Donegal-based Lottie Dolls are marking Lottie’s fifth birthday by announcing that all future products will be based on ideas from kids!
The company’s ‘Inspired by Real Kids’ campaign revolves around monthly competitions, both online and in independent stores, which empower children to create what they want to see, be, and play with.
The overall international monthly competition winners will have their design made by the company; within 9 months of selecting a winner.
Lottie Dolls will have the product on the market, 10% of the net profits from products developed through the Lottie ‘Inspired by Real Kids’ competitions will be donated to charity.
Ian Harkin, founder of Lottie Dolls, said; “Eight of our products, and counting, have been inspired by the ideas sent to us by children from around the world. We’re continually blown away by how perceptive, imaginative and assertive children are today. We’ve enjoyed following the adventures of the girls who have inspired us.”
“This sparked our commitment to having all our products inspired by real kids. Our Fossil Hunter Doll has been to most of the largest fossil digs around the world (taken by Trowel Blazers members) and our Stargazer Doll spent 264 days on the space station (as part of Tim Peake’s mission), our new Astro Adventures travelled with Dr Niamh Shaw this week on a Zero Gravity flight in Russia, we truly believe, if you can see it you can be it!”
Me & @Lottie_dolls… chilling in our #ZeroG #STEAM #DreamBig #StarCity pic.twitter.com/1wQS3IdEp2
— Dr. Niamh Shaw (@niamhiepoos) August 22, 2017
Lottie’s July competition to design, The Ultimate Den, was inspired by Eithne (age 10) from Ireland, will be available in December this year.
The September competition will search for Lottie’s Hidden Figure, where children design an inspiring person who they feel should be celebrated and an outfit will be created inspired by the winning design as well as outfits inspired by Malala, Amelia Earhart, and Frida Kahlo. The winner will be announced on International Day of the Girl (Oct 11th).
Lottie Dolls – launched in 2012 – are based on a 9-year-old child rather than a grown-up, they are looking to empower kids to be themselves free from adult agendas such as stereotyping, body image etc they celebrate diversity both in ethnicity and in ability.
The recent #InspiredByRealKids campaign has received encouragement this month from Amy Poehlers Smart Girls, The Geena Davis Institute and Pharrell Williams’s @I_am_Other.
Lottie’s Dolls recently signed launched a range of brownie dolls in partnership with the Worldwide Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and launched their second chapter book with Penguins Puffin Books this week.
Letterkenny based Lottie dolls have doubled their staff from 8 to 16 people in the past 12 months, they have been the recipient of over 30 international toy awards and winner of Google Irelands Start up award 2016.
Happy birthday Lottie!
To see more interviews with the inspirational little ladies behind Lottie Dolls, click here.
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