FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Artistic Toy Continues Product Safety Leadership

                                                          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Jim Socci, Artistic Toy

484-788-0888x101

jsocci@artistictoy.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Artistic Toy Continues Product Safety Leadership, Early Adopter of Industry’s ‘Product Safety Aware’ Compliance Program

Allentown, PA February 24, 2014 – Artistic Toy Manufacturing, Inc., today announced it is among the first to achieve ‘Product Safety Aware’ status in the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Product Safety Awareness Program. This means Artistic Toy has met or exceeded the PPAI product safety training and education requirements.

Artistic Toy has demonstrated its commitment to product safety by actively engaging its workforce and adopting a corporate culture prioritizing product safety compliance training and a commitment to continuing education.

Jim Socci, Artistic Toy, President, said, “Meeting the evolving product safety compliance expectations of the promotional products industry requires regulatory knowledge and an ongoing company commitment. We are proud to establish a proactive leadership position in the industry through our commitment to PPAI’s ‘Product Safety Aware’ compliance program. Product Safety Awareness gives us a strong competitive edge and increases the value in the client-supplier relationship; it’s a win-win for both of us.”

PPAI, founded in 1903, has a long history of leadership in the development of training and education programs meant to enhance safety programs in the promotional products industry. The Association is the world’s largest and oldest not-for-profit trade association for the $18.5 billion promotional products industry and is the leading provider of promotional products safety and compliance training and education with more than 50-years of professional development and certification.

About Artistic Toy

Artistic Toy designs, decorates, and manufacturers stuffed toys used for corporate advertising.  Unlike other toy companies they only sell through a network of independent distributors and promotional consultants. They sew and stitch stuffed toy prototypes in the U.S. that go on to be mass produced in overseas factories.  They also warehouse and decorate thousands of different styles of stuffed animals that are delivered in a matter of days. For more information visit www.artistictoy.com and find them on Twitter @artistictoy, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.

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ARTISTIC TOY HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE

                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kim R. Todora

972-258-3063, KimT@ppai.org

ARTISTIC TOY HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE

IN SERVICE

Allentown, PA., (February 3, 2014) – Artistic Toy Manufacturing, Inc., was recently honored as a Merit Award Winning Supplier in the 2014 Supplier Star Competition sponsored by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI). Twenty-three Supplier Stars and Supplier Award of Merit winners were recognized during the annual awards presentation at The PPAI Expo 2014 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, January 15, 2014.

The PPAI Supplier Star competition brings annual recognition to supplier members for excelling in communication, service and quality as voted on by PPAI member distributors. The PPAI Supplier Star is one of the most sought after and prestigious awards for supplier members and is the mark of a true professional that delivers excellence in product, decoration and overall customer service.

"Artistic Toy is a thought-leading organization that embodies the initiative, vision and superior quality and customer service defining the promotional products industry," said Paul Bellantone, CAE, president and CEO at PPAI. "We are pleased the Supplier Stars and Supplier Awards competition is encouraging excellence and delivering exposure for these deserving award winners.”

For more information about the PPAI awards program visit www.ppai.org/awards or contact the PPAI Awards and Recognition department at awards@ppai.org.

           

About PPAI
Founded in 1903, the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is the world’s largest and oldest not-for-profit association for the $18.5 billion promotional products industry, which comprises 33,841 businesses, a workforce of 498,853 professionals and more than 10,600 corporate members. PPAI represents the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocates on its behalf. PPAI operates the industry’s largest trade show, (The PPAI Expo is held each January); leading promotional products safety and compliance program, more than 50-year-old professional development and certification program; industry trade journals and periodicals; and is the developer of UPIC (Universal Promotional Identification Code), the industry’s only free identification system and universal company database. The multi-billion-dollar industry includes wearables, writing instruments, calendars, drinkware and many other items, usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message. For more information, visit PPAI.org and find us on Twitter @PPAI_HQ, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.

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Character Plush Toy Rescues 75th Brand Anniversary

Objective:  A national food brand decided to celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary with the introduction of a spokescharacter.  The client decided that one of the mediums of the spokescharacter would be a three-dimensional plush toy.

Purpose:  The makers of SPAM® products launched its first ever spokescharacter, Sir Can-A-Lot™,  a two and a half inch tall embodiment of the brand essence ready to begin a crusade to rescue the world from routine meals. See Press Release. (http://tinyurl.com/sircanPR75)

Result:  The initial order was for 5,000 pieces Sir Can-A-Lot plush toy character, which resulted in $40,000 of revenue for the Promotional Consultant.  

