strawberry shortcake is a doll. the doll has red hair and smells like strawberries. kenner products created the first strawberry shortcake doll in 1979. at that time she resembled a typical rag doll, complete with freckles, a mop of red yarn hair, and a strawberry printed bonnet but the unique selling point was that, she smelt of strawberries. the strawberry shortcake line of characters each had their own fruit or dessert-themed name with clothing to match, and they each had a dessert or fruit-named pet. like the strawberry shortcake doll, all the other characters’ dolls had hair scented to match their dessert theme.