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Barbie® Takes To The Runway At The 2008 Consumer Electronics Show


WEBWIRE

On the Heels of Launching BarbieGirls.com -- the ’Fastest Growing Virtual World’ --Barbie® Brand Takes Fashion Play into the Digital Age with Debut of iDesign™, an Innovative, Interactive Gaming Experience

Las Vegas, - With nearly five decades as the global leader in “real world” fashion play, the Barbie® brand debuts an innovative, interactive gaming experience that gives tech-savvy girls a new way to play with fashion in today’s digital age. Launched at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Barbie® iDesign features tech-based fashion play through a CD-Rom computer game, a USB-connected scanner and collectible, “swipe-able” fashion cards. Additionally, Mattel is participating at CES’ first-ever “Sandbox Summit,” a series of conferences addressing kids and technology, to speak on the unprecedented success of Mattel’s 2007 launch of Barbie Girls™ and what’s next in technology for the Barbie® brand.

Barbie® iDesign™ is the newest introduction from the “Barbie Tech” group, and builds on the success of Barbie Girls™, a hybrid play experience that combines a real world, doll-inspired music device with a virtual world platform. BarbieGirls.com, the first global, virtual online world designed exclusively for girls now boasts more than 9.5 million registered users worldwide and has been referred to as the “fastest growing virtual world ever”.

Continuing to tap into how today’s girls play, and expand the Barbie® tech line-up, Barbie® iDesign™ turns fashion play traditionally experienced through a doll into an interactive, computer-based game with scannable fashion cards. With Barbie® iDesign™ girls become the ultimate fashion stylist through a highly creative and engaging gaming experience.

“Based on the success of Barbie Girls, we know girls love experiencing the core play elements of the Barbie brand in a tech-based way,” said Rosie O’Neill, “Chief Barbie Girl”. “Barbie has had a nearly five-decade long relationship with girls because she continues to evolve as girls evolve. The launch of Barbie iDesign and the expansion of BarbieGirls.com demonstrate Mattel’s continued commitment to delivering category-leading play experiences by staying at the forefront of girls’ trends.”

Fashion Design Goes Hi-Tech

Barbie® iDesign™ delivers next generation fashion play through a CD-Rom computer game, USB-connected scanner and trading-card sized, fashion cards. There are 200 different, collectible fashion cards, consisting of various hair styles, tops , bottoms, dresses, shoes, accessories and fashion models, and each has a unique barcode that when “swiped” through the USB-connected scanner, is uploaded to the “Design Studio” closet within the PC software. Once fashions are scanned and loaded on the computer, girls can play fashion stylist and create more than 21,000,000 fashionable ensembles in the game’s “Design Studio.” When the fashions are runway ready, girls are able to customize their fashion show in the game’s “Fashion Runway” mode of play. In the “Design Studio” and “Fashion Runway” modes of play girls can:

* Create unique fashion looks for different “fashion models” (Barbie®, Teresa®, Nikki®, Summer® and Raquelle®) by mixing and matching the different fashions that have been swiped and added to the “closet”
* Design a fashion “Runway Show”, starring the “fashion models” in head-to-toe looks the player has designed. Girls can also customize the music, lighting and theme of their runway show

Additionally, there are many fun, fashion-themed activities girls can play in the “Designer’s Club”, where models, fashion editors and tired designers can relax. In the “Designer’s Club” girls can:

* Watch the tape of their “Runway Show” on the big screen
* Design a magazine cover using images from their “Runway Show” or the “Design Studio”; girls can also customize the cover by adding text and decorations
* Use the fashion cards and scanner to play four different fashion card games including Style Challenge™, Fashion Match™, Closet Cleanout™ and Fashion Finder™

Barbie® iDesign™ Fashion Cards also have additional play value once they have been scanned. These innovative mix-and-match fashion cards are also transparent, allowing girls to create unique looks in real life as well. Each fashion pack includes nine scannable fashion cards (dresses, tops, accessories, etc), three background cards featuring various locations such as the beach or the mall, three model cards, including Barbie and her friends, plus a fashionable frame to display their signature looks. The fashion packs are available in different themes: Rocker, School, Casual, Party, Princess, Bling, Beach and Sporty. Girls can collect them all to continue to create fresh new fashions.
Pricing and Availability

The Barbie® iDesign™ game and fashion cards are currently available at major retailers nationwide, ranging from $4.99-$24.99.

* The Barbie® iDesign™ Ultimate Stylist™ Game/Set includes a sleek vinyl case that holds up to 200 collectible fashion cards as well as the iDesign™ CD-Rom and scanner for an average retail price of $29.99
* The Barbie® iDesign™ Fashion Cards are available for an average retail price of $4.99

As an exhibitor at the “Sandbox Summit” at CES, Mattel will showcase its innovative girls tech platform at booth 72543 in the Sands Convention Center from January 7-9. On January 8, Mattel’s Rosie O’Neill will participate in a thought-leader discussion from 9:15 - 10:15 AM PST on “The New Frontier of Play” at The Venetian Lando.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com ) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products, including Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica:® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price® brands (www.fisher-price.com), including Little People®, Rescue Heroes®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than the 30,000 people in 43 countries and sells products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. Mattel’s vision is to be the world’s premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.

MATTEL, BARBIE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by Mattel, Inc. © 2007 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Contacts:
Lauren Dougherty/Michelle Chidoni
Mattel Brands
310-252-4612/3521
Lauren.Dougherty@mattel.com
Michelle.Chidoni@mattel.com

Angela Fernandez
Ketchum
310-584-8340
Angela.Fernandez@mattel.com



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