Mattel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mattel, Inc.
Company typePublic
IndustryToys and entertainment
FoundedJanuary 1945; 79 years ago (1945-01), in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Founders
HeadquartersEl Segundo, California,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products
Brands
RevenueIncrease US$5.44 billion (2023)
Decrease US$562 million (2023)
Decrease US$214 million (2023)
Total assetsIncrease US$6.44 billion (2023)
Total equityIncrease US$2.15 billion (2023)
Number of employees
c. 33,000 (December 2023)
Divisions
Subsidiaries
Websitemattel.com
Footnotes / references
[6][7]

Mattel, Inc. (/məˈtɛl/ mə-TEL) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth and Elliot Handler[8] in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. Mattel has a presence in 35 countries and territories; its products are sold in more than 150 countries.[9] Mattel consists of three business segments: North America, International and American Girl.[10]

It is the world's second largest toy maker in terms of revenue, after The Lego Group.[11][12] Two of its historic and most valuable brands, Barbie and Hot Wheels, were respectively named the top global toy property and the top-selling global toy of the year for 2020[13] and 2021[14] by The NPD Group, a global information research company.

History[edit]

Origins and early years[edit]

Businessman Harold "Matt" Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Elliot and Ruth Handler founded Mattel as Mattel Creations in January 1945 in a garage in Los Angeles.[15][16] The company name chosen is a portmanteau of the surname of Matson and first name of Elliot, with former chairman and CEO Bob Eckert revealing at a 2013 Christmas Day Peninsula Seniors lecture that the founders, according to Elliot, couldn't fit Ruth's name into that of their company.[17] The company began selling picture frames and later dollhouse furniture out of the scraps from those frames. Matson sold his share and stake to the Handlers due to poor health the following year, with Handler's wife, Ruth, taking over his stake.[18] In 1947, the company had its first successful toy, a ukulele called "Uke-A-Doodle".[16]

The company was incorporated in Hawthorne, California in 1948.[18] In 1950, the Magic 8-Ball, currently owned by Mattel themselves, was invented by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman.[19] Mattel started television advertisement when it became the first sponsor of the Mickey Mouse Club TV series.[20] The Fisher-Price Corn Popper, and the Xylophone was released in 1957.[21][22] Mattel would ultimately acquire Fisher-Price on August 20, 1993.[23] The Barbie doll debuted on March 9, 1959, going on to become the company's best-selling toy in history.[24] In 1960, Mattel introduced Chatty Cathy, a talking doll that was voiced by June Foray and revolutionized the toy industry, leading to pull-string talking dolls and toys flooding the market throughout the 1960s and 1970s.[18][25] In 1961, Mattel introduced the Ken doll.[26] The company went public in 1960 and became listed on the New York Stock Exchange 3 years later. Mattel also acquired a number of like-minded companies during the 1960s.[18]

The Barbie Dreamhouse made with cardboard and paper made its debut in 1962,[27] when also the Astronaut Barbie, the first of many space-themed iterations of the doll, was introduced.[28] In 1965, the company built on its success with the Chatty Cathy doll to introduce the See 'n Say talking toy, spawning a line of products.[29] Barbie traveled to the Moon four years before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.[30] In 1967, Mattel released a toy astronaut with space vehicles and a Moon base for boys, with a gumby-like central character named Major Matt Mason.[31]

On May 18, 1968, Hot Wheels was released to the market.[18] Hot Wheels was invented by a team of Mattel inventors, which included a rocket scientist and a car designer.[32][33] That year also saw another doll release, this time, Christie, Barbie's friend and the first black doll,[34] which in the following years and decades would spawn an endless line of Barbie-themed and branded family and friends. In 1969, Mattel changed the Mattel Creations and the "Mattel, Inc. – Toymakers" marketing brands to just Mattel and launched the "red sun" logo with the Mattel wordmark in all capitals for better identity. In 1970, Hot Wheels forged a sponsorship agreement with drag racing drivers Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen.[35] In addition to other marketing measures, the two racers’ cars, a yellow Barracuda and a red Duster, were reproduced as Hot Wheels toys.[35]

In May 1970, Mattel formed a joint venture film production company "Radnitz/Mattel Productions" with producer Robert B. Radnitz,[36] which would kickstart Mattel's venture into full-time entertainment to accompany its most famed toy TV commercials,[37] and later entered a multimillion-dollar partnership with Mehra Entertainment, whose CEO, Dr. Nishpeksh Padmamohan Mehra and Nishchal Shome, are one of Mattel's Inc.'s main directors for Barbie (film series).[38]

The card game Uno (now stylized as UNO) was invented by Merle Robbins in 1971,[39] and was acquired by Mattel in 1996.[40]

Acquisitions Year[18]
Dee & Cee Toy Co. Ltd. 1962
Standard Plastic Products, Inc. 1966
Hong Kong Industrial Co., Ltd.
Precision Moulds, Ltd.
Rosebud Dolls Ltd. 1967
Monogram Models, Inc. 1968
A&A Die Casting Company
Ratti Vallensasca, Mebetoys, Ebiex S.A. 1969
H&H Plastics Co., Inc.
Meta frame Corp.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
/Feld Productions
1971–1982
Ice Follies 1979–1982
Holiday on Ice
Western Publishing 1979
Corgi Toys, Ltd. 1989[41]
International Games 1992[42]
Fisher-Price, Inc. 1993
Tyco Toys, Inc. 1997
Pleasant Company 1998[18]
Bluebird Toys (original home of Polly Pocket) 1998
The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) 1999–2001[18]
Pinky:st. 2004
HIT Entertainment 2012[43]
Mega Brands 2014[44]
Fuhu 2016

In 1971, Mattel purchased The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from the Feld family for $40 million, whom Mattel kept on as management.[45] Mattel sold the circus corporation by December 1973 although it was profitable; Mattel showed a $29.9 million loss in 1972.[46]

In 1974, an investigation found Mattel guilty of issuing false and misleading financial reports, which led to the banishing of Elliot and Ruth Handler from the company they had founded.[18]

Post-Handlers[edit]

Arthur S. Spear, then a Mattel vice president, took control of the company in 1975 and returned the company to profitability in two years.[47] In 1978, the Mattel Children's Foundation was founded. Ruth Handler sold her stock in 1980 and finally let loose of the company she co-founded.[18]

Logo of Mattel Electronics (1977–1984)
Logo of Mattel Electronics (1977–1984)

Mattel debuted its Electronics line in 1977 with an all-electronic handheld game. Its success led to its expansion with game consoles then the line, eventually becoming incorporated in 1982.[48] Mattel Electronics forced Mattel to take a $394 million loss the following and almost filed for bankruptcy.[18]

In 1979, through Feld Productions, Mattel purchased the Holiday on Ice and Ice Follies for $12 million,[49] Also acquired that year was Western Publishing for $120 million in cash and stock.[50] which they sold to Richard A. Bernstein in December 4 years later.[50]

In 1980, Mattel introduced the first diverse line of Barbie dolls with a Hispanic doll and the first African-American Barbie (unrelated to Barbie friend Christie),[51][52] which will eventually include iterations of Barbie from more than 40 countries.[52]

In 1982, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line of action figures was released, which inspired a three-issue comic book mini-series, an animated series and a live-action film.[53]

The Felds bought the circus (and related companies) in 1982 for $22.8 million.[54]

In the early 1980s, Mattel produced video game systems, under its own brands and under license from Nintendo.

