Barbie was born in the United States after World War II. At that time Mattel (Mattel) founder Ruth Handler (1916 - 2002), saw her daughter like to play with the then popular paper dolls, excited to help them change clothes, change purses, and then thought that we should design a three-dimensional doll. While on vacation in Germany, Ruth accidentally found the 11.5-inch tall, 39-18-33 German doll "Lilly". It was this doll that inspired Ruth, and when she returned to the U.S., Ruth immediately remodeled Lilly's image to make her look like Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn Monroe) in general, sexy and charming.
March 9, 1959, the world's first blonde beauty doll was officially launched, Ruth with her youngest daughter Barbara's name to her, from this blonde beauty is called "Barbie". 42 years, Barbie has always maintained a youthful, bright image, curvy, glowing. Mattel company to launch an average of 90 sets of Barbie dolls each year, in order to make Barbie more humane, Mattel designed specifically for her friends, family, and a boyfriend named Kenny; Barbie engaged in a variety of occupations, she has been a star, teachers, engineers, and even veterinarians; and the most fascinating to the children is that Barbie has countless beautiful clothes.
Barbie is the world's best-selling and most popular doll for little girls, with a staggering record of two Barbies sold every second. So far, there have been more than 1 billion Barbie dolls in 150 countries around the world was sold out. 3 years old to 11 years old American girls, an average of 10 Barbie dolls per person, Italy and the United Kingdom girls have an average of 7, France, Germany, 5 girls, and the Asian region of Hong Kong, the little girls have an average of 3 Barbie dolls per person. Barbie has become a cultural and political symbol.
Barbie was chosen by "Interbrand" as the most valuable toy brand, worth up to 2 billion dollars, the brand value is only slightly lower than the Wall Street Journal, but also higher than Starbucks, Armani, Pampers, Fawn and Siemens and other brands.
The image of Barbie has been controversial in the past, for example, many believe she is a parochial representative of the image of a woman with slightly open lips, large breasts and a snake's waist. There are also many people who see Barbie as another representative of capitalist power, in addition to Coca-Cola and McDonald's (because there are many Barbies who appear in luxurious and profligate styles, wearing gold and silver).
Despite this, the forces of opposition on all sides were unable to stop the plastic beauty who was forever on her tiptoes ready to put on her high heels. Her image and influence continue to rise more and more positively over time. Christopher Varaste, author of the book "The Face of the American Dream", described Barbie as more than just a toy, but as a representative of American women's independence, autonomy and self-expression.
In many universities in the United States, "Barbieology" can even become a specialized class, through the Barbie phenomenon to explore the psychology of women, their roles, the relationship between men and women, as well as women's interaction with society and other issues. Perhaps the greatest recognition came in early 2012, when the U.S. government placed Barbie in a time capsule buried in honor of women's health care as a representation of women.
Each year Mattel Toys produces about 150 Barbie dolls, 120 of which are new looks that, in addition to following fashion trends, more importantly evolve with the evolving female roles of the times.There was a hippie Barbie in an anti-war bandana in the '70s, in addition to roles such as Barbie the female astronaut, Barbie the aerobics dance instructor, the aviator, the rapper, the presidential candidate, and even a Barbie, the female bodyguard. The aura of the "Barbie" toy brand has been extended to cell phones. Mattel hopes its new toy-themed phones will capture the market for girls under 14 and recreate the glory of Barbie.
In a densely populated metropolis like New York, cell phone stores are everywhere, five steps forward and 10 steps back. The entire U.S. cell phone market is also saturated. Several major wireless communication companies in this cruel arena of advertising, "eight immortal over the sea, each show their skills": AT&T sponsorship of the hottest program "American Idol", so that the crazy listeners with their cell phones to their own respected idol! cast a vote; T-Mobile has a "Welsh diamond" reputation of Catherine Zeta-Jones as a spokesman, coquettishly, looking forward to tell you a variety of wonderful use of cell phones; cell phone market, a newcomer Cingular is seized by the cell phone users care about the phone bill, will be rationed time to extend the time can be put to the unused time of the month to extend the time of the month. unused time from one month to the next.
It seems like this kind of marketing campaign should be able to hit every man, woman and child, but there's one bulwark these wireless companies have been unable to break: the hearts and minds of the younger generation. No matter how hard they try and how much they spend on advertising, they seem to have little success in capturing their attention and loyalty, and risk pushing them away from themselves. These young people have a strong sense of "peer pressure", and once certain opinion leaders deliver a message, they will follow it involuntarily. April 27, 2002, "Barbie" creator Ruth Handler died at the age of 85 after a long illness. 40 years, her success story has been tightly linked with "Barbie", and she created the "Barbie" doll. "The Barbie image she created has become so popular that it has become an icon of American culture.
Born in Denver, the youngest of Polish immigrant parents, Ruth Handler moved to Southern California at the age of 19 and soon married her high school boyfriend.
In the mid-1940s, Ruth Handler and her husband started a company specializing in wooden picture frames, with him designing the shapes and her marketing them. 1945 saw the couple team up with a friend, Mattel, to start a toy company, Mattel. Mattel.
In those days, children's toys were dolls. One day, Ruth Handler suddenly saw her daughter Barbara was playing with a little boy cutout dolls, these cutout dolls are not the kind of baby babies that were common at the time, but a teenager, with their own occupations and identities, so that her daughter was very fascinated. "Why not a more mature doll?" Inspiration sparked in Handler's mind.
The road to realizing that inspiration was arduous. The doll she designed was first called "Lilly," and was introduced in 1955 by a German toy company she had bought. But "Lilly" was dressed as a slutty, sexy, wild woman, not an "innocent, beautiful doll," which was far from what Ruth Handler had in mind.
At Ruth Handler's insistence, Mattel finally accepted her idea and began work on the design, releasing and patenting the Barbie doll in 1958.
In 1959, "Barbie" participated in the New York Toy Fair, and that year became a turning point in her "life". Everyone was attracted to her: perfect body, "39, 18, 33" circumference, blonde hair, fresh appearance, and several drawers of beautiful clothes. No one had ever seen such a toy before, and if this was a real person, what charm she would have!
"Barbie" shocked the world, and the world got to know Ruth Handler.
For Ruth Handler, "Barbie" was like a family member, because the name was borrowed from her daughter Barbara. Not only that, but Ruth Handler also gave "Barbie" a boyfriend, Ken, after her youngest son.
Whenever she calls out these names, Ruth Handler feels very close to them because she and the Barbie family have become one.