Lalaloopsy - play dolls made of plastic from the MGA company, stylized as rags. The progenitor of toys was the Bitty Buttons series, released in 2010. Today Lalalupsi are popular among girls of all ages, and the success story of these dolls is very interesting and informative.
Brand history
In 2010, MGA Entertainment launched the Bitty Buttons series of toys, which included original 33cm rag dolls. The series was accompanied by the advertising slogan "Sewing is cute and magical." The set with each doll included not only an individual set of clothes, but also a miniature pet.
Later, MGA Entertainment general general Isaac Larian said that the main goal of Bitty Buttons is to show children that each person is unique and has a special life path. The uniqueness of the brand was also manifested in the fact that the dolls were made from old scraps of fabric and buttons. By this, the creators demonstrated that any thing can find a second life and serve for the benefit of people for a long time.
At the end of 2010, the brand was renamed Lalaloopsy, and at the same time, the Lalaloopsy toy line was awarded the Large Doll in the People's Play Awards. The awards ceremony was broadcast on American television, and many media outlets, including MSNBC and the New York Post, rave about Lalaloopsy as the upcoming New Year's Eve bestseller. All of this really made the doll series an incredibly popular commodity in the coming holidays. In addition, MGA Entertainment has gained widespread recognition through its ongoing charity events in support of the Red Cross.
Toy Specifications
Currently, Lalaloopsy dolls are made of elastic plastic using a special technology, which makes them not only attractive to look at and pleasant to the touch, but also safe for children. However, completely rag toys did not go away, but began to be produced as separate Lalaloopsy Soft and Lala-Oopsies series. In addition, not only traditional 33 cm figures are on sale, but also their smaller counterparts:
- Lalaloopsy Littles (13 cm);
- Lalaloopsy Minis (7.5 cm);
- Lalaloopsy Tinies (3 cm).
Like their rag counterparts, modern Lalaloopsy is incapable of standing. Their arms and legs hang freely and can rotate in different directions. Dolls have removable clothes and shoes, and additional items and accessories can be purchased for them. They also have molded panties with the serial number and the character's date of birth printed on them.
Special series of dolls are also produced, for example, Lalaloopsy Silly Hair figurines, known as "spring dolls". They have extra flexible hair made of thin tubes that can be bent and fixed in any position. In their alternative version, Lalaloopsy Loopy Hair, the hair is made in the form of elastic bands, from which you can weave braids. The boxes for all toys are designed in the shape of houses, and the package includes a pet, as well as various accessories. Until mid-2013, the packaging included a collectible poster featuring other characters in the series. Currently, collectible packs are issued to celebrate certain holidays and events.
Additional series of dolls
Lalaloopsy's Silly Hair, Soft and Mini lines went on sale in early 2011. Since then, other varied and fun models have begun to be produced, including miniature, plush, rubber toys. For younger children, the Lalaloopsy Littles collection is on sale, featuring the younger sisters and brothers of the main characters. Given the growing interest in the boy series, MGA Entertainment decided to diversify the lineup with male figures, which included:
- Sir Battlescarred (knight);
- Forest Evergreen (lumberjack);
- Pete R. Canfly (Peter Pan);
- Patch Treasurechest (pirate);
- Wacky Hatter (Mad Hatter).
At the end of 2011, new 3 cm Lalalupsi micro-figures appeared, which featured removable heads. A year later, the series was developed in the form of a spin-off (offshoot) called Lala-Oopsies, the figures of which were made of soft foamy material. In 2013, several spin-offs of the main line went on sale, which included:
- Lalaloopsy Ponies (exclusive collection for the Target network based on the popular animated series);
- Pet Pals (figurines of anthropomorphic animals);
- Lalaloopsy Workshop (construction dolls).
The latest spin-off is still popular, and today you can find a variety of construction sets based on Lalalupsi dolls and their stories on sale. Critics and the manufacturers themselves agreed that such toys are good for the development of imagination and creativity in children.
Since 2014, exclusive series of products have been launched for different countries and retail chains. These included the lines Loopy Hair, Babies, Girls and Tinies. An additional series of toys called Lalaloopsy Super Silly Party has been available since mid-2015. It includes already beloved characters with a radically new and fashionable look. The newest development launched in 2017 is a series of original toys with real hair called We're Lalaloopsy.
Media Products
The rapid growth in popularity of Lalalupsi dolls is largely due to the constant release of themed media products with the support of MGA Entertainment. Already in 2011, the first Internet videos (webisodes) began to appear and were shown on the company's web resources. The series about the history and life of the characters continued until the end of 2013. In 2012, Nick Jr. a special film called Adventures in Lalaloopsy Land: The Search for Pillow was released, after which several more feature films were released, including the very popular Lala-Oopsies: A Sew Magical Tale.
In 2013, the series of the same name was launched on the Nickelodeon channel, and in 2015 MGA and Lionsgate Films released the musical Lalaloopsy Band Together on DVD, in which the characters of the popular game series performed various songs. The film, as well as the previously released series, have been shown several times on Nick Jr. In 2017, Netflix launched the miniseries We're Lalaloopsy. There is also the only game currently dedicated to the Lalaloopsy Mini series, developed and released for the Nintendo DS console in late 2011.
Today, Lalalupsi toys remain very popular mainly among girls from 3 to 14 years old. They owe much of their love to a wide assortment of dolls, many of which were produced in the images of famous characters from fairy tales and cartoons. In addition, they are accompanied by animals from the same stories. Examples include the Little Red Riding Hood doll accompanied by the Gray Wolf, or Princess Jasmine with the tiger cub. Together with dolls, toy houses, household items, furniture and appliances are produced, thanks to which children get the opportunity to have almost unlimited imagination while playing.
