Wonder Lab
The Challenge
Toys are meant for kids, but are marketed to adults. Walmart wanted to help improve parents’ purchase confidence, and create the perfect “virtual toy store.”
Toy shopping has conveniently moved online, but the magic of discovering toys has been lost. With a child’s specific request still the #1 reason an adult buys a toy or game, much of online marketing for toys directed at adults is ineffective.
In 2020, with in-store events canceled and parents wanting to entertain their cooped-up families, Walmart wanted to find a way to bring the magic of the toy store into customers’ homes.
The eko Solution
Make toy shopping fun for tired parents
Enter Walmart Wonder Lab—an eko-powered amalgam of interactive catalog and virtual toy store featuring superstar brands like Disney, Mattel, and Lego, where kids can digitally unbox and play with Walmart’s top toy picks, and safely share their favorites with their grown-ups.
“In years past, we had more in-store events for kids to play with toys and take them out of the box, but given the current environment, we wanted to replace that with a virtual experience that they could do in the safety of their own homes and still have fun and interact and experience the toys before they add them to their wishlist.”
—Brad Bedwell, Merchandising Director of Preschool Toys, Walmart
The delightful experience helped parents make informed decisions, without worrying their money would be wasted on a quickly-abandoned toy. Not to mention, Wonder Lab recreated the magic of being able to unbox and play with new toys from the safety and comfort of home—a fitting experience from “America’s Best Toy Shop.”