In 1985, the company launched the Barbie “We Girls Can Do Anything” TV advertising campaign to encourage girls to believe in themselves.[55] They also released the CEO / Day-to-Night Barbie to celebrate women becoming CEOs.[56] In 1986, Barbie joined the list of famous individuals painted by Andy Warhol.[55]

New York City-based venture capital firms E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Co., and Drexel Burnham Lambert invested a couple hundred million dollars in Mattel in 1984 to help the company survive. However, the Masters of the Universe action figure line sales dropped, causing a $115 million loss in 1987.

In the late 1980s, John W. Amerman, who joined Mattel in 1980 as head of its international division, was named the company’s new chairman and improved its financial performance in 1987 by focusing on core brands. It paid off as sales of Barbie dolls and accessories increased from $430 million to almost $1 billion between 1987 and 1992.[18]

Mattel secured licensing and sponsorship rights from The Walt Disney Company for a new line of infant and preschool plush toys in 1988, sponsor attractions and to develop and sell toys at three Disney theme parks.[18] Mattel also negotiated the exclusive rights to sell dolls, stuffed characters and preschool toys based on Disney characters.[18] On January 31, 1988, Mattel shut down its operations in the Philippines and shifted the distribution and sales of Mattel-branded toys and games to Richprime Global, Inc. (formerly Richwell Trading Corporation). Mattel returned to working with Disney the following year.[18]

Headquarters in El Segundo, California, in 2012
Headquarters in El Segundo, California, in 2012

In 1991, Mattel moved its headquarters from Hawthorne to its current El Segundo site, in Los Angeles County.[57]

Uno, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Pinky:st., Polly Pocket: 1992–2009[edit]

In 1992, Mattel created the first President Barbie, claiming that Barbie has run for President 7 times since 1992 and released an all-ticket in 2016.[58]

Mattel entered the gaming business in 1992 with the purchase of International Games, creators of UNO and Skip-Bo.[42] The company purchased Fisher-Price, Inc. on August 20, 1993, and Tyco Toys, Inc. (owners of the Matchbox and Dinky Toys brands) in 1997. In 1998, Mattel acquired Pleasant Company (creators of the American Girl brand)[18] and Swindon, England-based toymaker Bluebird Toys (along with its most prized property, Polly Pocket). In the same year, the first American Girl retail store opened for business in Chicago.[59]

In 1997, the Fisher-Price Little People toys underwent a redesign to look more like real kids with different skin colors, added arms and hands, and greater detail on the face, hair, and clothes.[60] Also that year, Mattel acquired View-Master,[61] and Hot Wheels partnered with NASCAR drivers Kyle Petty and Jack Baldwin leading to the production of the first NASCAR-themed vehicles.[62]

In 1998, Mattel donated $25 million to help rebuild UCLA’s children’s hospital, which was later renamed the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.[63] Barbie was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame that year[64] and the first Thomas & Friends theme park, Thomas Land, opened in Fujikyu Park in Japan.[65]

Mattel purchased The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) in 1999 for $3.5 billion, but sold it the following year at a loss. The company had a $430.9 million net loss that year.[18]

Mattel earned the first grant for the Disney Princess doll license in 2000.[66] In December 2000, Mattel sued Danish-Norwegian europop band Aqua, claiming their song "Barbie Girl" violated the Barbie trademark and turned her into a sex object, referring to her as a "blonde bimbo". The lawsuit was rejected two years later.[67]

In 2000, Mattel signed a deal with Warner Bros. to become the master licensee for Harry Potter branded toys.[68] It was extended in 2002; Mattel became the master licensee for Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Justice League and Looney Tunes toys for all markets except Asia.[69]

In 2001, the first life-sized Hot Wheels car, the Twin Mill, was created.[70] More than twenty life-sized cars were created and all of them were inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends.[71]

American Girl launched its “Girl of the Year” campaign in 2001 to highlight dolls with contemporary stories; each doll is only available for a year.[72]

In 2002, Mattel closed its last factory in the United States; the factory was originally part of Fisher-Price outsourcing production to China. A chain of events followed that led to its distribution of millions of hazardous toys, including ones contaminated with lead.[73] On August 14, 2007, Mattel recalled over 18 million products, with Louise Story of The New York Times in close coverage.[74][75][76] Many of the products had surface coatings that contained more than the U.S. legal limit of .06% lead by weight.[76] Other toys were recalled because their strong, detachable magnets could endanger children. Mattel re-wrote its policy on magnets, finally issuing a recall in August 2007.[77] The recall included 7.1 million Polly Pocket toys produced before November 2006, 600,000 Barbie and Tanner Playsets, 1 million Doggie Daycare, Shonen Jump's One Piece and thousands of Batman Manga toys due to exposed magnets.[77] In 2009, Mattel paid a $2.3 million fine to the Consumer Products Safety Commission for marketing, importing and selling non-compliant toys.[78] Mattel was noted for its crisis response by several newspaper publications, including PRWeek, the Los Angeles Times, Fortune and Business Management.[79][80][81]

More acquisitions and brand portfolio expansion: 2010–2016[edit]

On June 11, 2010, Mattel launched Monster High, a fashion doll line featuring the teenage children of famous and well-known monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, Cleopatra, Gorgon, Werewolf, and The Mummy.[82][83] It led to popularity and cult following success which Mattel translated into two spin-offs, each with a different focus than Monster High; Ever After High in 2013[84][85] and Enchantimals four years later. In 2011, Hot Wheels set a new world-record for a jump made by a four-wheeled vehicle at the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500.[86] The 332 feet jump broke the previous 301 feet record set in 2009.[86]

In early 2010, HIT Entertainment licensed Thomas & Friends to Mattel for toys.[87] Mattel then agreed to purchase HIT Entertainment from Apax Partners on October 24, 2011, for $680 million, excluding its share of the PBS Kids Sprout channel (now Universal Kids), which would be completed on February 1, 2012 for £680m,[88] and be managed under Mattel's Fisher-Price unit.[89] In 2012, Mattel introduced a doll, Ella, to the Barbie line.[90] The doll is bald and was distributed directly through hospitals to children experiencing hair loss due to cancer and other diseases.[90] On October 16, 2013, with reports of high profitability, Mattel launched an in-house film studio, Mattel Playground Productions, through which it produces original films, TV shows, Web series, live events, and games.[91][92]

