One has to wonder how an 11 1/2 inch high polyvinylchloride doll with improbable measurements could become an almost human superstar. Barbie is beyond iconic; she doesn't symbolize just one event or era, she's a reflection of five incredible decades. Even Mattel has to remind us on their For The Record pages, "She's a doll, people...".
Mattel was founded by Harold Matson and Elliot Handler in 1945. Elliot's wife, Ruth, watched as their daughter Barbara played with paper dolls as if they were adults and thought perhaps a mature figure would be a welcome change from all the infant dolls. Mattel wasn't interested but in 1956, during a trip to Europe, Ruth found the shapely Bild Lilli doll. First sold in Germany in 1955 and marketed to adults, she quickly grew popular with children. Ruth took the doll back to Mattel and with the help of engineer Jack Ryan, the doll was redesigned and named Barbie after her daughter.
Barbie was officially born at the American International Toy Fair in NYC on March 9, 1959. She wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit, a topknot ponytail and came as a blonde or brunette. Her promo read "New for '59, The Barbie Doll: A Shapely Teenage Fashion Model". Her clothes were created by Mattel designer Charlotte Johnson and handmade by homeworkers in Japan where the first dolls were manufactured. At $3 apiece, 350,000 Barbies were sold that first year. Wisely, Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and halted production.
Barbara Millicent was "born" to George and Margaret Roberts in the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin where she attended high school. Barbie pursued 120 careers including astronaut, doctor, nurse, lawyer, vet, ambassador, teacher, pilot, flight attendant, rock star, movie star, ballerina, paleontologist, Olympian, Nascar racer and Desert Storm medic Sergeant. She's served in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps AND she's even held a job at McDonald's! This animal lover has had over 50 pets including 21 dogs, 12 horses, 6 cats, 3 ponies, a panda, lion cub, zebra, parrot, chimp and a giraffe. She drives the coolest vehicles and because no girl can make it on her own, she has plenty of family and friends (each sold separately). Her sisters are Skipper, Stacie, Kelly, and Krissy and her best friend is Midge. Let's not forget Ken Carson who appeared in 1961 and was named after the Handler's son, Kenneth.
To date, 105 million yards of fabric have gone into filling their little closets making Mattel one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the world. One billion fashions have been produced since 1959 with over 100 new additions to Barbie's wardrobe annually. Seventy couturiers have designed for her including Givenchy, Versace and Gucci. On her 50th birthday, her runway show in NYC featured the work of 50 top designers such as Diane von Fürstenberg, Calvin Klein and Bob Mackie. On a humorous note, while Christian Louboutin was designing Barbie's footwear for the show, he commented she had "fat ankles". In the wake of the backlash he countered, "Barbie's foot has always been shaped less ‘curvy' than the rest of her perfect body...I've been proud to serve her, but fat ankles she didn't have, she just could have had thinner ankles. That's all."
We can forgive those fat ankles when you look at her overall proportions. Barbie dolls and accessories are manufactured to playscale, about 1/6th. In life she would be 5'6" tall, measure 36-18-33 and according to her scale in 1965, weigh 110 pounds. In 1959, parents were unhappy about the doll's breasts and later her weight led to concerns about influencing teen anorexia.
Barbie underwent "plastic" surgery seven times between 1959-72 which gave her moving parts and most notably in 1971 when Malibu Barbie's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than glancing demurely to the side. Her last makeover was in 2000 when she got a more athletic (and realistic - huh?) physique, belly button and flexible waist.
Barbie was innovatively promoted using television advertising. Ruth shrewdly paid $500,000 to become the sole sponsor of the Mickey Mouse Club, the then value of Mattel. It was the first time toys were successfully marketed directly to children instead of parents. Mattel went global in 1961 and Barbie has represented 50 nationalities. One billion dolls have been sold in over 150 countries and Mattel claims three Barbie dolls are sold every second.
My favorite marketing scheme is the Barbie Ken break-up, February 12, 2004. Ken was devastated and even underwent a makeover in 2006 to win her back. Recently, he had NYC's and LA's Magnolia Bakery design cupcakes iced with a heartfelt, "Barbie, You're the Only Doll for Me!" and he launched a billboard campaign declaring "I Want You Back Barbie!". It's now official, this past Valentine's Day Barbie changed her Facebook status to "in a relationship". Hmmmm...are those wedding bells I hear or is that just the sound of cha-ching for Mattel?
Collectors are a driving force behind Barbie's success and Mattel offers four production tiers ranging from pink (unlimited production), silver, gold and platinum (up to 1000 dolls made). An original Barbie has fetched $27,450 but some newer dolls are desirable too. The Oreo Fun Barbie (1997), a joint promotion by Mattel and Nabisco, was recalled when it was realized "Oreo" was slang for a black person who acted white. Other hot dolls are the 1990 Freundshcafts (Friendship) Barbie commemorating tearing down the Berlin Wall and Summit Barbie (1980s) to mark the end of the cold war between the U.S. and USSR. Keep an eye out too for the couturier designed dolls and Share A Smile Becky (1997), the first fashion doll in a wheelchair.
For the last 52 years, Barbie has represented every important event; be it cultural, technological and sometimes controversial. She is the ultimate liberator who has opened the eyes of young girls everywhere to what they could aspire to be. Ruth Handler said, "Barbie was created so little girls could have choices about their futures." I think we can all agree, she and the doll succeeded.
*Source: www.mattel.com
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