History Sandbox / MisaimedMarketingSorting

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' had [[https://www.amazon.com/Family-Guy-Knex-Series-1/dp/B07FDSS6MY Knex sets]] aimed at people as young as eight years old, when the target demographic are teens and adults. The actual show also contains tons of BlackComedy, among other not-so kid-friendly themes.

* With ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' being as popular and [[LongRunners long-running]] as it is, some [[JustForPun bizarre]] merchandise was inevitable.

* This was a major player in ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' causing an uproar amongst parents. The movie was promoted with merchandise aimed at children, from [[https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vtg-1984-gremlins-gizmo-80s-red-kids-1823252248 sleeping bags]] to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAhYWQTPtuE stuffed animals]], all of which seemed to put more emphasis on the Mogwai than the titular monsters that were involved in most of the film's more terrifying and gruesome moments.

* There is apparently a large market for licensed military toys. We have Batman Tanks, Hulk Humvees, ''ComicBook/IronMan'' fighter jets and, of course, [[Franchise/SpiderMan Spidey]] ''stealth bombers''. They are just cheaply made Hot Wheels or a similar toy painted in the color of the hero with the hero's logo, or in some cases, a decal of the hero, placed on it. Because nothing says stealth as much as ''having Spider-Man painted on your hull''.

** Quite a bit of the Super Hero Squad line is odd either for violence levels (Comicbook/ThePunisher, Comicbook/GhostRider, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, and Comicbook/{{Blade}}-- complete with CuteLittleFangs) or obscurity (would the 3-to-5-year-olds this line is aimed at have even heard of ComicBook/TheSentry, [[Comicbook/ScarletSpider Ben Reilly]], Leater Villain, Spiral or Fin Fang Foom?).

* They had ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' toys at Burger King. Toys for a PG-13 movie, specifically ''Eclipse''. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120818085406/http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/eclipse-invades-burger-king-with-fun-toys-for-the-lil-kiddies-too No, really.]] Not only that, but half of the toys were for girls and half were (purportedly) for boys, one was a ''wallet''. Predictably, the toys stayed in bargain bins months after the promotion ended.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'' [[https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Bad-Walter-White-Hazmat/dp/B0758R3KDK plushies]] and action figures exist. Now you can buy cute huggable versions of your favorite former chemistry teacher turned vicious drug kingpin! Notably, a petition started by a concerned mother in Florida resulted in Toys 'R Us removing the action figures from the chain's toy stores (although they were present in an "adult" action figure section away from the majority of the toys). '''I would put this in the "what do you mean it's not for kids?" folder but the snarky bit in the middle forces me to place it here'''

[[folder:Keep but Clean Up Snarking]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* Half this, half MisaimedFandom: People make replicas of [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the One Ring]] as ''[[http://www.e-weddingbands.com/store/lordofrings.html wedding rings]]''. [[ArtifactOfDoom Really says something about your marriage]]. There's also ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' [[http://www.lotrfanshop.com/lotrshop/navel-rings.asp navel piercing rings]]!
** Ironically, the actual prop Ring was modeled after one of the crew members' wedding rings. It looks like every other man's wedding ring in existence. This is very true to the spirit of the original, because the point is that Bilbo and Frodo had no idea what it was. If you actually want a happy marriage though, Nenya (Galadriel's Ring) would be a better model!
** If Tolkien had known just how much of a merchandisable icon The One Ring would have become, he would likely have been outraged. He genuinely ''despised'' the BlackSpeech created for the Ring's inscription, and anyone totemizing a symbol of ultimate evil would have offended his sensibilities. As a concrete example from his life, a fan had sent him a very nice goblet with the One Ring's inscription engraved around the rim. Tolkien couldn't bring himself to drink from it because of the inscription, but didn't want to offend the fan (who legitimately thought he was paying Tolkien a compliment) by returning it to the sender or throwing it away. [[TakeAThirdOption He ended up using the goblet as an ashtray.]]

* The release of ''Film/TheHungerGames'' in theaters brought out bushels of merchandise. Some of the things include a magnetic story book (recommended for ages 5 and up), tribute bracelets, figurines of the tributes, costume replicas, and socks. Nothing says family friendly like [[DeadlyGame children being forced to brutally murder each other for entertainment]]!

