The mission was simple: bring Horny Toads tagline of “Every Day is an Adventure” to life through in-store merchandising.
The result was a concerted campaign by key specialty retailers nationwide who went above and beyond simply stacking and racking to convey the Horny Toad brand.
And when the dust settled, Trailblazer (New Haven, Conn.) was chosen as the grand prize winner of the 2006 Horny Toad Summer Cup, the annual merchandising contest hosted by Horny Toad. Their three-window display featured toads hanging at the beach, mannequins chatting over Toad brews, and a Toad desert scene.
“People at the cafe across the street have reportedly had trouble focusing on the menu,” said Craig Aaker of Trailblazer. “The response tends to increase when the windows are particularly eye catching, well themed, or a little crazy. In this case, since there are not one but three congruent windows involved which have all three of these traits, the response has been concordantly more enthusiastic.”
As the winners of the 2006 Horny Toad Summer Cup, the staff at Trailblazer will be rewarded with an “adventure” of their own-a trip for four employees to Horny Toad headquarters in Santa Barbara, Calif.. The adventure includes, surfing, sea kayaking, a tour of Horny Toad headquarters, and a credit towards the fall 2005 Horny Toad order.
More than 40 retailers nationwide entered the competition, creating one-of-a-kind displays and sending a picture in to Horny Toads main office in Santa Barbara, Calif. All entrants were judged on creativity and professionalism not merely the size of their toads.
Honorable mentions in the 2006 Summer Cup included Red Otter Outfitters (Fernandina Beach, Fla.); Dougs Sports (Hood River, Ore.); Chinook Outdoor (Somerville, Mass.); and Appalachian Ski & Outdoor (State College, Penn.). Each of the runner-ups will receive $500 and expert consultation in creating an adventure for their employees, as well as a credit toward their fall 2005 Horny Toad order.