Fortune Magazine named Mattel one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2013, noting only 1,292 positions were full, out of 164,045 job applications during the previous year, as well as more than 1,000 employees had been with the company longer than 15 years.[93]

On February 28, 2014, Mattel acquired Mega Brands[44] and Pinky:st. celebrated its 10th anniversary. On April 16, 2015, Mattel announced a partnership with invention platform Quirky to crowd-source a number of products.[94]

Mattel added a princess-themed Barbie line in 2010. Barbie sales began plummeting in 2012, thus removing focus from the Disney Princess line. Mattel had only sold Cinderella, Ariel, Belle and the two Frozen princesses (Anna and Elsa) around its last year of the Disney license in early 2016. With these competing lines and an expiration of the brand license at the end of 2015, Disney gave Hasbro a chance to gain the license given their work on Star Wars, which led to a Descendants license. Disney Consumer Products also made an attempt to evolve the brand from "damsels" to "heroines." In September 2014, Disney announced Hasbro as the licensed doll maker for the Disney Princess line starting on January 1, 2016.[66] Mattel again became the licensed doll maker, instead of Hasbro, on January, 2022 and the characters of Frozen were part of the line.[95][96] The latest collection of dolls was available for purchase in January 2023.[97][98]

In January 2015, board member Christopher Sinclair replaced CEO Bryan Stockton, following with 2/3 of senior executives resigning or receiving lay off.[66] The following month, an upgraded View-Master to provide a virtual reality viewing experience was announced through a partnership with Google Cardboard.[99]

On January 21, 2016, Mattel acquired Fuhu, makers of Nabi tablets and other technology-driven hardware, in a bankruptcy proceeding for a sum worth $21 million.[100] On March 30, 2016, Mattel formed a "senior head" division named Mattel Creations to centralize its multi-platform content output. In the process, the production teams and operations of Mattel Playground Productions, HIT Entertainment and the American Girl content creation team in Middleton, Wisconsin were absorbed into Creations the following day.[101] On July 19, 2016, NBCUniversal announced Mattel's license acquisition to produce toys based on the Jurassic Park franchise after Hasbro's rights expired in 2017.[102]

Hasbro's failed takeover and Mattel163: 2017–2018[edit]

Former Google executive, Margo Georgiadis, was announced as company CEO on 17 January 2017.[103] On November 10, 2017 The Wall Street Journal reported that Hasbro had made a takeover offer for Mattel,[104][105] with Hasbro worth about $11 billion at the time and Mattel, $5 billion.[105] The latter rejected the offer less than a week later, according to Reuters.[106]

On January 29, 2018, Mattel and Chinese internet technology and video game company NetEase formed a joint venture mobile publishing and development studio, Mattel163, aimed at creating apps based on the former's key brands.[107][108][109] That same year, American Girl released “Create Your Own,” allowing kids to create a doll from scratch and customize everything including facial features, hair, accessories and outfits, and the doll’s favorite places and hobbies.[72]

Company reorganization and production partnership increments: 2018–present[edit]

On April 19, 2018, Mattel named former Maker Studios CEO Ynon Kreiz as chairman and the replacement CEO for outgoing CEO Georgiardis who moved on to head Ancestry.com, effective from April 26, 2018.[110][111] Two months later, the company laid off 2,200 employees partially due to the liquidation of Toys "R" Us in the U.S.[112] Kreiz started reorganization of Mattel which included new board of directors and added that executives having entertainment backgrounds and a global franchise management group had been charged with finding new opportunities in existing markets.[113]

On 30 August 2018, Mattel indicated the formation of its global franchise management division to be headed by Janet Hsu as chief franchise management officer. The division was mandated to seek out new commercial opportunities plus to bring to together consumer products, content development and distribution, digital gaming, live events and partnerships. Hsu was previously the CEO of Saban Brands,[114] where Frederic Soulie last worked before being appointed as senior vice president of content distribution and business development in the franchise division on September 28, 2018.[115] Hot Wheels celebrated its 50th anniversary the same year by recreating and selling as a set the original 16 Hot Wheels die-cast cars.[116] That same year in September, Thomas & Friends announced an alliance with the United Nations to introduce some of the organization’s Sustainable Development Goals, including quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production and life on land, into the show’s content.[117]

On December 24, 2018, Mattel announced the loss of the DC Comics toy license to Spin Master starting in the spring of 2020, hitting an 18-year low on its share price which concluded at $9.25 for a share.[118]

Mattel reorganized Mattel Creations and renamed it Mattel Television on February 5, 2019, which would be headed by former Disney Branded Television programming executive Adam Bonnett.[119] On June 30, 2020, Fred Soulie in turn was "role-tripled" to general manager and senior vice president of the new division.[120][121]

On March 9, 2019, Mattel celebrated Barbie's 60th anniversary. As part of the anniversary celebrations, Mattel released 20 new role model dolls in its Shero line to recognize influential women around the world.[122][123] Mattel donated $1 from every sale to its Dream Gap Project Fund, which aims to work with other organizations to end the issue of girls seeing themselves as less capable than boys.[124]

On June 14, 2019, Mattel released new Hot Wheels ID line of cars, which are embedded with NFC chips so that people can scan the cars and then build tracks, race, and view race stats for combined digital and physical racing play.[125] On December 16, Mattel released an update that allowed kids to scan their cars into an app and then access different coding exercises.[126] On August 19, 2019, Mattel announced a reboot of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, including new toy lines and brand extensions, a new comic book series and a Netflix series.[127]

In October 2019, Mattel released Hot Wheels Monster Trucks, which included a full line of die-cast vehicles, and a national live-event tour, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live.[128] The company also released a line of gender-neutral dolls called the “Creatable World”[129] Mattel Children’s Foundation announced and organized its second annual "Global Day of Play", a company-wide community service initiative that focuses on working with nonprofits and organizations around the world to give children a day focused on the power of play.[130]

While formerly associated with content productions, as of  2020 Mattel Creations is now an e-commerce and content platform, of Mattel, Inc.[131][132] In April 2020, the company released a Thomas & Friends special titled “The Royal Engine” to celebrate the program’s 75th anniversary, featuring animated versions of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles as children and introduced by the Duke of Sussex.[133] In the same month, the new Basquiat Barbie was introduced, featuring the work of the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.[134] Mattel also created an online resource, "Mattel Playroom", to provide free games, activities, coloring sheets, DIY projects resources for parents/caregivers and more to help families during the COVID-19 pandemic.[135]

