Feature - Action Vehicles

Track and race

Though innovation is key within the Action Vehicle category, with manufacturers always looking to move up a gear to keep the consumer interested, it’s often a balancing act in weighing up demand for the new with more tried and trusted elements, as Toy World’s Sam Giltrow discovers.

The Action Vehicle category is a diverse and consistent sector of the toy market; comprising diecast, radio control and slot racing items, it remains a staple of every toy retail channel, covering every price point from pocket money pick-up to top-end festive purchase. While some retailers opt to pursue an own brand strategy in certain areas, strong brands remain a cornerstone of the category. Whether it is Hot Wheels or HTI’s Teamsterz brand in diecast, Nikko, Maisto or Burago in radio control or Scalextric in slot racing, the category includes some of the toy market’s most enduring brands.

The Action Vehicle market also benefits from innovation and the introduction of cutting edge technology into product line-ups; ThreeSixty Group has introduced what it describes as the world’s first ceiling climbing RC to the Sharper Image range this year, which received a strong reception at Toy Fair, while Hexbug has reinvented the RC tuner car with the fully customisable Hexmods kits.

One area of Action Vehicles which enjoyed huge success and a resurgence among families during the pandemic lockdowns was slot-racing, but how are suppliers managing to keep this momentum going and keep consumers interested in adding to their collections?

It’s a challenge, says Sarah Frame, marketing manager, Scalextric but one which the company has managed to meet head on, even widening the appeal of the historic brand. Traditionally a product which comes into its own in the run-up to the festive season, in recent years Scalextric has become an increasingly popular choice outside of the Christmas period due to the brand’s growing offering of film and TV themed products, including the Bluesmobile, Mr Bean’s Do-It- Yourself Mini and Knight Rider’s KITT.

“To continue to grow appeal, an element of the product needs to technically innovate. Consumers expect to see this, but it has to be optional when it comes to traditional and nostalgic gameplay in brands such as Scalextric. Scalextric has a huge history which is naturally seen as a positive, but legacy can complicate evolvement and innovation,” Sarah explains. “The key to maximising on this innovation is to recognise the different consumer wants and needs, then produce different products for these different segments.”

She adds that recently there has been “huge opportunity” in the kidult market, which is why one of the leading Scalextric sets for 2022 is the Back to the Future vs Knight Rider set, which comes in traditional 80s style Scalextric packaging. “It will resonate with and spark nostalgia in children of the ‘80s for them to share with their children,” adds Sarah.

Also benefiting from the hankering for nostalgic toys is Scalextric’s Hornby stablemate, Corgi, which has a long-standing association with the James Bond licence. This, according to Corgi brand executive David Mather has yielded one of the most famous die-cast toys ever created: the 261 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger.

The importance of licences to the brand, he says, is huge and 2021 saw strong sales for Corgi thanks to the release of the latest Bond film, No Time to Die, which was accompanied by the release of multiple vehicles in the range. Another No Time to Die product will also be launched later this year, that will place Corgi into a new sector of the die-cast market for the first time: a 1:12 scale recreation of the Triumph 1200 ridden by Bond in the film’s opening sequence.

“We have never produced a motorcycle at this size before, and as such we are packing it with detail and additional features such as sprung suspension and etched parts,” David told us. “We hope it will be the first in a line of model motorcycles that link intrinsically to the sense of British heritage which is so important to the Corgi brand.”

Corgi is currently in the final stages of securing another famous ‘household name’ entertainment licence for announcement later in the year, which in turn will feature a partnership marketing approach, adds David. In addition, Corgi is also working to secure multiple new licences for 2023.

“Innovation in toys is sometimes about new and emerging technology but, more often than not, it is about taking what is familiar and making it fantastic. You can see a blending of both across our brands and ranges of products. The key to our innovation is never closing our minds to the possibilities of what can be fun.”

He says that in the RC market, consumers are becoming increasingly educated about the quality and performance of a product and in this digital age, where reviews and ratings are at the end of fingertips, the mantra of big and cheap is becoming less impressive. “Nikko Toys has had a great year for just this reason,” Laibond explains. “We deliver great product at great value and that’s a huge part of the reason we sold out everywhere we had Nikko placed. For RC vehicles in the coming year, we see educated consumers getting increasingly bored of the same sourced stuff in different packages, which will mean continued growth for Nikko Toys, and other makers of innovative and original items.”

