| Barbie is a best-selling doll launched at the | | | | sideways. Barbie was one of the first toys to |
| American International Toy Fair on March 9, | | | | have a marketing strategy based extensively |
| 1959. The doll is produced by Mattel, Inc. | | | | on television advertising, which has been |
| Barbie dolls and related accessories are | | | | copied since by many other toys. Today the |
| manufactured to approximately 1/6th scale, | | | | Barbie doll is a $1.9 billion a year |
| which is also known as playscale. [1] | | | | industry, with Mattel claiming that three |
| | | | Barbie dolls are sold every second. Barbie |
| Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara at | | | | products include not only the range of dolls |
| play with paper dolls, and noticed that she | | | | with their clothes and accessories, but also |
| often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the | | | | a huge range of Barbie branded goods such as |
| time, most children's toy dolls were | | | | books, fashion items and video games. Barbie |
| representations of infants. Realizing that | | | | has appeared in a series of animated films |
| there could be a gap in the market, she | | | | and makes a brief guest appearance in the |
| suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to | | | | 1999 film Toy Story 2. Almost uniquely for a |
| her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the | | | | toy fashion doll, Barbie has become a |
| Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic | | | | cultural icon and has been given honors that |
| about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. | | | | are rare in the toy world. In 1974 a section |
| | | | of Times Square in New York City was renamed |
| During a trip to Germany in 1956 with her | | | | Barbie Boulevard for a week, while in 1985 |
| children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler | | | | the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of |
| discovered a German doll called the Bild | | | | Barbie. |
| Lilli doll in a shop window. The | | | | |
| adult-figured Lilli doll was exactly what | | | | Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent |
| Handler had in mind, so she purchased three | | | | Roberts, and over the years she has been |
| of them. She gave one to her daughter and | | | | given many companions, the best known being |
| took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli | | | | her beau Ken (Ken Carson), who made his debut |
| doll was based on a popular character | | | | in 1961. Like Barbie, Ken shares his name |
| appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard | | | | with one of Ruth Handler's children. Barbie |
| Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. | | | | and Ken have a famous on-off relationship and |
| Lilli was a working girl who knew what she | | | | they announced a split in 2004 which seems to |
| wanted and was not above using men to get it. | | | | have been only temporary. Other longstanding |
| The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in | | | | friends in Barbie's ethnically diverse social |
| 1955, and although it was initially sold to | | | | circle include Hispanic Teresa, African |
| adults, it became popular with children who | | | | American Christie and Steven (Christie's |
| enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were | | | | boyfriend), and Kayla. For a full list of |
| available separately. On her return to the | | | | Barbie's companions, see the List of Barbie's |
| United States, Handler reworked the design of | | | | friends and family. |
| the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) | | | | |
| and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, | | | | According to the Random House novels of the |
| after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll | | | | 1960s, her parents' names are George and |
| made its debut at the American International | | | | Margaret Roberts of Willows, Wisconsin. |
| Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This | | | | Barbie has been said to attend Willows High |
| date is also used as Barbie's official | | | | School in Willows, Wisconsin and Manhattan |
| birthday. Mattel acquired the rights to the | | | | International High School in New York City |
| Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of | | | | (based on the real-life Stuyvesant High |
| Lilli was stopped. The first Barbie doll wore | | | | School). |
| a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and | | | | |
| signature topknot ponytail, and was available | | | | Barbie has thirty-eight recorded pets, |
| as either a blonde or brunette. The doll was | | | | including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a |
| marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model", with | | | | lion cub, and a zebra. She has owned pink |
| her clothes created by Mattel fashion | | | | convertibles, trailers, jeeps and more. She |
| designer Charlotte Johnson. Barbie's | | | | also holds a pilot's license, and operates |
| appearance has been changed many times, most | | | | commercial airliners when not serving as a |
| notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were | | | | flight attendant. |
| adjusted to look forwards rather than | | | | |