Friday, March 6, 2009

Baby-Boomer Barbie


To celebrate Barbie's 50th birthday (March 9), Mattel is sending the famous doll on an international expansion tour. It's opening a new Barbie store in Shanghai, a 6-story store that sounds something like the American Girl stores in NYC, Chicago, and other major US cities. Since Mattel bought American Girl in 1998, it makes sense for the toymaker to apply successful tactics to other product lines (like Barbie).

Forbes recently interviewed Barbie about her special birthday. The Economist thinks Barbie's conservative look and fashions may help Mattel weather the economic storms ahead. Fiat has even created a special Fiat 500 for the doll's birthday party, with Ken at the wheel.

Today's Barbie is tech-savvy, right at home in her online home. To see more of Barbie through the years, including this 1959 image, click here.

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