HispanicBusiness

Mattel is milking the public's suspense in its slow-motion unveiling of the new Dora Links doll, the slightly older -- and significantly girlier -- version of the kind-hearted, pudgy, bilingual protagonist of the Dora the Explorer cartoon series on Nickelodeon. The new doll will be sold in stores starting Sept. 29, but Mattel has had kids and parents on tenterhooks since early spring. The latest development is the recent airing of the TV ads showcasing the doll's unique digital accessories -- Dora plugs into a computer via USB, allowing children to adjust the color of her eyes and jewelry, and the length of her hair. The drawn-out marketing campaign began cryptically on March 6, with a mere silhouette. It wasn't much, but the teaser was enough to send legions of Dora fans -- and many of their parents -- into a tizzy. Some parents were none too pleased, and launched a Web petition called Let's Go: No Makeover for Dora. At the time, they worried that the above-the-knee skirt and flowing long hair of the silhouette suggested a Dora that had traded in her intellectual curiosity for sex appeal. On March 16, some of the criticism was put to rest by the next phase of the campaign, in which Mattel released the full image, revealing that the new tween Dora will wear leggings beneath the mini skirt. But to this day, no lucky child has yet to lay eyes on an actual doll. It's not hard to understand why Mattel is devoting so much energy to whipping up the hype: Dora is big business. From its launch in 2000 to 2005, the show and its licensed merchandise had generated $1 billion, according to Slate. Dora is also noteworthy for her multi-cultural appeal. The Hispanic character reflects a culture that is becoming increasingly diverse. Perhaps, then, it's no coincidence that the Sept. 29 release comes smack in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.