Toyota Wants To Seduce Your Children - To Love Cars

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: June 15th, 2012

toyota wants to seduce your children to love cars

There is an unusual exhibitor at the International Tokyo Toy Show: Toyota. The company shows a grown-up toy car. The car seats 3 children up to 4 feet tall. It has an engine. It drives. Being a toy, it can be dismantled and put together in many different ways. Twist a few knobs, and the car converts from a retro sedan to an offroadish buggy. There is another turn: the toy is supposed to turn on kids to cars.

The car is called “Camatte.” Toyota says this is from the Japanese word for “care”, meant to signify “caring for others” and “caring for cars.” TTAC’s cross-cultural advisor, Frau Schmitto-san, says it is Japanese for “play with me!” The car is said to be powered by an electric motor, and to have a top speed of 25 mph

#BertelSchmitt #Camatte #Japan #Toy #Toyota

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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Toy Maker on Jun 15, 2012

"Twist a few knobs.." Looks more like 50 knobs to me. To car-beginners/kids , these things are way too complicated. Good direction, but shouldn't the end product be more to the scale of power wheels (Darth Lefty has the right idea) that's customizable / upgradable? All the knobs and latches should also be operable by the kids as well (at max a kid and a parent), then they will really have something going.

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- Bancho on Jun 15, 2012
  
  I think you underestimate kids.
  
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- Toy Maker on Jun 15, 2012
  
  @Bancho A kid car-nut can work on his parent's car already. But for beginners, let's say an 8 year old with no prior wrenching knowledge, I'd think they need to start with a simpler platform. Anything more advance and they are pushing go-kart territory.
  
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"scarey" on Jun 16, 2012

It reminds me of a toy car that I had when I was a boy. It was called the "Crashmobile". You would run it into an obstacle, and the car would fly apart in about 8 pieces ! It was great ! Then, you fitted the pieces back together, (it was easy), and you did it again. Alternatively, the first car pictured looks like it was made from a VW 412 front end, a Pacer roof, VW Microbus hubcaps, and the front bumper from a 1939 Chevy truck. @Toyota- this is a GOOD thing. All you need to do is show this spirit in a few of your real-life offerings, like the Scion Xb, perhaps. The younger generation will come around.

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