Girls Crown Barbie® Toys As This Holiday Season’s "Most Requested"

El Segundo, Calif. - As the holiday season’s busiest shopping weekend kicks off today, gift-givers will be heading into the Barbie® aisle to find the season’s “most requested toy” for girls. For the fifth year in a row, Barbie® toys were named the No. 1 requested holiday gift by girls, per the National Retail Federation, shining this year with the hugely innovative, tech-y Barbie Girls™ device and a new line of princess-themed dolls and playsets based on the popular new DVD “Barbie™ as The Island Princess.” Additionally, several other Mattel Brands’ toys have been named by toy, parenting, technology and retail experts as the season’s must-have’s. Among this year’s big names on both industry hot lists and kids’ wish lists are: Hot Wheels® cars and tracksets, CARS toys, Polly Pocket™ dolls and playsets, Hannah Montana Mattel® DVD Board Game, U.B. Funkeys™ and High School Musical dolls and games.

“This holiday season Mattel toys are topping must-have holiday lists everywhere. Our holiday toy line-up delivers what today’s kids want, combining popular themes and the hottest properties with new technology and fun play experiences,” said Neil Friedman, president, Mattel Brands.

What Girls Want

This year’s top choice among girls - Barbie® brand - has something for every girl - from techy gadgets to pretty princesses. One of the hottest toys in the entire toy industry and one of the most exciting tech gadgets introduced for girls this holiday is Barbie Girls™. The multi-functional Barbie Girl™ device, functions as a portable music/MP3 player, next generation fashion doll and a “key” to unlock exclusive play features and trillions of character and room combinations on the popular BarbieGirls.com website. Barbie Girls™ was recently named one of Toy Wishes Magazines “Hot Dozen” toys, named on the eToys 2007 Hot Holiday Toy List and has received The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. Another Barbie® favorite is “Barbie™ as The Island Princess”, offering little princesses a magical assortment of toys that have received recognition from industry insiders, such as the iParenting Media Award, listing in The Toy Insider Gift Guide and About.com’s Top 10 Toys of 2007. The popular “Barbie™ as The Island Princess” made-for-DVD movie also continues to top the Nielsen Entertainment VideoScan Top Kid Video Charts.

Mattel Brands also offers toys and games based on the hottest entertainment properties for girls - “Hannah Montana” and “High School Musical.” The Hannah Montana Mattel® DVD Board game is based on the hottest tween TV show and highest rated series in Disney Channel history and features popular scenes and chart-topping songs featured in the show, as well as girls’ favorite characters - including Miley (aka Hannah.) And, fans of the smash hit Disney Channel Original Movie “High School Musical” are loving High School Musical dolls, designed in the likenesses of the hugely popular characters. The dolls are dancing their way off store shelves, in many cases selling out entirely.

What’s Big for Boys

From Hot Wheels® and Tyco® R/C to CARS and DC Super Friends™, Mattel’s toys for boys have been given the nod from parenting associations, such as the Hot Wheels® Dragon Fire™ track set which received the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval and the Matchbox® Mega Rig® Wrecking Rig™ Vehicle honored as the Preferred Choice Award “Toy of the Year Finalist” and Today’s Parent Top Toys for 2007.

And, Radica’s hi-tech U.B. Funkeys™, which combines vinyl toy collecting with the world of gaming, is a big favorite among boys, making the eToys 2007 Hot Holiday Toys List and many others, such as KOL Hot Holiday Toys 2007.

Family Favorites
Mattel’s Games and Radica® are delivering must-haves for game enthusiasts and tech fanatics. Family favorites such as the Disney Pictionary® DVD Game and the High School Musical 2 Mattel® DVD Game each secured “All-Star” honors from Toy Wishes Magazine holiday issue. And, Radica’s 20Q™ Junior, scored high on industry lists, including the Creative Child Magazine Game of the Year Award.