* One Canadian edition of the Sears Wish Book features a photo of a little girl surrounded by oversized plush toys, most of which are of kid-friendly characters such as Mickey Mouse and Dora the Explorer, but there are also ones of characters from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and surprisingly, ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark.'' Keep in mind that all of these toys, including the ''South Park'' ones, are listed as being for ''ages 3 and up.''

* Burger King released ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' toys. Since the show has dealt increasingly bluntly with subjects like animal and child abuse, politics, drug abuse, alcoholism, smoking, anti-establishment jokes, sex, murder, organized crime, torture, and war, and references a lot of things that only people above 13 will get or remember -- a lot of its humour will go right above kids' heads, so the promotion doesn't make much sense.
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' had [[https://www.amazon.com/Family-Guy-Knex-Series-1/dp/B07FDSS6MY Knex sets]] aimed at people as young as eight years old, when the target demographic are teens and adults. The actual show also contains tons of BlackComedy, among other not-so kid-friendly themes.

* ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' [[http://www.megabrands.com/en/kids/halowars/ toy sets by Mega Bloks]]. It seems reasonable, until you remember that the ''Halo'' series in general (until ''5'') is rated M (though it was, and still is, lighter on graphic violence compared to another contemporaries). Mega Bloks in general does have a tendency toward going for licences that fall under this trope.
** Ditto for ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mega-Bloks-Call-Duty-Troopers/dp/B00FJ1IHUA Mega Bloks]].

[[AC:Music]]
* Hasbro's Rocktivity toys may sound reasonable, until you get to the fine print: the [[http://www.amazon.com/Playskool-Rocktivity-Shake-Groove-Microphone/dp/B00A63EZJI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369506380&sr=8-2&keywords=playskool+microphone microphone]] plays "Born This Way" by Music/LadyGaga and the [[http://www.amazon.com/Playskool-Rocktivity-Jump-Jam-Guitar/dp/B0085UA7TQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1369506390&sr=8-4&keywords=playskool+rocktivity guitar]] plays "Rock and Roll All Night" by {{Music/KISS}} and "What I Like About You" by The Romantics. These toys are meant for '''toddlers'''.
** One toy in the franchise, a piano, plays three arguably adult songs. "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard is the most kid-friendly of the trio, but "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel and "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles?
* Music/LittleBig has a separate line of merchandise called Little Big Kids, aimed to children as young as 5 years old. Even completely dismissing the harsh language in a lot of their songs, their music videos are known for their MindScrew takes on political satire, violence, and sexual imagery. One of the more famous videos depicts lead singer Ilich boasting about his pixelated GagPenis accompanied by sexually juxtaposed food items and the EroticEating of a phallus shaped lollipop. Not exactly kid friendly.

* They had ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' toys at Burger King. Toys for a PG-13 movie, specifically ''Eclipse''. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120818085406/http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/eclipse-invades-burger-king-with-fun-toys-for-the-lil-kiddies-too No, really.]] Not only that, but half of the toys were for girls and half were (purportedly) for boys, one was a ''wallet''. Predictably, the toys stayed in bargain bins months after the promotion ended.
** There were ''Twilight'' Barbie dolls. The Edward doll has [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles glitter skin]]. There's also a Jacob doll which comes wearing only its pants.

