The Top Secret Launch of T.M.X. Elmo

Brand: T.M.X. ElmoCompany: Fisher-PriceAgency: Eric Mower and AssociatesCampaign Title: The Top Secret Launch of T.M.X. Elmo Product Category: ToysTime Frame: September 2006Award Category: National Consumer Promotion with a Budget Less Than $1 MillionMarketing Overview"Ah, ah, ah. No peeking!" teases T.M.X. Elmo's voice when the lid to its box is lifted. And that's just what this toy's creators said for nearly two years before Fisher-Price unveiled the toy in September 2006.The original Tickle Me Elmo toy launched in 1996 giggled when its stomach was tickled. In the new T.M.X. Elmo (where the "X" stands for "Extreme"), the body movements grow more pronounced with three successive tickles. T.M.X. Elmo falls down, kicks its legs, scoots across the floor and rolls over while laughing, then gets back up and begs, "Again, again" or "Give Elmo a break, please!"In 1996, Tickle Me Elmo mania made moms cry in happiness after snagging one of the elusive toys, and saw dads scuffle in store aisles to get their hands on them. But the fuzzy friend has been described as "one of the last huge hits of the toy industry." Sales of traditional toys have slumped, as children began to covet video games and other gadgets at a younger age.With the launch of T.M.X. Elmo, Fisher-Price hoped to create real excitement not just among parents, but for the entire toy industry.ObjectivesIn developing and promoting T.M.X. Elmo as a "must have" toy, our objectives were to revitalize the Fisher-Price's Sesame Street license and kick-start holiday toy shopping in September and October.Strategy & TacticsFirst, the strategy was to build equity for the T.M.X. Elmo brand, creating an air of secrecy around the toy to stir industry, media and consumer buzz. "The toy is so magical that we wanted to keep a little suspense around it," said Neil Friedman, president of Mattel Brands, which includes Fisher-Price.Fisher-Price kept the toy under wraps for two years. Previews were limited to 10 senior managers who were directly involved in its creation. Even the sales force couldn't see the toy, and therefore sold it into retail sight unseen. Retailers placed orders based on the toy's heritage.Reinforcing the secrecy strategy, Fisher-Price eschewed TV advertising in favor of "teaser" merchandising both in stores and online.Retailers set aside space, leaving shelves empty except for a placeholder P-O-P unit labeled "Top Secret." Inside Toys "R" Us, a giant countdown clock ticked off the minutes until T.M.X. Elmo would be revealed, and motion sensors triggered an audio message from Elmo. Target merchandised a unique gift card featuring a giggling sound chip. The cards quickly became scarce, turning into instant collectors' items on eBay. Inside Wal-Mart, General Mills cereal boxes featured graphics of Elmo peeking out to tease when the toy would arrive. Posters, counter cards and shelf talkers accompanied these unique in-store executions, all hinting at the excitement to come on Sept. 19th. Meanwhile, Fisher-Price depicted T.M.X. Elmo in mysterious silhouette on its web site. As the buzz built, retailers took pre-orders from excited consumers.Finally, event marketing came into play with the unveiling of T.M.X. Elmo live on ABC's Good Morning America. GMA ran a "surprise reveal" countdown clock in the corner of the TV screen, ticking off the seconds until Diane Sawyer unveiled what she called, "the hottest selling kid item for the Christmas list." At 7:49 a.m., Sawyer asked for "one more drum roll" before taking T.M.X. out of a safe and demonstrating the toy for her on-air colleagues. Meanwhile, parents lined up outside Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart and KB Toys stores to buy one.ResultsThe "Top Secret" launch of T.M.X. Elmo dramatically kick-started sales of special feature plush toys in September 2006. "It definitely got the consumer thinking about the holiday a lot earlier than normal," said Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of trade publication Toy Wishes. "It put people into the toy department in September in large masses."Ranked as the No. 1 item in the traditional toy industry for September to November 2006, T.M.X. Elmo helped Sesame Street jump to No. 3 in property rankings from its previous slot at No. 14.

The Top Secret Launch of T.M.X. Elmo

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