FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Artistic Toy Welcomes Jim Burrow, MAS to Sales Team

CONTACT:

Jim Socci, Artistic Toy

484-788-0888x101

jsocci@artistictoy.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Artistic Toy Welcomes Jim Burrow, MAS to Sales Team

Putting Feet on the Street in Texas

Allentown, PA April 24, 2014 – Artistic Toy Manufacturing, Inc., is honored to welcome Jim Burrow, MAS former PPAI Board Member and President of industry supplier Dart Manufacturing to their sales team.  Jim has served on the Company’s Advisory Board for the last two years and has decided to help expand Artistic Toy’s footprint in Texas and Oklahoma.   

Jim Socci, Artistic Toy, President, said, “Our industry is all about relationships and we are fortunate to have an advocate like Jim Burrow on our team”.  Burrow will be calling on key accounts, exhibiting at regional shows, and getting the Company actively involved in Houston Promotional Products Association (HPPA) and Promotional Products Association Southwest (PPAS).     

Jim Burrow commented, “This is a win for me and a win for Artistic.  I’m excited to reconnect with many of my long time industry friends while at the same time build up the sales in this region so that it can be transitioned to a multi-line representative in the next 12 to 18 months.”

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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The Hole Story

In 2012, Shaw Floors developed an advertising campaign to promote Caress, its luxury carpet brand. The 30-second TV commercial focused on taking a piece of the softest things in our environment (a soft blanket, a fuzzy slipper, a ball of yarn) to create the world’s softest carpet. (http://youtu.be/JY3YV4KIUJo )

Sonya Clark of SDC Promotions, an iPromoteU affiliate in Fair Oaks, California, went work to find a way to use a promotional product to help the Caress brand execute its strategy. A super soft plush teddy bear was a natural fit to put on display in stores, give as a gift with purchase and use as discussion pieces at trade shows. 

While it is easy to find a soft teddy bear in our industry, it’s hard to find one that tells the “hole” story for the Caress brand. The team at Artistic Toy went to work on its nine-inch Cream Peter Bear (S2131) to turn an ordinary teddy bear into an extraordinary brand ambassador for Caress. The Caress brand bear has a hand-cut and sewn-in patch on its backside that is imprinted with the word “Ouch.” The bear is decorated with a double- sided ribbon with the Shaw Floors logo on one side and the Caress brand logo and message, “Softness you love now in your carpet” on the other side. This product and its application won a PPAI 2014 Supplier Achievement award in the Mascot/Character Development category.

 

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Artistic Toy Celebrates Global Awareness Event – Promotional Products Work! Week

 
                                                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Jim Socci, Artistic Toy

484-788-0888x101

jsocci@artistictoy.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 Artistic Toy Celebrates Global Awareness Event 

– Promotional Products Work! Week 

Artistic Toy Hosts Factory Tour March 28, 2014

Allentown, PA March 10, 2014 – Artistic Toy Manufacturing, Inc., announces it will host a factory tour and kick-off event for Promotional Products Work! Week.  Artistic Toy has partnered with the Philadelphia Area Promotional Products Association (PAPPA), the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY), and several other manufacturers to create a Kick Off Event to inspire other businesses in the Promotional and Advertising industry to join together to “Show and Tell” the community about the power and effectiveness of one of the oldest advertising mediums.

Jim Socci, Artistic Toy, President, said, “While some people think our business and industry is just fun and games, the value that promotional products create for a corporate advertiser is tremendous.  Our industry works hard to develop and train professionals who are incredible assets to businesses everywhere.  This event and Promotional Products Work Week is an opportunity to showcase that talent.”

Promotional and advertising industry professionals are invited for a free factory tour, Promotional Products Work! Week workshop and networking lunch at Artistic Toy.  Following lunch, the community is invited to tour the factory and learn more about plush toys and how they are decorated and customized for advertising.   Additional information, including information about participating manufacturers and registration, can be found at http://artistictoysmfg.blogspot.com/2014/03/factorytour.html

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 Factory Tour Information

On Friday, March 28, 2014, Artistic Toy will open it's doors to advertising and promotional product professionals, local businesses, and the community.  Advertising professionals are invited to a networking breakfast, factory tour, education session on Promotional Products Work! Week, and lunch.  Local businesses, schools, and neighbors are invited to a factory tour between 2:00 pm - 5:00pm.  Tour is FREE and takes approximately 20 minutes.  Space is limited.  Please register by Friday, March 21, 2014 to reserve a tour time.  

Advertising and Promotional Product Professionals:  Sign-up Here

Local businesses, schools, and neighbors:  Sign-up Here 

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.