BARBIE

Client: Mattel and Various Licensees

The Ask:

Bring my fashion art directing background to an 11–1/2 inch doll as a Mattel staff member.

The Solution:

Approached Barbie as a model, not a toy.

We even shot her on location, a radical step for a doll at the time!

Logos • Packaging • Print • Licensing • Retail • Product Development • Photo Direction • Retouching

– Donna Wittlin, Still a Kid at Heart

I’ve had along relationships with this gal!

corebrands

Core Brand

With a fashion art directing background but no toy experience and a creative director who believed in me, I took a staff position at Mattel Toys in the Package Design Group. It was an exciting opportunity to work on this iconic brand.

Barbie was the Cindy Crawford of 11 1/2 dolls, so she got the supermodel treatment she deserved.

In addition to package design, I had the opportunity to work on many special projects, including the re-design of the Barbie logo. We also created the Barbie font for the entire line, as all of the friends in her world needed to be on brand with the new logo.

Also notable was the Sustainable Fashion Packaging Testing. Packaging was created without blisters or contaminated materials and we were way ahead of the curve!

But the most memorable and fun projects for me were creating special edition series such as the Barbie Gone with the Wind Series.

LOGO & FONT GUIDE GALLERY

COLLECTIBLE PACKAGING GALLERY

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING GALLERY

Licensing

Post staff position at Mattel, I worked on the iconic brand again from the licensing/vendor side. Working for licensees on product development led to my becoming a vendor for Barbie Consumer Products. I collaborated with this in-house group creating content for product development, plus collateral and marketing materials for the licensed Barbie brand.

From photo direction, to retouching and design, they kept me and my team in the pink!

packaging

ADS GALLERY