@@SquishyMain Shadow High is edgy and features less mainstream street wear, but none of them are properly goth or even really punk just yet. I hope that line pushes the boundaries so we can get more fully articulated goth/punk dolls! So far only OMG has done those styles to the extreme degree I would prefer and I just don't always vibe with their face designs.
Is funny how they redesigned the faces to be more "childlike" when Barbie, the posterchild of what a successful doll line looks like, became popular in the first place cause she was an adult looking doll, is almost like kids actually prefer dolls that don't look childlike 🤔🤔
The whole point (at least for most kids) is acting out stories with dolls. And most of us weren’t acting out childish things with dolls, because we were already kids. That’s why kids love barbie herself and not so much Kelly, her small child cousin. You don’t really think of small children when you think of vast adventures and such. That’s why kids like playing with adult looking dolls because they’re better to act out your imagination with.
Imagine thinking that a doll based on a monster shouldn't look at least a little bit creepy. Monster High broke down a lot of walls. I really wish that toy executives would understand the value of experimentation in toy lines.
I think the only ones displeased with "edgier" doll designs were angry parents and infant children, neither of whom were even part of the target demographic. There are different kids, they like different styles, one may like monsters, another may like mermaids. People should really start accounting for that. The following was said in a game review, but to paraphrase a little, I think it applies to anything, dolls included: "We should focus less on making something that would appeal to everyone, and more on making every possible variation of something that would appeal to a specific group.", variety is the spice of life, all that stuff.
@@morganyoung3557 I would actually love to see an edgier/horror official redesign of them for older audiences. That’d be real neat, but we got the opposite instead.. :,>
It's so frustrating that even with so much evidence that modern/alternative design appeals to kids, the toy companies STILL default to "pink & frilly" as the only thing they think will sell. Feels like we need to get designers into higher positions instead of business dudes stuck in the 70s.
I come from the My Little Pony side of collecting rather than fashion dolls but it still holds so true. Princess Celestia, a white princess pony with rainbow hair apparently just had to be pink in the initial toy releases. Thankfully that changed, but they still always seemed terrified to give Applejack her freckles and cowboy hat, seldom printing her at all when it came to smaller sets. Country kids loved her but never got enough. She just wasn't viewed as girly enough to be likeable. I appreciated they branched out and made male ponies but they were of much worse quality, with hair like brushed wool rather than the glossy nylon they used for everyone else. Or they'd use ten tons of glue to make it more like a molded plastic. Any other exploration was really made for collectors, not play. :( A Toys R Us series called Pony Mania kicked up the colors, adding tons of black and white and these days those sell for a ton. It's a shame they didn't do it more, because the kids I knew thought they were awesome. But still, just poorly printed accessories and glue hair.
Yes this! And yet they still won't go into over the top frilly pink territory like porcelain dolls once were, or even vintage Barbies. If we have to have "feminine" clothes, why can't we get loud couture ball gowns and heaps of lace?! They're caught in this weird limbo of girly, but not too fantastical, frilly but not enough to be whimsical.
@@Solaceon I was a my little pony gen 3 kid and my favorite was a baby blue pony named Bebop, another blue one named Fire water with bright saturated orange hair, and a yellow one named Kiwi Tart that had pink and green hair. I had no pink ponies. I was so nice to have a toy line where it wasn't implied that the pink one was the main character/leader and all the other colors were lesser for no other reason than not being pink. Pink is a lovely color and definitely should be represented, but girls like other colors.
I’m kinda glad the big wigs at spin master lost so much money with mermaid high this is what happens when you don’t listen to designers that actually know what the mainstream market wants in dolls! Those prototype dolls are stunning 😭 if those were in the shelves they would’ve sold more I’m certain
Who wants to bet that the lesson they derived from this is that "oh, mermaids are just not in right now" executives this far up their own ass tend to do dumb shite like that.
I honestly don't know why doll companies still think it's 2008 and 'little girls' will still buy dolls in this bland and ugly style. Dolls aren't supposed to be realistic, they're supposed to be FUN, especially the FASHION. They half-assed this line and it showed, what else could they have expected? I just wish they'd believe in their designers and listen to what people want. I, for one, am WAITING for a fully alt fashion line with goth, cottagecore, fairy kei, etc dolls designed for children (because there's nothing inappropriate about alt fashion) and executed to a high enough standard for collectors.
I personally was turned off by the execution (cheap fabric, bad face ups, minimal clothing pieces and no detail, etc) but if they had gone for the original concepts and put some money into the production I feel like they would have sold a tone. Mari was by far my favourite, the only one I kept my hope for and clearly never stood a chance, if she had been made better even with her current design she would have been the only one I would have brought.
THANK YOU!!! The second actual alternative dolls hit the shelves they will be the HIGHLIGHT of the doll community! I just hope companies grow up and realise who their audience is
I'll never understand how little higher-ups know about the market they're targeting for. If Mermaid High didn't get delayed and ended up released as what we saw as the prototypes, they would've lasted much longer. Amazing idea under a terrible company sadly enough... And about Mari, she was without a doubt one of the favorites, wasn't she? So Spinmaster erasing her from future lines showed how little they know about the market. I don't think it's that hard to ASK your target audience, but guess they're just lazy up there ://
To be fair...we don't know if Mari was a sales favorite (aka lots of people - adults + kids bought her) vs toy channels and toy collectors exclusively. All companies do listen to their target market (kids + parents) preferences because actually retailers share direct toy sales numbers and then they reflect it in upcoming seasons. You can see this in all longer term toy lines that repeated characters (e.g MH always had tons of Draculauras + Frankies and way less Ghoulia, Disney Princess always has lots of Ariels, Belles, Cinderellas and lately Jasmines but rarely featured Snow White or Pocahontas). I think if Mermaid High had lasted longer we would've found out which characters were actually popular with kids because characters that weren't as popular would be left out of more lines. It's hard to tell with only two lines though.
@@clusterstar04 Off topic but as a Snow White mega fan I absolutely *hate* how she's always left out when even Aurora has so much more content purely because she's pink
Honestly if I was a kid when these dolls came out I would have loved to have owned a Mari doll and she probably would have been my favorite in the group.
Another doll line that comes to mind that sort of speaks to how doll people and girls don't only like pink and glitter is Ever After High. Despite the fairytale aesthetic, the main character Raven had a more gothic sense of style, and she was a very well-loved character.
Tbf, the only 'pink' character wouldve been Briar, the rest of them had the modern/fairy tale mix that kind of Made them imo (and even she had some cool stuff going on with her outfits)
The moral of the story is, kids like seeing different, unique and diverse dolls in toy isles, they like gimmicks that can be repeated and reused over and over, and expressive faces. Fashion that is different, bright and colorful or unique and dark and spooky. They like dolls that look nothing like the dolls their friends and siblings have.
I feel disappointed that Mermaid High failed. I felt that they were better than Mermaze, because Mermaze dolls are overpriced for what they are in my opinion, and the main line of Mermaze dolls could not even sit. My personal favorite Mermaid High doll and the only one I have is Mari, and its a shame that she was being excluded from future lines. Dolls lines like Monster High and dolls like the Storm Twins from Shadow High show that goth dolls can really stand out in a positive way and sell well, so I don't get why most companies are so hesitant to release goth and alternative dolls.
Goth and alternative dolls are some of my FAVE type of dolls. There should be more of them. That's why I love Bratz, Monster High and Shadow High so much!
I love the mermaze dolls they're beautiful but i couldn't officially buy them due to the retail price so I got all my girls second hand for reasonable prices
Mothers like mine are the reason alternative/goth dolls have a hard time on the market. The first time I asked my mom to take me to Hot Topic (when it could still be called alternative so 2008-ish) she told me I can go to church instead.
I just don't see why they didn't do more....occian like kinda stuff, ya know? Like...I dunno if it's still the same as when I was a kid, but part of what made mermaids really cool is that they lived under the sea. They hung around with fish and made clothes out seaweed and stuff like that and their houses were like huge towers cause they didn’t need stairs. Stuff like that. Idk, I just feel like if I was making a mermaid doll line, I'd make them feel like they were part of the sea. Like have one with a dress made of kelp or one one with a crop top made of shells or found fishing nets or heck maybe one finds a sunken ship and discovers all these cool dresses and everyone is like "Woah, Fishface. Where'd you get that dress?" Like...idk. just something.
I loved the Barbie and the Disney Ariel Mermaid dolls as a little girl because they well, looked like Mermaids! Especially the Mermaida dolls! A lot of newer mermaid dolls outside of Barbie are just slip on tails with more focus on the fashion rather then the mermaid part.
mermaid high’s og concept was EASILY better than the final products, I loved mari’s design. I wonder how the dolls would’ve looked if they had a bigger budget…
Personally, I think it would be super cute if a mermaid line based each character on a different aquatic animal. You could get _so many_ beautiful designs, colours and textures out of that, plus it would be a good way to teach kids about nature! Like, just imagine how cute a mermaid themed after a baby harp seal would be. Or a jellyfish with a massive hat.
Shut up and take my money 💰💰💰 That's so brilliant! Somehow, if you presented that idea to the higher up doll executives, they would STILL find a way to mess that up. Edit: Your idea sounds very much like the 'Wild Childz'! Dolls that are inspired by real life animals, but yasssified!
Raynea was such a cool concept, so sad we won't be seeing her in the show at all. And the fact that Mari was the only asian representation and they removed her! This line was a flop from the beginning, because the higher ups weren't willing to back up the brand!! So many lost potential.