* Half this, half VillainDecay: You know you're not going to be seeing [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] or [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]] do anything really horrible after they've been deemed okay for ''child-sized'' Halloween costumes. Freddy is an especially disturbing example, since he's canonically a ''child murderer'', and in some versions a pedophile as well.
** This goes all the way back to the '80s--there were Freddy Krueger glove toys for kids (they have fake plastic knife blades attached to the fingers). And they're sized so that any kid over about 10 would probably have trouble fitting their hand into the toy. Yeah. '''Two nattery subbullets before this were removed'''
* ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' is a more fitting example than many of the other Batman entries on this page. The movie is probably the darkest and most depressing DC film to date, with the DirectorsCut even receiving an R rating. Despite this, it received all of the usual marketing people have come to expect from superhero movies, complete with a children's toy line from Mattel and various candy and cereal tie-ins. Hilariously, Superman actor Creator/HenryCavill would later claim the movie was a niche film that wasn't intended for mass audiences, despite the marketing saying otherwise.
** ''Batman v. Superman'' also got a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg4OpruFFXM recorder]]. A cheap plastic flute that has a plastic circle with the film's logo stuck on it. And it's an actual licensed product. What this has to do with the movie is a complete mystery.
* While mild compared to the examples of the Batman movies, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' received an "I Can Read" children's book adaptation, which has this; "Clark's new foes have superpowers just like he does. The battle is fierce, but Clark wins. General Zod and his helpers retreat back to outer space.", as well as Zod saying "Ouch". Anyone who has seen the movie will not only know that it is certainly not very kid-friendly, [[spoiler: but that Zod and his crew do ''not'' make it out of the final battle alive, and Zod's death is quite dark, done via a NeckSnap courtesy of Supes.]] And it too has a tie-in toyline, containing action figures and costumes meant for children as young as 4.
* It's actually quite understandable that toys would be made for Batman and Superman movies, given that the characters appear in a variety of children's media like cartoons and video games. However, some comic characters don't have that excuse. For instance, Toy Biz released a line of figures for the first ''Film/{{Blade}}'' movie, despite it having an R rating and being one of the [[BloodierAndGorier bloodiest comic book films ever made at that point]]. Plenty of parents take their kids to PG-13 superhero movies, but far fewer are likely to take them to a gory, R-rated vampire flick, even one that happens to star a Creator/MarvelComics character.
* There have been toys and a cartoon series made of ''Film/RoboCop1987'', an already R-rated feature that almost got slapped with an X rating just for how violent it is, and openly features nudity, heavy swearing and BlackComedy and a lot of satire on such subjects like capitalism, corrupt corporations, and public apathy that would fly right over the heads of any kid. There's also a Korean fried chicken [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pOoSe2K5DU commercial]] that makes the film look like a family feature.
* A ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' [[http://www.figurerealm.com/checklist.php?action=checklist&seriesid=394 toyline]] was released by Creator/{{Galoob}} in 1997. Yes, a toyline based on an R-rated film that has lots of blood, gore, political satire, and nudity.
* ''Film/JudgeDredd'' had a range of action figures. The movie is toned down significantly from the ultra-violent and cynical comic, but is still hardly for kids; Dredd is still a totalitarian beat cop from a crime-ridden {{Dystopia}}, after all. More bewildering is the fact that in order to bulk the range out, it included several decidedly kid-unfriendly characters from the comic who don't appear in the film, including Judge Death, an OmnicidalManiac whose favourite modus operandi consists of ripping people's beating hearts out of their chests, and has even murdered children on-panel.
* There was a lot of child-aimed merchandise for the ''[[Film/Ghostbusters2016 Ghostbusters]]'' remake, including toys aimed at children as young as 3, "I Can Read!" books and a [[Literature/LittleGoldenBooks Golden Book]] adaptation of the film. The movie opens with a joke about queefing, so this is an... interesting marketing choice.
* The Franchise/{{Tron}} franchise is a very odd case. Yes, it's a Creator/{{Disney}} flick. However, it's a product of the Disney "Dark Age" where the studio was willing to try much DarkerAndEdgier fare to try and compete in the marketplace. The films and [[WesternAnimation/TronUprising animated series]] contain some sexual humor, heavy duty religious themes, and a ''ton'' of FamilyUnfriendlyViolence (only the fact it's BloodlessCarnage saves it from being outright R-rated). The one part of the franchise (now discredited) that got a Teen rating was a [[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh first-person shooter]], that had a comparatively ''LighterAndSofter'' tone than the animated series! The merch, like clothing, toys, and coloring books were all aimed for kids.
* There have been ''tons'' of toys spun-off from the Franchise/JamesBond franchise. Although, rather counter-intuitively, the Bond films (or, at least, the Sean Connery and Roger Moore ones) have always been considered family-friendly productions, they're still about a spy who kills a lot of people and sleeps with a lot of women. But kids could still buy Bond dolls and toy guns and cars. To tie in with the release of ''Film/AViewToAKill'', a line of read-along storybooks were released - a narrator reads the text on a vinyl record or cassette and the children follow along - adapting the plots of several Bond films. This was also around the same time a cartoon series, ''WesternAnimation/JamesBondJr'' aired.
* The ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' line of action figures, released to tie in with a very violent R-rated movie. And now, the Terminator 2 Minimates, finding their way into Toys R Us stores across the nation. Cute, 2 inch tall versions of the T2 characters. While Terminator 2 is quite toned down from the first (for one thing the Terminator is no longer a killer, but a kid-friendly bodyguard that does what you say) it was still an R-rated movie that no kid has any business seeing.
** T2 also had a plug in the July 1992 issue of Magazine/DisneyAdventures including a villain feature that highlighted the T-1000 (a liquid metal killer that brutally executes multiple people over the course of the film). In a magazine that's marketed to children and teenagers.
* ''{{Film/Commando}}'': Diamond Toymakers released a series of action figures based on the movie, despite it being an R rated flick that children shouldn't see.
* Mild compared to many of the other examples, but there was a coloring book of ''Theatre/{{Camelot}}'' that skipped over the rather mature themes to depict such things as Guinevere winning a foot race.

