The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]


Simple Advertising Is Great Advertising …

I’m 46.

I’m a husband.

And a father.

I supposedly hold down a senior job at a highly respected company.

I have responsibilities … mortgages and a bunch of other things ‘older people’ should have.

And yet despite all that, when I saw this ad for Hot Wheels, I totally got what they were saying.

Oh Hot Wheels.

When I was a kid, they were the toy cars to have.

Matchbox made the practical but Hot Wheels made the sexy.

The daring.

The souped up.

The ‘fuck, that looks cool’.

Kids who were good at maths would play with Matchbox but kids who could play the guitar would have Hot Wheels.

I must admit, I am shocked at all this emotion coming out of me despite the fact I haven’t bought – or played with – a toy car for at least 36 years. And that’s why I love this ad so much, because in an instant – and without showing any product whatsoever – I get it.

I totally get it.

Given this ad appeared on a motorway, I am assuming Hot Wheels actually want to target people like me.

Their goal being to awaken my memories of their brilliant toy cars and introduce my kids to them.

It could be because a while back I read Hot Wheels was a billion dollar company under threat.

Not from other toy car competitors, but because parents didn’t know how to play toy cars with their children. Especially Mum’s with boys.

[Don’t call me sexist, this is what they said]

Whatever the truth is, this ad worked for me.

It not only reminded me how much I loved Hot Wheels, it made me want to play with them with Otis. Which all goes to show that while the features of a brand can be copied, it’s spirit and values are always unique.


18 Comments so far
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Poor Otis.

Comment by Billy Whizz

Mortgages. Plural. Wanker.

Comment by Billy Whizz

bet he only said he had mortgages to make everyone hate him less for his trump property empire. didnt fucking work did it.

Comment by andy@cynic

Trust me, there are monthly payments going out.
Every month for 10,000 years. [Or it feels that way]

Comment by Rob

“Kids who were good at maths would play with Matchbox but kids who could play the guitar would have Hot Wheels.” Now that is a brand statement.

Comment by George

No it’s his latest restatement of being crap at maths.

Comment by John

No mother in the history of motherhood has ever bought her son a model railway.

Comment by Ian Gee

rosemary west?

Comment by andy@cynic

I wish that hadn’t made me laugh.

Comment by Rob

Me too. I feel a bit sick now

Comment by Ian Gee

All those comments that are really saying the same thing – you’re right.

Comment by Ciaran McCabe

I loved Hot Wheels and the billboard did make me feel like a kid again. I’m not sure that is the smartest feeling when you’re driving a real car down a freeway.

Comment by Pete

I like a good billboard.

Comment by Lee Hill

Me too … when they’re done well, they can be awesome. And by well, I mean they haven’t just made the full page ad, bigger. Including the body copy.

Comment by Rob

It’s sad, but it takes balls to be simple. Mainly because the alternative – which many clients like – is to be simplistic, which ultimately treats the audience like imbeciles and no one wants to feel that way. After all, it’s how Trump got into power, despite the fact he didn’t have balls, he had lies.

Comment by Rob

Balls to be simple. There’s a new Wiedenism if I ever heard one Robert.

Comment by George

matchbox were the british leyland of toy fucking cars.

Comment by andy@cynic

Which is funny given they made replicas of Mini Metro’s.

Comment by Rob




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