Hot Wheels' female executive wants more girls to be part of the brand

Alex Ries walked the Mattel design center parking lot last month, chatting with the Hot Wheels fans who had woken up early one Saturday morning to show off their bespoke creations at the El Segundo Legends Tour stop.

It was 100 degrees outside and the heat was oppressive. That did not stop Ries from making an appearance; the Mattel executive, who was named global head of Hot Wheels two years ago, has a genuine interest in the Hot Wheels community.

The brand, which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2018, partners with nearly every auto manufacturer in the world and its die-cast cars are sold in more than 150 countries. The average child in the U.S. owns about 50 Hot Wheels, though adults have become the No. 1 segment for the brand: Its Adult Collector business rose 28% in 2025 and is expected to grow 26% this year. There's also a Hot Wheels movie currently in development.

Ries has big plans for the brand, which has teamed up with top fashion houses, streaming services and elite racing series like Formula 1. Under her direction, Hot Wheels launched its first-ever Challenge Accepted campaign. Three celebs were chosen and their Hot Wheels designs are available to buy; Hot Wheels says the campaign's goal is to highlight individuals who "turn obstacles into opportunities and prove that the road to becoming legendary begins."

For Ries, reaching out to young girls is also important; the brand has been making efforts to be more inclusive and welcoming toward female collectors and enthusiasts.

Ries talked about about her team's love for automotive, how the brand is leaning into limited-edition collections and why Hot Wheels is a "right of passage for kids."

The interview below has been edited for clarity.

Q: Let's talk about the brand's big push with adult collectors. Are these longtime Hot Wheels customers?

A: There is a pretty big existing adult fan base. For a lot of people, Hot Wheels was their first car and it really sparked a love of automotive. A lot of our fans never grew out of Hot Wheels -- they've stayed with us. And adults are the fastest growing segment in the entire toy industry and also in Hot Wheels. People are coming into the brand through a love of automotive: they really like an [automaker] or Formula 1 or through a partnership, like a celebrity or 7-Eleven or AriZona.

We rolled out a new brand platform for adults in August. What we're working to do for adults is to create that emotional connection to Hot Wheels through Challenge Accepted. It's all about chasing your dreams, living boldly, not being afraid to try. We partnered with three celebs who all have a passion for automotive.

If you love cars at all, Hot Wheels has something for you. We play in every part of car culture.

Q: Do you consider yourself a car enthusiast?

A: I would say I am getting there [laughs]. There is something so special about getting to be part of a brand that people love so dearly and passionately. The team loves Hot Wheels and automotive. And that's made me start to love automotive.

Q: How does your team choose the designs? How far out do you plan?

A: We have 180 new car designs this year and that doesn't include recoloring of existing models. Over 10 billion Hot Wheels have been produced since 1968, which is wild.

The team is really plugged in and lives and breathes automotive culture. We're choosing models based on what's important to our OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] partners, what is new, what we're seeing that's trending in culture, or if it's partnerships, what the partner is really passionate about. We tend to work about 18 to 24 months out.

Q: Many Americans drive large SUVs or pickup trucks, do you see demand for these types of vehicles? Or are customers buying die-cast sports cars?

A: Sports cars are really popular and I think there's a bit of that fantasy element. Maybe you can't afford to spend $300,000 on a car but you can have this amazing version for pocket money. We're really seeing the Japanese manufacturers start to trend.

We see customers buy a car they aspire to own. This is an affordable way for them to own a piece of the culture they love.

Q: Would you ever consider making a Hot Wheels car from a Chinese brand?

A: It could be on the road map. China is a really important market for us and it's an area that continues to grow, so stay tuned.

Q: What is the No. 1 market for Hot Wheels?

A: It is the U.S. but we're truly a global brand. Mexico, Brazil, England, Germany, France, Australia, Canada -- those are all big markets for us.

Q: You recently launched a partnership with Supercar Blondie [Alex Hirschi]. How are you getting more girls excited about Hot Wheels?

A: We are seeing more women and girls coming into the brand. We're being really thoughtful about the partners we bring on and the models we make. Supercar Blondie is a pioneer in automotive culture. Her Challenge Accepted story is all about breaking through in a male-dominated field. We ran a sweepstakes for "Tiniest Team Principal" in partnership with F1 and our U.S. winner is a little girl named Cora. She's now in the brand and we're doing content with her. So we're showing girls and women that Hot Wheels is for you, too. No pinkwashing.

Q: What makes a Hot Wheels collectible?

A: Some of the cars on our direct-to-consumer site are selling out in minutes. People are buying to collect for the future. They'll buy two. They'll keep one in the pack and one out to display and admire.

Q: Has the company been forced to increase prices lately?

A: Yes. Like every other consumer products company, we are seeing a rise in the cost of goods. This will be our ninth consecutive year of growth. And we are seeing really good acceleration in our more premium lines, like our $10 [editions]. The average cost is a $1.39. Some cars cost $40 or $45 if the finishes are extra special. We'll do collector sets that can be in the multiple hundreds of dollars.

We are seeing a lot of resilience [from customers] but I do think it's a low barrier to entry. You can get in for just over $1. It's accessible and something that people are so passionate about.

Q: Are you thinking about doing even more limited editions?

A: I do think scarcity is part of the secret sauce. That's part of the fun of being a collector -- going after those rare, hard-to-get items. So it's really a balance of making sure that there's a good chase factor but not disappointing too many people at the same time.

Q: What have you heard from fans, especially at the Legends Tour events?

A: At the El Segundo event, just the variety of people who came in was really cool to see. I will say that people were really grateful for the experience. They get to see all these cool cars, they get to be part of a community. That, I think, has helped make Hot Wheels so enduring.

The people who brought cars in, some of them were really fancy and cost a lot of money to make. But others didn't. Some tinkered in their garage and they were really resourceful about the materials that they used. So it wasn't about having the most expensive or flashy thing. The passion and the heart that people brought was so nice to see.

Q: What is your vision for the brand?

A: There are two big areas we are focusing on. We have to bring new kids into the brand and we have to give them the best experience. One of the innovations we rolled out last year was our new Speed Snap Track System. It was the first time we updated that track in almost 60 years. Kids had a really hard time snapping the pieces together. They weren't able to do that on their own and it was hard to take apart and store. So our designers and engineers solved all of that. With that innovation we really unlocked a new way for kids to play and build. We're leaning into Hot Wheels as a building system and making sure our track sets are super kid friendly.

Digital gaming is also really big for us. We're making a very big investment into content --- YouTube and Netflix. We have a series called "Hot Wheels Let's Race" on Netflix and we're coming to YouTube in 2027. We will have a new premium series for Monster Trucks, so keeping kids engaged.

Content is one of the biggest ways [to reach kids]. But we are investing in experiential [events]. We launched a new stunt show last year in Europe and that's coming to the U.S. We're investing in where kids are and we're giving them this experience beyond just playing with toys.

Q: What is the biggest challenge of running this company when so many kids are addicted to their phones and social media?

A: For kids specifically, it's showing up where they are. But also making sure we are prioritizing innovation and showing them really exciting ways to play with Hot Wheels. It's really a right of passage for kids. It's such a universal experience.