Barbie doll: what kind of toy, reasons for popularity and interesting facts

Barbie doll will be 64 years old on March 9, 2023. However, she still looks young and is not going to retire. Barbie remains popular. In 2021, the company Mattel earned on this doll $1.35 billion. What is the secret of Barbie's success? She had to fight for her popularity.

How the Barbie doll appeared

The creator of the barbie doll is Ruth Handler. She noticed that her daughter and her friends in their games often perceive dolls not as small children, but as young women. Girls like to imagine themselves in the future and observe young girls.

Ruth wanted to create an adult doll in the form of a girl. For the conservative 1950s, this idea was too revolutionary. To realize it, we had to wait several years. When the first Barbie doll appeared, Ruth's daughter was already 18 years old.

Ruth's husband founded Mattel in 1945. It manufactured toys. In 1959, the first Barbie doll was presented at a toy fair in New York. However, customers looked at her with incomprehension. It was strange for them to see a children's toy in the form of a blonde woman in a black and white leotard with heels. Then she was considered too provocative and indecent for children. Barbie did not become popular.

1956 Ruth and her daughter were on vacation in Switzerland and saw a Lily doll there in the form of a relaxed girl. Upon returning to the United States, Ruth created a doll similar to Lily. Mattel even had lawsuits as Lily's manufacturer made plagiarism claims. Mattel bought the copyrights and all patents to the Lily doll.

In order for Barbie to become successfully sold, Ruth, as a vice-president of Mattel, came up with such unconventional at the time marketing strategies:

• The first dolls were sold very cheaply, at a price of 3 dollars. Profits were mainly from the sale of Barbie clothes and accessories.
• Mattel created television commercials aimed at children.
• Barbie doll was featured in the popular show «Mickey Mouse Club.« This is what kick-started the huge sales of Barbie.

Barbie's appearance was often changed. This was necessary to maintain her popularity among different generations of girls. The most notable changes in Barbie's design:

• At first Barbie's smile had white teeth and now she smiles with a closed mouth.
• The elbows and knees are now articulated.
• The fingers of the hands are now pointing to the side.
• The figure is perfectly slender.

Interesting facts about Barbie

What was noteworthy in the life of Barbie:

• The doll visited the moon before astronauts. In 1965, Barbie the astronaut was manufactured and flew to the moon.
• Barbie was in the role of a presidential candidate in the United States.
• The dolls had different professions. They were in the role of a fireman, musician, doctor, race car driver, archaeologist and other not quite female specialties.
• Barbie was made in the form of celebrities: supermodel Twiggy, popular in 1967, in the image of actress Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, singer Cher, writer Joanne Rowling, artist Frida Kahlo and others.
• There are Barbie dolls-heroes of popular movies and TV series. For example, Scully and Mulder from x-files, characters from «Star Wars», etc.
• The most popular Barbie is the Totally Hair Barbie, created in 1992. She has floor-length hair. Over 10 million of these dolls have been sold.

The popularity of Barbie brought her image of a beautiful and successful girl. For her produce stylish houses, cars, pets and a lot of accessories: jewelry, bags combs and various clothes. Playing Barbie, girls imagine themselves as adults and so can visualize their dreams. Each of them can find an image of Barbie that she likes.