When Barbie girl was first displayed with 11 inches of height at an American Toy Fair on 9 March 1959, who knew the day would be remembered as the National Barbie Day every year! What New York City witnessed was just the beginning, the Barbie doll had huge stardom waiting for her.
Barbie doll was not presented as just a toy; it indeed showcased a Barbie world that gives wings to the little girls to dream and imagine the future.
Where the 1950s women were kind of bounded in a shell of traditional gender roles, Barbie entered this world bringing many alternative jobs. She made the females widen their expansion and think beyond by coming in various get-ups such as of doctor, pilot, Olympic athlete, astronaut, airline stewardess, and even U.S. presidential candidate.
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Date of Barbie Day Observance
9th of March.
History of Barbie Day
The Lady behind the Barbie Girl
In 1945, Ruth Handler and had founded Mattel Inc. along with her husband. She is the lady who is accredited to bring Barbie into our world.
The Idea of Barbie Dolls
Seeing her daughter’s denial for playing with the baby dolls, Handler got the idea of bringing Barbie into the toy market, considering the potential interest of little girls in imagining their future in a new way.
The Ancestor of Barbie Doll
It was not Barbie who came first in this world. Its appearance was experimented with and modeled on Lilli first. She was a doll and a character of a German comic strip.
Initially, the Lilly doll was marketed in tobacco shops for adult men.
After getting the rights, Mattle came up with a distinguished version of Lilli.
The Nomenclature of Barbie
If you have been wondering who named Barbie, the credit goes to Handler who named Barbie afterBarbara, her daughter.
The Beauty God Launched!
On 9 March 1959, Barbie got introduced to the world for the first time in a black and white swimsuit.
The Dream House of Barbie Girl
In 1962, Barbie bought her dream house for the first time. She was probably the first one of that era who promoted the idea of independence of women to this extent.
Christie Took an Entry
In 1968, Christie, the best friend of Barbie, registered his name among the very first black dolls in the market.
Clothing Line for Barbie
Designer Oscar de la Renta was the first fashion designer who partnered for the fashionable outfits of Barbie. In 1984, a cloth line was designed especially for Barbie dolls.
Barbie in Race
Barbie marks her name as a candidate for the presidential election in 1992.
Barbie in Movie
In 2001, Barbie debuts in Barbie in the Nutcracker, the feature-length movie.
Barbie in New Other Avatar
In 2016, the three new avatars of Barbie launched her in Time magazine for the first time. The new body types included curvy, tall, and petite. These new body types of Barbie broke all the stereotypes which were associated with a Barbie doll.
Barbie Day Celebration Ideas
Refresh Your Memories
Although there is no age for playing a game, yet playing with a Barbie doll might appear weird for a grown-up. But how about indulging with a kid and cherishing the childhood memories? Join a Barbie fan for a game and recreate your old moments.
Celebrate Your Barbie’s Birthday
How about taking it as an opportunity to bake a cake on the birthday of your Barbie doll?
You can also order one from any local shop for yourself and your family members. Many shops also offer a cake with icing that depicts a Barbie doll on the top. If you have never tried this, it is the best day to explore a Barbie cake.
If you know how to bake or are an expert, try to make it on your own at your home.
Get Social
Doesn’t matter you have baked the cake yourself or have bought it directly from the shop; if you have got one, don’t forget to flaunt it.
If the cake is not your idea, you can also share any of your childhood pictured that feature the Barbie. If you have not got one, you can also capture a new one with your Barbie doll and share it with your close relatives or friends.
Don’t forget to use the hashtags I am – #NationalBarbieDay or #BarbieDoll or #BarbieGirl.
Offer a Gift
A positive celebration seems incomplete without an exchange of the gift.
How about gifting your childhood friend a beautiful dress on her birthday? You can explore the metal website or can choose any online shopping platform such as Amazon and support an independent designer.
Offer Happiness to someoneIf spending bucks on purchasing the Barbie outfits doesn’t excite you, how about bringing a smile to someone’s face?
If you have a kid in your eyes who cannot afford to purchase a Barbie doll, bring happiness to the child’s childhood by offering the kid a Barbie girl.
You can also present this gift to your cousin or niece as well.
Why is Barbie Day Celebrated?
Barbie Promotes the Idea of Dreaming Big
Kids begin to conceive the dreams from their childhood. There is one more undeniable fact that if there is something that kids find themselves attached to after parents, then that is — their toys.
Especially when it’s about the girls, their dolls remain very dear to them. In such a case, there couldn’t have been a better idea of planting the seeds of a bright future into the minds of the children.
Since the launch, Barbie has been promoting more than 150 careers understatedly. Barbie girl has been criticized for imparting the false image of a healthy physique.
If it’s true that a simple toy can be so powerful in this way, then it might also be a great motivation to the kids in leading them to dream about their career and future.
The Barbie avatars of a CEO and astronaut can play inspiration and indeed role models. Who knows which young girl starts to aspire to pursue the same career and make her dream a reality too in the future!
She is the First!
Well, it’s not about being the first among the dolls; it’s about setting the trends for the others. It happened for the first time that accompanies such as metals targeted children to broadcast the commercials.
If you still wonder that how Barbie became such a huge brand and how Barbie sales increased this way, setting an exemplar, here you are the key—advertisement.
The advertisement on Mickey Mouse Club helped greatly in promoting the Barbie dolls among children. We all know that kids do watch TV. And once they have watched an advertisement of a toy or game, nobody can stop them from making a fuss and taking it home on their head until you make that available to them.
Interesting Facts and Figures about Barbie Day
Do you know that Barbie was the first toy doll with adult features, which was mass-produced in the United States?
The Soaring Sales Figures
By 1993, the Barbie-related merchandise has increased reportedly and touched the number of whooping one billion dollars.
Barbie-fans’ Love for Their Favourite Barbie Game
It was the demand of the Barbie-lovers only that they didn’t let their favorite Barbie girl remain single for more than two years. Thanks to the enormous consumer demand that the Barbie fans got to meet her boyfriend — Ken.
Barbie Controversies about Her Physique
Do you know that a simple toy of kids might also be caught by the controversies? Its appearance has been its USP, so the reason behind getting the negative views.
Many people claimed that the Barbie doll fosters a body image that is harmful and unrealistic for the little girls’ perceptions.
The Controversial Barbie World
Many also complained about its designer clothes and luxurious homes and cars as they might lead the kids towards the attractions of materialism.
Barbie: An Established Brand Now!
Despite the negative comments about enhancing the materialistic approach and is encouraging the negative body image with the false figure, Barbie Dolls remained unbeatable.
Barbie is a bona fide icon around the world.
The appearance and outfits of Barbie have not only enticed the children but also the celebrities. There are many female actors and models who have tried out not only her outfits but also her hairstyle and overall look.
The Barbie look has been so famous that you can find a whole range of kids’ outfit and accessories that is based on the getup of the Barbie doll.
