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Article: Mattel Giving Middle-Aged Barbie a Major Makeover.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Los Angeles Business Journal
- Article date:
- March 20, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 CBJ, L.P. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Last month, the bottom dropped out of Barbie's world when Mattel Inc.'s longtime Chief Executive Jill Barad was forced to step down after two years of poor performance and plunging stock prices.
This month brings new beginnings for Barbie -- whose earlier success was largely responsible for Barad's rise to the top -- with the launch of several new products.
As Mattel attempts to recover from a number of setbacks, it's relying on Barbie more than ever, even though the company's old stalwart and biggest moneymaker has been showing signs of age.
"The challenge with Barbie is that it's a 41-year-old brand, and little girls today are nothing like ...