Have you seen my dog Blue?

     

    In an article on usatoday.com, it explains Walmart’s gift list for Christmas 2020. This includes Walmart’s most popular sold toys broken down into categories such as popular character toys, high-tech toys, interactive toys, and more. One of the most popular character toys on the list was  Blue’s Clues & You Peek-A-Boo. Coming from the popular children’s television show, Blue’s Clues & You, the toy features the popular character, Blue, in a stuffed animal form with mechanics to make playful interaction between the toy and child. 

Being one of the most popular children’s characters, Blue represents every preschooler’s best friend who is playful, imaginative, curious, and always willing to learn. Throughout the television show, Blue is always showing her curiosity and playfulness through her adventures with Josh. In the episode, “Happy Birthday Blue,” Blue sets up clues for Josh to findto figure out what Blue wants for her birthday. Throughout the episode she expresses her reactions and playfulness through extending her ears or speaking. 

Blue’s excitement and playfulness extends to the Blue’s Clues & You Peek-A-Boo toy by utilizing the same expressions and phrases she’s said within the show. She uses her ears and unique language to play Peek-A-Boo with young preschool children, giving them the experience of interacting with her in person one on one. It enables children to create more of a relationship with their favorite character beyond the screen, making them feel as if they are truly playing with Blue. This can be encouraged through the television series itself by being included within the show through a parasocial relationship with the main characters as they go on adventures and playdates. 

Through this parasocial relationship through the television series, children feel as if they are truly friends with the main characters. When they see the show’s merchandise in a store, they feel encouraged to want a toy such as Blue’s Clues & You Peek-A-Boo, for interactive and pretend play, for they already feel connected to the characters. It is an example such as this that makes a toy as popular as it is.