Movie Barbie, written by Greta Gerwig, sparked anticipation and curiosity. Not only thanks to the talented cast and the peculiar visual proposal. Also for resizing the figure of one of the most famous dolls in history. Its plot, starring Margot Robbie, is an exploration of the toy’s impact on popular culture. At the same time, the importance of its appearance and the symbolic heritage that surrounds it. Between the two is the perspective of the representation of women, the evolution of the concept of femininity, and various social struggles.
The feature film is about how the toy has historically been part of numerous interpretations, controversies and controversies. Barbie it was always more than a childish object, as it represented an adult woman. A complete revolution in 1959 that turned its creator Ruth Handler and company into Mattel, without criticism. In particular, for the creation of a concept unknown at that time: a character with his own universe. Which included everything from clothes or cars to a house.
In the 1950s, toys for girls were mainly babies and models of household items, kitchens, tea sets, serving tables. However, Ruth Handler’s idea was that her invention would cover up a new layer. So he spent months planning what would be the start of a powerful brand, researching a new take on the toy industry. A transformation that still surprises with its importance and transcendence.
Start Barbie
Ruth Handler was the youngest daughter of a Polish Jewish family who immigrated to the United States in 1916, when the designer was born. In 1938 she married Elliot Handler. The young couple struggled to survive the rigors of World War II.
In the midst of a severe economic crisis and unemployment, a small family, by then already with two children, moved to California. Even then, the creator drew the first sketches of what would happen in the future. Barbie. But creation did not yet have a name or a real purpose.
However, it was clear that this was a pioneering proposition for the girls’ market in North America. At the time, toy companies had very clear goals. Hasbro specializes in Fisher board games Pricee in infants and Playskool in educational materials. So the plastic dolls imitating newborns were part of the secondary collections and lower quality compared to the central lines of the brands.
true visionary
Ruth Handler took something into account when she encouraged her husband to start a plastics company. For the creator, the main function would be to create a series of toys that would be something more than a utilitarian production. In 1945 Mattel it became a company that took the risk of making dolls very different from the rest of its competitors. The innovation began with a machine gun with moving parts, which also reproduced a realistic sound of a shot. Although toy stores had similar products, the one sold by Mattel could be assembled and taken apart to build a second toy.
But the real evolution of the brand was marked by the sponsorship of a television program. Mickey Mouse Club. In 1955, commercial intervention on the small screen was still a novelty that drew distrust. However, the way the company set up an almost unknown promotion method was surprising.
The company gave away its toys to the participants of the series and offered its products as prizes. Soon several of his lines, from educational toys to miniature prefabricated furniture, became successful. However, his greatest contribution to toy history was yet to come.
Barbie, the invention that conquered girls
Ruth Handler managed to create a prototype of a doll that looks like an adult woman. And also all kinds of accessories and a large-scale house in which she will live alone. At the time when a woman was denied a bank loan because she was not married, the decision Mattel it was not a random event.
The designer would later insist that her intention was to break the paradigms of how a woman should be understood. Which included the possibility that the toys were more than a symbol of motherhood or family life. Something that surprised – and worried – investors and even the board of directors Mattel.
But the origin of the future Barbie was even considered scandalous. The idea for a toy with a female body came to its designer during a trip to Switzerland in 1956. The Bild Lilli, based on a cartoon character from a German newspaper. BuildIt was a collectible. Very far from the world of American children. The model that inspired the creation of the most famous doll in the world had explicit sexual intent. In a tight swimsuit, makeup and high heels, she was the exact opposite of innocent American toys. What convinced Ruth Handler that the local market version would be a success.
A happy ending for a doll that made history
He worked for almost ten years to create an adaptation of the German concept. In her biography, published in 1994, Ruth Handler insisted that she wanted to imagine the ideal of a woman capable of anything. In a time full of bans and bans, Barbie had to face many ups and downs before they started selling her.
The prototype, which included shoes, clothes and a house, caused discontent among advertising agencies and the executive committee. Mattel. But determined to achieve unprecedented success for her project, the creator convinced the design department to produce the doll at cost. All profits will come from accessories that can be purchased separately. This led to the fact that the first series of Barbie was sold at a very low price. So much so that it caused ridicule and critical comments in the press and in stores.
Barbie was first introduced in New York International Toy Fair, 1959 But no American brand dared to invest, as the doll had a teenage look and did not promote domestic values. Hence Mattel He decided to start a big advertising campaign and sell his product directly to stores. A year later, the toy and everything related to its world broke sales records. In fact, it paid back the million dollars invested in the first month of commercialization.
Barbie’s success is far beyond
The doll has become a collective phenomenon. Barbie was single, grown-up, and wore feminine clothes without a hint of childishness. There have been disputes that such a concept is not suitable for young girls. However, his popularity far outweighed the distrust that surrounded him.
In particular, because Ruth Handler built the entire advertising campaign on an ambitious approach. This Barbie was the dream of every girl. The approach that led her to the creation of the universe is associated with the idea of female success and self-realization on a scale unknown at the time.
Sixty-four years later, despite the inevitable controversy surrounding her, Barbie remains a symbol of female power. At the same time the possibility of great aspirations. An element that Greta Gerwig’s film seems to showcase in all its importance.
Source: Hiper Textual
