Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman RuthHandler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel andintroduced on March 9, 1959. The toy is the figurehead of an eponymous brandthat includes a range of fashion dolls and accessories. Barbie has been animportant part of the toy fashion doll market for over six decades. Mattel hassold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and mostprofitable line. The brand has expanded into a multimedia franchise since1984, including video games, computer-animated films, television/web series anda live-action film.
Barbie and her male counterpart, Ken, have been described as thetwo most popular dolls in the world. Mattel generates a large portion of Barbierevenue though related merchandise — accessories, clothes, friends, andrelatives of Barbie. Writing for Journal of Popular Culture in 1977, DonRichard Cox noted that Barbie has a significant impact on social values byconveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude ofaccessories, an idealized upscale lifestyle that can be shared with affluentfriends.
History
Development
Barbie creator Ruth Handler with an assortment of Barbie andMattel products (1961)
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls,and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, mostchildren's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that therecould be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodieddoll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He wasunenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.
During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara andKenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The adult-figured doll was exactly whatHandler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to herdaughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on apopular character appearing in a satirical comic strip drawn by ReinhardBeuthin for the newspaper Bild. TheLilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and although it was initiallysold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up inoutfits that were available separately.
The first Barbie doll was introduced in both blonde and brunetteon March 9, 1959.
Upon her return to the United States, Handler redesigned thedoll (with help from local inventor-designer Jack Ryan) and the doll was givena new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debutat the American International Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959. Thisdate is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
Clothing designer Charlotte Johnson with a 1965 doll
Launch
The first Barbie doll wore a black-and-white zebra stripedswimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blondeor brunette. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model",with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson.
Analysts expected the doll to perform poorly due to her adultappearance and widespread assumptions about consumer preferences at the time.Ruth Handler believed it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance,but early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about thedoll's chest, which had distinct breasts.
Barbie sold about 350,000 units in her first year, beatingmarket expectations and generating upside risk for investors. Sales of Barbieexceeded Mattel's ability to produce her for the first three years of her run.The market stabilized for the next decade while volume and margin increased byexporting refurbished dolls to Japan. Barbie was manufactured in Japan duringthis time, with her clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers.
Louis Marx and Company sued Mattel in March 1961. Afterlicensing Lilli, they claimed that Mattel had "infringed on Greiner &Hausser's patent for Bild-Lilli's hip joint", and also claimed that Barbiewas "a direct take-off and copy" of Bild-Lilli. The companyadditionally claimed that Mattel "falsely and misleadingly representeditself as having originated the design". Mattel counter-claimed and thecase was settled out of court in 1963. In 1964, Mattel bought Greiner &Hausser's copyright and patent rights for the Bild-Lilli doll for $21,600.
Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having thedemure sideways glance of the original model. This would be the last adjustmentRuth would make to her own creation as, three years later, she and her husbandElliot were removed from their posts at Mattel after an investigation foundthem guilty of issuing false and misleading financial reports.
Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategybased extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely byother toys. In 2006, it was estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls had beensold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbiedolls are sold every second
Sales of Barbie dolls declined sharply from 2014 to 2016.[1] In2020, Mattel sold $1.35 billion worth of Barbie dolls and accessories, and thiswas their best sales growth in two decades. This is an increase from the $950million the brand sold during 2017. Accordingto MarketWatch, the release of the 2023 film Barbie is expected to create"significant growth" for the brand until at least 2030. As well asreinvigorated sales, the release of the film triggered a fashion trend known as"Barbiecore" and afilm-related cultural phenomena named Barbenheimer.
Appearances in media
Further information: Barbie (media franchise), List of Barbiefilms, List of Barbie video games, and Barbie (film)
Margot Robbie at the 2023 Barbie premiere in Sydney, Australia
Since 1984, in response to a rise of digital and interactivemedia and a gradual decline in toys and doll sales at that time, Barbie hasbeen featured in an eponymous media franchise beginning with the release of twoeponymous video games, one that year and another in 1991 and two syndicatedtelevision specials released in 1987; Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This Worldand its sequel. She then began to appear as a virtual actress in a series ofdirect-to-video computer-animated feature films with Barbie in the Nutcrackerin 2001,[19] which were also broadcast on Nickelodeon in the United States aspromotional specials until 2017.[20] Since 2017, the film series were revampedas streaming television films, branded as animated "specials" andreleased through streaming media services, primarily on Netflix.
