Hot Wheels' Tour Reaches Walmart Again
What’s new: Mattel again partnered with Walmart on the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, which has become the world’s largest traveling car show.
Why it matters: The retailtainment effort, sponsored by ExxonMobil's Mobil 1, kicked off in 2018 to commemorate Hot Wheels’ 50th anniversary with a series of events in Walmart parking lots, where car enthusiasts show off their custom vehicles for a shot at having them turned into die-cast toys.
The eighth annual tour kicked off April 26, 2025, with an event at a Walmart in Tampa, Florida. It continued with events running through Oct. 4 at nine other Walmart stores and at Mattel’s headquarters in El Segundo, California.
The events featured displays of collectibles and cars from the Hot Wheels fleet along with areas for kids to play with the toys. This year, Mattel also added events in Europe and Latin America.
The winning vehicle was revealed at a virtual global grand finale event held Nov. 15.
What we saw: A pallet display in Walmart stores showed past winners of the contest and used a QR code to direct shoppers to a brand showcase within Walmart.com. The page spotlights Walmart exclusive toys, such as a Barbie monster truck and die-cast neon speeders.
More context: Hot Wheels regularly works with retailers to drive trips through exclusive collectibles and events. Shoppers who spent $20 on Hot Wheels die-casts at Kroger from Oct. 21 to Nov. 15 received the Collector Edition 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R. Hot Wheels plugged the offer on Facebook and Instagram.
The brand also gave 7-Eleven an exclusive collection in August, celebrating the launch with a car meet.
- About Field Reports
P2PI editors and staff regularly look for interesting and relevant digital and in-store marketing, monitoring the merchandising and marketing activity at various leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada. Our exclusive field reports highlight what's new and notable for commerce marketers.
