In a continuing effort to ensure its toys speak to a wide audience, Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) has debuted the first Barbie with Type 1 diabetes (T1D).
This addition to the Fashionistas line – which features more than 175 looks across various skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities and fashion styles, including a Blind Barbie, a Barbie with Down Syndrome and a Barbie doll with Hearing Aids — is designed to help more children see themselves reflected in Barbie and encourages doll play that extends beyond a child’s own lived experience, thereby fostering a greater sense of inclusion and empathy – all pillars of the Barbie brand’s mission, company officers said.
“Introducing a Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation,” said Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls. “Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”
The introduction of a Barbie with T1D comes at a moment when the 80-year-old toymaker and its 66-year-old icon are struggling – despite the “Barbie” movie being the highest grossing film of 2023 ($1.4 billion). According to Reuters: “… Mattel posted a bigger-than-expected drop in second-quarter revenue on (July 23) as weak Barbie sales in North America and cautious inventory planning by retailers amid global trade uncertainties weighed on demand.
“The company, however, reinstated its full-year sales and profit forecast after pausing it in May…. Mattel, the owner of brands such as Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and Uno, now expects a rise in 2025 net sales of 1% to 3%, compared to its February target of a 2% to 3% increase. It forecast adjusted per-share profit between $1.54 and $1.66, below its prior estimate range of $1.66 to $1.72 apiece.”
In 2024, Mattel’s net sales were approximately $5.4 billion, while the Barbie brand generated around $1.35 billion in global gross sales, according to Statista.
To ensure the doll design truly captures the diabetic community, Barbie partnered with Breakthrough T1D (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) in Manhattan, the leading global research and advocacy organization committed to accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat Type 1 diabetes — a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all, leading to dependence on insulin therapy –along with the risk of short- and or long-term complications. (See related story on Page 14.) Mattel worked closely with Breakthrough T1D to reflect accurately the medical equipment those with this condition may use as well as the the doll’s look, right down to the polka-dot pattern of her outfit:
- Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM): The doll wears a CGM on her arm to help manage her Type 1 diabetes by measuring her blood-sugar levels. To keep her CGM in place, she uses heart-shaped medical tape – Barbie pink, of course – along with a phone that displays a CGM app to help track her blood-sugar levels throughout the day.
- Insulin Pump: Barbie has an insulin pump, also a small, wearable medical device that allows for automated insulin dosing as needed, attached to her waist.
- Blue Polka Dot Outfit: The doll wears a polka-dot top and matching skirt with ruffles. Both the color blue and the circle print are nods to the global symbols that represent diabetes awareness.
- Purse: Barbie comes with a pastel blue purse for her essentials, such as Type 1 diabetes supplies or snacks, when she’s on the go.
“We were thrilled when Barbie approached us to collaborate on the development of the Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., CEO of Breakthrough T1D. “I have lived with T1D since I was 13, and my brother since he was 3, so this partnership is deeply personal. It means the world to be part of bringing greater visibility to a condition that affects so many families. It’s an honor to work with a brand that shares our commitment to showing children that a life with Type 1 diabetes can be full, vibrant and empowering.”
In continued partnership with Breakthrough T1D, Barbie donated dolls to the Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress. The biennial event, held July 7 through 9, brought 170 children living with Type 1 diabetes, ages 4 through 17, to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress. The youth delegates traveled to the nation’s capital from all 50 states and Breakthrough T1D’s international affiliates in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Israel and Australia.
Barbie also honored two global role models and type 1 diabetes advocates – Peloton instructor Robin Arzón in the United States and model Lila Moss in the United Kingdom – with their own one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls. Arzón unveiled the new Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes and her one-of-a-kind Barbie doll at Peloton Studios New York on July 8.
“After being diagnosed with tTpe 1 diabetes a decade ago, I’ve found a lot of purpose in advocating for people with the condition and educating others about it, because knowledge is power – especially for young minds,” Arzón said. “It’s an absolute honor to receive a Barbie doll as a part of the brand’s efforts to grow awareness and representation surrounding Type 1 diabetes, so that we can help show kids that all types of challenges give us all the more reason to push forward and achieve our dreams.”
Added Moss: “I am proud to use my platform to educate around Type 1 diabetes and show that being different is cool. Receiving messages from people who see my patches and feel represented means everything to me. To be able to now see Barbie dolls with T1D, and to receive a Barbie doll that visibly looks like me even wearing her patches, is both surreal and special.”
In 2020, Barbie kicked off a multiyear study with researchers at Cardiff University on the short-term and long-term benefits of doll play that supports the importance of variety in role models. It found that doll play serves a purpose during key developmental stages, as it may help set children on a course for success by fostering empathy and developing social skills needed to excel, all while imagining their futures on an equal playing field.
The 2025 Barbie Fashionistas dolls are environmentally friendly, too, committing to a minimum of 50% International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC)-approved bio-circular plastic (Mass Balance Approach), with all boxes made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified materials. By incorporating ISCC-certified plastic into these dolls, Barbie aims to reduce reliance on fossil-based materials, supporting a more circular economy.
