With its global brand refresh and ad campaign now underway, Schleich USA has partnered with iconic toy store FAO Schwarz to launch the Share Your Stories photo contest. What do polar bears dream of? Do giraffes grow in the rain? These are just some of the big questions that Schleich inspires as kids experience the limitless joy of storytelling through everyday play with its uniquely authentic characters and sets. This summer, the 87 year old company that lets kids’ imaginations run wild is realigning its brand under a new vision of shaping storytellers for life.
“Kids’ stories don’t necessarily have a beginning, middle and end–they just keep going!” said Annie Laure Zomermaand, chief commercial officer of Schleich North America. “In this new phase of the Schleich brand, we want to see and share as many stories as possible from kids who play with our characters and sets. It was only fitting to prominently display one of these stories as part of our rebranded concept shop at FAO Schwarz.”
Kids and grown kids are invited to share photos of the stories they create during playtime with Schleich toys in one of two ways. Entrants from across the country can snap a photo of their Schleich products in action and upload it to the contest entry site (http://Bit.ly/schleichstories) during the month of July. Contest hopefuls in the New York City area also have the option to attend a live event at FAO Schwarz from 11a-2p ET on Wednesday, July 13 where they will be given everything they need to create their entry photo. Attendees are asked to RSVP through a link on the contest entry site.
Twelve finalists will be selected for public voting in early August. One lucky winner will have their story brought to life by renowned toy photographer Mitchel Wu and hung in the Schleich concept shop at the FAO Schwarz flagship store. The winner will travel to NYC this fall for the unveiling and also receive a Schleich shopping spree.
The Share Your Stories with Schleich and FAO Schwarz contest nods to a new always-on call-for-action on the brand’s packaging starting this fall. Even after this initial contest has ended, Schleich fans around the world are invited to share their stories with the brand for the chance to be featured on its social media channels and in relation to future contests and promotions.
For complete contest rules and to enter visit http://Bit.ly/schleichstories.
For additional information on the Schleich brand, visit the Schleich website or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Established 87 years ago by Friedrich Schleich in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Schleich is one of Germany’s largest toy manufacturers and a leading international provider of realistic animal figurines. The famous play figures and play sets from Schleich are sold in over 60 countries and have made it into children’s bedrooms all over the world. As a global player with roots in Swabia, Schleich now generates more than half of its sales outside of its core market in Germany. The company is majority owned by Partners Group, a global private markets investment manager. Other shareholders are the leadership team, headed up by managing director Dirk Engehausen (CEO). Schleich figures and play sets are designed in Germany, which is also where production tools are manufactured, and all quality and safety tests are carried out. Production itself takes place both at the company’s main location in Schwäbisch Gmünd and at other production facilities abroad.