* So Creator/{{Mattel}} saw what Creator/{{Hasbro}} did and wondered, "Why should Hasbro have all the fun?". So they approached their comic partner: [[Creator/DCComics DC]]. Their answer to Hasbro's Marvel kiddie toys? ''WesternAnimation/LittlePeople DC Characters''. Let's reiterate this. Chunky {{Fun Size}}d SuperDeformed DC Characters toys. '''For toddlers'''. They even have a figure of ComicBook/TheJoker, and he is genuinely smiling--as in, a happy smile, not the usual SlasherSmile.

[[folder:Keep for the "weird merch" Darth Wiki page proposed in the TRS thread]]

** Creator/StudioGainax (and later Creator/StudioKhara during the ''Rebuild'' era) have a reputation for being absolute marketing ''whores'' who will sell any merchandise and sex up their characters as much as necessary. There's even a Rei Ayanami soap dish.
** {{Moe Anthropomorphi|sm}}sized [[EldritchAbomination Angel]] dolls (including a genderbent Tabris in a short skirt). If that's not your cup of tea, there's always the Creator/{{Sanrio}}-esque line of [[http://yurushito.jp Yurushito]] characters.
** They still haven't made a Kaworu PEZ dispenser, which would be [[OffWithHisHead cool in a completely tasteless sort of way.]] They have, however, made a choker out of ''Rebuild'' Kaworu's bomb collar.

** That's nothing compared to the officially licensed ''strip mahjong'' game, which even got ''two expansion packs''.

* ''Anime/TokyoMewMew'' has a few odd things. The panties are understandable, since it ''is'' a kids' show. Plastic beauty set? Nothing to do with the actual show, but some little girls probably liked it. When you get to the large inflatable Ichigo, however, you really do have to wonder.
* If you want proof that Harmony Gold was willing to squeeze as much money from ''Anime/RoboTech'' as possible, by any means possible, look no further than [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhqfdpIkXKA The Women of Robotech]] dolls. Rick really seems to get around...
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'':
** There's also an official ''earpick'' designed to look like Angemon's staff. Said earpick is roughly [[CrackIsCheaper thirty dollars]]. Again, this is something you use to remove earwax. Apparently, some people just like Digimon that much.

* There is apparently a large market for licensed military toys. We have Batman Tanks, Hulk Humvees, ''ComicBook/IronMan'' fighter jets and, of course, [[Franchise/SpiderMan Spidey]] ''stealth bombers''. They are just cheaply made Hot Wheels or a similar toy painted in the color of the hero with the hero's logo, or in some cases, a decal of the hero, placed on it. Because nothing says stealth as much as ''having Spider-Man painted on your hull''.

* Franchise/{{Rambo}} has tons of merchandise - because kids definitely need a figure representing a near psychotic Vietnam vet who destroyed most of the town in ''Film/FirstBlood'' (and the original ending has him committing suicide). One of the most infamous? Bubble gum. ''Designed to look like shrapnel.''

