Barbara Millicent Roberts – better known as Barbie – has been a household name since 1959. It is a pop culture icon and a star in the toymaker company, Mattel. The doll has made the company a leader in the toy industry of a billion-dollar business.
However, with her coming 57th birthday, Barbie is getting a new makeover.
Mattel announced a new line of more ethnically diverse dolls.
“We were hearing that many thought that Barbie was out of touch,” said Evelyn Mazzocco, Mattel SVP and global brand general manager.
The doll with the iconic white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, and slim figure is thought to send the wrong message to young girls about beauty.
“There are people who are turned away from Barbie because they want dolls that more resemble themselves, more in terms of their body type and more in terms of their skin tones,” said Jim Silver, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Toys, Tots, Pets, and More.
Mattel also wants to remind customers it’s not just girls’ perception, but what they learn and imagine while playing with Barbie.
Last year, they introduced 23 new dolls with different skin tones and hair colors matching different ethnicities. Now, they are also adding three new body types – curvy, tall, and petite to promote body positivity.
“I actually think this is one of the most exciting times for the brand, broadening girls’ choices,” said Mattel President and COO Richard Dickson. “What Barbie looks like — her body type, her ethnicity, her career – this is all part of the evolution of the brand and what we believe is the right conversation around the world to have with kids today.”
“It would be more of a risk if we don’t continue to evolve Barbie — if we stayed stagnant if she looked the same if she did the same thing. She’s got to evolve with the times,” Dickson said.
This change is definitely a pleasant one. With evolving times, childhood is the important nurturing stage for a child. Instilling body positivity and a good message on beauty is a wise move for Mattel.
“We’re going to continue to work hard at being responsible and a better reflection of the world that girls live in today,” Mazzocco added.
Source: CBS