Mattel discusses its WCW Nitro Ultimate Edition crowdfunding campaign.
WCW Nitro was a staple program in wrestling from 1995-2001. Featuring Hulk Hogan, DDP, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Rey Mysterio, among others, Nitro knocked off WWE Raw for 83 weeks in the 1990s.
Mattel previously announced a crowdfunding campaign to bring the original WCW Nitro stage to life in a new Mattel Creations playset. The project began in October 2021, and the campaign ends on May 6; thus far, the minimum goal of $5,000 has yet to be met.
“The nostalgia has been so addictive,” says Mike Kadile, a Mattel staff designer said to Sports Illustrated. “We were cautious and careful that people aren’t overly intimidated by the size of it, and we’re also thinking about those people who love toy photography. We put our hearts into it. Once you get it all set and lit up and put a figure in the center, it becomes real. After I set it up, I couldn’t stop looking at it from every angle.”
Regarding the choice to crowdfund, Bill Benecke, a manager within Mattel’s product design department, calls it "an incredible opportunity."
“Crowdfund is an incredible opportunity,” says Benecke. “It moves the project away from retailers. They might love an item but can’t make the space for it, so the project dies. Now we can take it directly to the people who care the most.”
Should the crowdfunding campaign does not reach 5,000 backers by the end date, the project will be canceled and all purchases will be refunded.
Fans can learn more about the campaign at this link.
