For
Ricki Mintz
Right Brain CEO
Bullpen Integrated Marketing
Encino, CA
Jordan Levy
Left Brain CEO
Bullpen Integrated Marketing
Encino, CA
Michael Tomlin
Business Administration-Marketing Professor
California State University, Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
By:
Brittany Helfrich, Shelley Chen, Ivan Gartner, Kyle Bellemare, Sarah Monastra, Ruben Papelera,
Luiz Deniz, Tri Le, and Sojeong Lee
Creative Marketing Team
March 28, 2013
April Shower iii
16130 Ventura Blvd
Encino, CA 91436
March 28, 2013
Ricky Mintz
Right Brain CEO
Bullpen Integrated Marketing
Encino, CA
Jordan Levy
Left Brain CEO
Bullpen Integrated Marketing
Encino, CA
Michael Tomlin
Business Administration-Marketing Professor
California State University, Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
Dear Ricki Mintz, Jordan Levy, and Michael Tomlin:
Upon your request to create an advertising campaign for Mattel’s “Put More Play into Every
Day” platform, we have designed a thematic campaign to be implemented in April of 2014.
Our overarching goals for this campaign are to increase retail toy sales during the month of
April, along with generating awareness of the benefits of play that comes from toys between
parents and children.
Each element of this campaign will include cohesive integrated marketing elements, such as:




Public Relations
Digital and Social Media
Retail Merchandising and Promotions
Television Advertising
We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
The Creative Marketing Team
April Shower iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter of Transmittal ___________________________________________________ iii
Introduction ___________________________________________________________ 1
Joy Truck _____________________________________________________________ 2
Public Relations _____________________________________________________ 3
Digital, Social Media, Blogging_________________________________________ 4
Retail Merchanidising and Promotions ___________________________________ 4
Toy’s R US ____________________________________________________________ 4
Public Relations _____________________________________________________ 4
Digital, Social Media, Blogging ________________________________________ 5
Retail Merchandising and Promotions ___________________________________ 5
TV Advertising ________________________________________________________ 5
Conclusion ____________________________________________________________ 6
April Shower 1
INTRODUCTION
April Showers, Joy for Hours. This simple yet catchy campaign name was conceptualized and
designed to intrigue and delight consumers. In brief, the April Showers, Joy for Hours campaign
aims to show parents and children alike, the joy that could come on a dreary, rainy day by
playing with toys, together, as a family.
The month of April is infamously known for its rainy weather; instead of viewing this climate as
negative, the campaign desires to show the benefits of staying inside and playing with toys. More
specifically, the campaign will be centered on families and how they can come together during
this month and play, creating lasting memories. April Showers, Joy for Hours proposes that
Mattel toys can be the gateway to creating these experiences and memories.
The initiation of this advertising campaign for Mattel, with proper cohesive integrated marketing
elements, will guarantee an increase in retail toy sales in April 2014. These marketing elements
include:




Public Relations
Digital and Social Media
Retail Merchandising and Promotions
Television Advertising
April showers may bring flowers, but toys can bring joy for hours.
April Shower 2
JOY TRUCKS
The Joy Trucks Tour is a promotional event that will be travelling across America during the
entire month of April. Four trucks, each embodying a brand within the Mattel Empire (Thomas
the Train, Hot Wheels, Barbie, and Fisher Price), will be parading across the nation, stopping at
major malls along the way.
There will be two sets of Joy Trucks, each set taking different route across America.
The Sunshine Route will be traveling across the southern half of the United States, starting in
Jacksonville, FL, and visiting malls in Charlotte, NC; Atlanta, GA; Memphis, TN; Oklahoma
City, OK; Dallas, TX; El Paso, TX; Phoenix, AZ; San Diego, CA.
April Shower 3
The Rainbow Route will be travelling across the southern half of the United States, starting in
New York, NY, and visiting malls in Washington DC, Columbus, OH; Indianapolis, IN;
Chicago, IL; Omaha, NE; Denver, CO; Boise, ID; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA. Cities were
predetermined based on the data gathered from the US Census concerning the population under
18.
Each route will begin travel on April 1, and join together on April 30 in Los Angeles, CA to host
a grand-finale promotional event. A large venue will be rented out, and consumers and business
professionals alike will be invited to attend.
At each designated mall, the joy trucks will create an environment for parents and kids to come
and play with Mattel toys. Designated areas within the mall will be allocated to each of the four
Mattel brands represented: Thomas the Train, Hot Wheels, Barbie, and Fisher Price. Each area
will be gated off to ensure the safety of the children. Seating will be available inside each area
for parents, although playtime with their children will be encouraged. The logistics for each
designed area are the following:




