Come on, it been years since FP put out a great toy! Not sure who’s running design, but they should be held responsible.
36 replies (most recent on top)
@b7 the Soothing Otter has been the best selling infant plush in the category for years. The Little People Barbie Dreamhouse sells more than the actual Dreamhouse. Preschool toys are tough. Retailers want licenses- licensed preschool content is fragmented right now. Kids watch YouTube. Look at Barney. FLOP. Great toys have been designed that get no traction because the show is on HBO. FP is different than Mattel- no stable of internal IPs.
@3tw again it really productive to point it out here…
@3nw that is true with any job, but the relationships and bonds remain and so is the desire to point out what isn’t working to help those that still remain!
@3h5 move on with your life? You are (much) more than where you (used to) work
@3gj, why don’t you enlighten us with a better idea then!
@3e0 being passive aggressive here is sure showing em though. Go you.
@3by, yes over loosing their job since whomever is running design at FP hasn’t a clue a sales are tanking because of their ineptness!
Who ever the og poster is, your insecurity is showing.
At Mattel, you really don’t need to know what you’re doing. You just need to make your boss feel good, they like cheerleaders, not people that can actually lead. Is that not obvious enough yet!
Regarding the OP, who is running design at FP? They should be shown the door, because they obviously haven’t a clue!
@1f3, not hate, but recognition of what is actually going on at Mattel.
Yes! Feed into the hate
@1e8 that was so long ago, but the company is still so full of clowns. Is Mattel getting back into the circus business because it sure feels like one.
@1e8, yes purchased for $40-$50 million and then sold back to the original owners 10 yrs later for $20 million. Another example of the negative impact Mattel has after acquiring a flourishing enterprise!
Speaking of acquisitions, did you know that in 1971 Mattle bought Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and operated the circus for about a decade before selling back to the original owners?
@1bw, no one is whining, but rather stating the unfortunate obvious truth, that Mattel has destroyed every company its acquired. It’s a slow burn piranha that turns great product producing companies, into unprofitable garbage salesman. Greed blended in with over bloated management stupidity is what defines Mattel’s culture and the current state it’s in.
@161 I remember the past, yet we are condemned to repeat this Fisher Price versus Mattel whinefest
@bm Has the Little People Collector line sold well? I think they’re one of the more clever lines in the collectible toy space, but seeing as it’s adult focused, I always assumed was more of a tertiary low volume novelty line compared to FP’s core bread and butter baby and toddler focused toys.
@149 Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
@149, there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” way to express commentary on a current state, especially when history keeps repeating itself at Mattel regarding layoffs. Offering suggestions based on prior knowledge and understanding regarding the impact Mattel has had on FP over the years is critical to solving the absurdity that has become Mattel.
@pb for what purpose? This is a layoff site - what value do people who know nothing about current state bring to this page other than unresolved angst? People are looking for real information here, so they’re more than welcome on east aurora gossip page on Facebook.
Bubble Saxophone, Great Adventures, Jumperoo!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=61f4RUYUOoA
@b7 I’d say probably that last legit hit toy from FP was Beatbo, but that came out in 2015, so over a decade ago at this point.
@nv, your juvenile stench reeks of what embodies Mattel culture. FP alumni comments on this site are always welcome!
@n2 if it wasn’t a thing it wouldn’t be a thing. Substance versus Botox.
@jh if you’re former…then move run along now…
Yes! The East vs West arguments are back. Let's go!
@ht, no actually I’m a former FP employee who see’s clearly the junk that FP has put out over the past few decades and yes it’s largely due to the negative impact of Mattel.
You can’t run a company like FP as you would an aggressively promoted business like Mattel, it simply doesn’t work. The only outcome with sku proliferation tactics in mind is junk for product that becomes regurgitated churn every year rather than singular, sustained and highly profitable products.
@dx and all. Because the only thing Mattel does is copy and paste. No new ideas. Find a glimmer of success? Slather it all over everywhere. Perhaps it’s time for a script flip - massive marketing reduction, one rep per brand. Expand creative. Now that’s reorg I’d actually think is worth doing.
So who’s the insecure ES designer that is intimidated by the FP design team who posted this?
Mattel - you don’t have to dim other lightbulbs to shine. You just have to be good enough at what you do to shine on your own.
Yes, designing a supporting line of products at different price points is all centered around a marketing driven marketplace and retail environment. It’s just proven itself to be a non creative approach to designing a great successful toy with longevity. It’s just amazing the sheer volume of cr-p this way of thinking has produced over the past 20-30yrs and Mattel just doesn’t seem to understand otherwise!
The biggest issue is that FP won’t launch a single big hit toy anymore, it always has to be thought of as a line of products. That is such irrational forceful thinking driven by a marketing run company. They have lost sight of their heritage in that not every successful toy needs a cast of supporting sku’s!
I don't think ES people realize how badly Mattel has wounded FP. They were forced to exit half of their categories and lines. They removed many of the experienced mentors and shown the passionate designers that there is no future at Mattel worth working toward. No resources, no investment, no plan.
@b7 LP Collectors and Linkimals
There’s no doubt that FP has produced many iconic/classic toys over the years, but what was the last blockbuster/future classic toy that they’ve released? Seriously asking.
It’s very sad and been downhill ever since Mattel bought us.
Is there anyone left in EA to design anything?