(Plastic) Toy Story
A few years ago, a UK toy company appointed me to do a job that was more important than it sounded.
They wanted a strap line but it was actually more than this.
This was a line that was actually going to be printed on the boxes the toys came in.
WOW! make colourful plastic toys for toddlers. Like thousands of other companies.
The difference is, their toys are built to last.
Their cute plastic toy helicopter, for example, will probably out-live the ones made by Westland or Chinook.
This explains why you will see WOW! in the basket at the charity shop, years after their owners have graduated from kindergarten.
There was a huge temptation to write a line that spoke about ‘long lasting’. And I think the client would have been happy with that, if it had been catchy enough.
But something bothered me about this approach.
It was too sensible. Too copy-able. And probably too unbelievable.
More importantly (for me), it didn’t have any emotional appeal.
This is because it lacked insight.
On any brief, it’s the insight I look for, rather than simply the USP.
Insight is gold dust. A tiny perspective or truth that only those in the know would know.
In this case, the insight came from me - a rare event.
Having worked extensively in the toy advertising sector and having four kids of my own, I know there is something that happens between toy shop and unboxing. And it happens regardless of the brand or the toy.
Disappointment.
Picture this: a small girl is gazing at a huge box in a toy shop.
The toy in question is a medieval castle, inhabited by fairies and elves. It is a magical kingdom and it sparks her imagination.
The box (which is huge) depicts the castle. It’s been given a bit of airbrushing and it is set against a clear blue sky. And it’s sitting on a grassy hill. Look, there are little bunnies frolicking in the foreground. The fairies that live in the castle are flying through the air and their magic wands are producing trails of glittery stars.
You can imagine the expectation when it’s time to open the box at home.
You can also hear the sound of bubbles being burst.
Turns out the castle isn’t quite the same as it is in the photographic illustration. It needs some assembly and some of the parts are a bit fiddly. The fairies are smaller than they appeared on the box and the stars from their wands have to be provided from your imagination.
There are also no bunnies included.
As grown-ups, we know that life isn’t like it is in the commercials. We know our toilet isn’t going to smell like a Norwegian pine forest after a quick squirt of bleach. And that no amount of rubbling active liposomes into our skin is going to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
But kids aren’t, by definition, grown-ups. So, when we exaggerate the truth about a toy on a box, we are tricking them.
WOW! don’t do this. Their boxes are modestly sized and they feature a transparent panel so you can see what you’re buying. Or rather what your mum or dad is buying for you.
None of the toys need batteries and there is no assembly needed. There is no romanticised illustration to make you think the toy does something it doesn’t.
WYSIWYG.
And when the toy gets dropped or trodden on, it won’t break into pieces. In fact, kids will get sick of playing with it before it’s time to be passed on to the charity shop.
´Toys that don’t break their promises.´
I hope it’s a line built to last.