Mattel launches U-turn recall-reassurance campaign
Toy brand Mattel has performed a major U-turn by rolling out a print advertising campaign to reassure UK consumers over its toy recall crisis. The news comes just weeks after the company said such a campaign was unnecessary in the UK despite running one in the US.
The US toy company, however, has since issued another recall and been forced to backtrack on its original stance. It is now running print ads in the UK national press with the strapline: “We take our promises seriously”.
The ads aim to highlight Mattel’s updated policy on toy testing, which includes a mandatory three-stage safety check of the paint used on toys. A Mattel spokeswoman says: “Following the third recall, we felt it was the right time to inform customers of our new safety procedure.”
Last month, the toy company launched a major print advertising and PR assault in the US to emphasise its commitment to toy safety, and faced criticism in UK from brand analysts for not taking similar action in this country (MW August 23).
At the time, a Mattel spokeswoman said a press campaign was unnecessary in the UK. She said a different strategy had been adopted in the UK as “different markets communicate their own messages”.
