Hasbro is taking its larger-than-life Tonka truck on tour as part of a cause marketing initiative to collect toys and games to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina and local charities.
The Tonka Toughest Mighty Dump Truck kicked off a 14-city tour last month to visit about 50 Wal-Mart stores, where Tonka team members will collect new toys for children in need. The tour will make its final stops in Atlanta, Orlando, FL, Bentonville, AR, Phoenix, and Los Angeles through Nov. 20.
Under the campaign, Hasbro is working with relief organizations to donate toys and games worth more than $500,000 to residents affected by hurricane Katrina. Toys will be distributed through at emergency shelters through the holiday season.
During the tour, consumers can visit a coloring area, a play zone with Tonka trucks and the Tonka photo studio, where kids can have their pictures taken next to the supersized Tonka truck. Visitors will also receive free Tonka-themed goodies, including Tonka hard hats, T-shirts, temporary tattoos and bumper stickers.
Fathom Communications, New York City, handles.
The campaign exposes kids to the Tonka brand while teaching them a valuable lesson about helping others in need, said Tres McCullough, VP, and cofounder of Fathom Communications.
“It’s wonderful to attract such attention to the Tonka brand, but it’s even better when it is for a very important and worthy cause,” EJ Minor, director of marketing for Tonka at Hasbro, Inc., in a statement.
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