Was Mari actually Asian tho? I think that’s just a fan headcannon. She has blue eyes. Spin master has had controversy with Asian representation before. I wouldn’t throw them this bone.
@@CJthePLAYA To me she was. She looked Asian in my honest opinion as an Asian myself, I saw myself in her. I would like to think she was. To refrain my statement, she was the only one who I could see myself in, and removing her just really killed it for me.
@@CJthePLAYA Honestly, eye colours are a mess in the doll world so I wouldn't look too much into that (even though there definitely are wayyyy too many blue-eyed dolls)
Honestly if Spinmaster has had issues with Asian representation in the past, it wouldn’t surprise me that they would make the one Asian character look as white as possible. Mari, assuming it’s not short for anything, is a Japanese name though.
From the point of view of a “doll influencer” I tried SO HARD to get my followers to like these dolls, like I rode so hard for them in the beginning and it just felt like the connection was not there. The 10-15 year olds that are online gossiping about dolls and posting about dolls LOVE edgy dolls like Rainbow high and OMG and mermaid highs faces in particular were just too memable😂 It felt like every attempt I made at trying to make the dolls seem “cool” just was not working. Spin Master needs to realize the new generation is filled with some seriously dope kids who have an amazing eye for fashion and what looks good. It’s like they don’t know what kids these days are like lol
Looks like the new MH playline is going down the same route. They turned Lagoona into a glitter sparkle mermaid aesthetic pink fish when she only had pink accents.
I agree, i saw the redesigns and none of them look like monsters anymore! They don't even look like they're part of the same series, feels more like it's a bootleg rather than the actual thing.. These people really think little girls won't like monster-looking girls, when i loved them as a kid and had a few dolls, even now i still love them and i can say it's what got me into horror and monster design
And they'll flop just like the 2016 reboot! Idk why the haven't listened the last reboot. There just trying to catch the 2000's MH wave but that wave had already died .
there was so much potential here!! but these girls were kneecapped at every possible instance. youre right tho that well behaved doll lines seldom make history, and it looks like MGA is the only brand willing to take risks at the moment...
I for one would ABSOLUTELY get alternative/goth/punk looking dolls!!!! bratz and mh were the only ones who actually got to release edgier dolls and I would love to see more of that!!
I'm very disappointed that Mermaid High's been cancelled, and honestly it just makes no sense to me. All of these toy companies *must* know that mermaids are going to be flying off the shelves next summer once Disney's new Little Mermaid movie comes out. That they'd waste their time nitpicking a doll line that they have to cancel before that popularity burst even begins is baffling. I'm sure MGA will try harder with Mermaze, but as a mermaid fan those dolls really miss the mark and I can't really even see them lasting until next summer.
Mourning Mari even though I've known nothing about nor cared for Mermaid High before this video or will I ever start caring. I just like watching and listening to people who enjoy dolls.
While there's a LOT to be cautious of with Isaac Larian I think one of the smartest things he seems to do is let the doll designers DESIGN and produce what people really like. Mermaid High didn't have to be like Mermaze to succeed and on its own merits was very cute but the constant meddling truly did kill it for good. With a little more money and investment into the line - for materials and to tool a wrist articulation - I really think it could have made it to at least the end of this year if not the next one with the proposed lines. Designers often know what they're doing but meddling like this ends up ruining things for everyone.
Across all types of creative media, it is just so achingly apparent that capitalism kills creativity. Dead in the water so to speak. Designers and writers come into creative endeavors, from movies to television shows to doll lines, with a clear and innovative vision and are then beaten down into submission to make whatever is most "marketable", stripping away all the original artistry. It is so frustrating. Let artists make art! Not everything has to fit into the perfect commercial mold of making the most money. It is really starting to show that people are sick of that specific type of monotony.
I think a better story would be the one who didn’t think things through pulling an Ariel and going on land (not selling her voice for legs but finding some other means to do it) and the others just follow her to make sure she doesn’t ya know, rat out the entire mermaid race? I’d watch that if I was a kid. Just this mermaid being so enamored with the human-teenage life and learning everything that comes with it.
I feel like the "childlike" thing wasn't the bad decision. The bad decision was making their designs not childlike, but bland and generic. I don't see any unique ideas in their designs, they look like they took the most generic idea of "mermaid fashion doll" and just ran with it. They should have listened to their designers.
Fr, this line had the potential to be _adorable_ if they just leaned into the cutesy, fun mermaid dynamic. Like making it more sea animal-centric or something.
Part of the problem is the retailers, which have a huge sway these days. If a retailer won't stock your product what are you gonna do, sell it on street corners? Selling online can be difficult because a doll company doesn't necessarily come equipped with their own Amazon-like warehouse and shipping system. (Also, you miss out on all the impulse purchases from kids.) So when a retailer says "change this" or "add this", toy companies often listen. This is why early Fashion Styling Princess Celestia toys were pink; the prototypes were white but the retailers didn't want these large, space-stealing toys unless they were pink because "girls like pink." It's also why the Basic Fun retro Rainbow ponies were scented, even though the 80s ponies they were based on weren't: one of the retailers wanted scents. They smell great, but that's a really random request, right? I wouldn't be surprised if the "Mermaid High needs to be 'safer' / more child-like" feedback initially came from, like, Walmart.
I love the prototypes so much more than the originals. They're in high school, when you're in high school, you want to look more mature and stuff so the first faces wouldn't have been a problem. They would have also fit in with Monster High, Rainbow High and Bratz more. The higher ups really killed these dolls
As a business student who wants to work in doll business. I feel like before high-up stop a doll line for being made. They should see how the kids like it cause they are the main demographic you are selling to so their opinions counts the most.
I find it funny that they redesigned the faces to be more "childlike" considering that if you know anything about dolls or kids....it's that dolls are a way for kids to act out on your imagination and roleplay. I just remember when I was kid I would constantly make OCs/characters be older than myself (14-16) BECAUSE I wanted to explore that possibility. I didn't want to imagine myself as an eight year old fairy. I wanted to BE a fairy. You see the difference? Kids typically don't want to be reminded that they're kids, they want to explore the idea of being in a greater role like firefighter or princess. It's more fun that way. It's so weird that they thought kids would want to have more childish dolls. I guess they though that because baby dolls are popular, therefore, younger dolls are, too (in some sort of twisted logic)? However, that doesn't even work because baby dolls for preteens aren't even as popular anymore. If anything, fashion/animal dogs have been the mainstay for years now. Regardless. A very interesting video. Good job!
I remember growing up in the 90's being extremely frustrated by the lack of any non-pink clothes for Barbie. My favorite dress I had for them was royal blue with gold accents.
Aha I love more colours now (purple, green, white, orange, etc.) But got SO angry whenever Barbie released non-pink side characters as a child 🤣 and now I love how all their outfits match (I.e. Liana getting a purple and orange dress while Barbie got a pink one)
Doll companies need to learn that not everyone wants the frilly pink dolls. A LOT of people want alternative dolls. I LOVE seeing a goth doll or harajuku fashion.
I feel like Spin Masters played it safe with this line, which is ultimately killed it. No risk, no reward. Personally as a collector, there were always better designed and better quality dolls in the same price range on the shelves at the same time as Mermaid High, which is why I always passed them up.
As a kid I preferred the really bold dolls (monster high and Bratz mostly) over Barbie. Barbie felt so boring to me because pink was ingrained in everything and it didn’t really hold my attention, then monster high came out with all the damn diversity and I was ALL OVER that shit. From the movies to the shows to the dolls, the bold clothes and makeup and HAIR with the incredible designs drew me in.
The prototype doll are ones I would have bought. I debates on buying the o es that did end up on the shelves, but there was always another fashion doll that I would have much rather buy, even sometimes CHEAPER than Mermaid High, and that was before Mermaze showed up lol
Yet again, baby goths get Jack diddly squat 😒 this is exactly why I never bought dolls growing up, and why I love original monster high so much as a teen. Toy companies never let me see myself in their lines. Great to know that that hasn’t changed in over a decade
That's literally not even true. There have been so many goth themes and characters in doll lines since 2010 that you can barely consider goth to be "alt fashion" anymore. It's embarrassing when people whine about not having goth and alt themes in doll lines when it has literally been there for over a decade. OG MH is overrated btw.
@@katzkinder7031 Lol, imagine discarding an opinion based on a pfp (not even kpop btw). Even so, I am correct. Look at the dolls released in the past decade. Hell, the past two decades. People just don't like change. I love nostalgia, too, but writing off something because it's new and different (like the MH reboot), is the stupidest logic I've ever heard.
@@leahdavis9434 Listen. I’m self aware. I knew someone was gonna say this the second I replied. But I’m not the one going into the comment section and having every comment I’ve made be picking a fight. But you know what? You’re right. It’s about time I changed my pfp. I’ve had this one for a while. Lemme know what you think of the new one! It’s gonna be fanart I made of a character from the same series as my current pfp [Edit] typo lol
I honestly like the idea of interchangeable mermaid tails and legs, I wish there was more mermaid based doll brands, there's not enough of them in my opinion.
