MGA believes in the importance of giving back to those less fortunate.
By Christina MacDonald
Quentin Tarantino likes to call the shots, especially when it comes to which Bratz doll he's about to sign. During MGA Entertainment's green-room charity auction at the Grammy Awards in February, Tarantino and a host of other celebrities gathered to leave their famous John Hancocks on their Bratz dolls of choice. The reason? To raise money for the Asia Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Fund spearheaded by Save the Children, a leading independent international nonprofit organization.
"Tarantino knew all the dolls by heart," MGA vp public and media relations Dave Malacrida says. "He was (saying), 'No, I don't want to sign the Meygan doll; I want to sign the Cloe doll.'"
Tarantino isn't the only celebrity to have boarded the Bratz bandwagon: Stars from Eve to Gwen Stefani share a passion for the fashion dolls. More than 30 one-of-a-kind celebrity- and band-signed Bratz recently were auctioned for a week on eBay, with total proceeds topping $5,000. A doll signed by rock group Velvet Revolver sold for $262, Lisa Marie Presley's was snapped up for $305, and rock group Evanescence's doll garnered a whopping $560. During the final 10 minutes of the auction period, dolls for which opening bids had been $25 were selling for more than $270.
"We pitched the Grammys to sponsor the lounge because we had this punk-rock theme going in our doll line and we really wanted to give the entire lounge a London-like feel," Malacrida says. "With auctions of this kind, we can target certain age groups and give them the 'cool factor.'"
Adds MGA public and media relations manager Rachel Griffin: "MGA Entertainment shows its passion for compassion by partnering with various charitable organizations who provide support, hope and better the lives of children. We believe it's extremely important for companies of all sizes to give back to their various communities."
Save the Children's tsunami relief effort is not MGA's first foray into philanthropic endeavors: In November, the company kicked off its first major charity campaign, A Passion for Giving, by donating more than 1 million toys to the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Children's Hospital of Orange County and children in need throughout the U.S. and Canada.
MGA's next charity campaign, StepOut2HelpOut, will stock shelves with a new Bratz doll -- scheduled to hit stores in the fall -- complete with a fuchsia rubber bracelet that reads, "Wear this bracelet and support the National Children's Leukemia Foundation!" A portion of proceeds for each doll sold will go to that nonprofit organization.
