A Smile for Every Child: RM100,000 worth of toys to underprivileged and oncology children through Mattel’s Happy Playcation campaign

With the objective of bringing A Smile for Every Child, toy company Mattel popular for signature brands like Hot Wheels, Uno and Barbie will be collaborating with e-commerce platform Shopee to send out toys worth up to RM100,000 as both companies look to address the need to uplift the spirits of underprivileged children during these turbulent times.

Pledging one toy for every order made via selected stores, Mattel and Shopee, as well as NGOs Dignity for Children Foundation and the Childhood Cancer Caring Society of Kuala Lumpur (CARES), are partnering on a special campaign called Happy Playcation taking place from 1 till 3 September 2021.

The participating stores are the Mattel, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price official stores on Shopee. To further encourage Malaysians to support the campaign, Mattel will offer up to 30% off on its toys during the campaign period.

Murat Ariksoy, General Manager of Mattel Continental Asia said, “We acknowledge the adverse impact of the global pandemic on children in terms of learning and simply having a memorable childhood. We are launching this campaign with the common goal of uplifting the next generation. We strive to enable all kids to feel like children again with this partnership, while seeding joy into the community and helping parents with our learning toys.”

This campaign is part of the #ShopeeGivesBack movement, which is aimed at creating awareness and driving donations for various charitable organisations to support their respective causes from healthcare and underprivileged communities to the marginalised, including animals.

Having started in 1998, the Dignity for Children Foundation provides education and care for marginalised and urban poor children in Kuala Lumpur. It currently serves over 1,700 children and youth aged 2-19 years, mainly operating education programmes in Sentul.

Liew Tong Ngan, Dignity's Director of Marketing and Communications said, “We are extremely grateful to be receiving these wonderful toys from Mattel to be distributed out to our children and youths. A very big thank you to Mattel and Shopee for remembering the underserved and allowing the young and old to reach their full potential through play."

Meanwhile, CARES is a non-profit NGO formed by parents whose children have been diagnosed with cancer, medical professionals and caring volunteers. CARES’s mission statement is to improve the quality of life and well-being of children and teens with cancer and at the same, to provide social support for the families and caregivers of the sick child while they undergo treatment for their medical conditions.

Ms. Margaret Low, CARES President said, “We’re honoured to be a part of this movement that will surely leave a positive impact in the lives of those children receiving these toys. Hopefully more meaningful initiatives like Happy Playcation will be executed down the road to continue inspiring these special individuals of our community.”

Shopee Malaysia Senior Manager (Business Development) Zed Li said, “At a time when members of the community are battling with their own struggles to get through this difficult period, it is all the more important that we lend a helping hand in the best way that we can. The underprivileged children are a group whose needs should not be neglected, especially now, and it is crucial that we help alleviate the pressure they may be facing. Mattel’s Happy Playcation campaign seeks to do just that. We’re hopeful that this initiative will bring positivity to their lives, beyond the fun that they can have with the Mattel toys. We commend everyone involved for their efforts and are pleased to provide our support to Mattel’s Happy Playcation.”

This campaign coincides with Shopee’s 9.9 Super Shopping Day which has something in-store for all its users and is currently taking place till 9 September. Buyers can look forward to claiming Free Shipping and 99% Coins Cashback vouchers, both with no minimum spend.

On top of this, the Happy Playcation campaign will stream Shopee Live sessions to showcase how Malaysians can assist in bringing a smile to a child in need. The first Shopee Live guest session was held on 27 August at 3PM, which featured a guest speaker from the Dignity for Children Foundation.

The next session on 1 September at 8.30PM will host guest speakers from CARES, who will further highlight how this campaign will bring cheer to the children. Exciting giveaways and an unboxing session of Mattel toys will also take place.

The Happy Playcation campaign is also launched in collaboration with Shopee Mum’s Club, a one-stop shop for all mothers’ needs for their child. The club shares the same aspirations of bringing happiness to a child, even beyond a mother’s own. Happy Playcation will be handing out exclusive vouchers to club members to encourage participation of the campaign among the community of mothers.