Monster High was my all time favourite doll line. I also enjoyed Ever After High too. One of my problems with doll lines is I don’t feel like I’m represented. I’m a girl with disabilities and there aren’t a lot of dolls that have medical issues or medical equipment. I also wear glasses and your lucky if you ever get one of those either. I would also like to see more dolls in longer skirts/dresses and pants. Like it’s also short skirts and shorts. So if they do give you a doll with pants it’s because they’re the sporty type. I want more kawaii colourful weirdness. Lol
Its the little things, isn't it? Like there only ever being 1 or 2 glasses options anytime you create an avatar. There'll be hundreds of designer inspired outfits and a full colour wheel but glasses, hijabs, wheelchairs, etc. will only have 1 option (if you're lucky!)
little girls: *literally adore horror games like five nights at freddy's, poppy playtime, etc.* toy company execs: what do you mean?! little girls are delicate little flowers who would faint at the sight of a doll with "edgy" makeup!
Successful doll lines: Experiments with alternative fashion and how they interact with their personality, immediately recognizable without sacrificing cosmetic appeal without being extremely generic, etc. SM: “That’s not marketable! Don’t do that!” Also SM: *Doll line then fails and surprised pikachu face ensues*
to be honest i wasnt a huge fan of the line, but it is disappointing to see it go down so quickly and how it was managed. as an artist its a real bummer to have ur creativity stifled by higher ups. also a shame since the prototypes seemed really cool, especially mari who i think i liked the most from the line
I still remember the WAY early days of MH, before it really took off that MyFroggyStuff had initially refused to feature the dolls on her channel, citing "We don't do anything creepy" and then MH took the toy world by storm and showed that it's not just a creepy themed line. In a market where kids nowadays want toys that have better appeal and standards, they NEED to expand and explore more. To trust the designers and experiment to show that most of the time - they know what they can do.
Alright but I'm obsessed with Mari's design and I'm ready to fight whoever cut her from the line. Seriously it's not even that edgy. Execs who sterilize creative projects are the bane of my existence.
As a doll designer for Mattel on Monster High and Barbie Extra, I love this video. Your constructive criticism and awareness of what goes on in the industry is very refreshing. Keep up the good work! :) Quick note: The doll industry does a lot of testing to find out what colors and themes resonate best with girls. Obviously, statistics can lie, but this is where many companies get their information. Also, believe it or not, the dolls that sell best have been the "pink" dolls. It's a sad rule for designers, but it is seen to be true. Take MH for example... The best selling doll has always been Draculaura. She's edgy, but she is the most "girl friendly". Pink, pink, pink! Hopefully one day this will change, but it hasn't yet. :/
Being a European doll collector means watching dolls like Fresh, Mermaid High, Naturalistas etc release in America only, never get the chance to support them and watch them flop Edit: Naturalists are new. Americans please don’t let them flop guys. Ignore Addison Rae and Art Squad and support naturalistas please
I absolutely have nothing to do with dolls anymore but I never really understood the complete lack of understanding of what young girls like. Even when we were playing pretend on the school grounds of WITCH or Tokyo Mew Mew, very few of the girls wanted to be the "elegant, pretty, pink and frilly" characters. I don't doubt colour scheme played a huge part but from what I remember, their personalities were more important in whose favourite character was who. I remember the "cool and mature" characters being very popular and the "nerdy book worms" being very niche but those who resonated with them did very strongly. My youngest sister was really into Monster High and I found those designs very intriguing; sad to see some companies still run on the same misconceptions about girls as they did 20 years ago.
it’s a shame that Mari got cut because as soon as you showed the characters, i fell in love with Mari’s design. seeing this video, i really want a mermaid high doll now
This always reminds me of why I never liked dolls growing up The "edgy or alternative " one is always my favorite And my favorite color is green lol. So giant ouch to kid mes interest I guess based on "statistics "
The dolls and the show is definitely something I would enjoy as a kid, and I could probably get with the show now. I don’t like how the dolls look personally but I can see why kids would like them. It sucks to see how they redesigned the girls so many times, I think the first designs were so fun and inspiring, and kids really do love goth or alt dolls.
I wish they would of went with the more goth and alternative route my fashion style is pastel goth and seeing dolls that represent my type of fashion instead of the popular "normal" fashion is what i strive for i lean way more towards dolls that represent my fashion versus other dolls
So sad :( as someone who grew up with the H2O tail swapping dolls, i had such a soft spot for the mermaid high lines! I think both the prototype and final dolls were cute. But i also cant ignore how the prototypes seemed so full of life and love for the community whereas the finished ones just look... like the rest of the market :(
It makes me so sad!! Stephen Sumner; one of the people who worked on the designs and the og designs is a really nice person, and deserves to be able to put out the work as he intended!!! Those original designs were GORGEOUS!!!!♥️♥️
I learned so much about the doll industry from just this video! I started collecting because I fell in love with the design of Rainbow High and I had no idea about the power struggle between designers and the higher ups. I think it goes to show that when we let creativity run free, incredible things get made. You made a good point about how valuable it is to have doll designers who are also passionate consumers, it really shows in their final products.
I cant imagine that any of these issues have to do with the males perspective of what girls and people want. I for one experienced first hand the mermaid high dolls being shoved at the bottom of the rack and I was like “oh what are these?” I thought they were boring and a waste of money compared to mermaze, but didnt know any of these details. I LOVE the shadow high dolls and have my eyes on the special twin pack because i love how interesting and dark the makeup is, how gothic the outfits are. the original prototype of the mermaid high seem SO much better than what was actually launched. its so frustrating to hear that even when girls and collectors speak out about this ridiculousness the “big wigs” still grab onto “well this is how its always been done”. silly! great video (:
ive noticed, that even tho companies are trying their best to sell marketable dolls, theres a lot of mysoginy and racism. the whole "girls dont like the color green, girls dont like creepy stuff, girls dont like short hair and edgier fashion"... it almost feels like theyre saying girls SHOULDNT have short hair, ECT.. even tho we have proven them wrong many times with how succsesfull bratz and monster high was. SIDE NOTE: i remember when i was little and barbie started to try and be more diverse with the body shapes, skin tones, hair styles.. but that means they sacrificed the GLAM aspect that i loveeedd with dolls. i never wanted a barbie that looked like a normal every day person, i couldve just gone outside to see that. i wanted to see dolls that looked like ME but were the best versions of themseleves. why cant a curvy barbie have a long ballgown, or a black barbie have an edgier fashion? it feels like companies have no idea what their customers want.
I remember doing Mermaid High for a marketing project, and I said that doll-lines don't last very along (about 5 years, Barbie is the exception because she often set these trends, after all she was one of the first fashion dolls) because trends in children's toys change. Did I expect Mermaid High to get cancelled so soon? No, I thought it would last a couple more years. I also covered how expensive the Mermaid High dolls were, and how someone could get a mermaid Barbie for half the price.
If you want to be a market leader, you won't get there just be doing what past successes have already accomplished. Market leaders don't follow - they LEAD.
I feel like a lot of this would be fixed if childrens toy companies only tried to make toys,,,, not fashion dolls. You’re never going to make a 9 year old and a 22year old happy at the same time. Dolls are either going to be “too adult” for kids or “too boring” for adults 🤷♀️🤷♀️
I vaguely recall the Liv dolls and their online site, so to hear why they faded into obscurity and a similar case with Mermaid High is rather unfortunate. As well as in general, a lack of diverse fashion-styles in dolls, like I like these prototypes- even when Friendship is Magic took a while to be accurate with Luna's dark blue coat and similar, it seemed to be late-era before going into Ponylife's much more pastel, soft look.
I got into mermaid high kind of late, but I thought it was cute! Still trying to get ahold of a Mari doll, it's such a shame she got shafted despite the short run :/ A lot of people have also been mentioning how the death of toys r us in the US has definitely had an impact on a lot of toy brands in general, since TRU would give a lot of them more of a chance than other retailers (not by a crazy amount, but still something)
See, Mari was the only one I bought at full price, the others I waited until they were on sale to get. I’m super disappointed that they were willing to scrap her so easily. I liked them better because the fabric tails were unique to me. I’m used to the molded on tails from dolls like Barbie ones from the early 2000s, so Mermaze wasn’t too unique to me. They’re cool, but again, dolls I’ll get when they’re on sale. Definitely gonna miss Mermaid High 💔
I have a Mari doll, and love her so much. I’m more at the age for mermaze, but their just seems something off about them. I’m still so mad about Mari being cut, I’m more on the edgier clothing side and garbage like that, so I really liked the fact me and Mari matched in a way. I wish they like kept the original designs, don’t get me wrong, the ones we got were great but, still. The dolls were set in high school, they’re not gonna be fully childlike, if you get what I’m putting down. So much potential, gone to waste. :(
I have no interest in dolls but I’mma give this a look. Edit: “The doll industry is pretty shady and cutthroat” today on things I never thought I’d hear Edit 2: Aw hell naw they did Holly dirty Edit 3: Honestly I’m not surprised that the executives would try and force things to look the same. In our current system a lot of things are derivative, almost faddish, trying to ride on the success of the first breakthrough. A good example of this, imo, is the huge amount of battle royale games that followed Fortnite’s success. These executives are also detached from the appeals of “normal” people/“the plebs”, and due to how our system glorifies people in their position undeservedly, also have a major tendency to think they know everything. I finished this, and screw it, I’m subbing. You made dolls interesting to me.
I wondered why Monster High changed their doll line. Now this makes so much sense! I feel bad for the creators that have their original designs ruined by a company that doesn't get it. If Frankie didn't keep her green skin, she would not be Frankie at all. Also I didn't know Mermaid High and Mermaze had cartoons to go with the doll line. This is why I like Rainbow High is due to the cartoons. Monster High and Ever After High cartoons were amazing! The dolls were too expensive for me to collect, so watching the cartoons and reading the books were an alternative before they got canceled. I did end up getting some dolls when Shopko went out of business with their sales.
