About the Let Toys Be Toys campaign - presentation to student journalists on Cardiff Journalism school Communicating Causes module.

1. Let Toys Be Toys

2. Overview
Started on Mumsnet Nov / Dec 2012
14 retailers have now changed or promised to
change signage and organisation of toys
Launched ‘Let Books be Books’ petition on World
Book Day 2014
Launched ‘Toymark Good Practice Award’
Launched schools resources Sept 2014 to tackle
gender stereotyping in primary schools

11. Context
•Massive rise in gendered marketing
•Social acceptance of 'Men are from Mars, Women
are from Venus' guff
•Media love a stereotypes story
•Rise of new feminist movements (NMP3, Everyday
sexism)
•Voices speaking out against 'neurosexism'
•Rising awareness of harm to girls (Pinkstinks)
•No-one's really talking about boys

13. Possible targets
•Shoppers – but no-one likes to be lectured
•Manufacturers – huge, hard to influence, slow to
change
•Politicians – risky!
•Retailers – visible, accessible, influential
•Publishers – visible, accessible, influential

14. lAims and objectives
l“The Let Toys Be Toys campaign is asking the toy
and publishing industries to stop limiting
children’s interests by promoting some toys and
books as only suitable for girls, and others only
for boys.”
Underlying aim is challenging stereotypes
Objective – get signs removed from shops
Objective – get labels removed from books

18. lSupporters
lListen to them
lProvide ways they can
contribute
lGive them tools and
ammunition they can use

19. lNeutral
l“The Let Toys Be Toys campaign
is asking the toy and publishing
industries to stop limiting
children’s interests by
promoting some toys and books
as only suitable for girls, and
others only for boys.”
lThink about barriers
lFocus on limitations, harm
to children
lFocus on manipulation and
exploitation

21. lHostile
lReiterate key messages
lBe ready to neutralise
lDon't leave open goals
lDon't just assume they're
stupid because 'they don't
get it'
lDon't let them make you
look po-faced

22. lRetailers
lPolite, professional tone
lEngage and listen
lBe willing to assume good
faith
lBe firm

23. Stereotypes are harmful
•Kids should decide for themselves what they
think is fun. Toys are for fun, for learning, for
stoking imagination and encouraging creativity
•Play matters: Children need a wide range of play
to develop different skills
•Marketing matters: restricting buying choices
and reinforcing gender rules
•Stereotypes matter: limiting job expectations,
affecting self-image and self-esteem

24. Proposed solution
•If retailers drop boys and girls labels on toys and
books children will feel more free to choose their
interests, and shoppers will be encouraged to buy
outside narrow boy/girl categories.

25. Mechanisms
•Petitions (change.org – 12k signatures)
•Facebook (13k Page likes)
•Twitter (12k followers)
•Website
•Media coverage
•What don't we do? And why?

26. Evaluation
•What does success look like?
•Comms outcomes are useful to measure but...
•Think about how you can measure IMPACT
l14 retailers changed policies
l60% reduction in boy/girl shop signage
lWorking on websites research
lShift in the tone of the debate

27. Change in stores

28. Questions?
•lettoysbetoys.org.uk
•lettoysbetoys@gmail.com
•@LetToysBeToys
•Facebook.com/lettoysbetoys
•Jess Day @day_jess