It’s Barbie, but not as you know her.
Matell have relaunched their iconic doll, famous for unrealistic proportions, in three new body types – curvy, tall and petite.
“Parents have been complaining for a long time about Barbie’s physique, and they’ve wanted dolls that are a little bigger, a little curvier.” Says Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of TTPM, a toy review site in New York. “This gives people different options when choosing a Barbie for their child.”
A diverse range of Barbie’s will also be available, in seven skin tones, 22 eye colours and 24 hairstyles.
“The skin tone has been a big issue. This was long overdue.”
Sales of Barbie have reportedly been falling since the launch of Frozen’s “Elsa” dolls, and the increasing amount of technology that children are using, including iPads, is having an impact of the doll’s popularity. The company hopes that the rebranding of Barbie into a more relatable doll will improve revenue.
Although the original Barbie will still be sold, the new dolls will arrive on US store shelves in March and will be available for international purchase online.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
