Barbie Reveals Too Much Skin

As mentioned in the previous blog, companies have to adjust to the local standards of taste when it comes to food, but food isn’t the only thing that needs to be adjusted. We’ve all heard the phrase “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. True, but beauty is also in the eyes of culture. In the American culture, the Barbie doll is supposed to represent ‘perfect beauty’. Other countries however, would not see Barbie the same way and may even find Barbie inappropriate for kids.

Barbies like this would be extremely inappropriate in Middle Eastern countries. If Mattel would like to enter into the market, they would have to understand the status of women in the Middle East. This would deemed as disrespectful and degrading to women. Mattel would be kicked out of the country before it can even make it on the shelves.

This is what Mattel Barbie would have to look if they wanted to enter the market…fully covered from head to toe.

Girls typically find dolls attractive when they look and dress more like them. This Japanese Barbie for example is wearing the traditional Kimono, the facial features are also smaller to accommodate the looks of Asian.