On a lazy sunday afternoon, my friend and I were walking on Huaihai Lu when we came accross a worldwide celebrity : Barbie. There she was, all blonde and tall, inviting us into the Barbie Superstore.
Teased by childhood memories and by the cab ads we saw way too many times, giggling like we were 12 again we stepped in a world full of Barbie and her sisters. Most people were families and couples. There were not so many kids, but everyone was certainly behaving like one.
People were taking photographs everywhere that is a great politic for encouraging the viral effect, and we couldn’t resist either. It was no long before we started hunting for our look-alike Barbie and took pictures with them as if we were some kind of groupies.
What’s in there? You can buy a barbie, play with it, dream for the collection one (around 1300 rmb/130 euros). Yes. But you can also dress like Barbie and take cooking classes – since when Barbie is supposed to cook I have no idea. There is also a Spa where mothers and daughters can get the nails done, a cafe and a clothing line designed by Sex and the City designer Patricia Fields. Oh, and a Vera Wang wedding gown costing $15000.
Barbie Lifestyle
What I discovered there is that Barbie is no more a doll, she is a lifestyle. With the opening of a $30 million superstore in march this year, Mattel targets all girls – the little ones, the teens, the young and fun crowd. Although a bit invasive, it is a smart way to educate the market. The Chinese are not familiar with the Blondie, so the education is provided and nothing is neglicted when it comes to teaching how to speak barbie.
Western vs Japanese trends
I couldn’t help but think about the other pink star Icon in Asia, Kitty, and the eternal fight between western trends and korean/japanese influence on the Chinese market. Will Chinese girls let go of the childish Icons like Kitty to identify themselves to a self accomplished, perfect and modern woman? Is this the sign of a new evolution in the Chinese urban culture?
To be continued…
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