It’s been a really, really long time since we’ve seen a Barbie ad worth talking about. But hey, here’s something new: Barbie’s latest “Wanna Play?” ad targets grown-ups, not kids.
Instead of wowing us with the latest hot pink outfit or accessory (that which snatches the eyeballs of girls), moms — colored by neutral almond light, flanked by nostalgic music — reminisce about their first Barbies and favourite Barbie memories. The piece ends with a small, excited voice shouting, “Hey mommy! Wanna play Barbie?”
The Wanna Play? subsite features old-school dolls (pre-dating the Bratz-inspired DSL trend) and solicits moms for favourite Barbie memories.
It’s about time Mattel got back on its horse.
By now you’ve probably heard that Bratz — Barbie’s slutty, slummin’ store-aisle rival — have lost a major legal battle with Mattel. The latter now owns the rights to the Bratz label and, if it so chooses, can have the dolls pulled out of stores.
One of the biggest problems with Bratz was how it alienated moms. I know parents that have banned the dolls from their homes, making Christmas — a time when eager kids unwrap dolls bought by well-meaning, but childless, relatives — an exceptionally awkward holiday.
Objectification a la Barbie was tame compared to its juicy-lipped, slitted-skirt and hyper-glossy counterparts — so the Dismayed Mom Vote has always been Mattel’s biggest pro-Barbie trump card. Glad they finally decided to do something with it.
