Schleich unveiled the winners of its “Create Your Story” contest in partnership with the National 4-H Council. The final product is a choose-your-own adventure style interactive YouTube video, featuring stop motion animation and voiced by Bindi Irwin.
As part of the contest, Schleich and 4-H created the first part of a story in which characters ChaCha the Tiger, Larry the T-Rex, and Lilly the Rainbow Unicorn gather for a playdate at the farm home of Blair the Bull. Kids were invited to decide what should happen next by submitting videos, drawings, and recordings completing the rest of the story.
“Spaceships, mystical waterfalls, portals to new dimensions — anything is possible when children’s imaginations run wild,” said Annie Laurie Zomermaand, co-managing director, Schleich USA. “It has been a delight watching this contest unfold, and it’s going to be even richer watching kids get lost in the interactive possibilities of the ‘Create Your Story’ video.”
The five winners were Aarya from Tennessee, age 7; Gerard from New York, age 7; Kaila from Ohio, age 11; Delaney from New Jersey, age 12; and Willard from Illinois, age 12. Each of the winners was given an opportunity to voice their own portion of the video, which offers 12 different stories and up to 90 minutes of custom animation.
As part of Schleich’s partnership with 4-H, the toymaker will donate 50 cents to the organization for each purchase from a series of custom 4-H product bundles online, or from a co-branded display in-stores. Co-branded displays will roll out at over 400 retailers including Rural King, C-A-L Ranch Stores, Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply, and more this fall.
If the Create Your Story video reaches 100k views by October 17, Schleich will donate an additional $10,000 to 4-H to further its mission of educating and empowering children.
“The extraordinary stories submitted by kids across the country demonstrate the power and talent of young people,” said Ivan Heredia, SVP & chief marketing officer, National 4-H Council. “This unique opportunity for youth to stretch their imaginations and craft creative, compelling stories is just an example of the many ways Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program empowers young people to find their spark and pursue their passions.”