Consumers who need a few pointers to learn how to walk the dog or rock the baby don’t have to look farther than their local F.A.S.T Yo Yo All-Star tour.
To build buzz around the latest yo-yo technology, New York-based Fathom Communications has kicked off a three-month tour to promote Hasbro, Inc’s F.A.S.T 201 Series Yo Yo, the Totally Adjustable Yo Yo. As part of the tour, a team of four or five professional yo-yo demonstrators—dubbed the “F.A.S.T. Yo Yo All Stars”—host demonstrations for school and retailers in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.
The tour, which runs through April 30, also includes mall visits where the All-Stars conduct regional tournaments inviting participants to compete in the F.A.S.T. Challenge, a series of 10 yo-yo tricks that must be completed in order as soon as possible. Each tournament winner can compete to win mall gift certificates.
“Everybody loves to yo-yo, but sometimes they get frustrated” with the challenge,” said Tres McCullough, VP-Fathom Communications. “The tour offers tips to do the basics in a matter of minutes. Once you have a good teacher, even the yo-yo challenged…can become more versed.”
And the buzz is building. Since the tour launched in February, Hasbro executives have reported increased brand awareness.
“We’ve seen an immediate impact on awareness and popularity of the F.A.S.T. 201 Series Yo Yo Since the onset of the tour,” said Colleen Cushing, a Hasbro brand manager in the Big Kids Division, in a statement. “The F.A.S.T. Yo Yo All Stars have really brought the excitement of [yo-yoing] and benefits of the F.A.S.T. 201 to life.”
The F.A.S.T. 201 Series Yo Yo is named after its technology, Fully Active Starburst Technology, a patented return system, which lets players adjust the yo-yo to their own skill level. The yo-yo is made for kids eight and up and retails for $9.99.
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