Action Vehicles

The Action Vehicles category enters 2021 off the back of a strong 12 months; RC and slot racing is enjoying something of a resurgence among locked down families, while die-cast cars are ready to drive footfall at retail this summer. Rachael Simpson-Jones speaks to leading manufacturers from across the category, finding out what each kind of vehicle play has to offer and what there is to look forward to this year.

Mattel scooped the award for NPD Global Top Selling Toy of the Year with its Hot Wheels Singles 1/64 Assortment, well-deserved recognition for an evergreen brand that continues to play a key role in Mattel’s ongoing success. The company ended 2020 in a strong position, maintaining the No.1 manufacturer spot in the Vehicles Supercategory, with Hot Wheels remaining the No.1 property. A favourite with indie toy retailers, according to Toymaster’s marketing director, Paul Reader, a further 400 Hot Wheels diecast will be released in 2021, keeping the range fresh and helping to drive repeat purchases once stores reopen, thanks to the brand’s huge collectability factor and attractive, pick-up price points. Mattel is also entering year three of its Monster Trucks range, which continues to expand, and is introducing its first new play set - Monster Truck Tyre – to extend the play pattern. The company is also continuing to grow its City segment with the new Toxic Snake Strike, while spring welcomes the new Speedway Hauler play set. All in all, there’s a lot for fans of vehicle play to look forward to from this heritage brand.

“No other vehicle brand connects with car culture and pop culture like we do,” enthuses Mattel’s marketing manager, Kelly Philp. “With over 50 years of heritage, the detail our designers bring to Hot Wheels is truly amazing, including replicas of some of the biggest and most iconic car brands in the world, from Porsche to Camaro, and Volkswagen to Tesla. We also work with the biggest movie properties and, increasingly, pop culture icons. And it’s not just replica cars; Hot Wheels also offers unique original cars that are much-loved characters in their own right, like the Bone Shaker.”

HTI’s die-cast Teamsterz brand has continued to grow consistently year on year. Having received hugely positive feedback on its autumn/winter 2021 range from consumers, the company is confident that its product offering is as strong as it has ever been. Alan Gray, head of Teamsterz and Roleplay at HTI, explains: “Although 2020 was a challenging year, we took this time to research the current Action Vehicles market, strengthening our knowledge and seeking gaps where we could add value. This has certainly paid off with the addition of multiple exciting products to the range. Teamsterz has become a recognised and trusted brand of vehicles toys over the years, and this strength will put us in a good position for 2021. We are confident that our new, innovative products will be popular with young consumers this year and beyond.”

The Teamsterz brand is recognised for its attention to detail and attractive price points. The core die-cast range is complemented by garages, transporters, motorised light and sound vehicles and track sets, as well as licensed offerings under the JCB brand, all of which allow youngsters to stock up on a plethora of different Teamsterz items, and to use the same action vehicles across multiple play sets. New for this year, the Teamsterz Load & Launch carry case is ready to hit shelves from autumn. Following months of extensive research and development, as well as investment in patented technology, Alan tells me the HTI team is ‘incredibly proud’ of this product and its unique car loading magazine, which promises to help it stand out from the competition. Children can load up to 15 cars into the magazine, before

switching the car case to Launcher Mode and firing the cars out one after another. Alan adds: “Innovative design means that this play set doubles up as a carry case, making it perfect for portable play. There really is nothing like the Load & Launch on the market currently.”

H. Grossman’s Maisto and Bburago die-cast ranges cover a substantial assortment of licences for all major global car manufacturers, giving the brands a keen edge in the marketplace. The selection covers a wide variety of price points and age ranges, while their high perceived value also makes them a strong gifting option. Eye-catching packaging means the models look great both online and off, a strong selling point when the consumer is working off visuals only. David Mordecai, CEO of H. Grossman, says: “Maisto and Bburago have a well-deserved reputation for innovation and quality. The ranges are regularly updated, and new pre-school items from BB Junior have also brought vehicle play to a younger audience. For 2021, we’re really excited about our Emergency Vehicles range. This assortment of vehicles, all in UK livery, is available as a gift set or as single vehicles. The emergency services are currently one of the most important themes in toys, and this range will allow kids to emulate our real-life heroes in a new way.”

A strong category for independent toy retailers, Paul Reader tells me he’s pleased to see remote control vehicles undergoing something of a resurgence, brought about, like so much else, by families stuck at home seeking new things to do. “Action vehicles is a big part of Toymaster’s import FOB programme, although as a category I would say it’s oversubscribed with suppliers, a bit like Arts & Crafts. What this does mean, though, is that consumers have a huge amount of choice - and that’s no bad thing. Our members sell a lot of die-cast and lights & sounds vehicles, as well as RC around the £50 or less mark,” he says. “It’s very nice to see Nikko Toys firmly back in the marketplace, and just as good as it ever was.”

