Mattel’s Barbie brand and National Geographic have teamed up to create a new product line of dolls and playsets focusing on careers in which women are underrepresented.
This new collection includes playsets featuring Barbie as an entomologist, astrophysicist, wildlife conservationist, polar marine biologist, and wildlife photojournalist. Each playset will come complete with relevant accessories authenticated by an advisory council comprised of female National Geographic Explorers and National Geographic magazine editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg.
As seen in the promotional photos, the entomologist playset comes with a microscope, telescope, butterfly catcher, and other paraphernalia needed for species identification. The playset also includes a tree sheltering different kinds of insects such as bees, ladybug, moth, beetle, and more.
The astrophysicist playset comes with a telescope, the wildlife conservationist playset with a baby monkey, the polar marine biologist playset with a penguin, and the wildlife photojournalist playset with a cub.
“Barbie allows girls to try on new roles through storytelling by showing them they can be anything and, through our partnership with National Geographic, girls can now imagine themselves as an astrophysicist, polar marine biologist and more,” said Barbie’s senior vice president and general manager Lisa McKnight in a statement. “Barbie and National Geographic represent a powerhouse combination and our joint creative efforts allow kids to explore the world and different career fields right in their own homes.”
As part of Barbie and Nat Geographic’s licensing agreement, which was announced last month, related programming and content will roll out throughout the year on the Barbie YouTube channel to support the release of the new product line.
“Helping people understand the world is, and always has been, the core purpose of National Geographic,” said Goldberg. “Through our partnership with Barbie, we are excited to reach kids in a new way, using the power of play to inspire our next generation of explorers, scientists, and photographers.”
The new playsets, which are priced between $14.99 to $29.99 each, will be available at retailers nationwide starting in Fall 2019.