Company: Hasbro Inc.
Agency: Litzky Public Relations, Fathom Communications
Timeframe: 2006--2007
Over the past decade, Hasbro Inc. has been a major supporter of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, donating over $10 million in toys and games alone. The program
has also touched the lives of nearly 1 million children. But, despite the success of this partnership, the public was largely unaware of Hasbro's philanthropic deeds in this
area.
To remedy that, a campaign was launched in both the 2006 and 2007 holiday seasons that would elevate awareness of the Hasbro/Toys for Toys partnership among three audiences:
the general public, individual communities directly affected by Hasbro's outreach and internal stakeholders at Hasbro.
As one of the largest toy companies, it was a natural partnership for Hasbro to support the respected toy donation program, Toys for Tots. To drive additional donations and
generate attention for this partnership, Hasbro execs implemented the following strategies:
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Leverage a national media opportunity to announce a significant gift to Toys for Tots that would be seen by the largest number of the general public as possible:
and,
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Bring the human touch to the communities affected by the Hasbro/Toys for Tots partnership by visiting several local markets with an appealing visual program that encourages
community participation and elicits local media coverage.
Talk It Out
One element that allowed the latter tactic to come into play was the campaign's choice of celebrity spokesperson. Because Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife Robin of the nationally
syndicated The Dr. Phil Show had been acting as the national spokespeople and media partners for Toys of Tots, it was a natural extension that they should do the same for
this partnership.
With both Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw firmly on board, Hasbro and Toys for Tots staged a media event to generate buzz. After Hasbro donated $2.5 million in toys and games, some
of which were delivered in the back of a life-size Tonka Dump Truck to the studio lot where The Dr. Phil Show is taped, the McGraws and special guest Jay Leno presented the
toys to the Marines affiliated with the Toys for Tots program.
Pop star Hilary Duff also announced the donation of a dozen of Hasbro's hottest toys and games to the audience members. The McGraws donated $200,000 to Toys for Tots, while
encouraging supporters to donate another $150,000.
Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw continued their media tour, promoting the Hasbro/Toys for Tots initiative by appearing on The View dressed, respectively, as Santa Claus and
Mrs. Claus. There, they collected toy donations from the audience and reiterated Hasbro's donation of $2.5 million. Additional earned media included an Entertainment
Tonight behind-the-scenes preview segment of The Dr. Phil Show, including clips of Jay Leno driving the Tonka Dump Truck.
Rolling Out The Red Carpet
Other high profile TV and radio shows followed suit during the 2006 holiday season. As part of their Wishes for Kids Holiday Toy Drive, CBS' The Early Show featured a
Marine from Toys for Tots and Karen Davis, VP of community relations for Hasbro, who showcased some of the toys and games that were part of Hasbro's donation, encouraging viewers
to participate.
On the The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen DeGeneres thanked Hasbro on air for its donation of $500,000 in toys and games to her Toys for Tots Drive, which helped her to
exceed the total from the previous year. Also, L.A.-based KIIS-FM hosted a Drive Thru Toy Drive at Children's Hospital Orange County, and host Ryan Seacrest thanked Hasbro on air
for its generous donation.
For the 2007 season, Hasbro once again retained the services of Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw for a Toys for Tots toy drive. However, instead of having fans bring the toys to them,
it was time to bring the toys to the children. To commemorate its 60th anniversary, Norfolk Southern Railway made the Toys for Tots' toy train logo life-size; they also announced
that the McGraws would deliver Hasbro toys to communities in need throughout Appalachia.
Birthday Bond
To create even more synergy between these two brands, Hasbro execs focused on another milestone: both their Tonka and Toys for Tots brands would be celebrating its 60th
anniversary in 2007. To reinforce the bond between Hasbro and Toys for Tots among the communities benefiting from this partnership, a plan to go on a tour, replete with a life-
size Hasbro icon, was executed to reach this audience.
"To raise awareness for Toys for Tots and the incredible need that exists within their organization, we thought it would be a great idea to combine our resources and get out
there and create a program that could easily be publicized and draw some attention to both Tonka and Toys for Tots," says Julie Duffy, director of corporate communications for
Hasbro.
To help both organizations with their 60th anniversary programs, Litzky Public Relations, the agency of record for the Tonka brand, and Fathom Communications joined the
mission. With Litzky focusing on media relations and Fathom on event planning, the project team, which also included the staff at Hasbro and Toys for Tots, was complete; the
brainstorming sessions commenced.
"We all sat down and figured out what we thought would be the best, most effective way to get out there and make some noise for Tonka and Toys for Tots," says Duffy.
