Bronies became an entirely unexpected demographic of adult male fans obsessed with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, completely derailing Hasbro's marketing strategy that was aimed strictly at young girls.

A closer look

Bronies became an entirely unexpected demographic of adult male fans obsessed with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, completely derailing Hasbro's marketing strategy that was aimed strictly at young girls. What started as an ironic internet joke on 4chan rapidly evolved into massive conventions, hour-long video essays on pony lore, and adult men spending thousands of dollars on custom plushies of Twilight Sparkle. Hasbro executives were initially confused but quickly realized that middle-aged dudes with disposable income were far more profitable than children with zero purchasing power, proving once again that capitalism cares not for societal norms as long as the merchandise checks clear the bank at the end of the month