At this year’s Johannesburg Motor Show, Hot Wheels showed off the smallest car sound system. Six micro speakers, a miniature PC board and fine electrical wiring were crammed into a customized Hot Wheels van, pushing out 95 decibels of sound.
Played with by over 41 million children since 1968 and sought out obsessively by collectors the world over, Hot Wheels is famous for blurring the lines between fantasy and reality in both its toy car customisations and real world stunts. But when a brand is this well-loved, how do you continue to create talkability and live up to your reputation?
Easy. You create the smallest car sound system the world has ever seen, and you unveil it at the Johannesburg International Motor Show.
Kitted out with 6 micro speakers, a minute PC board, micro screws and bullet connectors, and ultra fine electrical wiring, the sound system in this specially customised Hot Wheels van is able to pump out 95 decibels the equivalent of standing 1m away from a diesel engine.
Michelle Bleazard, the Mattel Brand Manager, South Africa says, ‚”Upfront we were told it probably couldn’t be done that’s when we knew it was the perfect project for us. Hot Wheels is all about pushing the limits. People expect the brand to be fun, edgy and engaging. It’s what turns casual consumers into life-long, die-hard fans.‚”
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