Mattel to expand 'Monster Jam' line
By Staff -- Playthings, 7/23/2008 8:41:00 AM
NEW YORK—Mattel has extended its toy rights agreement with 4Kids Entertainment for Monster Jam for another five years.
Mattel’s deal means it will remain the monster truck property’s worldwide master toy rights holder through 2013. The toymaker’s plans call for an expanded product line to include die-cast and plastic monster truck vehicles in a variety of scales, including light and sound, radio control and electric racing monster truck vehicles. It currently offers a line of replica Monster Jam vehicles based on more than 70 of the tour’s most famous monster trucks, including Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Monster Mutt, El Toro Loco and Blue Thunder.
“We have been working with Monster Jam for more than eight years to create Hot Wheels Monster Jam vehicles, and they are a great partner for the Hot Wheels brand,” said Geoff Walker, vice president, Wheels and Games Marketing, Mattel Brands. “This is a live entertainment brand where the trucks are the celebrities and they translate so well to toys because they’re everything a boy wants in a cool vehicle.”
Additionally, Mattel’s line will feature playsets and accessories, construction sets, board games, puzzles, plastic model kids, carrying cases, and ride-on vehicles. The new Mattel product line will be heavily supported by TV advertising, according to 4Kids.
In addition to Mattel, 4Kids has signed a slate of new multi-year licensees for Monster Jam in areas such as apparel, back-to-school products, headwear and cold weather accessories, footwear and stickers. In the toy category, KellytoyUSA has been signed for plush, playground balls, basketballs, vinyl novelty balls, hopper balls, boxing gloves, novelty sport sets, hoop sets for amusement and crane distribution.
According to Monster Jam’s owner, Live Nation Motor Sports, approximately 4 million fans attend one of more than 325 Monster Jam performances each year.
