After 50 years of debate over her unattainably perfect figure,
Barbie now is unapologetic about her tiny waist and endless
legs.
To prove it? The doll, which is made by Mattel, is flaunting her
frame in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's 50th anniversary issue
that's hitting stands on Tuesday. She'll be featured alongside
supermodels like Christie Brinkley and Brooklyn Decker as part of a
campaign called "unapologetic."
"As a legend herself, and under constant criticism about her body
and how she looks, posing ... gives Barbie ... and her fellow
legends an opportunity to own who they are," Mattel said in a
statement.
The campaign is a departure for the 55-year old doll, which has
been both beloved as a plaything and criticized as an unrealistic
standard of beauty for decades.
In fact, Barbie has faced scrutiny for everything from her chiseled
facial features and disproportionately small waist to her "life
choices." And last year, an artist renewed controversy over
Barbie's effect on body image after an artist posted pictures of
the more meaty physique the doll would have if she had the figure
of an average 19-year-old.
Mattel has tried to change Barbie with the times. The doll has gone
through several reinventions, including 150 careers, from architect
to lifeguard, and a brief publicity-stunt breakup with her
boyfriend Ken.
But this latest move, which again sparked online debate on
Wednesday about body image issues, comes as Mattel tries to revive
interest in the doll icon. Barbie is worth an estimated $1.3
billion in sales for the toymaker and she's the No. 1 toy
brand.
But Barbie has lost some popularity in recent years to edgier toys
like Mattel's Monster High dolls with their tattoos and neon hair.
In fact, Barbie has had declining sales in five of the last six
quarters, with sales falling 13 percent in the most recent
quarter.
Mattel hopes the "unapologetic" campaign will boost Barbie's
image.
As part of the campaign, there will be a collector Sports
Illustrated Barbie doll, an event at the Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit Beach House on Monday, a billboard in New York's Times
Square and @Barbie tweets with the hashtag "unapologetic" on
Twitter. Barbie also will appear on the cover of 1,000 issues in an
advertising "cover wrap" for the New York Toy Fair, which starts
Sunday.
Spending for the campaign was undisclosed.
"Unapologetic" is a word that Mattel executives use internally,
said Lisa McKnight, the senior vice president at Mattel. But she
said this is the first time the company is "engaging in a
conversation publicly."
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor MJ Day said Barbie fits in with
the swimsuit issues' "message of empowerment" for women.
But Allen Adamson, a branding expert, said he's not sure a feature
in Sport's Illustrated's swimsuit issue is the right strategy for
the brand.
"The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is one step away from
Playboy magazine," he said. "It is potentially sending the wrong
message to girls."