Media Relations

Delivering Companionship to Older Adults Amid COVID-19

Challenge

As a leader in the aging space, Ageless Innovation was in a unique position to provide comfort and companionship to older adults living in isolation as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. The company worked quickly to connect with local and regional state departments across the country to distribute thousands of their animatronic Joy for All Companion Pets to seniors who were battling social isolation, loneliness and cognitive decline. Our challenge was to cut through a news cycle that was highly saturated with stories of companies and brands providing support for those impacted by the virus, and to generate widespread coverage for our powerful and authentic initiative. 

Approach

To generate awareness and support for the programs, LPR identified dozens of reporters who covered news related to aging and COVID-19 in local markets where the pets were distributed, beginning with Florida and New York state. We built interest and connections with the media by providing them with authentic testimonials and interviews with recipients, their family members, and professional caregivers. We also provided each reporter with access to medical professionals and program organizers in each state, while simultaneously sharing digestible research findings from proven clinical studies to further establish the company’s credibility in an easy-to-understand way. When local coverage began to trickle in across multiple states, we bubbled up enough buzz to begin sharing the overarching story of our cross-country initiative with national media. 

Results

Within 72 hours, we generated more than180 placements in outlets including CNN, FOX News, New York Post, and even Barstool Sports – ultimately garnering more than 280 million impressions. In two months, we secured more than 594 million earned impressions from a total of 691 placements. Since the initial 2020 program announcement, we continue to generate coverage and interest among national and local reporters across the country, all of whom which have expressed excitement in sharing the news of a small company who is doing big things to help combat an unprecedented loneliness epidemic.

Using Late Night Humor to Showcase Classic Games with a New Twist

Challenge 

Hasbro was looking to shake up Game Night by adding hilarious ‘adult’ twists to its stable of classic games with new introductions of Monopoly: Millennials, Clue: What Happened Last Night? Lost in Vegas, and Game of Life: Quarter Life Crisis.  Our challenge was to create buzz and excitement for the retail launch.   

Approach 

In order to reach the right audience, we had to put the games into the hands of targeted media, influencers, and celebrities to help spread the word with adults that their favorite childhood games had grown up.  Tapping into the pop culture newsworthiness of the games themselves, we were able to highlight the humor and fun of these new twists on classic game play.   

Results 

We definitely had the last laugh, generating more than one billion earned media impressions in just a few short months.  We secured organic national broadcast coverage on Live! With Kelly and Ryan, Today Show, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.  

The Trick to Making Seasonal Campaigns a Real Treat 

Challenge 

Carter’s, the #1 brand in children’s apparel, was looking to create excitement and drive sales for its Halloween costume collection. Key to success was increasing awareness for the company’s seasonal line and inserting the brand into the annual holiday conversation.  

Approach 

Our strategic product publicity program delivered the news about Carter’s Halloween collection to parents just when they were looking for – and purchasing  – costumes. Our thoughtful approach focused on the media we knew our target audience was consuming, including parenting, pop culture, and general news outlets. Our outreach included personalized pitches complete with product information and samples, packaged with unique story angles tied to the individual costumes themselves. 

Results 

Our outreach successfully placed Carter’s in the seasonal spotlight and created a burst of product focused news timed to Halloween – both leading up to and on the holiday – resulting in over 242 million impressions with coverage featured in top-tier outlets such as People, Good Housekeeping, Yahoo!, E!, Romper, and more. 

Using Creative Angles to Keep the Story Fresh

Challenge 

After the launch of National Geographic Kids Books’ first ever fiction series, Explorer Academy, the team tasked LPR with driving buzz and media coverage for the second book in the series, The Falcon’s Feather. Recognizing that relevant media had already covered the series launch, we needed to find a way to identify new and creative ‘hooks’ in order to re-engage and excite press. 

Approach 

 We knew a simple announcement of the second book in a series wouldn’t suffice, so in order to reignite interest with national press, we teased out fun and unique angles and assets specific to The Falcon’s Feather  to select media. Ahead of the publication date, we offered Collider the chance to exclusively reveal ‘behind the scenes’ illustrations from the new book along with an exclusive interview with the series’ illustrator. We also amped up our visual content offerings, and worked with Romper to reveal the trailer for the second book and the cover of the third book to make the piece more engaging and exciting for readers. 

