Mattel relaunched Polly Pocket in 2018 to win millennial parents and kids

Polly Pocket's micro-dolls launched in 1989 and became a 1990s phenomenon. Over the years the compact line sold more than 10 million units.

The decision: In 2018 Mattel relaunched Polly Pocket in its original micro-scale and compacts, adding an updated storyline and an animated series to introduce the world to a new generation.

Marketing leaned on nostalgia, with Mattel noting that many of today's parents were the generation that made Polly Pocket a phenomenon and could now introduce it to their own children.

The relaunch hit shelves in summer 2018 across the Tiny Pocket Places, World and Hidden in Plain Sight assortments, backed by a 'Tiny is Mighty' campaign.

Relaunched the brand in its original micro-scale compacts with an animated series, after 10m+ compacts sold in its first run.

Millennial parents were the original customers and were already nostalgic for the toy.

Returning to the compacts that made the brand famous preserved its identity.

An animated series could explain the revamped characters and story to a new audience.

The message tied the toy to capability and confidence, not just nostalgia.

A nostalgic toy can come back if you pair the original play pattern with new content that explains it to the next generation.

The 2018 relaunch brought Polly Pocket back to the toy aisle after years off, and Mattel kept expanding the line with new products and entertainment. It became part of a wider wave of 1990s toy revivals aimed squarely at millennial parents.