Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Barbie gets hipper, trendier to fight the competition Mattel is adding more makeup, lower jeans and an exposed midriff to appeal to older girls BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Forget pink ball gowns and feather boas. This Barbie’s got attitude. A new kind of Barbie doll has hit the stores—one with platform shoes, low-rise jeans, heavier makeup and an exposed navel. Called My Scene Barbie, the doll is Mattel’s attempt to stop girls from growing out of Barbie too fast and too soon — and from de fecting to Bratz.'a line of funky, sultry-eyed dolls that have become must-haves for the 8-to-12 age group since their launch more than a year ago. “I’m not into Barbies,” said Alex Stallings, 7, of Baltimore, who has five Bratz dolls. “Bratz are cool. I am into fashion.” Payton Anderson, 8, of Atlanta, said she has been over Barbies since she was 6, and now wants Bratz dolls. “Barbies are too baby ish,” said Payton, who has given her Barbies to her 5-year-old sis ter. Bratz’s five-character multi ethnic assortment has supplant ed Barbie as the nation’s No. 1 best-selling fashion doll for six months in a row, according to NPD Inc. Mattel said the new Barbie is an attempt to capitalize on the lu crative business for the age group known as tweens. Over the past decade, girls have been playing with Barbie at a younger age — her core fans are now 3 to 6, down from 7 to 10 — and outgrowing her sooner. Bratz dolls appeal to older girls who like “Barbies are too babyish.” PAYTON ANDERSON 8-YEAR-OLD FAN OF BRATZ DOLLS a teenage look rather than Barbie’s princess fashions. “The signs were out there for some time” that Barbie would need a change, said Jamie Cygielman, vice president of worldwide marketing for the Barbie brand. She said Mattel started working on the My Scene concept about a year ago. Isaac Larian, president and chief executive of Bratz’s maker, MGA Entertainment, refers to My Scene Barbie as “a cheap knock off’ ofBratz. “I’m flattered and disappoint ed,” he said. Bratz and My Scene sell for $15 each. The Bratz dolls have more pronounced features, with poutier lips, sultrier eyes and a more cur vaceous body. My Scene dolls have kept Barbie’s slim shape, though the heads are bigger than those of traditional Barbies. Major store chains all report strong sales of the multi-ethnic My Scene trio of dolls — Barbie, Madison and Chelsea. Still, Mattel, which gets an es timated $2 billion in revenue from Barbie dolls alone, has some work to do to topple Bratz’s posi tion. Bratz dolls, along with 100 li censed products from comforters to shoes, are expected to reach a total of $1 billion in worldwide sales by the end of the year, Larian said. They went on the market in June 2001. A video is due out next year, and the company is also negotiat ing with film studios to produce a live action movie based on the Bratz characters, Larian said. _ Students get a break when they store over break! K>‘Off student discount 50t>ff first month rent I i -1 Not goodwill any other otfef. New cwtomen only. Mentioncx bring Ihii qg to rooeem stugwh orcw. wesfinT Jwuconf i u. ■■■ Columbia stores Q^lf J 7403 Parklane Rd.788-5013 Owl I ■ 2648 Two Notch Rd.<803)252-0449 ctnrani* 53n A ad Bush River Rd. <803) 772-3344 g 1 10020 Two Notch Rd <803) 788-9405 www.undebobs.com ^ 7437 Garners Ferry Rd.<803) 783-2708 k create ; ] your own ^masterpiece ! 1/2 Price Painting! | With this Ad and Your j Student ID ___ paint your own pottery 3101 Millwood Ave 771-8080