This vinyl doll was designed during the height of Michael Jackson's career, based on his look in the video for the hit single Black or White. The video premiered in a simultaneous broadcast in 27 countries with over 500 million viewers, the biggest ever audience to watch a music video. The toy also has an electronic feature, so that when a button is pressed on his stomach, a recording of the chorus of the Black or White song is played.

Jackson related merchandise was big business in the 1980s and early 90s, as one of the biggest pop music stars in the world. He styled himself the 'King of Pop', as can be seen in the background of the inner packaging of this toy. Pop star dolls have been popular with children since the 1960s, when Beatles dolls were manufactured, the 1970s with the Bay City Rollers and the Monkees, and in the 1990s with the Spice Girls and Britney Spears. Contemporary pop dolls include the British boy band JLS and Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber. They are also popular with collectors, with Barbie-branded Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett and Debbie Harry dolls released in 2010.