Bratz was created by toy designer Carter Bryant. In 2000, he met with Isaac Larian the CEO of Micro-Games America Entertainment (MGA Entertainment).[1] There, Mr. Bryant presented his pictures to Mr. Larian, who found that the concept sketches enthralled his daughter, Jasmin, who was visiting the office at the time. In June 2 2001, they started the first four Bratz dolls, Jade, Cloe, Sasha, and Yasmin, were released to market, each attired in urban-styled fashions. The Bratz quickly gained strong popularity, becoming the number one doll brand in several countries like France, Spain, Israel and Italy, and the number two doll in the United Kingdom. The dolls won Family Fun's Toy of the Year award and TIA People's Choice Toy of the Year Award for 2001.
Size of Bratz Dolls:
Bratz dolls are 10" in height, but much more "chunky" to the feel than Barbie dolls which are 11.5" in height. There is also a pocket-sized "mini Bratz" doll available.
Years of Production of Bratz Dolls: Bratz dolls began production in the summer of 2001, and they are produced by MGA Entertainment. Materials and Characteristics of Bratz Dolls: Bratz dolls are made of vinyl--hard vinyl for the head and body with softer, bendable vinyl for the arms and legs. Bratz dolls also have a unique feature--when you change their shoes, you actually change their feet--the shoes and feet pop off as one. This, obviously isn't very realistic, but it is fun for play and it does solve the problem of tiny doll shoes being vacuumed up all over the house.
Controversies about Bratz Dolls:
Bratz dolls are somewhat controversial because of their heavy diva-like makeup and their oh-I'm-so-bored heavy attitude expressions. Many mothers have also objected to the skimpy and/or overly "fashionista" outfits. Other mothers are simply so happy to have their 9-12 year old daughters still playing with dolls that they hapily overlook those aspects of the doll. Whatever mothers think 9-12 year old girls are crazy about Bratz dolls!
History and More Information about Bratz Dolls:
Bratz has overtaken Barbie in many parts of the world as the number one selling fashion doll. The dolls have a whole world available to them--besides the dolls, there are playsets, outfits, fashions for girls, even dvds and video games and a theatrical movie release slated for 2006. The dolls have even won several toy industry awards including Character Brand License of the Year from Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association (LIMA), as well as several Toy of the Year and other awards from Family Fun and the Toy Industry Association (TIA). Bratz are available in nearly 70 countries worldwide.
There are several characters of dolls, including Cloe, Sasha, Jade and Yasmin, and the dolls are multi-ethnic. They have combable, rooted hair for play value. The dolls have very over-sized heads which help them resemble some of the big-head, big-eye dolls of the 1960s such as Blythe. The dolls are also known for having fun, detailed accessories and play sets which reflect their "cool" (and somewhat materialistic) lifestyle--discos, karaoke and sushi bars, salons and spas, limosines, retro cafes, malls are all available.
Bratz Lines
Lil' Bratz
Lil' Bratz: The miniature versions, were originally created for a cheaper solution to buying Bratz. They were very popular to begin with, simply being miniature versions of the original four characters. But, in 2005, the four characters were given new names and slightly different appearances (eye colour, etc.) Only a few lines were created. A final attempt to keep the brand was made. The line Funk House was popular because the dolls were designed to look more like their cartoon counterparts. The line was dropped shortly after the release of Funk House. Lil' Bratz also featured Lil' Boyz who were sold briefly as original and new characters like the girls. In 2007, they released a clothing line called Lil' Bratz Couture. They are coming out with an interactive dvd of Lil Bratz this spring 2008.
Bratz Boyz
Bratz Boyz: These are the male counterparts of the Bratz. They are less popular than the girls and have only a third of the amount of characters. The original Bratz Boyz were Cameron and Dylan, who became popular after the release and even attracted male fans. More characters were added which only made them more popular. But with the recent lack of new characters, the popularity of these dolls has declined. New releases were less frequent in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2006 leading to an impression that the Boyz were no longer being designed. The first Quarter of 2007 is showing increased activity from MGAE with the long-awaited release of the Bratz Boyz Twiins, all-new character Wayne as part of the Rodeo line, a new Adventure Boyz Cameron, Bryce as part of the Hot Summer Dayz line, and Cade (now a blonde) as part of the Play Sportz line. More recently, Eitan was released as part of the Winter line, Bryce in the Movie line, and Cameron in the Play Sportz line.
Bratz Babyz
Bratz Babyz: The Babyz were originally released with molded hair, one outfit and infant accessories (bottle, blanket, soft toy and other items) At first the Bratz Babyz were not popular because of their "disproportioned heads (compared to normal Bratz) and especially the molded hair. They became more popular as fans warmed to them. When Bratz Babyz with long, "real" hair (Hair Flair) were released, the popularity grew. More characters from the regular Bratz are being added to The Bratz Babyz line making the Bratz Babyz grow in popularity to this day.
Bratz Big Babyz: as its name says: a bigger version of the Bratz Babyz.
Bratz Lil' Angelz are the newborn, collectable version of Bratz Babyz. They are smaller than regular Bratz Babyz and come with their own newborn pets.
Bratz Kidz
Bratz Kidz: Bratz Kidz are the child equivalent to the popular Bratz doll line. The dolls are 6 inches tall and are proportioned to be shorter than the normal Bratz. In the Fall 2007 season, Bratz Boyz Kidz were introduced, featuring the four main Boyz.Their first movie was released in July 2007 based on the sleepover adventure line.Their second movie is to be released in February and it has a fairy-tale storyline. No dolls have been released with the same theme.
Be-Bratz
Be-Bratz: Be-Bratz dolls are similar to regular Bratz dolls, but without their own individual names, as they are designed for the owner to name and customise themselves. They also come with a mini metallic pink USB mouse, a Be-Bratz mousepad, a Be-Bratz USB Key necklace, and a mini-pet. When the USB key is inserted into the PC, the owner can then take their Be-Bratz doll online, name it, and create an online social homepage for it. Games can be played with your Be-Bratz account to win more points, which can then be spent on clothing, furniture, and food for your online Be-Bratz doll.
