Useful Toy

Press Release: BOULDER, Colo. Jibbitz founders, Rich and Sheri Schmelzer and Alexandra O’Leary announce a new children’s product GeoPalz, at the American International Toy Fair, in New York, Feb. 14-17, 2010.

“To do that we’ve hired former Jibbitz teammates who are familiar with our customers, customer service philosophies and our previous distributors who understand the pace at which we do business.”

Aimed at addressing Michelle Obama’s “LetsMove.gov” initiative, GeoPalz is the first decorative activity tracker and online game that allows users to earn points through physical activity. With a simple message of “Walk to Win,” activity is converted to points that can be accumulated and redeemed at the GeoPalz.com Web site for free activity-based products, sports equipment, games and educational-based toys.

“We’ve seen too many popular children’s toys designed to keep kids plugged into their computers or glued to their TVs lately. We haven’t seen any product designed with an incentive to get them up and off their couches and outside playing, and that’s a real shame,” said Rich Schmelzer, CEO of GeoPalz, LLC. “The GeoPalz Activity Tracker was designed specifically to get kids motivated to become more physically active by converting activity into currency that can be redeemed for activity based products from our Web site. The bottom line is kids love winning free stuff!” Schmelzer stated. “The ‘Walk to Win’ message will not only resonate with the children through the free products and unique designs, but with the children’s parents who know that the ‘Walk to Win’ message translates to a healthier life.”

“Kids are not just thinking about the toys they’ll win, they want a variety of fun and stylish GeoPalz designs to accessorize with their mood or clothing,” said Sheri Schmelzer, Chief Design Officer for GeoPalz. “In our debut collection we accomplished just that. There is a design that suits every kid in the house, and every 3 months we will introduce new designs from princesses to bugs to rockets to rhinestones, whatever is trending at that time. I think it also helps that GeoPalz are produced in limited quantities, which will drive the collectability of each GeoPal caricature,” she added.

“We’ve built our infrastructure to handle the type of extreme growth we experienced at Jibbitz,” said Alexandra O’Leary COO of GeoPalz, LLC. “To do that we’ve hired former Jibbitz teammates who are familiar with our customers, customer service philosophies and our previous distributors who understand the pace at which we do business.”

GeoPalz has also teamed once again with acclaimed Parent’s Choice Award Winning Web Design firm, Slice of Lime. The team at Slice of Lime played a key role in the early success of Jibbitz by understanding how to create a fun interactive environment safe for children. Slice has been nominated for numerous Webby Awards for their creation of children’s Web sites since their work at Jibbitz, and continues to lead the way with understanding how kids want to interact online.

GeoPalz are produced in limited quantities and retail for $19.99 each. Prior to the company’s Web site launch in Q2’10, consumers can reserve their GeoPalz at www.GeoPalz.com. Retailers can also purchase the product immediately by visiting the GeoPalz Booth #5059 at the American International Toy Fair in New York, Feb. 14-17, 2010, or by visiting the company Web site and applying for a retail account.

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