If you look up the definition of the word “Barbie,” this is what you’ll find:

“A doll representing a conventionally attractive young women.” Let’s think about exactly what that means. If applied in the informal sense “conventionally attractive” means “glossily artificial,” or plastic. Although the attractive aspect of a “Barbie” seems to stop at physical appearances because if taken one step further and applied to personality “unintelligent and characterless” seem to go hand in hand with the term. But what would happen if we not only changed the meaning of what it meant for a woman to be “conventionally attractive,” but demonstrated that a strong personality can be just as attractive as physical appearances?

When I played with Barbie dolls as a child, I was always sure to give my dolls a story, a sense of purpose, and most importantly a personality. Of course I loved changing her outfits and playing with her hair, but that was never the sole reason of playing with the doll. I would take my Barbies on playdates with my friends and they gave us the ability to mimic the things that we couldn't do yet in the world around us, whether that be imitating a stay at home mom or an astronaut. I think the long story short is that Barbie dolls have always had held a lot more potential for positively influencing young girls than given credit for. Do I agree that the body image that they display for young girls is unhealthy? Yes, but the difference is that if the focus is shifted from the shallow ideas and stigmas that are wrapped up with the term “Barbie” and readjusted on the doll’s potential to inspire young girls that they can be anything they dream, then we could really get somewhere. And that’s exactly what Mattel intends to do.

Mattel’s latest ad campaign gives a refreshing and uplifting new take on what the doll stands for. The campaign is titled “Imagine the Possibilities” and the first two-minute commercial released does just that. It follows five little girls pursuing careers in five different fields, and it is nothing short of heart-warming. The ad ends with the statement, “You can be anything,” a statement that I believe is so important for little girls to hear, particularly when surrounded by so many other obstacles and pressures. My parents always told me that I could be anything or do anything that I wanted to if I put my mind to it, and now it looks like maybe the rest of the world is ready to tell all little girls the same thing. It may only be a marketing ploy, but Mattel could arguably have one of the largest means of influence over little girls and they are actively redefining what it means for a woman to “conventionally attractive.” When I saw this commercial I first thought, “Little girls will see this and understand that its cool to be yourself and to follow your dreams.” The reality is that there really is no conventionality to attractiveness, we are all unique and we are all free to follow our dreams no matter our age, our race, or our gender.

And so I encourage anyone to watch Mattel’s new Barbie ad below and try not to smile: