Meet the newest Barbie: Mattel introduces first doll with down syndrome

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00:00 It's the latest addition to the Barbie family.

00:03 With its shorter frame, slightly longer torso and almond-shaped eyes, the new Barbie doll

00:09 is meant to represent a person with Down syndrome.

00:12 A way for US manufacturer Mattel to help combat stereotypes while broadening its customer

00:18 base.

00:19 "I've never, ever barbed a baby a thousand times.

00:22 It looks like me.

00:23 And it's beautiful and I love it to pieces."

00:28 "I think she's found her place among the other Barbies, just as I have found my place in

00:33 society."

00:34 A creation emblematic of Mattel's recent strategy shift.

00:40 The US toy manufacturer, which saw sales decline drastically in the early 2010s, began diversifying

00:47 its iconic doll in 2015 to make it more inclusive.

00:52 Long criticized for promoting an unrealistic body image, the new Barbies displayed different

00:57 ethnicities, body shapes and even handicaps.

01:01 The product line helped Mattel boost its public image as well as its sales, which grew by

01:06 a record 19% in 2021.

01:09 "This doll is breaking barriers by creating the first fashion doll with Down syndrome,

01:16 allowing more children to project their future through fashion doll play and imagine what

01:22 is possible."

01:24 More than 60 years after its launch, the Barbie doll remains a leading earner for Mattel.

01:30 It generated around $1.5 billion last year, representing over 27% of the company's total

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