Nikko RC will celebrate its 63rd anniversary in 2021; CEO Philip Redmond tells me that designing high-performing action vehicles, with a focus on uniqueness, is what the team has been ‘doing for eons’. “Year after year our team brings its creative talent to the table, dreaming up never-before-seen vehicles with amazing features that perform both onshelf and out-of-box,” he says. “The special functions presented in both Nikko RC and Road Rippers exhibit everything from drifting, expanding wheels and wheelies, to mythical monster vehicles that snap and roar as they race across a multitude of terrains. Nikko RC is primarily a special function focused RC brand that provides an alternative to the arguably monotonous scaled RC seen elsewhere in the marketplace. In 2021, Nikko RC continues that theme with the introduction of Rock CrushR and VaporizR XT, while Road Rippers will bring imagination to life with Afterburner.”

Rock CrushR joins the line-up of impressive special function vehicles now available in Nikko’s RC range. Standing this RC vehicle apart are its innovative expanding wheels, which can climb, grip and tear through the most difficult of terrain for a truly exciting driving experience. Road Rippers’ Afterburner, meanwhile, provides retailers with on-shelf theatre thanks to its sound and other features, which replicate the awesome power of dual jet engines and spin into life with cool light effects. Philip adds: “We are confident that these two great items, along with the other new 2021 vehicles, will be great additions to the Nikko RC and Road Rippers product lines.”

Another sexagenarian, Scalextric enjoys the brand loyalty and recognition that can only come with generations of play; from grandparents to preschoolers, countless consumers will have exciting memories of Scalextric. According to Martyn Weaver, head of brand, Scalextric’s biggest strength is the depth and breadth of the range, which includes subject matter that appeals to all age groups, a variety of genres from the world of cars, and a wide range of licences. Scalextric also offers various complexity levels in its gameplay, with price points suited to all consumer segments and retail channels.

This year, Martyn says he is most excited to be launching the Micro Scalextric ejector lap-counter. “Whilst this is only a piece of track, in a bigger system it will offer so much more to the play pattern of slot car racing for our younger consumers,” he explains. “Micro Scalextric is an important brand within our product range architecture; it’s a recruiter to slot car racing and often forms the first Scalextric experience for kids. The new Micro Scalextric track system, which was launched in 2019, is a proven success and delivers all the fun and excitement we would wish for from the product. The new lap counter adds an element of competition but in a way that is fun; rather than being about winners and losers, launching a car off the track brings the ‘bash and crash’ experience to Micro Scalextric.”

To support both its new and existing product ranges, Scalextric will be rolling out marketing campaigns on multiple levels. Pre-school product will continue with TV advertising targeting kids and parents at home, while Micro Scalextric will be supported by digital-first campaigns that will be tailored to their subject matter and target audience. Scalextric’s tech and collectible product will be supported with PR, influencers, specialist press and social media, ensuring the brand benefits from a varied, comprehensive campaign throughout 2021.

At HTI, several lifestyle demo videos are currently in the works. Alan says these have previously proven to be great tools for the aspirational Teamsterz brand and can be shared with retailers for use on product listings. They’ll also feature in HTI’s popular dedicated Teamsterz YouTube playlist. “We are lucky to have great relationships with our retail partners, whom we will continue to support throughout the year with any queries, providing the necessary graphics and product information,” he adds.

Mattel is planning some exciting activations with retail partners that will engage consumers and help drive awareness, either online or in-store, as the year ahead unfolds. It will also be supporting its Hot Wheels and other action vehicles lines with 360-degree campaigns including TV, social, influencers and plenty of digital. Nikko’s in-house marketing team, meanwhile, is collaborating with several agencies specialising in everything from digital asset and TVC creation to SEO and paid advertising management. The team also works closely with local partners to implement in-store activities and presentations. Noting the importance of social media among today’s kids, Philip Redmond acknowledges that understanding the different platforms, and for whom (and why) each one exists, can be challenging. That said, Nikko’s goal is to ensure its messaging is consistent across all channels, keeping consumers engaged with the product and increasing their understanding of the brand. Philip says: “We are delighted to partner with great agencies such as Generation Media in the UK; they are the best of the best with a great track record. Our marketing activities are continuous throughout the year, with the main bulk of activity accelerating in Q3 and Q4.”

“Our number one strength is our ability to add new and exciting vehicles to our product line, season after season,” he adds. “We know that each year, twothirds of all toy products on-shelf are ‘new’ in some way. While that can be a perpetual cycle of expensive research and development, at Nikko Toys we relish and rise to that challenge each and every year.”

Over the coming pages, Toy World brings you the newest action vehicles set to drive sales in this adrenaline-fuelled category.