Wrangler launches Hot Wheels collaboration

Dive Brief:

• Wrangler launched a collection with Mattel Inc.’s Hot Wheels brand, according to a press release Friday.
• The collaboration includes denim jackets, coveralls and graphic tees in children’s and adult sizes. It additionally includes a Wrangler-branded miniature die-cast 1985 Ford Bronco. Prices range from $30 to $150.
• Collaborations have been at the forefront of Wrangler parent company Kontoor Brands’ strategy. Over the past few years, its brands have collaborated with Staud, Sandro and Diesel, among others.

Dive Insight:

This collab marks Wrangler’s second with Mattel. Last year, Wrangler released a 40-piece Barbie collection with the toy giant, following the release of the 2023 film “Barbie.”

Wrangler was one of many brands to tap into last year’s Barbiecore trend, and its results were profitable. Kontoor Brands’ president and CEO Scott Baxter said the capsule was its “best and fastest-selling collaboration ever,” and it helped lead the brand to an 8% revenue boost in Q3. The boost was short-lived, however, and the company reported revenue declines in the subsequent three quarters.

Kontoor may be trying to replicate the Barbie collaboration’s success by promoting the Hot Wheels collection as “nostalgia-driven.”

“Partnering with Hot Wheels has been a collision of heritage and horsepower,” Holly Wheeler, vice president of global marketing for Kontoor, said in the release. “Tapping into the resurgence of motorsport and inspired by the classic American iconography and nostalgia of both brands, Wrangler x Hot Wheels hits the market at full speed and ignites a beloved pastime shared from generation to generation.”

The collection is available on Wrangler’s website as well as in select stores globally, per the release.

The new collection is launching as Kontoor undergoes a transformation initiative, in which the company aims to simplify its organization and increase its speed and efficiency. The plan additionally looks to generate $100 million in profit improvement and savings, the company said.

In its most recent earnings, Kontoor reported $607 million in revenue for Q2, a 1% year-over-year decrease. The Wrangler brand’s global revenue grew 1% to $429 million.