Exploiting Sasha and Maila So Soon
Posted 27th January 2009 by Susan Newman, Ph.D., tagged children, business, dolls, politics, toys, election, Obamas, Malia and Sasha
Sasha and Malia dolls from the makers of Beanie Babies (without Obama approval) are already in stores. Are the Obamas being exploited?
We are all intrigued by Sasha and Malia, but what about their parents’ rights to keep the girls’ lives as “normal” as possible by giving the press little to no access to them. The girls wore J. Crew clothing to their father’s inauguration causing the J. Crew website to crash from overload shortly after the source of their outfits was made public. J. Crew is acting cautiously.
"It's a huge deal," says Marshal Cohen, retail analyst for the NPD Group, of the J. Crew Inaugural exposure in a Time magazine article which goes on to say, “But the whole phenomenon puts a company like J. Crew in a tricky spot. Yes, it needs to leverage the family's affinity for the J. Crew brand. But will consumers think the company is exploiting these young girls?”
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What do you think? Will you buy a "Sweet Sasha" or "Marvelous Malia" doll for your daughter? Will she want one?
You can read more details at http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/singletons/200901/exploiting-sasha-and-malia-already
Flag as inappropriate Posted by Susan Newman, Ph.D. on 27th January 2009