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MANILA, Philippines – That’s right! Barbara Millicent Roberts, or Barbie to her friends and fans, is officially a senior citizen as of March 9, 2019, which means she can now enjoy the many perks of seniority such as free movies and a 20% discount.
On that very day back in 1959, one of the co-founders of Mattel Ruth Handler conceptualized the doll and named it after her daughter Barbara.
Barbie was already ahead of its time as soon as it entered the market. While the brand started with depicting the latest fashion of its day, it quickly expanded to showcasing different careers and the many job possibilities for women.
Barbie’s constantly evolving image reflected the progression and emergence of female visibility in the workforce. The generations of children who grew up playing with Barbie dolls lived vicariously through the dolls as they explored different careers and possibilities.
By the late ’80s and ’90s, the Barbie brand began to expand its reach to mainstream media such as video games, movies, television shows, and the like. Eventually, Barbie tapped into social media, with a vlogger version of the doll providing sound advice for kids and tweens.
Currently, Barbie remains at the forefront of progressive ideas as they become all-inclusive in terms of physical appearance, racial diversity, and are constantly adding new occupations (some unfairly perceived as an exclusively male-dominated field) such as being a programmer. With Barbie upgrading and updating with the times, we can look forward to more good things to come.
Mattel’s local distributor, Richprime Global Inc., considers Barbie as one of its flagship toy lines. The highly influential brand promotes girl power and drawing from these feminine strengths to create your own opportunities and take the reins.
This idea perfectly represents the head honchos of Richprime: President and CEO Myrna Yao and daughters Richprime Vice President Jane Yao, and Richprime Managing Director Liza Yao.
The pretty-in-pink celebration took place at SM North EDSA The Block with an all-girl dance number and fashion show runway presentation.
Liza opened the festivities by discussing the lasting impact of Barbie among children and adults alike. “[Barbie] has been a part of so many lives. She is the only brand that has the power to inspire the next generation. Welcome to all the Barbie fans who are growing up believing in their limitless potential.”
To celebrate Barbie’s 60th anniversary, Richprime execs Myrna, Jane, and Liza, alongside the Country Manager of Mattel Inc. South Asia Ivan Franco. Ivan leads the toast by saying, “Let’s continue to inspire girls in the Philippines just like the women we’re going to recognize here today.”
Barbie’s birthday also happens to fall under International Women’s Month and in the spirit of female empowerment, Richprime awarded strong female role models who serve as inspirational and aspirational for fellow Filipinas.
The awardees (and self-confessed Barbie fans) include actress, producer, and CEO of the ABS-CBN Corporation Charo Santos-Concio, celebrity dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Dra. Vicki Belo, PeopleAsia Editor-in-Chief Joanne Ramirez, and Senator Cynthia Villar.
They also presented awards to President and CEO of the Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corporation Alice Eduardo; CNN Philippines journalist Armie Jarin-Bennett; Mayor Lani Cayetano, the culinary expert who was handpicked to cook for Pope Francis Chef, Jessie Sincioco; and Carina Dayondon, the first Filipina to complete the Seven Summits (highest mountain per continent).
A merchandise stall, selling Barbie toys and apparel, was set up near the venue. There were also designated play areas featuring different occupations such as fashion designer, teacher, rockstar, and even a mermaid where kids could enjoy activities while providing social media-savvy parents with some prime photo ops.
A special collection of valuable Barbie dolls dating back at least 20-30 years prior were displayed near the event area. These dolls belonged to different Barbie fans including the Richprime CEO herself Myrna Yao.
Some of the notable dolls in the collection include a 1998 Rapunzel Barbie, an indigenous Barbie, the 1993 Gymnast Barbie, a Barbie wearing Filipiniana attire, and the 1959 Barbie Wedding Party doll.
In every corner of the venue, the words, “You can be anything!” are placed in big, bold letters, a promise to continue inspiring Barbie fans for generations to come. – Rappler.com
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