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How a Barbie Makeover Led to a Pandemic Sales Boom
- New skin tones, body types revive a classic toy for the 2020s
- Doll joins streaming, video games as Covid lockdown favorites
Mattel Inc.’s Barbie generated its best sales growth in two decades in 2020.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
One of the biggest consumer hits of the pandemic, alongside Netflix and the Nintendo Switch, is a 61-year-old doll once mocked as outdated and sexist.
Long written off by many parents and kids -- and criticized for promoting an unrealistic body image -- Mattel Inc.’s Barbie generated its best sales growth in two decades in 2020. Years of planning and a bit of luck have turned the baby boomer of toys into a go-to item for millions of kids.