Warner Music Group's Arts Music division arranged to become the distributor of Mattel's music catalog on May 1, 2020.[136][137][138] Arts Music planned to make available hundreds of never-before-released songs and new songs for existing brands, with the 8th May digital launch of Thomas & Friends’ birthday album first up[139] which was managed/handled by ADA Worldwide under the pseudonym label: "Mattel–Arts Music."[140] Also in May 2020, Mattel announced an initiative known as "Play it Forward" which focuses on using Mattel brands to give back.[141] The first Play it Forward program was #ThankYouHeroes, which included a collection of action figures and Little People characters who represent those who work essential jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, like doctors, nurses, emergency medical technician (EMTs) and delivery drivers.[141] On October 15, 2020, Mattel celebrated Fisher-Price’s 90th anniversary by creating a virtual Toy Museum, which featured more than 90 different exhibits created by artist, set designer and photographer Leila Fakouri.[142] Mattel Creations was also launched that month; it is an e-commerce and content platform.[143] It features limited edition, curated items made with collaboration from pop-culture artists.[143] The site’s inaugural collection included the Artist Collaboration Collection, featuring brands Barbie, Masters of the Universe, Hot Wheels, and the Magic 8-Ball[143] as well as artists Gianni Lee, Cristina Martinez, Travis Ragsdale, and Distortedd.[144]

On October 12, 2020, Mattel announced Season 25 of Thomas & Friends[145] but instead retooled launching a traditionally-animated take on it titled Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go!, which began on September 13, 2021.[146] That ended the show at 24 series/seasons over 37 years.

On November 20, 2021, Mattel launched a non-fungible tokens (NFTs) marketplace to allow fans purchase digital collectibles for its flagship brands; Barbie and Hot Wheels.[147][148][149]

On April 5, 2022, the Mattel board of directors led by its CEO, Ynon Kreiz, named company chief commercial officer, Steven Totzke, as company co-president with Richard L. Dickson alongside his original post and would continue to report to Kreiz as before.[1][2][3][4][5] On July 21 of that year, Mattel appointed the senior vice president of strategic partnerships at Scopely, Mike DeLaet, as the global head of its digital gaming division.[150][151]

Media and entertainment ventures[edit]

Mattel has a long history of media engagement since its foundation with the advertising of products from its brands including Barbie, Monster High and Polly Pocket, but the venture into full-time entertainment began in May, 1970, when it teamed up with producer Robert B. Radnitz to form a joint venture film production company, "Radnitz/Mattel Productions".[36] Masters of the Universe and its lead character He-Man had a cartoon series which released between 1983 and 1985 and was followed by a live-action film in 1987.[152] In 1986, Mattel launched a television syndication unit; MTS Entertainment, headed by John M. Weens, to distribute the Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future syndicated television show.[153]

My Scene, with Mattel's flagship Barbie brand, launched in 2002 and wasted little time in invoking a film franchise of DVD-exclusive/direct-to-DVD animated films. "Polly Pocket", which was originally founded and designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 for his daughter Kate as a private toy and from 1989 housed in Bluebird Toys which Mattel acquired in 1998, also followed suit.

With Lionsgate and its acquired and merged companies in Artisan Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment, Mattel's flagship Barbie brand was adapted into a series of successful animated direct-to-video films, which moved to Universal in late 2006. As of September 2021 it is jointly handled by Mill Creek Entertainment and NCircle Entertainment, with the latter solely for American retailers.[154][155][156][157][158] Monster High followed Barbie just months after its launch in 2010[159] and many “American Girl” films were made.[159]

Mattel agreed to purchase HIT Entertainment without the stake in the Sprout TV channel (formerly PBS Kids Sprout and now Universal Kids) from Apax Partners on 25 October 2011, for $680 million,[87] which closed on 1 February 2012,[88] making it part of its Fisher-Price division. HIT Entertainment was absorbed into Mattel Creations (now Mattel Television) in 2016 with its intellectual property (IP) brands shared equally between itself and Mattel Films upon the latter's formation on September 6, 2018.

On October 16, 2013, with reports of high profitability, Mattel launched an in-house film studio, Mattel Playground Productions (shortened to Mattel PGP or just PGP) as its in-house film studio to handle multimedia productions and foster creative storytelling for its brands for global multi-platform distribution.[91][92][159]

Mattel formed a division named Mattel Creations on March 30, 2016 to absorb Mattel Playground Productions, HIT Entertainment and the American Girl content creation team in Middleton, Wisconsin and centralize its multimedia content output.[101] Mattel Playground Productions was revived as Mattel Films on September 6, 2018 and it solely bases its films on its brands as opposed to its predecessor.[160][161] The 2023 movie Barbie was the first movie released by Mattel Films. Mattel reorganized Mattel Creations renaming it to Mattel Television on 5 February 2019, hiring former Disney Branded Television programming executive Adam Bonnett as its head.

Mattel announced it started construction on the Mattel Adventure Park, slated to open in 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The 9-acre park will include popular Mattel brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends and Uno. It will have multiple themed-roller coaster rides amongst other attractions.[162]

Mattel announced a new game called Pictionary Vs. AI in September 2023. It is a version of its visual guessing game where an AI model does all the guessing. A smartphone is used as the medium. Players draw cards that assign a given word, then draw whatever that word is before letting AI guess what they've drawn.[163]

Mattel Digital Gaming[edit]

Mattel has expanded its presence in digital gaming, including video games, mobile games, NFTs, and Web3.[164][165]

In 2017, Mattel and tech startup Osmo launched MindRacer, a Hot Wheels racing game for iPads.[166][167]

The first game to be released, UNO!, originally launched for Facebook Instant Games and was later available for iOS and Android.[168][169]

Other mobile and video games include:

Hot Wheels[edit]

In September 2021, Mattel and Milestone released Hot Wheels Unleashed on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.[177] In the arcade-style racing game, based on the Hot Wheels toyline, players race customizable Hot Wheels cars in everyday settings like kitchens and bedrooms.[178] Players had the opportunity to submit their car designs in the “Hot Wheels Unleashed Design Battle,” and the winning design was used to create a Hot Wheels toy available for purchase in December 2022.[179][180] The contest ran between January, 2022 and February 2022, and more than 10,000 livery designs for the Hot Wheels Rodger Dodger die-cast model were submitted using the in-game Livery Editor. The winning Rodger Dodger was transformed into a real Hot Wheels toy made available for purchase globally December 2022.[181][182]

In June 2022, Hot Wheels partnered with the Forza Horizon 5 video game to reveal a Hot Wheels expansion pack in-game.[183][184]

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe[edit]

In April 2022, Mattel launched a new game on Roblox inspired by the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toy line and Netflix Series.[185][186] Developed by Gamefan, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: You have the Power is a player-versus-player (PvP) battle-style game available through Roblox on Xbox One, PC and mobile devices.[185][187][186][188] In December 2022, Mattel made three Masters of the Universe characters available for purchase on Rec Room, a virtual reality multiplayer online game.[189][190] For a limited time in November 2022, Masters of the Universe characters joined Fall Guys a free battle royale-style game on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.[191][192][193][194] Mattel and video game developer Mediatonic later released Masters of the Universe figurines in the style of Fall Guys.[195][196][197]

Minecraft[edit]

