FEATURE/Fisher-Price Announces Grand Prize Winner of Tickle Me Elmo Surprise Sweepstakes; Three First Prize Packages Still Outstanding.

Features Editors

FEATURE...

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Feb. 28, 2002

Mattel's preschool subsidiary Fisher-Price(R) (NYSE:MAT) announced today on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" that Brandi Goodwin of Washington, D.C. is the grand prize winner of the Tickle Me Elmo Surprise Sweepstakes. It was her son Brandon Andrew's Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll that made it official on the evening of January 9, 2002.

And for Ms. Goodwin, it could not have come at a better time. Only nineteen and living alone in an apartment with her sixteen-month old son, Ms. Goodwin has been struggling to secure her small family's future. Her own mother passed away nine years ago leaving Ms. Goodwin to be raised by aunts and her older sister.

"If I hadn't won this sweepstakes, I might have been homeless by now," she says. "Now I can buy a house, go to college and live happily ever after."

Brandon Andrew had received the Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll as a gift this past Christmas from Ms. Goodwin's favorite cousin, who purchased the doll at Hecht's. As Ms. Goodwin recalls, she had been waiting for the special Sweepstakes day and tried to find Elmo's most ticklish spot in the morning but the announcement had not yet been activated. It was not until later that evening, after a long day at work, that the busy young mom gave the doll another squeeze and then, to her amazement, Elmo began singing Congratulations!

"At first, I thought it was just saying congratulations, you found the new tickle spot, but then he kept going, talking about the sweepstakes and that's when I really lost it," says Ms. Goodwin.

As the Grand Prize winner, Ms. Goodwin collects a $200,000 check that can be used towards the purchase of a new house; plus a special Elmo-decorated Volkswagen(R) New Beetle; a Power Wheels by Fisher-Price(R) Elmo-decorated Volkswagen(R) New Beetle ride-on toy; an Elmo-decorated personal computer; and $60,000 (valued at maturity) in U.S. Savings Bonds that can be used towards education!

"It is so gratifying to know that we've helped change someone's life for the better," says Neil Friedman, president of Fisher-Price. "It's what Fisher-Price and Sesame Street are all about."

Ms. Goodwin was a guest today on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" where she made the opening announce.

In addition to the Grand Prize winner, the Tickle Me Elmo Surprise Sweepstakes offers four First Place Prize packages and to date only one has been claimed. First Prize winners receive a special Elmo-decorated Volkswagen(R) New Beetle; a Power Wheels by Fisher-Price(R) Elmo-decorated Volkswagen(R) New Beetle ride-on toy; an Elmo-decorated personal computer; and $40,000 (valued at maturity) in U.S. Savings Bonds that can be used towards education.

According to the Sweepstakes rules, if winners do not come forward, a Second Chance Drawing will be conducted on or about August 31, 2002, from among all eligible entries received by July 8, 2002.

Everyone who owns a Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll received a special little something on January 9th. In an unprecedented use of technology, early last year Fisher-Price pre-programmed all of the products to activate a new play pattern on that day.

As children already know, the Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll features five tickle spots -- under each of his arms, the bottoms of his feet and his tummy -- and only one that sends him off into gales of laughter. It changes every time they play and on January 9th, when kids found Elmo's most ticklish spot, they heard something new. Instead of hearing Elmo's signature laughter, they heard Elmo say, "You've tickled Elmo's arms, Elmo's tummy and his toes. Now here's the big surprise, tickle Elmo's nose."

And when kids squeezed Elmo's nose, he did something entirely new. He started to sing! Elmo delights his fans with a special tickle song. "You tickle me, you tickle me. You make Elmo laugh, he's happy as can be. Cause you tickle Elmo."

With three First Prize packages still outstanding, anyone in the United States who takes home a Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll still has a chance to be a winner in the Sweepstakes. Consumers are also able to participate by mail without purchase of a doll. Those who make a request by mail receive a rub-off game piece that will advise them if they are a winner. Those who purchase a Tickle Me Elmo Surprise doll will find out if they are a winner if they hear a special message from Elmo.

The new play pattern will become permanent following the initial activation, so that in addition to the five tickle spots that change every time kids play, following January 9th, every time kids squeeze Elmo's nose, they can hear the Tickle Song.

Fisher-Price, Inc. located in East Aurora, New York, is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world. Now celebrating 70 years of excellence in children's products, the Fisher-Price brand includes some of the most popular and widely recognized character brands - - from Barney(TM) and Blues' Clues(TM) to Disney, Dora the Explorer(TM), Sesame Street(R) and Winnie the Pooh.

Some of the Company's most popular "classic" toy lines include Little People(R), Power Wheels(R) and View-Master(R). The Company also develops and markets an extensive line of juvenile products such as nursery monitors, that help families get the best possible start in life. Fisher-Price is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. The Company's web site can be found at www.fisher-price.com.

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Editor's Note: Consumers can find complete rules and details on the Tickle Me Elmo Surprise Sweepstakes on specially marked Tickle Me Elmo Surprise packages or at www.fisher-price.com.