One company which is investing in technology to enable its action vehicles to do things that grab the attention of consumers while maintaining competitive price points, is One For Fun, the company formally known as H. Grossman Ltd.

“Our RC Cyklone Range ,which includes a motorbike, buggy and monster truck, is a great example of this,” says CEO David Mordecai. “The items have a unique tracked design which allows them to drift and also to perform actions that other vehicles in this price range would struggle with, such as climbing steep slopes with ease. We have so many vehicles in this category and concentrate on innovation with a quality build, display packaging and perceived value for money built into the price.”

RC cars are a specialist area for One For Fun, being the UK distributor for Maisto and Bburago, brands which cover a substantial assortment of licences for

all major global car manufacturers and also offer a comprehensive range of die-cast cars. “I have spent many years working in the vehicles category and this industry knowledge has influenced the Tobar range of RC vehicles too,” explains David. “This is a rock solid area for us with continued growth year on year, driven by our wide portfolio of vehicles across many price points and categories.”

Like Scalextric, One For Fun has also seen growth in its slot-racing offering which has vehicles based on concept designs of cars featured in the Gran Turismo video game, namely the Mercedes-Benz AMG and the Nissan Concept 2020 Vision. “In terms of being reflected in trade orders, the momentum for slot-racing has continued,” said David. “We sold out of our Race Circuit Vision Gran Turismo slot racing set and that has been re-ordered for this year.” As always, One For Fun will be looking to support the marketing for its vehicles with a flurry of PR activity around influencers, bloggers, main stream media, trade advertising and product placement.

Also hot on marketing is Mattel’s Hot Wheels brand, which has a strong line up for 2022 and is confident its new range will help to maintain its position as the world’s number one toy, according to NPD data. This year Mattel will be introducing the Hot Wheels Car Culture Circuit Legend line, featuring 1:64 scale vehicles with realistic castings and authentic decos, and a new Hot Wheels City range which will feature QR codes on packs that illustrate the Hot Wheels City in digital format.

This, as Kelly Philp, director of marketing, Mattel UK, explains, will all be backed with strong marketing activity across the year to support Hot Wheels, including exploring new in game marketing activations within Hot Wheels fan favourite, Roblox. “We are working with Nick Jr on a Hot Wheels sponsorship again, and with 2022 being a monster year for movies, with a movie being launched nearly every month, you

can expect to see Hot Wheels in cinemas too,” she says. “Hot Wheels Legends will be even bigger and better this year and we will have significant TV and BVOD spend on key lines.”

Other powerful tools in driving home the brand are fan experiences such as the Hot Wheels Legends Tour and Monster Trucks Live, which give audiences the chance to see real-life versions of the Hot Wheels monster truck toys. “Being able to run the Monster Trucks tour earlier this year really gave the brand a great start to 2022,” says Kelly, “while the Hot Wheels Legends Tour really celebrates the car culture of the brand. We have plans to make this even bigger and better this year.”

Mattel is also driving innovation across sustainability and last year launched its commitment to making all cars in its die-cast Matchbox range, play sets and packing from 100% recycled, recyclable or biobased plastic materials by 2030. “We know consumers are increasingly aware of growing global waste challenges, and Mattel is working to find ways to use less plastic overall, and more recycled and bio-based materials,” adds Kelly.

Hornby Hobbies too is gearing up to help the push on plastic reduction across all of its brands including Scalextric and Corgi. “Hornby Hobbies is a firm both steeped in history and forging a path into the future. By signing up to beat the UK Government’s 2035 climate pledge, Hornby Hobbies is showing that as a toy and hobby firm we can ensure that the environment is as important as a rivet on a loco, or a spoiler on a Scalextric car,” says Sarah Frame. “Achieving this through a more considered approach to energy as well as a look to reducing waste packaging and consumables, Hornby Hobbies is aiming to be ahead of schedule on the climate timetable.”