Comicbook.com has reported that Toys “R” Us will be auctioning off its brand, including the name, logo, and mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe. This news comes as the former toy store giant nears the end of its process of liquidating its various properties. According to Reuters, brand specialists are saying this could be one of the most valuable brands ever sold by a company that’s going out of business.
They are also selling a large number of domain names that they have acquired over the years. These include domains like ihatetoysrus.com, toysrussucks.com, kinkytoysrus.com, adult-toys-r-us.com, and sex-toys-r-us.com. Some of these names might seem odd, but a company buying these are standard business practices. It would all be in an effort to protect the brand. Although Toys “R” Us did go further than most in this regard, according to Retail Doctor brand specialist Bob Phibbs:
They just went crazy, I’m sure they were laughing and drinking Red Bull and then just came up with every iteration they could. It shows the power of the brand, The ‘R’ Us is the key to the brand, not the Toys.
CEO Dave Brandon seemed disappointed events had led the corporation down this path as he made an official statement on the closings:
There are many people and organizations who have remained in our corner every step along the way, I want to thank our extraordinary team members who helped build Toys“R”Us into a global brand. I also want to express my appreciation for my colleagues on our board who have continued to provide support to sustain the brand and our operations throughout the restructuring process. I would also like to thank our vendors who we owe a great deal of gratitude to for their decades of support. This is a profoundly sad day for us as well as the millions of kids and families who we have served for the past 70 years.
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