Barbie Celebrates Role-Model Athletes Who Have Broken Boundaries to Encourage Girls to Stay in Sports and Recognize Their Full Potential
22 May 2024 - 2:00PM
Business Wire
Barbie brand honors the profound impact of
sports in igniting confidence among young girls by:
- Honoring nine women in sports who have broken
boundaries around the world with one-of-a-kind Role Model
dolls
- Partnering with VOICEINSPORT to keep girls in
sports through mentorship
- Introducing doll assortments highlighting
fan-favorite careers in sports
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today, in
continued celebration of Barbie’s 65th anniversary, the brand will
honor nine athletes around the world – including American
Professional Tennis Player and icon Venus Williams – with
one-of-a-kind role model dolls made in their likeness. Knowing that
girls involved in team sports are more likely to believe they are
smart enough for their dream career, have high opinions on their
abilities and competencies, increased leadership aspirations and
enjoy higher levels of self-confidence1, Barbie is bringing
together these inspiring stories that are shaping the future to
show girls that anything is possible if you relentlessly pursue
your passions.
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the full release here:
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Barbie Celebrates Role-Model Athletes Who
Have Broken Boundaries to Encourage Girls to Stay in Sports and
Recognize Their Full Potential (Graphic: Business Wire)
Through initiatives like the Barbie Dream Gap Project, Barbie is
committed to leveling the playing field for girls globally, in
sports and beyond, to close the gap that comes between girls and
their full potential. Partnering with VOICEINSPORT - a digital
sport platform dedicated to keeping girls in sport, Barbie Role
Models will extend their impact through virtual mentoring sessions
throughout the year.
“Barbie is thrilled to continue the brand’s 65th-anniversary
celebration by recognizing the impact of sports in fostering
self-confidence, ambition, and empowerment among the next
generation,” said Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie
and Global Head of Dolls, Mattel. “After welcoming Kristi
Yamaguchi to our Barbie Inspiring Women line last month, we are
proud to continue fueling the momentum surrounding women in sports
by welcoming these nine athletes as our newest role models. The
sports one-of-a-kind Role Model dolls serve as an embodiment of our
shared values of passion, empowerment and individuality. By shining
a light on these inspirational athletes and their stories, we hope
to champion the belief that every young girl deserves the
opportunity to pursue her passions and turn her dreams into
reality.”
“Throughout my career, I’ve always been driven by the idea of
shattering glass ceilings and staying true to myself, and Barbie’s
mission couldn't resonate more deeply with that ethos,” said
Barbie Role Model and American Professional Tennis Player, Venus
Williams. “I’m honored to be recognized as a sports role model
and join forces with Team Barbie to continue empowering the next
generation of young girls to never stop believing in their
dreams.”
The Barbie brand remains committed to empowering girls to pursue
their interest in sports, encouraging their continued beliefs in
their limitless possibilities by:
- HONORING NINE TRAILBLAZING WOMEN ATHLETES AROUND THE
WORLD with one-of-a-kind Role Model dolls made in their
likeness to celebrate the barriers they have broken for women in
their respective fields.
- Venus Williams (United States): Tennis Player
- One of the most decorated Olympic athletes with four gold
medals and the first woman in tennis to earn equal prize money at
Wimbledon, Venus Williams has courageously persevered through
countless obstacles to inspire social change within tennis and the
sports industry at large.
- Christine Sinclair (Canada): Soccer Player
- As soccer’s greatest international scorer with 190 goals to her
name, Christine Sinclair has solidified her status as the most
successful soccer player from Canada [of all time].
- Mary Fowler (Australia): Football Player
- At just 21 years old, Mary Fowler has become a key player for
the Matildas and Manchester City football teams. She was selected
for the FIFA World Cup in 2019 and became the team’s youngest
player at 16 years old. Since then, she has been to two FIFA World
Cups and the 2020 Olympic Games.
- Estelle Mossely (France): Boxer
- Crowned Olympic champion in 2016 and has won numerous
professional and world amateur boxing titles.
- Alexa Moreno (Mexico): Gymnast
- As Mexico’s first female world medalist in gymnastics, Alexa
Moreno is recognized by Forbes Mexico as one of the 100 most
powerful women in Mexico.
- Rebeca Andrade (Brazil): Gymnast
- Olympic gold and silver medalist, Rebeca Andrade is regarded as
one of the best gymnast of all time. The Brazilian girl is a
two-time World Championship champion and has won more than ten
medals in World Cups.
- Susana Rodriguez (Spain): Paratriathlon Athlete
- Born with albinism, Susana Rodriguez began running at age 10
and has since become a barrier-breaking paratriathlon athlete. She
has not only set records in her sport, but she doubled as a young
doctor on the front lines amid the pandemic, earning her the cover
of TIME magazine in 2021.
- Federica Pellegrini (Italy): Swimmer
- Federica Pellegrini, a former swimmer and Olympic gold
medalist, is the first woman to break the 4:00 barrier in the 400m
freestyle. Right after her last competitions in 2020, she got an
important international recognition: election to the IOC Athletes
Commission.
- Ewa Swoboda (Poland): Track and Field Sprinter
- Top ranked European sprinter Ewa Swoboda’s determination,
talent, and fearless nature have served as a source of inspiration
for young girls across the globe. She is a three-time European
Indoor Championship medalist, as well as a World Indoor
Championship medalist, holding the world lead of 7.01 seconds in
the 60-meter race.
By recognizing athletes who have broken barriers for women in
sports, Barbie hopes to help amplify the voices of women in sports
to commemorate their accomplishments on and off the field.
