THINKERBELL HELPS MATTEL’S HOT WHEELS TURN ‘HAUTE’, AS THE TOY CARS ARE PUT ON SOME OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST ESTEEMED MENUS
This week, Thinkerbell has helped Hot Wheels – the world’s most popular toy – appear “On the Menu” of some of Melbourne’s finest hatted restaurants. Why? To teach parents that there’s a better way to reward your kids for good table behaviour than via screen time.
Hot Wheels ‘On the Menu’ was created after new research by the global toy brand reveals of the 98% of parents regularly eating out with their kids in Australia, only 5% feel comfortable eating at finer venues. Not only that, 65% of Australian parents would love to experience fine dining with their kids but are just a little unsure on how they’ll behave!
Starting today, Melbourne chef Charlie Carrington of Atlas Dining will offer a unique kid degustation menu, with a $3.50 Hot Wheels at the bottom. This will last for two weeks, before Coskun Uysal of Tulum will adopt the initiative. After Tulum’s two weeks, the toys will race to Guy Stanaway’s Rare Hare of Jackalope Hotel. The idea is, kids can order a Hot Wheels from each venue and unlock a beautifully designed Kat Chadwick placemat unique to each setting. Together, the Hot Wheels toy car and racetrack (table mat) will become a fun way kids can keep on track as they make their way through an entire restaurant sitting.
Says Jacinta Whitehead, Marketing Director of Mattel ANZ: “For over 50 years Hot Wheels have been encouraging kids to ignite their challenger spirit through imaginative play. This year, Hot Wheels want to challenge parents to reward their kids with Hot Wheels instead of screens or other treats. As we are always challenging the norm, we wanted to do something completely out of the box. So, partnering with renowned chefs and putting Hot Wheels on unexpected menus was the perfect pairing.”
Adds Ben Couzens, Creative Tinker at Thinkerbell: “Hot Wheels have always been great fun to play with and are also a great way to reward the kids. It’s much more fun and interactive watching them play with a car than a screen. We hope Hot Wheels ‘On the Menu’ helps parents realise that there is an alternative to shoving a screen in their kids face.”
Hot Wheels ‘On the Menu’ will run in Atlas Dining between March 3rd – March 17th, Tulum from March 17th – March 31st and Rare Hare from March 31st until Easter. The idea will continue to be amplified via a strong PR campaign (see Qantas Travel Insider, Herald Sun, The Advertiser, 9Honey), as well as via radio spots and social activity – all to come.
23 Comments
I hope the little buggers aren’t sitting next to me.
Restaurants have been offering menus for kids to colour in with crayons or pencils for years, and for free, as an alternative to screens.
Love this idea. As a dad with young kids I find the idea of eating somewhere nice with my nice kids appealing.
Another idea that shames parents for using screens….zzzzzz
What a beat up campaign. Do we seriously need a brand to encourage parents to get their kids off screens. Seriously be more imaginative and take your own toys for kids to play with if you going out to eat!
Has Thinkerbell got a division that pumps up proactive but kind of hollow work? What is this selling? It seems empty and vapid. On the back of the Giraffe ,Vegemite and few other campaigns..when are we going to see the grown up work? It is all a little douchey. I hope my comment is seen the way it is intended..we need great work to inspire us all. But this doesn’t.
What an absolute crock. Three restaurants? One week each? A completely overcooked solution. Belongs in the chip shop awards for sure.
I’m still paying for the babysitter.
Oh Bless. My boy would drive that hot wheel right through all that lovely green stuff on the plate and then demand hot chips.
There is genuine insight here. I always take a handful of toys to try and keep the kids amused at dinner. If you find yourself being this cynical over a fun idea like this, maybe change jobs.
If you find yourself being this impressed over an idea like this, maybe change jobs.
I can see myself loving this insight 4 years ago, I’ve had a kid since then and now know better. Nothing compares to the power of the ABC app, nothing. The idea of bringing my son to a hatted restaurant with nothing but a hot wheels car between a good time and a stressed out dinner is terrifying. Can we please stop shaming parents for using a screen?
A happy meal?
Tinkerbell’s ideas always feel like they were devised in about 30 seconds.
Brief comes in to room of bearded men. “Maaaate… got a brief” “Aw yeah maate – how bout dis” “That’s great maaaate – straight to the poolroom”.
Meeting over.
Hi everyone, I went to Atlas Fine Dining last night with my family. The meal was amazing – highly recommended. My son played with the Hot Wheels and was engaged with the whole thing. Loved it. Atlas also enjoyed being a part of it as its a novel thing to do trying to make fine dining more family friendly. We loved the idea and love the fact that Hot Wheels cars are popping up in unexpected places such as restaurant menus.
Will it kill kids and phones – no. Should it – no. That’s just a tension point to ensure the idea gets mentioned and the Hot Wheels initiative gets earned media.
Your comments on this blog range from the offensive, to considered criticisms, to positive support. For the later two – thanks, to the former ‘why do you bother’? Our clients and community read this blog, the idea was anything but slapped together. It’s been loads of effort from loads of people and we’re bloody proud of it. Cheers.
While I’d prefer the Hot Wheels, I’m with actual parent, ABC wins hands down any day, and it ain’t all bad either.
Getting a kid to sit still at a 45 minute pub meal is hard enough let alone a 2 hour one.
The hot wheels engage the kid for the time it takes to order, from that point on it’s flying off the table or you’re spending the rest of the night trying to stop him crawling under the table and playing with it on the floor.
I’m not taking a kid young enough to find a hotwheel car fun anywhere near a fine dining restaurant.
A lot of dots here, none of them connect.
If I am going to spend good money on fine dining the last thing I would want is a restaurant full of kids playing with happy meals. Don’t try and tell me fine dining is a family event…
This is a confused Frankestein’s monster of an idea. The fact that the core of the idea (reducing screen time) is just a prop to ensure this gets mentioned in the media says it all.
Who would have thought we are in the business of getting attention and sales. Angry Dad I think you’re in the wrong job.
You want people to value the work you do and then admit the only reason you did this off brand stunt was to get earned media? Shouldn’t you be spending time building a brand and then leveraging what you’ve built? I’m sure you can see the value of meaningful reach VS whatever a write up in the Herald Sun is worth.
Hi Ya Kiddin I reckon that might have been the exact brief? Generate earned media for Hot Wheels. If it was its an excellent reply.
Brief: Can you please get us an interview on Sunrise cause Mums buy toys and watch morning TV.
We love it – iconic and good design never ages.
Well done – and if you have nothing good to say then don’t.