'Barbie, whose full is Barbara Millicent Roberts, was invented by Mattel’s co-founder Ruth Handler. She was inspired to create a doll with adult features after seeing her own daughter make paper dolls depicting a mature shape due to the absence of 3D toys that did so. During a family holiday to Europe, Handler bought three German-created Bild Lilli dolls. These were based on the sassy adult comic-strip character Lilli and had originally been created as novelty toys for men. However, Handler saw the potential to adapt Lilli’s features and market the doll to children. Alongside designer Jack Ryan she redesigned the doll, and employed fashion designer Charlotte Johnson to create a wardrobe for the new ‘Teen-age Fashion Model’. According to Mattel it was due to the bulky material and the necessary waistbands and fastenings on Barbie’s clothes that the doll was given such a famously narrow waist. Barbie was unveiled at the New York Toy Fair on 9 March 1959 wearing a black and white striped swimsuit. The doll was met with scepticism from both within Mattel and from the toy industry at large. Parents also expressed concern at Barbie’s mature body. In response Mattel adopted a marketing strategy that completely bypassed the need to win parents over by launching an extensive television advertising campaign directed solely at children themselves. This made Mattel the first company to successfully exploit youth television advertising and harness the power of ‘kid consumerism’, resulting in the creation of a modern toy icon that went on to sell over 300,000 units its first year alone.'
Tags: Mattel , barbie , Barbie doll , barbie mattel , 1959 , barbie birthday , new york toy fair , Bild Lilli , barbie creation , original barbie , toy fair new york , original barbie doll
See also:
comments