At the time of the release of Barbie in the Pink Shoes onFebruary 26, 2013, the film series have sold over 110 million units globally. Since2012, she has appeared in several television and web series; including Barbie:Life in the Dreamhouse, Barbie: Dreamtopia, Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures,Barbie: It Takes Two and Barbie: A Touch of Magic. Aside in lead roles, she hasappeared as a supporting character in the Toy Story films between its secondand third sequels with a cameo at the fourth and the My Scene mediafranchise.[21] In 2015, Barbie began appearing as a vlogger on YouTube calledBarbie Vlogger where she talks about her fictional life, fashion, friends andfamily, and even charged topics such as mental health and racism. She was portrayed by Australian actressMargot Robbie in a live-action film adaptation released on July 21, 2023, byWarner Bros. Pictures in the United States.
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts and her parents'names are given as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town ofWillows, Wisconsin, in a series of novels published by Random House in the1960s. In those novels, Barbie attended Willows HighSchool; while in the Generation Girl books, published by Golden Books in 1999,she attended the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City(based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School).
She has an on-off romantic relationship with her then-boyfriendKen (full name "Kenneth Sean Carson"), who first appeared in 1961. Anews release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that Barbie and Ken haddecided to split up, but in February 2006, they were hoping to rekindle theirrelationship after Ken had a makeover. In2011, Mattel launched a campaign for Ken to win Barbie's affections back. The pair officially reunited in Valentine'sDay 2011. Beginning with BarbieDreamhouse Adventures in 2018, the pair are seen as just friends or next-doorneighbors until a brief return to pre-2018 aesthetics in the 2023 televisionshow, Barbie: A Touch of Magic.
Mattel has created a range of companions and relatives forBarbie. She has three younger sisters: Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea (namedKelly until 2011). Her sisters have co-starred in many entries of the Barbiefilm series, starting with Barbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale from 2013.'Retired' members of Barbie's family included Todd (twin brother to Stacie),Krissy (a baby sister), and Francie (cousin). Barbie's friends include HispanicTeresa, Midge, African American Christie, and Steven (Christie's boyfriend).Barbie was also friendly with Blaine, an Australian surfer, during her splitwith Ken in 2004.
Barbie has had over 40 pets including cats and dogs, horses, apanda, a lion cub, and a zebra. She has owned a wide range of vehicles,including pink Beetle and Corvette convertibles, trailers, and Jeeps. She alsoholds a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition toserving as a flight attendant. Barbie's careers are designed to show that womencan take on a variety of roles in life, and the doll has been sold with a widerange of titles including Miss Astronaut Barbie (1965), Doctor Barbie (1988),and Nascar Barbie (1998).
Legacy and influence
Barbie has become a cultural icon and has been given honors thatare rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York Citywas renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Parisat the Louvre held a Barbie exhibit in 2016. The exhibit featured 700 Barbiedolls over two floors as well as works by contemporary artists and documents(newspapers, photos, video) that contextualize Barbie
In 1986, the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie.The painting sold at auction at Christie's, London for $1.1 million. In 2015,The Andy Warhol Foundation then teamed up with Mattel to create an Andy WarholBarbie.
Outsider artist Al Carbee took thousands of photographs ofBarbie and created countless collages and dioramas featuring Barbie in varioussettings. Carbee was the subject of the 2013 feature-length documentary MagicalUniverse. Carbee's collage art was presented in the 2016 Barbie exhibit at theMusée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in the section about visuals artists who havebeen inspired by Barbie.
Interior of the Barbie café in Taiwan in 2013
In 2013, in Taiwan, the first Barbie-themed restaurant called"Barbie Café" opened under the Sinlaku group.
The Economist has emphasized the importance of Barbie tochildren's imagination:
From her early days as a teenage fashion model, Barbie hasappeared as an astronaut, surgeon, Olympic athlete, downhill skier, aerobicsinstructor, TV news reporter, vet, rock star, doctor, army officer, air forcepilot, summit diplomat, rap musician, presidential candidate (party undefined),baseball player, scuba diver, lifeguard, fire-fighter, engineer, dentist, andmany more. [...] When Barbie first burst into the toy shops, just as the 1960swere breaking, the doll market consisted mostly of babies, designed for girlsto cradle, rock and feed. By creating a doll with adult features, Mattelenabled girls to become anything they want.
