Mattel readies new Barbie campaign
By Adnews Staff
Toy company Mattel is preparing a promotion in Canada for its Barbie brand called "See What Happens When You Play with Barbie." The promotion will begin with a week-long event called the "Spring Fling" at the Rogers Centre in Toronto from March 10 to 16. Activities there will offer girls the chance to be a fashion designer or sample a career represented by the I Can Be line of Barbie dolls. Another activity, tied to the release of a direct-to-DVD movie called Barbie: A Mermaid Tale 2, will use photography to transform girls from surfers to mermaids. The installation will take the form of Barbie's wardrobe complete and will include augmented reality "mirrors" that allow users to see themselves in Barbie outfits from the brand's 50-year history. The campaign will also include a presence at the Toronto Fashion Incubator Gala on May 3, where 25 designers will display fashions for Barbie at a runway show, followed by a photo spread of these designs in the July issue of Flare magazine. "In Barbie's world, imagination rules, giving girls the opportunity to be anything they want to be," said Adriana Gut, marketing manager for girls at Mattel Canada. "This campaign celebrates the 'wow' girls experience when they play with Barbie, and the chance to try on a new career, a new fantasy, a new story, something girls never dreamed was even possible."