International Women’s Day: Barbie recognizes the power of friendship
Mattel announced that Barbie is celebrating International Women’s Day by honoring four powerful friendship duos whose strong bonds inspire and empower each other’s success with one-of-a-kind Barbie Role Model dolls made in their likeness. The brand is showcasing the collective strength of women empowering women and spotlighting real-life friendships to encourage girls to embrace girlhood.
The importance of friendship
Studies show that 55% of Gen Z and Millennials say friendship is more important than a romantic relationship, and women with a tight-knit circle of supportive women are 2.5 times more likely to become high performers at work 2. Barbie recognizes that friendship can be an unstoppable force to help unlock limitless possibilities and is celebrating women who facilitate supportive communities – from sisters, to friends, to colleagues, to role models.
Women’s History Month
In advance of Women’s History Month and in celebration of women who are breaking barriers, Barbie honored creative duo and longtime friends, the 17-time Grammy award-winning artist Alicia Keys and her multi-Grammy award-winning recording and mix engineer, Ann Mincieli who both co-founded She Is The Music, a nonprofit organization increasing the number of women working in music and developing the next generation of women in music. The Alicia and Ann one-of-a-kind dolls were auctioned off last month with proceeds benefitting She Is The Music. Barbie continues to honor legendary friendships this International Women’s Day with global duos:
- Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey (U.S.): Olympic gold medalists on the U.S. Gymnastics team, supporting each other on and off the mat.
- Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple (United Kingdom): British actresses who formed an iconic friendship both on and off screen.
- Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty, AO (Australia): Former tennis world number ones and grand slam champions, who share a bond, representing First Nations Australians in the sport.
- Paola Antonini and Kelen Ferreira (Brazil): Paola and Kelen formed a meaningful partnership when Paola portrayed a character inspired by Kelen’s life-changing accident in a series. They support each other through their shared advocacy for body positivity and accessibility.
To help girls learn how to create and maintain long-lasting friendships, Barbie teamed up with Dr. Marisa G. Franco, best-selling author, TED speaker, psychologist, professor, and friendship and belonging expert. Dr. Franco shared tips and tricks on creating human connection.
New animated special
Barbie continues to unlock limitless possibilities with a new animated special, “Barbie & Teresa: Recipe for Friendship,” premiering on Netflix March 6th. The 60-minute animated adventure follows Barbie “Brooklyn” Roberts, Barbie “Malibu” Roberts, and best friends Teresa and Nikki as they head to New York City and learn valuable lessons about the power of friendship. Fans can follow along and play out even more stories with the exciting doll offerings now available at Mattel Shop.
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