In January 2023, Mattel, Minecraft, and Cyclone Designs released the Minecraft Creator Series Camp Enderwood DLC map, in addition to the new Minecraft toy line released the previous year.[192][198][199][200] In Camp Enderwood, a free download from the Minecraft Marketplace, players engage in a summer camp experience with activities like fishing and hiking.[201][202]

Barbie and Polly Pocket[edit]

In September 2022, Mattel’s Barbie and Polly Pocket characters became available on Roblox’s Livetopia, an open-ended, role play-style game.[203][204][205] Players also had the chance to explore Barbie’s Dreamhouse, in honor of the toy’s 60th anniversary.[206][204][205] It was announced that a Barbie-themed game called Barbie DreamHouse Tycoon will be coming to Roblox. Players can customize their characters and houses, and they can play career-themed games.[207]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Mattel Promotes Steve Totzke to President and Chief Commercial Officer" (Press release). Mattel. April 5, 2022. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Mattel Promotes Steve Totzke to President and Chief Commercial Officer". License Global. Informa. April 5, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Mattel Promotes Steve Totzke to President and Chief Commercial Officer". Licensing International. April 5, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Mattel Promotes Steve Totzke to President and Chief Commercial Officer". Business Wire. April 5, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Pepperdine Graziadio Alumnus Steve Totzke Named Mattel's President and Chief Commercial Officer | Newsroom". Graziadio Business School. Pepperdine University. April 7, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Chang, Andrea (July 23, 2011). "Elliot Handler dies at 95; co-founder of Mattel, inventor of Hot Wheels". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  8. ^ Chang, Andrea (July 27, 2011). "Obituary: Elliot Handler / Man behind Mattel, Hot Wheels". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "About Mattel". Mattel Corporate. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  10. ^ "Mattel, Inc. Company Profile". MarketLine. November 25, 2014. Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  11. ^ "Lego Surpasses Mattel As World's Largest Toymaker". Zacks Investment Research. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  12. ^ Carnevale, Chuck. "A Full Toy Chest Makes Mattel A Buy For Growth And Income Investors". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  13. ^ Foster, Elizabeth (January 27, 2021). "Barbie named NPD's top global toy property for 2020". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  14. ^ Karaca, Kristine; Kazakos, Niki (February 2, 2022). "Barbie Named 2021 Top Global Toy Property of the Year, Per NPD". Mattel Corporate. Retrieved February 6, 2022. ...and its Hot Wheels Singles 1/64 Assortment was named the 2021 global top-selling toy of the year...
  15. ^ "Our Story". Mattel Creations. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  16. ^ a b "History | Mattel, Inc". Mattel Corporate. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  17. ^ History of Mattel by Robert Eckert. YouTube. September 9, 2012. See duration 2:10 until 2:22 for his words on the company's name.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Mattel, Inc. History". International Directory of Company Histories. Vol.61. St. James Press (2000). Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  19. ^ Kozelsky, Holly (February 7, 2020). "Holly Kozelsky: The magic of having the right answers". Martinsville Bulletin. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  20. ^ "Corporations: All's Swell at Mattel". Time. October 10, 1962. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  21. ^ Meisenzahl, Mary. "Fisher-Price is putting a virtual toy museum on Instagram with 90 exhibits tapping into nostalgia for a new spin on experimental e-commerce — see inside". Business Insider. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "Fisher-Price looks back at its 90-year history". TNP.MEDIA. June 18, 2020. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  23. ^ Walters, Donna K. H. (August 20, 1993). "Mattel to Buy Fisher-Price in $1-Billion Deal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  24. ^ "Ruth Mosko Handler unveils Barbie Doll". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  25. ^ Hines, Ree (July 27, 2017). "June Foray, voice of Bullwinkle's Rocky and many more, dies at 99". Today. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  26. ^ "Barbie's friend Ken celebrates a milestone birthday: 60". KWQC TV 6. March 12, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  27. ^ Schlossberg, Mallory (November 22, 2017). "See the Evolution of the Barbie Dreamhouse". Redbook. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  28. ^ "Barbie in Space: Iconic Doll's Astronaut Looks (Photos)". Space.com. August 5, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  29. ^ Townsend, Allie (February 16, 2011). "All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys: See 'N Say". Time. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  30. ^ Holland, Brynn (March 8, 2019). "Barbie Through the Ages". HISTORY. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  31. ^ Lesaffre, Sévan (September 11, 2019). "Major Matt Mason : Tom Hanks campera le jouet dans un film écrit par Akiva Goldsman" [Major Matt Mason: Tom Hanks will camp the toy in a film written by Akiva Goldsman]. CineChronicle (in French). Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  32. ^ Miller, Aaron (January 8, 2015). "16 Things You Didn't Know About Hot Wheels". Thrillist. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  33. ^ "Mattel's Hot Wheels History – Where It All Started". Hot Wheels Centric. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  34. ^ Lakritz, Talia (August 9, 2020). "Here's what Barbie looked like the year you were born". Business Insider. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  35. ^ a b Huffman, John Pearley (August 5, 2012). "A Rivalry That Helped Turn a Pastime Into a Profession". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  36. ^ a b Knapp, Dan (May 21, 1970). "Mattel, Radnitz Join Hands". Los Angeles Times. El Segundo, Los Angeles County, California. p. F13. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017.
  37. ^ "Very brief history of Mattel". Dustin's Video Game Archives. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  38. ^ "Intellivision". DUSTIN'S RETRO GAMING ARCHIVE.
  39. ^ Conradt, Stacy (April 4, 2016). "We've All Been Playing Uno Wrong". Mental Floss. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  40. ^ "Uno". National Toy Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  41. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; Mattel Sets Deal". The New York Times. December 19, 1989. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  42. ^ a b "Mattel to buy International Games". UPI. January 23, 1992. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  43. ^ "Barbie maker Mattel to buy Thomas the Tank Engine owner". BBC News. October 24, 2011. Archived from the original on October 27, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  44. ^ a b Solomon, Brian (February 28, 2014). "Jealous Barbie: Mattel Comes After Lego With Mega Bloks Purchase". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  45. ^ Langdon, Dolly (May 12, 1980). "Lord of the Rings Irvin Feld Has Made a Fading Circus the Greatest Show on Earth Again". People. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  46. ^ Brown, Lonnie; Fiero, Peter (December 19, 1973). "Mattel Selling Circus World". Lakeland Ledger; aggregated by Google News. Vol. 67, no. 64. The New York Times Company. pp. 1A, 7A. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  47. ^ "Mattel Inc". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  48. ^ Barton, Matt; Loguidice, Bill (May 8, 2008). "A History of Gaming Platforms: Mattel Intellivision". Gamasutra. pp. 1, 3. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  49. ^ Dale, Steve (January 20, 1995). "Snow White And Greenbacks". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  50. ^ a b "Western Publishing Group, Inc. History". International Directory of Company Histories. Vol.13. St. James Press (2000). Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  51. ^ "Fisher-Price turns 90 + your chance to WIN". BabyYumYum South Africa. July 17, 2020. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  52. ^ a b Conklin, Lisa Marie (May 10, 2022). "What Barbie Looked Like the Decade You Were Born". Reader's Digest.
