys in question.

Generation 1

Generation 1's stylized and somewhat dated commercials became nearly as famous as the cartoon and toyline itself. They would commonly start with a short animated sequence, then cut to two or more boys in the 7 to 10-year-old range playing with the toys. Victor Caroli and another narrator provided voice-overs to describe just how exciting the incredible new toys were. Various show characters narrated some spots, including Optimus Prime, Megatron, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime.

Background music would feature the show's theme song, but with new lyrics about the toys in question, often rather stretched to fit the cadence of the song, or else jammed into a different melody altogether. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the commercials featured one of the young actors staring very seriously into the camera, mouthing "Robots in disguise!" as his eyes glowed and/or his face transformed into that of a robot (based on Galvatron or Ultra Magnus.)

The animated segments often featured high-quality art and animation. Some of the 1986 and 1987 animation was combined into a title sequence for "The Rebirth", the final 3-part episode of the Generation 1 cartoon. The short length of television commercials meant the animated sections were very rushed, with characters speaking their lines very rapidly; within the context of the fictional world they portray, this could lead to some hilarious results, such as Jazz taking about 1/4th of a second to decide to become an Action Master. The animated segments would sometimes feature the voice actors from the cartoon; however, some such as Blaster had not been assigned a voice actor yet. Later segments required soundalikes for characters whose voice actors had died (Jazz) or were unavailable (Megatron). These spots were the only American animation produced for dozens of characters from the toyline's later years.

Many commercials were re-edited into even shorter versions, without the animation segments.

1984

• Megatron
• Jetfire and Shockwave. Animation: Jetfire (with a toy-based animation model) steps out of a mountain and takes on the Decepticon jets; Shockwave transforms and fires.
• Mini-Spies. Animation: a Mini-Spy enters Autobot Headquarters and starts messing with the computer; Huffer and Cliffjumper check his faction symbol.
• Cartoons on VHS, with excerpts from "More Than Meets the Eye".

1985

• Constructicons/Devastator. Animation: the Constructicons, working on a building site, suddenly transform and combine.
• Blaster. Animation: Rumble merrily walks into a Decepticon base carrying Blaster in boom box mode. Not a working radio!
• Alex Karras calmly promotes the virtues of Perceptor (a working microscope!) and urges you to shop now if you want one for your kid for Christmas.

1986

• Hot Rod, Kup, and Blurr; Cyclonus and Scourge; and Rrrrrodimus Prime. Animation: a running battle with each character charging in as the narrator identifies him. No one can take on the Decepticons like Rrrrrodimus Prime!
• Ultra Magnus. Animation: Magnus loads up some 'bots in Autobot City, then rolls out into the desert to fight the Decepticons. Optimus Prime narrates.
• Ultra Magnus and Galvatron. Animation: Magnus and Galvatron, along with others, do battle on a highway. Optimus Prime and Megatron narrate. Includes tail-end ad for The Transformers: The Movie. Does Prime die?!
• Combaticons/Bruticus and Metroplex
• Predacons. Animation: the Predacons charge in to counter the Dinobots. Few Decepticons can stand up to the Dinobots, but the Predacons can!
• Sky Lynx. Animation: Sky Lynx swoops in to save the Dinobots from Predaking.
• Triple Changers - Sandstorm, Broadside, Octane.

1987

• Headmasters. The Headmaster Autobots roll out and clash with the Headmaster Decepticons, as Rodimus and Ultra Magnus narrate. Head. MasterTransformers - more muchmore than meets the eyes! [sic]
• Headmaster Horrorcons. The jaws of the beast become the pilot of the plane, and the pilot of the plane becomes the head of the robot!
• Targetmasters
• Technobots/Computron and Scorponok
• Technobots and Terrorcons. Animation: the two teams battle on Earth, while Rodimus and Magnus narrate. Includes Decoy ending.
• Punch/Counterpunch and Clones. You can trust me, Galvatron!
• The Monsterbots. Animation: the Monsterbots trash a lab, then burst through a wall and fight some Decepticons. The new Autobots are Monsterbots!
• Seacons

1988

• Pretenders. Animation: cel segement with the first three Autobot Pretenders coming out of their shells; CGI segment with a generic robot skateboarding. I'm a skateboarder. I'm a Transformer!
• Powermasters. Animation: the various Powermaster partners transform to engine form and combine with their partners. Includes tail-end ads spot for the relevant Marvel Comics issue.
• Powermaster Optimus Prime. Animation: Prime firing his blaster.
• Double Targetmasters. Targetmaster Transformers -- theeeeeey've got the power to surprise.
• Triggerbots/Triggercons. And when the Triggerbots battle the Triggercons, there's no doubt there'll be a real shoot-out! KERRUNCH.

