Women’s wrestling has undergone a major overhaul in WWE over the past couple of years. Women wrestlers have been rebranded from “Divas” to “Superstars,” major emphasis has been placed on women as wrestlers rather than eye candy, and we’re currently in the midst of an international, 32-woman prestige tournament. This is not to say things have been perfect with the “women’s revolution,” but it’s undeniable strides have been made.
Another step in the process towards presenting (and marketing) women as important components of WWE is to appeal directly to the girls and women who watch the product, or might be thinking about buying the product, and catering to their tastes and aesthetic.
On Thursday, Mattel and WWE had a presentation at San Diego Comic Con and simultaneously put out a press release announcing that they are partnering to put out a new girls’ product line. The line will include Barbie-like 12″ “fashion dolls” and “role play items” that will allow girls to emulate their favorite Superstars, in addition to the normal inclusion of women wrestlers in Mattel’s popular WWE action figure line.
The full press release from WWE and Mattel:
Mattel and WWE are launching a girls’ product line that features the first-ever fashion dolls of Nikki and Brie Bella, Sasha Banks, Natalya, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Alicia Fox and Eva Marie, to leverage the popularity of WWE’s female Superstars and give its sizable girl fan base a new way to connect with their favorite brands.
The new WWE Superstars product line, which was revealed today at San Diego Comic-Con, offers fans an original way to play and includes the following:
- 12” fashion dolls that are articulated and come with multiple fashions inspired by Nikki and Brie Bella, Sasha Banks, Natalya, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Alicia Fox and Eva Marie.
- Role Play items that include a WWE Women’s Championship title belt with authentic styling and sleek metallic medallions, in addition to fun accessories like a Bayley-inspired headband and Sasha Bank’s “Legit Boss” rings.
- Action figures that have deluxe articulation and bold ring looks that include the Superstar’s iconic accessories.
This is the first time female WWE Superstars will have a fashion doll and role-playing line, in addition to the action figures inspired by their in-ring characters. The dolls will be available for preorder online only at Toysrus.com beginning Monday, July 24, and exclusively at Toys“R”Us® stores nationwide and Toysrus.com this September.
“The launch of the first-ever WWE girls’ product line is a significant moment in the evolution of not only our female Superstars, but our entire company,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “We are honored to partner with Mattel to provide kids with another way to connect with our incredible female performers who inspire confidence and strength.”
“At Mattel, we have a deep understanding of how girls play and are proud to be WWE’s partner in bringing the first ever female Superstar fashion doll line to fans, said Lori Pantel, SVP and GM for Girl’s Toy Box. “This line shows girls that they too can be a WWE Superstar and fits well within our portfolio of girl’s brands by offering unique doll aesthetics with empowering messages.”
This is likely pretty exciting to the girls out there who love WWE and maybe wish there were more products they could buy. The even better news is there’s always so much merchandise out there, between the action figure line and everything on the official WWE Shop, that there are tons of options for girls who might not be into the whole “fashion doll” thing. And if they ARE into the “fashion doll” thing, then everybody wins. There’s no downside here.
And if you want to feel REALLY good, here are the Superstars themselves seeing their dolls for the first time:
