“We’ve never operated at this pace before for such ground up development”: Mattel’s Bobby Saygan talks KPop Demon Hunters

Mattel kicked off its slate of KPop Demon Hunters products with the HUNTR/X ‘What It Sounds Like’ Fashion Dolls 3-Pack. What made the brand an exciting proposition for fashion dolls?
KPop Demon Hunters is such a cultural phenomenon – one that has resonated across such a broad demographic of fans, headlined by three very cool, aspirational, stylish female leads! For the wider doll sector, although it’s an animated movie, it has brought such a new genre to light, rooted in KPop and Korean culture.

Can you talk us through aspects of these characters that it was important to capture in these first wave of dolls?
As you scroll through social media, whether it’s people singing, dancing, cosplaying, remixing the content or diving deep frame by frame into the movie – the easy answer is details. The hair, makeup and fashion need to be authentic and detailed to the movie. We made choices towards higher articulation to recreate their dance moves or put them in the position to battle demons.

Both in storytelling and play, we needed to make sure we made the right decisions to bring certain elements to life. As an example of combing through details, we spent the time cataloguing the progress of Rumi’s demon marks as they grew throughout the movie, making thoughtful choices in how they are reflected in dolls.

Terrific. Now, demand has been intense – and immediate! How ‘pacey’ has development been?
It goes without saying that the demand is real, not just for external fans but even for the fans that work at Mattel. I can say we’ve never operated at this pace before for such ground up development – and frankly, it’s a testament to our partnership with Netflix, coupled with the passion of all the teams who’ve worked on this.

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Does the fandom around KPop Demon Hunters feel familiar to any brands you’ve worked on in the past?
It’s an understatement to say KPop Demon Hunters is special. It is a culture-defining moment and movie. There have been big brands in the past, but for this one, a lot of its uniqueness includes bringing KPop more into the mainstream. I can easily count on one hand the number of brands that I believe reached this pinnacle, and I’ve been lucky enough to work on a few of them.

Why do you feel the brand has resonated so powerfully with consumers?
There have been so many elements of how this brand has resonated with audiences, and I would probably do a horrible job trying to call these things out in hindsight. But overall, an original story, deep characters and iconic music are always a winning formula, and Mattel is all about bringing these compelling characters and stories to life in toys.

The brand seems to have struck a chord with both girls and boys. Do you see this being an IP where typical presumptions around ‘gender-led’ categories don’t necessarily apply?
We’ve seen how this brand appeals to so many audiences. I tend to drive design towards how a toy enables storytelling in play, and less specifically about designing towards the conventions of a category. If you want to label them as dolls that allow for hair styling and soft-goods fashions, or as action figures that allow for higher articulation and detail, you could. Whatever story beat you want to re-live: be it fashion-play, demon hunting, or humour – I want to have toys for all of it.

These dolls kickstart a broader line from Mattel, spanning dolls, action figures, collectibles, playsets and more. What makes the IP an exciting one to design for?
There’s a lot of depth to these characters. Their journeys are dynamic, emotional and visually expressive. From how they look to the songs they sing to the experiences they go through – each element adds layers of personality and storytelling. That richness naturally translates into play. It gives us a foundation to create dolls that feel authentic and connected to the story. The emotional resonance and individuality of each character open so many possibilities across categories.

Your passion for this is clear – were you already a fan of the movie?
I may have been the loudest voice you heard in the sing-along theatrical viewing, so it’s safe to say I’m a fan.

Ha! And is being a fan useful for the design process?
It’s important to be a fan of what you work on, because a real fan will be able to sniff out something that’s not authentic. Authentic products are what people naturally gravitate toward and remember. At the end of the day, you want to be thinking about serving the consumer. You are serving the fan with these products so being a fan myself does make the job easier. On the flip side, there are so many different types of fandoms, so not letting all of my personal biases cloud my better judgment is important.

Last question – this first launch focuses on Rumi, Mira and Zoey, but do you feel the Saja Boys have just as much potential to go down a storm in dolls as HUNTR/X?
Here’s where my personal fandom may introduce some bias, but yes, I do think they have a lot of potential. I think the amount of boys I saw during Halloween dressed up as Saja boys, as Bobby, and even Dr. Han, continues to speak to the breadth of the fanbase.