The launch of the Barbie Tokidoki last October in Santa Monica (United States) adds another “scandal” more to the rich “private life” of this charismatic doll in her 50’s. This limited edition pink haired, tattooed Barbie, who is owner of a spiked green cactus-doggy has charmed some people and shocked some other. There have been much debate on it all these days. But the fact is that from a starting price set at $50 in the Barbie collectors store, Barbie Tokidoki was offered for not less than $490, once sold out at the manufacturer’s store.
Pure marketing!, some people might say reprobatively. And, of course, it is.
Mattel keeps on connecting with the children, but also with their parents around the world for over half a century through Barbie. And good marketing is the secret of the long life of this magical doll as well as for the apparently never ending miracle-business around her.
The american toy brand has become into an actual gold mine at a global scale for all kind of publics, selling a wide range of products from the doll itself to clothes, add-ons, cosmetics, automotive, or mobile phones. Barbie and all the products around her are sold through a diverse range of channels: Internet, other retailers and the Barbie themed shops.
Barbie brand offers not only products but services, entertainment and a whole lifestyle, not only for kids, but for adults as well, framed into a pure winning marketing strategy!.
At the begining of this post we told about the “rich” personal life of Barbie. Mattel, has conferred the doll the ability to live a life any celebrity would deadly envy.
Once upon a time Barbie met Ken a, a good looking “hunk” that became her boyfriend, never her husband. Of course one must buy at least one Ken to play with the cute pair.
Barbie breaches her relationship with Ken and thousands of headlines spring here and there telling about. Recently Ken has managed to recover Barbie’s love and everybody has followed this “soap opera”, also through the outdoor campaign launched by the lad to “re-conquer” the independent Barbie.
For its more fervent lovers, the collectors, Barbie or better perhaps the Barbara doll, has shown more than once, and with great success in sales her “dark” side.
In 2003 was born the Barbie Cat Woman, the firm Bob Mackie finds the bad girl essence inside Barbie and and designs a Madame du Barbie, a Barbie Charleston, the Pepper Barbie, a Barbie Circus and, even a red-blood haired Barbie Dracula Countess, with white tusks in her mouth. She was sold inside a coffin-box.
Why in the hell do Planet Earth dwellers feel shocked because Simone Legno, the creative soul of the Tokidoki brand, just draws some innocent tattoos on Barbie?. By now the collectors version of the doll has experienced a whole “life of sin” “hazardous” enough to make anyone get scandalized. Is that to get shocked by one or two tattos on her or by a tiny green cactus- doggy, even if it is a bit prickly?.
Not long ago tattoos used to cause rejection in some western societies, as they were usually worn by sailor crews, convicts, gang members, mobsters, they were worn by underground or out of law people.
Mattel’s marketing for Barbie, although creative and tuned, has always been somewhat conservative. Because mainstream in each society is always a bit conservative specially when it comes to products targeting the children.
Does the Barbie Tokidoki mean that tattoo phenomenon has turned into mainstream?
If not mainstream perhaps tattoos already have lost the underground tag.
In fact the Beckhams do not cry precisely by lack of tattoos, especially the once Spice Girl Victoria, which has been and still is an idol for teens.
Just another fact. The Japanese master, Yoshihito Fukumoto Nakano, is stamping his art-tattoos on the fashion products marketed under the brand Horiyoshi The Third (HIII) and these designs are sold at prices that aren’t in any way cheap through upscale boutiques.
Judging by the fuss around the tattooed doll one might think that the toy multinational has gone too far this time, despite the fact that the Tokidoki is a Barbie meant for collectors. But we don’t believe so, because the responsibles for Barbie at Mattel have always shown refined smell sense for the winner marketing aroma. In fact the Barbie Tokidoki got sold out in just few days at Barbie collectors store, while there remain many Barbies Sinatra still on the shelf.
Manuel G. Carbajo and Eva González Fernández jointly sign this post
Image over the headline.- Barbie Tokidoki. © Mattel.
Related Eastwind links:
Barbie from child to woman (Eastwind report)
http://eastwindmarketing.es/articulos.php?id=52&idioma=2
Barbie launches products for adult women at her 50th anniversary
http://www.eastwindmarketing.es/newsletter_detalle.php?id=1086&idioma=2
Fiat 500 Barbie, at The Barcelona Automobile Fair 2009
http://www.eastwindmarketing.es/newsletter_detalle.php?id=1219&idioma=2
Barbie Tokidoki “runs over” Barbie Sinatra
http://www.eastwindmarketing.es/newsletter_detalle.php?id=3536&idioma=2
Horiyoshi the Third enters China and expands in United Kingdom
http://www.eastwindmarketing.es/newsletter_detalle.php?id=2833&idioma=2
Related Eastwind Marketing links:
More than a million people each week watched Zombie Boy’s amazing “toilette”
http://www.eastwindmarketing.es/blogs/eastwindmarketingycomunicacion/en/category/tube-or-not-tube-multimedia-en/
