Bandai America is planning a major promotion of its Zatch Bell Trading Card Game in conjunction with Toys 'R' Us.  The toy retailer will hold Zatch Bell events at 700 stores on September 24th and again on October 22nd.  TRU will promote the event with TV commercials on the Cartoon Network starting two weeks before the first event (there won't be any TV ads for the October date).  The events will basically function as a demo of the Zatch Bell game with up to 50 potential players per location receiving a full color Zatch Bell poster, an exclusive card, and Zatch Bell-branded book bands for carrying the Spell Books that play a major role in the Zatch Bell TCG (see 'Zatch Bell Spell Books Also Collectible').  Drawings will be held at each TRU location and the winners will receive a special Silver Spell Book on the spot.  This promotion should expose tens of thousands of potential new customers to the Zatch Bell TCG.

The Zatch Bell TCG, which has been available at Toys 'R' Us for six weeks, is now in Target and will be in Wal-Mart in the near future, but in spite of the mass market push, Bandai plans to release all Zatch Bell products to the hobby a month before sending them into the mass market.