Redline Era Promotions
Beginning as early as 1968, Mattel promoted the Hot Wheels brand by partnering with other companies for promotional offerings of Hot Wheels.
1968 Hi C Mail-In Offer
In 1968, Hi C, a sugar laced fruit punch, hosted a mail-in offer for one of four 1968 castings.
The packaging of the car as received is not known.
Label from a Can of Hi-C
1968 Hi-C Promo Mail in Coupon
1969 Duz Soap Promo
The DUZ Soap promo offered a free normal production BP when purchased witha "King Sized" box of soap.
Blisterpack with Duz Sticker
1969 Burry's Cookie Puzzle Prize Offer
A little known cookie company offered Hot Wheels cars as a prize in a puzzle promotion.
Each box contained a puzzle piece. Collect all three pieces of a puzzle and win the prize shown in the puzzle.
No puzzle pieces are known to have survived.
Burry Cookie Box
Rear of the box
Details of the promotion
1969 Signal Oil Company Promo
The Signal Companies traced their history to the Signal Gasoline company, founded by Samuel B. Mosher in 1922.
It renamed itself to Signal Gas & Oil in 1928 to reflect its expanding businesses; by the 1950s, Signal was
the largest independent oil company on the West Coast of the United States. In 1964, Signal merged with the
Garrett Corporation, an aerospace company, and the combined company adopted "The Signal Companies" as its
corporate name in 1968.
Signal Oil Trifold Promotional Brochure
SEE THE INSIDE
Dated 1969, this trifold brochure offers Hot Wheels for bargain prices with a ten gallon purchase!
1970 Coca Cola Snake and Mongoose Promo
In 1970, Coke sponsored a promo to get the Snake and Mongoose Funny Cars.
Mail in Coupon
Counter Top Sign
Poster Version
1970 Jack In The Box Promo
In 1970, the hamburger chain, Jack in the Box, sponsored a promotion using the Jack Rabbit Special.
Jack in the Box Promo Car
The car came in a baggie with a waterslide decal sheet featuring "Jack" and some red striping.
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Four of the 10 Jack in the Box Promo Drink Cups
The promo was supported by a set of 10 different white plastic drink cups, each one featuring a Hot Wheels casting.
1971 Prell Shampoo
Prell Shampoo, a Proctor and Gamble product, featured a custom package that included a normal car.
Complete intact packages are very rare.
Front of the Prell Promo Package
Back of the Prell Promo Package
1971 Gleem Toothpaste
Similar in design to the Prell packaging, the Gleem Toothpaste promo featured a custom package that included a normal car.
Complete intact packages are very rare.
Python on a Gleem Package with no toothpaste.
1971 Lux Soap
The Lux Soap promo was only offered in Canada. Once extremely rare, a couple of stashes of the Lux packages
have surfaced over the years. The count is probably still only about 100 known packages.
Print Ad for Lux Soap Promo showing the hanging BP
Lux Soap Promo Hanging blister pack
1971 Dole Pineapple Juice Promo
A mail-in promotion featured on cans of Dole Pineapple Juice .
60 Cents plus four labels for each car!
Dole Pineapple Juice Label
Dole Promo Cars as Received
1971 Eskimo Pie
1970-72 Shell Gas Station Promotions
For several years running, Shell offered regular blister packed Hot Wheels as an incentive to "Fill Up".
The cars and the BP's were in no way special but the promotional posters are documentary of the promotion.
Shell Coin Game Card
Shell also sponsored a "coin game", where coins were given out with a purchase and prizes were awarded for
certain combinations of coins The coins are quite hard to find.
1973 Shell Promotion
During 1973, the Shell Oil Company continued their tradition of using Hot Wheels as a promotional item.
The 10 castings used in the promo underwent minor changes to reduce the cost of each car.
With some exceptions, each car was made in six colors.
Shell Promo Jet Threat in Baggie
The cars were sold in a small plastic bag, sealed with a stapled header card.
1973 Shell Promo Castings
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1975 Herfy's Promotion
In 1975, a restaurant chain in the Pacific northwest, called Herfy's used Hot Wheels as a promotional item.
Six castings were used in the promotion each in the normal production color with additional tampos.
A food serving tray from a Herfy's restaurant
1975 Herfy's Promotion Cars
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1980 Wisconsin Toy Company
In 1975 or so, Mattel contracted with a soap company, believed to be Proctor and Gamble, to provide Hot Wheels for a promotion. Five castings were
selected and the tooling was modified, replacing the metal bases with black plastic, presumably to reduce costs. However, for reasons unknown, the
promotion was cancelled before manufacturing of the cars was completed. The Hong Kong production runs on four of the five castings were fully completed
but the fifth was cut short. Stock of four of the castings went into storage and were subsequently sold to a third party who put them into baggies with
header cards, i.e. "The Wisconsin Toy Company". The short run fifth casting apparently went to Japan and was included in the Japanese Red Box releases.
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