We were excited to read last week's announcement from Mattel that Barbie is embracing diversity with the launch of a new line of tall, petite and curvy dolls soon to hit the stores. If an influential brand like Mattel is moving to celebrate a wider range of body shapes that are more reflective of society, we can only hope that other brands are also reviewing their own strategies on this front.
While Mattel have been fairly tight-lipped on what prompted the move, we imagine a major driver was a sense of responsibility for the role their dolls play in influencing young consumers. With girls as young as five worried about their body image, more variety in the shapes and sizes of their toys will give girls more confidence about their own bodies. Mattel have also been steering girls to focus more on Barbie's career ambitions than her body image with the launch of campaigns like Imagine the Possibilities which feature girls picturing themselves as teachers, coaches and other professionals. At TWF, we hope that where Barbie is going, others will follow suit!
On behalf of all of us at TWF - Happy Chinese New Year!
Connect will take a break next week and we will be back in the Year of the Monkey.
