American Girl's 2019 girl of the year is focused on a 20th century challenge: Finding balance between the real world and the digital world.
The doll, Blaire Wilson, is described by American Girl as a “natural people person” and a “young chef-in-training who loves bringing people together.”
“Through Blaire, girls will learn the importance of staying connected to the people they care about and that this means more than clicking and swiping—it means truly being there,” American Girl said in a statement unveiling the new character.
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The story of Blaire, a doll with green eyes and curly red hair, is told in a chapter book series, written by Jennifer Castle and published by Scholastic. It details her life on her family’s sustainable farm and bed-and-breakfast in upstate New York.
While helping to plan a wedding on the farm and being diagnosed with a food sensitivity, Blaire “finds herself more engaged on her devices than at real-life gatherings with others,” according to American Girl.
Through the course of the two books, Blaire learns how to be present at every occasion and learns the value of doing so, the brand explained.
American Girl is hoping to create more interaction among kids and adults by sharing meal-time conversation starters inspired by Blaire, as well as hosting a dinner series at American Girl stores.
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The Blaire-inspired dinner series will be held at select American Girl retail restaurants across the country in 2019.
“Building and maintaining supportive relationships with family and friends is central to Blaire’s story, a message we think is important to champion among girls today," Julia Prohaska, American Girl's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "In an age where families are often striving for quality time together, we hope Blaire inspires everyone to make a New Year’s resolution to connect more regularly with the important people in their lives and make their time together this year really count.”
The 18-inch doll and full product line including "everything needed to play out a show stopping farm-to-table celebration" will launch in stores, online and through American Girl's catalog on Jan. 1.