Global “Team Thomas” initiative to support the The Great Race movie.

Mattel has launched a worldwide campaign for “Thomas & Friends” based on Thomas’ core values of friendship, determination and teamwork in anticipation of The Great Race movie premiere in May.

The “Team Thomas” campaign will be driven across ThomasandFriends.com and “Thomas & Friends” social media channels that engage parents and preschoolers in weekly tasks. The worldwide campaign will also see each country work as a team to unlock prizes and new content.

Additionally, parents will be able to submit photos, videos and comments with the #TeamThomas hashtag.

In the U.K., the campaign will be launched by celebrity parent Frankie Bridge and her son Parker. Bridge will use media and social activity to reinforce the message “when you race with Team Thomas, friendship always wins.”

The event will also kick off with the DVD release of Start Your Engines. The mini tentpole will also include six unseen episodes from the series’ 19th season.

Finally, product launches across the Fisher-Price “Thomas & Friends” lines, as well as an extensive consumer products portfolio, will support the new content and themes in The Great Race.