High hopes for high-tech Barbie doll

Mattel aims for status as must-have toy
By Matthew Lysiak | Special to amNewYork
November 28, 2007

Hey, Ken! Get off the laptop already!

That could be the new marketing cry if the virtual world of Mattel¹s new Barbie Girls -- the doll, MP3 player, and interactive computer game rolled into one -- is as big a retail hit this season as the company hopes.

Barbie Girls is a slim, immobile doll that plays music and connects to a computer -- and an online virtual world where girls can create a personalized avatar, design their own apartment, shop at a virtual mall, and chat live with other kids.

It may be getting tagged as this year's hot new Christmas gift, but whether young girls are tech savvy enough to fulfill the marketing hype remains to be seen -- or could be a forgone conclusion, if you ask Barbie Girls marketing rep Rosie O'Neill.

"It will absolutely have appeal," said O'Neill. "Kids this age are already going online and have familiarized themselves with this kind of process." But will it become the hot, must-have toy of the shopping season?

Employees at Toys "R" Us in Times Square said sales were brisk, but a representative said it won¹t be known until a Dec. 12 report if it will be the toy that single-handedly drives traffic into stores, like Tickle Me Elmo and Furby did in years past.

Although its made it to the top five of nearly every "must-have toys of '07" list, including Toys "R" Us' own list and that of the National Retail Federation, Barbie isn¹t exactly a trailblazer for interactive toys.

Bella Sara, Shining Stars, Ty Girlz and the popular Webkinz were all targeting preteens long before Barbie came on the scene, but Mattel¹s entry does raise the bar.

"It distinguishes itself with its richness of play in creating a 3-D character that walks around, talks and lets the girl be the ultimate fashion designer," said O'Neill.

But others aren't so sure that 6 year olds -- or parents -- are ready to be introduced to a new virtual world this Christmas. "It is a very sophisticated doll for a young girl," said Barbie expert Bradley Joseph, of the United Federation of Dolls, an organization devoted to the study and collection of dolls. "It may end up being only a niche item that appeals to really tech-savvy kids."

Its success or failure could serve as a litmus test for the limitations (or lack thereof) of selling previously adult technology to a younger consumer base.

But if early indications are a barometer, then maybe Barbie has a fighting chance at a seat next to Elmo in the pantheon of great Christmas hits, at least according to Kelly Disque Cullen, the public relations manager at Toys "R" Us Times Square.

"The item fits into one of our big trends for this holiday season, Internet connectivity, and it blends the real world with the virtual world for girls who love music," Cullen said.

"That sounds pretty cool, they should have one for boys" said Yanni Gouras, 7, who was eyeing the display at the Times Square Toys "R" Us, where it sells for $49.99. "But I don't really care. I mean, dolls are for girls."