• Thinking
  • Blog

• Email
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Looks Like Barbie’s Going Hi-Tech

November 28, 2011 at 3:44 pm by Ted Mininni

Mattel gets it. Yet another generation of young girls is experiencing a special relationship with Barbie. And given the fashionista’s long heritage, their moms are enjoying it with them.

So why not license the brand with products kids are into now? Why not take the physical toy into the realm of the virtual to bring the brand into multiple facets of young girls’ lives? And accomplish it with a tech product that offers real educational value?

Mattel partnered with Oregon Scientific to do just that. A new Barbie fashion tablet in signature pink has debuted as a result of a terrific collaboration. The tablet has features parents can endorse. 30 touch screen games involving key disciplines: writing, drawing, music, vocabulary and memory will draw kids in and deliver substantive value.

The whole idea to merge the Barbie brand with a new learning device makes sense, leveraging the heritage of the brand to maximum effect. This offers a glimpse, and a blueprint into what it takes to keep heritage brands fresh and relevant to a new audience of consumers. Kudos to Mattel!

• Are there other toy brands that would benefit from licensing agreements to launch more high-tech products for kids?
• Conversely, are there virtual properties that would benefit from licensing agreements to develop physical toys?
• Which brands, toys or otherwise, do a good job extending their IP’s into new consumer product categories?

We’d love to hear from you.

Categories: