You know, it seems like this new "Nerf: Rebelle" line has the right idea on the surface. It's Hasbro's attempt at branching out it's Nerf lineup to girls. I'm no sexist or anything like that, but believe me when I say that I really don't see a point to catering foam blasters to girls. You can paint it pink, call it the "Heartbreaker", give it a cute app to use in a cradle they stole from
TagFerret, but it just seems like an awful lot of work to create a whole new lineup that will essentially attract the girls who are already into Nerf and not much else outside of that.
When I see these blasters, I just think of the pink fishing rods, air rifles, and other "girl-themed guy-stuff" out there. Have pink fishing rods led to an outbreak in girls taking up Pro Bass Fishing? Nope. Do Hello Kitty BB rifles make more women enlist in the army? Not likely. Girls that play with Nerf, Laser Tag, Paintball, Airsoft, or any other "male dominated" sports aren't easy to come by, but they do exist and I think they're just fine shooting normal non-Barbie colored weapons.
Let's flip the situation. Instead of trying to make a "boys item" to be "girl themed", let's take a "girls item" and make it "boy themed". For instance, high heel shoes. Even if you were to have them clad in camouflage or play Metallica with every step, I don't know of too many guys who would attempt to don this kind of footwear. Purses, well... most guys manage to play off a possible purse as a "Satchel" like Indiana Jones.
There are a LOT of products that bridge over that sexist line just fine. Cars, phones, toothbrushes, they're all geared towards certain demographics, ages, and genders. One could make the argument "Well why not bridge it with boy and girl styled blasters?" This is likely where the Rebelle idea got started. To me, it just doesn't need to be for all the reasons I've already pointed out in this rant. Girls that typically want to shoot at things are already fine with it. Making a product "for girls" that 'enables' them to play Nerf seems sexist already, as if the blasters and the game itself aren't fit for a girl to play unless it's pink and looks like a pop-star tatoo.
I might be wrong and the Rebelle lineup could explode into the Barbie aisle and be a big hit, but I don't think it really needs to. The girls that are already playing will likely pick them up, but I don't expect this lineup to branch out to other girls who hadn't considered this before, which is the whole point of a lineup like this: to reach out to an audience you haven't tapped into yet. Nerf already HAS tapped into this with their "boy" centered products thanks to badass girls that are cooler than their stereotypes.
I'm thinking that this is for two reasons. One, to get younger girls into it, around the age where what color it is matters more to them. Two, they want to add new things without interfering with the Elite range's style and, more likely, projected release schedule for its contents.
ReplyDeleteIm gonna buy them cause they are super original designs that I like, also they have the elite ranges and awesome paint jobs
ReplyDeleteYou could be right. Anyway, though, you'll have a good time playing with these pink girly blasters.
ReplyDelete:)
One could argue the current lineup of Nerf blasters aren't particularly masculine in theme or design anyway... so, while I'm optimistic and hope it works out for Hasbro, I guess I agree with your sentiment that it wasn't necessary. Why not just show girls on the packaging (of the current designs)? I do kind of dig some of the Rebelle designs though... don't have any little girls in my life to buy them for.
ReplyDeleteAnyone see the turreted crossbow, I think it deserves a new pj, and a complete overhaul...
ReplyDeleteI actually think this is a good idea. I know several gals of varying ages that like Nerf, but don't have the courage to actually get into it beyond borrowing a blaster from me on occasion. This looks like something that'd tip them into the joys of tactical tagging.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the fence as to whether or not this will really break into a new market as our host has stated, but I will note that they seem to have done everything about the guns right. They are built up to the same standards as the "boy blasters" and they genuinely look fantastic. I see a couple of these blasters in my future.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a bit of a gimmick to me, but the designs of the blasters look pretty awesome, particularly the turreted crossbow.
ReplyDelete...I suppose I could pick one up and say it's for my daughter... no one has to know she's only 3 months old, right?
my sister was never really a fan of nerf, but when I told her about a hello kitty themed maverick she went crazy. the new designs look pretty awesome, and it could be the time my little sis finally learned how to shoot zombies with some good ol' foam!
ReplyDeleteThey're aiming at the lower age demographic, which are kids, (remember that they are still toys no matter if you mod it into a freddy krueger they technically qualify as toys) aimed at young girls to come to the nerf market, however, here is where it gets complitcated, will boys get those designs in a more "masculine" colour? (im not sexiest but i dont like pink) beacause if not nerf willl have quite some problems
ReplyDeleteI agree! I've been doing archery on and off since I was 13. My first bow was a black kids re-curve. My second was a black widow long bow customized for me. Seeing all these pink monstrosities reminds me why I loathe kids toys--they're chock full of stupidity. Give a girl one of these things and it's like saying 'You are female. You require pink things. Let's take a walk back to the fifties.'
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying colorful kids bows are wrong, but try for something more gender neutral--say, lose the dumb names and offer more colors? I'd get my kid a purple or green bow because it's boy-girl friendly.
(Also, pink bow are not practical!)