Barbie, Middle-Aged

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Barbie goes through a midlife crisis," by Alex Veiga--

Though the Barbie brand generated $3.6 billion in global retail sales this year, according to manufacturer Mattel Inc., Barbie has seen sales slide over the last seven quarters. In the last few years, rivals like the edgy Bratz dolls have upstaged her.

To re-energize its flagship brand, the world's largest toymaker set out to cast Barbie and her pals in a series of books, magazines and animated films, hoping the story lines would drive sales of the doll and her accessories.