Brands
Hot Wheels debuts in Auto Expo Delhi
MUMBAI: Hot Wheels, the uber-popular and much-loved brand from the house of Mattel Toys, is revving up for its Golden Jubilee. Hot Wheels has kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration with an epic debut at Auto Expo – The Motor Show in New Delhi from 9 to 14 February 2018.
The experience at the Hot Wheels pavilion promises to be a supercharged treat for fans of the iconic brand as it will showcase two life-size models inspired by Hot Wheels die-cast models. The showcase, representing best of classic and modern times, is designed as an ode to the Hot Wheels 50-year journey since its launch in 1968. While one car will depict the vintage, retro era of the 60s, the second car will display a modern, millennial style, representing designs and innovation of the 21st century.
Featuring the unmissable Hot Wheels insignia – the red hot flames – the design of the classic car stays loyal to the brand’s signature style. The classic muscle sports a grunge look with its all black body and chrome highlights. The car features a lip spoiler on the rear tail and an air dam in the front (in line with the thematic). The interiors too star a unique chain design steering wheel and a skull head gear knob. Upholstery of the car is draped with red leather which compliments the stunning look.
The 2018 car features particularly sporty details with the bumper designed with a bold horizontal line and broad air inlets that contribute to the car’s wide and sculpted impression. A swanky black roof, and a rear tail gate spoiler also add to the sporty appeal. The redesigned headlight clusters in black-cladding look feature LED technology, as do the fog lights, and tail lights. Features such as the spoiler at the rear of the tailgate are further elements of the car’s emotive and dynamic design.
Riding the wave of its 50 year celebrations, Hot Wheels seamlessly integrates its latest campaign, Challenge Accepted, that aims at instilling the challenger spirit amongst young children. The campaign blends in Mattel’s philosophy of ‘play with purpose’ by showcasing concepts of physics, aim, angle and speed; driving children to exploring their truest potential.
Mattel India head of marketing Lokesh Kataria says, “We are thrilled to set the wheels of our new campaign in motion and roll it out in an exhilarating way. As we celebrate a key milestone, we’re also reaffirming our efforts to grow the market in India by engaging with parents in meaningful ways to demonstrate the value of play with Hot Wheels.”
Hot Wheels will roll-out an integrated campaign for the Challenge Accepted campaign that will include television and digital advertising, social media promotions as well as various on-ground initiatives to engage more closely with fans and consumers. The anniversary celebrations will also include various engagements targeted to collectors, consumers and parents.
During the 3-day extravaganza, Hot Wheels is playing host to an immersive and engaging experience at Auto Expo for participants across ages to witness their favourite cars come to life! The Hot Wheels booth will unveil the much-awaited life-sized cars, allowing fans and admirers to indulge in interactive games and challenges. Fans at the booth also stand a chance to win some exciting prizes while taking advantage of Hot Wheels Photo Stall and Challenge Accepted Selfie Contest.
Mattel Toys has focused its efforts around the core philosophy of ‘Play with purpose’ – where each toy developed by the global leader has an intrinsic benefit linked to it. The toy-car of Hot Wheels not only engages a child, but also gives practical knowledge about physics & maths like speed, distance and gravity. Hot Wheels at Auto Expo 2018 is designed in a manner to establish the importance of play in the lives of children by boosting their creativity, imagination and letting them push their limits by igniting the challenger spirit.
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
