Ford Promotes Toy Car Sales – Beats Dealing With Real Car Sales Anytime…

Trying to promote toy car sales on your official site just a couple of days after posting a 28% plunge in real-life vehicle sales for the month of June, is like begging for people to make fun of you…

"We're building a relationship with the consumer that starts when they're just a kid," said John Nens, director, Ford Global Brand Licensing. "They'll always remember the great time they had with their favourite Ford ride-on toy or Matchbox-sized car, and they will carry that relationship with the brand all the way to when they finally start buying vehicles."

Check out Ford’s Release about the company’s 10 hottest licensed toys and as always, feel free to humour us with your comments. -Continued

Ford Release: TEN HOTTEST FORD-LICENSED TOYS

With the kids on vacation and summer in full swing, John Nens, director of Ford Global Brand Licensing, consulted with his team of toy aficionados and came up with a list of the ten most popular Ford-licensed toys for kids of all ages. All are available at mass market retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart.

Fisher-Price Power Wheels Ford F-150 with Monster Traction™

When Elizabeth Warner, toy expert for iVillage, appeared on NBC's Today Show with her review of this summer's most fun toys, the Harley-Davidson version of this ride-on truck was hailed as "the grand finale."

Not only will this truck perform in the most rugged backyard conditions, it also features a real FM radio, roomy truck bed with working lift-and-lower tailgate, pretend seat belts, built-in cup holders and a battery charge indicator that lets kids know when it's time to "refuel." "This toy has been Ford's number one licensed product for the past eight months," said Nens. "Fisher-Price is one of our largest licensees, and the Power Wheels brand is a perfect complement to our F-150 truck."

Toy State Road Rippers Ford Flex with Light and Sound

This colorful toy is cruising to retailers' shelves now, the same time that the all-new 2009 Ford Flex is arriving at dealerships throughout the country. It moves back and forth and plays the 80s hit, "Walking on Sunshine." Though it's not an exact replica of Ford's newest crossover, the body is 100 percent accurate proportionally, says Nens. "The decoration is different. It has bright colors and shiny wheels," he said. "But the distinctive side grooves are authentic, and the sunroof openings are prototypically accurate."

High School Musical 2 Mustang Fabulous Sharpay Doll

Who could forget the monogrammed pink Ford Mustang convertible that Sharpay Evans -- played by teen star Ashley Tisdale -- drove around the country club in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical 2, which drew more than 17 million viewers. "Mattel actually produced a licensed Mustang for Barbie, so it was an easy tie-in for them to replicate the Sharpay Evans car and make a special-edition Barbie to go with it," said Nens. "Information from Mattel is that it is a sold-out toy, but you may be able to buy it on eBay."

Hot Wheels® 2008 New Models

Summer or not, when it comes to volume and visibility, it just doesn't get any bigger than Hot Wheels®. There are 40 new models for 2008, and six of them are Ford-licensed products - the Custom Ford Bronco, Pass'n Gasser™, '07 Shelby GT-500™, '69 Ford Torino Talladega, '65 Mustang Fastback and the '08 Ford Focus. "I'm pretty sure that Hot Wheels® sells more Fords each year than we do," chuckled Nens. "When we launched the completely redesigned 2005 Mustang, we sold in the neighborhood of 180,000 vehicles, and they sold one million models."

Ridemakerz®

Available in select malls throughout the country, Ridemakerz® offers kids ages six and up the opportunity to customize their own ride. Ford partnered with Ridemakerz® to offer two body styles -- the Ford Mustang and the Ford Super Chief Concept. "They have these really cool assembly stations where kids get to put their models together with their choice of body styles and colors, tires and wheels, lights and sounds and accessories and decals," said Nens. "It's like Build-A-Bear only you build a car."

Replica Lincoln Navigator, Ford Mustang GT and F-150 MP3 Players

These cool gadgets represent a completely new approach to marketing MP3 players. This summer, Toy State is coming out with five vehicles in their initial assortment, and three of them are Fords - the Lincoln Navigator, Ford Mustang and F-150. "Think of it as an iPod shuffle shaped like a car," said Nens. "For a kid who's a car enthusiast, this is a really cool thing."

Maisto® 2009 Ford Flex Power Racer

Maisto International is an industry leader in the manufacturing of die-cast products. The 2009 Ford Flex Power Racer is pull-back powered 4.5-inch die-cast car that is sure to provide amusement for children of all ages. "This is another example of synchronizing the release of the licensed product with the launch of the full-size vehicle," said Nens. "Kids are going to love it."

Toy State Road Rippers Shake, Shake, Shake Ford F-250 Super Duty

"This toy has its own little tricks," said Nens. Press one button? The horn beeps and the tail lights flash. Press the second button? The headlights turn on and truck drives forward. And when you press the third button? The whole truck lights up and plays Shake Your Booty by KC & the Sunshine Band while the pickup bed shakes, shakes, shakes.

1978 Ford Bronco Imagination Adventure Play Set

This play set comes with everything a child needs for a fun outdoor adventure. It includes a 1978 Ford Bronco, tent, deer, action figure and ATV. "This is a sandbox/living room floor toy for the kid whose dad is an outdoorsman," said Nens. "It's a new toy with a 1978 Bronco. That's one of the great things about this business. We're still licensing vehicles we did 30 years ago."

Hot Wheels® Ford GT Concept, Ford Mustang GT Remote Control Vehicles

This toy should be hitting the market right now, says Nens. It's a remote-control car that is easy to operate, especially for little hands. "It's a neat beginner toy for children who are too young to operate complicated remote controls," he said.