New Hot Wheels Munchy Play plate set to take mealtimes up a gear

Munchy Play is today launching the Hot Wheels Car Plate – the first of its kind to feature a built-in racetrack.

Kids can race their cars around the signature orange Hot Wheels track, dodging obstacles along the way, before taking a pit stop to ‘refuel’. The plate features a 4cm track around its perimeter, which fits all Hot Wheels diecast cars.

Available exclusively in the UK and Ireland, the tableware starts from £15.99 and is available at munchyplay.com, Amazon, and a number of outlets.

Sophia Procter, founder and CEO of Munchy Play, says: “We are thrilled to launch our exciting new Car Plate with Hot Wheels in the driving seat! Designed to bring fun to mealtimes, it’s also a real sanity-saver for parents too. Following the success of our Thomas & Friends train plate collection, it was a natural choice to partner with Mattel again. I know children will love this design as much as we do.”

Munchy Play has received several industry awards for its innovative track plates and was recently named London Start-up Business of the Year by the Federation of Small Business.

Jon Spalding, Mattel Head of UK Consumer Products, says: “Hot Wheels is all about igniting the challenger spirit, and this fun Car Plate certainly promises to rev-up dinner time by tapping into children’s universal love of Hot Wheels and imaginative car play. We are excited to collaborate with Munchy Play again and extend our partnership on this innovative product.”

Suitable from 6+ months, Munchy Play tableware is easy to clean, stack and store. The high sides made it easier for little ones scoop up food, while the sturdy non-slip base helps prevents accidents. Made in Britain using polypropylene, the plates are free of BPA, PVC, and melamine. With zero-single-use plastic, both plate and packaging can be recycled.

For more information, visit munchyplay.com and hotwheels.com.

 

New Hot Wheels Munchy Play plate set to take mealtimes up a gear

Munchy Play is today launching the Hot Wheels Car Plate – the first of its kind to feature a built-in racetrack.

Kids can race their cars around the signature orange Hot Wheels track, dodging obstacles along the way, before taking a pit stop to ‘refuel’. The plate features a 4cm track around its perimeter, which fits all Hot Wheels diecast cars.

Available exclusively in the UK and Ireland, the tableware starts from £15.99 and is available at munchyplay.com, Amazon, and a number of outlets.

Sophia Procter, founder and CEO of Munchy Play, says: “We are thrilled to launch our exciting new Car Plate with Hot Wheels in the driving seat! Designed to bring fun to mealtimes, it’s also a real sanity-saver for parents too. Following the success of our Thomas & Friends train plate collection, it was a natural choice to partner with Mattel again. I know children will love this design as much as we do.”

Munchy Play has received several industry awards for its innovative track plates and was recently named London Start-up Business of the Year by the Federation of Small Business.

Jon Spalding, Mattel Head of UK Consumer Products, says: “Hot Wheels is all about igniting the challenger spirit, and this fun Car Plate certainly promises to rev-up dinner time by tapping into children’s universal love of Hot Wheels and imaginative car play. We are excited to collaborate with Munchy Play again and extend our partnership on this innovative product.”

Suitable from 6+ months, Munchy Play tableware is easy to clean, stack and store. The high sides made it easier for little ones scoop up food, while the sturdy non-slip base helps prevents accidents. Made in Britain using polypropylene, the plates are free of BPA, PVC, and melamine. With zero-single-use plastic, both plate and packaging can be recycled.

For more information, visit munchyplay.com and hotwheels.com.

 

Hot Wheels is latest Mattel IP heading for the big screen

Mattel and Warner Bros. Pictures have announced that J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot will produce Hot Wheels, a live-action motion picture featuring the iconic toy racing car.

“As the global leader in car culture, Hot Wheels has been igniting the challenger spirit in auto enthusiasts for generations,” says Robbie Brenner, Executive Producer, Mattel Films. “Fans of all ages are now in for the ride of their lives with the incredible talent of J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot joining us alongside Warner Bros. Pictures to transform Hot Wheels’ legendary IP into a thrilling story for the big screen.”

Hot Wheels is the #1 selling toy in the world, with over 8 billion vehicles sold. The franchise has proven its influence through unparalleled collaborations with global leaders in automotive, streetwear, fashion, luxury, entertainment, gaming, action sports and motorsports.

