The previous articles provide a clear answer to the question of who the Barbie doll was designed for. Barbie is a doll created for young girls and women (Giacomin & Lubinski, 2023). It is a symbol that young girls need to know that they can be more than a housewife and mothers (Giacomin & Lubinski, 2023). The doll should show girls that they can have a career just like men (Giacomin & Lubinski, 2023). As Ruth herself was a successful businesswoman in a male-dominated market, it is not far-fetched that she wanted to pass on this message to other young girls (Giacomin & Lubinski, 2023).
This direct focus on a female target group is also very clear in its presentation. In general, it is not uncommon for children’s toys to be specifically designed for boys or girls (Weisgram et al., 2014). Whether a toy is more attractive for boys or girls depends on various factors, including the colors chosen (Weisgram et al., 2014). Since the 1940s blues have been associated with boys and pink and purple have been associated with girls (Weisgram et al., 2014). Hence, societal expectations have led to children being more interested in toys labeled for their gender (Weisgram et al., 2014).
When examining the Barbie logos from their creation until today, you can see that the logo changes in font, but the color always stays the same (Weisgram et al., 2014). Pink is a color that is frequently associated with femininity, and it has always been used in the Barbie logo. Surprisingly the fact that Barbie herself wore so many pink outfits didn't happen until 1972 (Morin, 2023). Because when Barbie was born in 1959, she wore a black and white swimsuit and red lips (Morin, 2023). However, since pink is a color of strength, such as the pink ribbon, which symbolizes strength, hope, responsibility, and empathy (Harvey & Strahilevitz, 2009), Barbie was more and more often associated with this color. The reason for this was that Barbie herself should also represent a figure of empowerment for girls (Giacomin & Lubinski, 2023).