Chutes And Ladders
From one of these meetings, an idea sprang to life that would become the signature piece of the tour and an accompaniment to a giant Tonka truck that was used to collect toys
at each stop and to distribute the $3 million in toys and games that Hasbro donated. "We developed a 30-foot-tall Tonka truck inflatable slide that was at each event, which
[Fathom Communications] created for us," says Duffy.
Also, working with vendors from inception to the end, the team created another addition to the tour: a historical retrospective/visual timeline for both Toys for Tots and Tonka
that would be rolled out at each event. According to Duffy, Fathom Communications was responsible for its creation and logistics.
Yet, as always, there were some challenges to overcome. "Anniversaries are typically a tough sell," says Josslynne Welch, management supervisor for Litzky Public Relations. "We
were looking to create a rich, meaningful program that would appropriately celebrate the mutual 60th anniversary of two household names. A national toy donation tour was the
perfect fit."
Achy Breaky Benefit
To help kick off Tonka and the Toys for Tots 60th Anniversary Drive for Toys, which was launched at the Quantico Marine Corps Base, the team signed singer Billy Ray Cyrus to
perform for the Marines and their families. Why the selection of Cyrus as a spokesperson for this event?
"We knew that he was someone who was charitable-minded," says Duffy. "We knew that he had a strong admiration for the military. He had written a song dedicated to the military
a few years back. We knew he was someone who would resonate with both kids and parents. So for all of those reasons, we reached out and invited him to come."
The tour netted positive reaction to both Tonka and Toys for Tots. Additional tour stops included the Martin Luther King, Jr. School in the recovering Lower Ninth Ward of New
Orleans on Nov. 13, 2007, before ending in California in December.
"For each market that we went into, both brands already resonated so strongly that even getting media coverage was a dream," recounts Duffy. "It was one of those programs where
the stars really aligned."
As a result of the 2006 partnership between Hasbro, Toys for Tots and Dr. Phil, the total contribution to Toys for Tots was over $2.8 million in toys. And, thanks to the Toys
for Tots' appearance on The Dr. Phil Show, more than $34 million was donated to their holiday campaign for the 2006 holiday season, an increase of $5 million from the
previous year. Figures for the 2007 partnership have not been released; however, the Tonka.com Web site experienced a significant spike in traffic in October 2007 during the
launch of the Drive for Toys.
The Hasbro/Toys for Tots partnership in 2006 and 2007 yielded tremendous media coverage. Among the media outlets that covered the program were CNN, CMT, USA Today and
The Times-Picayune. Online coverage included AOL Money & Finance, Forbes.com, MSN Money, OnPhilanthropy.com, Topix.net and Yahoo News.
Arranged Marriage
One important goal for Duffy was that the program make sense logistically. Fortunately, the partnership between Hasbro and Toys for Tots did that. "It wasn't far-fetched at
all," she notes. "It was logical. Sometimes you see different PR events or attempts of events out there where it just doesn't make sense and the pieces don't come together."
Welch concurs with Duffy's view.
"In order to construct an anniversary program that is a success for the client and relevant for the media, it is necessary to create a multi-layered plan that can be sustained
throughout the anniversary year, and to engage both the press and consumers," she says. "The Tonka and Toys for Tots 60th Anniversary Drive for Toys featured a strong message
about giving as well as a well-respected partner that shared a similar goal and that could help Hasbro execute the donations." PRN
CONTACTS:
Julie Duffy, [email protected]; Josslynne Lingard Welch, [email protected]
VIPs Ripe For The Picking
If you need a celebrity to act as a spokesperson for your company's cause, don't just arbitrarily choose someone because he or she is famous, says Julia Duffy, director of
corporate communications for Hasbro Inc.
"Don't pick a celebrity just for the sake of picking a celebrity. Really try and think it through and find someone who is passionate, someone who makes sense for the cause and
someone who has a reason for why they would be involved," she says. "First of all, it's easier to get the celebrity's interest if it's something he or she is personally passionate
about. When Billy Ray Cyrus was talking to media during the Quantico [kick-off event for the Tonka/Toys for Tots 60th Anniversary Drive] event, it was so clear he cared deeply
about the military and children, and about giving during the holidays. He's also a real family man. Make sure that when you pick a celebrity to be a spokesperson for your
company's cause or charity, it's logical and not a stab in the dark."
Choosing The Right Charity
For companies looking to find the right cause or charity to rally behind, it's imperative, according to Hasbro's corporate communications director Julia Duffy, that it
resonates with the public.
"Don't pick a charity just to pick one," she advises. "It has to be something that people are going to understand, that when they read that story, when the media gets that
pitch, people will [get it] immediately. There can't be this disconnect [begging the question], 'Why would they choose that charity?' It's something you should be able to explain
in 30 seconds to the media and have them get it right away."