Barbie Forever: Her Inspiration, History and Legacy by Robin Greer

I never had a Barbie doll growing up. Barbie was for GIRLS; I was a TOMBOY and I had TEDDY BEARS. I was a child of the 70’s and 80’s, surrounded by ‘Girls can do anything’ messaging – what did I want with a doll?!

But this book caught my eye – Barbie has been inspiring girls since 1959? She was 60? Not to mention the striking graphic on the cover. Now I’m a bit older, I was intrigued by what could have made her last so long.

And the history of how Barbie came to be is a great story of tenacity and self-belief. Ruth Handler first pitched Barbie to Mattel in the early 1950’s, and was rejected over and over by their marketers who believed that the toys that children wanted were burp guns and musical toys. (Side note – Ruth Handler was co-founder and executive vice president of Mattel, but still had to pitch her idea!). Girls had baby dolls – that’s all that was required. In the 1950’s, the idea of a doll with a woman’s figure was, well, a little crazy. Who would buy that?!

But Ruth believed in her idea of a doll that children could play grown up dress-ups with, and kept pitching, and in 1956, finally was given the go-ahead.

And from here, the book becomes an A+ marketer’s guide; how to develop an idea to fruition (it took nearly 3 years from go-ahead to launch), understanding that people would pay for quality, and not undermining this. Right from the start Barbie had her own fashion designer. The quality of the clothing was immaculate, yet robust enough for children to play with. Ruth also recognised the added value of accessories; the Dream house, the car; the boyfriend.

And as a role model for girls, who could be better than Barbie? Starting out as a teenage fashion model, she evolved over time to become the model for ‘girls can do anything’ – she was an astronaut in the 1960’s, well before the first female NASA astronaut; in the 1970’s she was a surgeon and also won an Olympic medal; In the 1980s’s, a vet and a rock star. In the 1990’s she was an Air Force fighter pilot and a palaeontologist (I’m a bit jealous of that one!); in 1992, 2004 and 2012, a Presidential candidate (blazing a trail for Hilary Clinton?). And Barbie keeps evolving, as a model for diversity and differing body shapes.

It’s a fascinating read, with beautiful images, that can be enjoyed by children or nostalgic adults… and should be essential reading for anyone looking to develop a marketing career!

Reviewed by LAC

Catalogue link: Barbie Forever