Duracell Launches the Holiday Insurance Program to Ensure a Magical Christmas Morning for Families

Grammy-Nominated Recording Artist Chris Daughtry Joins Duracell to Help Kick off the Program and Host Exclusive Facebook Concert to Celebrate the Holiday Season

Chris Daughtry picking up Duracell batteries for his children's holiday gifts at Toys"R"Us Times Square in New York City. (Photo: Business Wire)

BETHEL, Conn.--()--Parents know that it takes a lot of work to create a truly magical Christmas morning – the moment only lasts a few minutes but it can take a season of preparation to get there. Since preparing for that moment can often be overwhelming and stressful, Duracell and Chris Daughtry today are introducing the Holiday Insurance Program. Throughout the holiday season, Duracell, together with other industry experts, will provide parents with everything they need to navigate the holiday season with ease. ‘Tis the season to be merry (not stressed!) and with Duracell’s help, parents will be armed with the tools they need to create a memorable holiday.

According to a recent IPSOS survey conducted on behalf of Duracell, nearly half of parents say they feel stressed out during the holiday season, which can often result in forgetting to buy necessary gift accessories for Christmas, such as wrapping paper, tape, and batteries.1 The Duracell Holiday Insurance Program arms parents with what they need to be better prepared by offering:

  • Free and unique content on Facebook.com/Duracell
  • Advice from toy experts
  • Free hourly giveaways of the season’s most wanted toys
  • Access to toy reviews from real kids

“At Duracell, we know that the holiday season is often about creating a wonderful experience for kids. With our Holiday Insurance Program we hope to provide parents with peace of mind by empowering them to create unforgettable holidays for their families,” said Volker Kuhn, General Manager for Duracell North America. “Duracell also believes that all children deserve a chance to experience the magic of the holidays, and that’s precisely why we’ve partnered with the Toy Industry Foundation. Together, we’ll provide the power for toys that brighten the holidays for less fortunate children and their families.”

The Holiday Insurance Program offers parents everything on their holiday wish lists:

Support and Inspiration From High-Profile Parent
Duracell is partnering with Grammy-Nominated artist Chris Daughtry to spread the word about the program.

“As a dad of four, I understand the importance of creating holiday memories for my kids but know how overwhelming the task can be,” said Daughtry. “That’s why Duracell and I are teaming up to prepare parents during this stressful time of year while also helping to create a magical Christmas morning for kids in need.”

To help celebrate the Holiday season, Duracell is hosting a special concert on Facebook with Chris Daughtry on December 14. In order to watch the concert, all consumers have to do is “like” Duracell’s Facebook page for access.

Giving Back
Despite the stress that parents feel during the holidays, many feel giving back is an important part of the holiday season. In fact, nearly three-quarters of parents surveyed say they want to help the less fortunate and wish there was a simple way to do this during the holidays.2 With this insight in mind, Duracell will donate 30,000 batteries to the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) to power holiday toys for kids in need. TIF is the charitable arm of the North American toy industry, collecting toys from manufacturers, distributors and retailers to deliver them to children in need all around the world through a network of charities.

Tips from Toy Industry Experts
A big part of creating a magical Christmas morning is the moment children open the gifts that have been on their list all season long. To help ensure every parent can achieve this moment, Duracell has partnered with the nation’s best-known toy experts: TimetoPlayMag.com’s Jim Silver and Chris Byrne (aka The Toy Guy®). These industry veterans will guide parents on how to prepare for those unforgettable moments by offering toy advice from an insider’s perspective.

