Hot Wheels For Real was a three-year global program designed to take Hot Wheels from a toy brand for boys to an entertainment brand for kids of all ages. The multiple-award-winning work took the concept of branded content to a new level, broke three world records, and has garnered more than 300 million views.
Mattel
Hot Wheels For Real
Hot Wheels faced a challenge in staying relevant to its core audience of 6-to-9-year-old boys amid the rising popularity of action sports, video games, and mature content. This shift led to stagnation in growth for Mattel's second-largest franchise, creating a need to redefine the brand's appeal in a rapidly changing landscape.
Using an unconventional approach, we created 'Hot Wheels For Real,' a brand platform that aim to transformed Hot Wheels from a traditional toy car brand to a dynamic entertainment property.
The platform bridged reality by expanding from the familiar 1:64 scale models to full-scale, action-packed experiences. We created a compelling brand backstory and executed high-profile, world-record stunts at the Indy 500 and X Games. Along with a global TV spot, documentary series, and franchising efforts, this transformed Hot Wheels into a modern entertainment brand. This strategic shift not only targeted the core young audience but also re-engaged older, nostalgic fans, broadening the brand's appeal.
See full work below.
Hot Wheels for Real came to life as an episodic story centering around live action ‘tests’ as the Test Facility. The storyline was designed to appeal to kids yet have enough badassery to keep even adult kids glued to their screens.
It revolved around real-life versions of the global toy line, such as the Double Dare Dare Snare
(which also became ‘real’ when a 66-foot-tall version of it appeared at the X Games, Episode 6).
Below is a case-study that sums up Season 1.
Season 2 marked the evolution of Hot Wheels from a toy brand to a global entertainment property. An epic, action-packed, interactive 22-minute movie titled 'World's Best Driver,' featuring Team Hot Wheels and Mario Andretti in never-before-seen vehicles, aired simultaneously across 204 countries on TV and in cinemas worldwide. The movie was also translated into 33 languages.
Hot Wheels World's Best Driver
Race progress could be tracked online through an interactive map, showcasing each race zone and the positions of the drivers within them. Meanwhile, the leaderboard displayed the evolving driver rankings as they advanced. Additionally, the audience had the opportunity to vote for their predicted winner in this exciting race. The content was launched via facebook and hotwheels.com.
Behind-the-scenes bonus content
Released in conjunction with our WBD film, a suite of behind the scenes videos were released, featuring bonus content, celebrity guests from the world of motorsports, and a deeper look into how each episode was made. The series was hosted by pro BMX star (and Team Hot Wheels Red driver) Aaron Ross.
Numerous Awards — Cannes — D&AD — Clio — One Show — Andy — Hollywood A-list — 2 x Guinness World Records
Agency: Mistress
Partner ECD: Damien Eley
Creative Team: Elisa Tan, Guy Helm
Designer: Ryan Fong
Account: Brittany Driscoll
Project Manager: Emily Brackett
Producers: Oscar Thomas, Dave Horowitz
Director: Mouse Mccoy, BTS Director: Kenn MacRae