A Match Made In (Marketing) Heaven

July 16, 2014

Was your choice of breakfast cereal ever swayed by the prize inside? If so, you were responding to a marketing campaign featuring toys. From the first Kellogg’s cereal promotion to the Ovaltine secret decoder, toys have long been used as promotional products. In the 1960s, Texaco teamed up with the toy company Buddy-“L” for one such marketing strategy.

Buddy-“L” produced a plastic toy Texaco service station set, complete with tiny oil cans and a sign for the restrooms. Texaco placed advertisements in numerous newspapers and magazines promoting an exclusive offer for the station set: adults could pick up a special coupon at their local Texaco station, to buy a toy station set for a discount by mail. Texaco hoped that customers would get their cars checked out while picking up a coupon and Buddy-“L” hoped that regular Texaco customers would purchase the discounted toy. It was a win-win situation: Buddy-“L” sold more toys, Texaco got more customers, and kids nationwide got to play station attendant. Now that’s a match made in (marketing) heaven!