Taya Toys launched “Pom Pom Wow,” an arts-and-crafts brand for girls that’s supported by a “robust marketing plan including a television campaign, social media engagement, trendsetter outreach, experiential events, and a brand website offering product-driven experiences,” the Cypress-based company said.
The brand in February decorated a Smart car with thousands of pom-poms during Toy Fair 2016 in New York, as well as a Fiat 500L that in May stopped by major landmarks in London.
“Pom Pom Wow is crazy hot right now,” said co-owner Tali Ben-Ezer, adding that the brand topped Buzfeed’s list of “Movers and Shakers”—17 products that are selling well on Amazon.com. “We exceeded every buyer’s expectations.”
The products, which look like pellets until they’re attached to a surface and “blossom” into pom-poms for projects, are sold at major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target and Toys “R” Us.
Maya Toys, which also sells Orbeez toys, created the marketing campaign in-house. Ben-Ezer declined to comment on company’s revenue, but a 2012 news report pegged it at $100 million. It plans to launch two more toy brands this fall.
Mini Paint Job
Behr Process Corp. in Santa Ana launched a “Dream Tiny” sweepstakes and is giving away a custom RV-style house by Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. The paint maker also is using the sweepstakes to “raise awareness and funds for Operation Tiny Home, a nonprofit that helps veterans achieve stable housing,” the company said.
Tiny houses, popularized by the HGTV show “Tiny House, Big Living,” typically run between 100 and 400 square feet and are embraced by people wanting to live a simpler life at a reduced cost.
“Behr has always supported expressing personal joy and individualism, which is exactly what the tiny house movement is all about,” Jodi Allen, the brand’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “Even if you don’t own a tiny home, small-space living resonates with people of all ages and stages who want to live colorfully and unconventionally.”
The sweepstakes is a continuation of Behr’s latest advertising campaign, which features a couple trekking across the country with an RV house in tow that’s painted with Behr Marquee Exterior Paint & Primer.
Behr is a subsidiary of Taylor, Mich.-based Masco Corp., whose market value is about $11.3 billion.
Kia Back on ‘El Maestro’
Kia Motors America Inc. in Irvine has signed on for a second year as official sponsor of Telemundo’s “El Maestro” web series featuring Latin Grammy winner Luis Enrique, who will mentor three up-and-coming singers.
“After experiencing strong online engagement with Hispanics during last year’s first season of ‘El Maestro,’ it was a natural fit to continue our partnership with Telemundo as part of our efforts to raise consumer awareness and perception in this important community,” Kia Vice President of Marketing Communications Tim Chaney said in a statement. “Our lineup of world-class vehicles is attracting more Hispanic shoppers to Kia showrooms than ever before, and this one-of-a-kind partnership with Telemundo is part of our comprehensive strategy to further that momentum.”
The automaker’s sponsorship will include placement of Soul and Optima vehicles in each episode, a Kia-branded custom landing page for “El Maestro” on Telemundo.com, and weekly social posts highlighting the Kia brand on the series’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
Bits & Pieces
ASICS America Corp. in Irvine hired Andrew Richard as vice president of regional sales. He most recently served as global head of merchandising for footwear at Puma, overseeing global product line management and more than $1.1 billion in footwear sales annually. … Acorn Woods Communications in Huntington Beach signed on AltRider, a Seattle-based
manufacturer of accessories and gear for adventure motorcycles. … In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder will be honored at the fifth annual OC Trust Summit on July 27 at the Disneyland Resort Hotel in Anaheim. The event is hosted by the Values Institute at Santa Ana-based Amusement Park ad agency and the Center for Brand Values Communication and Research at California State University-Fullerton.
