Girls at Comic-Con Find Marketers Ready for Them

FOR years, the stereotypical Comic-Con International attendees were male comic book fans who gathered every year in San Diego to dress as their favorite superheroes and debate esoteric topics like which Green Lantern is the best ring slinger and whether Darth Vader wears socks.
But as comic book fans grew up, married and raised children, a new fan base emerged: their daughters, who have grown up in a world ruled by Supergirl, Princess Leia and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

And marketers, including publishers, toy manufacturers and Hollywood’s entertainment giants, used Comic-Con 2010 last month to promote products for girls and to build anticipation for new ones.

Mattel, for example, used Comic-Con to promote several toy lines for girls, offering an exclusive set of its Polly Pocket dolls dressed as superheroes.

Mattel also promoted a new franchise, Monster High, which features dolls, books, clothing and accessories for girls, as well as animated webisodes that highlight the high school experiences of the awkward yet fashionable teenage offspring of legendary monsters.

While Polly Pocket has been popular among preteenagers for years, Monster High is a fledgling brand for Mattel. The franchise received a robust introduction in June, wider than usual for a toy line not based on a movie or television series.

Dolls, plush toys and electronics are already in stores, and a clothing line is available exclusively at Justice, a retailer of preteenage brands. The first of a series of books, written by Lisi Harrison, a best-selling author for young adults, is scheduled to be published Sept. 1, and Universal Pictures has acquired the film rights to create a live-action movie musical.

To broaden the franchise, Mattel is planning to focus on Internet and television marketing. Monster High has its own Web site and a fan page on Facebook, and a TV commercial that introduces the characters to viewers began running last week. And Friday — notably, the 13th — the ghouls of Monster High will haunt YouTube with the debut of a Monster High music video directed by Nigel Dick, who has directed videos for Paul McCartney and Britney Spears, among others.