Today was laundry day or what I like to call the most painful day of the month. I am not sure what it is about lugging 40 pounds of slightly dirty fashion awesomeness to a dark place that smells oddly of Chinese food that makes me so bitter. On laundry day its hard for me to find a way to keep myself from falling to my knees, raising my hands to the sky and screaming “WWWWWWHHHHHHYYYY???” let alone smile. But today, was an exception. As usual, I stopped into the Magnolia’s bakery near my laundry mat to complete my usual cupcake for sanity exchange; I like to reward myself for doing something I loathe with such commitment. As I stared at the rows of frosted happiness, one cupcake stood out. It was frosted to impress. A top the sassy red velvet cake and pink sparkly frosting stood a wafer heart which read, “Your the only doll for me <3 Ken.” A smile spread across my bitter sweat and Tide encrusted face; love was in the air.
Sure, I had seen the mashable articles on Ken’s campaign to win Barbie back, but somehow it didn’t mean more to me than a casual tweet. Sure I took the time to pound out 140 characters to share it with my friends, but I didn’t really engage. Why would I? Barbies just aren’t my thing ( on the other hand playdoh an easy bake ovens are). But some how only a few sugar coated seconds was able to change a lifetime of predilections. Even thought I didn’t play with Barbies as a kid, as soon as I saw this tasty sign of affection I felt connected to the age-old Mattel brand. I pulled out my iphone, typed kenandbarbie.com, and vowed to bring back love to the now single dolls. I was relieved to find after casting my vote that love is in the air and it looks like this Valentines Day is going to be marked as the day Ken and Barbie became the iconic duo once again
After my cupcake induced rush to help Ken woo Barbie back into his arms, I began to think about why it had been so successful. I could care less about Barbie; she’s totally the doll version of that mean girl in high school who was always cheating on her boyfriend and making fun of people. The same girl that now works at taco hut, is pregnant with her third child out of wedlock, and still tries to tear people apart to make herself feel good. How had I been so convinced I needed to step in and do something? That type of connection is nothing to scoff at. The truth of the matter is, I don’t know. All I am certain of is when advertising forces you to something unexpected, it’s great advertising. So hats off to Mattel. Thanks for making me smile and making me like Barbie. You win.
