With the 2020 Presidential elections coming up and the battle cry of Black Lives Matter, there’s never been a better time to become an advocate for change. Now, Barbie has her sights on the White House with the Campaign Team set, a group of four diverse dolls that each play an important (and empowering) political role.
The first-ever Campaign Team set ($40) has four dolls that plan to lead the country towards a better tomorrow—together. Included in the set is a Black candidate, a campaign manager, a fundraiser, and a voter. All four dolls are sold together with the goal to show how each person is crucial when it comes to leadership and why the voice of the voters (especially those of women) truly matters. Kids can go online for additional resources (such as printable activities, play ballots—even guidance on how to write a campaign speech!) on Barbie.com/CampaignTeam.
But this isn’t the first time that Barbie has become an advocate for change. In fact, the doll has had seven runs for political office since 1992, which shows that the Mattel brand understands how critical it is for girls to see themselves in office. With the Campaign Set, Mattel wants to encourage fun play that could eventually take young leaders from the playroom to the White House presidential podium.
“Since 1959, Barbie has championed girls and encouraged them to be leaders whether in the classroom, community or someday, of the country,” said Lisa McKnight, SVP and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel. “With less than a third of elected leaders in the U.S. being women, and Black women being even less represented in these positions, we designed the Barbie Campaign Team with a diverse set of dolls to show all girls they can raise their voices. Our goal is to remove barriers to leadership by giving girls the tools to imagine and play out their future roles.”
To help create real change, Barbie has partnered with She Should Run, a non-partisan non-profit that provides guidance and support to women considering a run for office. Its other goals are to educate girls on public leadership roles, and to understand the importance of voting that can be achieved both through educational resources and free play. Most importantly, She Should Run aims to encourage girls to explore leadership roles.
Still, many young girls suffer from the stigma that they’re not leaders. That’s why Barbie and She Should Run are tackling this issue head-on with the Barbie Dream Gap Project, a global initiative designed to help give young girls the resources that they might need to dream big and accomplish their goals. Additionally, She Should Run is a recipient of funds from the Barbie Dream Gap Project and has dedicated resources in part to Help Her Lead. This is a course designed to support young girls, (particularly girls of color) by giving them adult mentors as they plan a political future.
The Barbie Campaign Set will hopefully allow little girls to dream beyond their house and become aspirational as they work towards real change…in the White House.