Barbie Dolls and Bratz - Which Is More Progressive

Alexandra Wilson Dr. Andrea Austin EN460f – Seminar Paper Wednesday, November 14, 2012 Barbie and the Notion of Progression Since the emergence of the Barbie doll in 1959, Barbie has been a populous choice among young children, and more specifically young girls because of its monopolization of the toy market. Barbie is a doll that has been outwardly controversial and debated upon for years and most likely will be for many years to come. The idea of the Barbie doll is a toy for which young girls model themselves after and aspire to be like when they mature and grow up. DuCille states, â€Å"more than simple instruments of pleasure and amusement, toys and games play crucial roles in helping children determine what is valuable in and around†¦show more content†¦Another progressive Barbie, who stems from the â€Å"I can be† line, is Presidential Barbie. This is arguably the most progressive Barbie has ever been. There have been multiple Presidential Barbie’s all within third wave time period, however this paper focusing on the recent 2012 Presidenti al Barbie. Again, this Barbie is dressed conservatively, in a full pink suit, with the skirt landing below her knees and a jacket to cover up much of her skin. This Barbie also comes equipped with platform shoes, which allow her to stand on her own for the first time in fifty-three years. This demonstrates independence along with leadership, as she does not need someone to hold her up. The fact that she is running for President and in doing so has stability, speaks volumes to the kind of women this Barbie is trying to portray. Presidential Barbie has a platform in which she stands for which she titles the 5 ‘B’s’. They include, ‘B’ a dreamer, ‘B’ creative, ‘B’ informed, ‘B’ confident, and lastly ‘B’ involved. Barbie’s platform illustrates positive messages for young girls and their futures. Another progressive aspect of Presidential Barbie is that the creator, Mattel created this new doll in a partnership with The White House Project. The mission of The White House Project is to, â€Å"ignite the leadership of women in business along with politics† (thewhitehouseproject.org). The fact that PresidentialShow MoreRelatedDesigning a Customer Driven Statergy23698 Words   |  95 Pagescustomer-driven marketing strategy decisions—how to divide up markets into meaningful customer groups (segmentation), choose which customer groups to serve (targeting), create market offerings that best serve target customers (differentiation), and position the offerings in the minds of consumers (positioning). Then, the chapters that follow explore the tactical marketing tools—the Four Ps—by which marketers bring these strategies to life. As an opening example of segmentation, targeting, differentiation, and