  53. ^ "Masters Of Your Bank Account: The 15 Most Expensive He-Man Toys Ever". Comic Book Resources. September 10, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  54. ^ "Feld Family Buys Ringling Bros". The New York Times. March 19, 1982. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2022. Mattel Inc. said it had sold Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Inc. for $22.8 million to a family who had owned the circus and managed it for 26 years. Two members of the family, Irvin Feld and his son, Kenneth, said the deal included the circus, Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, and the new Walt Disney's World on Ice.
  55. ^ a b Barbie. "60 things you didn't know about Barbie". Now To Love. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  56. ^ Conklin, Lisa Marie (October 21, 2021). "What Barbie Looked Like the Decade You Were Born". Reader's Digest. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  57. ^ "Mattel Toys to Move Its Headquarters to El Segundo Site". Los Angeles Times. September 20, 1989. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  58. ^ Kurtzleben, Danielle (July 30, 2020). "An Oral History Of How Barbie Lost The Presidency Yet Again". NPR. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  59. ^ Jones, Chris (November 29, 2018). "How American Girl Place was a first in Chicago — and way ahead of its time". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  60. ^ Lammie, Rob (July 26, 2010). "A Brief History of Fisher-Price Little People". Mental Floss. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  61. ^ Arce, Nicole (February 14, 2015). "View-Master History: From Sawyers, Mattel To The Age Of Virtual Reality". Tech Times. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  62. ^ "Simple toy has evolved into a true lifestyle brand". The Florida Times-Union. June 1, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  63. ^ Liu, Yiling (March 13, 2017). "Toy company Mattel donates $50 million to UCLA children's hospital". Daily Bruin. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  64. ^ Martinez, Edecio (November 19, 2012). "National Toy Hall of Fame". CBS News. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  65. ^ "Thomas Arrives at UK's Thomas Land". License Global. Informa.com. April 26, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  66. ^ a b c Suddath, Claire (December 17, 2015). "The $500 Million Battle Over Disney's Princesses". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg, L.P. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  67. ^ "Barbie loses battle over bimbo image". BBC News. July 25, 2002. Archived from the original on July 6, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
  68. ^ Bannon, Lisa; Lippman, John (February 11, 2000). "Mattel and Hasbro get licenses for characters from Harry Potter". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  69. ^ Bates, James (July 9, 2002). "Mattel, Warner Bros. in Licensing Deal". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  70. ^ Zepeda, Danny (November 25, 2017). "These three classic real-life Hot Wheels will take you back to your childhood". TechnoBuffalo. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  71. ^ "The Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour is Back". The Lima News. March 18, 2021. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  72. ^ a b Schild, Darcy (September 21, 2020). "How the American Girl toy empire has changed over time, from its iconic historical characters to dolls with modern stories". Insider. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  73. ^ "Fisher-Price recalls almost one million toys". CTV News. July 2, 2011. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  74. ^ Barboza, David; Story, Louise (July 26, 2007). "Toymaking in China, Mattel's Way". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  75. ^ Story, Louise (August 28, 2007). "Mattel shifts into crisis mode after quality problems". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  76. ^ a b Story, Louise (August 2, 2007). "Lead Paint Prompts Mattel to Recall 967,000 Toys". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  77. ^ a b "Mattel to announce toy recall". Mattel.com Services. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  78. ^ Kavitanz, Parija. "Mattel fined $2.3 million over lead in toys". CNN Money. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  79. ^ Lewis, Tanya. "Mattel tackles crisis with solid comms". PRWeek. Archived from the original on July 5, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  80. ^ Goldman, Abigail; Reckard, E. Scott (August 18, 2007). "Tactics differ for 2 firms in crises". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  81. ^ Yang, Jia Lynn (January 22, 2008). "Mattel's CEO Recalls a Rough Summer". CNN Money. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  82. ^ Nicholasi, Paul (June 11, 2010). "Mattel Launches Monster High". Dread Central. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  83. ^ Chang, Andrea (August 13, 2010). "Watch out, Barbie: Mattel's edgy Monster High is in session". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  84. ^ "Mattel Announces the Global Launch of Ever After High™". Mattel Investors. October 28, 2013. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  85. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (October 28, 2013). "Mattel's Ever After High launches globally". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  86. ^ a b Malinowski, Erik (May 31, 2011). "Video: Life-Size Hot Wheels Car Completes World Record Jump". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  87. ^ a b Kell, John (October 25, 2011). "Mattel to Buy HIT Entertainment". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  88. ^ a b Szalai, George (January 31, 2012). "Mattel's Acquisition of 'Thomas & Friends' Maker HIT Entertainment to Close on Wednesday". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  89. ^ "Welcome to HiT Entertainment". HiT Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  90. ^ a b "Bald is beautiful: Special Barbie doll 'Ella' inspires kids with cancer". WHNT-TV. July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  91. ^ a b Goldman Getzler, Wendy (October 16, 2013). "With profits up, Mattel launches in-house studio Playground Productions". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  92. ^ a b Graser, Marc (November 5, 2013). "Mattel's Bold Plan to Take Control Back From Hollywood". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  93. ^ "Mattel – Best Companies to Work For 2013". Fortune. CNN Money. February 4, 2013. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  94. ^ Kokalitcheva, Kia (April 16, 2015). "Quirky and Mattel join forces to crowdsource the next hit toy". Fortune. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  95. ^ Creswell, Julie (January 26, 2022). "Disney Princess dolls are reunited with Barbie". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  96. ^ Ziobro, Paul (January 26, 2022). "WSJ News Exclusive | Mattel Wins Disney Princess Toy Deal, Joining Elsa of 'Frozen' With Barbie". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  97. ^ "Disney and Mattel team up to launch re-imagined line of Disney Princess dolls". Good Morning America. ABC News. January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  98. ^ Whelan, Robbie (January 7, 2023). "Disney Princesses Return to Mattel as Barbie Maker's Turnaround Ambitions Grow". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  99. ^ Arce, Nicole (February 14, 2015). "View-Master History: From Sawyers, Mattel To The Age Of Virtual Reality". Tech Times. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  100. ^ Blakely, Lindsay (January 21, 2016). "Mattel Buys Fuhu Out of Bankruptcy for $21.5 Million". Inc.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016.
