This International Women’s Day, Barbie Recognizes the Power of Friendship to Unlock Limitless Possibilities

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today that Barbie is celebrating International Women’s Day by honoring four powerful friendship duos whose strong bonds inspire and empower each other’s success with one-of-a-kind Barbie Role Model dolls made in their likeness. The brand is showcasing the collective strength of women empowering women and spotlighting real-life friendships to encourage girls to embrace girlhood.

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Studies show that 55% of Gen Z and Millennials say friendship is more important than a romantic relationship ¹, and women with a tight-knit circle of supportive women are 2.5 times more likely to become high performers at work ². Barbie recognizes that friendship can be an unstoppable force to help unlock limitless possibilities and is celebrating women who facilitate supportive communities – from sisters, to friends, to colleagues, to role models.

“One of the greatest tools that a girl can have is the support and encouragement of her peers,” said Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls, Mattel. “As we approach International Women’s Day, Barbie is proud to honor legendary female friendship duos across different backgrounds, professions, and parts of the world. We know firsthand that friendships formed at a young age can help fuel social and professional growth, setting girls up for limitless possibilities.”

In advance of Women’s History Month and in celebration of women who are breaking barriers, Barbie honored creative duo and longtime friends, the 17-time Grammy award-winning artist Alicia Keys and her multi-Grammy award-winning recording and mix engineer, Ann Mincieli who both co-founded She Is The Music, a nonprofit organization increasing the number of women working in music and developing the next generation of women in music. The Alicia and Ann one-of-a-kind dolls were auctioned off last month with proceeds benefitting She Is The Music. Barbie continues to honor legendary friendships this International Women’s Day with global duos:

• Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey (U.S.): Olympic gold medalists on the U.S. Gymnastics team, supporting each other on and off the mat.
• Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple (United Kingdom): British actresses who formed an iconic friendship both on and off screen.
• Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty, AO (Australia): Former tennis world number ones and grand slam champions, who share a bond, representing First Nations Australians in the sport.
• Paola Antonini and Kelen Ferreira (Brazil): Paola and Kelen formed a meaningful partnership when Paola portrayed a character inspired by Kelen’s life-changing accident in a series. They support each other through their shared advocacy for body positivity and accessibility.

“I’m beyond pumped to be honored alongside one of my best friends, Jade Carey, with a Barbie made in my likeness to celebrate International Women’s Day,” said Jordan Chiles. “There’s no power or peace quite like knowing you have a support system of women behind you. I hope that partnering with Barbie to celebrate the power of female friendship reminds the next generation of champions that we are stronger together.”

“I’ve always been passionate about empowering the next generation of female athletes and I couldn’t be more grateful to be recognized as a Barbie as a Role Model this International Women’s Day with Jordan Chiles,” said Jade Carey. “Together, we are so excited to showcase the limitless power of friendship to girls everywhere. I wouldn’t be here today without support and encouragement from great friends like Jordan.”

To help girls learn how to create and maintain long-lasting friendships, Barbie teamed up with Dr. Marisa G. Franco, best-selling author, TED speaker, psychologist, professor, and friendship and belonging expert. Dr. Franco shared tips and tricks on creating human connection, including:

• Take the initiative to make friends rather than waiting for friends to come to you. Try asking someone, "Do you want to come over to my house to play with my dolls?"
• Assume people will like you. Trust that people want to be your friend. They are just waiting for you to ask them.
• Tell people how much you like them. Every time you make someone feel appreciated, you build a friendship.
• Switch up what you do together. It's great to have a friend you sit next to at school, but you'll get closer if you do new activities together.
• Choose quality over quantity. If you have one good friend, you're doing great. One quality friend matters more than ten distant ones.

Barbie continues to unlock limitless possibilities with a new animated special, “Barbie & Teresa: Recipe for Friendship,” premiering on Netflix March 6th. The 60-minute animated adventure follows Barbie “Brooklyn” Roberts, Barbie “Malibu” Roberts, and best friends Teresa and Nikki as they head to New York City and learn valuable lessons about the power of friendship. Fans can follow along and play out even more stories with the exciting doll offerings now available at Mattel Shop.

The Barbie Dream Gap Project, the Barbie brand’s social impact mission dedicated to encouraging girls to dream without limits, is proud to kick off a partnership with Girl Talk and Inspiring Girls International to create programming dedicated to fostering friendship. This March, Girl Talk will host two “Barbie & Teresa: Recipe for Friendship” viewing parties in Atlanta, which will be paired with Girl Talk curriculum exploring friendships. Barbie will also continue to partner with Inspiring Girls International to showcase video vignettes on their social channels that highlight the voices of young women worldwide and celebrate the power of friendship and community.

Barbie is also inviting fans of all ages to join the International Women’s Day celebration with an exciting range of Barbie collaborations to bring besties together from brands including Alex & Ani, Azazie, Beauty Creations, Bumpin Blends, Crocs, FHI Heat, FoodStory Brands, Forever 21, Franco Manufacturing, Harvey’s, Healthy Crunch, HISMILE, Jelly Belly, Lele Sadoughi, Loungefly, Moon, My/Mochi, Nettie, Pott’d, Printfresh, Sweet Loren’s, The Frozen Farmer and The Popcorn Factory. To make the power of friendship even sweeter and in honor of International Women’s Day, Bumpin Blends, FHI Heat, Moon Oral Beauty, Nettie, Sweet Loren’s have teamed up with Barbie to offer a select buy one get one offer for dynamic duos on March 8^th. For promotion details, please visit each individual partner.

This International Women’s Day, Barbie encourages best friends everywhere to embrace the limitless power of friendship and play with their favorite duo of dolls or play out inspiring friendship stories.

¹ YPulse 2023

² Northwestern, 2019

About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends™, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Matchbox®, Monster High®, MEGA® and Polly Pocket®, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us at mattel.com

About Girl Talk, Inc.

Girl Talk is a national non-profit that serves pre-teen and teenage girls through leadership development and peer-to-peer mentorship programming. Fueled by our mission to inspire all girls to be confident leaders, Girl Talk envisions a world where all girls can live confidently, lead fearlessly, and support one another. In our 22-year history, we have served over 77,000 girls, supporting them on their distinctive leadership journeys and empowering them to gain confidence, foster a sense of belonging, and embrace a commitment to service. Girl Talk’s unique girl-led programs provide dynamic resources and support necessary for all girls to reach their full potential. We believe that when girls are empowered and have the tools they need to thrive, communities are strengthened. To learn more, please visit mygirltalk.org.

About Inspiring Girls International

Inspiring Girls International is a global charity dedicated to raising the aspirations of girls by connecting them with female role models. Active in over 40 countries and territories, we challenge gender stereotypes and broaden girls’ horizons by introducing them to diverse careers, empowering them to make confident, informed choices about their futures. Through school talks, speed networking events, and digital campaigns, we provide relatable, real-world inspiration to thousands of girls annually. Our mission is simple: if girls can see it, they can be it. To learn more, visit www.inspiring-girls.com

MAT-BARB

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