Barbie’s “Campaign Team” is here to give all girls (and the rest of us) hope for a better future
Are you still holding out hope that another (female) presidential candidate will miraculously fall from the sky? Yeah, me too. And while it appears that is no longer a possibility, we can dream — which is precisely why we’re so obsessed with Barbie’s first-ever Campaign Team set.
The newly launched line includes four diverse dolls ready to take on the world and, as it were, the White House. The center of the collection is the “candidate,” a Black woman rocking a chic pantsuit and hot pink lip. (Seriously, obsessed.)
Mattel
“Since 1959, Barbie has championed girls and encouraged them to be leaders whether in the classroom, community, or someday, of the country,” Lisa McKnight, SVP and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls at Mattel, said in a statement. “With less than a third of elected leaders in the U.S. being women, and Black women being even less represented in these positions, we designed the Barbie Campaign Team with a diverse set of dolls to show all girls they can raise their voices. Our goal is to remove barriers to leadership by giving girls the tools to imagine and play out their future roles.”
Bravo, Barbie! Clearly, the new set aims to spark girls’ own interest in shaping the future. To that end, Barbie has gone one step further by teaming up with She Should Run — a non-partisan non-profit that provides guidance and support to women considering political bids.
The “Campaign Fundraiser” | Courtesy of Mattel
She Should Run is also a recipient of funds from the Barbie Dream Gap Project, a global initiative that gives girls the resources and support they need to overcome self-limiting beliefs.
The shared goal through this particular collaborative collection is to educate girls on leadership roles and teach them the importance of voting. In fact, 66 percent of adults surveyed by She Should Run observed an increased perception in leadership potential in children who role-play.
The “Campaign Manager” | Courtesy of Mattel
“With the upcoming elections and the current push for equality and representation, 2020 is an incredible time for us to inspire young women and girls to lead,” said Erin Loos Cutraro, founder and CEO of She Should Run. “Understanding the role we play in empowering our daughters is the first step — we have to have healthy conversations at home and encourage curiosity. By getting them excited today, we’re giving them the confidence to raise their voices and run for office tomorrow.”
The “Voter” | Courtesy of Mattel
In addition to the dolls, Barbie is offering a bevy of super-cool education resources like play ballots, printables, prompts for girls to write their own campaign speeches, and more. A new “Ask Barbie” video will also be live on the Barbie YouTube channel.
The Barbie Campaign Team set is available $39.99 at major online retailers starting today. But, c’mon… teaching girls to believe in themselves enough to take charge from the polls all the way to the presidential office? You might say that’s priceless.
