The document discusses the concept of a 'master idea' for the brand Barbie, emphasizing its role as a unique and influential symbol that shapes the purpose, culture, and values of the organization. It explores Barbie's history, the vision of her founder Ruth Handler, and how the brand has the potential to empower young girls by allowing them to imagine and create their own futures. Additionally, it highlights the importance of integrating the master idea into communication and marketing to position Barbie as a timeless icon in contemporary culture.

1. Barbie: The Master Idea Maria Curiel Richard Meister Tania Roter Scott Schwartz Shelby Senzer Yaniv Yaakubovich

2. Agenda Master Idea Investigation Incubation Illumination Illustration

3. “ There is nothing like a dream to create the future.” Victor Hugo

4. Master Idea

5. What is a Master Idea? Clear The Master Idea crystallizes the core purpose of an organization in a way that is intuitive, optimistic and meaningful in the current environment and provides a moral compass for the organization’s future direction. The Master Idea creates clarity of purpose and helps put an organization on the pathway to soulful excellence. . Distinctive The Master Idea is born out of the shared convictions of an organization’s people. It is authentic to the organization’s ethos, culture and values, and is completely unique to that organization. Powerful The Master Idea has the power to propel an organization into the great arena of possibility. When lived internally and delivered externally, the Master Idea can ignite a cultural transformation, beginning with leadership and spreading to employees, the market, and even society.

6. A Master Idea Is derived from the ethos of a company Has transformative quality Serves as a battlecry Has the power to teach Is timeless , with no beginning or end Is born from conviction , and not data Articulates a possibility that inspires Fulfills a fundamentaldesire

7. Ethos is the foundation for a Master Idea Ethos The authentic, core DNA of the company Culture Complex of shared behaviors, attitudes and beliefs Policies The internal framework that ties together company guidelines and values Strategy A devised plan of action to achieve a goal Tactics Concrete steps to executing a strategy

8. The Master Idea influences all aspects of an organization

9. How will a Master Idea benefit Barbie? Ethos Refocus Barbie based on its founding principles Culture Create shared beliefs among Barbie employees Values Articulate a compelling value proposition that provides intrinsic motivation & inspiration for employees & management Strategies Solidify the core purpose of Barbie in a way that is intuitive, optimistic, and meaningful Tactics Enable Barbie to create an aligned product and promotional campaign

10. Investigation

11. What is Investigation? General Deep research about a company’s beginnings and history Understanding of where the company is heading in the future Barbie Specific Our investigation hoped to explore how Barbie has progressed and changed over the last 50 years by speaking to Mattel employees In the beginning, what made Barbie unique? What did she offer young women? How has Barbie changed over the years?

12. Investigation explored Barbie’s inner aspirations Destiny Sessions with Barbie employees Current Marketing Director and Former Brand Manager Review of historic and current Barbie products and promotional materials Biography of Barbie’s founder - “Barbie and Ruth” Interview with Handler’s biographer - Robin Gerber

13. How Ruth Handler’s Life Shaped Barbie Independent Brought up by older sister Entrepreneurial Worked from an early age Founded Mattel Persistent Didn’t take no for an answer Created and developed Barbie in the face of opposition

14. How Ruth Handler’s Life Shaped Barbie “ Even though her designers told Ruth many times that making this doll profitable would be impossible, she pushed it through anyway.” - Robin Gerber, Author, Barbie and Ruth “ I’m extraordinarily uncomfortable with dependency on anyone. I guess I’ve had this overwhelming compulsion to prove myself all my life. I grew up with the idea that a woman - a mother - with a job was neither strange nor unnatural. If I had to stay home I would be the most dreadful, mixed-up, unhappy woman in the world.” -Ruth Handler, Founder, Barbie

15. Ruth’s Inspiration for Barbie Little girls just want to be bigger girls Handler’s daughter rejected traditional dolls for paper dolls Used paper dolls to imagine her life as an adult Ruth wanted to produce a grown-up doll that girls could use to project their dreams for the future German Bild Lilli doll Gag gift for adult men 11 1/2 inch blonde bombshell with a curvaceous figure and permanent high heels

