How a 113-Year-Old Company Boosted Holiday Sales on Facebook

The classic story of The Polar Express has captivated the hearts and minds of boys and girls across the globe for nearly three decades. The popular Christmastime tale, first released in 1985 as an illustrated children’s book, has since inspired an Oscar-nominated 2004 film and a collectible railroad set from model train-makers Lionel LLC.
With the film's 10th anniversary quickly approaching, the toy manufacturer wanted to recapture the hearts and minds of railroad enthusiasts with its unique line of replica trains. To do so, the 113-year-old company launched its "Polar Express Sweepstakes" to promote its officially licensed model trains among frenzied fans. Lionel's marketers timed The Polar Express campaign from September through November to tie into the story’s holiday theme.
"Lovers of The Polar Express story are the ones we want to reach," says Jenna Egan, director of online marketing for Lionel Trains. "Lionel is a brand that’s often associated with Christmastime. Year after year, many families set up their model train sets as the centerpiece of their holiday decorations, which oftentimes means you'll find Lionel train sets choo-chooing around the Christmas tree."


Lionel gave away one free Polar Express train set for three consecutive months. Participants were required to visit Lionel's custom-made Facebook landing page and submit some personal information to enter the contest. The company's sweepstakes had three main goals: to promote The Polar Express brand, create more awareness about the product line and boost holiday sales.