Mattel’s Barbie Celebrates Rugby Star Ilona Maher, Launches Campaign to Boost Girls’ Sports Participation
El Segundo, CA – Barbie is partnering with international rugby star Ilona Maher and a diverse group of female athletes to address a critically important drop-off in sports participation among girls, launching a new campaign aimed at bolstering confidence and providing role models. The initiative comes as Mattel research reveals that only 53% of girls ages 6 to 14 feel confident while playing sports, and 1 in 3 girls stops playing by age 14, frequently enough due to body confidence concerns, self-doubt, and a lack of visible female representation.
The campaign features Barbie dolls modeled after Maher, alongside Ellie Kildunne, Nassira konde, and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, recognizing their achievements in rugby. “As women, a lot of times our body has been this object to be looked at and to be objectified, and I hate that there’s girls out there that feel like they don’t have a purpose for their body, and so they want to change it constantly,” Maher told The times last year. “To get into sports and a sport like rugby, a sport like canoe, and track and field gives your body a purpose, shows what it can do and what it’s capable of. It’s not just something that is for others to judge.”
Mattel’s senior vice president of Barbie, Krista Berger, stated in a news release, “At Barbie… we’re committed to breaking down the barriers – from gender stereotypes to self-doubt – that hold girls back from realizing their limitless potential. By showcasing the stories of incredible role models whose confidence has fueled groundbreaking success, we’re showing girls that the future of sports – or wherever their passion takes them – is theirs to claim, with Team barbie cheering them on.”
This isn’t Barbie’s frist foray into athletic partnerships. Last year,the brand collaborated with WNBA icon Sue Bird as part of its 65th anniversary party and hosted Barbie-themed game days with the Chicago Sky in the last two WNBA seasons. Other athletes highlighted by Barbie in 2023 included venus Williams (tennis), Christine Sinclair and Mary Fowler (soccer), Estelle Mossely (boxing), Alexa Moreno and Rebeca Andrade (gymnastics), Susana Rodriguez (paratriathlon), federica Pellegrini (swimming), and Ewa Swoboda (track and field).
