Acumen would be remiss for allowing Women’s History Month to pass without mentioning the celebration of Barbie’s 60th anniversary by the luxury candy shop, Sugarfina. The iconic doll, manufactured by Mattel, has transformed many times – documenting the transitions of women in U.S. culture from primarily housewives and mothers, to carefree students and career women. Barbie teamed up with Sugarfina for a special line of Sugarfina candies celebrating Barbie's many careers – on shelves now.
“Barbie has always inspired me to dream big and pursue my career aspirations,” Rosie O’Neill, co-founder and co-CEO at Sugarfina, explained in a press release. “From playing with Veterinarian Barbie as a little girl, to creating Computer Engineer Barbie and Architect Barbie during my career at Mattel, I have always viewed Barbie as a role model and a trailblazer. I’m so proud to have the opportunity to bring our two brands together to inspire girls everywhere, just as Barbie inspired me to pursue my dream of becoming an entrepreneur."
Ruth Handler, the dolls creator, said her daughter’s options for toys limited her to being a mom or caregiver, where her son’s toys allowed him to imagine himself as a doctor, astronaut or in any number of careers. Barbie debuted at the 1959 New York Toy Fair and was advertised later that year during the Mickey Mouse Club, spawning more than 350,000 sells.
“When you consider that years ago children used their imaginations to create the world around them, what they saw in dolls, stuffed animals – or for that matter, sticks and rocks – made their creativity come alive,” Barbie collector Meghan Artist told Acumen. “As a child of the 1960s, I can remember having loads of baby dolls that made me think of being a mother, but with Barbie, I could pretend I was a nurse or an editor… and when the Diahann Carroll doll, for the show Julia released, I felt a sense of pride because my mother and aunts were all nurses.”
The sweet treats include: Astronaut Barbie is being celebrated with a Cosmic Sours Small Candy Cube; Athlete Barbie gets Gummy Kicks Small Candy Cube; there's a Candy Clouds Small Candy Cube to remember Pilot Barbie; Candy Pearls for Firefighter Barbie, and News Anchor Barbie is remembered with Strawberry Sparkly Pops. Also, the Original 1959 Barbie is being celebrated with a Birthday Cake Caramels Small Candy Cube. Each retail for $7.50.
Acumen’s love for Sugarfina is no secret, and it only grew with our trip to the Tyson’s Corner location to shop Barbie cubes! We were taken aback and delighted to find a wide-range of flavors, and outstanding display, and a diversity not often seen within product placement. Women of color and size are represented well, highlighting the reality that all little girls can grow into successful women.
Adding even more love to our Sugarfina basket: As part of their joint mission to support and empower girls, 100 percent net proceeds of the Sugarfina ♡ Barbie collection will be donated to StepUp, an organization that supports girls living or going to school in under-resourced communities. StepUp enables girls to fulfill their full potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women.