1989

• Micromasters, with animation featuring Prime, Dreadwind and Darkwing, and stop-motion toy animation featuring a bizarre light and dark gray Scorponok.
• Micromaster vehicles and bases. Animation: Prime opens his palm to reveal a Micromaster city; a horde of Micromasters swarms over an attacking Giant Decepticon Warrior; Red Hot transforms and flies at the camera. They're not just small; they're Tranzzforrrmerrzzz!
  • Micromaster battle stations, abbreviated from the previous commercial. The only Micros that transform!
  • Micromaster transports, abbreviated from the previous commercial.
• Micromaster micro bases. Animation: Bumblebee drags two captured Decepticon vehicles into an Autobot base, only to have them transform and attack. You can connect them to form whole cities!
  • Micromaster micro bases, abbreviated from the previous commercial.
• Classic Pretenders. Animation: As Prime comes under attack in a nighttime city, the Autobot Pretenders arrive to help out. Jazz, you're back!
  • Classic Pretenders, abbreviated from the previous commercial.
• Mega and Ultra Pretenders. Animation: Crossblades and Vroom slowly drift out of their shells and transform; Roadblock's two robot forms both pop out of his vehicle shell and fire. Who's more than they pretend to be? Mega Pretender Transformers, Mega Pretenders!
  • Mega Pretenders, abbreviated from the previous commercial. Inside one, there's the other; then they both transform and combine to form another!
  • Ultra Pretenders, abbreviated from the previous commercial.
• Monster Pretenders. Animation: Starscream dunks Wildfly, Icepick and Scowl into colorful vats; they and the others emerge as Pretenders and charge at the camera. Now, the Decepticons have Monster Pretenders. Monster Pretenders with rubbery skin!

1990

The Action Master commercials began and ended with a metal fist bursting through a wall, with "ACTION MASTERS" emblazoned across its knuckles. Some of the animation was screened against real-world backgrounds, with the animated characters morphing into the real toys.

• Action Masters. Animation: inside a base, Prime invites a circle of Autobots to join him. Who will give up the power to transform to become stronger faster more alive? [sic]
• Action Master vehicles - Starscream, Prowl, and Overrun. Animation: a short battle sequence (on Cybertron?) with the three featured characters. And look! The Action Master vehicles transform into powerful battle stations!!
• Action Master vehicles - Wheeljack, Sprocket, and Gutcruncher. Animation: Gutcruncher takes to the sky in the Stratojet; Wheeljack and Sprocket drive out of a tunnel. "Estroy them!" [again, sic]
  • Action Master vehicles - abbreviated version of the previous commercial.
• Hot Rod Patrol and Construction Patrol. Animation (cel): Jazz and Prime pick up the Hot Rod Patrol and examine them. Animation (stop-motion toy): The Construction Patrol destroys a bridge, making Scorponok fall into a ravine.
  • Hot Rod Patrol / Construction Patrol - abbreviated version of the previous commercial.
• Micromaster Combiners/Combiner Transports. Animation: Megatron grabs at a couple of combiner vehicles, only to have them split apart and reconnect; two of the Combiner Transports transform from vehicle to robot/base. A rather wussy Frank Welker soundalike voices Megatron.
  • Micromaster Combiners - abbreviated version of the previous commercial.

Generation 2

Advertisements for Generation 2 were totally hip to what the hep cats were digging. First they started with a more theatrical, orchestrated version of the original theme song. But that background-music-singing jive was totally bogus, so it was replaced by the "rap music" that all the kids listen to these days. Cel animation was so five minutes ago; these commercials used graphical images made with a com-pu-tor.

1993

• Optimus Prime and Ramjet. Animation: Prime drives down a road and transforms; Ramjet swoops down and transforms to robot mode.
• Optimus Prime. "Uh mmm Mmptms Pmmmm!"
  • Optimus Prime. Edited from the previous commercial.
• Color Changers.
• Megatron. Listen to the voice of doom!
  • Megatron. Edited from the previous commercial.
• Starscream and Ramjet; Inferno, Jazz and Sideswipe. Inferno's water cannon is rainin' pain!
  • Starscream and Ramjet; Inferno, Jazz and Sideswipe. Edited from the previous commercial.
• Constructicons / Dinobots.
  • Dinobots. Edited from the previous commercial.

1994

• Aerialbots / Combaticons. He's a big bad battlin' dudicus!
• Rotor Force / Laser Rods. When they get into a battle they be winnin'!
• Combat Heroes, including Peter Cullen voicing Prime. Prime is one tough dude; underneath his hood, he's a transformin' missile firin' phenomenon!
  • Combat Heroes. Edited from the previous commercial.
• Dreadwing and Smokescreen. Dreadwing is punishing; his Gatling gun is illin'.
  • Dreadwing. Edited from the previous commercial.
• Cyberjets.

Beast Wars

1996

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.