Hasbro and Ogilvy Created a Simple, Lovely Ad About Why Boys Should Play With Dolls

We may not have realized it at the time, but the toys we used to play with often doubled as tools of gendered socialization. It’s actually a little funny when you take a moment to think about it: We—children and adults alike—have long allowed heaps of plastic, bolts and rubber to dictate how we're “supposed” to exercise our imaginations, limiting boys to liking race cars and robots while dolls were left to the girls as maternal training. It can seem like such a small thing at that time, but the attitudes that lead to the idea that “boys can’t play with dolls” and other weirdly narrow assertions are contagious and can endure through generations. Kids are impressionable, after all. Thankfully, a new campaign from Ogilvy Brazil aims to do away with the notion that dolls are reserved for a single gender. “We All Can Take Care” features a 60-second spot that shows boys readily playing with the Baby Alive doll by Hasbro. [kickout id="1"] Among the heap of popular toys (including subtle cameos from Mr. Potato Head and a resting Transformer), the boys can be seen playing cooperatively with the baby doll through nurturing moments of “care.” Scenes that include changing the doll’s diaper or pretending to be doctors reflect some of the developmental benefits that come with playing with dolls during adolescence, according to educator and author Maria Angela Barbato. “It leads to emotional development, new ways of interacting and learning what respect is all about," she says in a statement about the campaign launch. "The advice I would give to parents is: let your children play." “Our challenge is to show that both girls and boys can learn a lot from playing with dolls,” adds Kellen Silverio, marketing director for Hasbro in Brazil. “This is a free-spirited, playful gesture that nurtures love and that counts for much in helping children growing up to become human beings who care for one another.” What stands out most about Ogilvy’s approach to the subject—one that is still considered progressive in today's cultural climate—is the ad's casual framing. The idea of boys playing with dolls is not presented as a social experiment or otherwise deemed an anomaly, but a reminder that this is just how children play without the intervention of societal constraints. Instead of outlining all of the reasons that boys should play with dolls, Ogilvy and Hasbro pose the simple question, “Why not?” CREDITS: Agency: Ogilvy Brazil Campaign: We All Can Take Care Product Baby Alive Client: Hasbro Chief Executive: Fernando Musa Chief Creative Officer: Félix del Valle Executive Creative Director: Márcio Fritzen Associate Creative Director: Mathias Almeida, Teco Cipriano Art Director: Teco Cipriano, Gabriella Pimentel, Thomaz Maksud Copywriter: Mathias Almeida, Ygor Silva, Guilherme Rio Producers: Fabiano Beraldo, Paty Silveira, Hellen Gazetta Account: Denise Caruso, Felipe Obara, Renata Flores Planning: Thais Frazão, Cleber Almeida, Mariana Crepaldi, Tu Moon Media: André Gramorelli, Adeildo Souza, Danielle Conti, Stefanie Gambier, Vitoria Soares, Agnes Han Ogilvy Content Studio: Gustavo Otto, Thiago Frias, Rayra Janau, Leonardo Araujo, Thiago Bancaro, Maria Eduarda Neves, Giovanne Formis, Ana Beatriz Almeida, Natalia Antunes, Fernando Badô Video Editor: Deydson Rocha Client Approval: Kellen Silverio, Vanessa Giangiacomo Production House: Corazon Filmes Director: Will Mazzola Executive Director: Igor Ferreira Executive Producer: Renato Chabuh Account: Marcia Branco, Mary Lacoleta, Maria Eugênia Photography: Ted Abel Team Corazon: Júlia Kannebley, Danielle Oliveira, Juliana Sigolo, Fe Bley, Mariana Becker, Lucas Aires Pos Production/Motion: Matheus Scatolini, Hub Vfx Sound Production: Shuffle Audio Team Shuffle: Alexandre Marcondes, Henrique Ruiz Nicolau, Chico Castellano