Mattel revived Monster High in 2022 and made it the No. 1 doll relaunch

Monster High, Mattel's fashion-doll line about the children of famous monsters, launched in 2010 and was shelved around 2018 as sales faded. In May 2022 Mattel brought it back to retail with a collector-first strategy after its insights team saw strong demand brewing in online-exclusive sales.

The relaunch hit immediately. Mattel said Monster High was the No. 1 relaunch property within the dolls category in Q4 2022, and in Q2 2023 worldwide doll gross billings rose 10% year over year with Monster High, Disney Princess and Disney Frozen driving growth while Barbie declined.

The revival leaned on nostalgia plus new product and content: Mattel relaunched the dolls at retail in May 2022, generated resale demand with limited drops, and by 2023 executives were citing Monster High as a growth driver in the doll business.

Monster High was the No. 1 relaunch property in Mattel's dolls category in Q4 2022, and worldwide doll billings rose 10% in Q2 2023 with Monster High among the drivers.

Collector demand showed the brand still had fans before relaunch.

New dolls plus fresh media rebuilt the ecosystem.

Q4 2022's No. 1 relaunch ranking proved retail momentum.

Doll billings rose 10% in Q2 2023 partly on Monster High.

A resting brand can relaunch on nostalgia plus fresh content: Mattel brought Monster High back with new dolls and media for grown fans and new kids, and collectors sold out exclusive drops.

Monster High stayed a core Mattel growth brand after its 2022 relaunch: new collector and play lines followed, the animated content continued, and the revival became a case study in bringing dormant doll IP back for both adult collectors and a new generation of kids.