My sister and I used to play a lot of weird games together when we were little, but playing with Barbies was always our go-to. We would fight over who would get to play with our favorite doll, even though we had a few of them. She was a stereotypical Barbie, with fluffy bleach blonde hair, blue eyes, and impeccable tan. We both thought she was so pretty and absolutely flawless, but it never occurred to us to think of her as anything more, or that she could be viewed as anything more than just a pretty doll. Like so many others, we were not looking beyond the surface of the doll.
Fast forward twelve years, and Barbie has completely rebranded itself. In their latest ad, Imagine the Possibilities, Barbie shows young girls that having careers as professors, veterinarians, and coaches is possible. The goal is to show that the brand isn't as shallow as it is often portrayed. The Barbie brand was founded in 1959 on the philosophy that women have choices, and it was meant to encourage girls to seek and explore their limitless potential. This re-imaging of Barbie does a lot to instill faith back into their brand. The shallow perception of Barbie is the most common deterrent to parents wanting to buy the brand. No parent wants to invest into something that is not going to encourage their child to live up to their fullest potential, and Barbie already has a lot of fierce competition on the market without that added pressure.
From American Girl dolls showcasing girls from all walks of life and backstories to Lamilly dolls, which are meant to be the "average" alternative to Barbie, with body proportions that are scaled down from the measurements of the average nineteen-year-old woman, there are a lot of other options on the market when shopping for a doll. Therefore, with competing brands portraying a much more "practical" physicality, this reminder of what Barbie originally stood for and the core foundations of the brand are more important than ever, especially with her unrealistic and overall impossible figure. Although in appearance, she is physically flawless, it is also possible that her image is meant to parallel the attainability of important careers for women; all women are beautiful, and all women have the power to lead successful careers and lives. Therefore, I personally find a lot of significance in Barbie's latest ad campaign. It's relatable, and until the Barbie dolls are actually shown onscreen, the ad could honestly be for anything. That's what I love the most about it, the versatility helps to further the brand's ideas in such a positive way.
And isn't that the whole point? To showcase positivity, the importance of striving to reach one's goals, and the value of never letting anyone hold you back. So make sure to tell your little sisters, nieces, daughters, and the kids you babysit that they can be anything they want to be, and be who they want to be, just like Barbie.