Development: In November of 2011, a Promotional Consultant approached us about an opportunity to create a custom brand character.  Over the next 9 months we worked with the client to turn their illustration into a stuffed plush toy.   Here is a summary of the steps taken to get from print image to real stuffed plush toy character. 

1.       Original Client Image http://tinyurl.com/sircan1oci 

     2.      Prototype 1 - http://tinyurl.com/sircan2 

     3.      Artistic Toy Design Form - http://tinyurl.com/sircan3 
     Client Style Guide – http://tinyurl.com/sircan4
     Client Licensing Requirements - http://tinyurl.com/sircan5

The order was placed in July of 2012 and delivered in November 2012.    We faced many design challenges, including working with a vague initial photo and also having to take a two and a half inch print character and enlarge him to a nine inch toy.  While the finished toy looks remarkably similar to the print image, a tremendous amount of artistic interpretation was needed to get the correct look and feel of the toy.   As you can see from the multiple versions, we had to prove the viability of the plush character concept, accept client rejections, and overcome the factory’s reluctance to mass produce a work of art versus a standard stuffed plush toy.  Due to the complexity of this character, it took many hours to simplify the design for manufacturing while achieving enough of the important elements needed to represent the brand spokescharacter.  Through continuous revisions we were able to produce a remarkable brand character that is safe and achieved the factory’s requirements for mass production.    

    4.      Prototype 2 – http://tinyurl.com/sircan6

    5.      Prototype 3 - http://tinyurl.com/sircan7

    6.      Final Production Toy -  http://tinyurl.com/sircan8a    










As you can see the finished product came out better than any of the prototypes.  We were so pleased with the finished plush toy that we decided to use it as example of our custom toy process and an illustrative guide in our 2013 catalog. (http://tinyurl.com/sircancatalog)  The final plush toy products are on sale right now in the Company’s Minnesota Museum Store.   

Going Beyond Softness to Launch New Carpet Brand

Objective:  A flooring company launched a new line of super soft carpet.

Purpose:  The client wanted a fun and engaging way to explain to customers the softness of their new carpet at tradeshows and in stores.

Result:  The client used super soft teddy bears with imprinted ribbons and hand-sewn “Ouch” patches that sold almost 6,000 units within a 6 month period, creating over $50,000 of distributor sales revenue.  

Development:

On November 15, 2012, a salesperson called Artistic Toy troubled because every other toy supplier they had contacted had refused to quote this project.  The project had a quick release date and uncertain client specifications, limiting the options a supplier could offer.  

Initially, the client had requested for the bear to be shaved somewhere indicating that the bear had donated some of its softness to the new carpet brand.  Our sales team quickly consulted with our resident cosmetologist on the assembly team to test this overnight.  Unfortunately, it was concluded that due to the fine fabric, teddy bear plush cannot be shaved like human hair.  Also, cutting the fabric shorter with scissors would be too high a risk a task for our assembly team, plus they could potentially damage the finished product and would produce inconsistent results. 

Alternatively, the sales team offered the solution that we hand stitch a patch on top of the bear fur.  That patch would be printed with the word “Ouch” to give the illusion that the fabric was missing and that the bear had in fact donated its super soft fur to the carpet brand.  The client was very excited about this opportunity and even provided several unique patterned fabric samples from their fabric inventory for to make the patches.  We received very particular instructions with regards to thread colors, stitch direction, and patch location.  We ordered a special cutting die for the patch and started training a 15 person hand sewing team in order to ship out the first 2,000 pcs before the end of the year, allowing these “Patch Bears” to be in hands for a January tradeshow.       

The products delivered on time and the client loved them so much that they continue to re-order them.

Advertising Dollars on the Attack! Bears V. Bulls

Every month out of the last 6 months in 2013 the US stock market has hit record highs.  The iconic Bull and Bear characters of Wall Street should be everyone's best friend.  These characters signify either an optimistic or pessimistic view on selling or buying investments.  The upward attacking bull is hero in the minds of most as his head indicates a market that is on the rise.  The downward attacking bear head is the villain that pushes stock prices down causing investors to sell.    

The Artistic Toy's Reversible Bear Bull Puppet (c) is a fun and engaging way to explain market risk and that a healthy financial system has bears and bulls.   Whether you are feeling Bullish or Bearish about investments or your marketing dollars this promotional product will gain long lasting enjoyment from flipping this puppet inside out.  

Marketing Strategies You Can Take to the Bank

Two Promotional Consultants and a Manufacturer’s Representative recently visited Artistic Toy.  The 30 minute tour ended in our conference room where the Bears were having a meeting with the Bulls.  They were marveling over the cover of the Supplier Global Resource magazine, “Out with the Bear, in with the Bull!”  One bear mentioned that a PPB Editor was looking for successful promotional campaigns for clients in the financial sector.

