Barbie's road to multicultural reinvention - and renewed relevance

This event report outlines how Barbie, the iconic doll brand owned by Mattel, has transformed its product range and marketing strategy to reflect its diverse audience around the world.

Barbie's road to multicultural reinvention – and renewed relevance

Stephen WhitesideWarc

Since late 2015, Mattel has been on a mission to transform its iconic Barbie doll from blonde-haired, blue-eyed representation of femininity into a brand that truly represents its diverse audience across the globe.

And the task of converting skeptics – many of which accused Barbie of personifying sexist attitudes and outdated cultural biases – with this new message of empowerment and inclusivity began with Juliana Chugg, who became Mattel's EVP/Chief Brand Officer in September 2015.

"I was a bit nervous about joining Mattel. As a mother, as a...

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