Promoting playmobil through supermarket sets

[Eplay]

In the Netherlands we often have a discount promotion (“spaaractie”) in supermarkets for discount on things like pots and pans, cutlery and towels.



One thing I remember from my childhood was the Shell tank station Lego sets that my parents collected for us. My mom saved them and I recently build them with my son. It’s the one promotional I remember best.

I was thinking that it would be fun to have a playmobil supermarket collaboration where you can save for small supermarket related sets. In the Netherlands the Albert Heijn (AH) is one of the biggest chains and has a very recognizable colour and logo. (Perhaps Edeka in Germany).
I think it would be possible to create small sets to collect. They can use existing mounds. For example

1. klicky with shopping cart (blue cart for AH, but it could be a different colour for a different supermarket chain)


2. fruit and vegetables aisle with employee (female).

It could use the rack for crates from set 70134


3. cheese and meat department with employee (female)
It could use the display case from the butcher shop


4. Bread departement with employee (female)
It could use the display case from set 3202


5. Grocery aisle with stock clerk (male)
I’ve always thought the shelf unit with a sloped front would be great for a supermarket if it’s done in a light grey

The stocking clerk will have the supermarket outfit

If the different employees have a figures base, the same outfit with no skin tone visible on the body part it would be possible to give the klickies different skin tones for the heads and hands and you can make even  more employees. That way it would be fun to buy a couple of the grocery aisle sets.

6. Freezer with 2 kids with ice cream.

With the supermarket logo instead of the penguins, just on top, the bottom can stay white so that you can put several next to each other.

7. Self scan (no cash) register (probably very specific for the Netherlands )
With klicky with grocery basket


8. cargo bike (in the Netherlands we transport our kids in this)


9.  delivery truck (this one would be the biggest set)



Apart from the self scan (no cash) register I think everything could be made from using existing moulds.
Let me know what you think!

[Rasputin]

This idea could utilize so many existing molds, and there are so many supermarkets around the world for marketing opportunities. Plus it keeps kids entertained as the parents try to focus on shopping

[Eplay]

And I think it is important to keep the sets small, although a little bigger than the special sets. The aim would be to sell the smaller sets for max € 5 with the supermarket discount. That way parents will buy a couple or all of the sets. Especially if it’s marketed before Christmas.
And with a big supermarket chain the production can be high to reduce costs.

The multifunctional (steck) building that I mentioned in another post could be promoted by playmobil as something parents can buy from the playmobil website to put all the sets in. Or promote a house set for the truck to deliver the groceries.

[Indianna]

I love your ideas Eplay!  So many great possibilities!!   

[Eplay]

Thanks

[Tiermann]

This is something they have been actively doing the last few years. They had a full shopping themed line at Edeka last year, including an exclusive themed advent calendar. They did a series at Intermarche in France last year, and are doing an ever bigger series this year. Those are more regular sets where you collect the points to get discounts on them, but it's a unique line that are old sets reconfigured for them.
It would be great if they pursued this in the US with Target or Walmart. They don't do the shopping point thing, but could have store themed sets.

[Eplay]

That’s good to hear. I’ve googled playmobil and Edeka and couldn’t find it at first. But these sets are a bit what I had in mind. I think I found all the sets.
The sets are numbered 71384 - 71390 and 71552 - 71555.



The set I like best is the bread stand. It has the same counter as I would have used. I was thinking about a blue or white counter with these smaller items, but it would be possible to omit the trays for the bread pieces.





Most supermarkets in the Netherlands don’t sell toys or clothing, only groceries (except Lidl and Aldi, but they are originally German I believe). I believe Walmart sells almost everything. By promoting toys in one of the biggest supermarket chains in the Netherlands you target a different audience than people who visit toy stores.

I think that it’s important to create small sets.  What I’m missing in the Edeka sets are the different skintones. The klickies all have a light skin colour. If you want to target a wide audience (buyers), than target a wider audience…
Instead of the truck I would sell a delivery van. A lot of people order groceries online.
The employee with the trash I would replace with a stocking clerk.

I’ve drawn what I think an Albert Heijn employee should look like. If it’s not possible to put the logo on the back a small logo on the front would be an option.





I’ll try to draw more employees. I think it would be easy to create a male and female torso with the same print. By putting a white neckline/t-shirt on the torso it’s easy to combine it with heads and arms in different skintones. And I suspect that using the same torso for different sets can keep the production costs down.
I also like the rolled-up sleeves on the employees. They are pretty and rolling up your sleeves means you are hard working 

[GrahamB]

Great ideas!
Those 11 sets are marked 'Exclusive to Kaufland' on the boxes. Kaufland is owned by the same group as owns Lidl. Edeka is a different group. Were the boxes of the sets offered by Edeka different?

[Tiermann]

Sorry, I confused two different things. Kaufland had the store specific sets. Edeka has been doing other things like the VW. The Edeka Advent Calendar does have stickers with the store name to put on pieces in the set though.

[Eplay]

This is how I would create the vegetable and fruit stand:

2.