American Girl has unveiled Daisy Davenport, a soccer-playing camper from Madison, as its 2027 Girl of the Year — the first character in the line from Wisconsin, and a deliberate nod to the brand’s roots as it marks its 40th anniversary.
Mattel, which owns American Girl, released the 18-inch doll and her collection on Sept. 17. Daisy has green eyes and long auburn-red hair with bangs. She arrives in a sporty purple T-shirt with a “44” graphic, a dark blue pleated denim skort, striped socks and purple tennis shoes.
In her story, Daisy is heading to sleepaway camp for the first time at Camp Gowonagin — the same fictional camp that original historical character Molly McIntire attended in the 1940s. Daisy’s best friend, Callie, is unexpectedly unable to go after an injury, and Daisy has to face camp on her own: homesickness, cabinmate tensions, a fear of the dark, and the difference between being a star player and being a teammate.
The company says her story is meant to show that it is normal to feel confident in some moments and hesitant in others. Off the field, Daisy bikes around Madison, plays guitar and spends time outdoors.
The Wisconsin setting is the point. Educator and entrepreneur Pleasant Rowland founded American Girl in Madison in 1986 and later based the growing company in nearby Middleton. Mattel bought the brand in 1998 for $700 million. September 2026 also marks 40 years since the first three dolls — Samantha, Kirsten and Molly — were released. An early draft of Kirsten’s story even placed her in Wisconsin before the setting was changed to Minnesota Territory.
The local tie comes after Mattel closed American Girl’s Middleton headquarters in 2024 and moved most corporate jobs to El Segundo, California. A distribution center in DeForest and some remote Wisconsin jobs remained.
Girl of the Year dolls, introduced in 2001, are contemporary characters rather than historical ones. Daisy’s collection includes a camp cabin with bunk beds, a soccer uniform and net, a guitar, a campfire and s’mores set, and the book Meet Daisy Davenport by Megan Wagner Lloyd. The doll-and-book set is listed at $135 and is sold at AmericanGirl.com and American Girl stores.
Madison youth soccer organizers have already claimed her as a hometown role model — an 18-inch one, at least.
