Mattel’s New Barbie Ad Totally Nailed It

After 59 years I think it's safe to say that Mattel finally get's it. 

Their new ad is honestly brilliant, simply because you don't realize it's a commercial until the end. This is a tricky gamble, because if your commercial isn't interesting enough to keep my attention to the end, i'll miss it. But lucky for Mattel, they totally nailed it.

The ad focuses on the concept that when little girls play with Barbies they can be anything they want. Which is true. As a girl I played with the popular toy, and my Barbie was everything from an explorer in the arctic (it was winter and I built her a shelter out of twigs... she was very outdoorsy), to a mom with kids, to a famous rock star.

When a child's imagination is fostered and they are told they can pretend to be anything they want to be, something wonderful happens. They begin to believe that they can be anything they want to be.

This is a wonderful step in the right direction, and I'm hoping realistic body images are next! But for the moment, I have to give them credit where credit is due. Well played Mattel... well played.