There’s a new Barbie in town – and she comes in many shapes and sizes. A more genuine and realistic representation of the modern girl is now available. The new campaign #TheDollEvolves is said to be a brand evolution for the makers of Barbie, Mattel.
The need to change Barbie’s look was due to long lasting comments of her being “out of touch” stated the big three brand managers of the famous children’s toy.
Barbara Millicent Roberts (Barbie) was born in 1959 and is 11 and a half inches tall – but this is no longer after her transformation. There was a long awaited need to adapt Barbie to modern society and offer young girls a more realistic choice of a Barbie that comes in different shapes, sizes, eye and skin colour.
A time “most exciting” for the brand is said to be due to the evolution of “what barbie looks like – her body type, her ethinicity, her career” says President and COO Richard Dickson.
The much loved barbie will soon be featured on TIME magazine and now comes in a variety of shapes and sizes – from tall to petite, curvy to different skin tones and hair colours. There is a total of 4 body types, 22 eye colours, 7 skin tones and 24 hairstyles.
This transformation of Barbie was inspired by celebrities best known for their curves, such as Jlo, Beyoncé and certainly the Kardashian sisters. The hashtag #TheDollEvolves is hoping to stir a movement in social media, and Robert Best mentions “This is what our future looks like, because this is what the world looks like”. They feel that they have a greater responsibility to younger girls and parents to reveal a wider view of beauty – such as skin tones, body type and hair colour.
The brand evolution has followed a sales decline which has been said to have fallen 20% from 2012-2015. Surely the Barbie empire wants to give younger girls more choices, but was this change fuelled by underlying company concerns? Needless to say, the new campaign and evolution of Barbie is a milestone in the long running history of a worldwide loved doll. The move by Mattel seems to be the right one.
Olga Dumitriu
Client Account Executive
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter
Image Courtsey: Mattel, TIME, Barbie Twitter Page