16. Ruth’s Inspiration for Barbie “ Through their play, Barbara and her friends were imagining their lives as adults. They were using the dolls to reflect the adult world around them. They would sit and carry on conversations, making the dolls real people.” "My whole philosophy of Barbie was that, through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices." "Every little girl needed a doll through which to project herself into her dream of her future. If she was going to do role playing of what she would be like when she was 16 or 17, it was a little stupid to play with a doll that had a flat chest. So I gave it beautiful breasts." - Ruth Handler, Founder, Mattel and Barbie

17. Barbie created limitless possibilities Defied stereotypes Ahead of her time Role-model The First Barbie Shaped Girls’ Lives 1950’s presented limited opportunities for girls and women Expected to stay home Primary role as mothers and housewives

18. The First Barbie Shaped Girls’ Lives “ The revolutionary idea that little girls today are viewing their girl dolls increasingly as themselves and not as their babies.” - The New York Times, 1963 “ Barbie has fostered more hopes, dreams, and imagination than any other toy.” - Marketing Director, Barbie

19. Controversy over Barbie Barbie promotes an unrealistic idea of body image “ Anatomically improbable” Barbie negatively portrays women Teen Talk Barbie Mattel disagrees Barbie was ahead of her time regarding gender roles and race identity Careers Multicultural options

20. Controversy over Barbie “ Some argue her body shape would be unobtainable and unsustainable if scaled up to life-size. They claim she would not be able to stand up because her body frame would be so unbalanced. A real life Barbie would simply fall over.” Denise Winterman, BBC News Magazine "Barbie's body shape and proportions are among the many things that play up to this 'thin ideal' which is ubiquitous these days. The promotion of dolls with such a body shape, and other things like size zero, have wider public health implications, like an increased risk of eating disorders.” - Professor Janet Treasure, Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London

21. Incubation

22. What is Incubation? General Explore the ideas that were the foundation of a brand Delve into the most important elements of the brand Barbie Specific Increase understanding of Barbie’s role as a cultural icon What did Barbie represent in 1959? What does she stand for today? Has a changing world made Barbie irrelevant or is there still a place for her in today’s cultural landscape? Has Barbie lost her ability to influence and empower today’s young women?

23. We explored key ideas with divergent thinkers Interviews with women who played with Barbie in the 60’s Focus group of 6 year-old girls Interviews with Luminaries and Divergent Thinkers Cynthia Good - CEO of Pink Magazine Kate Beret - Anthropologist at Emory University “ Forever Barbie - The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll” - by M.G. Lord

25. Key Themes and Concepts Dreams Doll Adult Empowerment Aspiration Independence Barbie as a Vehicle for Girls’ Dreams Barbie as a Trailblazer Role-model Fashion Beautiful Sexy Exploration Revolutionary Icon Confidence Imagination Expression Style Creativity Freedom Barbie as a Creative Outlet Future Interactive Play Opportunity Possibilities Confidence Assertive

26. Barbie as a Trailblazer “ What Barbie was for me as a kid was new and even revolutionary. She was very different from all other dolls. She was hot, she was sexy; she was much more grown-up than the other girl dolls.” - Woman who played with Barbie in the 60’s “ She taught us independence. Barbie was her own woman. She could invent herself with a costume change: sing a solo in the spotlight one minute, pilot a starship the next. She was Grace Slick and Sally Ride, Marie Osmond and Marie Curie. She was all that we could be. There were no parents or husbands or offspring in Barbie’s world; she didn’t define herself through relationships of responsibility to men or to her family. In the doll’s early years, Handler turned down a vacuum company’s offer to make a Barbie-sized vacuum because Barbie didn’t do rough housework.” - M.G. Lord, Author, “Forever Barbie”

27. Barbie as a Creative Outlet “… Most dolls were children or baby dolls. The historic role of dolls was teaching or modeling childcare for girls so that she could care for her siblings and later her own children. Kids use their imagination but it was limited. Barbie is probably the first adult doll and she didn’t come as part of a family. Girls can play and imagine anything they want to be as a grown up.” - Kate Beret, Anthropologist - Emory University

