Bratz Dolls & The Dark Side of Marketing

Author: Jim Kukral Category: Daily Flip, Internet Strategy, Marketing, Marketing Effort, Marketing Strategy

Sunday
Jan 20, 2008

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.

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Comments

Daan Jansonius

January 20th, 2008 at 3:44 am

This reminds me of a Southpark episode called ‘Stupid Spoilt Whore Set’ . It was a piss take of Paris Hilton and her being a stupid, spoilt whore (their words, not mine! although I don’t necessarily disagree ).

Somebody must been watching that, had a lightbulb moment and figured they could actually create the damn thing and sell it to children!

Some people are clueless, they really are.

lisa picarille

January 20th, 2008 at 9:50 am

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.

Jim Kukral

January 20th, 2008 at 10:49 am

@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.

Ron Watson

January 20th, 2008 at 5:24 pm

Great thoughts! I agree totally!

I wish there were more parents like you.

Cheers,
Ron

Karen Swim

January 20th, 2008 at 6:45 pm

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.

Jim Kukral

January 20th, 2008 at 9:36 pm

@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.

PhotoTiki Chris

January 21st, 2008 at 9:51 am

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.

Charlotte Riley

January 21st, 2008 at 12:33 pm

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. ;-)

International Student Loan

January 22nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm

I hate those Bratz Dolls … I hate em.
I don’t allow my daughter to have them.
Fortunately, she still likes American Girl.

Leather Sectionals

January 23rd, 2008 at 10:19 pm

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!??

Marilynn

April 8th, 2008 at 11:15 pm

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 ; )