Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru
Angelina Jolie is adopting again, which will make her and Brad Pitt the super couple parents of four. If the uber parents are bucking for some kind of humanitarian award, they are well on their way. Reports say that Ms. Jolie has decided to adopt a three-year-old boy from Vietnam, which makes him the perfect aged playmate for Maddox and Zahara. Let’s ignore the fact that I know way too much about celebrity gossip in general and the Jolie-Pitt clan in particular and focus on what’s important; helping relatively new parents keep their growing brood occupied. Rumor has it that one of Maddox’s baby sitters is an avid reader so I’d like to take this opportunity to offer my suggestions for age appropriate toys guaranteed to keep kids occupied for hours. Even kids of the rich and famous like to play games and as any parent who has pulled an all-nighter assembling a dollhouse or train set only to find their kid gleefully playing with the box it came in can attest to, simple toys are always a big hit.
For kicking around outside, I recommend a Football Hackey Sack. It helps with coordination and is a fun way to spend a sunny afternoon with the family. For creative kids, my top pick is a 4 Packs Money Design Crayons because, you know, kids at almost every age are true artists. My final recommendation is the Camouflage Rubber Duck because any kid with a Mohawk is cool enough to rock the camo ducky.
Of course all of these promotional items are good for adults too. Just add your logo to a football hackey sack and you have a trade show giveaway that offers the perfect way to kick-start a new campaign. If you want to inject a little fun into a new idea or promotion, I suggest printing your message on the camouflage duck. It’s fun, funny and guaranteed to make your customers smile. For a team building exercise that will bring your people together in a unique way, try the 4 Packs Money Design Crayons because even adults like coloring and might work also a good stress-reliever.
When you are looking for a new way to market yourself, you’d do well to heed the words of Nietzsche who said, “In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.” I’m going to take my own advice and play a game with my son; he’s a whiz at Chutes and Ladders.