  101. ^ a b Tartaglione, Nancy (March 30, 2016). "Mattel Creations Formed To Centralize Toy Giant's Theatrical, TV & Digital Content". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  102. ^ Townsend, Matthew (July 19, 2016). "Mattel Nabs Universal's 'Jurassic Park' Toy License From Hasbro". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  103. ^ S. Lublin, Joann; Ziobro, Paul (January 17, 2017). "Mattel Names Google Executive Margaret Georgiadis as CEO". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  104. ^ Zaiobro, Paul; Mattioli, Dana (November 10, 2017). "Hasbro Sets Its Sights on Mattel". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  105. ^ a b "Hasbro approaches Mattel about takeover, says WSJ, citing sources". CNBC. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  106. ^ Roumeliotis, Greg (November 15, 2017). "Mattel snubs Hasbro's latest acquisition approach – sources". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  107. ^ Foster, Elizabeth (January 30, 2018). "Mattel ups its mobile game with NetEase JV". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  108. ^ Grassullo, Stephanie (January 30, 2018). "Mattel, NetEase Launch Mobile Games Studio Mattel163". The Toy Insider. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  109. ^ Handrahan, Matthew (January 30, 2018). "NetEase and Mattel launch new game studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  110. ^ Whitten, Sarah (April 19, 2018). "Mattel's CEO Georgiadis heads to Ancestry. Toymaker taps Ynon Kreiz to replace her". CNBC. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  111. ^ Clark, Alex (April 19, 2018). "Mattel Names Ynon Kreiz As Chief Executive Officer, Effective April 26, 2018" (Press release). Mattel Corporate. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  112. ^ "Toy giant Mattel to slash more than 2,200 jobs". Las Vegas Review-Journal. AP. July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  113. ^ Townsend, Matthew (September 6, 2018). "Mattel's New CEO Starts Movie Unit to Jump-Start Film Franchises". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  114. ^ Foster, Elizabeth (August 31, 2018). "Mattel launches global franchise management group". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on March 12, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  115. ^ Foster, Elizabeth (September 28, 2018). "Mattel's global franchise management group grows". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  116. ^ Glucker, Jeff (November 2, 2018). "Hot Wheels to re-release original 16 with a display set for 50th anniversary". Motor Authority. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  117. ^ "Thomas And Friends Launches Collaboration With the United Nations". Look to the Stars. September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  118. ^ I-Chun, Chen (December 24, 2018). "Mattel shares fall after losing DC Comics deal". LA Biz. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  119. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (February 6, 2019). "Disney Channel Alum Adam Bonnett Joins Mattel Television". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  120. ^ Zahn, Jamesdate=July 30, 2020 (July 29, 2020). "Exclusive: Fred Soulie named Senior Vice President, General Manager, Mattel Television". The Toy Book. Retrieved June 2, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  121. ^ "Mattel Television Names SVP and General Manager". License Global. July 30, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  122. ^ Salling, John (March 9, 2019). "Barbie celebrates 60th anniversary". KFYR-TV. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  123. ^ Harris, Shakkira (March 9, 2019). "Mattel celebrates Barbie's 60th anniversary, Women's History Month with role model dolls". WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit. Detroit, Michigan. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  124. ^ Zhan, James (March 6, 2019). "Mattel Kicks Off Barbie 60th Anniversary Celebration". The Toy Book. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  125. ^ Stein, Scott (June 14, 2019). "Hot Wheels ID adds Amiibo-style magic to its cars". CNET. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  126. ^ Greene, Tristan (December 16, 2019). "Review: Hot Wheels id makes the perfect STEM gift for kids with iPads". TNW | Plugged. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  127. ^ Zahn, James (August 19, 2019). "'Masters of the Universe' Roars Back to Life with Netflix Series, Comics, Toys, More • The Toy Book". The Toy Book. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  128. ^ Christensen, Matt (October 28, 2021). "Hot Wheels' New Monster Truck Toys Are Old-School Cool". Fatherly. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  129. ^ Aziz, Afdhel (September 25, 2019). "The Power Of Purpose: Mattel Launches Creatable World To Celebrate Inclusive Play For All Kids". Forbes. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  130. ^ "Mattel Announces Second Annual Global Day Of Play Across 30 Cities". SGBOnline. June 20, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  131. ^ "Pay $150 for an artist's Magic 8-Ball? For the new Mattel Creations, 'it is certain.'". Fast Company. October 9, 2020.
  132. ^ "Mattel Creations Launches | License Global". www.licenseglobal.com. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  133. ^ Kolirin, Lianne (April 28, 2020). "Prince Harry records special 'Thomas & Friends' episode". CNN. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  134. ^ Holmes, Helen (April 15, 2020). "Somehow, This Basquiat Barbie Doll Actually Makes Sense". The Observer. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  135. ^ Santoro, Alessia (April 5, 2020). "Mattel's Online "Playroom" Offers Free Activities, Games, and Parent Resources". POPSUGAR Family. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  136. ^ "Mattel and Warner Music Group Announce Exclusive Global Distribution Partnership" (Press release). Mattel Corporate. May 1, 2020. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  137. ^ Forde, Eamonn (May 4, 2020). "Warner Music Group signs distribution partnership with Mattel". Music Ally. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  138. ^ Millman, Ethan (May 1, 2020). "Warner Music's Newest Artists Are… Hot Wheels and Barbie". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  139. ^ "Warner Music Strikes Distribution Deal With Mattel for 1,000 Songs From Barbie, Thomas & Friends, More". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. May 1, 2020. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  140. ^ Sozzi, Brian (November 6, 2020). "Mattel CEO: Barbie, Hot Wheels, 'are resonating' with consumers during pandemic". Yahoo News. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  141. ^ a b Getler, Taylor (May 5, 2020). "Mattel's "Play it Forward" Initiative Shows the Value of Brand Adaptability". Works Design Group. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  142. ^ Zahn, James (October 15, 2020). "Mattel Celebrates 90 Years of Fisher-Price with a Virtual Toy Museum". The Toy Book. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  143. ^ a b c Lidksy, David (October 10, 2020). "Pay $150 for an artist's Magic 8-Ball? For the new Mattel Creations, 'it is certain.'". Fast Company.
  144. ^ "Mattel Creations Launches". License Global. October 8, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  145. ^ "Mattel Television Greenlights 104 New 'Thomas & Friends' Television Episodes and 2 Specials" (Press release). Mattel. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020 – via Business Wire.
  146. ^ "Mattel Television Announces Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go and Unveils New Creative Approach to Thomas Content" (Press release). Mattel. February 5, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  147. ^ Whitten, Sarah (February 18, 2022). "Mattel looks to movies, digital gaming and NFTs for its next leg of growth". CNBC. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  148. ^ Kulp, Patrick (November 21, 2022). "Mattel Debuts New NFT Marketplace to Turn Toys Into Digital Collectibles". Adweek. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  149. ^ Singh, Pia (June 17, 2021). "Mattel announces Hot Wheels digital collectibles, joining NFT art boom". CNBC. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  150. ^ Kazakos, Niki (July 21, 2022). "Mattel Appoints Mike DeLaet as Global Head of Digital Gaming". Mattel Corporate. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  151. ^ Takahashi, Dean (July 21, 2022). "Mattel names Scopely exec as global head of digital gaming". GamesBeat. VentureBeat. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  152. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 30, 2012). "Jon M. Chu In 'Masters Of The Universe' Talks". Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on December 25, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  153. ^ "Syndication Marketplace" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. World Radio History. November 10, 1986. