The Evolution of Barbie

By Lorinda Bateman

As holiday packages are opened this year, many of the gifts most appreciated by little girls and big girls alike will be Barbie dolls. Whether wearing an elaborate gown while wishing us Happy Holidays, or posing in the pit in a NASCAR jumpsuit, Barbie Millicent Roberts seems the consummate all-American girl. She was born and raised in America's heartland, Willows Wisconsin. She is the eldest daughter of George and Margaret Roberts, the loving, big sister to Skipper, Tutti, Todd, and Stacie, and she has a devoted suitor, Ken Carson, and scores of loyal friends. For many, she is the incarnation of family values and of the American dream.

But in the beginning there was Lilli; a cartoon good time girl. With a lush figure and a knowing glance, always ready with a tart comment (usually related to her expressed desire to marry rich), she began to grace the pages of the German tabloid, Bild, in 1952. In 1955 the paper issued Lilly as an 11 1/2-inch doll. She was a novelty promotion intended as a gag gift for men and sold in German smoke shops. Interestingly, Lilli was also sold in small numbers in the United States, though without the Bild advertising logo on her stand.

Men bought Lilli first as a provocative dashboard ornament or bar decoration, then for their wives and sweethearts as a love token. Ultimately, the dolls found their way into the hands of children. Kids loved this doll with the adult figure, saucy blond pony tail, and best of all, a brochure showing a whole wardrobe of low cut and lacy outfits available for her.

As her popularity with children increased, Lilli's clothing became more modest but she remained a rather worldly young woman. Enter Ruth Handler who, with her husband Elliot, founded the Mattel Company in 1945. On vacation with her family in Europe, she saw Lilli in a shop window and knew at once that she had found what she had been trying to describe to Mattel designers for years: a three-dimensional version of the adult figured paper doll that her daughter had favored as a child. Handler brought two of the dolls for her daughter and one for herself. Back in the States, she was told that the doll would be too costly to produce, especially with the variety of finely tailored clothing she had envisioned. Undaunted, she persevered and after several years of development with many setbacks, Barbie (named for Handler's daughter) was ready for consumer testing.

In those days, mothers were the targeted consumers. Dolls were usually purchased only for special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. Children could hint of course, but final buying decisions were made by parents. The mother's reactions to the test Barbies were not encouraging. They objected to her sophisticated looks, her ample bosom, and her sometimes revealing clothing. Interestingly enough, some were so embarrassed by Barbie's appearance that they remarked that the dolls looked like they should only be sold to men. Most stated that while they felt their daughters might like to own Barbie, they had no intentions of buying one. Mattel then tailored their sales pitch to the mothers' concerns, assuring them that that their daughters would use Barbie as a role model and emulate her carefully accessorized, well-groomed look. Only then did most mothers relent and give Barbie their guarded blessing.

Girls between eight and thirteen who play-tested Barbie were generally more receptive, though some found her sharp features and heavy makeup off-putting. Mattel's strategy with girls was to market Barbie as a teenage fashion model with a beautiful wardrobe and a glamorous exciting life. Feeling they were off to a good start, Mattel debuted Barbie at the 1959 Toy Fair. Much to Ruth Handler's disappointment, Barbie was not well received. The male buyer's response was almost as negative as the mothers had been. Sears, usually one of Mattel's biggest customers, refused to carry Barbie at all, and the orders that they did receive were smaller than expected. The Japanese factory was told to scale back production. In due time, the first Barbie dolls were delivered to the retailers and there they sat. Ruth Handler was truly puzzled. How could she have been so wrong. Meanwhile, Mattel had decided to utilize television advertising. Their commercials for Barbie were scheduled to air during the Mickey Mouse Club, one of the most popular children's shows. For the first time girls could see Barbie in all her glory, wearing one beautiful outfit after another. By the time school was out for the summer, the store shelves were empty. Barbie was on her way at last.

Through the years, Mattel has had its share of ups and downs, but Barbie sales have remained strong.. The target age for Barbie has been lowered, and ninety eight percent of American girls between the ages of three and twelve own at least one Barbie doll. The average number is eight. In 1972, ten million dollars in sales of Totally Hair Barbie (who at that time had the longest hair ever made), turned Mattel's slump around . In 1984, Mattel formally entered the adult market with its first porcelain Barbie, Blue Rhapsody. In 1988 Mattel broke the "ten dollar barrier" with the first Happy Holiday Barbie which sold for $19.99. Now she commands more than $700, if never removed from the box (NRFB). At the same time, Mattel maintained a line of Barbie for children selling for as little as $4.98. Thus, Barbie has remained Mattel's shining star - always changing, yet remaining the same - a mirror of the fashions and foibles of American culture for nearly four decades.