American Girl is famous for its pricey and painstakingly accurate historical dolls. The company's original line contained pioneer Kirsten, Victorian orphan Samantha and WWII era Molly. Now there are 22 dolls in the historic line. The first catalog hit mailboxes in 1986, and it's no coincidence that American Girl's newest doll, Courtney Moore, hails from that exact year. In a case of corporate synergy and admirable intentions folding in on themselves, the 80s doll's "collection" includes plenty of branding opportunities as well as a chance to revisit feminism's relationship with gaming.
Every American Girl doll comes with a book, which is part of what hooked the company's initial fanbase in the 80s and 90s. For kids who wanted more than a nondescript doll, these books provided backstory, as well as historical discussions on subjects like the Coercive Acts of 1774 and child labor laws circa the early 1900s. Those early dolls made such an impact, a considerable portion of American Girl's customer base today is comprised of adults, and there's even an American Girls podcast hosted by two women who became historians as a direct result of their fandom.
At the turn of the millennium, shoppers began favoring modern dolls that could be designed to look like their owners while also sharing similar interests by buying specific accessories. Meanwhile, there were new historic dolls that were more so part of contemporary history, like Courtney. Technically, she's a historical doll, but 80s style and pop culture has been having a comeback over the past several years, so a significant amount of the items featured in her collection will be familiar with today's younger generation while also representing the first generation of fans.
The website even lists a to-scale version of one of the first American Girl dolls, down to the replica of the original catalog and gift box. Courtney's father even buys her an American Girl doll in her story, so the owner of her doll can do the same. This marketing approach is oddly meta for American Girl, appearing to come full circle with its origins in the 80s; however, the branding doesn't end there.
American Girl partnered with the likes of Lisa Frank, Lip Smackers, Care Bears and BANDAI NAMCO, among others, to create the branded minis that go with Courtney; however, they are sold separately. Surely there's a lot of money to be made by all parties with a product launch designed to specifically target the company's original customers, as well as new ones. Courtney is also designed to be as painstakingly accurate as Kirsten, Samantha and Molly were, but this time that means relying on branded products like Aqua Net and Pac-Man.
American Girl should also get some credit for weaving thoughtful history and social lessons into its characters' backstories. In Courtney's case, the history lesson has to do with the Challenger explosion, which occurred January of 1986. A trailer for a stop-motion movie about Courtney shows her class watching the tragedy unfold on TV.
That's heavy subject matter for a novel aimed at eight to 12 year olds, but American Girl has never shied away from heavy subject matter before. Previous novels have explored the yellow fever epidemic and family separations during slavery. Courtney's also a child of divorce and a member of a blended family, which many of her new owners will be able to relate to.
More recently, American Girl has gone one step further and chosen various causes to support by raising awareness as well as financial donations. Earlier this year, the company released a doll that came with a hearing aid, and it contributed to and promoted the Hearing Loss Association of America.
Part of the plot of Courtney's book revolves around her interest in video games. The character isn't just good at them; she wants to design them. The one she codes for a school project, Crystal Starshooter, also has a connection to the female astronauts aboard Challenger. Many of the kids who will buy Courtney are too young to have much insider knowledge of GamerGate, but the controversy has to have been an inspiration at some level since much of the messaging around the doll has to do with girls standing up for themselves in the gaming space.
To that end, on behalf of the Courtney doll, American Girl has teamed up with Girls Who Code to try and shrink the gender gap in technology fields. Through matched donations, the toymaker and the nonprofit will support the organization's programing and outreach. Furthermore, American Girl is providing a $5,000 scholarship for four girls to help further their education in computer science. Such charitable efforts are as much a part of the publicity campaign as they are earnest efforts toward social change, but nonetheless, age-appropriate dolls with well-rounded personalities and interests are a net positive for tween girls.