Free Barbie!
The Barbie Thing
A few days ago, in a conversation with women in the office, the topic of Barbie dolls came up. As the mother of a 23-year-old daughter, I wondered what these younger women thought.
I was curious if the “Barbie body-image thing” was still an issue. Would the young women at Clear!Blue buy a Barbie for their own daughters (real or imagined)? Is Barbie okay ... or inappropriate ... or worse yet, irrelevant?
The general consensus was that, while no one vilified Barbie, we all thought American Girl dolls were just a better choice. And it had less to do with the body-image thing (although that’s still out there) than the whole play experience. Barbie used to be about playing with a doll and making up her story as play progressed. But now, Barbie seems to be all about the clothes. End of story.
This led us to the next logical question –why doesn’t Mattel borrow a page from its own American Girl brand to give Barbie a values makeover?
Sure, Mattel has an Eco-Barbie espousing the green “value d’jour,” and a Mariposa Barbie that is “beautiful inside.” But why not launch a full product campaign to teach today’s girls about important, timeless values: honesty, intelligence, patience, generosity, intelligence, courage, innovation, curiosity, inner strength? Unlike some fashions, these values never go out of style.
Instead of just selling us a Barbie in a shiny astronaut suit, include a book about Barbie and The Value of Courage. Instead of just marketing Dr. Barbie (complete with stethoscope and tailored white coat) let’s hear about the adventure Dr. Barbara had as a volunteer with Doctors Without Borders.
And here’s an inside tip: parents will give themselves permission to spend embarrassing sums of money on extra accessories if they think the brand has a positive influence on their child’s development. So go ahead and market the Horseback Rider Barbie, with matching riding boots, jacket, jodhpurs, helmet and adorable quarter horse, but include a story about how she misses the big race to help a younger girl on a run-away horse.
Okay, the books don’t have to be this sappy. In fact, why not make them all manga books ... with cool illustrations and minimal dialog. They would leap off the shelves.
I grew up with Barbie. I know she’s a good person. I don’t hate her because she’s beautiful. I hate it that she’s being held hostage by people who only love her because of her looks.
Come on Mattel. Do the right thing. Free Barbie.
Related Stories: | Topics:Leadership, Ethonomics, doll, parenting, values, Barbie, toy, Mariposa Barbie, Mattel Inc., Medecins Sans Frontieres International, Barbie Dolls |
