Barbie brings Stardoll to life

November 15, 2011 by Wendy Goldman Getzler

Mattel has launched its new Barbie collection inspired by the girls-oriented online fashion and gaming community Stardoll.

The Barbie by Stardoll line of collectible dolls, which marks the dress-up virtual world’s first foray into the physical doll space, will feature eight fashion dolls that are based on four of the most popular virtual Stardoll stores. The dolls are inspired by Stardoll avatars and, naturally, come with a gift card for complimentary Stardoll membership on Stardoll.com, Stardollars to spend on the website and free exclusive virtual gifts.

The dolls will be available at retail in the US beginning this month for $20.99, with another five dolls slated to arrive next spring. The partnership plans to expand globally with the addition of more collections, products and online extensions down the road.

The collaboration is part of a multi-year licensing agreement. It also isn’t the first time the two companies have joined forces, as Mattel has used the social network to market exclusive dolls and virtual merchandise featuring brands like Barbie, Fashionistas and Monster High.

Since 2004, Stardoll has become the largest teen site in the world with more than 135 million MeDoll avatars created to date. The virtual world has made moves into the physical world in the past through forging strategic deals with companies like Random House and US retailer JCPenney.

Tags: Barbie, Mattel, social gaming, Stardoll