Toy Advice from Real Families
Duracell wanted to find real kids who had experienced truly magical Christmas mornings and identify the parents who successfully created them. The brand turned to YouTube to find the Duracell Holiday Helpers, a team of real kids and parents who will offer their advice to other families on how to create an unforgettable Christmas morning. The Holiday Helper kids will provide their viewpoints and reviews on the hottest holiday toys and educate parents on what kids really think about holiday gift giving. After all, half of parents surveyed by IPSOS wish that they had a child's perspective on a particular gift they were considering giving.2

Free Hourly Giveaway of the Hottest Holiday Toys
The hottest holiday toys are often hard to find, so Duracell’s Facebook page is making social media history with a season-long “hot” holiday toy giveaway, sponsored by Time to Play. Beginning November 25 and running through December 23, one free toy will be given away every hour on the Duracell Facebook page. Toys from brands such as Fisher-Price, Mattel, Leapfrog, Hasbro, SpinMaster, Jakks Pacific and Mega Brands will be featured. With toys being the centerpiece of holiday gift giving, Duracell also offers a battery guarantee to provide parents with extra peace of mind. The company is so confident of battery quality that if a toy doesn’t work due to a Duracell battery defect, Duracell will repair or replace it. 3

To learn more about the Duracell Holiday Insurance Program and details for the concert, visit Duracell’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/Duracell).

About the IPSOS Survey Methodology
The Duracell Holiday Insurance national survey was conducted by IPSOS among 953 randomly-selected U.S.-based parents aged 18 and over who have children under the age of 18 to whom they give gifts during Christmas time. The survey was fielded via telephone interviews between August 4th and September 13th, 2011. For more information please visit: www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5403

About Duracell
Part of the Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, Duracell also innovates in lighting, renewable power and wireless charging technologies to help consumers live life without limits. Visit www.duracell.com for more information, follow us on Twitter.com/Duracell, and like us on Facebook.com/Duracell.

About Procter & Gamble
P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, quality brands. The Company's leadership brands include Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, and Ambi Pur®. With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF)
The Toy Industry Foundation (www.toyindustryfoundation.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring joy, comfort, and learning to children in need through toys and play. While other organizations provide food, shelter and support services to children and their families, TIF sees to it that these children have toys and opportunities to play in an attempt to restore both fun and a sense of normalcy to their lives. The Foundation currently fulfills its mission through core programs including The Toy Bank™ and grants to organizations whose missions are in line with that of the TIF.

About Time to Play
TimetoPlayMag.com is a playful destination website which provides information, entertainment, and services on what's fun for children and their families. One of the most highly trafficked family-friendly websites, TimetoPlayMag.com offers parents and gift givers comprehensive content including hundreds of toy reviews and recommendations; hot toy lists and editors' picks; a product/gift finder; informative and amusing blog entries from leading toy, family entertainment and parenting experts; seasonal stories; safety tips and recall information; daily giveaways of in demand toys and more. The site is fully COPPA compliant.

Over the past fifteen years, the Time to Play editorial team has accurately predicted each season’s hottest, best-selling toys and correctly identified the industry's most prevalent product and financial trends.

Make friends with the Time to Play team online at: Facebook.com/TimetoPlayMag, Twitter.com/TimetoPlayYouTube.com/TimetoPlayMag.

1 Duracell commissioned IPSOS study of U.S. parents aged 18 and over who have a child under the age of 18 to whom they give gifts during Christmas time, August 2011
2 Duracell commissioned Ipsos study of U.S. parents aged 18 and over who have a child under the age of 18 to whom they give gifts during Christmas time, August 2011
3 Duracell guarantees these batteries against defects in materials and workmanship. Should any device be damaged due to a battery defect, we will repair or replace it at our option if it is sent with the batteries, postage paid, to Duracell, Berkshire Corporate Park, Bethel, CT 06801; Attn: Consumer Dept.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50081504&lang=en

Contacts

Duracell
Kurt Iverson, 203-796-4669
iverson.k@pg.com
or
Citizen Paine
Esther Ban, 212-613-4910
esther.ban@citizenrelations.com

Release Summary

Grammy-Nominated Recording Artist Chris Daughtry Joins Duracell to Help Kick off the Program and Host Exclusive Facebook Concert to Celebrate the Holiday Season

Contacts

Duracell
Kurt Iverson, 203-796-4669
iverson.k@pg.com
or
Citizen Paine
Esther Ban, 212-613-4910
esther.ban@citizenrelations.com