NEW YORK -- Hess Corp. said that the Hess Toy Truck, a holiday tradition for 48 years on the East Coast, will be available for purchase online this year for the first time. Details of the 2012 Hess Toy Truck will be announced November 1 and will go on sale November 9 at participating Hess and Hess Express retail stores and at www.hesstoytruck.com.
Preordering is available online starting November 1.
"Generations of families and fans have made the Hess Toy Truck part of their holiday celebrations and have come to appreciate its history, quality and value," said Rick Lawlor, vice president retail marketing at Hess. "We believe the time is right to introduce this tradition to families across the country, as the demand for and legacy of the Hess Toy Truck has grown well beyond our retail market of 16 East Coast states."
Hess will implement an integrated marketing plan that combines online media buys and traditional ad buys with expanded social media efforts, as well as ties to the free Hess Express mobile app, to reach Hess Toy Truck fans across the United States.
Also for the first time, Toy Truck fans can work together to reveal the truck early. Beginning October 22, fans, through a variety of linked social actions on the Hess Express Facebook page will be able to slowly reveal--via hints and image pieces--the new Toy Truck model before the official November 1 launch.
A new virtual Hess Toy Truck Collection website feature will enable fans to indicate which Hess Toy Trucks they own from past years, reminisce about holidays when they received the truck and earn digital toy truck collector badges to share with their friends on Facebook.
In the early 1960s, Hess founder Leon Hess came up with the idea of producing a toy truck to thank loyal customers for their business. He had just one stipulation: The Hess Toy Truck had to be of the highest quality and craftsmanship. In 1964, the company introduced the first Hess Toy Truck--an 18-wheel fuel oil tanker painted in the traditional Hess dark green with white and yellow accents.
More than four decades later, Hess is still creating original toy trucks of high quality. These exacting standards have translated into the Hess Toy Truck tradition, creating a highly popular and collectible toy that is one of the longest running toy brands on the market. "Its durability, quality and collectability make it a gift cherished by young and old," the company said.
Hess, New York, is a global integrated energy company engaged in the exploration, production, purchase, transportation and sale of crude oil and natural gas, as well as the production and sale of refined petroleum, natural gas and electricity products. Hess is the leading independent gasoline-convenience store retailers on the East Coast with retail outlets in 16 East Coast states.
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