A New Twist on Branding + Technology – rentAtoy.com – Netflix for Toys
So you have 3 kids, a lively variety of ages, and the toys are piling up faster than you keep track, not to mention the bills. Guess what, it’s time to move to a new house! You cringe as you peer into the garage where dozens of barely-used toys are tossed in a heap covered in a thick layer of dust. If dust was the only problem, you might be able to sell them, but the sun has gotten to them, so there is really no good option. Sadly most of them end up in the trash…you think to yourself, there’s got to be a better way!
This is exactly what happened to Carlos Algarin, founder of rentAtoy, Inc. (http://www.rentatoy.com).
With a genius idea on his hands, he started his research and found out that a few successful toy rental companies already existed, most of them outside of the U.S. It was confirmed, he had a valid business idea on his hands, the brainstorming process began. How would rentAtoy create a superior brand in an industry that is still unfamiliar to the average consumer?
Enter Skybox Creative (http://www.skyboxcreative.com). With extensive B2C experience and local landmark clients, such as Pangaea Outpost (Pacific Beach), Flower Hill Promenade (Del Mar) and the San Diego Film Festival, rentAtoy sought out their award-winning branding + web design expertise. Skybox Creative pulled up their sleeves and got to work on the promising new brand.
Everything from the candy color palette to the shinny, playful logo scream ‘kid-friendly’. Skybox Creative wanted to create a memorable tagline that would drive the message home for parents: Happiness Delivered. Short and sweet. The tagline curves under the logo to form a smile, reinforcing the message non-verbally. The meerkat mascots were modeled after Carlos’s 3 munchkins, personalities, favorite toys and all.
Brand Identity + Character Development
The biggest challenge of all was that often the first thing that came to mind was germs! With a ‘clean feeling’ baby blue in the background and an impressive flash video reinforcing that the toys are GUARANTEED Safe and Clean, the web site was an instant hit! Skybox Creative also encouraged a safety tab in the main navigation for those concerned, where they could read about rentAtoy’s strict safety standards. As a father of three, Carlos would never allow anything to be shipped that he would not give to his own children.
On the Back of their business cards, it says it all: fresh toys delivered to your door every month. save time. save money. be green. This concise statement became the staple of their advertising and branding campaign for one good reason, people get it.
San Diego is excited about rentAtoy! They have already received tons of press from Channel 8 News to Channel 6 News (Select Rent-A-Toy video on the left to view), Fox News and more. Their stellar brand image and messaging give rentAtoy a competitive advantage over their single U.S. competitor who clearly did not invest much into their brand identity.
Filled with ambition and armed with the right tools, rentAtoy is on their way to the top. Thanks to Skybox Creative, their dream is now a reality. Watch as they grow.