“Growing up, Hot Wheels were more than just cars, they were vehicles for our imaginations,” says Peter Dodd, Vice President of Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. “Today, we at Warner Bros. are thrilled to bring that imagination to the big screen with Robbie Brenner and the creative team at Mattel along with the ingenious minds of J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella and the team at Bad Robot.”

Hannah Minghella, Bad Robot’s President of Motion Pictures, adds: “Before Hot Wheels became the global household name it is today, it was the dream of Elliot Handler, who was inventing and building toy cars at home in his Southern California garage. It’s that imagination, passion, and risk-taking spirit that we want to capture in this film.”

Kevin McKeon, Vice President, and Andrew Scannell, Creative Executive, will lead the project for Mattel Films. Peter Dodd will lead the project for Warner Bros. Pictures. Hannah Minghella and Jon Cohen will oversee for Bad Robot.Mattel Films and Warner Bros. Pictures are also partners on the upcoming motion picture, Barbie. Now in principal photography, the film is targeted for theatrical release in 2023. The film stars and is produced by Margot Robbie under her Lucky Chap Entertainment banner and directed by Greta Gerwig, who also wrote the screenplay alongside her husband Noah Baumbach.

In addition to Hot Wheels, the Mattel Films development slate features movies based on American Girl, Barbie, Barney, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, UNO, View Master, and Wishbone. Mattel Films is also developing Christmas Balloon, based on all-new IP.

Fender and Mattel collaborate for one-of-a-kind Hot Wheels collection

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation’s Fender Custom Shop has announced the launch of a special collaboration with Mattel and Hot Wheels.

Created by the Shop’s team of 11 master builders and five apprentice builders, the Fender Custom Shop Hot Wheels collection consists of 16 one-of-a-kind, bespoke designs inspired by the die-cast vehicles introduced by Mattel in 1968.

Each guitar in the collection is designed with careful attention to unique designs, graphics and Hot Wheels colour shades that stay true to the 1:64 scale cars. In addition, each model comes with a Hot Wheels strap and pick set as well as a custom Hot Wheels Hardshell case, all adorned in the brand’s signature orange and blue, as well as a Hot Wheels die-cast that its associated guitar is inspired by and a certificate of authenticity.

“We’re honoured to be working with Mattel to bring this Hot Wheels collection to life,” says Mike Lewis, VP Product Development, Fender Custom Shop. “For years, we’ve taken a deep source of inspiration from the automobile industry and with such a unique take on cars, Hot Wheels was always a dream partner. Each builder crafted their own guitar with world-class creativity and we can’t wait for people globally to see these collectible products.”page1image15070912

“The Hot Wheels team is thrilled to create such a special collection of guitars with the global leaders of musical instruments at Fender Custom Shop,” says Ted Wu, Global Head of Hot Wheels Design at Mattel. “Both of our brands trace their roots back to California, with Hot Wheels embodying SoCal car culture and Fender synonymous with Los Angeles rock ’n’ roll. We can’t wait for artists and car enthusiasts alike to see these one-of-a-kind designs.”

The collection features a variety of established models, including the Stratocaster, Precision Bass, Telecaster, Jaguar and Katana.

“Hot Wheels rides have been just as much part of our team’s childhood as classic guitars, so getting the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind instruments inspired by some of our favourite cars has been a dream,” says Dennis Galuszka, FCS Master Builder. “Each builder brought their own unique take to the design process, which was influenced by years of childhood nostalgia and the iconic orange track. The final results are works of art that pay tribute to both Fender and Hot Wheels.”

As the bestselling toy in the world, Hot Wheels has become a worldwide powerhouse franchise with live and virtual events on almost every continent, sought-after consumer products and top-tier collaborations, a number-one-rated content channel on YouTube and more. While 16.5 Hot Wheels are sold every second and over 8 billion cars have been sold to date, the brand continues to expand its presence in new ways such as NFTs and digital gaming, with success across mobile, console and PC platforms.page5image15139584

Hot Wheels Collection guitars will be available for purchase at limited dealers. For more information visit www.fendercustomshop.com.

DC FanDome exclusives and new ‘The Batman’ merch available now

Hot on the heels of a record-breaking DC FanDome, DC and Warner Bros Consumer Products have revealed more products inspired by DC Super Heroes.

