History Main / PinkProductPloy

* Some versions of the UsefulNotes/{{Playstation 2}} were sold with pink systems and pink controllers.
** Ditto with the pink UsefulNotes/{{Playstation 3}} controllers.
* The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS Lite came in, not one, but two different pink colors during its run - coral pink and metallic rose - both of which were marketed to the increasingly targeted demographic of female gamers. Interestingly, the original coral pink version became a big hit with males, thanks in part to promotion from ''Webcomic/PennyArcade''. It didn't hurt that, depending on the vagaries of inventory, it was often slightly cheaper at popular online retailers like Amazon.

* Tectoy, the Brazilian distributor of the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem, produced a pink portable version of the console called "Master System Girl."

* Invoked with Arcee, the most well-known female {{Transformer|s}}. Just so we know she's female, her paint job is bright [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick piiiiiiiiiink]]. She was not the first pink female Transformer, though - that honor goes to Elita One, who debuted in [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers the cartoon]] before Arcee. However, if you ask someone to name a female Transformer, they'll most likely respond with [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Blackarachnia]] or her.

* The Talkgirl was nothing more than a [[Film/HomeAlone Talkboy]] that was pink and purple.

** However, this is inverted by much of the real-life Pink Ranger merchandise, and therefore the gear the Pink Rangers use on the show. Since the show doesn't target girls but rather young ''boys'' who (are assumed to) think PinkIsForSissies, Pink Ranger-specific items like weapons and zords are often some other color with just a little pink trim. Rather than use a specific color to attract a certain audience, they ''avoid'' that specific color to avoid repelling the opposite audience. Studies showing that the pink ranger merchandise consistently sold worst out of the entire product line support this trend.

* Bucking the trend is an old ad from 1981 which surfaced on [[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lego-ad-1981_n_4617704 Huffington Post]] not too long ago: a little girl in overalls holding a complicated Lego structure -- traditional colors, not pink and not "made for girls". The ad copy talks about "younger children" who "build for fun." Not just "girls" who build but children in general.

** And [[http://modeltrains.about.com/od/collectingmodeltrains/tp/girls_set.htm model trains]]. In 1957 Lionel introduced The Girl's Set, a model train with engine and cars painted in pastel colors. Unfortunately they neglected to realize that 1) no boy would want to buy the set and 2) any girl interested in model trains is interested for the same reason as the boys--the realism of the models. Some retailers took to repainting the trains themselves just to move the product. Ironically enough, the set's terrible sales resulted in rarity that now makes it very valuable in the collectors market.

!! Vehicles
* In TheFifties, Chrysler marketed the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_La_Femme Dodge La Femme]], in a contrived attempt to appeal to WomenDrivers.
* Defied by Ferrari, which [[https://www.thedrive.com/news/8963/ferraris-golden-rule-no-pink-cars explicitly refuses]] to sell any new cars with pink paint as it "[[SeriousBusiness doesn’t fit into our whole ethos]]".

* In TheFifties, Chrysler marketed the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_La_Femme Dodge La Femme]], in a contrived attempt to appeal to WomenDrivers.
* In response to indelicate remarks made by then-candidate Donald Trump, millions of women took to the streets wearing knitted caps that suggested cat ears and were, of course, extremely pink. (It was considered perfectly acceptable for [[RealMenWearPink male allies to wear these hats]] as well.)

* Defied by Ferrari, which [[https://www.thedrive.com/news/8963/ferraris-golden-rule-no-pink-cars explicitly refuses]] to sell any new cars with pink paint as it "[[SeriousBusiness doesn’t fit into our whole ethos]]".
* Used extensively by Italian children's footwear brand Lelli Kelly, and it shows with their [[https://www.lellikellykids.co.uk/ website]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QINu5v9rATo advertising]], to the point of utter derision and ridicule, especially by boys in the UK who were subjected to this on children's television channels.
* Women Airforce Service Pilots ([=WASPs=]) wore brown leather or blue cloth battle jackets. In the gift shop at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, replica WASP jackets for girls come only in pink.
* Subverted with Victoria’s Secret brand “Pink”. Despite the name, very few of the products are actually colored pink. Many of these items are neutral colored or black with the WORDS pink printed on them.

