Ruth%20Handler

1
(No Transcript)
2
Ruth Handler

• was an American businesswoman, the president of
  the toy manufacturer Mattel Inc. and is
  remembered primarily for her role in marketing
  the Barbie doll.
• The formation of Mattel
• Her husband, Elliot Handler and his business
  partner, Harold "Matt" Matson, formed a small
  company to manufacture picture frames, calling it
  "Mattel" by combining part of their names ("Matt"
  and "Elliot").

3
Barbie the beginning

• Ruth Handler had noted that her daughter Barbara,
  who was becoming a pre-teen, preferred playing
  with her infant paper dolls and giving them adult
  roles. She wanted to produce a plastic doll with
  an adult body but her husband and Mr. Matson
  thought it wouldn't sell.

• Ruth Handler had noted that her daughter Barbara,
  who was becoming a pre-teen, preferred playing
  with her infant paper dolls and giving them adult
  roles. She wanted to produce a plastic doll with
  an adult body but her husband and Mr. Matson
  thought it wouldn't sell. But when the Handlers
  were on a European trip, Ruth Handler saw the
  German Bild Lilli doll (which was not meant for
  children at all rather a gag gift for adults) in
  a Swiss shop and brought it home.
• Once home, she reworked the design of the doll
  and re-named her Barbie after her daughter.
  Barbie debuted at the New York toy fair on March
  9, 1959. Barbie became an instant success,
  rocketing the Handlers and their toy company
  toward fame and fortune. Subsequently they would
  add a boyfriend for Barbie named Ken, after
  Handler's son, and many other "friends and
  family" to Barbie's world.

4

• But when the Handlers were on a European trip,
  Ruth Handler saw the German Bild Lilli
  doll (which was not meant for children at all
  rather a gag gift for adults) in a Swiss shop and
  brought it home.

5

• Once home, she reworked the design of the doll
  and re-named her Barbie after her daughter.
  Barbie debuted at the New York toy fair on March
  9, 1959. Barbie became an instant success,
  rocketing the Handlers and their toy company
  toward fame and fortune. Subsequently they would
  add a boyfriend for Barbie named Ken, after
  Handler's son, and many other "friends and
  family" to Barbie's world.

6

• Since its debut in 1959,  the Barbie doll has
  become an American icon that functions as both a
  steady outlet for girls' dreams and an ever
  changing reflection of American society. This can
  be seen in the history of Barbie's clothes, and
  even her various "face lifts" to suit the times
  in her professional, political and charitable
  endeavors and more recently in the
  multi-culturalizing of her product line.

7

• Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll
  in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The
  first Barbie doll wore a black and white zebra
  striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail,
  and was available as either a blonde or brunette.
  The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion
  Model," with her clothes created by Mattel
  fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. The first
  Barbie dolls were manufactured in Japan, with
  their clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworker
  s. Around 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during
  the first year of production.

8

• Barbie was one of the first toys to have a
  marketing strategy based extensively on
  television advertising, which has been copied
  widely by other toys. It is estimated that over a
  billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in
  over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that
  three Barbie dolls are sold every second.
• The early 60s also saw Mattel entering the
  worldwide toy market. The Barbie doll and other
  products were first test-marketed overseas in
  1963, and were received so favorably that many
  products began to be manufactured under licensing
  agreements arranged by the company in England,
  France, Germany, South Africa, Italy and Mexico.

9

• Ruth Handler believed that it was important for
  Barbie to have an adult appearance, and
  early market research showed that some parents
  were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had
  distinct breasts. Barbie's appearance has been
  changed many times, most notably in 1971 when the
  doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather
  than having the demure sideways glance of the
  original model.

10

• Barbie has become a cultural icon and has been
  given honors that are rare in the toy world. In
  2009, Barbie celebrated her 50th birthday

11
(No Transcript)
12

•  Ruth Handler became president of Mattel in 1968
• Barbie has had over 40 pets including cats and dog
  s, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. She
  has owned a wide range of vehicles, including
  pink Corvette convertibles, trailers and jeeps.
  She also holds a pilot's license, and operates
  commercial airliners in addition to serving as
  a flight attendant. Barbie's careers are designed
  to show that women can take on a variety of roles
  in life, and the doll has been sold with a wide
  range of titles including Miss Astronaut
  Barbie (1965), Doctor Barbie (1988) and Nascar
  Barbie (1998).
• Mattel has created a range of companions for
  Barbie, including Hispanic Teresa, Midge, African
  American Christie and Steven (Christie's
  boyfriend). Barbie's siblings and cousins were
  also created including Skipper, Todd (Stacie's
  twin brother), Stacie (Todd's twin
  sister), Kelly, Krissy, and Francie. Barbie was
  friendly with Blaine, an Australian surfer,
  during her split with Ken in 2004.

13
(No Transcript)