Barbie Rhetorical Analysis

Barbie has become a household name brand over the past 57 years, though a new marketing campaign by the popular doll company seeks to disrupt the negative image of Barbies commonly held by the general public. The goal of the campaign attempts to shift the focus of how barbie is perceived by adults, onto how a child perceives Barbie. This campaign comes in response to negative criticism regarding barbie being a poor role model for young girls; Most commonly that Barbie promotes an unrealistic body image for a woman, and young girls may develop an eating disorder in attempting to emulate Barbie’s “hourglass” figure. The marketing directors at Mattel, the company that owns Barbie, make use of all three classic rhetorical appeals in a short video entitled “Imagine the Possibilities” in order to convince the audience of their viewpoint. The video advertisement serves as the core of the campaign, specifically targeting parents of prospective Barbie owners, as well as the general public. …show more content…
With the introduction of the original Barbie in 1959, Mattel began to market the doll as a “Teen-age Fashion Model” for young adults (Jewish Women’s Archive). Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll, thought a distinctly adult appearance was essential for the doll, while pre-release market research showed that parents disliked the doll’s chest, which had defined breasts. Standard Barbie dolls are 11.5 inches tall, which translates to a height of 5’ 9” at 1/6 scale, also known as playscale. Barbie’s measurements are estimated to be 36in around the chest, 18in around the waist, and 33in around the hips. Research done by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland concluded that Barbie would lack the 17% - 22% body fat required for female menstruation