Hasbro Launches 'My Little Pony' Promotional Exhibit
My Little Pony, a toy line for girls from Hasbro that was extremely popular in the 1980's, has launched an exhibit/promotion called The Pony Project. Hasbro, to re-energize the My Little Pony Line, has invited young, contemporary female artists of varied backgrounds such as graffiti, fashion, illustration, photography, and fine art to customize blank 18” My Little Pony figures. Artists like Claw Money (graffiti writer), Maya Hayuk (fine artist), Betsey Johnson (designer), and Kozyndan (illustrator) will create their versions of My Little Pony.
The figures will then be displayed in New York City's Milk Studio in late October and auctioned off with artists receiving 50% of proceeds and The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, an organization that supports kids art programs, receiving the other half. Thunderdog Studious and Paper magazine are also sponsoring the event.
As always, our resident art expert, Bucky Turco, had some concerns about the promotion. "I wonder how far Hasbro will let these artists go. Some of these ladies do really edgy art. Kozyndan, for has illustrations of bunny rabbits smoking bongs. Surely that will not fly. It will be very interesting to see what comes about and see how brave Hasbro will be. Admittedly though, it’s nice to see this kind of line up of artists and see that it has nothing to do with the Japanese toy and vinyl phenomenon but rather a classic childhood icon."
Comments
I don't think little girls really give a shit about subversive hipster art and the recontextualization of childhood icons. This has everything to do with the Japanese toy and vinyl phenomenon. This is ridiculous and laughable.
Hasbro tries to use a former very famous brand in order to take market shares but the market has changed, not sure it's gonna be a success...perhaps for 30 years old women who want to keep a foot in their childhood...
...how is this going to make little girls want to buy "My Little Ponies" again?
Maybe if they are made more rounded, with smaller eyes and are re-named to "Super Pretty Pony-Time Hakus" with Japanese on the packaging, more kids would buy them. Otherwise, just... no.
Nice, clever, fun. I used to love My Little Pony and then forgot all about them. Nice, cheap, non-violent toys that encourage kids to use their imaginations. Seriously, I'm going to buy a couple of My Little Ponies tonight and have 'em sitting on my desk tomorrow.
Yikes... I had almost managed to forget the Most Inappropriate Birthday Gift Ever, given to a friend last year by one of her [single, male] co-workers: a My Little Pony modded with a vibrating egg from Toys in Babeland. It was super-icky, but kind of inevitable. I'm sure one of these artists will find their way there.
well yeah, it's not probably going to be effective with their primary objective (revive the brand for the new generation of little girls) but it sure as hell got me interested. I love toys and would seriously check this out. So maybe, they should just market to a cult legion of avant-garde enthusiasts?
I'm not 30 years old i'm 24, thank you, I have pony dolls. I have old ones and new ones, my 4 year old cousin loves them. And she loves the cartoons that come with them.
I'm disapointed that hasbro didn't invite some of the people who do focus on customizing ponies as a hobby. Like Nightlight for instance.
I wish i could get one of the blank ponies to do as I wish myself.
But I think this will be an interesting concept. They've done cows, dalla horses, lizards, mickey mouses and now its time for hasbro to bring out the my little ponies.