Bandai's Build Fighters Strategy

I completed my HG Amazing Exia kit today: I will do a build report later today.  While building it, I noticed some interesting things.  I don't watch Build Fighters (this Exia was a gift), but I do know that the kits consist of old Gundam models from previous shows with new parts.  It's actually a quite clever system Bandai has created, here's a list of some of the more ingenious benefits:

They are leveraging their incredibility huge catalog of Gundam designs on children too young to recognize them.  The target demographic of Build Fighters is younger than the average Gundam fan.  It is likely that they are unfamiliar with the majority of Gundams vast, vast history.  Reusing tried-and-true designs on the next generation is a safe bet and saves on designing new ones.

They are invoking nostalgia in older fans who might find Build Fighters childish.  Seeing as the show itself is targeting younger demographics, by bringing back old designs with new variations, they can rope in fans familiar with the Gundam's original show.  Gunpla fans loyal to, say, Gundam 00, might be interested in Build Fighters to see Exia in a new light (such as Amazing Exia).

They are reusing old sprue molds.  Designing and tooling sprue molds is very expensive, likely the most pricey part of creating a new Gundam kit.  By modifying old designs, most of the sprues in Build Fighter kits are actually the same as the kit they are revisiting.  While building Amazing Exia, I noticed many parts were identical to HG Exia and some parts in the sprue went unused, as they are only for Exia, not Amazing Exia. 

Because in the Build Fighters universe the characters are actually using customized Bandai gunpla kits to battle, the show encourages viewers to embrace the gunpla customization hobby.  This is taking the "action figure tie-in show" model to new heights.  Instead of say, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the show is more than a 22-minute advertisement for the action figures.  Fans will buy the kits to recreate their favorite characters, but also to be like them.  They can not only have a Gundam from the show, they can actually do what they see the characters onscreen do, a gimmick many tie-in shows can't replicate.  Yu-gi-oh type shows do this as well.

The new parts that are used to customize old kits are also sold separately.  This means collectors who already own a Gundam that has been upgraded in Build FIghters, can still have something to buy, without getting redundant kits.  In fact, the "add-on" variation kits can be applied to numerous old models, not just the one depicted in the show.  This further fosters the Gundam cusomiztion hobby, giving kit-bashers new tools to work with.  Bandai also sells brushes, paints, glue and all manner of gunpla supplies, so increasing interest in the hobby greatly profits them.

I do not believe these ideas are bad or overly tricky.  I think it is an intelligent, well-thought-out plan that benefits both Bandai and their fans.  What do you think?  Let me know below.