Marketing Barbies as Mad Men

Published on July 31, 2010 by The Editor · No Comments

By The Wowster

Well it had to happen. Barbie has grown up and it isn’t all good news. Certainly not for the fans of the way she was.

Barbie wears the pants

She comes in all shapes and preferences. And is spreading herself, if that’s the word, all over the adult market.

Innocence has fled and instead we have Barbie enjoying new roles from a pre school teacher to the less savoury bottom-showing-seen-better-days strumpet…

But the latest instalment of her life is truly whacky, even insane. Literally

She has transmogrified into the characters in Mad Men. Television’s brilliant dark drama in the lecherous, treacherous world of the Advertising World in 60s Madison Avenue.

And gender is no object. You can have the anti-hero Don Draper, he of the dark past and darker deeds, looking Draculish with more make-up than Amy Winehouse.

You can also have Don’s wife, Betty, neurotic ice queen, Joan Holloway, the brash and sassy power broker and even slimeball, wisecracking Roger Sterling.

One small defect. None of them look very much like who they are supposed to be. They look like, well… dolls. A bit hokey and badly dressed. The gentler more innocent Barbie of yesteryear would twirl in her grave.

But, if you adore Mad Men like this reporter, then you might want to rush out and buy your favourite.

I know my favourite. But that’s between Barbie and me.

*You can get your Mad Men Barbie for $74.95 a pop at Barbie Collector.

So do you prefer the Barbie of old or do you prefer her spreading her wings? On that or anything else, comments gratefully received.