The Doll Wars

Barbie's Tiara Knocked Off By Bratz

It's a fight that's been brewing for a couple of years now. Barbie, the reigning champion is in jeopardy of being dethroned by a group of Bratz. This cat fight between a group of squeaky clean blondes and brunette bratz is almost as big as the Britney vs. Christina debate.

You see, Barbie is going through a midlife crisis and all. She dumped Ken for Aussie hunk Blaine (Blaine...that's an appliance, that's not a name!). Mattel sent Ken off on a global trek to "find" himself. Back as a well-traveled, cultured metrosexual, Barbie took him back. But will that bring back sales to Mattel's flagship product. The squeaky-clean, girl-next-door image that she's embodied is not attracting sales. In fact, girls are bored of the unrealistic portrayal that Barbie has had in our popular culture, despite the fact that she's been an astronaut, teacher, and rock star. It seems as girls are not really as into dolls as they used to be - in an age of interactivity and customization, is there a future for the fashion-conscious doll?

The answer may be in the success of Bratz - they are edgier, curvier, sassier, and it looks like they've dethroned Barbie in doll sales. So much so that Mattel created 2 extensions to the Barbie line - the defunct Flavas and the Bratz wannabees My Scene. Regardless of the outcome in this dueling-diva showdown, Barbie still remains on top in terms of branding. With collector's items galore and a successful straight-to-video biz, it looks like Barbie isn't going anywhere yet. As the old saying goes, the more things change, the more they remain the same.