To generate buzz for the author’s book tour, we offered unique video content, author Q&As, book giveaways, and live interviews with a real-life National Geographic Explorer to local media stations and publications across the country. We also worked with the Explorer to relate her real-life experiences back to The Falcon’s Feather in order to create an enticing and relevant interview for press. 

Results 

You don’t always get a second bite at the apple, however as a result of our creative approach, the campaign resulted in 28 million total media impressions across broadcast, online news, and parenting outlets including Collider. Romper, Red Tricycle, FOX Chicago, CBS Minnesota, and more. 

From Kickstarter Success to Mass Market Sell-out

Challenge

Funded by a Kickstarter success, Animoodles came to us to help position its line of innovative, collectible plush toys as a ‘must have’ as it headed into its first holiday retail season.

Approach

We needed to show media and influencers –and ultimately consumers –that Animoodles were no ordinary stuffed animal but rather magnetic, mix-and-make plush that combines both creativity and compassion. To establish a solid foundation ahead of the holidays, we leveraged the founders’ impressive Silicon Valley background and the product’s innovation to secure in-person interviews for the Animoodle steam with industry and parenting media experts. To continue to build the buzz, we put Animoodles into the hands of targeted media and brand relevant influencers.

Results

Our campaign generated more than 200 million media impressions with Animoodles featured in coveted holiday gift guides including People, Forbes, Yahoo! and US Weekly. Through our efforts Animoodles was also recognized with a number of award nominations and wins from Kotaku, The Toy Insider, and Creative Child Magazine. As a result of the holiday buzz, Animoodles sold out two weeks before Christmas on Amazon and Nordstrom.com along with several Nordstrom locations

Rallying Consumers, Press, and Brands to Shape the Fate of an Iconic Game

Challenge

As Monopoly planned the launch of a new take on its classic game, the Monopoly Token Madness Edition, fans around the world were invited to hand pick all eight tokens to become the new “classic” pieces on the board for years to come. The historic vote left the fate of the iconic tokens, including the Scottie dog, top hat, car, cat, and more, in the hands of consumers across the globe, giving them the ultimate power to choose which traditional tokens would remain or be removed from the beloved Hasbro game.Our challenge was to drive votes and develop a media strategy that would sustain coverage throughout the three-month campaign.

Approach

To generate awareness, excitement, and ongoing engagement, LPR strategically identified and released information at three key moments during the voting period. First, we built anticipation by releasing embargoed information about the campaign to a trusted group of top-tier press and influencers-asking each to keep the news safe ahead of an exclusive reveal with the hosts of Today Show. With a widely respected group of journalists and influencers on board and ready to rally behind their tokens of choice, news of the campaign along with passionate pleas from our ‘ambassadors’ activated widespread communities—including media, celebrities, consumers, and brands—to join the conversation across social and vote. To continue the momentum, we announced the first token voted out of the game timed to the largest toy industry event of the year—Toy Fair—resulting in big buzz and continued engagement as fans said goodbye to the beloved Thimble. To close out the campaign, we leveraged World Monopoly Day—the game’s annual ‘holiday’—to reveal the eight winning tokens through yet another exclusive Today Show announcement which was further supported by embargoed pitching.

Results

From January throughMarch, the Monopoly news made its way into nearly every U.S. media outlet via 4,000+ unique placements–including three exclusive announcements onToday Show, a front page feature in the Wall Street Journal, a leading story onUSA Today’s homepage, a classic quiz on Buzz Feed, and countless more—causing a media and fan frenzy throughout the course of the campaign. With more than four million votes cast, and nearly six billion media impressions garnered, the campaign was a tremendous success and empowered fans across the globe to make a lasting mark on their favorite childhood game. We’re proud to announce that the winners of the Monopoly Token Madness vote—the Scottie dog, top hat, car, t-rex, rubber ducky, and penguin—can still be found on the board today.