Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop is running a promotion in February that would be any brand marketer’s dream.
In February, kids waving flags will parade through the aisles of 2,000 Walmart stores for three hours on a Saturday to promote Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop brand.
The Feb. 13 parades will wind through the electronics section of the stores to point out sponsor EA’s new Littlest Pet Shop game before ending at the main event in the toy department.
Walmart agreed to the shenanigans because Hasbro proved two years ago it could stage events that could successfully drive sales.
“We’ve used that past success to really build this program,” says David Henderson, senior director of customer strategic marketing for Hasbro Inc.
In 2008, 100 Walmart stores offered a free photo op for kids against a Littlest Pet Shop backdrop. Results showed that stores with the free pics had the highest basket ring; this year Hasbro received approval to set up the photo backdrops in all 2,000 stores.
“The proof is in the pudding,” says Jay Zemke, vice president of strategic development at Bard Advertising, which handles the events for Hasbro.
The event ties into a national promotion — LPSPetsOnParade.com — that will run through July 31 and drive sales beyond parade day. To participate, kids purchase pets — some exclusive to Walmart — and then use the UPC codes to go online to collect virtual pets and add them to a parade float. A tell-a-friend viral component spreads the word.
In another turn, Walmart has contracted with Shopper Events to hire brand reps for in-store events, such as this, a sign that it may be open to more such events, as long as they’re under company control.
An integrated effort to advertise the parade and promotion, includes a 1.5-million piece mailing customized by Walmart locations was sent to households with girls ages six to 11 years old. The tri-fold mailer includes a cut-off postcard to give to a friend.
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