Zhu Zhu Pets epic battle

Do you remember Zhu Zhu Pets, the cute little toy hamsters that were all the rage last Christmas?

Well apparently cute doesn’t cut it anymore. Coming soon to toy stores everywhere are Zhu Zhu Ninjas and Zhu Zhu Special Forces, both available in battle armor. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the Kung Zhu Ninja Warrior Samurai Scorpion Vehicle!  “Cute” is gearing up for battle.

It seems as though Cepia LLC (the makers of Zhu Zhu Pets) is gearing up for battle, too. The battle so many marketers face when trying to keep their brand relevant and their target consumer engaged. It strikes me as a risky move for Zhu Zhu Pets.

In 2009, the brand seemed to be about lifelike pets that were cute and interactive. They would coo and purr and explore their habitat. While these new products are still interactive, the armor covers up cute and “lifelike” is a stretch. Cepia LLC is not walking away from their original line of hamsters, tunnels and hamster wheels. It seems they are trying to expand what their brand stands for. Hopefully they have a clear definition and a clear goal in mind.

Only time will tell if they will be successful (my six-year old son thought the Zhu Zhu Ninjas looked “awesome”) or if over time the brand will send out so many mixed messages, it will end up standing for nothing.