The Bulls agreed that Artistic Toy’s Reversible Bear Bull Puppet © is the Best Promotional Product for the Financial Sector.  They made statements like “my clients are doing the work of three people and need me to bring them new ideas”,  “this product has a WOW factor that is engaging”,  and “while it’s financially focused, it’s really about the unexpected turn around story that everyone loves.”

Over the last 15 years Artistic Toy’s Reversible Bear Bull Puppet © has been a steady component of every type of financial services firm imaginable.  These inside-out hand puppets have become teaching aids on financial risk, helped launch investment divisions of banks, and reiterated core branding principals of insurance companies that are prepared to weather bear and bull markets.

 “My financial services client distributes Artistic Toy’s reversible bull-bear puppets at his client presentations and consumer shows.  They’re great for communicating stock market volatility and the dangers of trying to ‘time the market.’” - Matt Paine, Imprintastic!  

Read more for more product testimonials.

Successful investors know that there is no magic to the market.  In order to be a successful investor you need to carefully understand the business you are investing in and set performance expectations in advance.  Without applying these two principals investing can be a disguised form of gambling.

This investment advice is easier said than done.  The function of buying and selling investments is as easy as clicking a few buttons, understanding the business you are in and deciding appropriate time frames to achieve upside potential and minimize downside losses requires an experienced professional. 

Marketing your business requires the application of the same two principals.  Businesses must understand the media they are using to advertise and decide in advance the expected results.  For most businesses, like investors, this advice is easier said than done.  The successful application of this strategy requires that investors work with Financial Advisers and businesses work with Promotional Consultants.  A Promotional Consultant is a professional who can help you evaluate the best media to reach your Company’s goals, understands the importance of protecting your brand image, and turns your advertising into an integrated marketing campaign.

Whether you are bullish or bearish about the market you can turn these investment principals into marketing strategies that will have you and your clients making more trips to the bank.   

The Best Financial Sector Promotional Product

Over the last 15 years Artistic Toy’s Reversible Bear Bull Puppet © has been a steady component of every type of financial services firm imaginable.  These inside-out hand puppets have become teaching aids on financial risk, helped launch investment divisions of banks, and reiterated core branding principals of insurance companies that are prepared to weather bear and bull markets.  

(View Product Details: 7" Reversible Bear Bull Puppet - S1181)

Here are a several product endorsements from Promotional Consultants:

“My financial services client distributes Artistic Toy’s reversible bull-bear puppets at his client presentations and consumer shows.  They’re great for communicating stock market volatility and the dangers of trying to ‘time the market.’”  - Matt Paine, Imprintastic!  

“I first sold Artistic Toy’s reversible bear bull hand puppets to John Hancock Funds in 2000 and they were a tremendous success.  We did over 10,000 units and still get requests from brokers for them. A great item that has impact and continued use.” -Joe Joslin, Joslin Advertising & Marketing, Inc.

“My international fund management client used hundreds of Artistic Toy’s reversible bear puppet at a tradeshow.”  - Peter Ban, CMTI Inc

“One of my clients placed a 3,000 pc order for Artistic Toy’s reversible bear bull puppet.  The puppet wowed them with its play value and it aligns perfectly with the insurance company’s brand promise of staying true to careful planning, discipline investing, and fully evaluating risks through bull and bear markets." - Emily Dunnigan, National Premium

“My university client just opened their Center for Economic Eduction and found Artistic Toy’s reversible bear bull puppet a natural fit!  The used the puppets at the grand opening as gifts for attendees and large donors.”  - Kristin Rezler, Halo Branded Solutions

“My annuity and insurance client has been buying Artistic Toy’s reversible bear bull product for many years.  This product is a steady component of their company store sales and travels to many investor meetings”  - Tom Schaefer, WorkflowOne

“I work with a large bank’s brokerage division that ordered 10,000 pcs of Artistic Toy’s reversible bear bull puppet to promote its investor education endeavors.  .”- David Gilinsky, Bergman Incentives

“Over the years my global financial client has used thousands of Artistic Toy’s reversible bear bull puppets.  Each divisions marketing department seems to like promoting with this product.”   - Lee Cohen, Lindon Associates

“Artistic Toy’s reversible bear bull puppet is a must have for any client in the financial sector.  My client orders thousands of them a year as part of a recurring program.”  - Johanna Decal Gottlieb, Axis Promotions

Email your contact information and FedEX / UPS shipper# to info@artistictoy.com for a free sample!