Mad About Barbie
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad world—and a Barbie one at that.
For those who are fans of both everyone’s favorite doll and everyone’s favorite new dramatic series, there’s a new deal on the table: This July, Mattel will issue four new dolls modeled on “Mad Men”, the show set in the 1960s about the advertising world which has become a runaway hit after only three seasons-and garnered multiple Emmys and Golden Globes in the process. Given the somewhat saucy nature of the show, one might think, “Barbie and Ken would not approve … “ Alas, the dolls are the first licensed line for the premium-price collection put out by Mattel called the Fashion Model Collection, targeted specifically for adults. And the differ additionally since they are fashioned from Silkstone®, a porcelain-like material, as well as being dressed in suitably “Mad” fashions-pearls, pumps, tight skirt suits for Joan, billowing dresses for Betty, and dapper suits for Dan and Roger. Fans will want to move fast: Only 7-10,000 of the dolls will be issued, sold in specialty stores and on the sites amctv.com and barbiecollector.com. As with much in life, timing is everything: The dolls’ debut will be perfectly timed for the debut of the fourth season that month of “Mad Men”, and the timing of the two is also serendipitous for the fact that Barbie made her debut in 1959, and the first episode of the show is set in March, 1960. The collection is being launched along with Lionsgate Films and AMC (Lionsgate is the studio that produces “Mad Men” for the AMC cable channel). Few shows have had dolls modeled on their lead characters-“The X Files” and “I Love Lucy” being two such programs. Now, Don Draper and his wife Betty, along with Sterling Cooper agency partner Roger Sterling and the office manager he lusts after Joan Holloway will be immortalized in the toy box. Or on the shelf, that is. That’s a deal worth sealing.
Tagged in: radar, advertising, mad men, don draper, dolls, barbie, tv,
