While Ty Inc.’s Beanie Babies, first released in 1991, went on to become arguably the hottest toy of that decade, they did so, surprisingly enough, without the aid of advertising. For the launch of its latest product, Peek A Boos, however, Ty Inc. has enlisted the help of Leo Burnett Chicago, who created a 30-second spot which makes its broadcast debut this week (in time to make them a sought-after gift) and will run on broadcast and national cable through the end of the holidays.
While not so dissimilar from Ty’s Beanie Babies, the cute and/or slightly creepy plush toys (depending on your perspective) have a distinctly modern selling point: “They hold your phone!” The spot relies on a catchy jingle, courtesy of music agency Comma, featuring the line “Peek A Boo” repeated over and over and over again to burrow its way in your brain, so that you won’t forget that Peek A Boos exist as child actors dance around the set and the Peek A Boos are shown holding the phone for hands-free cat video viewing. While for most parents the reaction will likely be moderate to severe annoyance, young kids will likely not forget about the toys as the holidays arrive. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
“From early on, we felt we had something special,” Leo Burnett Chicago associate creative director Brandon Crockett told Adweek. “Lots of kids broke into dance during the auditions, and much of what made the final cut was improvised on set. We made an effort to create a song and performances that would appeal not only to kids, but their millennial parents, who were the original Beanie Baby collectors.”
Credits:
Client: Ty Inc.
Campaign: Peek A Boos
Spot: “Peek A Boo”
Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago
Associate Creative Directors: Brandon Crockett, Angela Paris
Art Director: Jill Solarcyk
Senior Vice President Executive Producer: Denis Giroux
Producer: Kimberly Cowie
Senior Business Manager: Elvena Dowd
Senior Talent Manager: Linda Yuen
Talent Manager: Regina Gomez
Managing Account Director: Catherine Davis
Vice President Account Director: Jennifer Klopf
Account Supervisor: Meredith Metzl
Account Executive: Abu Ngauja
Account Manager: Sue Rickey
Vice President, Senior Attorney: Laura Cooney
Director, Commercial Clearance: Thomas Clark
Production Company: Slim Pictures
Director: Karen Cunningham
Executive Producer: Tom Weissferdt
Producer: Pat Harris
Chad Gray: Office Manager
Post production: Optimus
Producer: Tracy Spera
Editor: Aaron Porzel
Audio Production: Comma
Senior Composer Creative Director: Pete Schmidt