When you hear "LeapFrog," what do you think of? The LeapPad? Leapster? Chances are, you're thinking about products for kids about age 8 and under. While LeapFrog specializes in this age range, they have a few tricks up their webbed sleeve that target more than just the tadpoles.

It's not easy being green

If you've seen the Fly Pen, or, more recently, the Fly Fusion Pentop Computer, you may not even realize that it was manufactured by LeapFrog. The iPodesque color scheme of both the box and product look more like something you'd find in the electronics aisle than in the toy aisle, and that's just how LeapFrog would like it. In fact, if you look at the Fly Fusion box, not only will you not see any green at all, but you'll only find the LeapFrog logo on the back bottom corner of the box. It's easy to pass over.

The Fly is LeapFrog, but is LeapFrog "Fly"?

Trying to market a LeapFrog product to the iPod generation marks a significant challenge for LeapFrog's marketing and branding departments. On the one hand, LeapFrog is a trusted name among parents, but tweens will see anything with the LeapFrog logo as more "Dora the Explorer" than "Hannah Montana." And given that the Fly line is educational at heart, that makes it so much tougher to hook the target demographic.

Maybe Santa can reel them in

Certain tweens will have the Fly landing on their Christmas wishlists (Mine wanted it last year already.), but those will likely be the kids who need it the least. "A" students will see it as a way to make homework more fun, if not easier. If those less interested in academics get one as a gift, they'll likely have fun with it--it has some great music software and other games--even if they don't fully utilize the educational value.

With tweens, the cool factor will make or break the success of a gadget, and given that many of them can type faster on a 12-button phone keypad than they can write with a pen, this may be the blending of two technologies too far apart from each other. Still, marketing is everything, and between viral marketing campaigns, a Harry Potter Marauders' Map, and MTV-style ads, a cool and unique product may just get the buzz it needs.