Fisher-Price launches the 'Best Little Laugh' contest to celebrate giggles
across Canada

Known for quality, safety and ingenuity, Fisher-Price unveils a new look and feel to the classic brand

TORONTO, Aug. 19 /CNW/ - Fisher-Price is celebrating laughter, ingenuity and a fresh new look with a series of programs that encourage Canadian babies to play, laugh and grow.  Over the next few months, Fisher-Price will launch its 'Best Little Laugh' contest as well as its new look and feel.  Also, Ontarians are invited to check out the newest Fisher-Price toys at the Playtime Tour 2010, visiting key locations across the province.

The Fisher-Price 'Best Little Laugh' Contest
The best way to a mother's heart is through her child's laughter, says a recent survey conducted by Angus Reid.  In fact, when moms were asked "what is the best sound that their child makes throughout the day," 71 per cent said laughter.  Therefore, Fisher-Price is evoking children's laughter over the next few months through the 'Best Little Laugh' contest. The contest invites parents and legal guardians across Canada to upload a sound clip or video of their child's laughter to bestlittlelaugh.ca.  From there, parents and legal guardians can send the link to friends and family through Facebook and Twitter to encourage votes for their child's laughter. The grand prize winner will take home the ultimate Fisher-Price toy closet, which includes $2,500 worth of Fisher-Price toys, a year's worth of Fisher-Price diapers and a Kodak Playsport Digital Video Camera. Additionally, there are 50 secondary prizes.

"For over 80 years, Fisher-Price has been all about bringing joy to young children and parents through the power of play. A child's laughter is an indication of health, proper development and happiness - all things that play enhances," said Donna Polimac, mother of two young children and Senior Manager - Marketing for Fisher-Price. "We encourage all Canadians to enter the 'Best Little Laugh' contest and invite Ontarians to join us for the Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010 to test out the newest and hottest line-up of Fisher-Price toys."

Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010
Today's moms have grown up playing with Fisher-Price toys and in a recent Angus Reid survey they have indicated that their favourite toy growing up was the Little People Farm Play Set followed by the Chatter Telephone. Now, moms love seeing their children play with toys because each child interacts differently with each toy. When asked what they enjoy most when watching their child play with a toy, the majority of moms surveyed in the Angus Reid poll said "seeing what they do with the toy." Therefore, Fisher-Price is introducing the Playtime Tour 2010 to give moms and caregivers the opportunity to see their kids play with the classic as well as the latest and greatest Fisher-Price toys free of charge.  The Tour will travel across Ontario from August 19, 2010 to October 2, 2010, stopping at over 25 locations.

Schedule of Playtime Tour 2010 Stops

• Toronto, Ontario Place - August 19
• Toronto, Ontario Place - August 20
• Brampton, Zellers (Trinity Common Mall - 80 Great Lakes Dr.) - August 21
• Thornhill, Toys ‘R’ Us (300 Steeles Avenue West) – August 21
• Whitby, Toys 'R' Us (50 Thickson Rd. S.) - August 22
• Ottawa, Sears (2165 Carlingwood Ave) - August 25
• Nepean, Toys 'R' Us (183 Merivale Rd.) - August 26
• Belleville, Toys 'R' Us (390 North Front St.) - August 27
• Belleville, Zellers (199 Bell Blvd.) - August 27
• Peterborough, Zellers (950 Landsdowne St. W.) - August 28
• Guelph, Zellers (175 Stone Rd. W.) - August 29
• Windsor, Sears (Devonshire Mall - 3050 Howard Ave) - September 8
• Pickering, Sears (1355 Kingston Rd.) – September 11
• Mississauga, Toys 'R' Us (3150 Argentia Rd.) - September 12
• Barrie, Toys 'R' Us (555 Bayfield St.) - September 17
• Bramalee, Sears (25 Peel Centre Dr.) - September 18
• Toronto, Toys 'R'Us (Sherway Gardens - 690 Evans Ave) - September 18
• Brampton, Toys 'R' Us (150 West Dr.) - September 19
• Brampton, Toys 'R' Us (Bramalee City Centre - 25 Peel Centre Dr.) - September 19
• Lindsay, Zellers (Lindsay Square - 410 Kent St. W.) - September 22
• Bowmanville/Clarington (Clarington Town Centre - 2383 Hwy. #2, Unit D) - September 22
• London, Zellers (Masonville Place - 1680 Richmond St. N.) - September 24
• Sarnia, Toys 'R' Us (Lampton Mall - 1380 London Rd.) - September 24
• Kitchener, Sears (Fairview Park Mall - 200 Fairway Rd. S.) - September 25
• Kitchener, Toys 'R' Us (419 Fairway Rd. S.) - September 26
• Oakville, Toys 'R'Us (290 North Service Rd. W.) - September 30
• St. Catherines, Toys 'R' Us (87 Meadowvale Dr.) - October 2
• St. Catherines, Sears (Penn Centre - 221 Glendale Ave) - October 2

* Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010 stops are subject to change, please visit bestlittlelaugh.ca for the latest up-to-date information including stop locations and times.

Fisher-Price's New Look and Feel
Fisher-Price has recently introduced a refreshed look and feel of the brand. "With a legacy of three-quarters of a century dedicated to quality, safety, play value and ingenuity, Fisher-Price has been the leader in toys for parents and caregivers," adds Polimac. "The new look of the brand reflects this, going back to those basics, using the primary colours and brighter shades as a way to differentiate and stand out from the competition. The blue, green and purple colours of the brand represent the three areas of focus for Fisher-Price - play, laugh and grow." The new look and feel of Fisher-Price will be reflected at retail as well as in advertising and promotional programs across the country.

For more information on the 'Best Little Laugh' contest or the Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010, please visit bestlittlelaugh.ca.

About Fisher-Price:

Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAT) located in East Aurora, N.Y., is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world. The Company has an 80-year legacy of high quality toys that enhance early childhood development. Its often-emulated Play Laboratory was the first child research center of its kind in the toy industry, allowing researchers to observe the way children play and how play benefits their development. Some of the Company's best-known "classic" brands include Little People®, Power Wheels® and View-Master®. Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear products (infant swings, bouncers, high chairs, nursery monitors), as well as a wide array of character-based toys inspired by high quality children's programming such as Thomas & Friends, Dora the Explorer™ and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The Company's web site, fisher-price.com, provides valuable information and resources to parents.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc., (NASDAQ:MAT) (mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie® the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2010, Mattel was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the third year in a row, and was ranked among Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." Mattel also is recognized among the "World's Most Ethical Companies." With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel employs approximately 27,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations.

For further information:

on the Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010, the 'Best Little Laugh' contest or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Shelley Fremont, GCI Group: [email protected] or 416-486-5921
Naz Araghian, GCI Group: [email protected] or 416-486-7225