Mattel Inc. is trying to appeal to the modern, iPad-toting, new generation of children by releasing a line of diverse dolls that acknowledges beauty comes in all colors and sizes. The American toy company introduced an expansion of its "Fashionistas" dolls which includes three new body types with seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, and different hairstyles.
Barbie is moving away from the original doll with blonde hair, an extremely tiny waist, and perpetually arched feet. She is no longer just a superficial socialite who only cares about her clothes and her pink dream house; she can be a businesswoman, a doctor, a computer programmer, president, and even an astronaut!
Mattel inc. has been experiencing a drought in terms of sales for the past eight months, The Wall Street Journal reported. The doll's recent unpopularity to children of today forced the company to give Barbie a complete makeover in order to be relevant again.
The toy manufacturer's new business approach is to introduce the new generation to a set of dolls that are as beautiful and as racially diverse as they are. The company realized that the unrealistic proportion of her body is simply unrelatable.
We believe we have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty," Mattel SVP, Evelyn Mazzocco, stated.
According to Time, the change came as a response to the clamor of parents to give the best-selling doll a more realistic body. Moms also suggested that Barbie wear less make-up, modest clothing, and a greater mobility to allow her to play soccer and other activities.
Moreover, children are more drawn towards dolls that look like them. While the straight-haired blonde Barbie is the most popular option to girls from all backgrounds, the dolls that has the same skin tone and hair texture that they have is still preferred much like how the American Girl doll succeeded in being companions to girls from previous generations.
The word-famous toy brand has been actively trying to become more progressive in handling social issues. In its more recent ad, a boy appeared playing with a Barbie doll. The video was part of a collaboration with design house, Moschino.