Multiple retailers including the DC Shop and Walmart have unveiled toys, collectables and apparel, with the DC Shop offering more than 60 exclusive DC FanDome 2021 graphics with the potential for fans to choose from more than 270 different products.

Fans are getting a first look at the new The Batman merchandise. LEGO’s The Batman collection is available for presale exclusively at Walmart.com and features three new building sets. Meanwhile, manufacturer McFarlane Toys Collectibles has debuted a lineup of collectables related to The Batmanmovie. The Batman, The Riddler and Catwoman are all available to pre-order for $19.99.

The Batman Batmobile by Hot Wheels (pictured) is a collectible replica of Batman’s newest vehicle from the highly anticipated film. This 1:10 scale Ultimate edition features movie-accurate graphics, LED lights, smoke and flame FX from both the hood and the rear, detailed exterior and interior, a Batcave-inspired plinth, and a posable Batman figure behind the wheel. It boasts high-tech features such as light and sound effects and working suspension, as well as a diorama plinth.

Puma and Warner Bros Consumer Products have dropped five PUMA Suedes, each tied to a specific DC character, designed by award winning comic artist Jen Bartel. She took her inspiration from The Suicide Squad to create sneakers for King Shark, Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, and Bloodsport.

Tango Hotel is releasing a limited-edition clothing collection featuring key artwork from Batman: The World, DC’s new 184-page hardcover anthology book. Apparel collections from Extra Butter and Meshika Hats have also dropped.

DC FanDome shattered last year’s viewership with 66 million views worldwide to date from the streaming event on October 16. The virtual event drew fans from around the world to immerse themselves in the DC Multiverse with exclusive first-looks and behind-the-scenes previews from highly anticipated feature films, live-action and animated television series, games, comics, home entertainment releases and more.

 

 

Barbie, Jurassic World, and Masters of the Universe help drive Mattel Q2 2021 sales to $1.03bn

The global toy maker, Mattel has seen its Q2 2021 net sales increase 40 per cent on last year, with particular success across EMEA where the firm’s growth has exceeded the industry by 11 percentage points.

Mattel bosses have billed it ‘another exceptional quarter’ having witnessed ‘outstanding consumer demand for products,’ driving its net sales for the quarter to $1.03 billion. It’s according to the latest NPD figures that Matte’s point of sale growth outpaced the industry, with ‘strong consumer demand across the portfolio.’

Across the EMEA region, the toy maker was up 54 per cent, with POS increasing double digits.

“We believe we are in the strongest position we have been in many years to improve profitability and accelerate topline growth,” said Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel. “This is an exciting time for Mattel.”

The firm’s CEO stated that the company’s performance over the quarter is now adding momentum to its transformation strategy, establishing Mattel as an “IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”

Net sales for the firm for the first six months of the year are now up 43 per cent. Gross Billings in its North America segment increased 30 per cent, driven by growth in Vehicles, including Hot Wheels, Cars, and Matchbox; Dolls including Barbie, Spirit, and Polly Pocket; Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other, including Jurassic World, Masters of the Universe, WWE, and MEGA.

Its Infant, Toddler, and Preschool segment, including Fisher-Price and Thomas and Friends also performed well.

Meanwhile, net sales in the international segment increased 57 per cent, while across EMEA, Mattel outpaced the industry in the first half of 2021, growing two times faster than the industry total.

According to NPD, in Q2 alone, Mattel was up five per cent while the industry declined.

International sales have been driven by growth across Mattel’s Dolls, Vehicles, Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other, as well as Infant, Toddler, and Preschool.

Worldwide Gross Billings for Dolls were $395 million, up 51 per cent versus the prior year’s second quarter, while worldwide Gross Billings for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool were $229 million, up 15 per cent on last year. This was primarily driven by Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends.

Worldwide Gross Billings for Vehicles were $266 million, up 68 per cent and driven by Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Cars, while worldwide Gorss Billings for Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other were $258 million, up 32 per cent. This was driven primarily by growth in Jurassic World, Masters of the Universe, WWE, and MEGA. It was partially off-set by Games, including UNO.

Amid the second quarter success for the toy maker, however, Mattel has been making headlines this week as bosses at the global company indicate towards upcoming price increases, following a rise in costs of raw materials and the ongoing issues around shipping and the current ‘sky-high’ prices of containers.

