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New Barbie Web site gives girls more choices

Mattel hopes a mix of music, fashion and the Internet will maintain interest in the iconic brand.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 28, 2007

NEW YORK - Mattel Inc.'s Barbie is joining the Internet age.

The nation's No. 1 toymaker on Thursday unveiled Barbie Girls, a multipronged brand that features a free Web site, BarbieGirls.com, that will allow children to create their own virtual characters, design their own room and try on clothes at a cyber mall. This summer, Mattel will introduce a Barbie-inspired handheld MP3 music device to interact with the Web site and unlock even more content.

Mattel hopes that by blending girls' love of music, fashion and the Internet, it will keep 10-year-old girls interested in the iconic name.

The launch of Barbie Girl is the latest effort by a toy company to make its brand more interactive with the Internet and reclaim children who are growing out of toys faster and seeking other play options, like online chatting and iPods.

But industry experts say that the experience offered by Barbie Girls is much deeper than what's out there.

"It's a much richer experience" than highly popular toys like Ganz's Webkinz, plush pets that come alive online with a secret password, said Chris Byrne, a New York-based toy consultant who was at the launch event.

Chuck Scothon, general manager and senior vice president of Mattel's brands, believes Barbie Girls - set to launch in about a dozen other countries this fall - is "revolutionizing" the way girls play. He added that it represents the first global online virtual world exclusively for girls.

The launch comes as Mattel has been making inroads in turning around sales of the iconic brand.

Scothon said BarbieGirls.com targets the 7-to-12 age group, the same age range Barbie.com attracts. But BarbieGirls.com provides a much more interactive experience than Barbie.com.

[Last modified April 28, 2007, 00:47:56]