Ruth and Elliott unveiled Barbie® doll, the teenage fashion model, at New York's annual Toy Fair in 1959. Initially, toy buyers were skeptical. Never before had anyone seen a doll so small, yet so sophisticated. As a teenager, Barbie was completely unlike any of the baby or toddler dolls popular at the time. Critics posed the question - Would anyone buy her?
Undaunted by skepticism, Mattel stood firmly behind the first Barbie doll, launching an innovative television ad campaign. Barbie quickly caught the attention of little girls across the country. She soon became a worldwide sensation, and remains as popular as ever today.
