BARBIE® DOLL MARKS NEW MILLENNIUM WITH HIPPER LOOK, LOGO AND ATTITUDE
-- Barbie®
Doll Knows Girls and They Want More Than
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 11, 2000 – The
Barbie®
doll has done it again, she’s reinvented herself to fit with the fast-paced,
ultra-modern world of girls today. There’s
no mistaking Barbie for last Millennium’s doll, in fact, there’s no
mistaking her for last year’s doll. With a logo sporting a sassy, teenage signature look, and
colors that extend beyond the expected bubble gum pink, the line has a fresh
feel to secure at least four more decades on top.
Barbie Brand “Gets” Girls
Where once there was a beautiful, two-dimensional fashion doll, there is
now one of the most productive and successful girl-targeted brands in the world.
The Barbie Brand produces the latest in clothing, fashion accessories,
furniture, make up and electronics for today’s girls.
“The fact is, we are reaching
girls better than any brand out there,” says Adrienne Fontanella, president,
Mattel. “We have taken the
intangible spirit of Barbie -- that thing that no other company has put its
finger on -- and used it to bring life to a whole line of products for girls.
We know what girls like and we are constantly making changes to be right
there with them.”
New for 2000
Applying four decades of knowing what girls are into at all times, the
Barbie brand has a hipper, more relevant look that reflects trends right now.
The packaging is updated, bright and not so pink as in the past.
Fresh blues, greens and oranges grace the new style along with a more
open design allowing light to flood the box and really bring the doll and
accessories to life. Every doll
from Ken to Kelly will have it’s own logo, color and signature style true to
each one’s personality and updated feel.
What was once recognized as the “Pink Aisle,” is now a Barbie doll
world with a whole new attitude. The
updated packaging makes navigating the new range of items an easier, fun
experience for girls and parents.
Could a brand that really knows what girls want produce only fashion
dolls? As the techno-savvy, fashion
conscious, ultra busy girls of today have become an ever-moving consumer target,
the Barbie brand has become much more than a doll.
Hot new fashions for real girls -- including textures from crushed patent
leather to crocodile and pony prints -- are in the line up for Barbie 2000.
Knit tops, bootleg pants, backpacks and sleepwear keep these fashions at
the height of what’s hip. And it
doesn’t stop with the clothes. Hair
clips and activity sets that allow girls to express themselves by creating their
own lip-gloss and nail hues round out the latest looks.
“We
know we’re going to have to stay on our toes to keep up with what girls
want,” says Fontanella. “Barbie
has always reflected what girls are interested in.
Today that is fashion, hair, activities and technology.
We’ve got very cool products that appeal to these girls right now.”
Techno Tidbits
With electronic gadgets and ultra-popular Web sites, the Barbie brand has
its finger on the pulse of girls around the world.
Four best-selling CD-ROMs in the last four years have Barbie Software for
Girls constantly upping the ante on hot new games.
The latest tech toy is the Barbie Magic Genie Bottle and CD-ROM that lets
girls interact with a 3-D adventure game using a Genie Bottle connected to their
computer.
The new Barbie Polaroid I-zone is
an instant pocket camera with sticker film that allows girls to create
postage-size stamps to stick all over themselves, their notebooks, their lockers
-- whatever. The Secret Talking®
Electronic Scrapbook is an interactive keepsake that uses scanning technology to
let young girls lock away their treasures and decorate their photos with
“talking” stickers containing ultra-cool secret messages -- unlocked with a
wave of the scanner pen. For those
rowdy slumber parties, the Share or Dare®!
Electronic Party Game is a fast-paced combination of hot potato and truth or
dare. The girl left holding the
game when the music stops answers a Share question (topics include fashion,
future careers and school) or takes a whimsical Dare challenge.
With the relaunch of www.barbie.com,
more interactive features and activities will keep it on top of the list of
girls’ fave Internet destinations (it is consistently rated in the Top Ten
Kids Sites for ages 2-11). Attracting
more than 20,000 visitors per day, www.generationgirl.com
allows girls to enter the world of Barbie doll and her Generation Girl friends.
Girls submit more than 1,000 items per week to the online Generation Girl
Magazine, outlining what is going on in their schools, towns and lives.
We Didn’t Forget The Doll
While the Brand has been busy keeping up with what makes girls tick,
there’s no forgetting that Barbie doll is the main attraction.
There continue to be plenty of new Barbie dolls and friends for little
girls -- and uber-hip Barbie dolls, more relevant for pre-teens.
Girls love hair, they play with it, decorate it and color it, and Barbie
doll has it all -- strands of hair studded with rhinestones, clips that girls
can use to glam-up their own hair or the doll’s, and hair that changes to
bright pink or blue with a little water. Jewel
Girl Barbie doll, available in August, will be the first with the new, more
athletic physique and the first-ever Barbie doll bellybutton to better sport all
the hottest midriff-bearing fashions like crop tops and hipster pants.
The Generation Girls are back with their street-fashion clothing, cool
interests ranging from art to extreme sports and even a hot new deejay friend
who’s spinning the latest tunes at International High.
Barbie doll’s little sister
Kelly®
doll and her Kelly Club®
friends have really taken off with younger girls.
In the Kelly Club®
collection, each doll is featured in a variety of roles such as baker, pilot,
swimmer, golfer and wizard. Three
different themes, including career, sports and fantasy, will spotlight each
friend in an outfit unique to their individual personalities.
Barbie doll and Barbie brand
products are right there with girls, enjoying every moment of what it means to
be a girl in the new Millennium.
About
the Brand
Since her creation in 1959 as a paper-doll inspired friend, the Barbie
doll has achieved the title of the most popular fashion doll ever created.
She’s held that title by adapting her look, lifestyle and fashions to
meet changing times. In 1999 the
Barbie doll line posted sales of $1.5 billion with more than one billion Barbie
dolls (and family members) sold since 1959.
Mattel, Inc. is a worldwide leader
in design, manufacture and marketing of family products.
With headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and
facilities in 36 countries and markets its products in more than 150 nations
throughout the world.
BARBIE
and associated trademarks are owned by Mattel, Inc. Information courtesy
of Mattel, Inc.
Visit Barbie's Official home at http://www.barbie.com
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