The main reason I loved Jade when Bratz came out when I was a kid. Was that she was Goth/Alt fashion. That to me at the time was so different. Also the fact that MGA with Bratz would put out Goth/Alt fashion dolls every other line or so just made me so happy. There are a lot of little girls that love Alternative clothes and colors that are super girly. Yet for whatever reason higher up at toy companies keep pushing for girly and pink. Nothing wrong with it but that is not everyone's favorite style.
Oh man those prototypes are gorgeous! I got into Rainbow High late 2021 and around early 2022 I started seeing Mermaid High on the shelves where I lived. I got interested because MERMAIDS (!!!) but passed because to me they looked generic up close. Mari always drew my eye tho and I would consider getting her even if I didn't think the quality was worth it. So to hear that SpinMaster was going to basically kick her out of the lineup is shocking! If I had actually gotten Mari, I would have been sorely pissed that she was missing from future releases. I can guarantee that had they looked like their prototypes, I would have probably snatch up all 4 right away.
maybe this is why doll companies should be run by people who actually understand the generations they are selling towards and not 50 plus year old billionaire CEOs who have about as much understanding of the common person as an alien from planet x.
I just found this channel last week and I’m enjoying it a lot, you’re so informative and entertaining without the cloying nature some other doll channels seem to have. Every single one I’ve clicked on has grabbed my attention.
its such a shame what happened. I'm currently trying to fill out my collection of a different spin master line thats seemingly a flop (not a fashion doll line, little scented animal figures called Whiffies. they have a wonderful variety of pose sculpts and just the most darling expressions but released at probably a bit too high of a price point to be worth it for most people, imo...)
It’s so annoying to me that like the marketing teams really push for the bare minimum of fashion dolls when they’re supposed to be /fashion/ dolls,, of course the design teams know what they’re doing fashion has come so far nobody wants boring all the time especially on doll line that is supposed to market its fashion aesthetics? Literally was like just the tiniest changes or freedom this Darline had the potential to be a huge success especially among children because they had the ability to go between mermaid and human form instead of having to buy two separate dolls to get illusion that while playing,
This just saddened me 😔 I really liked everything about Mermaid High. I haven't accepted that it's cancelled. It has great theme, animation, character development... So much effort for why? They are beautiful in their own way. We need all our mermaids. Honestly, it's disrespectful to everything. (Pouting)
Found this video by accident. But I just wanna say, I love that you're talking about your passion. Liking something so much that you wanna share your opinion is really cool. So even though I'm not the biggest doll fan, I still subbed because I like the content and the vibe.
I feel like I should work on a themed doll line-- not for any design prowess, but because I can crank out thematic puns like nobody's business. If I worked on this video I know I would have used the term "dead in the water".
A really well made video and I really appreciate your views! It's so bizarre to see the initial Mermaid High prototypes to be watered down like that when so many other dolls in the market have stepped up their game so much. It really doesn't feel like corporate even bothered with focus groups--huge bummer and it feels like that might've saved the line or at least given corporate a better idea of what the public wanted.
I saw this line in the early development process and you are SO right- there is no trust with designers, though they are the ONLY ones in the room who know what they're talking about!
What's funny is my first introduction to Mermaid High was their Roblox game. I dont really play Roblox often but I have to admit, their Mermaid High game on there was really cool. I wonder if it's still up or not...
I love how Mattel didn't like certain design choices because it was too scary... for a line called monster high. Wouldnt consumers expect a line of dolls based on horror characters to be scary?
Lately, most of the doll lines are being discontinued shortly after they came out and Mermaid High, which was not a year ago but a few months after it came out, ended up being discontinued or rather ended up being cancelled.
My special interest is in cartoons, but I find it interesting to learn about other stuff marketed to children. I can see some similarities between the issues with marketing in cartoons and marketing in dolls. Companies being sooo afraid to take risks and let creators be creative because they think children want the same recycled tropes is ridiculous, especially frustrating when they don't give the creativity a chance or, like you said, "shut it down at the first sign of waning popularity." Their insults to little girls by saying they'll be "scared" of cat makeup or dislike green is stupid. Sometimes I think they're more worried about entitled parents throwing a fit over something "ugly" or "weird" instead of little girls. But maybe with more Gen Y/Gen Z being in charge we'll get to see more companies taking risks.
the moment you said they were made by the same company as la dee da i knew mermaid highs story was going to be a sad one. la dee da deserved so much more :(
I loved Mermaid High and I'm so upset they failed. I was literally so excited the first time I heard about the line and I couldn't stop talking about it for a week. I hope in the future we get a similar doll line, only one that does have the chance to do what they want a lil more.
You think you’re upset about it!? If you knew how upset I was, you would understand why I am so upset. Star Darlings animated series/doll line was cancelled by Disney because of Nickelodeon’s Rainbow Rangers animated series/doll line, Mermaid High got cancelled because of Rainbow Rangers copy-cat; Mermaze Mermaidz (the plot and storyline are almost the exact same thing), Oozies (a doll line) was cancelled because another doll line was released by Spin Master that was literally the same thing, Disney/Zodiak Kids cancelled LoliRock (animated series/doll line) because of a similar doll line and animated series from Cartoon Network, My Scene was cancelled because Isaac “I whine until I get whatever I want” Larian had to bitch and complain that Mattel was copying him with his Bratz doll line, when that is BS! Mattel’s My Scene was not copying his Bratz line! If that was the case; Hasbro’s Space Divas dolls (which had similar designs to the Bratz dolls that had big heads) would have been accused of copying the Bratz line as well, but they weren’t. Instead; Larian complained that Space Divas was similar to the interchangeable feet Bratz dolls, when Space Divas came out first. Mattel Inc. forced Hasbro to cancel Space Divas after the company accused Hasbro for copying and using similar designs for their DivaStars dolls. The fact is; Almost all of the lesser known doll lines have been forced to be cancelled because of copy-cat dolls from competing companies. I will still support Bratz, Rainbow High/Shadow High and LOL, but I refuse, absolutely refuse to support Mermaze Mermaidz! To this very day; I have not supported Rainbow Rangers and I refuse to support Mermaze Mermaidz!
![KSI - Thick Of It (feat. Trippie Redd) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/At8v_Yc044Y/mqdefault.jpg)
Doll companies will be surprised how many girls do like the colour green, especially pastel, leafy and emerald greens.
#Green4Life 💚
yes omg i'm a girl and i LOVE green 💚
Many shades of blue-greens are really popular with girls nowadays
True. Just look at cottagecore forest aesthetic
Green is awesome, is just how it's used that's the issue.
It breaks my heart to see the disrespect that companies give to goth, punk and alternative doll designs when most kids/adults LOVE those styles.
Rainbow High seems to be doing it fine, but no one else cares to do it well.
@@SquishyMain Shadow High is edgy and features less mainstream street wear, but none of them are properly goth or even really punk just yet. I hope that line pushes the boundaries so we can get more fully articulated goth/punk dolls! So far only OMG has done those styles to the extreme degree I would prefer and I just don't always vibe with their face designs.
*coughs in doll collector who shops at hot topic and luvs alt*
@@Solaceon Scene kids never die lol
Yes especially because as a kid, you can often can’t dress the way you want. A doll that expresses how you want to look is the same sense of self
Is funny how they redesigned the faces to be more "childlike" when Barbie, the posterchild of what a successful doll line looks like, became popular in the first place cause she was an adult looking doll, is almost like kids actually prefer dolls that don't look childlike 🤔🤔
The whole point (at least for most kids) is acting out stories with dolls. And most of us weren’t acting out childish things with dolls, because we were already kids. That’s why kids love barbie herself and not so much Kelly, her small child cousin.
You don’t really think of small children when you think of vast adventures and such. That’s why kids like playing with adult looking dolls because they’re better to act out your imagination with.
Adult looking dolls give kids a feeling they will be as pretty as their doll as an adult
Exactly! The whole point of fashion dolls in the beginning was to resemble adult women
@@Gugunet26 yeah
I really don't understand why we're demonizing childlike dolls. Even as an adult, I'd say that I still prefer those to the adult-looking ones.
Imagine thinking that a doll based on a monster shouldn't look at least a little bit creepy. Monster High broke down a lot of walls.
I really wish that toy executives would understand the value of experimentation in toy lines.
Right it really opened up so much for design and creativity
I think the only ones displeased with "edgier" doll designs were angry parents and infant children, neither of whom were even part of the target demographic. There are different kids, they like different styles, one may like monsters, another may like mermaids. People should really start accounting for that.
The following was said in a game review, but to paraphrase a little, I think it applies to anything, dolls included: "We should focus less on making something that would appeal to everyone, and more on making every possible variation of something that would appeal to a specific group.", variety is the spice of life, all that stuff.
That is weird especially since the type of girls that Monster High would draw in would love dolls that would have a more creepy design.
@@morganyoung3557 I would actually love to see an edgier/horror official redesign of them for older audiences. That’d be real neat, but we got the opposite instead.. :,>
It's so frustrating that even with so much evidence that modern/alternative design appeals to kids, the toy companies STILL default to "pink & frilly" as the only thing they think will sell. Feels like we need to get designers into higher positions instead of business dudes stuck in the 70s.
