The Biggest Secret of the Holiday Season is Out! Fisher-Price® Reveals New T.M.X.™ Elmo at Retail Stores Nationwide

NEW YORK -- Sept. 19, 2006 -- The secret is out! On the tenth anniversary of Tickle Me Elmo, Fisher-Price Friends {a division of Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.}, revealed the top secret new "T.M.X.™" Elmo today at retails stores nationwide. After months and months of absolute secrecy, Fisher-Price finally let the furry red monster out of the box.

"T.M.X." Elmo performs like no plush toy ever before. Think of a great belly laugh, a laugh that has you doubled over with giggles; a laugh that has you catching your breath; a giggle so infectious it's impossible to regain your composure and the harder you try, the funnier it gets, until it finally sends you to the floor thumping your hand on the ground in absolute glee. Now imagine a toy that can do all that, and then get back on its feet, all by itself.

"This toy is truly amazing and so engaging," says Jim Silver, publisher of Toy Wishes Magazine. "With every tickle of his chin, tummy or foot, Elmo laughs harder and harder. It pulls the child in and you can't help but join in on the laughter, too."

"On the tenth anniversary of Tickle Me® Elmo, we really wanted to pull out all the stops," says Neil Friedman, president of Mattel Brands. "It's ten years later and technology is ten years better. With 'T.M.X.' Elmo, we can tap into Elmo's sweet, fun-loving nature in a way we've never done before."

The Toy Guy® Chris Byrne says, "You won't believe what this little guy does, and if you don't laugh till you cry, you must have no funny bone at all. A remarkable feat of technology and precision engineering, 'T.M.X.' Elmo will engage anyone who sees it and engulf them in gales of laughter as he goes through his three levels of hilarity. Get ready for another phenomenon!"

"T.M.X." Elmo will tickle kids' funny bone with three interactive tickle spots on his chin, tummy or foot. When kids tickle Elmo once on any of the tickle spots, he starts to laugh and slap his leg twice, then falls down into a sitting position and rocks himself back up to standing while laughing. When they tickle him a second time, he repeats the pattern even more, then sits down again and falls backwards onto his back and starts kicking his feet while laughing even harder. He then stands back up and asks to be tickled again. And on the third tickle he absolutely lets loose going through the first two patterns and then rolling over onto his tummy where he starts thumping his hand on the floor in gales of laughter, then rolling onto his back, standing up again, and ending with a deep sigh.

"T.M.X." Elmo was delivered to retailers two weeks ago under tight security with strict instructions to keep it locked up and off-shelf until today. With pre-sales dating back to the spring, Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us and KB Toys have been geared up for today's reveal and Target and Kmart are also set to handle consumer demand.

"We've done our best to prepare for consumer demand, but it's impossible to predict the kind of phenomenon that would create shortages," explains Gina Sirard, Fisher-Price Friends vice president, marketing. "We expect to be making deliveries right up through Christmas and into the New Year. However, if consumer demand greatly exceeds expectations, given the sophisticated engineering involved in 'T.M.X.' Elmo, it may be particularly difficult to fill retailers' re-orders this year."

"T.M.X." Elmo, (the X stands for "extreme" and celebrates the tenth anniversary of the original Tickle Me Elmo), for children of all ages, 18 months and up, will retail for approximately $39.99, and is available now at retailers nationwide.

Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) and located in East Aurora, New York, is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world. The Company has a 75-year legacy of high-quality toys that enhance early childhood development. Its often-emulated Play Laboratory was the first child research center of its kind in the toy industry, allowing researchers to observe the way children play and how play benefits their development. Some of the Company's best-known "classic" brands include Little People®, Power Wheels® and View-Master®. Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear products (nursery monitors, infant swings, high chairs) as well as a wide array of character-based toys inspired by high quality children's programming such as Sesame Street®, Dora the Explorer™ and Winnie the Pooh. The Company's web site, at www.fisher-price.com, provides valuable information and resources to parents.