* Franchise/{{Barbie}} not only has plenty of pink clothes, but Creator/{{Mattel}} also has a trademark on the shade "Barbie Pink" (#[=FB46A3=]). Although many products of this trope try to get as close to that color as they can.
* The Franchise/DisneyPrincess merchandise is usually pink on the packages, and the line logo is pink.
* The toys for ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' include a lot more pink on the ponies than is actually in the show (most infamously on Princess Celestia, although a properly-colored white version of her toy was eventually released). WordOfGod is that this was done to appease the retail buyers, who explicitly stated that the color influenced their purchase quantities.
** This may be increasingly averted, however, as Hasbro becomes more aware of the show's large PeripheryDemographic. One pack of fan-favorite characters from the show (including the BigBad Nightmare Moon, popular [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain Of The Week]] Trixie, and EnsembleDarkhorse [=DJ PON3=]) stands out in The Pink Aisle with its dark blue and maroon color scheme, and the San Diego Comic Con exclusive of AscendedMeme Derpy featured no pink whatsoever on its box -- not even in the My Little Pony logo.
** On the other hand, this trope is in full swing with Pinkie Pie; all advertising features her heavily and she gets the most merchandise, to the point that you would think that she was the main character[[note]]the actual main character is Twilight Sparkle; Pinkie's still a major character, but slightly further down the totem pole of importance than TheMerch would have you believe[[/note]]. This goes all the way back to G3 (though she ''was'' at least the leader in G3.) From 2003 onward, Pinkie Pie is the franchise's mascot, the center of all the advertising. If it's not Pinkie Pie, it's probably Fluttershy, with her pink mane and overall pastel theme. Princess Luna toys sometimes add pink to her mane, even though it's been consistently ''blue'' with no additional colors within the show and promotional art. Also, the debut of the accurately-colored Celestia coincides with the arrival of pink [[PrincessesPreferPink Princess Cadence]], who has ''two'' toy lines centered around her despite not appearing more than twice per season. The symbol for the Crystal Empire line is a picture of Cadence's face. Rumor has it that the reason Princess Cadence was introduced in the show was so Hasbro could have a pink pony princess toy to appease retailers, allowing them to make a show-accurate white Celestia.
* Some versions of the UsefulNotes/{{Playstation 2}} were sold with pink systems and pink controllers.
** Ditto with the pink UsefulNotes/{{Playstation 3}} controllers.
* The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS Lite came in, not one, but two different pink colors during its run - coral pink and metallic rose - both of which were marketed to the increasingly targeted demographic of female gamers. Interestingly, the original coral pink version became a big hit with males, thanks in part to promotion from ''Webcomic/PennyArcade''. It didn't hurt that, depending on the vagaries of inventory, it was often slightly cheaper at popular online retailers like Amazon.
** This was preceded by the pink Game Girl, which came with a Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}} game. It didn't really work. Female gamers chose much the same colors the male gamers did.
* The Japanese starter pack for the ''[[TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon Trading Card Game's]]'' ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]'' expansion came in two flavors; a "for boys" version that was packaged in a dark-colored box, and a "for girls" version that was hot pink and covered in hearts. While this wasn't the only difference between the decks, it was certainly the most noticeable. Though it's probably partly a reference to the gender selection at the beginning of every Pokemon RPG since Crystal, it still qualifies.
* There are pink BoardGames that are otherwise the same as their standard counterparts. These are often board games that classically were gender-neutral for generations.

* Mace to women in pink spray cans rather than the black ones, though these are for breast cancer awareness. They've got the little ribbon on them and everything.
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'': She-Ra's steed Swift Wind presented a problem for male collectors. On the cartoon he was white but the original toy was pink. While the toyline was aimed at young girls, the cartoon, a spin-off of ''He-Man'', was not. Thus She-Ra has a large male fanbase, but many collectors were hesitant to add a pink WingedUnicorn to their collection. When Swift Wind was added to the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline Mattel let fans vote on what color he would be. White won by a landslide.
* Most Sanrio Franchise/HelloKitty products sold in the West have lots of pink, and so the color is tied to the line in America. In Japan, despite this trope still being in effect, Hello Kitty may come in all sorts of colors and designs. Sanrio's Little Twin Stars is much more likely to have lots of pink.

