Toys R Us is raiding YouTube talent for its latest ad campaign, tapping Daniel Hashimoto and his tod...

1. Toys R Us Puts Coolest YouTube Dad Behind Camera
08/06/2014
Toys R Us is raiding YouTube talent for
its latest ad campaign, tapping Daniel Hashimoto and his toddler son (a.k.a. "Action Movie Kid") to
direct and star in the new spots.
By day, Hashimoto toils as a special-effects guy at Dream Works, but has built a solid following on
YouTube. In one spot, he adds real-live fire-starting capabilities to a toy light saber, a viral hit with
more than 8 million views.
Lee Walker, VP of Creative Services for the Wayne, N.J.-based retailer, tells Marketing Daily that the
retailer was so impressed by Hashimoto & Son's all-around awesomeness that it asked Daniel to join
its new "C'mon Let's Play" campaign, created by The Escape Pod. James, now 3, stars in some of the
ads as well.Â
TV and radio spots focus on Toys R Us employees playing with customers. And while they don't have
the same explosive pyrotechnics of his YouTube videos, they do emphasize ways that play becomes
real to little kids.Â
"Experts say that play is a child's work, and we think this campaign really gets to the heart of that,"
says Walker. "We have really found our place in the world of play."
She tells Marketing Daily the campaign focuses on the chain's best customers, "the ones who are
interested in toys that encourage certain development." One features merchandise (and a sewer
escape) from the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection, tied to the release of the upcoming
film. But since Gen Y parents grew up with their own relationship to the four famous reptiles, "it
works really well since there is generational bridge. Parents immediately understand the joke."
Another features a close call with a train from Imaginarium.
The campaign also includes the #LetsPlay hashtag, and a new song, written and performed by indie
performers Opus Orange. Marvel's eco-friendly giant retains two Disney records: One for his Rage
Style attack, since he's now the biggest personality on theroster which is the strongest in the sport,
and the additionalfor his physical size. It'stough to see the latter from the toys or from the truck -- I
mentionedSully as a comparison, because it was the largest Disney Infinity playthingI can think of at
that time -- but it was verified by Blackburn. "We undoubtedly have an over-arching sizethat people
go through," he said. "So the Hulk is thelargest personality in the sport at this time. But we do
playwith size a little because obviously Buzz light-yearis supposed to be a modest toy [in the Toy

2. Story Movies] in comparison with Sully, who's seven feet High. We had to unify that
stuff."Personally, I wish to see a Galactus figure.Walker says that while there are still lingering
vestiges of the old Toys R Us jingle in stores, "the brand really needs to be relevant, so new music
from a new band gives more of a connection to today's store, as opposed to Toys R Us of their
childhood." Finally, she adds, the most important thing is that the campaign makes it clear that Toys
R Us "is not about selling toys, but the experience."
In addition to major cable networks and cinema ads, digital strategy also includes placement
http://playerforge.de/learnedperditio09/blog/235165/ on desktop, mobile and tablet as well as Hulu
and Hulu Plus.
In its most recent quarterly results, the company reported a 4% gain of comparable-store sales, and
a loss of $196 million, compared to a loss of $111 million in the same period of the prior year.