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Barbie History | |
BARBIE HISTORY The creator of Barbie was Ruth Handler, who with her husband Elliot, co-founded Mattel, Inc. Barbie was named after the Handler’s daughter, Barbie. Ruth Handler was inspired by three smutty Lilli dolls she picked up in Europe in 1957. The Lilli dolls were modeled after a character in a German comic strip. Lilli was not a baby doll like most other dolls on the market in the 1950s. Lilli had a well developed, curvaceous body, a tiny waistline, and wore skimpy, tight clothes. After watching her daughter Barbie play with adult paper dolls, Ruth Handler decided to create a doll that would “project every little girl’s dream of the future “. Ruth sensed it was just as important for girls to imagine what they might grow up to become as it was for them to role play what it would be like to care for babies. Barbie’s voluptuous figure sparked controversy from the beginning. On a human scale, her measurements translated into 39”-21”-33”. Despite negative responses from mothers in an early marketing study, and amidst doubts from other Mattel executives, Mattel dutifully carried out the request from the company’s founders and put Barbie on the market. Barbie made her debut at the American Toy Fair in New York City in 1959. In Barbie’s first year, Mattel sold 351,000 Barbie dolls at $3 per doll. Thanks to Barbie, Mattel reached a new sales record, the first of countless other sales records to come. The first Barbie doll had black eyeliner, pearl hoop earrings, a zebra striped bathing suit and stiletto heels. All the original clothes were hand sewn. Other original clothes for Barbie’s wardrobe included a casual outfit for football games, a tennis dress, a bridal gown, and a ballerina tutu. Barbie’s fashionable wardrobe and accessories have always been a key feature of the Barbie dolls, with outfits along the way created by world famous designers Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Valentino, Perry Ellis, Bob Mackie, Givenchy, Versace, Dolce & Gabana, Vera Wang & Gucci. Mattel also staffs in-house designers who create about a hundred new outfits each year for Barbie. Over 105 million yards of fabric have reportedly been used to produce Barbie’s clothes since 1959, making Mattel one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the world. In 1961, Barbie’s hard look was transformed into a softer look with blue eyes, curved eyebrows and a Jackie Onassis hairstyle. Soon to follow were Mod Barbie, Sun Lovin’ Malibu Barbie, Aerobics Barbie, Yuppie Barbie, Astronaut Barbie, Dr. Barbie, Karaoke Barbie, etc., etc. Ken, named after the Handler’s son, was introduced in 1961 as Barbie’s “handsome steady”. It is interesting to note that Ken had non-removable shorts. In 1963, Barbie’s best friend, Midge, was introduced and in 1966, the first Black Barbie, Francie, was unveiled. As for the countless other versions of Barbie and her friends, including foreign versions and collector’s editions, it would literally take a book to name them all. Once Ken showed up, one group of critics banded together to form the Barbie Liberation Organization, a group who saw Barbie as the “embodiment of sexism”. Despite the criticisms, playing with Barbie dolls has been credited with enhanced self-image and expanded potential rather than the opposite. As Barbie evolved over the years, she has tackled every conceivable profession, including doctor, dentist, astronaut, firefighter, paleontologist, businesswoman, police officer, olympic athlete--even Presidential candidate! The success of the Barbie doll led Mattel to become a publicly owned company in 1960. In 1963, the Barbie doll and other products were test-marketed overseas. Results were so favorable that licensing agreements were arranged in England, France, Germany, South Africa, Italy and Mexico. Within five years, Mattel joined the ranks of companies on the list of Fortune 500 companies (the largest companies in the U.S.). In 1974, Mattel almost went bankrupt and the Handlers and other Mattel executives were fired after allegations of falsifying financial records. Ruth was indicted by a federal grand jury on securities fraud. Fortunately, Barbie endured and is still the most successful and enduring toy on the market. In fact, ninety percent of all American girls in the last forty years have owned at least one Barbie. Today, the typical American girl today between the ages of 3 and 11 now owns an average of 10 Barbie dolls; in Italy, France and Germany, the typical collection is 5 Barbie dolls. According to Mattel, over one billion Barbie dolls (and family members) have been sold since 1959 in more than one hundred and forty countries. Furthermore, Mattel sells over 1.5 million dolls each week, which is equivalent to 215,286 dolls per day, and to two and a half dolls per second. Finally, if every Barbie doll ever manufactured were laid end to end, they would circle the earth more than seven times! Barbie is the best-selling fashion doll in almost every global market, with worldwide annual sales of $1.5 billion. The best selling Barbie doll ever created was Totally Hair Barbie, introduced in 1992. This Barbie had hair from the top of her head to her toes, and sold more than 10 million units, generating worldwide sales of $100 million U.S. dollars. Other interesting Barbie trivia:
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