Using the Gothic as a Marketing Tool

In the highly competitive contemporary world of children's toys, one type of doll has risen to the top almost a decade ago and has redefined through its popularity, the very image of modern dolls. Mattel's Monster High collection represents a success from various points of view, but what constitutes perhaps the most interesting aspect to be analyzed is the role which a concept as elusive and heterogeneous as the Gothic has played in the marketing scheme of these toys. Traditionally associated with fear and horror, the Gothic has undergone a paradigm shift and splintered in various distinct, if not contradictory forms, allowing the concept of the monster to be reinterpreted by the creators of Monster High. Thus, this chapter will first focus on the theoretical premises of the contemporary Gothic as part of a marketing strategy and then it will apply it on the marketing campaign of Monster High dolls.