Mattel’s Newest Fashion Dolls Are Based on WWE’s Female Superstars

It’s impossible to ignore wrestling’s impact on American culture—with stars like John Cena becoming staples of mainstream pop culture, President Trump’s tweet about wrestling CNN, even Netflix’s 1980s-set series GLOW—so it’s no surprise Mattel would want to get involved with the WWE. Today at Comic-Con in San Diego, the brand unveiled a new set of dolls based on some of the WWE’s female superstars.

The new fashion dolls, which are based on WWE stars like Nikki and Brie Bella, Sasha Banks, Natalya, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Alicia Fox and Eva Marie, are meant to help the Mattel tap into WWE’s fan base, which comprises 40 percent women.

“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, in a statement. “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.”

It’s unclear whether Mattel’s creative agency, BBDO in San Francisco, will be creating new content for the September release of the dolls. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“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 girls’ brands by offering unique doll aesthetics with empowering messages.”

Toys R Us will sell the dolls when they are released in September, though they are available for pre-order on July 24.

Kristina Monllos

@KristinaMonllos

Kristina Monllos is a senior editor for Adweek.