Listen up, everyone! American Girl, the popular children’s publisher and toy brand of Mattel, launched a podcast network on May 24.
It is rooted in the brand’s popular stories and characters, with an emphasis on empowering girls, plus their parents and “AG” fans. All podcasts produced will be family-friendly and free of ads.
Read More »All content produced will have the aim of inspiring girls, and serve as a supplement to the American Girl website, catalog, specialty pop-ups and retail stores.
The network is launching in partnership with Jess Weiner of Talk to Jess, a cultural consultancy with a specialty in branded podcasts, and Cloud10 media, a full-service network of podcasts and capabilities. There will be three podcasts to start, including the following:
- American Girl 10-Minute Mysteries: This podcast, which launched on May 24, is based around American Girl’s beloved historical characters, and, specifically, their mystery books. Each episode features fun, friendship and suspense. Season 1 is based around the fan-favorite story A Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery. Maggie Lawson, an actress and podcast host, narrates. Those who enjoy wholesome mysteries will like this.
- American Girl Fan Club: With a target launch date of July 13, and hosted by two American Girl fans, Sydney Paulsen and Kristen Washington, the podcast claims to go where no other has gone before. Fans can tune in and learn about the evolution of the brand’s content and characters through the years. In turn, it might get more listeners eager to read! The show will also feature interviews with special guests as well as a sneak peek of what is to come for the company—the return of Licorice perhaps? We can only guess! American Girl fanatics young and old will enjoy this deep dive into the doll, character and company universe.
- The Smart Girls Podcast: This podcast is tentatively launching on August 17, and is based on A Smart Girl’s Guide, the popular book series, which has sold millions of copies over two decades, while becoming a trusted source of advice for kids and parents. Built around the same format of helping kids and tweens navigate what is going on with their friendships, health and more, it aims to give listeners advice via some interesting conversations. Jess Wiener, a partner in the American Girl Podcast Network, plus Shay Rudolph, an actress who is known for The Babysitters Club TV series, will interview guests and young change makers to ultimately help listeners approach their lives with more knowledge, confidence and awareness.
The American Girl Podcast Network will be available on all streaming networks. Audio teasers will be posted to social media, and select episodes will be available to stream on YouTube. As of right now, the mystery series is the only one that should be on YouTube, posted on the official American Girl channel. For more, visit americangirl.com/podcast.
While these podcasts are aimed at young girls, how many original “AG” fans will be tuning in? Perhaps one of your monthly Girls Nights with your friends can turn into a podcast listening session! Stay tuned for new announcements and all the latest podcast episodes.
If you are getting nostalgia from this article, spread the word to the American Girl lovers in your life. Also, if you found this useful, feel free to bookmark or post to your timeline for reference later!