With
seven runs for office since 1992,
Barbie has a long history of showing
girls they can and should be in
office. Ahead of the 2020 election,
the brand is launching this new doll
set alongside a full marketing program
aimed at the next generation of
leaders by highlighting the importance
of voting and taking a stand and
showing girls how to run a campaign.
The set highlights dolls of different
ethnicities, including a Black
candidate, to remind all girls they
can lead from the polls to the podium.
“Since 1959, Barbie has championed
girls and encouraged them to be
leaders whether in the classroom,
community or someday, of the country,”
said Lisa McKnight, SVP and Global
Head of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel.
“With less than a third of elected
leaders in the U.S. being women, and
Black women being even less
represented in these positions, we
designed the Barbie Campaign Team with
a diverse set of dolls to show all
girls they can raise their voices. Our
goal is to remove barriers to
leadership by giving girls the tools
to imagine and play out their future
roles.”
The brand has teamed up with She
Should Run, a non-partisan non-profit
that provides guidance and support to
women considering a run for office.
While we know there are barriers to
getting girls in leadership roles, 66%
of adults surveyed by She Should Run*
observed an increased perception in
leadership potential in children who
role-play.
With a continued effort on determining
how to foster girls’ leadership
ambition, Barbie and She Should Run
are directly addressing the top
barriers to girls’ leadership, which
are self-limiting beliefs that are in
line with what the brand seeks to
address through the Barbie
Dream Gap Project.
In addition to being a longtime
partner, She Should Run is a recipient
of funds from the Barbie Dream Gap
Project and has dedicated resources in
part to Help
Her Lead, a course designed to
support young girls, particularly
girls of color, in their pathway to
political leadership by giving adult
role models the resources and guidance
to engage and inspire them early in
life. To effectively build political
leadership ambition, role models can
host intentional conversations about
why it’s important to lead,
demonstrate their own involvement
through fundraising or volunteer
efforts and role-play leadership
activities, like giving a speech.
“With the upcoming elections and the
current push for equality and
representation, 2020 is an incredible
time for us to inspire young women and
girls to lead,” said Erin Loos
Cutraro, founder and CEO of She Should
Run. “Understanding the role we play
in empowering our daughters is the
first step—we have to have healthy
conversations at home and encourage
curiosity. By getting them excited
today, we’re giving them the
confidence to raise their voices and
run for office tomorrow.”
Additional educational resources,
including play ballots and printable
activities, prompts for girls to write
their own campaign speeches and more
will be available on
Barbie.com/CampaignTeam and a new “Ask
Barbie” video will be live on
the Barbie
YouTube channel. The Barbie
Campaign Team, sold as a set, is
available for $39.99 from major online
retailers starting today.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global toy company
and owner of one of the strongest
catalogs of children’s and family
entertainment franchises in the world.
We create innovative products and
experiences that inspire, entertain
and develop children through play. We
engage consumers through our portfolio
of iconic brands, including Barbie®,
Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American
Girl®, Thomas & Friends™, UNO® and
MEGA®, as well as other popular
intellectual properties that we own or
license in partnership with global
entertainment companies. Our offerings
include film and television content,
gaming, music and live events. We
operate in 35 locations and our
products are available in more than
150 countries in collaboration with
the world’s leading retail and
ecommerce companies. Since its
founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to
be a trusted partner in empowering
children to explore the wonder of
childhood and reach their full
potential.
About She Should Run
Founded in 2011, She Should Run is a
non-partisan 501(c)3 that provides an
approachable starting place and
network for women leaders considering
a future run for office and for those
who support them. Their mission is to
expand the talent pool of women
running for office in the United
States by providing community,
resources, and growth opportunities
for aspiring political leaders. They
believe that women of all political
leanings, ethnicities, and backgrounds
should have an equal opportunity to
lead in elected office and that our
democracy will benefit from the varied
perspectives and experiences that
women bring to leadership.
*Full She Should Run survey results
available here
MAT-BARB
- Commerce
« Barbie
Mattel
July 28, 2020
Media Contact: Mattel Newsroom
July 28, 2020
Media Contact: Mattel Newsroom
Barbie® Unveils 2020 Campaign Team Set to Encourage All Girls to Raise Their Voice
In
Partnership with She Should Run,
Brand Educates on Leadership Roles
and Importance of Voting
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 28, 2020 –
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today
announced the Barbie® 2020 Campaign Team
set to expose girls to public leadership
roles and pique their interest in
shaping the future. The new career set
includes four diverse dolls with roles
that make a winning campaign, including
candidate, campaign manager, fundraiser
and voter, to show girls the importance
of a political team working together to
win.