Mattel

Mattel Unveils Additional Products Celebrating Barbie™ The Movie

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 7, 2023

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today an expansion of the Barbie™ The Movie product collection inspired by the BARBIE™ film created in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures.

Key Points: 
  • Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today an expansion of the Barbie™ The Movie product collection inspired by the BARBIE™ film created in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures.
  • “We are thrilled to see how much love and excitement Barbie The Movie has already sparked among fans,” said Lisa McKnight, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, Mattel.
  • The expanded Mattel collection of Barbie™ The Movie products builds upon the initial June 2023 launch of movie toys from UNO®, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price®, MEGA™ and Barbie.
  • These latest items are available in collectible packaging and are available for pre-sale now at retailers nationwide and Mattel Shop for an SRP of $25 to $75.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Barbie” and Director Greta Gerwig Make History Together as the Box Office Sensation Passes a Billion Dollars Worldwide

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, August 6, 2023

The widely acclaimed box office juggernaut and cultural phenomenon has also launched filmmaker Greta Gerwig into the record books as the first woman to surpass that benchmark as a solo director.

Key Points: 
  • The widely acclaimed box office juggernaut and cultural phenomenon has also launched filmmaker Greta Gerwig into the record books as the first woman to surpass that benchmark as a solo director.
  • The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, for Warner Bros. Pictures.
  • Gerwig directed “Barbie” from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story,” “The Squid and the Whale”), based on Barbie by Mattel.
  • Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Heyday Films Production, a LuckyChap Entertainment Production, an NB/GG Pictures Production, a Mattel Production, “Barbie.” The film is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Dolls and dollars: why small businesses should be wary of cashing in on Barbiemania with their branding

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 3, 2023

That Buzz Lightyear bubble bath, Lightning McQueen bedding or Elemental backpack all contribute to a movie’s overall income stream.

Key Points: 
  • That Buzz Lightyear bubble bath, Lightning McQueen bedding or Elemental backpack all contribute to a movie’s overall income stream.
  • Small businesses trying this kind of thing often get “cease and desist” letters from film studios, demanding they stop.
  • But businesses in New Zealand and elsewhere need to consider the risk they face by infringing on Mattel’s intellectual property rights.

The rise of Barbie

    • Mattel has been vigilant about controlling the Barbie image.
    • It tried to stop conceptual artist Thomas Forsythe from creating artworks depicting Barbie in perilous positions – such as in cocktail blenders and under an oven grill.
    • And in the late 1990s, Mattel tried to stop Danish pop group Aqua from singing about Barbie.

Investing in brand protection

    • Millions of dollars are spent on creating and sustaining brand images.
    • Will these poor imitations affect how people feel about the brand?
    • As Mattel told the Canadian court, it is in the business of building brand equity – the commercial value that comes from consumer perception of a brand, which supports vast networks of licensing deals.
    • Any unlicensed use of the brand can take away market share.

What is a brand?

    • Brand equity is protected by an array of intellectual property (IP) rights.
    • Trademarks, copyrights and business goodwill work together to create and protect the valuable asset known as a “brand”.
    • This decision might have been different if the restaurant’s goods and services had been more similar to Mattel’s.

A global network of IP treaties

    • But international protection of IP has been around since at least the end of the 19th century.
    • Aotearoa New Zealand is now party to a network of international IP treaties that help prevent this from happening.
    • Protecting IP is part of the quid pro quo for lowering tariffs for our goods in foreign markets.

Disney Kicks Off “Wonder of Princess” Month in August With Magical Lineup of New Collaborations

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 2, 2023

To kick off festivities, new Disney Story Dolls from shopDisney.com are available today online and at select shopping destinations at Disney Parks.

Key Points: 
  • To kick off festivities, new Disney Story Dolls from shopDisney.com are available today online and at select shopping destinations at Disney Parks.
  • Young fans can also get cozy in new sleepwear available on shopDisney, inspired by beloved Disney Princess characters.
  • Disney Princess and LEGO fans can stream a brand new special, “LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest”, debuting exclusively on Disney+, August 18.
  • New toys from Mattel include the Disney Princess Royal Color Reveal Assortment , Disney Princess Story Stackers , the Disney Princess Magical Adventures Castle, as well as Mattel Creations’ Royal Radiance and Disney Collector Dolls for the adult fan.

'Barbie' is, at its core, a movie about the messy contradictions of motherhood

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 1, 2023

As a mother and a media scholar, I couldn’t help but see “Barbie” through an even narrower lens: as a film that, at its core, is about mothers and daughters.

Key Points: 
  • As a mother and a media scholar, I couldn’t help but see “Barbie” through an even narrower lens: as a film that, at its core, is about mothers and daughters.
  • So she leaves her perfect plastic life to embark on a quest to restore the boundary between the real world and Barbieland.

Motherhood as mere drudgery?

    • I was immediately struck by the movie’s funny but chilling observations about motherhood.
    • Barbie – a doll of a young, beautiful woman – compels kids to leave the ennui of motherhood behind for the pink plastic sparkle of Barbieland, where all the Barbies live their best lives forever, embodying feminine perfection and possibility.
    • The framing of motherhood as thankless and undesirable echoes mid-20th-century feminist critiques of child rearing and housework.
    • In her 1949 book “The Second Sex,” French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir argued that women, to empower themselves, needed to reject the myth that motherhood represented the pinnacle of feminine achievement.

