Venture plush hound howls holiday cheer - Venture Stores Retailers Ltd., discount chain markets plush toys as Christmas promotion

Discount Store News, Nov 13, 1989 by Richard C. Halverson

Venture Plush Hound Howls Holiday Cheer

O'FALLON, Mo. - For the second year in a row, Venture is promoting its Christmas plush by dressing a demonstrator in an 8-foot tall inflatable costume patterned after the figure.

Venture has dubbed its 1989 Christmas plush, Berrymore the Holiday Hound, which resembles the Snoopy pooch. It carries a retail price of $5. Venture also is bringing back one of two 1988 plush figures, Sno-Ball, also at $5. As its name suggests, Sno-Ball is a white fluffy ball figure, wearing a stocking cap and bells. It sold out last year in three days, a Venture spokeswoman said.

The other 1988 plush, Holly, a female moose figure, joined her male partner, Moostle Toe, the 1987 plush, as standing figures each year. They retail for $9.

Last year, Venture commissioned Moostle Toe and Holly characters from Entertainment Research Group, a San Rafael, Calif.-based manufacturer of inflatable, walk-around characters.

Venture used the characters to promote goodwill and boost holiday plush sales by appearing at store openings, parades, and visiting children's hospitals throughout its four major markets: Chicago, St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Kansas City.

They worked out so well that Venture commissioned another character based on Berrymore.

PHOTO : Berrymore the Holiday Hound (center), representing Venture's selection of Christmas plush toys, practices his footwork with Moostle Toe (l.) and his partner Holly.