This
past weekend Mattel announced that it is updating its notorious Barbie doll to
be more diverse with additions of body types that include curvy, petite and
tall forms, according to TIME.The new Barbie dolls also will have a variety of skin tones and hairstyles. This
should increase Barbie’s market, allowing a greater variety of young girls to
have dolls they can personally identify with; the dolls look more like them
rather than a standardized ideal.
Mattel’s strategic decision aligns with
current trends of political correctness and gender equality, emphasizing women should
be focused on attributes other than their looks from an early age.
P&G’s
2009 Always #LikeAGirl campaign and several GoldieBlox
(toys for girls) viral ads lead the trend in women empowerment as a means to
sell their products. Both campaigns use the perspectives of young girls to
appeal to the larger female audience.
Barbie’s
declining popularity in the past few decades is largely due to Barbie’s
impractical body proportions. The brand plans to make the controversial doll
more independent and feminist to appeal to millennials.
Mattel’s
vision statement is “Creating the future of play.” As millennial moms are more
focused on independence and feminism, Mattel also needs to create the message
that they also represent that.
“The
millennial mom is a small part of our consumer base,” Evelyn Mazzocco, head of
the Barbie brand claims, “but we recognize she’s still the future.”
The
brand wants to reflect American beauty ideals which have evolved to reflect
more curvaceous body types like Kim Kardashian West and Beyonce. Along with the
voices of celebrities, millennial feminist leaders like Lena Dunham
deliberately show their un-Barbie-like figures, fueling the movement towards
body acceptance.
Mattel’s
new advertising focus is repositioning them towards a sector more aware of
gender equality. They can be more like Fisher-Price, one of their brands that is known
for having gender-neutral toys (they use primary colors rather than
gender-stereotyped blue and pink).
In
November, Mattel had even started advertising Barbie dolls to young boys. This
shift in target audience shows that Mattel wants to appeal to a larger mass
market and be a voice in the movement for change.
Overall I believe Mattel is making a forward-thinking desision. Time will tell if their new Barbies are something that millennial moms will want to buy for their daughters (and sons)
Best of luck to Mattel
Cheers!
Laura
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