Aug 19, 2009

Need Inspiration? Look at the Ugly DollBy Geoff WilliamsSmallBusiness.AOL.com

You might think the Ugly Doll would be a toy only a mother could love, but the genius of it is that it’s loved not by one mom, but apparently several million mothers and a gazillion little girls and boys.

The Los Angeles Times had a lengthy profile on the Ugly Doll earlier this week, and if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, especially one who hopes to create toys, it’s worth a read. After all, their company, Pretty Ugly, is worth emulating. Their annual revenue, which is kept private, is somewhere far north of $2.5 million. Meanwhile, the Ugly Dolls now aren’t just dolls, but a line of books, action figures and calendars. There are also T-shirts, key chains and stationery. And fans, lots and lots of fans, including First Daughter Sasha Obama, who was seen carrying a pink backpack on her first day of school in Washington, D.C. About that backpack: attached to it was an Ugly Doll keychain, featuring an Ugly Doll named Babo’s Bird.

Even rapper Snoop Dogg, not someone you would necessarily think of being a fan of stuffed animals, was photographed a couple years ago holding a giant green doll named OX.

If you’ve never heard of the Ugly Doll, you either don’t have children, or you do all of your shopping away from independent toy stores and bookstores. I can attest that I’ve added a small chunk of change to the multi-million dollar company, which staffs 12 and is based in Edison, New Jersey. My daughters, 5 and 7, as well as my wife, probably own seven ugly dolls between them, and each girl has a calendar as well. All of the numerous Ugly Dolls have names, like Wage and Puglee and Ox.

I admit that I’m a little bewildered at their popularity, though I can somewhat see the appeal, but my kids have drank the Ugly Doll water (Ugly Doll bottled water isn’t a product yet, but just you wait), and they think it’s just fine.

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