Mattel‘s American Girl unveiled its 2020 Girl of the Year: Joss Kendrick — a fierce athlete born with hearing loss and a passion for surfing and competitive cheering.
In developing the doll and its story — which will be explored in a two-book series — American Girl worked closely with a team of experts specializing in surfing, competitive cheerleading, and hearing loss. Kendrick’s launch is accompanied by a collaboration with 17-year-old surfing prodigy Caroline Marks, who is making history as a member of the first-ever U.S. Women’s Olympic surfing team.
“American Girl has a rich legacy of creating timeless characters who encourage girls to reach for new heights and discover who they’re meant to be,” says Jamie Cygielman, general manager of American Girl. “We’re proud to welcome Joss Kendrick, whose stories are sure to instill confidence and character in girls who are learning to think about the possibilities in their own lives. Working with Olympic hopeful surfer Caroline Marks adds real-world inspiration about what can happen when you go ‘all in’ on your dreams.”
Joss is an 18-inch doll with long brown hair and brown eyes. She arrives wearing a swimsuit, a hoodie, and shorts, plus a removable hearing aid in her right ear.
Additional accessories and products in the line include a surfboard and swim gear, cheer outfits and equipment — including a cheer backpack, slides, and competition shoes in partnership with Nfinity — and her English bulldog, Murph the Surf Dog. This spring will see the release of her Volkswagen Surf Bus, which features multiple play features and accessories in addition to working headlights, turn signals, windshield wipers, and radio, plus sounds for the horn and ignition. The bus was created in partnership with Volkswagen Accessories.
American Girl contributed a $25,000 donation to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) in support of the organization’s education and awareness programs. Additionally, American Girl is supporting HLAA’s 2020 Walk4Hearing and will collect donations for HLAA at americangirl.com and at American Girl stores nationwide throughout 2020.
The doll, books, and related accessories go on sale on Jan. 1 exclusively at American Girl retail locations in the U.S., along with American Girl specialty boutiques in select Indigo and Chapters locations in Canada.