“We will be looking at increasing prices in the second half of [the] year,” Mattel’s chief executive Ynon Kreiz told the BBC.

“We haven’t broken out [which products will be affected], but this is in response to some of the inflationary pressures. We’re not the only ones who did it, in our industry everyone did – and no-one is surprised by [price increases].”

Mattel encountered supply chain issues due to problems with shipping but had got around the worst of them due to the scale of the business.

“We were able to leverage our size and partnerships that we have with our vendors and retail partners and mitigate some of these issues, so we did not have any impact on our business in the second quarter,” he said.

Record quarter for Mattel as CEO Ynon Kreiz cites “exceptional results reflective of firm’s turnaround”

Mattel has seen first quarter net sales up by 47 per cent year on year in what the toy maker’s chairman and CEO, Ynon Kreiz has called ‘another record quarter for the company’ with “exceptional results” reflective of the firm’s turnaround.

This marks Mattel’s third consecutive quarter of growing market share with results that have caused for renewed optimism in the success of the company to both ‘improve profitability and accelerate topline growth in 2021 and beyond.’

Kreiz has noted that while growth this quarter was “partially driven by year over year Covid-related comparisons” and lower sales in the same quarter the year prior owing to the onset of the pandemic, the toy maker believes its results overall are “attributable to the strength of brands, quality and breadth of product, and world class supply chain, as well as effective demand creation in partnership with its retail partners.”

Mattel saw net sales in North America increase 67 per cent as reported versus the prior year’s first quarter. This was driven by growth across its Dolls – including Barbie and Spirit – sector, as well as its Infant, Toddler, and Pre-school (including Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends), Vehicles (including Hot Wheels), and Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other (including Masters of the Universe, Jurassic World, Plush, WWE, and Mega).

Net sales in the international segment increased 30 per cent as reported driven by similar growth across the categories.

Decreases in net sales occurred across Mattel’s American Girl segment by 22 per cent.

Mattel has stated that its top priority continues to be the health and safety of its people, and at the same time, mitigating the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic to the business.

Anthony DiSilvestro, CFO of Mattel, said: “Mattel delivered another outstanding quarter, and we are very pleased with our start to the year. Free Cash Flow improved significantly along with our Free Cash Flow Conversion rate, leverage ratio continues to come down, and the debt refinancing provides additional flexibility as we continued to make further progress towards our strategy to improve profitability and accelerate topline growth.

“We believe we are well-positioned to gain momentum for the full year. We are revising 2021 guidance to reflect our stronger-than-anticipated first quarter performance and updated outlook for cost inflation.”

Mattel teams with game developer Milestone to launch Hot Wheels Unleashed across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC

Mattel has partnered with the global racing game developer, Milestone, to launch Hot Wheels Unleashed, an arcade-style racing game scheduled to launch across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The new title will see players drift, boost, jump, and crash on Hot Wheels’ recognisable orange tracks in various single player game modes. Gamers can also challenge friends in multiplayer races, both online and offline.

“We continue to focus on engaging consumers with our brands through gaming platforms,” said Andrew Chan, head of digital gaming, Mattel. “Hot Wheels is all about encouraging the challenger spirit and Hot Wheels Unleashed brings that mission to life for gamers of all ages.

“Milestone’s expertise in racing game development has enabled us to transform the Hot Wheels brand into a compelling console and PC gaming experience for both current Hot Wheels fans and gamers who may be rediscovering the iconic brand.”

Michele Caletti, executive producer at Milestone, added: “Like many other team members who worked on the game, I’ve been playing with Hot Wheels since I was a child, and today I’m still a hungry Hot Wheels fan and collector.

“This is the reason why we’re all so committed in delivering the purest and most authentic Hot Wheels gameplay experience ever in a videogame. We owe it to the Hot Wheels community and to our inner children.”

Hot Wheels Unleashed offers players the opportunity to drive the cars as if they were playing with the die-cast toys. The gameplay includes adrenaline-filled races, an extended choice of Hot Wheels vehicles with different attributes and rarity levels that players can customize with different skins.

Tracks in the game are also set within everyday life locations, with special track pieces and interactive items. The game also features a Track Editor, enabling players to customize tracks in any game environment and share them with the game’s community.

