Manhattan Toy CEO Arete Passas could see a deal waiting to be made. A board member for the Girl Scout Council of Greater Minneapolis, she knew that Girl Scouts USA was trying to up-date its image. In fact, even before Passas joined Minneapolis-based Manhattan Toy, she’d seen a collection of the company’s Groovy Girls dolls—a line designed to “help girls celebrate personal style and diversity”—in the office of the local Girl Scout council president; Groovy Girls were the brand image, she’d told Passas, that the Girl Scouts needed to convey.
Passas was quick to make a licensing pitch to the Girl Scouts when she moved to Manhattan Toy two and a half years ago. Troop Groovy Girls, released this summer, are the result. They’re on sale in specialty retail and Target stores, as well as 300 Girl Scout council shops across the U.S. Passas expects the council shops to bring substantial incremental sales growth to her company’s most popular line.
