Today, the toy brand unveiled Murph, an anthropomorphic character made entirely out of Nerf darts.
“We wanted to introduce a mascot that represents this ageless, unbridled fun that lives in all of us and creates a physical embodiment of that feeling you get when you play with Nerf,” said Adam Kleinman, SVP and GM of Nerf at parent company Hasbro.
Kleinman noted the marketing push around Murph, who he described as a playful spirit and gifted athlete, is based on internal research showing parents’ desire to create moments of active play they experienced as kids with their own children.
“Nerf recognizes that while screens are great, there remains a need for kids, and their parents, to get out, get active and make memories,” Kleinman added.
Murph is scheduled to begin appearing in commercials, retail outlets and across Nerf’s social media channels later this month as part of a new multi-year marketing campaign titled “Unleash the Play in You,” created in partnership with The Martin Agency.