Monchhichi Monchhichi, Oh So Soft and Cuddly

Who created this message?

Monchhichi dolls were originally produced by the Japanese company Sekiguchi beginning in 1974. They were licensed by Mattel in the US in the 1980's before being distributed again by Sekiguchi after the mid 1980's. The commercials, such as the one I posted, were produced in the US.

What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

The catchy Monchhichi jingle is one that has rattled around in my head for 40+ years. From time to time it will still pop into my head for no apparent reason. My best friend and I used to sing it to each other often just to get it stuck in the other person's head. It worked every time.

How might different people interpret this message differently than me?

This is one of the few dolls that I can think of from the 80's that was marketed to both boys and girls. They attempted to make a girl version and a boy version. I am not sure how many boys were actually interested in this toy, but they tried to make the commercial appeal to both genders. I know that my best friend gave me the girl Monchichi for my birthday while she bought the boy.

The cartoon that played on Saturday mornings was a short sandwiched between "Little Rascals" and "Richie Rich". I feel like the intention of the time slot was to keep the girls watching between two shows that may have been marketed to boys. I think the intention of marketing Monchhichi dolls to the boys was to keep them watching until "Richie Rich" came on.  

What viewpoints or world views are included or left out of this message?

The 80's were an interesting time as far as trade between the US and Japan. I am not sure that the trade deficit had anything to do with Mattel taking over the distribution in America, but it may have. In 1987, the US basically blocked imports from Japan. By this point, I believe the Monchichi fad had died out in our country anyway, which is why Mattel stopped making these toys.

Why is this message being sent?

This was marketing at its finest. The dolls were already a fad in Japan before hitting the US. The tv show was made to continue marketing these dolls. The Monchhichi dolls were made to try to appeal to both boys and girls, which I think was a great move by Mattel during a time where toys were mostly made as "girl" or "boy" toys.