The global rise of Lego, the world’s number one toymaker, has demonstrated the importance of the traditional pink and blue toy aisles from a marketing perspective.

Last year Mattel unveiled a range of new Ken dolls, including one with a “man bun”. This blurring of gender lines around toys is emblematic of a broader societal shift driven by ideas of inclusiveness, metrosexuality, genderless athletic wear, and the rise of celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner who challenge fixed gender identities. Related | LGBT Equality Doesn’t Exist but Here’s How to Fight for It And retailers like Target, Toys ‘R’ Us and Kmart are responding by replacing pink and blue toy aisles with gender-neutral “kids toy” aisles. Toymakers such as Mattel and Hasbro are no longer explicitly marketing some of their lines (including dolls) to girls or boys. The gendered distinctions of the infamous pink and blue toy aisles are starting to break down. With strong female leads such as Rey, Star Wars merchandise has tended to be sold in its own ‘destination’ section of stores rather than gendered toy aisles.Īmid a downturn in global toy sales, Australia’s Toys ‘R’ Us stores going into voluntary administration and closure of the firm’s American and UK arms, a quiet revolution is under way in the toy world. Comments Beyond pink and blue: the quiet rise of gender-neutral toys.

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