- Mattel’s is celebrating 65 years of Barbie this year and the latest iteration is 9 new professional female athlete Barbies, including tennis icon Venus Williams.
- These one-of-a-kind role model dolls have dropped 65 days after her 65th birthday, which fell on International Women’s Day.
- Dolls include: Canadian soccer player Christine Sinclair, Australian football player Mary Fowler, French boxer Estelle Mossely, Mexican gymnast Alexa Moreno, Brazilian gymnast Rebecca Andrade, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini, Susana Rodriguez, a paratriathlon athlete from Spain and and track and field sprinter from Poland.
Women’s sports is having a moment – with record-breaking viewership and athletes in the WNBA elevating the industry to new heights.
Female sports are hot right now with WNBA breaking viewership records and this ties into Barbie’s brand platform to help girls shoot for their dreams. The brand cited research that being involved in sports makes girls 14% more likely to develop the skills and self confidence to achieve success in their careers.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always been driven by the idea of shattering glass ceilings and staying true to myself, and Barbie’s mission couldn’t resonate more deeply with that ethos,” said Williams, in a statement. “I’m honored to be recognized as a sports role model and join forces with Team Barbie to continue empowering the next generation of young girls to never stop believing in their dreams.”
Last month, Mattel celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month and the upcoming Olympics with a new Kristi Yamaguchi Inspiring Women doll. This is not only good for society, these dolls seem to be good for business. On the heels of Greta Gerwig’s box office sensation with Barbie in 2023, Mattel has an opportunity to embrace the current zeitgeist around the iconic doll with this anniversary. Last year’s film release, which broke box office records earning more than $1.4 billion worldwide in 2023, boosted sales and earnings for Mattel as well. The company saw large jumps in sales with net sales up 16% in Q4.
