Successful International Promotional Campaign Case

 

Never before a marketing campaign presented such a fast response!

 

The insert is a returning boomerang which travels in a curved path and returns to its point of origin. For packing specifications and to make collectible, the toy is composed of 3 assembling pieces and in compliance with INMETRO (the Brazilian Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality) Toy Safety guideline # 11.786 based in the ISO 8124 family.

 

This toy was developed, patented and manufactured by Memory Brindes. to a successful campaign of Kellogg´s Brazil in 2005/6 and later exported to several countries

It was a challenge for us to develop a product aiming at innovation and with an eye-popping result. Something to be collected, provided with features related to entertainment, fun, adventure, health and open air experiences.

Following this project specific guidelines we managed to prepare the toy both mechanically and chemically to make it fit for kids as young as 3 years-old, as later confirmed by the series of tests applied by the regulating organizations. Aerodynamic issues were tirelessly studied and adjusted, ensuring the boomerang goes back to the exact same position from which it was thrown.

The tree wings are set so that the lift created by each wing opposes the lift of the other, but at an angle such that the flight pattern is constantly shifted as the forces of lift, drag, speed, rotational inertia etc. ‘attempt’ to reach equilibrium.

Fun and adventure outdoors.

Throwing

 

Basic throwing instructions:

• A right-handed boomerang circles towards the left, a left-handed boomerang circles towards the right.
• Grasp one wing of the boomerang nearly vertically so that the others wings points forward and the flat side is away from you. The other way works also, but this way is usually easier to learn. Holding the tip by just the end between your thumb and one or two fingers, launch the boomerang forward quickly while trying more for spin than for very much force.
• The boomerang should flatten out on its own and arc around, sometimes coming to rest a little in front of the thrower or behind the thrower, but ideally it should hover gently and allow the thrower to catch it as a sort of “boomerang sandwich” between the thrower’s hands.
• One should not throw a returning boomerang level, like a flying disc. The boomerang will turn in the direction of the top of its airfoils.

In the U.S., most competitions are comprised of six standard events as follows:

• *Accuracy 50/100: Boomerangs are thrown from the center of a bullseye and points are awarded based on where they land. The scores from either five (Accuracy 50) or ten throws (Accuracy 100) are then added.
• *Aussie Round: Boomerangs are thrown from the centre of a bullseye and points are awarded both for where they are caught within the bullseye and for how far they travel (up to 80 meters). The scores from five throws are added.
• *MTA 100: In MTA, or Maximum Time Aloft, boomerangs are thrown and must be caught within a 100 meter diameter circle. Generally, times are added from the best three of five throws.
• *Trick Catch: A series of progressively difficult trick catches is made with one boomerang, then with two simultaneously.
• *Fast Catch: Five consecutive throws and catches are made from the center of the bullseye in the shortest amount of time possible.
• *Endurance: As many consecutive throws and catches are made from the center of the bullseye as possible within five minutes.Other events are possible such as long distance, GLORP (similar to basketball’s HORSE).

Boomerangs in fiction

Boomerangs in films

 

• In the first Crocodile Dundee movie his African American limousine driver pulls the v shaped emblem off the boot of the limo and throws it at Dundee’s assailants.
• A metal boomerang is the primary weapon and most prized possession of Sokka, a main protagonist in the Asian-fluenced Avatar: The Last Airbender, given to him by his father before going off to war. He notes how it always comes back whenever he loses it.
• The feral child in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, wields a polished steel boomerang. He also wears a special glove to catch the device so that it does not slice off his fingers. Another character is not so well-equipped, and loses his fingertips in a memorable scene.
• One of Great Mazinger’s attacks involves the robot taking off its chest-mounted “V” fin and hurling it at the enemy as a boomerang. This attack, not surprisingly, is known as the Great Boomerang.
• Sango (InuYasha), a fictional character from the manga and anime series InuYasha, uses a giant boomerang named Hiraikotsu made from Yokai demon bones. Shaped like a giant delta wing, it is taller than she is.
• The Sword Strike Gundam, Justice Gundam, Sword Impulse Gundam, Infinite Justice Gundam and Destiny Gundam from the anime series Gundam Seed and its sequel Gundam Seed Destiny are all equipped with beam boomerangs.
• Captain Boomerang is a well known Flash comics and member of the Suicide Squad, who uses the weapon he’s named after.
• One of Batman’s commonly used weapons is the batarang. It is a customized boomerang and is shaped like a bat that comes in different varieties like a batarang that explodes on impact, electrocutes its target, freezes its target, etc. An electronic boomerang is featured in the movie Batman Returns
• On the SpongeBob SquarePants episode, “Gary Takes A Bath”, Gary plays with a “Boomerang Pet Ball.” In episode 18, “Walking Small” SpongeBob takes his tooth out and throws it to cut kite wires and then his tooth boomerangs back to him. In episode 57 “Krabby Land” SpongeBob tells Mister Krabs that kids are using his arms and legs as boomerangs and then one of his arms boomerangs in the room and out the room.
• On the popular anime series, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, “Elemental Hero Wildheart” can be equipped with an Equip Spell Card called “Cyclone Boomerang.” Also, the duelist Jim Crocodile Cook uses an Academy Duel Disk variant that resembles a boomerang.
• A villain in the Trigun anime/manga uses a huge steel boomerang. In the anime he uses a rubberband engine to be able to throw it. In the manga the swing is powered by rockets.
• In Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s film Delicatessen, the main character has a boomerang that he calls “The Australian”.
• In the anime Flame of Recca the character Kaoru Koganei has a weapon called a Madougu which can transform into a gold boomerang.
• 3 of the Sentai characters: Midoranger from Himitsu Sentai Goranger, Dyna Black from Kagaku Sentai Dynaman, and Green Rhino from Choujuu Sentai Liveman all wield boomerang weapons.