* Tectoy, the Brazilian distributor of the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem, produced a pink portable version of the console called "Master System Girl."
* That toolset in the picture comes in two colors, grey and pink.
* And yes, firearms with pink furniture are getting easier and easier to find, triply so for pistols with synthetic frames. It's a lot less patronizing, though, when pink is just one of the many colors offered on a particular gun. If it just comes in black and pink, though, then it falls squarely into this.
* The Talkgirl was nothing more than a [[Film/HomeAlone Talkboy]] that was pink and purple.
* Most Ruger pepper spray comes in exactly two colors: black and pink. The only exception is the faux lipstick pepper spray, which also comes in red and blue. Clearly, women are more likely to buy mace to defend themselves if it comes in a feminine color or seamlessly blends in with their cosmetics.
** It may have been intended to pass a casual search, giving a potential victim an element of surprise.
* Ferrero now has released a version of their ''Kinder Surprise'' chocolate eggs which is explicitly intended to be for girls. [[http://animationanomaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/girly-Kinder-Surprise-egg.png Guess which colour has been added to the white and red design of the eggs' packages]]...
* Nothing is immune to this Trope...not even [[http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-Ouija-Board-Pink/dp/B001HEKJ2M/ref=cm_rdp_product pink Ouija boards.]]
** And [[http://modeltrains.about.com/od/collectingmodeltrains/tp/girls_set.htm model trains]]. In 1957 Lionel introduced The Girl's Set, a model train with engine and cars painted in pastel colors. Unfortunately they neglected to realize that 1) no boy would want to buy the set and 2) any girl interested in model trains is interested for the same reason as the boys--the realism of the models. Some retailers took to repainting the trains themselves just to move the product. Ironically enough, the set's terrible sales resulted in rarity that now makes it very valuable in the collectors market.
* The Easy-Bake Oven originally came in either goldenrod or turquoise. Creator/{{Kenner}} proceeded to continually recolor and redesign the oven, to correspond with evolving aesthetics for actual kitchen appliances. Then, Hasbro bought Kenner, and released Easy-Bake Ovens in pink and white. However, after Hasbro went through various other girly color schemes, a petition convinced them to produce Easy-Bake Ovens with gender-neutral colors once again.
* BIC once released a line of "For Her" pink ball-point pens. Reviewers on Amazon immediately went all "Three Wolf Moon" on it, writing hundreds of [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B004FTGJUW satirical reviews]] for the product mocking the idea that somehow women had to be enticed into writing with pink pens.
* {{Toys/Nerf|Brand}}'s "Rebelle" line of foam-dart toy weapons for girls ([[FollowTheLeader riding on the popularity]] of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' and similar franchises) is mostly made up of designs similar, if not identical, to the regular line... except for white and pink (and [[GracefulLadiesLikePurple purple]]) colors and feathery "stereotypical young women's tattoos" markings.
* Draculaura from ''Toys/MonsterHigh'' is easily one of the most popular characters among the target audience, in virtue of all the pink in her design.
* One model of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Cassette_Vision Super Cassette Vision]] console was the "Lady's Set" that came in a pink vinyl case and was bundled with the game ''Milky Princess''.
* Delightfully zig-zagged by The Original Pink Box website, which shows their toolboxes being used by pet groomers to aircraft mechanics, in dressing rooms and at racetracks. The ad copy neither says nor implies anything about gender, but the photographs depict women - exactly how competitors wordlessly assume their customers are men.
* The Acer Aspire One netbook once came in pink. Like the DS Lite, the pink version was often cheaper.
* ''TabletopGame/CardsAgainstHumanity'' released a "For Her" edition of its base game in 2017 to support a U.S. political organization backing female pro-choice candidates. The only difference was that it was $5 more expensive, and the box was pink.
* In TheFifties, Chrysler marketed the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_La_Femme Dodge La Femme]], in a contrived attempt to appeal to WomenDrivers.
* Bucking the trend is an old ad from 1981 which surfaced on [[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lego-ad-1981_n_4617704 Huffington Post]] not too long ago: a little girl in overalls holding a complicated Lego structure -- traditional colors, not pink and not "made for girls". The ad copy talks about "younger children" who "build for fun." Not just "girls" who build but children in general.
* In response to indelicate remarks made by then-candidate Donald Trump, millions of women took to the streets wearing knitted caps that suggested cat ears and were, of course, extremely pink. (It was considered perfectly acceptable for [[RealMenWearPink male allies to wear these hats]] as well.)

