February 13, 2014
“The reality is, we just didn’t sell enough Barbie Dolls.” — Bryan G. Stockton, chief executive of Mattel, shortly before the Barbie brand joined forces with Sports Illustrated’s anniversary swimsuit issue. Mattel paid for the “opportunity” to appear in the issue according to The New York Times and has used #unapologetic to refer to the campaign in social media.
June 9, 2014
After another drop in sales compared with the fourth quarter last year, Mattel announced that the Barbie brand would join forces with the iconic MillerCoors brand.
On the 55th anniversary of Ruth Handler’s invention, the doll — based loosely on Handler’s daughter Barbara — is still in search of adventure. “This is an exciting opportunity for Barbie,” said a Mattel executive with knowledge of the campaign details, “as Barbie has yet to golf in a miniskirt or mock effeminate men while bartending. We’re confident this relationship will bring out the best in both brands.”
At the beach party-themed launch celebrating this dream merger, a spokesman for MillerCoors said, “Yeah. I guess we’re doing it.”
A limited edition “Party Girl Barbie” dressed in a magenta spaghetti strap cocktail dress paired with thigh-high stiletto boots will be sold exclusively at Target.com.
“But I have to be up early for a meeting tomorrow,” said the MillerCoors guy. “So I gotta be out of here by midnight.”
October 26, 2014
A further drop in first quarter sales has inspired Mattel to court and secure a partnership with Pfizer in a joint advertising campaign that will dress Barbie as a medical doctor who can prescribe both painkillers for arthritics and kidney-transplant drugs. Read More