Ruth Handler originally created Barbie as an ideal role model for her daughter to emulate and strive towards becoming. Today, Barbie comes in various body shapes and skin tones, even including one equipped with prosthetic legs or without hair to support children who suffer from conditions such as alopecia or vitiligo. Mattel’s 2023 Fashionistas line Mattel has long been criticized for reinforcing unrealistic beauty standards on children who play with Barbie dolls, yet Mattel is working to change that perception. Recently, they've released more diverse dolls - ones who use wheelchairs, hearing aids or prosthetic limbs are among them - including ones who represent people living with Down syndrome - this new addition joining their 2023 Fashionistas line as intended by their company is intended to reflect what children see around them. Mattel collaborated with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) on creating this new doll. Together they strived to ensure it accurately represented a person with Down syndrome according to a press release. While her physical features depict those with Down syndrome, there are also symbolic representations such as blue and yellow colors in her outfit -- along with butterflies as symbols for awareness -- as well as three chevrons on her necklace representing how people with Down syndrome have three copies of their 21st chromosome and wear pink ankle foot orthotics - similar to some used by children with Down syndrome. The doll's face and eye shape were also meant to reflect people with Down syndrome. Her almond-shaped eyes, common among people living with the condition, rounder face features with smaller ears and flat nasal bridge. Furthermore, the palms on her hands feature single lines--another characteristic often associated with Down syndrome individuals. This new doll joins the Fashionistas line, designed to reflect what kids see around them. Previous dolls in this lineup include those using wheelchairs, suffering from vitiligo and wearing hearing aids - which reflects reality more closely. We hope more young girls play with dolls featuring diverse skin tones, eye colors, hair textures, body types and disabilities to replicate real life scenarios more accurately than ever before. The social impact of the new trailer Mattel's new trailer of Barbie has gone viral for good reason: its inclusive cast and inspirational message has proven immensely popular with consumers. Mattel has taken steps in recent years to promote gender equality and inclusion by including curvier black dolls with Afros as top sellers; in 2019, they introduced dolls with various skin tones, eye colors, and hair textures; consumers have welcomed this push toward diversity with open arms. The trailer for a new movie has quickly become a cultural phenomenon, garnering over 100 million views on YouTube and 150,000 tweets, spawning memes and parodies galore. Although its true impact may remain incalculable, its widespread distribution certainly made an enormous mark on entertainment industry. ViacomCBS International Studios has announced a new initiative designed to leverage the popularity of their trailer by supporting diverse creators and content with social impact. Called VIS Social Impact, this division will evaluate films produced by them and their partners. Furthermore, this initiative encourages collaboration across departments within the studio. The new division will not only highlight diverse creators, but will also promote content that addresses social issues and inspires audiences. Led by Thishiwe Ziqubu - who holds multiple credentials - there will also be a writers' room created that will focus on scripted ideas generated from underrepresented communities. VIS will cover topics related to climate, equity and health as well as racism, bias and stereotypes. As its inaugural project, Protest & Progress by Misan Harriman will premiere on Paramount+ later in 2019. This three-part documentary series examines iconic images or forms that have defined movements or moments as well as their impactful presence in our globalized world. Mattel’s partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society Barbie's latest move toward celebrating diversity mirrors a larger shift toward inclusivity and acceptance within society as a whole. When children play with dolls that reflect their world, it teaches empathy and understanding - having an impactful effect on society as a whole. Furthermore, with its release of a Down syndrome Barbie doll it showcases representation's transformative power. This new doll was designed in cooperation with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to accurately represent people with Down syndrome. Their input ranged from her outfit and sculpt to her shoes which feature zipper detail as a nod to orthotic use among those living with the condition. Her face also has rounder features with smaller ears for an authentic representation of those living with this condition. Mattel's attempt at making Barbie more relatable has met with mixed responses on social media, with some applauding its efforts in supporting inclusion and diversity, while others criticised its trailer for portraying Barbie as more "sexy" and "cool". Mattel has made clear its intention of challenging gender stereotypes with this film and in recent years has taken steps to rebrand itself by offering diverse dolls and using YouTube influencers for its "get ready with me" videos to reach a younger audience and break long-held beliefs about which toys are appropriate for boys or girls. At its rebranding campaign for young girls, it encouraged them to imagine themselves as doctors, coaches and college professors - leading to positive shifts in consumer perception and increased sales. While the new film may be controversial, it has already drawn in an impressive audience. The trailer for it has amassed over 1.4 million YouTube views and over 500 million social engagements - prompting some experts to speculate it could become another Hollywood franchise. A sequel is in production as well as plans by Mattel for other projects including a Hot Wheels movie starring Joe Roth and a He-Man movie with Dolphin Entertainment. Mattel’s marketing strategy Mattel Inc needs an effective marketing strategy in order to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketing environment. First and foremost, they should conduct a customer analysis to understand the needs and wants of its target market, which will enable Mattel to determine its profit and growth potential as well as create customer profiles/personas to create targeted marketing campaigns. Finally, using Porter's five force framework, they can assess whether their market is competitive enough and identify any new entrants who might enter it. Mattel has long been an industry powerhouse in toy manufacturing and now plans to broaden its focus to filmmaking and consumer products, including an expansion into filmmaking. Mattel presented pre-taped presentations to analysts outlining its plans for taking iconic franchises like Barbie, Hot Wheels and Uno and expanding them further into other profitable areas. The company is taking advantage of this summer's release of a Barbie movie to broaden their target audience by featuring Margot Robbie in it as well as being directed by Greta Gerwig. They have also created a line of clothing, accessories, and beauty products specifically targeted toward girls and women looking to express themselves creatively. These efforts will enable Mattel to regain lost momentum and increase profitability of their brand, though innovation will still be necessary in order to stay ahead of competitors and expand global footprint. To maintain momentum and remain profitable, the company must continue innovating new product lines and invest in developing them while expanding global presence. Mattel will need to collaborate with new partners from various sectors of the economy in order to remain relevant, including Balmain for Barbie fashion and accessory collection design, digital gaming and virtual reality games - with Rapunzel Barbie as the inaugural player in an ongoing series of virtual reality titles. As a result, Mattel has grown more relevant among consumers and is experiencing record profits. They have reduced debt and plan on attaining investment-grade status this year in order to gain access to cheaper credit while simultaneously raising their stock price.