[[folder:Don't know]]

* There's Nendoroid Miki Sayaka from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. While the content inside is normal, the problem comes from the tagline on the box, which also happens to be [[spoiler: her last words before [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie turning into a witch]]]].
--> "I'm such an idiot."
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'':
** There's a ''Digimon'' EdutainmentGame called ''Digimon Park'' intended for children ages three to six. If that wasn't weird enough, one of the series featured is Anime/DigimonTamers. While Tamers [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids is indeed a kids show]], [[NightmareFuel it's definitely not a good idea]] [[CosmicHorrorStory to show it to kids THAT young]].
** Sindy, [[FollowTheLeader the British equivalent of Barbie]], had two Digimon-themed dolls released.
* Back in the 2000's, toys based on ''{{Franchise/Naruto}}'' were released as ''UsefulNotes/McDonalds'' Happy Meal toys in Japan. Multiple plush toys based on extremely deadly Naruto characters, including the entire Akatsuki, Orochimaru and Madara Uchiha, are sold in stores.
* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'':
** There's a line of ''Manga/ChainsawMan'' merchandise (rubber straps, keychains, etc.) depicting the characters as [[SpinoffBabies babies]]. It isn't even aimed at children as the trope would imply, but rather at the general UsefulNotes/{{kawaisa}} demographic (mostly women), so while at least the products aren't aimed at an inappropriate demographic, there's still the issue of characters from a very gory and violent manga/anime being depicted as cute babies to be worn on your backpack. Gets even weirder when you see that Aki still has piercings, Himeno still has an eyepatch, and the line features [[ManipulativeBitch Makima]] in the first place.
** Makima in general has had a ton of cuddly plush toys based on her, [[spoiler:despite the fact that she's a monstrous child groomer and abuser]]. One of these toys, the ball-shaped Korotto Collection plush of her, underwent MemeticMutation and became known as "[[FanNickname Makima bean]]" for the sheer [[RefugeInAudacity audacity]] of its very existence.

* Creator/{{Hasbro}} has a line of {{fun size}}d [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel]] {{superhero}}es ("Super Hero Squad") and related lines for other franchises (almost all "____ Heroes", like ''Franchise/StarWars'' Galactic Heroes and ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' Robot Heroes). Chibi Franchise/IndianaJones is a little strange, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp0Gz866aPg Hulkie Pokey]] (an [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] toy who sings and dances in the same manner as [[Series/SesameStreet Tickle Me Elmo]]) is just nuts. The cute and cuddly ''[[ComicBook/ThePunisher Punisher]]'' is straight-up madness.
** And to complement the Hulkie Pokey, they have a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm6WI3jrgawSD Spider-Man plush that sings "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider"]] and another with Spider-Man and his '''security web blanket''' as well.
** From the same line of merchandise comes [[http://www.scary-crayon.com/music/hulk/ this]] absolutely ''absurd'' Hulk-themed CD of children's music. There's even a song about Hulk ''calming down when he gets angry''. Yup, they took the character whose ''concept'' is that he turns into a giant green monster when he's angry, and use him to teach kids anger management.
** The Hulk has also starred in many light-hearted tie-ins, including such fare as Construction Worker Hulk (ironic for a character [[PersonOfMassDestruction as destructive as him]]) and Lifeguard Hulk (while Hulk ''is'' ultimately a heroic but misunderstood character, if someone saw the Hulk coming to save them from drowning, they'd be more likely to die of a heart attack instead).
** There are also T-shirts featuring chibi versions of the Marvel characters, with quotes like [[{{Understatement}} "Bad temper" for Hulk and "Doesn't play well with others" for Punisher.]]
** There's a little Wolverine action figure who's naked except for his Weapon X mental reprogramming gear. He's ''smiling''.
** There are even baby clothes released for most of the live action Spider-Man movies, which are rated PG-13.
** Quite a bit of the Super Hero Squad line is odd either for violence levels (Comicbook/ThePunisher, Comicbook/GhostRider, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, and Comicbook/{{Blade}}-- complete with CuteLittleFangs) or obscurity (would the 3-to-5-year-olds this line is aimed at have even heard of ComicBook/TheSentry, [[Comicbook/ScarletSpider Ben Reilly]], Leater Villain, Spiral or Fin Fang Foom?).
** Some have argued that they're not really going for kids, but as a nerd GuiltyPleasure that's cheaper and easier to pose than action figures.