 

Boomerangs in video games

Generally, boomerangs in video games will invariably return to the thrower, no matter what the thrower does to avoid it (including running in circles and hiding behind walls).

• The Legend of Zelda series uses a boomerang. In the 2D games, it crossed half or the full screen before returning. In the 3D games, it can be aimed towards enemies and objects. Typically unable to harm all but the weakest of enemies, it can stun some stronger enemies it hits and can be used to retrieve items. It is referred to as the “Gale Boomerang” in the Zelda title Twilight Princess whereupon you receive it after defeating the Mid-boss, which is a grey Baboon named Ook. Both the Gale Boomerang and the one from The Wind Waker can lock onto multiple targets at once. Some of the 2D titles also featured the “magic boomerang” which could be steered after being thrown.
• The Mega Man series series has featured a few bosses (video game) that have used boomerangs as weapons. The most obvious example is in Mega Man II, in which Quick Man uses his “Quick Boomerang” against Mega Man. In Mega Man IV, Ring Man throws a ring-shaped object that seems to function identically. Mega Man 8 ‘s Tengu Man carries a giant shuriken on his back that returns to him like a boomerang and Mega Man X ‘s Boomer Kuwanga can detach his headpiece to use as a boomerang.
• The character Aika from the game Skies of Arcadia uses a boomerang of sorts as her primary weapon.
• In Suikoden 2 the character Millie uses a normal wooden boomerang and in its sequel Suikoden 5 the character Faylen uses a huge metal boomerang, also the characters (in Suikoden 5) Sialeeds and Sharmitsa use chakrams that act like boomerangs.
• In Kya Dark Lineage the main character Kya uses a boomy which is a boomerang except that its shape and size are different than a normal boomerang.
• In Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Ty uses a variety of boomerangs with different powers.
• In Chrono Cross the characters Van and Mel use boomerangs as their weapons.
• The hero in Dragon Quest VIII can use a boomerang. The boomerang is a common sight in the Dragon Quest series and is able to hit all foes.
• Ninten from Mother (video game) can purchase and equip a boomerang to strike several opponents (albeit with a higher miss rate).
• Longtooth, a Wolf hero video game Battle Realms uses boomerangs to attack enemy units as well as buildings. However, his boomerangs are broken upon impact without returning to the thrower.
• NetHack includes a boomerang amongst the available weaponry. Boomerangs can be thrown, fly in a circular pattern and may return to the thrower if no monster is hit and the player has sufficient dexterity.
• Boomerangs appear in Neopets as a Crystal Weapon used by Neopets themselves. The description says; that its sharp against some objects but may shatter against the wrong opponents. Can be used to kill Olivia Eveyln Lam the Gelert if used by Christopher the Lutari rightly in combat at the battledome.
• In TaskMaker the hero can use at least one boomerang, and one is the best weapon in the game.
• In Pitfall: the Mayan Adventure boomerangs are a special weapon. They work differently in that game than in most, in that they return to the place they were thrown rather than the place the thrower is.
• In Dead Rising, one of the items available in the mall is a boomerang, which does return to the wielder if there are no obstructions in its flight path.
• In Wild Arms, and in its remake, Wild Arms: Alter Code F, there is a villain called Boomerang, that uses a boomerang that turns into a sword as a weapon.
• In the video game series Twisted Metal (series) the character Roadkill uses a boomerang as his car’s special attack.
• In the popular video game series Dynasty Warriors the playable character Zhu Rong is equipped with a boomerang as her weapon.
• In Danny Phantom Sam throws a boomerang to find Danny.
• In the video game La Pucelle: Tactics a plant monster called bloom in the game has an attack where it shoots a giant flower leaf on its head and hits one enemy, once it hits the enemy it boomerangs back on the monsters head.
• Sho Hayate of Kizuna Encounter wields a boomerang in tandem with his martial prowess.
• In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros.:Melee Link uses a boomerang as one of his weapons although it is more easily controlled in Melee. It is unknown whether Link will have a bommerang in Super Smash Bros.:Brawl (the third installment in the series.)

Trivia

• Kellogg’s Brazil inserting five million boomerangs in cereal boxes, developed and manufactured for Memory Brindes Brazil, the item was exported to Colombia and Chile later.
• The insert can be collectible, using your personalized combination of colors.
• In the brazilian campaign was contrated several boomerang specialist to assist childs in the use of toy in events. Also the box of cereal was print with instructions of games and competitions in group.
• A new site or special sector act as “intermediary” and provide a tangible reward from cyberspace.
• Boomerang is also the name of a TV channel owned by Cartoon Network which show classic animated cartoons, mainly from the Warner Brothers, MGM and Hanna-Barbera archives, a co-branding program can be very effective to share budget and lower overall costs, double the sales force impact, and create a newsworthy event.
• While fiercely competitive, almost all throwers are amateurs in the sense that they do not receive money as prizes.
• The International Federation of Boomerang Associations (IFBA) was officially launched in 2004 at the World Championships in France.
• A slang term for “boomerang” is “boomer” in some parts of Australia and Irvine.
• The long distance boomerang world record is 238 m, held by Manuel Schuatz of Switzerland. The boomerang probably travelled more than 500 m before returning to its starting point!

Related Links

Production

 

 

• Building, estruture and personel trained into the Kellogg´s worlwide guidelines.
• Diary production: around 70,000 kits (210,000 pieces).
• Insert: bag of 12 x 6 x 0.7 cm, each unit, 0.012kg.
• Packing: box of 40 x 40 x 40 cm, 1000 units, 12.2kg.

About the Company