I come from the My Little Pony side of collecting rather than fashion dolls but it still holds so true. Princess Celestia, a white princess pony with rainbow hair apparently just had to be pink in the initial toy releases. Thankfully that changed, but they still always seemed terrified to give Applejack her freckles and cowboy hat, seldom printing her at all when it came to smaller sets. Country kids loved her but never got enough. She just wasn't viewed as girly enough to be likeable.
I appreciated they branched out and made male ponies but they were of much worse quality, with hair like brushed wool rather than the glossy nylon they used for everyone else. Or they'd use ten tons of glue to make it more like a molded plastic. Any other exploration was really made for collectors, not play. :(
A Toys R Us series called Pony Mania kicked up the colors, adding tons of black and white and these days those sell for a ton. It's a shame they didn't do it more, because the kids I knew thought they were awesome. But still, just poorly printed accessories and glue hair.
unfortunately kids aren't the ones buying toys, they're considering the market of parents and relatives who buy what they think kids should like.
@@Solaceon omg I loved Pony Mania, I wish I still had them 😭
Yes this! And yet they still won't go into over the top frilly pink territory like porcelain dolls once were, or even vintage Barbies. If we have to have "feminine" clothes, why can't we get loud couture ball gowns and heaps of lace?! They're caught in this weird limbo of girly, but not too fantastical, frilly but not enough to be whimsical.
@@Solaceon I was a my little pony gen 3 kid and my favorite was a baby blue pony named Bebop, another blue one named Fire water with bright saturated orange hair, and a yellow one named Kiwi Tart that had pink and green hair. I had no pink ponies. I was so nice to have a toy line where it wasn't implied that the pink one was the main character/leader and all the other colors were lesser for no other reason than not being pink. Pink is a lovely color and definitely should be represented, but girls like other colors.
I’m kinda glad the big wigs at spin master lost so much money with mermaid high this is what happens when you don’t listen to designers that actually know what the mainstream market wants in dolls! Those prototype dolls are stunning 😭 if those were in the shelves they would’ve sold more I’m certain
I would love to buy the Mari prototype just to get that mermaid tail.
Who wants to bet that the lesson they derived from this is that "oh, mermaids are just not in right now" executives this far up their own ass tend to do dumb shite like that.
@Breeze Z bruh
@Breeze Z maybe research the market before committing to buy in bulk
I honestly don't know why doll companies still think it's 2008 and 'little girls' will still buy dolls in this bland and ugly style. Dolls aren't supposed to be realistic, they're supposed to be FUN, especially the FASHION. They half-assed this line and it showed, what else could they have expected? I just wish they'd believe in their designers and listen to what people want. I, for one, am WAITING for a fully alt fashion line with goth, cottagecore, fairy kei, etc dolls designed for children (because there's nothing inappropriate about alt fashion) and executed to a high enough standard for collectors.
I personally was turned off by the execution (cheap fabric, bad face ups, minimal clothing pieces and no detail, etc) but if they had gone for the original concepts and put some money into the production I feel like they would have sold a tone. Mari was by far my favourite, the only one I kept my hope for and clearly never stood a chance, if she had been made better even with her current design she would have been the only one I would have brought.
THIS! I'd love to see a line like that!
2008 dolls were much more alternative than this like bratz monster high and even barbie had a less girly design
@@---cl7md yeah yet people still pit them against each other when they're all great. It's sad
THANK YOU!!! The second actual alternative dolls hit the shelves they will be the HIGHLIGHT of the doll community! I just hope companies grow up and realise who their audience is
I'll never understand how little higher-ups know about the market they're targeting for. If Mermaid High didn't get delayed and ended up released as what we saw as the prototypes, they would've lasted much longer. Amazing idea under a terrible company sadly enough...
And about Mari, she was without a doubt one of the favorites, wasn't she? So Spinmaster erasing her from future lines showed how little they know about the market. I don't think it's that hard to ASK your target audience, but guess they're just lazy up there ://
To be fair...we don't know if Mari was a sales favorite (aka lots of people - adults + kids bought her) vs toy channels and toy collectors exclusively. All companies do listen to their target market (kids + parents) preferences because actually retailers share direct toy sales numbers and then they reflect it in upcoming seasons. You can see this in all longer term toy lines that repeated characters (e.g MH always had tons of Draculauras + Frankies and way less Ghoulia, Disney Princess always has lots of Ariels, Belles, Cinderellas and lately Jasmines but rarely featured Snow White or Pocahontas). I think if Mermaid High had lasted longer we would've found out which characters were actually popular with kids because characters that weren't as popular would be left out of more lines. It's hard to tell with only two lines though.
@@clusterstar04 Off topic but as a Snow White mega fan I absolutely *hate* how she's always left out when even Aurora has so much more content purely because she's pink
Mari was my fav too. I was so disappointed and confused they didn't make more dolls of her.
Honestly if I was a kid when these dolls came out I would have loved to have owned a Mari doll and she probably would have been my favorite in the group.
The sad thing is, a lot don't care. They just assume they can throw some Glitter on a doll, parents will just get it and the kid will just accept.
Another doll line that comes to mind that sort of speaks to how doll people and girls don't only like pink and glitter is Ever After High. Despite the fairytale aesthetic, the main character Raven had a more gothic sense of style, and she was a very well-loved character.
Omg I had the Blondie Lockes doll and some of the books when it first came out
Off topic, but hello to a fellow Healin’ Good fan ;)
Tbf, the only 'pink' character wouldve been Briar, the rest of them had the modern/fairy tale mix that kind of Made them imo (and even she had some cool stuff going on with her outfits)
@@madsfiedler3884 yeah unless you count cupid but she's not a main character
i actually still have my eah dolls, i don't like them as mh but they're still pretty cool :)
The moral of the story is, kids like seeing different, unique and diverse dolls in toy isles, they like gimmicks that can be repeated and reused over and over, and expressive faces. Fashion that is different, bright and colorful or unique and dark and spooky. They like dolls that look nothing like the dolls their friends and siblings have.
I feel disappointed that Mermaid High failed. I felt that they were better than Mermaze, because Mermaze dolls are overpriced for what they are in my opinion, and the main line of Mermaze dolls could not even sit. My personal favorite Mermaid High doll and the only one I have is Mari, and its a shame that she was being excluded from future lines. Dolls lines like Monster High and dolls like the Storm Twins from Shadow High show that goth dolls can really stand out in a positive way and sell well, so I don't get why most companies are so hesitant to release goth and alternative dolls.
Goth and alternative dolls are some of my FAVE type of dolls. There should be more of them. That's why I love Bratz, Monster High and Shadow High so much!
Mabey, but Mermaze are MUCH higher quality and so much prettier.
I agree, the fact they can’t sit is quite disappointing
I love the mermaze dolls they're beautiful but i couldn't officially buy them due to the retail price so I got all my girls second hand for reasonable prices
Mothers like mine are the reason alternative/goth dolls have a hard time on the market. The first time I asked my mom to take me to Hot Topic (when it could still be called alternative so 2008-ish) she told me I can go to church instead.
I just don't see why they didn't do more....occian like kinda stuff, ya know? Like...I dunno if it's still the same as when I was a kid, but part of what made mermaids really cool is that they lived under the sea. They hung around with fish and made clothes out seaweed and stuff like that and their houses were like huge towers cause they didn’t need stairs. Stuff like that. Idk, I just feel like if I was making a mermaid doll line, I'd make them feel like they were part of the sea. Like have one with a dress made of kelp or one one with a crop top made of shells or found fishing nets or heck maybe one finds a sunken ship and discovers all these cool dresses and everyone is like "Woah, Fishface. Where'd you get that dress?" Like...idk. just something.
THIS
I loved the Barbie and the Disney Ariel Mermaid dolls as a little girl because they well, looked like Mermaids! Especially the Mermaida dolls! A lot of newer mermaid dolls outside of Barbie are just slip on tails with more focus on the fashion rather then the mermaid part.
those prototypes legit looked so good 😭😭😭
The only thing thats bad is that they have no articulation
@@YourOverprotectiveGachaBf I knew the lack of wrist articulation would kill them 😔
@@BloodyBraces yah
@@YourOverprotectiveGachaBf early monster high Slayed so much with those movable limbs, though i heard they stopped doing that..
@@MINGUS-g6i the new 2022 mh dolls have been leaked and they have articulation
mermaid high’s og concept was EASILY better than the final products, I loved mari’s design. I wonder how the dolls would’ve looked if they had a bigger budget…
Personally, I think it would be super cute if a mermaid line based each character on a different aquatic animal. You could get _so many_ beautiful designs, colours and textures out of that, plus it would be a good way to teach kids about nature!
Like, just imagine how cute a mermaid themed after a baby harp seal would be. Or a jellyfish with a massive hat.
Shut up and take my money 💰💰💰
That's so brilliant! Somehow, if you presented that idea to the higher up doll executives, they would STILL find a way to mess that up. Edit:
Your idea sounds very much like the 'Wild Childz'! Dolls that are inspired by real life animals, but yasssified!
Removable fins are THE BEST because you can stick them on any doll with similar builds. I love being able to mix and match like that.
Raynea was such a cool concept, so sad we won't be seeing her in the show at all. And the fact that Mari was the only asian representation and they removed her! This line was a flop from the beginning, because the higher ups weren't willing to back up the brand!! So many lost potential.
Was Mari actually Asian tho? I think that’s just a fan headcannon. She has blue eyes. Spin master has had controversy with Asian representation before. I wouldn’t throw them this bone.
