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Why boys should play with dolls
24 Apr
Growing up, many of never realised the impact the kind of toys we played with had on us. In fact many of these were tools of gender socialisation.
Boys were always limited to race cars, robot and toy guns and girls to Barbie dolls and all things domestic. These attitudes have endured over generations with any crossing over depicted as strange or bad for the kid.
In order to change this mindset, a new campaign from Ogilvy Brazil aims to do away with the notion that dolls are reserved for a single gender. “We All Can Take Care” features a 60-second spot that shows boys readily playing with the Baby Alive doll by Hasbro.
Among the heap of popular toys (including subtle cameos from Mr. Potato Head and a resting Transformer), the boys can be seen playing cooperatively with the baby doll through nurturing moments of “care.”
Scenes that include changing the doll’s diaper or pretending to be a doctor reflect some of the developmental benefits that come with playing with dolls during adolescence, according to educator and author Maria Angela Barbato.
“It leads to emotional development, new ways of interacting and learning what respect is all about,” she says in a statement about the campaign launch. “The advice I would give to parents is: let your children play.”
“Our challenge is to show that both girls and boys can learn a lot from playing with dolls,” adds Kellen Silverio, marketing director for Hasbro in Brazil. “This is a free-spirited, playful gesture that nurtures love and that counts for much in helping children growing up to become human beings who care for one another.”
What stands out most about Ogilvy’s approach to the subject—one that is still considered progressive in today’s cultural climate—is the ad’s casual framing.
The idea of boys playing with dolls is not presented as a social experiment or otherwise deemed an anomaly, but a reminder that this is just how children play without the intervention of societal constraints.
Instead of outlining all of the reasons that boys should play with dolls, Ogilvy and Hasbro pose the simple question, “Why not?”
CREDITS: Agency: Ogilvy Brazil Campaign: We All Can Take Care Product Baby Alive Client: Hasbro Chief Executive: Fernando Musa Chief Creative Officer: Félix del Valle Executive Creative Director: Márcio Fritzen Associate Creative Director: Mathias Almeida, Teco Cipriano Art Director: Teco Cipriano, Gabriella Pimentel, Thomaz Maksud Copywriter: Mathias Almeida, Ygor Silva, Guilherme Rio Producers: Fabiano Beraldo, Paty Silveira, Hellen Gazetta Account: Denise Caruso, Felipe Obara, Renata Flores Planning: Thais Frazão, Cleber Almeida, Mariana Crepaldi, Tu Moon Media: André Gramorelli, Adeildo Souza, Danielle Conti, Stefanie Gambier, Vitoria Soares, Agnes Han Ogilvy Content Studio: Gustavo Otto, Thiago Frias, Rayra Janau, Leonardo Araujo, Thiago Bancaro, Maria Eduarda Neves, Giovanne Formis, Ana Beatriz Almeida, Natalia Antunes, Fernando Badô Video Editor: Deydson Rocha Client Approval: Kellen Silverio, Vanessa Giangiacomo
Production House: Corazon Filmes Director: Will Mazzola Executive Director: Igor Ferreira Executive Producer: Renato Chabuh Account: Marcia Branco, Mary Lacoleta, Maria Eugênia Photography: Ted Abel Team Corazon: Júlia Kannebley, Danielle Oliveira, Juliana Sigolo, Fe Bley, Mariana Becker, Lucas Aires Pos Production/Motion: Matheus Scatolini, Hub Vfx
The APPIES is an annual event that presents a rare opportunity for creative, media, digital and marketing agencies or brands to present their best campaigns to the industry.
This is the only event where Live Presentations meets Live Judging.
Similar to TED Talks, The APPIES is the chance for great presenters with outstanding work to show it off to some of the industry’s most important industry leaders.
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Campaign entries must have run between June 2024 to May 2025