Thomas the Train: Toy tracks and trains will be available for children to play
with. A life-size train, with Thomas the Train as the engine, will be constructed
for children to ride on with a train conductor in front.
Hot Wheels: Ramps, tracks, and model cars will be available for children to play
with. An actor will be hired as a “real life racecar driver” to play with the
children.
Barbie: Various Barbie doll models, along with Barbie accessories including doll
houses, clothes, and accessories, will be available for children to play with. An
actress will be hired as a “real life Barbie”, and children will be able to engage
with her in playtime.
Fisher Price: A padded cushion will be laid down on the ground for toddlers and
babies to safely play on. The area will be segmented in half: under the age of one
and over the age of one. Various toys will be available for play depending on the
age range. Caretakers dressed as pilots, Fisher Price plane, will watch over the
toddlers if mothers and fathers wish to interact more with the event.
Public Relations
Predetermined malls will be contacted to inform them of the benefits of hosting this event,
ultimately brokering deals. Media salespeople at local newspapers, radio stations, mom blogs,
and television stations will be contacted to create publicity of the event in their area. Major
television networks, such as the Today show, will also be informed of the promotional event in
hopes of securing national publicity.
April Shower 4
Digital and Social Media
A website and app will be created to further promote the Joy Trucks tour. Both platforms will
include a live-action map of the Joy Trucks, along with schedule of appearances for the Trucks.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will be utilized for this promotional event. Individuals can find
out more information concerning these events through Facebook.com/aprilshowers, follow the
#joytrucks journey across America on Twitter, and post pictures of the event to instagram
#joytrucks.
Retail Merchandising and Promotions
Coupons for various toys within each of the four brands will be available to print on the
campaign’s website. The coupons will also be available to scan at point of purchase via the
campaign app. Additional coupons will be distributed at the select malls during the event. These
coupons will be valid only in the month of April, encouraging toy purchases.
TOYS R US
Our second promotional event will be a branch off of the Joy Trucks tour. Similar to Joy Truck,
the real-life action figures that will be at the malls; Barbie, Train Conductor for Thomas the
Train, Nascar driver for Hotwheels, and Pilot for Fisher Price; will be at select Toys’ R Us stores
across the United States. Kids can come and take pictures with these real life figures, along with
play with them. This event will last for one week at each location, encouraging parents to take
advantage of the deep discounts on Mattel products.
Public Relations
Preselected Toys R US throughout the nation will be informed of the benefits of holding these
events at their stores solidifying the deal. Local newspapers, radio stations, mom blogs, and
television stations will be contacted to publicize the events as they take place in each specific
location. Major television shows and magazines will also be informed of the event to reach
publicity at a national level.
April Shower 5
Digital and Social media
Through April Shower Facebook page, Facebook.com/aprilshowers, and Toys R Us own
Facebook, this event will be advertised, informing consumers the times and locations of each
event. Instagram and Twitter will also be utilized, using #aprilshowers to tweet and post pictures
of the event.
Retail Merchandising and Promotions
At each Toys R Us location where the event is being held, a deep sale on all Mattel products will
take place within the store.
TV ADVERTISING
Multiple TV commercials will be created to promote playing with toys as a family and embrace
April showers.

The first commercial will focus on a child causing havoc within a house. He will be
breaking windows, throwing chairs, completely ruining his surroundings. As the shot
pans out it will show the boy playing with a toy house identical to scene before, revealing
that none of that havoc actually took place but that was just the child playing with his toy.
A mother and father will come to join their son in playing house with him. The scene will
zoom out showing the rain in the background with the tagline: “April showers may bring
flowers, but toys can bring joy for hours.” There will be ads on the bottom saying follow
us on Facebook.com/aprilshowers and hashtag #aprilshowers and #joytruck.

Humorous PSA’s will take place informing consumer of the “April Showers” epidemic.
Different celebrities will speak about children causing havoc and the horrors of mud
being dragged into the house. Then they will speak about the cure to this epidemic: toys.
At the end of the commercial the ad will say follow us on Facebook.com/aprilshower and
hashtag #aprilshowers #joytruck.
April Shower 6
CONCLUSION
The advertising campaign, April Showers, Joys for Hours, will be executed effectively the month
of April 2014 through multiple media. The two promotional events, Joy Trucks and Toys R Us,
will give families the enjoyable experience of playing with their favorite toys and seeing these
favorite toys come to life. Through promotions, social media, and digital advertising, audiences
will not only know the whereabouts of each event, but to also participate with the event through
tweets and post on Instagram. Lastly with TV advertising, the humorous side of the campaign
will be revealed by parodying the horrors of children causing havoc due to rain and how toys can
fix this dilemma. The combinations of these media will create the campaigns overall message:
that joy could come on a dreary, rainy day by playing with toys, together, as a family.