Bratz Dolls & The Dark Side of Marketing

20 January 2008 Written By: Jim KukralComments: Comments

Make money teaching a class at Prfessor.com

There are two kinds of marketers. Both use “the force”. You have the light side, and the dark side. And as every Star Wars fan, or any marketer knows… How you look at any situation, marketing or not, is usually from your own point of view. I’ll take the light side view of my marketing “force” and say I don’t like how these dolls are marketed.

Agree with my view? Digg this.

Watch this video at YouTube.

TheDailyFlip.com is a web show about online marketing and being an entrepreneur. Jim Kukral is an award-winning and long-time blogger, as well as speaker, writer, online marketer and web entrepreneur. You can read more about Jim Kukral here.

Subscribe to the rss feed for a chance to win your very own Flip Ultra video camera.

Disclosure Policy

This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.

  • don't let the makers of barbie off the hook so easily. in december my best friend's daughter turned five and got her first barbie. so, i decided to get her some cool barbie accessories as a present. holy crap! the outfits were so slutty. each set of outfits looked like barbie was headed out on the town for a night of partying with paris hilton or on spring break for girls gone wild. i was shocked. after searching at three different stores i finally picked up some accessories and outfits that didn't make barbie look totally like a streetwalker. still, i thought that the marketing of this type stuff was completely inappropriate for such young girls. back in my day (ok, it was way back) we just had malibu barbie and occassionaly she checked out what ken had in his swiim trunks. ah, the good old days or innocence.
  • @Daan, I have not seen that episode, but I'll be sure to find it and watch it.

    @Lisa, I hear what you're saying. However, my daughter has a bunch of Barbies, and 99% of them nowadays are "princess" barbies, etc... And they don't come with party limos, or with drink sets, and they certainly don't come with puffed up glossy lips and mascara.

    Bottom line, the Barbies of today are not perfect, but they at least mimic a "miss USA" type persona, while a Bratz doll mimics a drunk hollywood starlet. Much worse.
  • Great thoughts! I agree totally!

    I wish there were more parents like you.

    Cheers,
    Ron
  • I have been "disturbed" for years by the toy trend. Bratz dolls were soon followed by real life brats with tiny little bodies and big heads swarmed by stalkerattzi as they sipped red bull and gin while looking pouty (and being underage). I cringe to think the next big thing may be the perky, pregnant teenage mom doll.
  • @Ron, I wish so as well. I can't imagine letting my child want to be one of those dolls.

    @Karen, I sure hope not! Shudder.
  • M&M's are getting rid of the Mini-M&M characters because it is marketed towards children because they "look" like children.

    I think this is ridiculous, and I probably think that you agree that Mini M&M's are doing less damage to children than toys that give stripping and prostitution honorable career paths.
  • Hey Ron - yep, you're bang-on. As the mom of a 5-year-old, I find Bratz dolls/cartoons abhorrent. It's the continuing sexualization of young girls and why it isn't gobsmackingly obvious that this sort of "tartwear" that is so prevalent blurs the line for kids about what is appropriate. That young girls find Bratz "pretty" is disturbing.

    @Karen "I cringe to think the next big thing may be the perky, pregnant teenage mom doll" Well, then that would most certainly come with a drink set, as she'd be drinking for two. ;-)
  • I hate those Bratz Dolls ... I hate em.
    I don't allow my daughter to have them.
    Fortunately, she still likes American Girl.
  • I think people are really unscrupulous about marketing to little children, because they are the most impressionable and really i think their minds are like little sponges! I have a four year old and the way she remembers the jingles, voiceovers and sequences of commercials in general is amazing. Taking her to the supermarket reveals to me just how much impact they have on her! I still have never bought her a barbie, but how do you stop well meaning friends from gifting them to her!!!??? And i totally agree with lisa about those accessories..... ridiculous! What on earth do we want our children to grow up as!??
  • well, fianna is bratz, and im 10. I know, a wonder why i would be even on such a site of "ihate bratz" blah blah blah, well i was looking @ limitedtoo things and saw a bratz pic and just clicked it out of curiosity and found out this whole entire site. I never knew so many people despise of bratz. well, heres my say:

    ahem,
    Bratz, is sumthing that little girls from maby even the age of 13 (idk) may like. there not sex toys there just pretty. There a mix of cultchurs and there pretty excoitic. i mean there enternational! Jades from asia Sasha:africa (i think) and much more! well, girls r into the tan, the glossy lips, the flashy clothes and hair styles, the pick of the girls with make up and they were like six, was obserd, but they looked pretty. Its a world were people only look at whats on the outside and bratz shows that. No one wants to play with some doll with long old jeans, and a sweater, cuz well lets face it girls wanna play pretty. For an example lets say a t.v show comes on. the first thing comes out a 6 or 7 year old when they c the pretty girl is "IM HER". girls r always choosing characters 2 b and whats pretty and whats not, and whats old and whats in. Now lets say a girls gonna use that line with a doll. u have (just making up) Sally. with braided long hair, long thick jeans, sneakers, and just a casual top, and then lets say u have, Linn with the glittery top with a maching coat and a cute skirt, with high heels. sum kids might choose Sally, BUT COME ON TELL ME THERE NOT GONNA GO 4 LINN! ppl and kids always wanna pick the pretty and the in, not what there grandma gives them 4 christmas ; )
  • Marilynn,

    I'm just saying, not for my kids.
blog comments powered by Disqus