@@CJthePLAYA To me she was. She looked Asian in my honest opinion as an Asian myself, I saw myself in her. I would like to think she was. To refrain my statement, she was the only one who I could see myself in, and removing her just really killed it for me.
@@CJthePLAYA Honestly, eye colours are a mess in the doll world so I wouldn't look too much into that (even though there definitely are wayyyy too many blue-eyed dolls)
Honestly if Spinmaster has had issues with Asian representation in the past, it wouldn’t surprise me that they would make the one Asian character look as white as possible. Mari, assuming it’s not short for anything, is a Japanese name though.
@@CJthePLAYA also mari can be a japanese name
Man as a goth with purple hair who is a fan of blue and octopus prints, what happened to Mari is a tragedy.
From the point of view of a “doll influencer” I tried SO HARD to get my followers to like these dolls, like I rode so hard for them in the beginning and it just felt like the connection was not there. The 10-15 year olds that are online gossiping about dolls and posting about dolls LOVE edgy dolls like Rainbow high and OMG and mermaid highs faces in particular were just too memable😂 It felt like every attempt I made at trying to make the dolls seem “cool” just was not working. Spin Master needs to realize the new generation is filled with some seriously dope kids who have an amazing eye for fashion and what looks good. It’s like they don’t know what kids these days are like lol
Looks like the new MH playline is going down the same route. They turned Lagoona into a glitter sparkle mermaid aesthetic pink fish when she only had pink accents.
Same. I fear for the new Monster High line. Even when they revamped before cancelling it was not right. The OG was the best!
I agree, i saw the redesigns and none of them look like monsters anymore! They don't even look like they're part of the same series, feels more like it's a bootleg rather than the actual thing..
These people really think little girls won't like monster-looking girls, when i loved them as a kid and had a few dolls, even now i still love them and i can say it's what got me into horror and monster design
And they'll flop just like the 2016 reboot! Idk why the haven't listened the last reboot. There just trying to catch the 2000's MH wave but that wave had already died .
there was so much potential here!! but these girls were kneecapped at every possible instance.
youre right tho that well behaved doll lines seldom make history, and it looks like MGA is the only brand willing to take risks at the moment...
I swear they're in a roblox game somewhere
I for one would ABSOLUTELY get alternative/goth/punk looking dolls!!!! bratz and mh were the only ones who actually got to release edgier dolls and I would love to see more of that!!
I'm very disappointed that Mermaid High's been cancelled, and honestly it just makes no sense to me. All of these toy companies *must* know that mermaids are going to be flying off the shelves next summer once Disney's new Little Mermaid movie comes out. That they'd waste their time nitpicking a doll line that they have to cancel before that popularity burst even begins is baffling. I'm sure MGA will try harder with Mermaze, but as a mermaid fan those dolls really miss the mark and I can't really even see them lasting until next summer.
Mourning Mari even though I've known nothing about nor cared for Mermaid High before this video or will I ever start caring. I just like watching and listening to people who enjoy dolls.
She was fabulous though how could they do that to her
ikr
While there's a LOT to be cautious of with Isaac Larian I think one of the smartest things he seems to do is let the doll designers DESIGN and produce what people really like. Mermaid High didn't have to be like Mermaze to succeed and on its own merits was very cute but the constant meddling truly did kill it for good. With a little more money and investment into the line - for materials and to tool a wrist articulation - I really think it could have made it to at least the end of this year if not the next one with the proposed lines. Designers often know what they're doing but meddling like this ends up ruining things for everyone.
They didn't even need to tool wrist articulation. They could have just used the LIV bodies. It would have made the dolls more expensive, though.
Across all types of creative media, it is just so achingly apparent that capitalism kills creativity. Dead in the water so to speak. Designers and writers come into creative endeavors, from movies to television shows to doll lines, with a clear and innovative vision and are then beaten down into submission to make whatever is most "marketable", stripping away all the original artistry. It is so frustrating. Let artists make art! Not everything has to fit into the perfect commercial mold of making the most money. It is really starting to show that people are sick of that specific type of monotony.
:/
I think a better story would be the one who didn’t think things through pulling an Ariel and going on land (not selling her voice for legs but finding some other means to do it) and the others just follow her to make sure she doesn’t ya know, rat out the entire mermaid race? I’d watch that if I was a kid. Just this mermaid being so enamored with the human-teenage life and learning everything that comes with it.
I feel like the "childlike" thing wasn't the bad decision. The bad decision was making their designs not childlike, but bland and generic. I don't see any unique ideas in their designs, they look like they took the most generic idea of "mermaid fashion doll" and just ran with it. They should have listened to their designers.
nah what you just described was all mermaze mermaidz
Fr, this line had the potential to be _adorable_ if they just leaned into the cutesy, fun mermaid dynamic. Like making it more sea animal-centric or something.
Doll industry history: Dolls lines that take risks and offer something different are successful.
Doll industry executives: Yeah. No!
Part of the problem is the retailers, which have a huge sway these days. If a retailer won't stock your product what are you gonna do, sell it on street corners? Selling online can be difficult because a doll company doesn't necessarily come equipped with their own Amazon-like warehouse and shipping system. (Also, you miss out on all the impulse purchases from kids.) So when a retailer says "change this" or "add this", toy companies often listen. This is why early Fashion Styling Princess Celestia toys were pink; the prototypes were white but the retailers didn't want these large, space-stealing toys unless they were pink because "girls like pink." It's also why the Basic Fun retro Rainbow ponies were scented, even though the 80s ponies they were based on weren't: one of the retailers wanted scents. They smell great, but that's a really random request, right?
I wouldn't be surprised if the "Mermaid High needs to be 'safer' / more child-like" feedback initially came from, like, Walmart.
Walmart is a cancer upon society in so many ways.
Oh! I wondered why celestia was pink
Mattel: River can't have a scythe because it's too violent!!!
Art class Abbey: *comes with a chainsaw*
I love the prototypes so much more than the originals. They're in high school, when you're in high school, you want to look more mature and stuff so the first faces wouldn't have been a problem. They would have also fit in with Monster High, Rainbow High and Bratz more. The higher ups really killed these dolls
As a business student who wants to work in doll business. I feel like before high-up stop a doll line for being made. They should see how the kids like it cause they are the main demographic you are selling to so their opinions counts the most.
I find it funny that they redesigned the faces to be more "childlike" considering that if you know anything about dolls or kids....it's that dolls are a way for kids to act out on your imagination and roleplay.
I just remember when I was kid I would constantly make OCs/characters be older than myself (14-16) BECAUSE I wanted to explore that possibility. I didn't want to imagine myself as an eight year old fairy. I wanted to BE a fairy. You see the difference? Kids typically don't want to be reminded that they're kids, they want to explore the idea of being in a greater role like firefighter or princess. It's more fun that way.
It's so weird that they thought kids would want to have more childish dolls. I guess they though that because baby dolls are popular, therefore, younger dolls are, too (in some sort of twisted logic)? However, that doesn't even work because baby dolls for preteens aren't even as popular anymore. If anything, fashion/animal dogs have been the mainstay for years now.
Regardless. A very interesting video. Good job!
I remember growing up in the 90's being extremely frustrated by the lack of any non-pink clothes for Barbie. My favorite dress I had for them was royal blue with gold accents.
Aha I love more colours now (purple, green, white, orange, etc.) But got SO angry whenever Barbie released non-pink side characters as a child 🤣 and now I love how all their outfits match (I.e. Liana getting a purple and orange dress while Barbie got a pink one)
Doll companies need to learn that not everyone wants the frilly pink dolls. A LOT of people want alternative dolls. I LOVE seeing a goth doll or harajuku fashion.
I feel like Spin Masters played it safe with this line, which is ultimately killed it. No risk, no reward.
Personally as a collector, there were always better designed and better quality dolls in the same price range on the shelves at the same time as Mermaid High, which is why I always passed them up.
As a kid I preferred the really bold dolls (monster high and Bratz mostly) over Barbie. Barbie felt so boring to me because pink was ingrained in everything and it didn’t really hold my attention, then monster high came out with all the damn diversity and I was ALL OVER that shit. From the movies to the shows to the dolls, the bold clothes and makeup and HAIR with the incredible designs drew me in.
The prototype doll are ones I would have bought. I debates on buying the o es that did end up on the shelves, but there was always another fashion doll that I would have much rather buy, even sometimes CHEAPER than Mermaid High, and that was before Mermaze showed up lol
Same!
Yet again, baby goths get Jack diddly squat 😒 this is exactly why I never bought dolls growing up, and why I love original monster high so much as a teen. Toy companies never let me see myself in their lines. Great to know that that hasn’t changed in over a decade
That's literally not even true. There have been so many goth themes and characters in doll lines since 2010 that you can barely consider goth to be "alt fashion" anymore.
It's embarrassing when people whine about not having goth and alt themes in doll lines when it has literally been there for over a decade.
OG MH is overrated btw.
@@aurorascastle4032 kpop pfp opinion discarded 😘
@@katzkinder7031 Lol, imagine discarding an opinion based on a pfp (not even kpop btw). Even so, I am correct. Look at the dolls released in the past decade. Hell, the past two decades.
People just don't like change. I love nostalgia, too, but writing off something because it's new and different (like the MH reboot), is the stupidest logic I've ever heard.
