BARBIE TAKES FLIGHT AS THE WORLD’S NEWEST SUPERHERO
REDEFINING WHAT GIRLS SEE AS HEROIC WHILE INSPIRING FANS
TO BE SUPER THEMSELVES
New Empowering Theme Recognizes How Girls Engage
With Superhero Differently Than Boys
Nuremberg, January 27th, 2015 – For the first time in the brand’s 56-year history, Barbie™
is pulling out a cape and mask and transforming into a modern day superhero.
Understanding that girls are looking for a different resolution than boys from “superhero
play,” Mattel has put Barbie™ in a role that inspires girls to be super themselves.
“The world of superheroes has largely been tailored to boys where ‘the good guys beat the bad
guys.’” said Lori Pantel, Vice President, Global Brand Marketing for Barbie. “But we know that
girls, too, enjoy empowered heroes but seek an outcome where the perceived bad characters
transform to good and friendship is the lasting result. We thought it was time they were inspired
by a new superhero that is playful, has extraordinary abilities and uses her powers of
forgiveness and friendship to defeat her foe – in a way that only Barbie can.”
The super-powered Barbie™ launch kicks-off when Barbie™ takes flight as a new hero, but
stays grounded by the powers of teamwork and friendship, two critical themes in the way girls
look to solve conflict. The supporting DVD entitled Barbie™ in Princess Power marks the 30th
Barbie™ animated film release and ignites a new girl empowered digital initiative for fans at
www.besuper.com.
Barbie™ in Princess Power:
A modern-day princess story, Barbie™ stars as Kara, who discovers she has super powers that
transform her into Super Sparkle™ - her secret, crime-fighting alter ego who flies around the
kingdom ready to save the day. But it’s not long before her jealous cousin catches a magical
butterfly and also transforms – this time into Dark Sparkle™, her superhero nemesis. Their
rivalry takes to the skies, but to save the kingdom they must soar to new heights and discover
that there’s no greater power than friendship. Barbie™ in Princess Power will be available on
Blu-ray™, DVD & Digital HD at retailers in Germany from February 26th.
Celebrate Being Super
To celebrate everyday acts of “being super,” Barbie™ fans can visit an all-new digital
destination, www.BeSuper.com. Fans of all ages can engage, create, imagine and share their
own “super” stories. A special digital Comic Book Maker for kids empowers girls to create their
own superhero stories putting Barbie into all new roles as girls define the end result. Fans can
also watch weekly animated episodes demonstrating Barbie and her friends performing acts of
being super. Fans can tag #BeSuper to share and celebrate what “being super” means to them
on Barbie™ web and social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). Finally, a parent section
for grown-ups helps inspire their child to “be super” every day.
“You don’t have to be a superhero to do something extraordinary,” said Pantel. “By celebrating
the everyday moments, we can all realize the superhero inside of us.”
Reading, Role Play and Beyond:
Barbie™ fans will also be able to act, imagine and story tell their super adventures with a new
line of consumer products and publishing. Random House Children’s Books will release a
complete collection of Barbie™ in Princess Power books including early readers, sticker and
chapter books wherever books are sold.
Girls can also play out superhero adventures with role play collection from Just Play. Each
crime-fighting costume accessory set, including a Princess Kara Cape and Mask and Princess
Kara Dress, is made of metallic fabrics and features a glittery Princess Power emblem as seen
in the movie.
About Mattel Inc.
The Mattel family of companies (Nasdaq: MAT) is the worldwide leader in the design,
manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. Mattel’s portfolio of best-selling brands
includes Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever produced, Hot Wheels®, Monster High®,
American Girl®, Thomas & Friends® and Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People® and
Power Wheels®, MEGA® Brands, including MEGA BLOKS® and RoseArt®, as well as a wide
array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2013, Mattel was named one of the "World's Most
Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Magazine and in 2014 ranked No. 5 on Corporate
Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list. With worldwide headquarters in El
Segundo, Calif., Mattel’s companies employ nearly 30,000 people in 40 countries and territories
and sell products in more than 150 nations. At Mattel, we are Creating the Future of Play. Visit
us at www.mattel.com, www.facebook.com/mattel or www.twitter.com/mattel. MAT-B
©2015 Mattel. All Rights Reserved.
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