Maybe you’re too young (or too old) to remember this curious moment in toy history when Mattel panicked over the success of Bratz and came up with My Scene. It was the 2000s, and Barbie was going through probably one of its most critical moments: childhoods were getting shorter and shorter, and they were losing interest in playing with dolls; that, and the overwhelming success of MGA Entertainment, who bet on Bratz dolls.
Girls were no longer interested in playing with Barbie, their aesthetics were perceived as cheesy, traditional, and backward at the beginning of a new century. Barbie was an adult, she worked, she was a teacher or a veterinarian, her world was pink, and her style was… boring.
On the other hand, the Bratz had style, they were teenagers, they went to malls, they had boyfriends, they went to school. Their story could be more similar and attractive to girls who were starting to grow up.
The History of My Scene
The development of My Scene dolls began in the early 2000s, intending to capture the attention of young girls and tweens with a more modern and contemporary approach. Mattel sought to offer an attractive alternative to Bratz dolls and maintain its dominant position in the doll market.
To create the My Scene dolls, Mattel focused on giving them a more updated and urban style compared to traditional Barbie dolls. The My Scene dolls had more realistic facial features, sleeker bodies, and a variety of modern hairstyles and fashion styles. A major change was Mattel’s efforts to make the My Scene dolls more representative of the ethnic and style diversity of the girls of the time.
In addition to the dolls, a whole line of clothing and accessories was developed for the My Scene dolls, following the latest fashion trends. Different outfits and accessories were created so that girls could customize and create different styles for their dolls. Mattel also invested in the marketing and promotion of this new line: advertising campaigns, television commercials, and collaborations with popular brands were carried out.
In addition, animated movies starring the My Scene dolls were released, following their adventures and giving them even more visibility, very similar to the Bratz strategy, by the way.
The End of an Era
The rivalry between these two doll lines continued for several years until the popularity of the Bratz declined in the mid-2000s, and the My Scene dolls lost relevance. Bratz and My Scene experienced a decline in sales and market attention, and the companies had to adapt to new trends and girls’ preferences to stay relevant in the fashion doll industry.
The girls of the 2000s began to grow up and a new generation was coming. My Scene was finally discontinued in 2011; its creation and initial launch aimed to compete with Bratz dolls and offer a contemporary fashion option for girls at the time.
This story was written in Spanish by Kate Nateras in Cultura Colectiva
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