The latest Toys R Us commercial is all about making children’s wishes come true – the spot features a group of real school kids who think they are going on a field trip about trees, but instead they find themselves in the Toys R Us store able to choose a toy of their choice. And it’s not just the kids who are getting an early Christmas present – the retailer has seen a leap in its Ad Awareness and modest improvements in consumer perception since launching the early holiday spot.
Since airing ‘Not Your Average Field Trip’, Toys R Us has seen a spike in US consumer Ad Awareness. Described by the retailer as a “carefully executed prank that would bring joy to a group of very special children,” the spot was launched on major TV networks and digital channels on October 20, making it one of the first brands to start its Christmas marketing push.
The store is now encouraging social media users to use the hashtag #WishinAccomplished to gain further attention for the campaign. BrandIndex Ad Awareness reached 32% on November 9 from 17% on October 20, with scores rising consistently as the campaign gained attention online. The score represents the percentage of US adults 18+ who “have you seen an ad for this store in the past two weeks?” Scores can range from 0% to 100%.
The ad which has captured people’s attention features a group of kids who – after a 20-minute bus ride – are yawning and grumbling about their field trip. Then the bus driver announces that they were approaching their destination. At that moment, he takes off his park ranger jacket to reveal a Toys R Us uniform. From there, the children were guided into the store, where they were given free rein to browse.
“We wanted our new marketing campaign to cause viewers to pause and be reminded of the true joy that lies at the center of gift-giving,” said Toys R Us Senior Vice President of Marketing, Peter Rainer. “At Toys R Us, we are uniquely positioned to bring smiles to children’s faces – our stores are a quintessential wonderland for kids and kids at heart,” he added.
Purchase Consideration has seen a modest uptick during the spot’s airing, with the biggest spike from November 1 (23%) to November 8 (31%) with scores remaining around 2 points above pre-campaign levels. BrandIndex’s Purchase Consideration metric asked Americans: “When you’re next in the market to purchase some toys, would you consider buying from this retailer?” with a score range of 0% to 100%.
This feel-good attempt at ‘prankvertising’ has gained attention among Americans, who have been reported positive news about the brand since the October 20 launch. BrandIndex’s Buzz score, which asks consumers: “Have you heard anything negative or positive about this brand, through news, advertising, or by word of mouth”, rose from 9 to 13 out of a score range of -100 to +100 during the campaign period, indicating Toys R Us is firmly in positive sentiment among American shoppers.
Toys R Us Buzz, Purchase Consideration and Ad Awareness during period of commercial
Image: Getty
