The name “Barbara Millicent Roberts” may not ring a bell, but say her nickname — Barbie — and people of all ages know her. Created by Mattel in 1959, Barbie doesn’t look a day over 19.
And now she is getting new life in “Barbie” the movie, distributed by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. The movie, out on the 21st of July, starring Margot Robbie, allows Barbie to question her own reality. Something consumers have been doing for decades.
“Back in 2014 and 2015, we hit a low and it was a moment to reflect in the context of, ‘Why did Barbie lose relevance?’” said Ricard Dickson, president and chief operating officer of Mattel. “She didn’t reflect the physicality, the look, if you will, of the world around us. And so we then set a course to truly transform the brand with a playbook around reigniting our purpose.”
Mattel was slow to diversify Barbie and friends. As a result, sales at Mattel started to slump in 2014. But during the pandemic Barbie saw a resurgence as parents looked for ways to keep kids busy at home. In the first quarter of this year, Mattel’s sales fell 22% from last year’s first quarter, primarily due to declines in Barbie and Enchantimals dolls and merchandise.
“There’s been a lot of decline in that differentiation and that relevance that keep a brand fresh and top of mind from a purchase perspective. And when that happens, brands go into a place of fatigue,” said Katie Mancini, general manager of Landor & Fitch — a branding, strategy and design agency.
Now Barbie and friends have many different skin tones and shapes. Mattel produces Barbies in wheelchairs and Ken dolls with the skin condition vitiligo.
Mattel hopes the new movie, which was 4 ½ years in the making, will give the brand and Barbie the boost they’re looking for.
That may already be happening. AMC Theatres reports they’ve sold more than 20,000 pre-sale tickets to Barbie and the new movie Oppenheimer. And at HomBom Toys in New York City, ‘movie Barbie’ is sold out.
“I think I had 24,” said Ilene Gayer, owner of HomBom Toys. “They were gone within 48 hours.”
But even a new movie may not be enough to draw up enough nostalgia for Barbie.
“I wouldn’t want my granddaughters to grow up and be like Barbie,” said Patty Steffen from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who played with Barbies as a child. “I don’t know how much she has evolved – does she have a college degree now?”
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