* Yogi Tea's teas aimed at men and women. The men's version comes in a brown box and is a blend of ginseng, ginger and chilli, while the women's version comes in a pink box and is a blend of lemon verbena, raspberry leaves and lavender.
* Proving that not even ''glue'' is immune to this, Pritt Stick released [[https://www.amazon.com/Pritt-1632485-20-Glue-Stick/dp/B00UJGV3AG a special pink glitter glue stick]] just for girls.
* Presenting the "[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pack-Girls-Sellotape-dispenser-Clear/dp/B00CIW77R2 Just for Girls Pink Sellotape Dispenser]]". Now girls have their own sellotape.
* Defied by Ferrari, which [[https://www.thedrive.com/news/8963/ferraris-golden-rule-no-pink-cars explicitly refuses]] to sell any new cars with pink paint as it "[[SeriousBusiness doesn’t fit into our whole ethos]]".
* Used extensively by Italian children's footwear brand Lelli Kelly, and it shows with their [[https://www.lellikellykids.co.uk/ website]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QINu5v9rATo advertising]], to the point of utter derision and ridicule, especially by boys in the UK who were subjected to this on children's television channels.
* Women Airforce Service Pilots ([=WASPs=]) wore brown leather or blue cloth battle jackets. In the gift shop at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, replica WASP jackets for girls come only in pink.
* Subverted with Victoria’s Secret brand “Pink”. Despite the name, very few of the products are actually colored pink. Many of these items are neutral colored or black with the WORDS pink printed on them.

* The B-movie from the 80s called ''Film/CannibalWomenInTheAvocadoJungleOfDeath'' with a young Creator/BillMaher. There was a female lead who goes camping with EVERYTHING pink, such as hiking boots, pup tent, backpack, water canteens, etc, etc, etc.
* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor'' has the "Razor Sword For Her."
-->''Perfectly identical to the Razor Sword except it's pink and costs twice as much.''
* In TheMovie for ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', a female spy reveals that spies can wear spy outfits in two colors: black and pink.
* In the ''{{VideoGame/Pokemon}}'' series, if you choose to play as the female protagonist, you tend to be given a pink-colored version of the Pokedex and other relevant gadgets.

** However, this is inverted by much of the real-life Pink Ranger merchandise, and therefore the gear the Pink Rangers use on the show. Since the show doesn't target girls but rather young ''boys'' who (are assumed to) think PinkIsForSissies, Pink Ranger-specific items like weapons and zords are often some other color with just a little pink trim. Rather than use a specific color to attract a certain audience, they ''avoid'' that specific color to avoid repelling the opposite audience. Studies showing that the pink ranger merchandise consistently sold worst out of the entire product line support this trend.
* [[http://plusev.keenspot.com/d/20061127.html Scarlett's computer]] in ''Webcomic/PlusEV''.

* ''Fanfic/Plan7Of9FromOuterSpace''. Among the LongList of options available for a SwissArmyWeapon in "Have Ray Gun, Will Travel".
-->...available colors include Olive Drab, Jungle Green (Tropical or Equatorial), Desert Brown, Polar White, Urban Grey, Midnight Black, Police Blue, and Penelope Pink."
* One episode of ''Series/HomeImprovement'' had Tim's primary sponsor, Binford Tools, bring out a line of home maintenance tools marketed towards women. Said tools were small, underpowered and pink. Tim hated them, which made it awkward when Tim was told under no uncertain terms that he was to give the line favorable coverage anyway.

* Used extensively by Italian children's footwear brand Lelli Kelly, and it shows with their [[https://www.lellikellykids.co.uk/ website]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QINu5v9rATo advertising]] to the point of [[TastesLikeDiabetes utter derision and ridicule]] especially by boys in the UK who were subjected to this on children's television channels.