[[AC:Films - Animated]]
* What Creator/{{Disney}} did with its Franchise/DisneyPrincess line prior to the "Dream Big, Princess" {{Retool}} in 2016 -- including WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}. Instead of the [[YouGoGirl female empowerment]] or [[ActionGirl ass-kicking]] SweetPollyOliver from an ancient story during that period, she was lumped in with the princesses and put in pretty dresses and makeup. The whole first part of the movie is about [[{{Tomboy}} how little being "super-girly"]] suits her. She isn't even a princess to begin with [[note]]The emperor said she was more valuable than princesses, but still[[/note]]... but she was more popular than WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}} (and don't even get us started on ''her''...), so into the line-up she went.
** "Princess" WesternAnimation/{{Be|autyAndTheBeast}}lle is never seen in the blue dress she wears throughout the movie -- or with a book in hand until 2016, when it finally started showing up as a standard prop, [[WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty Aurora]] wears pink (look closely; they also give her purple eyes) when she wore blue for the final third of the film[[note]]This could be explained by the fact that WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'s blonde and wears blue, but that's hardly better[[/note]], and all of the famous heroines spend their days in toy stores posing and staring vaguely into the distance, swishing their sparkly gowns in the same exactly poses over and over again, in recycled clipart slapped onto every pink backpack they can find. Their pre-2016 coloring books and DirectToVideo features were filled with stories about spring cleaning, going to the market, setting up parties for their friends, and (via the "Palace Pets" spinoff line) their adorable CanonForeigner pampered pets.
** One Mulan doll was not only sculpted with Barbie feet (i.e. can only wear heels) but '''''this''''' is the product description on the back of the box:
-->Ready for a night of magic, Mulan sparkles and shines in a gown fit for a princess. Soon she will meet her true love, and all her dreams will come true![[note]]Just in case you haven't seen the movie, she implicitly (explicitly in [[WesternAnimation/MulanII the sequel]]) marries a general... whom she ''fought alongside.''[[/note]]
** Princess Eilonwy is spared, but that's because ''WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron '' was such a failure that Disney [[CanonDiscontinuity doesn't want anyone to know that she (or anything associated with the movie) exists.]] They go so far as to define "Disney Princess" for the purposes of the line in a way that ''specifically excludes her'' (as well as Princess Kida from ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' and Giselle from ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'', though the latter was because of how much it would cost to use [[Creator/AmyAdams her actress']] image) while still allowing non-princesses like Mulan and Pocahontas.[[note]]While Pocahontas only requires a small stretch to be considered a princess (she is, after all, the daughter of the local leader, though his title is not "king"), it's pretty obvious that regardless of what Disney may say, the actual definition of "Disney Princess" is "young-ish humanoid female non-villain we think can move [[TheMerch merch]]."[[/note]]
** [[RebelliousPrincess Merida]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'' falls victim to this as well. Initially her dolls didn't include her iconic bow and arrow, and she was outfitted in the tight, blue "royal" dress that she rips in the movie because it won't let her aim her bow correctly. There ''was'' a toy bow and arrow released with the movie, but it was sky blue and lavender, bearing no resemblance to the much more normal-looking one she actually uses. Disney and Mattel had the foresight to realize they might just ''need'' to have a "movie accurate" version, and eventually released one. It comes with her bow and regular dress, but ''also'' a sparkly cape with Velcro gems.
** The addition of ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' to the lineup could also qualify as this, as in the movie she's from, there's a scene where she claims she's not a princess, but rather the daughter of a chief.
* Disney Stores have sold stuffed [[WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Cruella de Villes]], [[WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas Oogie Boogies]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jafars]], and [[Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Aslans]], the last of which is probably a sin of some sort (at least if you're Orthodox).
** There's also some stuffed Oogie Boogie dolls that were made before the Disney Store models and manufactured by Applause (a name you don't hear very much of these days). They feature a Velcro front that, when pulled apart, reveal some black fabric with glow-in-the-dark "bugs" silkscreened on.
** The adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'' had [[BigBad Frollo]] action figures rotting away on store shelves. There were also Barbie-sized dolls of the good guys, including Quasimodo, who also bombed in sales (likely as a result of his {{gonk}} design); one K-Mart employee recalled a tale where, a full year after Hunchback debuted in theaters, many Quasimodo figures were ''still'' shelfwarming even though they had been marked down to clearance price.
** Disney parks used to sell plush dolls of [[Ride/TheHauntedMansion Constance Hatchaway]], a BlackWidow who, in life, killed all five of her husbands for their money.
** WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 has ''two'' toy sets based off the climatic incinerator scene, where the toys are ''very'' nearly melted into slag. One's a ''Franchise/{{LEGO}}'' set. In fairness, both put more emphasis on depicting the conveyor belt leading to the incinerator, which is a fairly action-y sequence before the solemn final part sets in.
** Official Forky toys were released around ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4,'' which has been the subject of mockery. The whole point of Forky is that he is ''not'' built like a "real" toy, so it's a bit strange to see well-crafted[[note]][[https://www.al.com/news/2019/07/toy-story-4-toy-recall-disney-recalling-forky-plush-toy-over-choking-hazard.html Well, usually well-crafted...]][[/note]] plushes and action figures of [[StylisticSuck a toy clumsily designed by a four-year-old.]] There ''are'' Build-Your-Own-Forky kits, however.
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'':
** Hot Topic sells an exclusive Toys/FunkoPop figurine of Bing Bong that's translucent. Fans who saw the movie were outraged by this, since [[spoiler: he fades away towards the end of the film]]. Only a few fans, however, see the figure as what it really is: a reference to Bing Bong being an ImaginaryFriend.
** Most children's books based on the film censor [[spoiler: Bing Bong's "death". They either [[HandWave skip over it]] or explain that he [[NeverSayDie "said goodbye"]] instead]].
** Takara Tomy Arts made [[http://s818.photobucket.com/user/leifng/media/Tomica/Tomica058/DM_SET27%201_zpsw81bfdso.jpg.html a set of Inside Out-themed car toys:]] one featuring the entire cast, and two based on Sadness and Bing Bong. The first two are fine, but [[http://toymana.com/4108-thickbox_default/disney-motors-inside-out-shovel-bing-bong.jpg the Bing Bong-inspired one]] isn't so much, as [[spoiler:it's a construction vehicle not unlike the ones that destroyed [=PreSchool=] World and pushed his rocket wagon into the memory dump, setting up one of the film's many bittersweet moments]]. Also the Sadness one kind of looks like an ambulance. Make of that what you will.