@@katzkinder7031 lol imagine having an anime pfp and saying this with a straight face
@@leahdavis9434 Listen. I’m self aware. I knew someone was gonna say this the second I replied. But I’m not the one going into the comment section and having every comment I’ve made be picking a fight. But you know what? You’re right. It’s about time I changed my pfp. I’ve had this one for a while. Lemme know what you think of the new one! It’s gonna be fanart I made of a character from the same series as my current pfp
[Edit] typo lol
I honestly like the idea of interchangeable mermaid tails and legs, I wish there was more mermaid based doll brands, there's not enough of them in my opinion.
Monster High was my all time favourite doll line. I also enjoyed Ever After High too. One of my problems with doll lines is I don’t feel like I’m represented. I’m a girl with disabilities and there aren’t a lot of dolls that have medical issues or medical equipment. I also wear glasses and your lucky if you ever get one of those either. I would also like to see more dolls in longer skirts/dresses and pants. Like it’s also short skirts and shorts. So if they do give you a doll with pants it’s because they’re the sporty type. I want more kawaii colourful weirdness. Lol
Its the little things, isn't it? Like there only ever being 1 or 2 glasses options anytime you create an avatar. There'll be hundreds of designer inspired outfits and a full colour wheel but glasses, hijabs, wheelchairs, etc. will only have 1 option (if you're lucky!)
@@emmahealy4863 That’s very true. Glad you get it.
Do you like the Rainbow High doll Delilah? She has glasses and is so effing adorable
@@em84c She is a very cute doll but I don’t necessarily like those white ripped jeans that come with the second outfit.
little girls: *literally adore horror games like five nights at freddy's, poppy playtime, etc.*
toy company execs: what do you mean?! little girls are delicate little flowers who would faint at the sight of a doll with "edgy" makeup!
Successful doll lines: Experiments with alternative fashion and how they interact with their personality, immediately recognizable without sacrificing cosmetic appeal without being extremely generic, etc.
SM: “That’s not marketable! Don’t do that!”
Also SM: *Doll line then fails and surprised pikachu face ensues*
to be honest i wasnt a huge fan of the line, but it is disappointing to see it go down so quickly and how it was managed. as an artist its a real bummer to have ur creativity stifled by higher ups. also a shame since the prototypes seemed really cool, especially mari who i think i liked the most from the line
Old white guys in upper management making dumb decisions. We need more young people in these companies!
Old White Misogynistic Guys make the decisions for everything in every company across the world. Tear down the Misogynistic Patriarchy!!
Or females. Anyone that knows anything about fashion
I still remember the WAY early days of MH, before it really took off that MyFroggyStuff had initially refused to feature the dolls on her channel, citing "We don't do anything creepy" and then MH took the toy world by storm and showed that it's not just a creepy themed line. In a market where kids nowadays want toys that have better appeal and standards, they NEED to expand and explore more. To trust the designers and experiment to show that most of the time - they know what they can do.
I'm really jealous of the kids who got to play with the Monster High dolls. I would have wanted every doll. Monsters were my jam as a kid.
Alright but I'm obsessed with Mari's design and I'm ready to fight whoever cut her from the line. Seriously it's not even that edgy. Execs who sterilize creative projects are the bane of my existence.
As a doll designer for Mattel on Monster High and Barbie Extra, I love this video. Your constructive criticism and awareness of what goes on in the industry is very refreshing. Keep up the good work! :) Quick note: The doll industry does a lot of testing to find out what colors and themes resonate best with girls. Obviously, statistics can lie, but this is where many companies get their information. Also, believe it or not, the dolls that sell best have been the "pink" dolls. It's a sad rule for designers, but it is seen to be true. Take MH for example... The best selling doll has always been Draculaura. She's edgy, but she is the most "girl friendly". Pink, pink, pink! Hopefully one day this will change, but it hasn't yet. :/
Being a European doll collector means watching dolls like Fresh, Mermaid High, Naturalistas etc release in America only, never get the chance to support them and watch them flop
Edit: Naturalists are new. Americans please don’t let them flop guys. Ignore Addison Rae and Art Squad and support naturalistas please
Oh no, Fresh flopped ?
I live in asia and the same thing happens to us as well :( we only have barbie, lols (and omgs),rainbow high,etc.
@@ToyCircle no fresh is still going strong
@@zeebziee and they're all so fcking expensive lol
@@ToyCircle so true i bought a shadow high doll last week for $99.90
So these dolls are just h2o but American okay okay
I absolutely have nothing to do with dolls anymore but I never really understood the complete lack of understanding of what young girls like. Even when we were playing pretend on the school grounds of WITCH or Tokyo Mew Mew, very few of the girls wanted to be the "elegant, pretty, pink and frilly" characters. I don't doubt colour scheme played a huge part but from what I remember, their personalities were more important in whose favourite character was who. I remember the "cool and mature" characters being very popular and the "nerdy book worms" being very niche but those who resonated with them did very strongly. My youngest sister was really into Monster High and I found those designs very intriguing; sad to see some companies still run on the same misconceptions about girls as they did 20 years ago.
Mari's prototype design was so awesome I would have totally bought that doll. I love alternative fasions
it’s a shame that Mari got cut because as soon as you showed the characters, i fell in love with Mari’s design. seeing this video, i really want a mermaid high doll now
This line deserved better, and I actually liked their designs a LOT more than the other mermaid line.
This always reminds me of why I never liked dolls growing up
The "edgy or alternative " one is always my favorite
And my favorite color is green lol. So giant ouch to kid mes interest I guess based on "statistics "
The dolls and the show is definitely something I would enjoy as a kid, and I could probably get with the show now. I don’t like how the dolls look personally but I can see why kids would like them. It sucks to see how they redesigned the girls so many times, I think the first designs were so fun and inspiring, and kids really do love goth or alt dolls.
My issue really is that they aren't water friendly!! They're mermaids, let them be water ready!!!
I wish they would of went with the more goth and alternative route my fashion style is pastel goth and seeing dolls that represent my type of fashion instead of the popular "normal" fashion is what i strive for i lean way more towards dolls that represent my fashion versus other dolls
So sad :( as someone who grew up with the H2O tail swapping dolls, i had such a soft spot for the mermaid high lines! I think both the prototype and final dolls were cute. But i also cant ignore how the prototypes seemed so full of life and love for the community whereas the finished ones just look... like the rest of the market :(
The original concepts looked miles better. Its a shame really.
Great video. As usual 🌟
It makes me so sad!! Stephen Sumner; one of the people who worked on the designs and the og designs is a really nice person, and deserves to be able to put out the work as he intended!!! Those original designs were GORGEOUS!!!!♥️♥️
I learned so much about the doll industry from just this video! I started collecting because I fell in love with the design of Rainbow High and I had no idea about the power struggle between designers and the higher ups. I think it goes to show that when we let creativity run free, incredible things get made. You made a good point about how valuable it is to have doll designers who are also passionate consumers, it really shows in their final products.
I cant imagine that any of these issues have to do with the males perspective of what girls and people want.
I for one experienced first hand the mermaid high dolls being shoved at the bottom of the rack and I was like “oh what are these?”
I thought they were boring and a waste of money compared to mermaze, but didnt know any of these details.
I LOVE the shadow high dolls and have my eyes on the special twin pack because i love how interesting and dark the makeup is, how gothic the outfits are.
the original prototype of the mermaid high seem SO much better than what was actually launched.
its so frustrating to hear that even when girls and collectors speak out about this ridiculousness the “big wigs” still grab onto “well this is how its always been done”. silly!
great video (:
ive noticed, that even tho companies are trying their best to sell marketable dolls, theres a lot of mysoginy and racism. the whole "girls dont like the color green, girls dont like creepy stuff, girls dont like short hair and edgier fashion"... it almost feels like theyre saying girls SHOULDNT have short hair, ECT.. even tho we have proven them wrong many times with how succsesfull bratz and monster high was.
SIDE NOTE: i remember when i was little and barbie started to try and be more diverse with the body shapes, skin tones, hair styles.. but that means they sacrificed the GLAM aspect that i loveeedd with dolls. i never wanted a barbie that looked like a normal every day person, i couldve just gone outside to see that. i wanted to see dolls that looked like ME but were the best versions of themseleves. why cant a curvy barbie have a long ballgown, or a black barbie have an edgier fashion? it feels like companies have no idea what their customers want.
I remember doing Mermaid High for a marketing project, and I said that doll-lines don't last very along (about 5 years, Barbie is the exception because she often set these trends, after all she was one of the first fashion dolls) because trends in children's toys change. Did I expect Mermaid High to get cancelled so soon? No, I thought it would last a couple more years. I also covered how expensive the Mermaid High dolls were, and how someone could get a mermaid Barbie for half the price.
If you want to be a market leader, you won't get there just be doing what past successes have already accomplished. Market leaders don't follow - they LEAD.
Bland marketable dolls blend into shelves. When I was little, I was always drawn to the stand out dolls! Monster High and Bratz!
12:18 I hate that someone said that, green was my favorite color since I was 4! Whoever thought that has a horrible mindset 😡
I feel like a lot of this would be fixed if childrens toy companies only tried to make toys,,,, not fashion dolls. You’re never going to make a 9 year old and a 22year old happy at the same time. Dolls are either going to be “too adult” for kids or “too boring” for adults 🤷♀️🤷♀️
I vaguely recall the Liv dolls and their online site, so to hear why they faded into obscurity and a similar case with Mermaid High is rather unfortunate. As well as in general, a lack of diverse fashion-styles in dolls, like I like these prototypes- even when Friendship is Magic took a while to be accurate with Luna's dark blue coat and similar, it seemed to be late-era before going into Ponylife's much more pastel, soft look.
