Being first is a commendable achievement but being first in the world is even more special. That’s something which one Malaysian 9-year-old – Saw Jane Harn from Penang – will be proud of all her life.
As the winner of the Hot Wheels x Proton Kids Design Competition 2023, she is the first child to have her hand-drawn artwork chosen for Hot Wheels die-cast packaging. The winning design will be printed on the packaging of the special edition Hot Wheels Proton Saga which will be on sale nationwide in 2024.
How the collaboration started
In 2022, Hot Wheels and Proton unveiled a prototype of their very first collaboration: a Hot Wheels 1:64 scale diecast of the iconic 1985 Proton Saga, Malaysia’s first national car, in conjunction with Mattel Malaysia’s 40th anniversary celebration.
This means the Proton Saga will be brought to the global stage as it joins the world’s top-selling Hot Wheels singles collection.
Involving kids in the collaboration
To make their collaboration even more meaningful, Hot Wheels and Proton decided to have the Hot Wheels x Proton Kids Design Competition.
This would involve children from across the nation to create a design for the packaging of the historic model which would become part of the Hot Wheels Collection.
Over 386 children, aged 4-12 years old, submitted their entries which had to capture the essence of ‘A Malaysian National Car’. Not surprisingly, the entries had lots of patriotic blues, whites, reds, and yellows.
The winning design
The winning design captures and celebrates a range of Malaysia’s natural features and achievements, from the rhinoceros hornbill and hibiscus, the country’s national bird and flower, and the National Monument.
“The Malaysian elements Saw Jane Harn chose for her design are a quintessential summation of our beautiful country,” said Azlan Othman, Chief Designer at Proton and one of the judges for the competition.
“We thought that her artful execution of these undeniably Malaysian icons would set a wonderful backdrop for the Hot Wheels Proton Saga,” Azlan said.
While her entry was judged the best, Ezra Rehan Pal (11) and Austin Goh Zi Hao (11) also submitted designs that were among the best three.
The top three design creators, plus three consolation prize winners, received cash prizes, Hot Wheels products, limited edition Hot Wheels merchandise, and an exclusive meet and greet experience with Matt Gabe, Hot Wheels Lead Packaging Designer, who was visiting from California.
The winning design will undergo a pre-production review to identify any regulatory or other approvals that may be required, and the Mattel/Proton team will endeavour to secure such approvals. The team hopes to keep as much as possible the original design elements and aims to launch it in 2024.
Nurturing the challenging spirit
“For over 50 years, Hot Wheels has been known for igniting and nurturing the challenger spirit that lives within every kid to help them reach their true potential,” said Murat Ariksoy, General Manager, Mattel South Asia.
“Our team aspires to bring new and thrilling experiences to develop kids’ skills and confidence to take on the world by combining competition, experimentation, and creativity. We are happy to collaborate with Proton to design this competition that empowers the next generation to dare to say, ‘Challenge Accepted!’, he said.
Milestones for Proton
“Just as Mattel Malaysia celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022, Proton also celebrated its 40th anniversary on May 7 this year,” said Roslan Abdullah, Deputy CEO of Proton. “Meanwhile, the Saga just turned 38 on July 9, so the Hot Wheels Proton Saga is an apt way to celebrate these milestones in our company’s history.”
Encik Roslan said that the carmaker will seek more collaborations with partners such as Mattel Malaysia who, like Proton, have played a central role in inspiring Malaysia’s car culture and our love for cars.
The Hot Wheels Proton Saga will go on sale in over 150 countries from December 2023. The more special Limited Edition version with the winning design will be available in Malaysia in 2024 at leading toy specialty stores and department stores.