Transmedia storytelling in a diecast brand: Expansion of the Hot Wheels advertising discourse

Abstract

The increased use of digital technology and online platforms has allowed brands to transform their advertising universe through immersive experiences that facilitate consumer decision making and collaboration in the expansion process. Transmedia storytelling makes possible the migration of these messages through multiple media that are manipulated by the participatory role of the consumer. Through an effective communication strategy, it is possible to create advertising discourses disseminated by the buyer when using the product. In this sense, the objective of companies is to maintain a relationship with their consumers by providing them with spaces where new stories are created that continue the construction of narratives and preserve the brand’s values. Currently, the case of the Hot Wheels model car line, belonging to the U.S. toy company Mattel, builds a narrative structure in its advertising discourses through multiple media and online platforms. In particular, model car collectors receive a series of impacts and stimuli from the company. Thus, it is the buyers who decide what to do with the messages and with their decision they amplify the essence of the brand.