NHL Icon Wayne Gretzky, Stars McDavid And Toews Are The Toast Of The Town
By Barry Janoff
November 24, 2017: Companies offer some quirky items for sale during the holidays.
You’d have to look hard to find one quirkier than this. But at least the money went for a good cause.
NHL icon Wayne Gretzky league staars Jonathan Toews and Connor McDavid each lent their image to the Canadian Tire Jumpstart "Give a Toast” charity platform, which helps Canadian children who come from financially distressed families participate in organized sports.
The limited-edition appliances, which toast bread and, more importantly, imprint each player's face on every slice, were so popular that all three styles sold out in a day earlier this week (Nov. 20). (The Web site proclaimed: “That’s it. They’re toast.”)
Each toaster — available only in "goalpost red" and only available in Canada — was given a name.
Gretzky: ”The Great Toast.” McDavid: “Toaster of Tomorrow.” Toews: ”The Toews-ter.”
Toews (Chicago Blackhawks), McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) and Gretzky each recorded a video to support the effort.
According to Gretzky’s promo, “This isn’t just a toaster. This isn’t even just a good toaster. This is The Great Toaster, and it could be the greatest toaster of all time. This is the one that changed the game. The one that grew up toasting on an outdoor rink in his backyard. The one with four Stanley Crusts.
"It doesn’t go where the toast is, it goes where the toast is going to be. And it’s going to be in your kitchen.”
McDavid’s push claimed, “Every once in a while, a new innovation comes about that changes our perception of the world, challenges the status quo, and sets human history on a new course. And while all this is going on, we eat toast.
"So ask yourself, do you want a toaster with today’s technology, or do you want to upgrade to something better, something faster, and something that could change the face of bread forever? The choice is yours. The toaster can be too.”
Toew’s offer explained, “If you want to be like Jonathan Toews don’t eat bread, and do 1,000,000 push-ups per week, and become one of the best players in the game. But that’s hard — so instead, why not eat like Toews, if Toews did eat bread. Even though he doesn’t.
"This is the Toews-ter — the obvious choice for those who want to be like Jonathan Toews, but can’t be.”
All proceeds — $24.99 (Canadian) per toaster — are going to Jumpstart charities to help more than “2,500 kids get off the sidelines and into the game.”
On its Twitter site, Canadian Tire tweeted, “We want to #GiveAToast to all those who helped @CTJumpstart get 2,500 kids off the sidelines and into the game. Pass the toast, and spread the generosity. Thank you to all those who ordered. Now get toasting!”