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So Over It: Barbie's Rebrand

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These days, Barbie has come to stand for a biologically impossible body shape, vanity, narcissism and the aspiration to do nothing more than hang around all day with Ken. She’s certainly not a figure of female empowerment. In fact, it’s fair to say feminists would tear her apart - plastic limb by plastic limb.

But Barbie’s makers, Mattel, are aiming to change that. And whilst an affinity with feminists may be a little way off yet, the toy’s manufacturers are attempting a change in direction with their latest range of dolls and accompanying advertising strategy from BBDO.

The campaign starts with a new advert which aims to show little girls that being smart is better than being pretty. In the two-minute video we see young girls standing in for doctors, business women, teachers and football coaches. All bossing it in their own way.

"Imagination comes in all shapes and sizes. That's why the world of Barbie is evolving."

Evelyn Mazzocco, Barbie’s Global SVP told Adweek: “We want to remind the world what Barbie stands for. Founded by a female entrepreneur and mother in 1959, the Barbie brand has always represented the fact that women have choices. This ongoing initiative is designed to remind today’s parents that through the power of imagination, Barbie allows girls to explore their limitless potential.”

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The company's new campaign slogan is: Imagination comes in all shapes and sizes. That's why the world of Barbie is evolving. And key to these "shapes and sizes" is Barbie’s new body. Yes, that’s right, the best-selling doll now has three new body types: tall, petite and curvy along with seven different skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles including mohawks, afros, braids and curls. All will be available from springtime.

Is it not all too little too late though? It is, after all, 2016 and curvy body shapes, mohawks, latino skin and green eyes are hardly the zeitgeists of our era. Unsurprisingly this drastic re-brand comes after Time Magazine reported that Barbie’s sales dropped by 20% from the years 2012 to 2014 alone.

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Don’t get me wrong; if little girls are going to watch advertising then I’d much rather they were being told they can smart instead of just pretty. And actually, if they buy a doll with realistic body proportions as a result of said advert then meh. Again, I’d rather they played with her than with a doll of which the thigh-gap dimensions are anorexic.

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But rolling out a line of ‘new’ body types and attributes so late on in the discourse surrounding femininity is just desperate. And doing so as a knee-jerk reaction to the fact your brand is failing just stinks. It’s a heavily diluted message and one rendered totally redundant by fact that the original Barbie doll (shiny blonde hair, blue eyes, thigh gap) is still available to buy.

I think it’s fair to say we’re over you Barbie. And we’re not afraid to tear you apart - plastic limb by plastic limb.

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