How girls failed to fall for diverse new Barbies
SHE was given a more ‘curvy’ figure for the first time in an effort to make her more realistic to young girls.
But it seems Barbie’s image overhaul has failed to prove a hit – with sales tumbling by 15 per cent. Despite an initial rise when the change was introduced last year, US makers Mattel said revenues dipped in the first three months of the year to £574million.
The toy giant brought in a more diverse range to counter criticism that the doll set an unrealistic body image for girls. After 57 years as an impossibly thin blonde with an out-of-proportion chest, Barbie was given a fuller figure so it is ‘more reflective of the world girls see around them’.
The move also recognised how youngsters admire curvier stars such as Beyonce and Kim Kardashian.
The new range, launched in January 2016 and introduced in the UK from March, also included a taller Barbie and a petite version. There are also seven skin tones and a range of hair styles. The firm said it had a ‘responsibility to reflect a broader view of beauty’ – even though most of the £9.99 toys still wear short skirts and high heels.
But the revamp has not helped to reverse a long-term decline in sales of the doll – which dropped by 20 per cent from 2012 to 2014. The latest gloomy figures represent the second consecutive quarter of falling revenues – and the biggest slide since 2009. Mattel was also forced to slash prices to sell stock that was unsold over the Christmas period.
In contrast, arch-rival Hasbro has reported huge success since it won the rights from Mattel to sell toys based around characters from the 2013 animated film Frozen.