Proud Mom Heidi Klum Debuts T-Shirts Specially Designed By Son Johan Exclusively At Babies"R"Us®

WAYNE, N.J., April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Babies"R"Us^® today announced the introduction of specially designed t-shirts as part of the company's exclusive Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum collection to help inspire creativity among kids, while raising awareness for its longtime charitable partner Save the Children, an organization that creates lasting change in the lives of children in need. The fun, monster-themed t-shirts for kids, sizes newborn to 5T, were designed by Johan, 6-year-old son of world-renowned fashion icon and mom of four Heidi Klum. The t-shirts are now available online and rolling into Babies"R"Us stores nationwide next week. In conjunction with this initiative, Babies"R"Us has donated $50,000 to help Save the Children provide support to young children in impoverished regions around the country.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130404/NY89095LOGO )

Save the Children has a long history of showcasing the creativity of children through their artwork and has implemented various art contests over the years to encourage youth to show their support for those in need through design, while raising awareness and funds for the organization's ongoing mission. Inspired by Save the Children's licensed art contests and eager to highlight the good work of its long-standing philanthropic partner, Babies"R"Us has launched the Project Doodle Contest to celebrate the introduction of this limited edition t-shirt assortment.

Beginning today, budding artists, ages 8 and younger, can visit Babiesrus.com/HeidiKlum or the company's Facebook page, Facebook.com/Babiesrus, to create and share their designs using Doodle.ly, a digital sketchpad. Through this contest, two designs will be chosen to be featured on t-shirts, which will be manufactured and sold in Babies"R"Us stores nationwide and online this fall as part of the Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum collection.

"As a mom of four, I'm constantly drawing design inspiration from my kids – whether it's their unique fashion sense, their latest art project or simply their zest for life. Johan, my 6-year-old, is super creative, and I knew I wanted to incorporate his whimsical and imaginative designs into my Truly Scrumptious collection in a very special way," said Heidi Klum. "I'm so proud – as a mom and a designer – to introduce this one-of-a-kind assortment of t-shirts to Babies"R"Us customers in conjunction with my all-new summer apparel collection. These adorable baseball style shirts featuring monsters – a nod to my signature Truly Scrumptious characters – will be used to shine a spotlight on the wonderful work Save the Children does for children throughout the United States. I can't wait to see all of the fun, unique designs that kids submit through the Project Doodle Contest, and watch them come to life as part of my fall line."

"As an organization dedicated to providing support to children in need, while inspiring kids through art, we're thrilled to partner with Babies"R"Us and Heidi on this initiative," said Mark Shriver, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives for Save the Children. "The generous donation provided in conjunction with the launch of these t-shirts and the Project Doodle Contest will help us to further our mission in assisting youth in impoverished regions throughout the United States."

Johan Lends Designs to Limited Edition T-Shirts for Babies"R"Us
Finding inspiration in her son's imaginative sketches, Heidi Klum continually incorporates signature characters and whimsical designs into her Truly Scrumptious collection. Now, Johan himself is playing designer, as Babies"R"Us introduces two baseball-style t-shirts – one with pink sleeves and one with blue sleeves – featuring his hand-drawn, silly monster creations front and center. Sure to be loved by parents and children, the t-shirts are representative of the imagination and creativity of kids. Each shirt will be easily identifiable with a special hangtag to draw attention to Save the Children's U.S. Programs.

The tees are now available online and will roll into Babies"R"Us stores nationwide next week for $4.99. To complement the in-store availability of these unique shirts, customers will find eye-catching signage at the front of the stores' apparel sections touting the all-new assortment, as well as the Project Doodle Contest.

"We're thrilled to welcome Johan's designs in our stores nationwide and online as part of our Truly Scrumptious summer collection," said Neil Mulhall, Vice President, Divisional Merchandising Manager, Babies"R"Us. "We're equally excited to offer little ones across the country a chance to play designer through the Project Doodle Contest, bringing another fun, unexpected assortment of kid-designed tees to our stores this fall."

The company will support the launch of the special, monster-themed tees, as well as the Project Doodle contest, with dedicated email blasts and in-store signage, as well as social media support via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Customers can also join the conversation on Twitter by following @Babiesrus and using the #ProjectDoodle hash tag.

Little Artists Encouraged to Submit Creative Designs through Nationwide Contest
Building on Heidi Klum's mission to help inspire creativity among little ones everywhere, and to celebrate this new, kid-designed assortment, Babies"R"Us has launched the Project Doodle Contest, providing children with an opportunity to share their own drawings in the social space, as well as the chance the win great prizes. Using Doodle.ly, a digital sketchpad, users are encouraged to doodle their most imaginative monster design before sharing them on the Babies"R"Us Facebook fan page for a chance to win. 

ENTER! Starting today, fans can visit the company's official Facebook page at Facebook.com/Babiesrus to register. Then, little artists ages 8 and younger can doodle their own, unique design right from a computer, iPad or mobile device using Doodle.ly. With a blank canvas, eight drawing instruments and many colors to choose from, the possibilities are endless for budding artists. Once a design is complete, entrants will be encouraged to add a title and publish their submission, virtually posting it to the online gallery for all to see.

Those interested in entering can also pick up an official mail-in entry form at any local Babies"R"Us store. The form includes a space for drawing the design, as well as information about how to submit their designs. All entries must be submitted by 11:59pm ET on April 23. 

VOTE! Beginning Tuesday, April 23 through Monday, May 6, design guru Heidi Klum will lead a panel of judges from Babies"R"Us and Save the Children in choosing ten finalists from the overall pool of entries. 

Then, Babies"R"Us will call upon the public to help choose two Grand Prize winners. Beginning Wednesday, May 8 through Monday, May 13, fans of the company's official Facebook page can vote for their favorite design in both the boy and girl categories.

WIN! At the end of the voting process, two designs will be named Grand Prize winners, each of which will appear on a tee that will be manufactured and sold as part of the Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum collection this fall, available exclusively at Babies"R"Us stores nationwide. Plus, each Grand Prize winner will receive the entire 2013 Truly Scrumptious fall clothing collection, for their gender and size, up to 5T. In the event that a winner's clothing size is larger, they will receive a Babies"R"Us Gift Card in the amount of the collection value. In addition, each of the remaining eight finalists will receive a $100 Babies"R"Us gift card.

Company Builds on Longtime Support of Save the Children
Toys"R"Us, Inc. and the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund, together, have long been partners of Save the Children, donating more the $6.7 million to help support their work with children in underserved areas around the country, as well as for immediate disaster relief, most recently in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

To download images of Project Doodle Contest collateral, Heidi Klum and the new Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum t-shirts, please click here.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.
Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 873 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and in more than 660 international stores and over 160 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com and FAO.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates annually worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Additional information about Toys"R"Us, Inc. can be found on Toysrusinc.com. Follow Toys"R"Us, Babies"R"Us and FAO Schwarz on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus, Facebook.com/Babiesrus and Facebook.com/FAO and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.

SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.