I got into mermaid high kind of late, but I thought it was cute! Still trying to get ahold of a Mari doll, it's such a shame she got shafted despite the short run :/ A lot of people have also been mentioning how the death of toys r us in the US has definitely had an impact on a lot of toy brands in general, since TRU would give a lot of them more of a chance than other retailers (not by a crazy amount, but still something)
See, Mari was the only one I bought at full price, the others I waited until they were on sale to get. I’m super disappointed that they were willing to scrap her so easily.
I liked them better because the fabric tails were unique to me. I’m used to the molded on tails from dolls like Barbie ones from the early 2000s, so Mermaze wasn’t too unique to me. They’re cool, but again, dolls I’ll get when they’re on sale. Definitely gonna miss Mermaid High 💔
I have a Mari doll, and love her so much. I’m more at the age for mermaze, but their just seems something off about them. I’m still so mad about Mari being cut, I’m more on the edgier clothing side and garbage like that, so I really liked the fact me and Mari matched in a way. I wish they like kept the original designs, don’t get me wrong, the ones we got were great but, still. The dolls were set in high school, they’re not gonna be fully childlike, if you get what I’m putting down. So much potential, gone to waste. :(
the Mermaze ones looks Soulless. their eyes look a bit off from pictures i have seen. they just look Empty to me.
I've noticed Spin Master dolls are very popular and well loved for a relatively short time and they are almost all dolls from my childhood.
I have no interest in dolls but I’mma give this a look.
Edit: “The doll industry is pretty shady and cutthroat” today on things I never thought I’d hear
Edit 2: Aw hell naw they did Holly dirty
Edit 3: Honestly I’m not surprised that the executives would try and force things to look the same. In our current system a lot of things are derivative, almost faddish, trying to ride on the success of the first breakthrough. A good example of this, imo, is the huge amount of battle royale games that followed Fortnite’s success. These executives are also detached from the appeals of “normal” people/“the plebs”, and due to how our system glorifies people in their position undeservedly, also have a major tendency to think they know everything.
I finished this, and screw it, I’m subbing. You made dolls interesting to me.
I wondered why Monster High changed their doll line. Now this makes so much sense! I feel bad for the creators that have their original designs ruined by a company that doesn't get it. If Frankie didn't keep her green skin, she would not be Frankie at all. Also I didn't know Mermaid High and Mermaze had cartoons to go with the doll line. This is why I like Rainbow High is due to the cartoons. Monster High and Ever After High cartoons were amazing! The dolls were too expensive for me to collect, so watching the cartoons and reading the books were an alternative before they got canceled. I did end up getting some dolls when Shopko went out of business with their sales.
The plot of this show reminds me of H2O to be honest. The dolls though are overpriced in my opinion, so I never bothered to get them
The main reason I loved Jade when Bratz came out when I was a kid. Was that she was Goth/Alt fashion. That to me at the time was so different. Also the fact that MGA with Bratz would put out Goth/Alt fashion dolls every other line or so just made me so happy. There are a lot of little girls that love Alternative clothes and colors that are super girly. Yet for whatever reason higher up at toy companies keep pushing for girly and pink. Nothing wrong with it but that is not everyone's favorite style.
Oh man those prototypes are gorgeous! I got into Rainbow High late 2021 and around early 2022 I started seeing Mermaid High on the shelves where I lived. I got interested because MERMAIDS (!!!) but passed because to me they looked generic up close. Mari always drew my eye tho and I would consider getting her even if I didn't think the quality was worth it. So to hear that SpinMaster was going to basically kick her out of the lineup is shocking! If I had actually gotten Mari, I would have been sorely pissed that she was missing from future releases. I can guarantee that had they looked like their prototypes, I would have probably snatch up all 4 right away.
maybe this is why doll companies should be run by people who actually understand the generations they are selling towards and not 50 plus year old billionaire CEOs who have about as much understanding of the common person as an alien from planet x.
I just found this channel last week and I’m enjoying it a lot, you’re so informative and entertaining without the cloying nature some other doll channels seem to have. Every single one I’ve clicked on has grabbed my attention.
its such a shame what happened. I'm currently trying to fill out my collection of a different spin master line thats seemingly a flop (not a fashion doll line, little scented animal figures called Whiffies. they have a wonderful variety of pose sculpts and just the most darling expressions but released at probably a bit too high of a price point to be worth it for most people, imo...)
It’s so annoying to me that like the marketing teams really push for the bare minimum of fashion dolls when they’re supposed to be /fashion/ dolls,, of course the design teams know what they’re doing fashion has come so far nobody wants boring all the time especially on doll line that is supposed to market its fashion aesthetics? Literally was like just the tiniest changes or freedom this Darline had the potential to be a huge success especially among children because they had the ability to go between mermaid and human form instead of having to buy two separate dolls to get illusion that while playing,
This just saddened me 😔 I really liked everything about Mermaid High. I haven't accepted that it's cancelled. It has great theme, animation, character development... So much effort for why? They are beautiful in their own way. We need all our mermaids. Honestly, it's disrespectful to everything. (Pouting)
Found this video by accident. But I just wanna say, I love that you're talking about your passion. Liking something so much that you wanna share your opinion is really cool. So even though I'm not the biggest doll fan, I still subbed because I like the content and the vibe.
I feel like I should work on a themed doll line-- not for any design prowess, but because I can crank out thematic puns like nobody's business. If I worked on this video I know I would have used the term "dead in the water".
Yet another fantastic assessment. The original concept for this line was so great. 👍🏾❤️🌈
A really well made video and I really appreciate your views! It's so bizarre to see the initial Mermaid High prototypes to be watered down like that when so many other dolls in the market have stepped up their game so much. It really doesn't feel like corporate even bothered with focus groups--huge bummer and it feels like that might've saved the line or at least given corporate a better idea of what the public wanted.
I loved Mari but I just HAD to get Raynea. She's the first time I found a doll that looked like me and I don't normally care about that sort of thing.
Omg the concepts and prototypes look like they would have SLAYED!
I saw this line in the early development process and you are SO right- there is no trust with designers, though they are the ONLY ones in the room who know what they're talking about!
I just love the ‘hi guys’ at the beginning of your videos lol, makes me smile right away 🙏
as a kid i always went for the "goth/emo/alt" dolls or horses rofl
What's funny is my first introduction to Mermaid High was their Roblox game. I dont really play Roblox often but I have to admit, their Mermaid High game on there was really cool. I wonder if it's still up or not...
I love how Mattel didn't like certain design choices because it was too scary... for a line called monster high. Wouldnt consumers expect a line of dolls based on horror characters to be scary?
Lately, most of the doll lines are being discontinued shortly after they came out and Mermaid High, which was not a year ago but a few months after it came out, ended up being discontinued or rather ended up being cancelled.
My special interest is in cartoons, but I find it interesting to learn about other stuff marketed to children. I can see some similarities between the issues with marketing in cartoons and marketing in dolls. Companies being sooo afraid to take risks and let creators be creative because they think children want the same recycled tropes is ridiculous, especially frustrating when they don't give the creativity a chance or, like you said, "shut it down at the first sign of waning popularity." Their insults to little girls by saying they'll be "scared" of cat makeup or dislike green is stupid. Sometimes I think they're more worried about entitled parents throwing a fit over something "ugly" or "weird" instead of little girls. But maybe with more Gen Y/Gen Z being in charge we'll get to see more companies taking risks.
the moment you said they were made by the same company as la dee da i knew mermaid highs story was going to be a sad one. la dee da deserved so much more :(
I loved Mermaid High and I'm so upset they failed. I was literally so excited the first time I heard about the line and I couldn't stop talking about it for a week. I hope in the future we get a similar doll line, only one that does have the chance to do what they want a lil more.
You think you’re upset about it!? If you knew how upset I was, you would understand why I am so upset. Star Darlings animated series/doll line was cancelled by Disney because of Nickelodeon’s Rainbow Rangers animated series/doll line, Mermaid High got cancelled because of Rainbow Rangers copy-cat; Mermaze Mermaidz (the plot and storyline are almost the exact same thing), Oozies (a doll line) was cancelled because another doll line was released by Spin Master that was literally the same thing, Disney/Zodiak Kids cancelled LoliRock (animated series/doll line) because of a similar doll line and animated series from Cartoon Network, My Scene was cancelled because Isaac “I whine until I get whatever I want” Larian had to bitch and complain that Mattel was copying him with his Bratz doll line, when that is BS! Mattel’s My Scene was not copying his Bratz line! If that was the case; Hasbro’s Space Divas dolls (which had similar designs to the Bratz dolls that had big heads) would have been accused of copying the Bratz line as well, but they weren’t. Instead; Larian complained that Space Divas was similar to the interchangeable feet Bratz dolls, when Space Divas came out first. Mattel Inc. forced Hasbro to cancel Space Divas after the company accused Hasbro for copying and using similar designs for their DivaStars dolls.
The fact is; Almost all of the lesser known doll lines have been forced to be cancelled because of copy-cat dolls from competing companies.
I will still support Bratz, Rainbow High/Shadow High and LOL, but I refuse, absolutely refuse to support Mermaze Mermaidz! To this very day; I have not supported Rainbow Rangers and I refuse to support Mermaze Mermaidz!
Mari should've been a octopus-mermaid to go along with the edginess