On September 7, 2021, following the debut of the streamingtelevision film Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams on Netflix, Barbie joined forceswith Grammy Award-nominated music producer, songwriter, singer and actressEster Dean and Girls Make Beats – an organization dedicated to expanding thefemale presence of music producers, DJs and audio engineers – to inspire moregirls to explore a future in music production.
Mattel Adventure Park
Main article: Mattel Adventure Park
In 2023, Mattel broke ground on a theme park near Phoenix,Arizona. The park is to open in 2024 and highlights Mattel's toys, including aBarbie Beach House, a Thomas & Friends themed ride, and a Hot Wheelsgo-kart race track. The theme park will take place at the VAI Resort complex,located 15 miles (24 km) west of Phoenix, Arizona.
50th anniversary
In 2009, Barbie celebrated her 50th birthday. The celebrationsincluded a runway show in New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.The eventshowcased fashions contributed by fifty well-known haute couturiers includingDiane von Fürstenberg, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Bob Mackie, and ChristianLouboutin.
Barbie Dream Gap Project
In 2019, Mattel launched the "Barbie Dream GapProject" to raise awareness of the phenomenon known as the "DreamGap": beginning at the age of five, girls begin to doubt their ownintelligence, where boys do not. This leads to boys pursuing careers requiringa higher intelligence, and girls being underrepresented in those careers. As an example, in the U.S., 33% of sittingjudges are female. This statistic inspired the release of Judge Barbie in fourdifferent skin tones and hairstyles with judge robes and a gavel accessory.
Habitat for Humanity
In February 2022, Mattel celebrated its 60-year anniversary ofthe Barbie Dreamhouse by partnering with Habitat for Humanity International.Mattel committed to taking on 60 projects, including new construction, homepreservation, and neighborhood revitalization.
Role model Barbies
In March 2018, in time for International Women's Day, Mattelunveiled the "Barbie Celebrates Role Models" campaign with a line of17 dolls, informally known as "sheroes", from diverse backgrounds"to showcase examples of extraordinary women".Mattel developed thiscollection in response to mothers concerned about their daughters havingpositive female role models. Dolls in this collection include Frida Kahlo,Patti Jenkins, Chloe Kim, Nicola Adams, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Bindi Irwin, AmeliaEarhart, Misty Copeland, Helene Darroze, Katherine Johnson, Sara Gama, MartynaWojciechowska, Gabby Douglas, Guan Xiaotong, Ava Duvernay, Yuan Yuan Tan, IrisApfel, Ashley Graham and Leyla Piedayesh. In 2020, the company announced a newrelease of "shero" dolls, including Paralympic champion Madison deRozario, and world four-time sabre champion Olga Kharlan. In July 2021, Mattelreleased a Naomi Osaka Barbie doll as a part of the 'Barbie Role Model' series.
Collecting
The standard range of Barbie dolls and related accessories aremanufactured to approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known as playscale. Thestandard dolls are approximately 11+1⁄2 inches (29 cm) tall.
Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbiecollectors. Ninety percent are women, atan average age of 40, purchasing more than twenty Barbie dolls each year.Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year. Vintage Barbie dollsfrom the early years are the most valuable at auction, and while the originalBarbie was sold for $3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for$3552.50 on eBay in October 2004. On September 26, 2006, a Barbie doll set aworld record at auction of £9,000 sterling (US$17,000) at Christie's in London.The doll was a Barbie in Midnight Red from 1965 and was part of a privatecollection of 4,000 Barbie dolls being sold by two Dutch women, Ietje Raebeland her daughter Marina.
In recent years, Mattel has sold a wide range of Barbie dollsaimed specifically at collectors, including porcelain versions, vintagereproductions, and depictions of Barbie as a range of characters from film andtelevision series such as The Munsters and Star Trek. There are alsocollector's edition dolls depicting Barbie dolls with a range of differentethnic identities. In 2004, Mattel introduced the Color Tier system for itscollector's edition Barbie dolls including pink, silver, gold, and platinum,depending on how many of the dolls are produced. In 2020, Mattel introduced theDia De Los Muertos collectible Barbie doll, the second collectible released aspart of the company's La Catrina line which was launched in 2019.