Hot Wheels Singles assortment was recently recognized as the 2020 Global Top-Selling Toy of the Year, according to the NPD Group. Fans can experience the brand, which originally debuted in 1968, through toys, consumer products, content, and both virtual and live events.

Mattel and Milestone are introducing a variety of different versions of Hot Wheels Unleashed globally.

Mattel moves into Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz with family entertainment venue Mission: Play

Mattel has moved into Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz to open its first European entertainment experience, Mission: Play, a 4,000 square meter family entertainment centre in the middle of the capital’s tourist sector.

The toy brand’s latest enterprise will arrive as part of the redevelopment plans of the Arkaden shopping centre as it looks to bring in around 90 new shops, restaurants, and major names in sport and entertainment.

The new Mattel venue will house themed areas for Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Mega Bloks, and will boast an array of physical and digital play experiences, as well as edutainment, events, and experiential retail.

The site will be developed by iP2Development and operated by Planet Leisure Germany.

Roger Houben, CEO at the Amsterdam-based iP2Development, said: “Lifestyle malls such as Potsdamer Platz have a need for a diversified offering of entertainment where we aim at the high end of the offering. Our partnership with Mattel reimagines the indoor entertainment centre experience and the gamification system will be delivering all the fun challenging elements found in games to drive customer engagement and repeat visitation.

“We are creating a meaningful community for the children where they will learn by having fun, all the playful activities heighten creativity, boost critical thinking and improve collaborative and communicative skills.”

Mattel achieves ‘best performance in years’ as Barbie and Hot Wheels fuel Q4 and full year success

Mattel bosses have hailed the company’s fourth quarter and full year 2020 financial results as ‘its best performance in years,’ having beaten all expectations to see Q4 net sales up ten per cent and full year sales increase by 2 per cent to hit $4,584 million.

Sales of the company’s fashion doll brand, Barbie, as well as the continued popularity of Hot Wheels in the Vehicles sector, and Mattel’s portfolio of games fueled much of the fourth quarter success for the company across both its domestic North American and international markets.

Q4 net sales in the North America segment increased 13 per cent, primarily driven by growth across Dolls, Infant, Toddler, and Pre-school, Action Figures, Games and Other. Meanwhile, net sales in the international segment saw a lift of seven per cent.

For the full year 2020, net sales in North America were up seven per cent versus the prior year, but the international market saw a dip of four per cent due to declines in Infant, Toddler, and Pre-school sales, as well as action figures, building sets, and vehicles.

The decrease was partially off-set by growth in the dolls category that was driven primarily by Barbie.

Across the EMEA market, Year on Year growth was 12 per cent in constant currency, representing double digit gains across two of Mattel’s largest markets in North America and EMEA. It’s according to the NPD Group that Mattel outpaced the industry in Q4 last year, growingg approximately five times faster than the industry for the year.

Ynon Kreiz, chairman and CEO of Mattel, said: “This was a banner quarter for the company with our best performance in years. In the midst of a pandemic and very challenging market conditions, our results exceeded expectations, with another major upswing in topline and a significant increase in profitability, as we gained global market share and continued to transform Mattel into an IP-driven, high performing toy company.

“The fourth quarter and full year demonstrated the resilience of the toy industry and the priority that parents place on quality toys, trusted brands and purposeful play.

“Our momentum was driven by the quality and breadth of our product offering, enduring strength of our brands, highly efficient supply chain, world-class commercial capabilities and very effective demand creation, in close collaboration with our retail partners. The continuous improvement in our performance puts us in a strong position from which we believe we can accelerate our growth.

“I could not be more proud of the entire Mattel global team for having stepped up in an extremely tumultuous year to support our consumers, customers, business partners and communities where we live and work.”

Mattel’s CFO, Anthony DiSilvestro, added: “Mattel delivered another outstanding quarter of double-digit growth with broad-based gains across the portfolio and continued improvement in gross margin, and we are pleased with our performance for the full year.

“With a strong finish and positive start to 2021, we are providing guidance for the new year reflecting continued improvement in both our top and bottom line. Mattel also stands to benefit from our newly announced Optimizing for Growth programme and we believe we are well-positioned to continue this momentum.”

The Optimising for Growth programme aims to streamline key processes at the toy maker and is expected to deliver in aggregate $250 million of incremental cost savings by 2023.