28. Barbie as a Vehicle for Girls’ Dreams “ Women are reluctant to stand up and be counted and create the kind of life they want. They’re timid about it. What Barbie could help women be is unapologetically assertive about creating the life that they want to have. If you have an idea in your head for the kind of life you want to live, then you can create that. You have to have the image of it first and once you have the idea, you can create it.” - Cynthia Good, CEO - Pink Magazine “ I most used Barbie to try on social roles and relationships. The appeal to me was that Barbie was older and more sophisticated – I think kids like Barbie because she helps them try on older roles.” - Woman who played with Barbie in the 60’s

29. Transformation of Barbie Today’s Brand Being a beautiful girl Impossible proportions Playing dress-up Role-play Tomorrow’s Stand Making a beautiful life Limitless possibilities Playing life Role-model

30. Illumination

31. What is Illumination? General Explore what is at the heart of an organization. What does it stand for? Develop an idea or concept that speaks for the organization and brings it to life. Barbie Specific Today, Barbie represents an opportunity to dream about what is possible and even unbelievable. For little girls, Barbie is the incarnation of whatever they want her to be and everything they hope to be themselves. She is ultimate avenue for exploration and fantasy, self-expression and creativity, hopes and dreams.

32. “ Create Your Dreamhouse”

33. Barbie’s Master Idea “ Create Your Dreamhouse” Create A verb meaning to construct or build. When girls play with Barbie they have an opportunity to express themselves and make Barbie whatever they choose. Your This word signifies how unique each young girl is. There is not a single “Dreamhouse” - every girl will have a different “Dreamhouse” that represents the spirit, soul, and aspirations of each individual girl. Dreamhouse The Dreamhouse is where Barbie lives. It is also the ultimate ideal that we each set forth for ourselves. Every girl playing with Barbie is unique and is free to imagine a “Dreamhouse” that reflects their own goals, ideals and passions. This “Dreamhouse” entitles all young girls to believe that even their wildest dreams are possible.

34. “ Create Your Dreamhouse” is a multi-layered Master Idea For the Girls Barbie enables girls to imagine what their lives will be like as adults and acts as a vehicle for them to express themselves and create their “Dreamhouse ” For the Employees Founder and trailblazer, Ruth Handler, set out to create her own “Dreamhouse ” as a businesswoman. Employees are empowered to pursue their “Dreamhouse ” through entrepreneurship and different career paths at Mattel For the Organization Mattel is a “Dreamhouse” where innovation and creativity are encouraged and rewarded . Mattel recognizes that the employees are the vital element in future growth.

35. “ Create Your Dreamhouse” Barbie, like her founder Ruth Handler, was a trailblazer from the beginning. She was always one step ahead and broke the gender barrier by being the first woman to go to space and the first woman to be president. As generations of young girls continue to play with Barbie, they can imagine, just like their mothers did, the endless possibilities that are available and attainable. Just as Barbie has her very own Dreamhouse, young girls are encouraged to use Barbie to imagine the lives they want for themselves.

36. Illustration

37. What is Illustration? General A vivid depiction of the master idea at work Integration of the master idea with both internal and external communication to all relevant stakeholders Use of a variety of mediums (advertising, product design, mission statement) to portray the master idea in an appealing and enlightening manner Barbie Specific “ Create your own dream house” applies to all constituents Focuses on the ability to think and dream “big”

38. How can we implement this change in philosophy To Moms Leverage generations  link mothers and daughters through Barbie To young girls Embrace technology, push the envelope, stay ahead of the times, imagine all possibilities To employees Promote forward-thinking, expression of ideas The intrinsic benefits of creating the next “female movement” The belief that they can have a positive impact on a young girls’ lives, hopes, and dreams

41. Illustration

44. Illustration Effects Financial Reclaim dominant position in female doll category Assert position of icon rather than fad Leverage brand instead of diluting it Emotional Bonding experience between mother and daughter Inspirational Barbie was president 30 years before it nearly became reality, what’s next? Why not you?

45. So, what’s your dreamhouse?