Spot-On Models - Marketing Gimmicks

Marketing Gimmicks

The objective of Spot-On was similar to that of Dinky and Corgi – to make true-to-life models that also served as toys. The goal was that models be detailed but robust – and Spot-On models were well-made and heavy. As Dinky and Corgi were already established, Spot-On found it difficult to establish a marketing gimmick. Spot-On tried first to establish itself in the British market, concentrating on a choice of model cars that were familiar in the United Kingdom (the first was a UK Ford Zodiac). Even the brand name was more easily understood in the UK. In the United States, where Dinky and Corgi sold a large number of toys, Spot-On Models were practically nonexistent, and perhaps would not have been well-understood anyway considering the non-U.S. British line-up. This, together with their larger size and smaller production numbers, made Spot-On models more expensive than the competition. Consequently, they made a relatively small impact on the toy car market. However, backed by the Lines Brothers empire, the product range did not need to make an immediate profit to survive.

Dinky and Corgi were both a little loose with their scale – typically around 1:48 for cars, but Spot-On decided always to be exactly "spot-on" in 1:42, because models were built to fit into "Cotswold" village style playsets (Rixon 2005, p. 38). The company then proceeded to adopt this same scale for buses and commercial vehicles which made these models larger than most Dinky and Corgi toys. For example, the 12 wheel A.E.C. Mammoth Major petrol lorry lived up to its name in toy form and was massive compared to toy lorries from other manufacturers that often were pared down to a more manageable 1:64 scale (Gibson 1970, pp. 20–21).

Although more conservative than Corgi Toys, Spot-On did introduce some innovations. The Volvo 122 "Amazon" had a sliding sunroof as did the Ford Consul sedan. On some models detailed interiors were featured with appropriately dressed drivers and passengers. For example, the "Tonibell" ice cream van had a moving worker inside the serving area and some models were banks with coin slots in the roof (Gibson 1970, pp. 42–43). The Ford Zodiac was made to appear as a 'press' car (Rixon 2005, p. 75). Also, enhancing the "Spot-On" name, several cars were redesigned to incorporate battery powered working headlights (these cars had no interiors). As seen below, the lineup was particularly British and often focused on British cars not always popular internationally.