The value in ‘motherwork’

    • And yet, not only do many women enjoy being mothers, but motherhood also plays an essential role in society and life.
    • For these mothers, the survival of their children is not a given.
    • In “Barbie,” the mother-daughter relationship between Gloria, played by America Ferrera, and her daughter Sasha, played by Ariana Greenblatt, contains these contradictions.
    • Sasha – and all the Barbies – have something else to learn from Gloria, too.

Letting go

    • Instead, the film offers another perspective through the character of Ruth Handler, Mattel’s founder, who’s played by Rhea Perlman.
    • Handler helps Barbie see what awaits her if she chooses to become human.
    • Symbolically letting go of her creation and encouraging her to forge her own path, Ruth tells Barbie that she cannot control her any more than she could control her own daughter, and that mothers should pave the way for their children, not hinder them.
    • It involves leading and following, holding on and letting go.

UNO Brand Launches Nationwide Search for Chief UNO Player to Debut Its Newest Game: UNO Quatro

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today the nationwide search for the first-ever Chief UNO Player, calling on the ultimate UNO fan to take on the ultimate job.

Key Points: 
  • Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today the nationwide search for the first-ever Chief UNO Player, calling on the ultimate UNO fan to take on the ultimate job.
  • The UNO brand is welcoming applications to become the Chief UNO Player, a part-time position responsible for introducing fans to the latest innovation from the world’s #1 card game, UNO Quatro.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230731339415/en/
    UNO Brand Launches Nationwide Search for Chief UNO Player to Debut Its Newest Game: UNO Quatro (Graphic: Business Wire)
    To celebrate the launch of the UNO Quatro game, the Chief UNO Player will have fun tasks ahead of them like challenging worthy competitors to a game of UNO Quatro and teaching the new rules to fans (while having fun along the way, of course!).
  • “We’re thrilled to offer a position to the ultimate UNO player to help introduce our brand-new game, UNO Quatro, to the world.

Connected Toys Market worth $24.1 billion by 2028- Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets™

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 31, 2023

Connected toys align with their tech-savvy lifestyles, offering a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.

Key Points: 
  • Connected toys align with their tech-savvy lifestyles, offering a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
  • The ubiquity of smartphones and tablets ensures that connected toys can easily reach a broad audience of consumers, including children, parents, and tech-savvy individuals.
  • The tech-savvy population in North America, characterized by a strong affinity for digital devices and experiences, is a key driver for the Connected Toys Market.
  • Connected toys cater to this digital lifestyle, offering interactive and engaging play options that resonate with children and teenagers in the region.

Connected Toys Market worth $24.1 billion by 2028- Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets™

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 31, 2023

Connected toys align with their tech-savvy lifestyles, offering a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.

Key Points: 
  • Connected toys align with their tech-savvy lifestyles, offering a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
  • The ubiquity of smartphones and tablets ensures that connected toys can easily reach a broad audience of consumers, including children, parents, and tech-savvy individuals.
  • The tech-savvy population in North America, characterized by a strong affinity for digital devices and experiences, is a key driver for the Connected Toys Market.
  • Connected toys cater to this digital lifestyle, offering interactive and engaging play options that resonate with children and teenagers in the region.

Best. Week. Ever. Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Barbie” Flies Past $350 Million at the Domestic Box Office, Setting New Records for the Studio as It Continues to Celebrate Its 100th

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, July 30, 2023

And as of today, “Barbie” has grossed an astonishing $350 million in North America in just ten days—reaching that figure faster than any other release in the history of the Studio.

Key Points: 
  • And as of today, “Barbie” has grossed an astonishing $350 million in North America in just ten days—reaching that figure faster than any other release in the history of the Studio.
  • The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
  • Propelled into its second weekend on a wave of cultural excitement and sell-out shows, Greta Gerwig’s visionary take on the enduring Mattel icon crossed $350 million in domestic receipts on Sunday.
  • Aldo Ranks, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, HAIM, The Kid LAROI, Khalid, PinkPantheress, GAYLE, Ava Max, FIFTY FIFTY and more.

“Barbie” Skates Past $500 Million Worldwide

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 28, 2023

On the heels of its record-shattering opening weekend, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Barbie” has surpassed the half-billion dollar mark at the global box office, taking in a staggering worldwide total of $528.6 million, with $237.2 million coming in from domestic theaters and $291.4 million internationally, and still climbing.

Key Points: 
  • On the heels of its record-shattering opening weekend, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Barbie” has surpassed the half-billion dollar mark at the global box office, taking in a staggering worldwide total of $528.6 million, with $237.2 million coming in from domestic theaters and $291.4 million internationally, and still climbing.
  • The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, for Warner Bros. Pictures.
  • Aldo Ranks, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, HAIM, The Kid LAROI, Khalid, PinkPantheress, GAYLE, Ava Max, FIFTY FIFTY and more.
  • “Barbie” is rated PG-13 by the MPA for suggestive references and brief language.