As of 1 January, all Disney Princess figures, backpacks, costumes, and other swag will be made by Hasbro, rather than Mattel. The business is estimated to be worth up to $500MM in retail sales.
It's a really interesting article (written as the dad of a daughter who was never too Princess-crazy, but did have her moments of Aurora-worship), both in terms of how the business has evolved, and in terms of the changes that Disney and Hasbro (who also manages their Marvel and Star Wars stuff) have in mind:
– Promoting all the Princesses, including a number that Mattel had neglected (Pocahontes, Tiana, Mulan, etc.).
– Smaller and a bit more cartoony but more distinct characters (less just "Barbies with different colored hair and color coded dresses).
– Less emphasis on "happily ever after," more on "empowered heroines."
It's all very meta, but it's fascinating nonetheless.
The $500 Million Battle Over Disney’s Princesses
How Hasbro grabbed the lucrative Disney doll business from Mattel.
