K & M International, a manufacturer of nature-themed toys, was about to launch a new line of plush toy monkeys. K & M wanted to immediately differentiate the line from the copycats that would surely flood the market. But how?
Vilocity proposed a first-ever concept: create a website that would not merely promote the new plush toys, but would actually add value to them. The website would be filled with interactive games and fun activities, but they could only be accessed with a secret password found on the toy's tag. Thus the website provided added play value -- and a purchase incentive.
The Wild Republic® website (www.wildrepublic.com) was a hit at New York's 1999 Toy Fair, garnering publicity from newspapers and television stations around the country, Parent magazine, NBC's Friends, Toy Book magazine, Parents' Choice Awards, Specialty Retailer magazine, and more. Millions of monkeys have already been sold. Traffic to the Wild Republic website continues to be strong with millions of page-views to date.