Two Gay Men Want Same-Sex Marriage Barbie Dolls
Two gay men are campaigning to get toymaker Mattel to make same-sex marriage barbie dolls. They’re planning to meet with the company’s head of design in January.
Scottsdale, Arizona, couple Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio have been together for over a decade. They’re getting married next year. Mattel is meeting with same-sex couple
A same-sex couple is meeting with Mattel next week to discuss creating a gay wedding Barbie doll set. It's a move that could change the way barbie dolls are sold around the world.
Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio, who live in Scottsdale, Arizona, have been together for a decade and they are getting married next year. They wanted to buy their eight-year-old niece a doll wedding set but couldn't find one that represented the couple. Then, the duo decided to make their own.
The couple bought a Barbie and Ken wedding set and replaced the Barbie bride with an extra Ken doll so it would look more like their own wedding. The couple then gave the gift to their niece, Natalie, who was very excited about it.
After Jacobi and Caprio posted the picture of their modified set on social media, Mattel reached out to them and is now considering adding a same-sex marriage barbie doll set. The company has made efforts to create more inclusive lines of dolls in recent years, including a line of curvy and petite Barbies and a Ken with a hijab modeled after Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad for its Sheroes collection.
According to Good Morning America, the couple contacted Mattel after they noticed that the wedding sets they found only featured heterosexual brides and grooms. They said that they wanted to give their niece something more personal.
In the past, many parents have taken matters into their own hands and created their own dolls with different hairstyles, body types and skin colors. However, this is the first time that Barbie has been adapted to reflect a gay couple.
After the couple's effort to lobby Mattel, the toymaker responded and is now planning to meet with them soon in hopes of making this a reality. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of many more dolls being adapted to include more diversity in their designs. This would be a huge step for the toy maker and it would show that they have a genuine desire to create a more diverse range of dolls. Mattel is considering a same-sex wedding set
When Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio were shopping for their oldest niece Natalie's birthday gift last year, they found it difficult to find a Barbie wedding set that reflected their family. Every set they saw featured a bride and groom, which didn't reflect their relationship or the kind of wedding they would be having.
To solve the problem, they decided to customize their own wedding set. They replaced the Barbie bride with two Ken grooms and gave their niece a wedding doll set that looked more like them.
It took a lot of effort, but the end result was an adorable set that Natalie couldn't wait to open on her eighth birthday. “They look exactly like you!” she exclaimed, when she opened the same-sex couple wedding set her uncles had given her.
The couple, who live in Scottsdale, Arizona, said they were looking for a gift that could relate to their wedding and their love for their nieces. They also wanted a gift that would fit into the theme of their wedding and be something they could play with together, as well.
Their nieces are flower girls in their upcoming wedding, so they wanted to give them a gift that would be meaningful for the occasion. They went to several stores to look for a doll wedding set, but they couldn't find one that was wedding-related without focusing on a heterosexual couple.
After they were frustrated with their search, Jacobi and Caprio decided to lobby the maker of Ken and Barbie, Mattel. The pair contacted the company and asked them to add same-sex couples to their wedding sets.
They shared their idea on Instagram and were soon contacted by Mattel to set up a meeting. The toymaker is now considering making a same-sex Barbie wedding set that could be available for children across the country and around the world.
The Barbie wedding set isn't the first time the toy manufacturer has been inspired to diversify its collection. It recently expanded its Ken line and added a Ken doll that resembles Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. And, in addition to a diverse Ken line, the company's Shero series also includes a Barbie that wears a hijab. If Mattel decides to make a same-sex Barbie wedding set, it would be the first of its kind in the history of the iconic doll brand. Mattel is supporting same-sex marriage
In recent years, Mattel has increasingly aligned the Barbie brand with progressive causes. It has released a range of dolls with diverse hair, face and body types to encourage healthy self-image among girls. It also released a line of Shero dolls in 2016 that celebrate real women role models.
One of the most well-known dolls in the world is now supporting same-sex marriage, in what is likely to be a major move for the toy manufacturer. In a cute Instagram post, Barbie has posed alongside a doll version of Los Angeles-based fashion blogger Aimee Song wearing a T-shirt that reads “Love Wins.”
The photo has garnered plenty of attention on social media and it's easy to see why. Many of the responses to the Instagram post have applauded Barbie's willingness to stand up for same-sex marriage in an inclusive way, calling it a “wonderful” gesture by the iconic toy.
According to Gallup, 83% of Democrats and 73% of political independents say same-sex marriage should be legalised in the US. The number has been steadily increasing, which could mean that more people are beginning to accept this form of marriage.
In an effort to boost sales, Mattel has a range of ad campaigns that promote the company's products in various ways. These campaigns are carried out through electronic, print and social media on television, magazines, YouTube and through the company's website.
These campaigns aim to increase the demand for the company's products and to create a buzz for their new products. Besides this, the company also ties up with apparel brands to showcase their products and promote them in business events and other high profile events.
Mattel has a strong presence in the global market and is available in most countries. It has a headquarters in California, United States and focuses on developing and marketing its products worldwide.
Over the past seven years, Mattel has redesigned its range of Barbie to reflect modern culture. In that time, the brand has introduced new body types and diversity into its line, including career dolls. It has a more purposeful approach to its touchpoints and has embraced a more empowering message that helps girls overcome their negative self-image, explains Lisa McKnight, senior vice-president and global brand general manager at Mattel. Mattel is lobbying for same-sex couples
Mattel, the American toy company that makes Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, has started lobbying for same-sex couples. An Arizona couple is trying to get toy maker Mattel to add same-sex wedding doll sets to its collection. silicon sex doll
Matt Jacobi and his fiancée, Nick Caprio, are getting married next year. When they went shopping for a gift for their niece, they found that all of the Barbie wedding sets they could find only featured heterosexual bride and groom dolls.
The couple says it was a big turnoff to them, so they decided to lobby Mattel and ask the company to consider adding same-sex dolls to its wedding sets. Now, they’ll meet with designers at Mattel in Los Angeles next week to discuss the idea of same-sex dolls.
In the last few years, Mattel has made a big push to diversify its Barbie range, steering it away from the traditional blonde image and expanding it with new lines of dolls in different skin tones, body shapes and professions. It also launched a line of boy dolls four years ago, and has added a variety of gender-neutral customisable toys to its product line.
According to Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s SVP and global head of Barbie and Dolls Portfolio, the marketing mix for the brand has changed a lot in recent times, and she says digital now forms a significant part of its budget. She estimates that YouTube is the top way kids today discover new toys, alongside TV and traditional advertising.
Overall, she says, the shift has helped the brand to generate excitement and build a loyal following. She also cites the success of its new range of role models – including Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks and Katherine Johnson – as evidence that it’s paying attention to the changing needs of its target market.
While Mattel’s marketing mix has changed, its products are still geared toward kids, with digital content and learning activities the primary value offerings. The company, however, is making changes to its strategy that aim to differentiate it from competitors like Hasbro, whose toy line is largely centered on its classic, noncollectable dolls. The company plans to focus on entertainment, consumer products and digital, rather than just toys, a move that will help it to compete in the future.
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