Bringing a new sense of cultural relevance to Mattel | WARC | The Feed
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Bringing a new sense of cultural relevance to Mattel
Over its 75 year-plus history, Mattel has created some iconic toys, from the Barbie doll to Hotwheels cars, and it is now inviting artists to reimagine these in new ways.
What it’s doing
A collaborations platform, Mattel Creations, offers the artistic community the opportunity to use Mattel’s brands as a “canvas for conversation” that is curated by Highsnobiety, CEO Richard Dickson told Cannes Lions Live.
Why it matters
As a lifestyle site that promises to keep its audience ahead of the curve, working with Highsnobiety opens up opportunities for Mattel to connect its brands with a new taste-maker consumer base and to do so in an authentic manner.
Takeaways
- This approach has enabled Mattel to build new stories around its brands in a unique way.
- At the same time it has created a new DTC model, selling brand-derived artists’ content based on limited availability in contrast to the ubiquity of the toys themselves.
- Collaborations between artists and brands should be long-running and not just a short-term fad.
Key quote
“When you think about our toys, they’re iconic form factors … so really all we’re doing is offering these iconic form factors to artists as canvases” – Richard Dickson, President and CEO at Mattel.
[Image: Mattel Creations via Instagram]
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