Barbie

Barbie Outline

Introduction

I. She is one of the hottest selling toys in the world. Both adults and children collect her in record numbers, and she has had more that 80 careers since her invention, including a paleontologist, rock star, and even a presidential candidate. Her name is Barbie.

II. With her good looks, charm, and charisma, she won audiences over in record time.

III. Today I will be telling you about the History of Barbie, her overwhelming success and the future of the Barbie doll.

Body

I. History

A. Ruth Handler

1. Owned a company that made wooden picture frames

2. According to "The Barbie Story" from Barbiecollector.com, she was watching her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls and imagine them in grown-up roles.

3. The idea hit her - why not make a teenage doll that little girls could play and dream about the future with?

4. After researching the current doll market, Ruth confirmed that there were plenty of baby dolls available, but no three-dimensional teenage dolls.

5. This is when the Barbie Doll was born

1. Named it after her daughter Barbie

2. Later her boyfriend Ken, would be named after her son Ken.

6. She then created the doll through her own company

1. co-founded with her husband Elliott Handler.

2. Named the company Mattel

B. Barbie's unveiling to the public

1. She took the world by storm, surprising toy critics at New York's annual Toy Fair in 1959.

1. toy buyers skeptical

2. unlike the baby and toddler dolls popular at the time

2. Critics wondered if anybody would buy her

Transition: Barbie quickly caught the attention of little girls across the country. She soon became a worldwide sensation, and remains as popular as ever today.

II. The Success of Barbie

A. It took several years for Mattel to catch up with the demand for Barbie.

B. Within 10 years, the public purchased $500 million worth of Barbie products.

C. As a teenage fashion model, Barbie has worn many fabulous fashions.

1. began with her trademark black and white striped swimsuit and ponytail

2. Over the years, as fashion and teenage lifestyle trends