Friday, October 30, 2015

Can Barbie win back the hearts and minds of Moms?



I grew up playing with Barbie.  I never noticed her impossible figure.  But I did notice her career oriented outfits.  Check these out from her 1962 look book...

She could be a nurse,

a flight attendant (called stewardesses in those days),


and even a career woman (ok, girl).

All of which was pretty radical in 1962.

So I'm not exactly sure when Moms turned on her, or even why.  But with a 14% decline in sales in 2014, it would seem that she is on life support. 

Now, Mattel has decided the time is right to try to win back those Moms.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Gen X Moms (36-50) are giving way to Millennial Moms (21-35).

They started their outreach with this 2 minute YouTube video focusing on Barbie's ability to empower.  As of now it has racked up 10.9 million views, and tons of positive press.  You can check it out here...



So, what do you think?  Do you have bad feelings about Barbie?  Why?  Would this change those feelings?  Would you buy one for a girl you know?  Or will you wait to get her Mom's permission?  And, do you think Millennial Moms will be more receptive to Barbie than Gen X Moms? 


Forbes, T. (2015, October 16)  If Barbie Could Talk... mediapost.com.  Retrieved October 29, 2015, from  http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/260564/if-barbie-could-talk.html?print