Hot Wheels Epic Race
Toys and Children's Games
Hot Wheels by Mattel
2016
London, UK
Opportunity
Hot Wheels toy cars were consistently sold at a low price point for many years, and then the market became flooded with different alternatives making their products unprofitable. Hot Wheels saw the opportunity to create a fun, innovative activation to drive sales and showcase that Hot Wheels stands for racing, speed, and performance. Most importantly, the opportunity was to use this activation to expand the business into new segments where they could price their products higher.
Solution
A Hot Wheels barn where children from the Beavers and Scouts were invited to race on one of the four tracks inside. These kids got to play with the different tracks, or build their own and experience the brand and toys.
Activation Breakdown
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Partnership with the Beavers and Scouts to have them agree to be participants.
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Multiple Hot Wheels tracks for the children to play with.
Results
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“Within 12 months, Hot Wheels sales grew from $75 million to over $125 million.”1
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New, more expensive race sets, battery-powered vehicles, and remote control race cars became popular.
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Partnership with Westfield Mall to build the barn in their atrium.
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15,845 children within the direct target market directly interacted with the Hot Wheels Epic Race experience.
Takeaway
When it comes to toys and physical goods that are meant to be played with or touched after purchase, it makes sense to get them into the hands of their target. This activation gave kids a chance to see and interact with their products and explore their own creativity. Products were not sold at this activation but experienced. This creates a sense of authenticity for the brand and it makes others watching at the mall not participating want to play and incentivize them to purchase their own set. Finally, this activation was a great way to launch other higher-priced products and services.
1 Re-Inventing an Iconic Toy Brand. (n.d.) Ascension. http://ascensionstrategy.com/case-study-mattel-hot-wheels/
2 Mattel Hot Wheels “Epic Race” An epic Experience, Reconnecting with Fans and Families. (n.d.) Kreate. https://www.kreate.co.uk/casestudies/Hot-Wheels-Epic-Race
In Action