- UNLOCKING MENTORSHIP FOR GIRLS IN SPORT WITH
VOICEINSPORT
- To encourage girls to stay in sports, Barbie is extending its
partnership with VOICEINSPORT, a global digital platform that
connects and inspires girls and women in sports through mentorship,
educational content, and expert services, to help support and
empower the next generation of women leaders in sports to thrive.
Through this partnership, Barbie and VOICEINSPORT will host
inspirational virtual mentoring sessions with Barbie Role Models on
the VOICEINSPORT platform, designed to encourage girls to pursue
their interest in sports. The sessions will be free to attend and
continue into 2025. Girls in sports ages 12+ may sign up at
https://voiceinsport.com/barbie to unlock the free mentoring with
Barbie Role Models and educational content.
"As a young girl and now a mother of a young girl in sports,
unlocking access to professional athlete mentors on the
VOICEINSPORT platform with Team Barbie is a dream come true,” said
Stef Strack, Founder of VOICEINSPORT. “We built VOICEINSPORT to
bring more visibility to women athletes globally so that girls
around the world would be inspired to dream big and build
confidence to stay in the game.”
The Barbie brand is continuing to commemorate its 65th
anniversary throughout the year, with new celebratory offerings,
including:
- NEW SPORTS DOLL LINEUPS AND PLAYSETS are available at
retail to encourage the next generation of empowered women to
explore a future in sports through play.
- The 2024 Barbie Sports Doll lineup includes a basketball
player, boxer, tennis player and volleyball player featuring sports
uniforms and equipment.
- The 2024 Soccer Doll Assortment includes four soccer
players in a variety of uniforms, featuring a soccer ball, cleats
and tall socks.
- The Gymnast Playset features a gymnast wearing a purple
leotard and 10+ accessories including a balance beam, warm up mat,
medal and gym bag.
- Barbie Inspiring Women Kristi Yamaguchi doll honors the
U.S. figure skating champion and Olympic gold medalist to inspire
even more stories through play.
- MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE AT RETAIL with yearlong
partnerships activating in-store and online to celebrate Barbie’s
65th anniversary.
- Walmart is releasing exclusive content from Barbie Role
Model honorees Katya Echazarreta and Venus Williams on social and
digital channels, along with in-store Barbie displays across the
country under the theme “65 Years of Inspiration, Dreams Made
Here,” and new products across toy, apparel, accessories, sporting
goods, and food and beverage.
- Target is contributing a $65,000 donation to The Dream
Gap Project to help girls continue to write their legacy, with a
portion of the donation going directly to Girl Talk, an
organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be leaders through
peer-to-peer mentoring programs. Target guests will also be able to
shop exclusive assortments of Barbie-themed apparel for girls
featuring the Barbie 65th “Write Your Legacy” collection, explore
the new collection of Barbie Fashionistas inspired by her most
iconic looks over the decades and view exclusive behind the scenes
content from Target designers at target.com/barbie.
- Amazon has a Barbie 65th Brand Shop featuring
Barbie-themed products including toys and apparel.
- Mattel Creations is launching a capsule collection
inspired by iconic looks across the decades beginning in 1959.
Featuring new drops each month, fans can purchase exclusive
celebratory 65th anniversary items from UNO Canvas™ Barbie to
apparel, accessories, and more.
- UNVEILING NEW BARBIE-THEMED COLLABORATIONS featuring 12+
brand partners across fashion, food, beauty, accessories and
publishing for fans to continue the 65th anniversary celebration,
including:
- OLIPOP, Ked’s, Random House Children’s Books, Assouline, CHI,
FUNBOY, Monnalisa, Pottery Barn Kids, Yoobi, Aldo, The Frozen
Farmer, Cheryl’s Cookies and Unique Vintage.
- To celebrate sports during Barbie's 65th anniversary, the brand
teamed up with Nettie, the design-forward brand creating
high-quality pickleball gear, to create a limited-edition bright
and bold Barbie™ x Nettie collection, available at DICK’s Sporting
Goods locations across the U.S., and online at
www.playnettie.com.
By amplifying the stories of trailblazers and championing the
momentum surrounding women in sports, Barbie hopes that young girls
can be inspired to stay in sports and pursue their passions.
1 According to the NAACP + The Girls’ Index
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company
and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world.
We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands,
including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®,
Thomas & Friends™, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Matchbox®,
Monster High®, MEGA® and Polly Pocket®, as well as other popular
properties that we own or license in partnership with global
entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content,
consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are
sold in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce
companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a
trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of
childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us at
mattel.com.
About VOICEINSPORT
VOICEINSPORT, the global sports company, provides a
community-based platform for digital services in mental health,
nutrition, sport science and mentoring from pro athletes to keep
girls and women in sport. The VOICEINSPORT membership comes with
free access to original articles written by women athletes, weekly
podcasts, advocacy tools to drive change and a community forum.
Paid services include a mentoring platform designed to increase the
visibility to pro & collegiate athlete role models and access
to both clinical & non-clinical sessions with the top 80
experts in sport psychology, sport nutrition and women’s health.
Founded in 2019, VOICEINSPORT is based in NYC and is self-funded by
sports industry Executive and Advocate Stef Strack. Visit
www.voiceinsport.com for the latest company news and follow
@voiceinsport on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
MAT-BARB
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240521496460/en/
News Media Devin Tucker devin.tucker@mattel.com Aly Lloyd
Aly.lloyd@mattel.com
VOICEINSPORT Media media@voiceinsport.com
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