Bratz beat Barbie in Q4
By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, February 6, 2007
LOS ANGELES—It took six years, but Bratz finally did it. MGA Entertainment’s sassy fashion dolls surpassed Barbie, Mattel’s perennial market share leader, during the most recent fourth quarter.
According to The NPD Group, Bratz was the No. 1 fashion-themed doll property during the final quarter 2006, beating the second ranked property by 7 percent. Last week, Mattel reported that its domestic Barbie sales had grown in every quarter of 2006 after a down year in 2005, but apparently not by enough to keep Bratz out of the top spot.
The leading fashion doll line based on full-year 2006 sales was not announced.
“The consumers have spoken…Bratz is the clear No.1 fashion doll in the USA and we intend to stay at No. 1,” said Isaac Larian, MGA Entertainment’s CEO , who added that the line’s momentum is continuing into 2007.
“Early sales of our spring ‘07 line already show a double digit increase.” Larian tells Playthings. “We will keep that pace and increase it with product innovation and marketing. The Bratz live action movie, produced by Avi Arad, will take us over the top.”
The Bratz line was power during the 2006 holiday season by the very “blingy” Forever Diamondz assortment of jewel-encrusted divas. The dolls recently were named the Doll of the Year in the U.K. and are in the running for the Toy Industry Association’s Girl Toy of the Year award at the 7th Annual T.O.T.Y. Awards, which takes place this Saturday, February 10th, 2007 , in New York City .
Commenting on his dolls’ appeal, Larian told Playthings that Bratz are strong because of several factors: “their true multicultural look, [they] relate to what kids do now—we change them per kids wishes all the time—and [our] attention to detail and [the dolls’] ‘passion for fashion.’”
