Barbie develops Girls Aloud dolls for Christmas

Mattel UK hopes to breathe new life into its classic Barbie brand by tying up with British pop group Girls Aloud for a range of dolls that will go on sale in time for Christmas.

The line will form part of Barbie's existing Fashion Fever collection. It is aimed at girls aged six to seven and will feature five limited-edition dolls, which have been designed in partnership with Girls Aloud.

Priced £7.99, the dolls will be supported by a heavyweight TV campaign, press and online ads in the run-up to Christmas.

Barbie has suffered flagging sales recently, but received a boost this month when the Toy Retailers Association tipped its Princess Pegasus Annika range as a Christmas bestseller.

Mattel has faced criticism in the past for not developing dolls to suit children's contemporary fashion tastes. Laura Buchan, marketing manager for Mattel Girls, claimed the tie-up with Girls Aloud would 'reinforce Barbie's cool factor'.

The Girls Aloud Barbies will rival the Bratz Rock Angelz, launched earlier this year and now the UK's bestselling doll.

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