By Tonya Garcia, MarketWatch
Mattel
Mattel Inc. has added the Tesla Inc. Cybertruck to the Hot Wheels lineup.
The toy maker has radio-controlled versions available for pre-order in two sizes: a three-inch vehicle that can race on a Hot Wheels track, priced at $20; and a limited-edition version that’s one-tenth the size of an actual Cybertruck, on sale for $400.
Both sizes will drive at both “chill” or “sport” speeds. The larger Cybertruck can travel at more than 25 miles per hour. It also has working headlights and taillights, a removable plastic body that will show a full interior, and a reusable vinyl sticker that will mimic the broken window that resulted when a Tesla employee hit the “armour glass” with a steel ball.
Mattel /zigman2/quotes/209819189/composite MAT +3.20% says Tesla /zigman2/quotes/203558040/lastsale TSLA +6.24% sent a file with an image of the crack. The sticker is a reproduction based on that image.
The items will be available starting Dec. 2020.
Mattel brought the items to market three months after the unveiling of the electric Cybertruck, which the toy company says is the fastest speed-to-market in its history.
Speed was a theme at this year’s annual toy fair, with some items on the Jacob Javits floor showcasing the quicker movement by toy companies looking to capitalize on a trend.
Funko Inc. /zigman2/quotes/200276577/composite FNKO +6.80% , which had its IPO in Nov. 2017, has said that quickly getting to market to capitalize on pop culture themes is part of what drives the company.
See: Baby Yoda and Barbie signal opportunity for Mattel
Jackie Breyer, editorial director at The Toy Insider, says speed is important for entertainment merchandise. And large companies like Hasbro Inc. /zigman2/quotes/201249319/composite HAS +2.54% and Mattel have the resources to move quickly, particularly when they own their factories.
One of the other big trends of the conference was Baby Yoda, or The Child character from “The Mandalorian.” Mattel said it created a plush doll for the character in three weeks.
Hasbro also has a lineup of Baby Yoda merchandise including collectibles and an animatronic version of the character. The product launch was done in 20 weeks, according to Eric Nyman, chief consumer officer at Hasbro.
And Lego has an exclusive partnership with Amazon.com Inc. /zigman2/quotes/210331248/composite AMZN +1.26% for the Lego Star Wars Razor Crest, which will be available on Sept.1 for $129.99, ahead of the new season of the show. The item, which is available for pre-order on the Lego e-commerce site and will be available in Lego stores, was one of the best-selling items on the website during the toy fair.
Other key trends to watch for this year:
Water play. Kids have moved away from the gross-out, poop-focused toys of the past couple of years and are now looking for some good, clean fun with toys that make water central to the experience.
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