These are the new Build-A-Bear "My Little Pony" characters, available Monday at malls across America.
From the Build-A-Bear press release:
Guests can dress PINKIE PIE and RAINBOW DASH in their signature capes ($13.50) or a variety of other fashions to create the perfect look, including:
MY LITTLE PONY skirt outfit ($12.50)
Knight costume ($15.00).
MY LITTLE PONY theme song ($6) that can be added to any stuffed animal
Hair extensions ($4.00)
Rainbow skates ($6.00)
Naturally, many bronies were delighted when details of the collaboration were first released.
Intensely delighted.
Last week, a Redditor uploaded this photo of the ponies before they hit shelves.
This was the general reaction:
Here's one brony's shopping cart...
Some wondered whether Build-A-Bear even realized what kind of new audience it was tapping into.
But all signs indicate the company (and Hasbro) are fully aware of My Little Pony's adult following. [Emphasis ours.]
From Samantha Lomow, SVP Global Marketing for Build-A-Bear:
"Friendship is at the heart of the MY LITTLE PONY brand and we are thrilled to offer fans of all ages a whole new way to create their own friendship stories with PINKIE PIE and RAINBOW DASH at Build-A-Bear Workshop."
And Julie Duffy, Hasbro's vice president of global brand publicity:
"While we will always market our brand for young girls, we've found ways to strike the right balance by working with licensees to offer our adult fans exciting merchandise geared just for them."