Basil Dixon and New Model Army were featured in a leading Japanese marketing magazine talking about the changing media landscape and connection planning. You need to be fluent in Japanese to read it!

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Rebecca Sullivan
for Allen & Gerritsen
781-326-1996/617-501-4010
rebecca@rsullivanpr.com

Watertown, Mass. (June 22, 2009) – Toy State, a global leader in lights and sound motorized toys, with distribution including major mass market retailers Wal-Mart, Toys R Us and Target, has selected marketing agency Allen & Gerritsen as its agency of record.

The company is based in Hong Kong (with US headquarters in Norwood, Massachusetts) and manufactures such brands as Road Rippers, Caterpillar, Caterpillar Preschool and Freedom Force. As part of Toy State’s growth strategy, they are seeking to extend their product reach into additional segments of the toy market and focus on developing products for an expanding base of licensing partners.

“Allen & Gerritsen’s creativity and innovation will help Toy State break new ground especially in the areas of digital strategy and brand promotions,” said Will Coleburn, Senior Vice President at Toy State. “The agency’s insight on marketing to moms, along with their range of capabilities were incentives for consolidating our marketing business with one partner.”

Allen & Gerritsen will lead marketing strategy for all communications channels for Toy State, including retail, digital and television. The agency will also manage Toy State’s interactive virtual world, “Road Rippers Motor Island” (www.MyMotorIsland.com).

“Toy State is an important win for A&G, allowing us to combine advertising, brand experiences and digital opportunities to accelerate their business growth on a global scale,” said Andrew Graff, CEO of Allen & Gerritsen. “We are excited to test and experiment with new creative and media approaches to build their business.”

About Allen & Gerritsen

Always focused on what’s next, Allen & Gerritsen (a&g) strategically combines technology, creativity, media and analytics to develop digital, experiential and traditional branding experiences. Ranked by Advertising Age as one of the Top 50 Independent advertising agencies in the US, a&g creates conversations and builds connections that contribute to the bottom line. Their roster of clients includes the MFS Investment Management, Hannaford Supermarkets, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, The Boston Celtics, Cybex International, Fallon Community Health Plan, Ninety Nine Restaurants and Waters Corporation.

About Toy State

Founded in 1989 in Shenzhen, China, Toy State has grown into a global leader in lights and sound toys. The company manufactures such leading toy brands as Road Rippers, Caterpillar and Caterpillar Preschool, and it distributes its products internationally to accounts including major mass market retailers Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us and Kmart.

… when you are surrounded by an incredible team. A team that is creative in thinking, curious to test and learn, passionate about their ideas and are challenging the status quo. Everyday we are reshaping the ad agency model.

Hello, I am Andrew Graff, I am a&g’s CEO & am so fortunate to lead the charge in an industry that I love and have dedicated my career to. I believe in the future of advertising so I serve as Board Chairman of The Ad Club of Boston & Council Chairman of the AAAA’s New England Regional Board. I am also a member of Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) and BIMA.

Giving back to the community is important to me so I also serve on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester & advisory boards of ESC and MAPS Worldwide as well as the marketing committee for the Boston Public Library & advise The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. I have been honored by the Boston Business Journal 40 under 40 list & Boston Future Leaders by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. I currently serve on the Governor’s Creative Economy Council and was appointed by former Governor Mitt Romney for the Governor’s Committee on Physical Fitness & Sports.

I watch the world through the eyes of my children & up before the sun every morning & Vineyard vacationer & iphone obsessed & …

New Model Army, a new business unit from a&g, provides channel connection strategy to advertising agencies and their clients. Our approach focuses on audience intelligence, channel neutral asset allocation, creative amplification, and metrics-based continuous improvement.

Read more about the launch from:

Ad Week

The Boston Globe.

The Boston Business Journal

Visit New Model Army to learn more.