Mattel is teaming with IndyCar Series title sponsor Izod during the Indianapolis 500 “for a promotion to be centered on a life-size version of the V-Drop track set, sold as part of the Mattel Hot Wheel line of die-cast toys,” according to Stuart Elliott of the N.Y. TIMES. The Izod Presents Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500 promo includes a member of Team Hot Wheels -- a crew of stunt drivers -- trying “to break the current world record for a distance jump in a four-wheeled vehicle (302 feet) by speeding in a life-sized yellow race car down a ramp that resembles the track included with the set.” A door “10 stories high, or 100 feet tall, will be built in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” Mattel is “seeking to expand the market for Hot Wheels by stimulating interest among men ages 18 to 34.” The toys currently are “aimed at boys ages 3 to 8.” The promo will be accompanied “by a presence in social media like the Hot Wheels and Izod Facebook pages; content on the Hot Wheels Web site; and the appearance of Hot Wheels in an advertorial for Izod in magazines like GQ.” There are also “plans for a 30-minute Hot Wheels television show, to appear after the ABC coverage of the Indianapolis 500, that would offer viewers a chance to watch the stunt along with other experiential versions of Hot Wheels.” Mattel is working on the promotion with Bandito Brothers, Calif., and Mistress, L.A. Izod’s involvement in the campaign “came through its status as the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/12).
