Introduction
Barbie, the iconic Mattel doll, has been a part of popular culture since her creation and has greatly impacted society. Barbie has been a source of joy and controversy, especially regarding her representation of the ideal female body. While the doll has been praised for inspiring young girls to dream big, it has also been heavily criticized for promoting an unrealistic body image that can harm their self-esteem.
Main Body
Since her introduction, Barbie has been the subject of numerous public debates surrounding her effects on society. Some argue that Barbie harms young girls, perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards and suggesting that women prioritize their physical appearance over other aspects of their identity (Robson & Beninger, 2020). On the other hand, Barbie can be seen as a positive role model, inspiring young girls to be independent, ambitious, and determined.
Regardless of the stance, Barbie can be controversial. Mattel and the managers of the Barbie brand should consider this when shaping their marketing strategies. They should advocate for body positivity, diversity, and self-acceptance in their dolls and consumer messages (Robson & Beninger, 2020). This could include creating dolls of different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities to better reflect the world’s diversity and using more inclusive language and imagery in their advertising campaigns.
In addition, Mattel should focus on highlighting Barbie’s other positive attributes. They can emphasize her intelligence, creativity, and resilience and encourage young girls to take pride in their accomplishments (Robson & Beninger, 2020). Mattel can also work to encourage young girls to develop a healthy body image by providing them with accurate and realistic information about body types and beauty standards.
Conclusion
Overall, Barbie has generated controversy, nevertheless, as a result of how she portrays the ideal female figure. This should be considered while creating marketing tactics for the Barbie brand, such as developing dolls of all sizes, shapes, and races, utilizing more inclusive language and imagery, and emphasizing Barbie’s other good qualities. Ultimately, how Mattel and the Barbie brand present the iconic doll will greatly impact society. Mattel can motivate young girls to have strong self-images and achieve their aspirations by supporting diversity and positive body image. Mattel should also promote young girls’ healthy body image development by giving them honest and realistic information about all body types and beauty ideals.
Reference
Robson, K. & Beninger, S. (2020). Does Mattel’s iconic Barbie doll need a makeover? Ivey Publishing.