* One of the biggest inspirations for this trope: the stuffed animals and PEZ dispensers of nearly all the major nonhuman characters in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials''. And that's not to mention the plastic toy Alethiometers given away at Burger King. These were all meant to promote ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'' movie.

** There's also something both disturbing and hilarious in the fact that there's an official Anakin Skywalker lightsaber toy that changes from blue to red with the push of a button, so kids can [[FaceHeelTurn switch from good to evil]] [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope just as easily as Anakin.]]
** Two different Franchise/{{LEGO}} minifigures depicting Anakin/Vader horribly burned and scarred after the Mustafar duel are available in [[http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=7251-1 two]] [[http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=8096-1 sets]], one of which is completely devoted to [[{{Squick}} the scene where he's rebuilt into Darth Vader]]! At least he has all his extremities... for now.
** Darth Vader is one of the most successful examples of Misaimed Marketing in pop culture, as a BreakoutVillain that became the SeriesMascot. Presented as a cruel and terrifying villain in canon, Vader became very popular with viewers of all ages (including young kids), and so his sinister black helmet appears on everything from [[http://www.mrbreakfast.com/ucp/344_4273_ucp.jpg cereal boxes]] to [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Friends_of_the_Force coloring books]].
** Much like Vader, Kylo Ren from the Sequel Trilogy is plastered on books, stickers, and kid-friendly merchandise despite killing his father onscreen and supervising the destruction of five planets, among other atrocities.

** [[http://imaginaryanon.tumblr.com/post/144562254583/starrelia-replied-to-your-postgoogle-jar-jar This Tumblr post]] shows a lot of odd Jar Jar Binks merchandise, including the infamous Push Pop.

* Back in the 90s before the advent of [[OtakuOClock late night anime]], every TV anime needed to have a toyline, no exceptions. This was also before the advent of more adult-oriented anime merch, especially those aimed at women, like rubber straps and accessories, so these toys had to be made for kids. That's easy enough if you have a HumongousMecha or a MagicalGirlWarrior series, since wands and robots are very easy to translate into toy form. But what if you need to sell say, a high school romance {{shoujo}} for instance? There's not exactly much you can sell there. Well, what animation companies did back then was [[ProductPlacement make up their own toys to force into the anime adaptation]] and have the characters play with them... [[KiddieKid even if it makes no sense for characters of that age, or the target audience, for that matter, to play with such toys]]. This lead to a rather infamous phenomenon where the anime adaptations of shoujo works starring and aimed at teenagers like ''Manga/BoysOverFlowers'' or ''Manga/MarmaladeBoy'' have the characters shill toys meant for five year olds that were never in the manga. Not only that, but these two shows aired in the same timeslots as ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi'' and ''Anime/PrettyCure'' and mainly had ads for toys aimed at preschoolers and 1st-3rd grade school kids air during their commercial breaks, sometimes from franchises like ''Literature/{{Anpanman}}'' and ''Connie-chan''..

* Back in the 90s before the advent of [[OtakuOClock late night anime]], every TV anime needed to have a toyline, no exceptions. This was also before the advent of more adult-oriented anime merch, especially those aimed at women, like rubber straps and accessories, so these toys had to be made for kids. That's easy enough if you have a HumongousMecha or a MagicalGirlWarrior series, since wands and robots are very easy to translate into toy form. But what if you need to sell say, a high school romance {{shoujo}} for instance? There's not exactly much you can sell there. Well, what animation companies did back then was [[ProductPlacement make up their own toys to force into the anime adaptation]] and have the characters play with them... [[KiddieKid even if it makes no sense for characters of that age, or the target audience, for that matter, to play with such toys]]. This lead to a rather infamous phenomenon where the anime adaptations of shoujo works starring and aimed at teenagers like ''Manga/BoysOverFlowers'' or ''Manga/MarmaladeBoy'' have the characters shill toys meant for five year olds that were never in the manga. Not only that, but these two shows aired in the same timeslots as ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi'' and ''Anime/PrettyCure'' and mainly had ads for toys aimed at preschoolers and 1st-3rd grade school kids air during their commercial breaks, sometimes from franchises like ''Literature/{{Anpanman}}'' and ''Connie-chan''.

* ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' is a more fitting example than many of the other Batman entries on this page. The movie is probably the darkest and most depressing DC film to date, with the DirectorsCut even receiving an R rating. Despite this, it received all of the usual marketing people have come to expect from superhero movies, complete with a children's toy line from Mattel and various candy and cereal tie-ins. Hilariously, Superman actor Creator/HenryCavill would later claim the movie was a niche film that wasn't intended for mass audiences, despite the marketing saying otherwise.
** ''Batman v. Superman'' also got a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg4OpruFFXM recorder]]. A cheap plastic flute that has a plastic circle with the film's logo stuck on it. And it's an actual licensed product. What this has to do with the movie is a complete mystery.
* While mild compared to the examples of the Batman movies, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' received an "I Can Read" children's book adaptation, which has this; "Clark's new foes have superpowers just like he does. The battle is fierce, but Clark wins. General Zod and his helpers retreat back to outer space.", as well as Zod saying "Ouch". Anyone who has seen the movie will not only know that it is certainly not very kid-friendly, [[spoiler: but that Zod and his crew do ''not'' make it out of the final battle alive, and Zod's death is quite dark, done via a NeckSnap courtesy of Supes.]] And it too has a tie-in toyline, containing action figures and costumes meant for children as young as 4.
* It's actually quite understandable that toys would be made for Batman and Superman movies, given that the characters appear in a variety of children's media like cartoons and video games. However, some comic characters don't have that excuse. For instance, Toy Biz released a line of figures for the first ''Film/{{Blade}}'' movie, despite it having an R rating and being one of the [[BloodierAndGorier bloodiest comic book films ever made at that point]]. Plenty of parents take their kids to PG-13 superhero movies, but far fewer are likely to take them to a gory, R-rated vampire flick, even one that happens to star a Creator/MarvelComics character.

[[AC:Comedy]]
* In the '70s, there was a talking Redd Foxx doll aimed at children. This would be the same Redd Foxx who is famous for his "You Gotta Wash Your Ass" routine. The toy actually includes several of his famous punchlines and catchphrases, which obviously had to be {{Bowdlerise}}d for its young target demographic.

** [[http://yourkekyoin.tumblr.com/post/157568818900/today-on-weird-jojo-merch A Young Joseph cosplay outfit]] for your Build-a-Bear or other anthropomorphic stuffed animal. Because kids love to dress their plushies up like a series full of graphic violence and BodyHorror.

** An adorable miniature keychain of the Asuka doll. Now you too can ignore your flesh-and-blood child for a stuffed toy. It even hangs like Asuka's mom!
** There's a typing game based on the show for the Sega Dreamcast. As expected, the series' more adult elements are toned down to make it appropriate for kids learning to type.