Kids these days are growing up in front of screens. How often do you see kids in a restaurant staring at an iPad while the parents have dinner with their friends? It has become ‘the new normal.’ It has become harder and harder to find a way to make toys attractive again. However, Barbie has found a way to reach children during the lockdown.

 Barbie, everyone has heard of her, and everyone knows her. A doll that has been around for over more than 62 years. We all know the typical perfectly blond and skinny doll. But times have changed, and so has Barbie. Barbie has reinvented herself, and Mattel is now making dolls of all kind of gender and race. With this, Mattel tries to break stereotypes. They combined that with an innovating digital strategy. Barbie is now visible on YouTube as a vlogger, on Netflix starring in movies, Barbie has her own gaming app and her own website. The company had succeeded in making a famous online personage of a toy. Barbie has almost become a living person. She talks about social problems such as racism. She even made a vlog following the Black Lives Matter protest in the U.S.

Barbie is represented as a strong woman and helps to normalize women in strong public leadership roles. Barbie is not just a doll; she is an inspiration for young girls. At the age of five, young girls struggle with ‘The Dream Gap’, thinking that boys are more capable, making them feel insecure. Black girls have it even harder; they have to deal with racism. Mattel wants Barbie to be an inspiration and a relatable character to all girls, which is why they are working on more black role models. Barbie is so successful because she fits into the 21st-century.

sources:

The Drum