C arol i ne Harv e y T he P l ast i c Dol l Student conducted e-mail interview with Stefani Yocky, Public Relations Manager, a staff

f member of Sara Rosales, Vice President of Communications, at Mattel Inc. Student was originally in contact with Sara Rosales and then forwarded to Stefani Yocky.

Interviewer: Hello, my name is Caroline Harvey. I am an 8th grader at Robert E. Aylor Middle School. My teacher, Ms. Trout, emailed you earlier in regards to doing an interview. I wanted to include this interview in my National History Day project that I will be competing with, in June, at the National level. The project is about Barbie and her impacts. Below are some questions: How was Barbie different from the other dolls that were on the market in the 1960s? Stefani Yocky: At the time Barbie launched in the late 50s and early 60s girls were primarily playing with baby dolls or paper dolls. Mattel founder, Ruth Handler watched as her daughter Barbara, played out real life grown-up storylines with paper dolls and determined there was a need for a three-dimensional doll with which girls could really dress and role-play scenarios. The three-dimensional doll has turned out to be the worlds most popular doll Barbie! Interviewer: What contributed to Barbie's popularity? Stefani Yocky: There were many factors that contribute to Barbies popularity still today. Most importantly is that girls dream of being grown up and the doll (and all the fashions and accessories that she came with) let girls use their imaginations. At the dolls inception Barbie filled a niche in the market place, allowing girls to girls to live out their dream life to imagine themselves in high school or in future career roles such as a nurse, doctor, astronaut or school teacher. This type of imaginative role-play encouraged girls to tell their own stories and was a huge hit amongst girls. Aside from the fact that this product resonated with girls, in 1959 Mattel also supported Barbie sales with a marketing campaign to reach target consumers. Mattel invested in a TV commercial that aired during the popular Mickey Mouse Club show. This was the first time in that a toy was TV advertised in America. The commercial worked well to create awareness for this new fashion doll. From her fashions to her careers, Barbie continues to be at the forefront of pop culture and a reflection of girls and women today. Barbie currently has had more than 130 careers, 25 directto-DVD movies, a presence in more than 45 consumer product categories, live experiences and more than seven million friends on Facebook! Interviewer: What marketing techniques did Mattel use to help sell the early Barbie dolls? Stefani Yocky: As described above, Mattel was the first company to ever TV advertise a toy. P age 1

C arol i ne Harv e y T he P l ast i c Dol l Interviewer: In what ways has Barbie changed over the last 50 years? Stefani Yocky: Barbie has changed over the past 54 years to reflect a look that is more contemporary, however, Barbie continues to reflect popular culture remaining relevant to the times, and now spans three generations of fans. Barbie is nostalgic to moms and grandmothers and she is a best friend to girls. Staying core to Ruth Handlers vision, Barbie allows for girls to dress up their imaginations and accessories their aspirations. Interviewer: How did Barbie encourage feminism? Stefani Yocky: Barbie was not created to encourage feminism, but rather to allow girls to play out their dreams. Barbie exists because girls still imagine their dream life and play out those milestones moments first with Barbie. For example, I used to want to be a TV news anchor, and while I didnt have the resources or access to a news studio in real-life, at age seven, I could use my Barbie doll and build my own news studio in my house, I was a real news anchor along with Barbie of course! Interviewer: How do you think Barbie's variety of careers has influenced young girls? Stefani Yocky: Young girls are able to discover more about themselves and what they want to do by trying it out with Barbie first. Barbie has always been a trail blazer exposing girls to various career options in a relatable way. Barbies career-focused line of dolls often shine a spotlight on professions that are historically underrepresented by women like Computer Engineer, Architect and President. Interviewer: How has the animated Barbie movies made similar impacts to the doll version of Barbie? Stefani Yocky: Barbie DVDs and entertainment help bring Barbie to life in a different way than the doll, allowing more girls and Barbie fans to engage with the Barbie brand. Every Barbie movie features an engaging storyline rich with values and lessons about friendship, family, bravery, honesty and determination. It is incredibly important that the Barbie DVDs leave girls with thoughtful lessons about themes that are very relevant to a girl Interviewer: How would you consider Barbie a turning point in history? Stefani Yocky: Barbie was incredibly innovative for the time this 11 inch doll reached girls in a way that no other toy had done before.

P age 2