Barbie is a figurehead for the brand Mattel dolls and accessories, including other family members, and collectible dolls. Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market 50 years, and it was a lot of controversy and lawsuits, often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle.
Barbie History
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and I noticed that often enjoyed them adult roles. At that time, most children toy dolls, children's shows. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of adult doll in good condition for her husband Elliot, co-founder of Mattel toy company. This idea was very enthusiastic, as were Mattel's directors.
During the trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across German toy doll called Bild Lilli. Adult-figured doll was only one handler had in mind, so he bought three. He gave one to his daughter and took the others back to Mattel.
Lilli doll was based on the popular cartoon character seems drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lila was the blond bomber, working girl, who knew what he wanted and was not above using men to do it. Lilli doll sold for the first time in Germany in 1955, and even if the product is sold to adults, has become popular with children who love the dress that has clothes that were available separately.
On his return to the United States, reworked controller design doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York March 9, 1959. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
Mattel acquired the rights to Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The first Barbie doll wore a striped shirt with black and white stripes and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as a blonde or brunette. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-Age Fashion Model" with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. The first Barbie doll made in Japan, with hand-sewn clothes by Japanese homeworkers. About 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during the first year of production.
Ruth Handler believed that it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some parents were unhappy with the chest of the mannequin, which had different breast. Appearance of Barbie has changed many times, especially in 1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forward instead of look small on the side of the original model.
Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based more on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. It is estimated that more than one billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second.
The standard range of Barbie dolls and accessories are made with about 1 / 6 scale, which is also known as playscale. Standard dolls are 11 1 / 2 inches high.
Barbie products include not only a variety of dolls and their clothes and accessories, but also a wide selection of Barbie-branded products such as books, clothing, cosmetics, and video games. Barbie has appeared in a series of animations, and is a strong figure in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3
Barbie has become a cultural icon and was given the honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. In 1985, artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie.
