Bratz Mania Growing

Across the world, more and more girls are discovering Bratz dolls. These little toys have proven to be a big success, winning several prestigious awards within the toy industry. Bratz mania can be seen everywhere, now, from toy stores to televisions, with strong sales from the constantly expanding line of Bratz merchandise to show for it. And the toys' makers are certainly doing well in their efforts to keep the line growing, furthering the Bratz mania by way of an animated television series, and the periodic release of computer-animated movies that are released directly to DVD. These movies, of course, feature the Bratz characters in adventures related to whatever new twist on the Bratz brand has recently been introduced.

So, what makes the Bratz toys so successful? Well, at least part of the Bratz mania is simply due to the nature of the toys. Many girls simply enjoy playing with dolls. This statement may be called stereotyping by some, but this point is certainly supported by a long history of toy sales. This is not to say by any means that girls have a corner on the doll market. Dolls are simply marketed to boys as 'action figures.' In any case, the Bratz line is in a format that is, by its nature, appealing to their target audience. This does not account for the entirety of the toy line's success, but it is likely that this precedent was the springboard that brought many girls into the Bratz world initially.

Beyond simply working from the popularity of dolls, the Bratz toys have established a style that keeps girls coming back for more once they have caught on to the Bratz mania. The popularity of the Bratz line is both cause and effect of a shift in the culture of children. It is often said that kids these days grow up too quickly. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that today's culture is 'growing down.' The Bratz dolls carry a very fashion-centric attitude that is normally seen in girls in high schools. This 'growing down' of culture is bringing younger girls the cultural references that they need for the Bratz attitude to appeal to them.

Although the Bratz dolls are carrying a very 'grown up' image, they also appeal to a childish side. There are elements of fantasy in the Bratz toys as well, from whimsical accessories such as a Banana Split Lounge to the Bratz Genie Magic toys, which are based in Arabian fantasy. This appeals to girls because, while culture of Bratz mania may be reaching more and more into a child's younger years, young girls still enjoy to 'play pretend.' It is this combination of focus on high fashion without forsaking the childish fantasy elements that the makers of the Bratz dolls have balanced, giving them a path to success. As long as their toys continue to appeal to the young girl audience, while keeping up with the shifts in the culture of children, Bratz mania stands to continue to spread indefinitely.

Bratz mania