Toys"R"Us® Unveils Brand-New Holiday Marketing Campaign

WAYNE, N.J., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Toys"R"Us^® has unveiled its 2012 holiday advertising campaign, featuring a fun-filled series of broadcast commercials centered around a fictional newsroom and a team of cub reporters who are committed to bringing viewers up-to-the-minute news on where consumers can find the best values on the hottest toys this holiday season. Each broadcast opens with the station call letters "TRU" and the tagline, "all the toys, all the time!" Designed in partnership with The Escape Pod, an award-winning creative agency based in Chicago, these commercials will air on all major networks and cable stations throughout the holiday season.

From showcasing hot toys and exclusive products, to highlighting Free Layaway, the ads affirm the company's toy authority position and showcase great services available to help Toys"R"Us shoppers stretch their budgets this holiday season. The ads also provide a platform to clearly articulate the company's new Price Match Guarantee, which ensures consumers can get the hottest toys of the season at the same price they might find at any other major retail location. As a result, the campaign consistently asks and answers the question, "Why Shop Anywhere Else for Toys? Why?" The new television ads are the centerpiece of a fully integrated marketing campaign, encompassing radio and print advertising, in-store elements and social media.

"We believe that our new holiday marketing campaign clearly demonstrates why Toys"R"Us is THE toy authority, and also tells the compelling story – in a fun way –  why moms, dads and gift-givers shopping for kids this season need look no further than shopping with us," said Peter Reiner, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Toys"R"Us, U.S. "At Christmastime, especially, customers have always viewed Toys"R"Us as the destination to find the hottest toys of the season in-stock. This campaign allows us to reinforce these key strengths, while clearly communicating our new Price Match Guarantee, which addresses, head on, any question consumers may have about where to find the best prices on toys. The television spots are designed to be highly entertaining and memorable, while still allowing us to emphatically tell our competitive pricing, in-stock and services message."

The Toys"R"Us television ads will air on major networks, including FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, TBS, TNT, Lifetime, TLC, ABC Family, Bravo, Food Network, USA, CW and E!, among others. Top syndicated shows, including Live! With Kelly and Michael, Rachael Ray, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Dr. Oz, will also air the commercials throughout the season.

Introducing the "TRU" News Team
America's leading newscasters have major competition on their hands this season as the fresh, youthful faces of the "TRU" News Team make their big debut in the company's television commercials airing nationwide throughout the holiday season. While co-anchors Shane Colton and Jenny Kim deliver in-studio reports on the latest updates in the toy world, including the hottest toy introductions, roving reporter Meg Daley shares "breaking news" on location and uses her "Toy Tracker 3000" to locate the highest concentration of hot toys in-stock – indisputably at The World's Greatest Toy Store^®.  Weatherman Bob Sutter will also provide his "forecast" on the deals and discounts customers can expect to find when shopping with Toys"R"Us.

Key Competitive Advantages Clearly Articulated Throughout the Campaign
The company will air TV spots to feature toys that parents and kids can only find at Toys"R"Us this holiday season, including a selection of its exclusive brands, from the monster truck action of Fast Lane^® Snakebite^™ to the MAGFORCE Command Center construction set, with which kids can move cranes and forklifts using the magnetic forces of included figures.  Additionally, its commercials will feature some of this year's hottest toys from branded manufacturers that are available exclusively at Toys"R"Us, including the Y Fliker^® Scooter from Yvolution^™  and Gelarti^™ from Moose Toys^™.

The 2012 holiday ad campaign also serves to highlight several new programs the company has created to provide greater convenience to consumers and offer additional ways to save. With the Free Layaway program, which requires no up-front service fee, shoppers can make payments over time on purchases made at Toys"R"Us through December 16. The new Price Match Guarantee is available on all items sold in Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us^® stores nationwide through Christmas Eve.  Through this program, the company will match competitors' in-store pricing on identical items any time a customer presents a local competitors' current, valid print advertisement showing the item available for less.

Company's Ads Highlight Hot Toys, Even Hotter Deals and Strong In-Stock Position
To coincide with the release of The Great Big Toys"R"Us Book, which is currently available and features more than $8,000 in savings valid through Wednesday, November 21, the company's first wave of television advertisements, airing now, spotlight hot deals on some of the season's most sought-after toys. To help reaffirm the company's value proposition, in addition to showcasing its ownership of the season's hottest toys, more in this series of fun television spots will air throughout the season, touting the latest deals that consumers will find when shopping with Toys"R"Us. These themes are consistently reinforced throughout all marketing vehicles.

Campaign Plays Out in Social Media
To engage the online community, Toys"R"Us will feature many of these commercials on the company's Facebook page, Facebook.com/Toysrus, and on the Toys"R"Us YouTube channel, YouTube.com/ToysRUsOnline.  Dedicated social media spots, including one announcing the Toys"R"Us Hot Holiday Toy List will complement the campaign.

Please click on the following link to download select Toys"R"Us holiday TV and radio ads: https://toysrus.sharefile.com/d/saf2e2eec416491d9.  Please click on the following link to download high-res screen shots from the Toys"R"Us holiday TV spots: https://toysrus.sharefile.com/d/s18c03fa9ec5468eb.

For all the latest news about the 2012 Holiday Season at Toys"R"Us, visit "R" Holiday Press Room at http://www.toysrusinc.com/press-room/r-holiday-press-room/.

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 635 international stores and over 145 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.