FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adrienne Appell
Toy Industry Association
646.520.4863
aappell@toyassociation.org
Toy of the Year Finalists Featured on Amazon and Toys“R”Us
New York, NY | November 23, 2016 – The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) has announced that the 2017 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award finalists are being featured on amazon.com/toty and toysrus.com through February 2017, providing shoppers with unprecedented access to a comprehensive “toy hotlist” selected by toy and play experts.
For the first time, TOTY finalists are identifiable on the Amazon and Toys“R”Us websites, letting shoppers know that the toys have been vetted by the esteemed industry awards program. Many companies with nominated products opted to take advantage of an additional opportunity, allowing them to gain more prominent visibility for their toys on the retailers’ websites before, during and after the holiday season. These companies’ toys and games are being highlighted on the retailers’ homepages, across their websites, via social media/email channels, and in two Toys“R”Us inserts with a total circulation of 24 million.
Frequently referred to as the “Oscars” of the toy industry, the TOTY awards program annually recognizes the top toys of the year. This year’s nominees were reviewed and ranked by 25 judges, including toy and play experts, retailers, academics, and journalists, who considered each product’s creativity, design and promotion; excellence; and marketplace acceptance before narrowing the field of 700 submissions to a slate of 100 finalists. Winners will be announced in February 2017.
The TOTY awards program supports the work of the Toy Industry Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the North American toy industry. As such, many TOTY finalist companies have donated funds to the Foundation in support of a new research program that will explore the role of play in trauma-informed care for pediatric hospital patients and their families.
“The holidays are the perfect time of year to celebrate the many joys of toys and play, as exemplified by this year’s wonderful TOTY finalists,” said Jean Butler, TIF executive director. “We are very thankful for the generosity of so many companies, whose contributions will allow TIF to fund the first phase of a new research initiative with Nemours Children’s Health System, leading to the development of a new hospital program that will support and comfort sick children.”
Voting for TOTY 2017 is now open; winners will be announced during a celebration in New York City on February 17, 2017. To view the full slate of finalists, vote and learn more, visit www.ToyAwards.org. To reserve tickets for the TOTY gala, or to purchase a sponsorship package, click here. Proceeds from both tickets and sponsorships will benefit the Toy Industry Foundation.
ABOUT TOY INDUSTRY FOUNDATION www.toyindustryfoundation.org
The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) is a non-profit organization whose mission it is to bring the magic of play to children in need. While other organizations provide food, shelter and support services to children and their families, TIF sees to it that these children have toys and opportunities to play in an attempt to restore both fun and a sense of normalcy to their lives. To date, TIF’s signature program, The Toy Bank, has provided more than $130 million in toys to nearly 20 million children in need around the globe, thanks to its generous toy donors.