Life in plastic seems pretty fantastic. From a small 12-inch doll to a cultural juggernaut, Barbie has captured the imagination of generations and generated billions in sales
Barbie—full name Barbara Millicent Roberts—is much more than a doll; she’s a cultural juggernaut.
For decades now, the name Barbie has been synonymous with the bright pink colour and a glamorous lifestyle. The aesthetic has now been coined as “Barbiecore” and is being seen everywhere, from birthday cakes to couture runways.
Launched in 1959, Barbie quickly became ubiquitous and remained so for decades. After losing some of her popularity during the early 2000s, she has come roaring back in recent years, culminating in the much-anticipated new movie starring lead actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
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Barbie makers
Barbie was the invention of Mattel co-founder and president Ruth Handler, who realised many girls were bored by the baby dolls that dominated the market at the time.
In her memoir, Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story, Handler said: “Unlike play with a baby doll—in which a little girl is pretty much limited to assuming the role of Mommy—Barbie has always represented the fact that a woman has choices. Even in her early years Barbie did not have to settle for being only Ken’s girlfriend or an inveterate shopper, She had the clothes, for example, to launch a career as a nurse, a stewardess, a nightclub singer.”
Handler’s marketing acumen helped the company to sell more than 350,000 Barbies in the first year alone.
Ynon Kreiz, the current chairman and CEO of Mattel, has played a pivotal role in revitalising Barbie’s cultural impact. He took over as chairman and CEO of Mattel in 2018, a time when the company enjoyed financial success, with its operating income increasing by 95 percent in 2021. He has been at the forefront of turning Barbie back into a pop-cultural phenomenon, including the new movie—in which he’s played by Will Ferrell.
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