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  154. ^ Whyte, Alexandra. "NCircle & Mill Creek pick up Mattel rights". Kidscreen. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  155. ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (August 31, 2021). "Mattel Inks Disc, Digital Distribution Deals With NCircle and Mill Creek Entertainment". Media Play News. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  156. ^ "NCircle, Mill Creek Entertainment Announce Agreement with Mattel". License Global. August 31, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  157. ^ "NCircle and Mill Creek Entertainment Announce Multi-Year Physical and Digital Distribution Agreement with Mattel". Mill Creek Entertainment. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  158. ^ Zahn, James (August 31, 2021). "Mattel Inks Physical Distribution Deal for Barbie, Thomas & Friends, Masters of the Universe Animated Content • The Toy Book". The Toy Book. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  159. ^ a b c Graser, Marc (October 15, 2013). "Mattel to Create Original Entertainment Through Playground Productions Banner". Variety. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  160. ^ Ng, David (September 7, 2018). "Mattel creates new film division to turn toys into movies". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  161. ^ Thompson, Luke Y. (September 7, 2018). "Why Mattel's Latest Movie Studio Announcement Doesn't Impress". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  162. ^ "Coming to Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale: Hot Wheels roller coasters, Barbie Beach House". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  163. ^ Davis, Wes (September 26, 2023). "Mattel's Pictionary Vs. AI leaves the guesswork to the bots". The Verge. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  164. ^ a b "Mattel names Scopely exec as global head of digital gaming". VentureBeat. July 21, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  165. ^ Whitten, Sarah (February 18, 2022). "Mattel looks to movies, digital gaming and NFTs for its next leg of growth". CNBC. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  166. ^ Heater, Brian (September 28, 2017). "Mattel's MindRacers set brings Hot Wheels to life on the iPad". TechCrunch. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  167. ^ "Osmo combines iPad app and toy cars with Hot Wheels MindRacers game". VentureBeat. September 28, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  168. ^ Handrahan, Matthew (January 30, 2018). "NetEase and Mattel launch new game studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  169. ^ "Mattel doubles down on Uno with a new card game called Dos". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  170. ^ Hargrave, Christian. "Phase10 now available". App Developer Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  171. ^ "Relive Your Childhood With Hot Wheels Infinite Loop". TheGamer. November 21, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  172. ^ Mayhew, Ash (November 19, 2019). "Hot Wheels Infinite Loop is Out Right Now on Android". Droid Gamers. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  173. ^ Gregson-Wood, Stephen (November 20, 2020). "Hot Wheels Open World is a racing game heading for iOS and Android soon through Roblox". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  174. ^ "Hot Wheels Unleashed Is What You Imagined Hot Wheels Were As A Kid". GameSpot. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  175. ^ "New Hot Wheels Unleashed Racing Game Launches This September From MotoGP Devs". GameSpot. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  176. ^ "Mattel launches He-Man game on Roblox". VentureBeat. April 26, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  177. ^ "Hot Wheels Unleashed Is What You Imagined Hot Wheels Were As A Kid". GameSpot. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  178. ^ "New Hot Wheels Unleashed Racing Game Launches This September From MotoGP Devs". GameSpot. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  179. ^ rawmeatcowboy (December 15, 2022). "Winning Design of the Hot Wheels Unleashed Design Battle Will be Available as a Real Toy". GoNintendo. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  180. ^ "'Hot Wheels Unleashed' Design Battle Contest Winner Becomes Real Toy". WorthPlaying. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  181. ^ "The Hot Wheels Unleashed Design Battle Crosses the Finish Line". www.impulsegamer.com. March 18, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  182. ^ Pelletier, Ashley (December 19, 2022). "Hot Wheels Design Battle Winner Hits Shelves". The Toy Book. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  183. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  184. ^ Nichols, Derek (June 12, 2022). "Forza Horizon 5 Officially Reveals Hot Wheels Expansion". Game Rant. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  185. ^ a b "Mattel launches He-Man game on Roblox". VentureBeat. April 26, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  186. ^ a b Irorita, Franz Christian (April 27, 2022). "He-Man goes Roblox to promote Season 2 of He-Man Reboot Series". ClutchPoints. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  187. ^ "Roblox Launches He-Man and the Masters of the Universe RPG With Netflix". ScreenRant. April 26, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  188. ^ "Hey! What's going on? Skeletor returns in the He-Man Roblox crossover". Pocket Tactics. April 27, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  189. ^ "Rec Room has the power with new He-Man and Skeletor avatars". VentureBeat. December 13, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  190. ^ Gregson-Wood, Stephen (December 13, 2022). "Rec Room teams up with Mattel for a Masters of the Universe collaboration". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  191. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  192. ^ a b "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  193. ^ "Fall Guys: The Power Of Beanskull Event Guide". TheGamer. November 4, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  194. ^ "Fall Guys is adding Netflix's Masters of the Universe to the game". PCGamesN. July 18, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  195. ^ "Mattel and Mediatonic Come Together for 'Masters of the Universe' x 'Fall Guys' Figures". Hypebeast. July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  196. ^ rawmeatcowboy (July 18, 2022). "Mattel Reveals He-Man: Masters Of The Universe and Fall Guys Mash-Up". GoNintendo. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  197. ^ rawmeatcowboy (July 18, 2022). "Mattel Reveals He-Man: Masters Of The Universe and Fall Guys Mash-Up". GoNintendo. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  198. ^ "Mattel and Minecraft release Camp Enderwood toys and DLC map". VentureBeat. January 31, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  199. ^ "Minecraft fans, today's brand-new release brings the game to the next level!". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  200. ^ "Minecraft And Mattel Launch Minecraft Map Ahead Of New Toy Line". GameSpot. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  201. ^ "Minecraft And Mattel Launch Minecraft Map Ahead Of New Toy Line". GameSpot. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  202. ^ Switzer, Eric (January 31, 2023). "Minecraft's New DLC Camp Enderwood Is A Toy Ad First, Video Game Second". TheGamer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  203. ^ "Barbie & Polly Pocket Are Coming To Roblox". ScreenRant. September 15, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  204. ^ a b Dellosa, Catherine (September 19, 2022). "Roblox welcomes Barbie and Polly Pocket into Livetopia this month". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  205. ^ a b "Roblox welcome Barbie and Polly Pocket – Game News 24". August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  206. ^ McClure, Deven (September 15, 2022). "Barbie & Polly Pocket Are Coming To Roblox". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  207. ^ Lockhart, Cameron (October 3, 2023). "Barbie Is Officially Coming to Roblox". Game Rant. Retrieved November 1, 2023.

Further reading[edit]

  • Kettelkamp, Sean. Chatty Cathy and Her Talking Friends, Schiffer Publishing (1998)[ISBN missing]

External links[edit]