EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barbie®, the world’s most popular fashion doll and Stardoll®, the globally renowned online fashion and gaming community for girls, are bringing the world of virtual dress-up and online play to life with the new “Stardoll® by Barbie®” line of collectable fashion dolls. The partnership marks the Stardoll® brand’s first foray into translating its popular online fashion portal into physical dolls, allowing Barbie® fans to extend the limitless possibilities of the Stardoll® world offline.
The “Stardoll® by Barbie®” collection will feature eight new fashion dolls, based on four of the most popular virtual Stardoll® stores in Starplaza. Inspired by Stardoll® avatars, “Stardoll® by Barbie®” dolls come packaged mirroring signature avatar poses. Each doll features amazing details like rooted eyelashes, a unique face and body sculpt, as well as a distinct signature style, for a play experience that is authentically Stardoll®.
"We're pleased to be launching a big line of fantastic physical toys, going from virtual to the physical world,” said Mattias Miksche, CEO at Stardoll. "We're partnering with Mattel because they share our passion for empowering girls and their creativity. We have forged a strong relationship and have lots of exciting things planned - watch this space."
“This partnership represents two of the world’s largest girls’ brands uniting to create the ultimate fashion play experience,” said Stephanie Cota, Senior Vice President, WorldWide Marketing Barbie and Girls. “We look forward to inviting the Stardoll community into the three-dimensional world of Barbie with new signature dolls and fashions.”
About the “Stardoll® by Barbie®” Collection
“Stardoll® by Barbie®” will be available at retail in the United States beginning November 2011, with another five dolls slated for spring 2012. “Stardoll® by Barbie®” will introduce two dolls inspired per Stardoll® store: Fallen Angel, Bonjour Bizou, Doll Space and Pretty n’ Love. Sample fashions from each line include Fallen Angel, who rocks a gothic look in fingerless gloves and chain accents; Bonjour Bizou, a fashion-forward Stardoll® sporting ruched miniskirts and graphic prints; Doll Space, in gorgeous ruffled tulle numbers with cropped tweed jackets; and Pretty n' Love in cozy pink sweaters and heart-patterned tights. Three accessory packs let Stardoll® fans mix and match the trendy, original fashions and accessories, and give girls the same fun interchangeable closet experience of the Stardoll® virtual world in the real world.
“Stardoll® by Barbie®” dolls will come with a gift card for complimentary membership on Stardoll.com for new and existing members, Stardollars to spend on all Superstar items on the Stardoll® site as well as free exclusive virtual gifts, connecting the online world to the real world and then back again.
The partnership plans to expand globally with the addition of more collections, products and online extensions in the future. The dolls will retail for $20.99 SRP and accessory packs will retail for $15.99 SRP each.
About Mattel
Mattel, Inc., (NASDAQ: MAT) (www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica® and Tyco R/C®, as well as Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2010, Mattel was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the third year in a row, and was ranked among Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s "100 Best Corporate Citizens." Mattel also is recognized among the "World's Most Ethical Companies." With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 27,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. At Mattel, we are "Creating the Future of Play."
About Stardoll
Stardoll is a free-to-play, fun-filled virtual world for girls, aged 9-17, who love fashion, shopping, decorating, creativity and making new friends from around the world. 135 million MeDoll avatars have been created to date with a new player joining every second making Stardoll the world’s largest teen site in the world! The company is based in Stockholm, with offices in Los Angeles, and London, and is backed by two of the world’s top venture capital firms: Sequoia Capital and Index Ventures. For more information visit. www.stardoll.com.
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