*** The NFL, of course, is all too happy in recent years to sell pink merch in October for breast cancer awareness, and to have all their teams wear pink accessories (though not as part of the uniform proper). [[FanNickname Pinktober]] in the NFL has somewhat cycled down a little bit, though, as teams no longer have to accessorize in pink for the entire month.

** This was preceded by the pink Game Girl, which came with a VideoGame/{{Tamagotchi}} game. It didn't really work. Female gamers chose much the same colors the male gamers did.

* One model of the SuperCassetteVision console was the "Lady's Set" that came in a pink vinyl case and was bundled with the game ''Milky Princess''.

** Licensed Red Sox caps were only introduced in pink after the team started winning the World Series again. There was an unfortunate backlash from [[FanDumb "true fans"]], who saw anyone who wore them as "fans-come-lately" or more commonly "Pink Hats". (The theory being that if you hadn't suffered through the Sox's 86-year losing streak, you didn't deserve to wear the hat.) The Patriots got in on the trend as well and since it started after they started winning Super Bowls, it was also met with derision from hardcore fans and sports writers.

** Licensed Red Sox caps were only introduced in pink after the team started winning World Series again. There was an unfortunate backlash from [[FanDumb "true fans"]], who saw anyone who wore them as "fans-come-lately". (The theory being that if you hadn't suffered through the Sox's 86-year losing streak, you didn't deserve to wear the hat.)

* In the {{VideoGame/Pokemon}} series, if you choose to play as the female protagonist, you tend to be given a pink-colored version of the Pokedex and other relevant gadgets.
* On the one hand, Pink Franchise/PowerRangers always have their wardrobe and accessories (meaning stuff like backpacks, notebooks, whatever civilian items they personally own as opposed to their Ranger gear) colored pink. On the other hand, ''all'' Power Rangers always have their wardrobe and accessories in their color.

* One episode of Series/HomeImprovement had Tim's primary sponsor, Binford Tools, bring out a line of home maintenance tools marketed towards women. Said tools were small, underpowered and pink. Tim hated them, which made it awkward when Tim was told under no uncertain terms that he was to give the line favorable coverage anyway.
* WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E7IceCreamOfMargieWithTheLightBlueHair Ice Cream of Margie with the Light Blue Hair]] featured an Oprah Winfrey styled talk show where Becky Tyson was being interviewed about her invention of the Pink VCR.

* Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) wore brown leather or blue cloth battle jackets. In the gift shop at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, replica WASP jackets for girls come only in pink.

* Most [[http://www.ruger.com/micros/pepperSpray/index.html# Ruger pepper spray]] comes in exactly two colors: black and pink. The only exception is the faux lipstick pepper spray, which also comes in red and blue. Clearly, women are more likely to buy mace to defend themselves if it comes in a feminine color or seamlessly blends in with their cosmetics.

* The Acer Aspire One netbook once came in pink.

Simply put, coloring a product [[pink:pink]] on the assumption that women are more likely to buy them.

** However, this is inverted by much of the real-life Pink Ranger merchandise, and therefore the gear the Pink Rangers use on the show. Since the show doesn't target girls but rather young ''boys'' who (are assumed to) think PinkIsForSissies, Pink Ranger-specific items like weapons and zords are often some other color with just a little pink trim. Rather than use a specific color to attract a certain audience, they ''avoid'' that specific color to avoid repelling the opposite audience.

* Averted with Victoria’s Secret brand “Pink”. Despite the name, very few of the products are actually colored pink. Many of these items are neutral colored or black with the WORDS pink printed on them.

Many people these days find this almost insulting, as if the color of the product is the sole turn off from women buying it, implying they can be that shallow. And it doesn't work in all cases. There are, however, some people who do buy pink products because they are pink (if you like pink, and pink is an option, then why not get the pink one), and some individuals and organizations have attempted to make the pink-female association an AppropriatedAppellation. Be proud to be a woman -- use the pink folding multitool with rhinestones! (Yes, that product existed.) Some women with hobbies involving hand tools (such as jewelry making) and men in the house can also find that pink, floral, or other "girly" appearance can help discourage tool theft by men.

* ''Fanfic/Plan7Of9FromOuterSpace''. Among the LongList of options available for a SwissArmyWeapon in "Have Rocket Gun, Will Travel".