Is Normal Good?

11/28/2014

Whether choosing fruit in a supermarket or clothing a department store, people will usually pick pristine items over less perfect ones. Consumers tend to want perfection when they can get it. Does the same hold true when choosing dolls?

For more than a half-century the global toy maker Mattel has delighted girls with its iconic Barbie, which has epitomized what some believe to be the ideal for feminine beauty: flowing hair, immaculate skin, perfectly proportioned face, and a figure that defies laws of anatomy and physics.

Despite Barbie’s great popularity, many people have bemoaned the unrealistic physical standard the doll sets for young women. Even the best plastic surgeon can’t alter a women’s appearance to look as “perfect” as a Barbie; although, some have tried. So, if such a lofty standard of beauty isn’t attainable for real women, should Barbies and other dolls also spurn such perfection? Many people have said “yes,” but one entrepreneur has taken that belief a big step further.

Pittsburgh graphic designer Nickolay Lamm has created a much more average-looking doll called Lammily, which some have dubbed the “normal Barbie;” although, there’s no connection to Mattel. Lammily has a more realistic/typical figure, as well as the ability to add and remove “imperfections” such as acne, stretch marks, and even dirt stains. In sum, it’s a doll that’s much more representative of real people, women and men.

But given consumers’ predisposition toward “perfection,” what’s the likelihood that kids will actually want to play with such a doll? Like any good marketer, Lamm has done market research to answer this question. Lamm shared Lammily with second-grade students at St. Edmunds’ Academy in Pittsburgh and found that the students really liked the average-looking doll. For instance, the children suggested that the doll was different and special and that it looked more like them and/or specific members of their families. In short, they preferred Lammily over a typical Barbie.

Despite this positive feedback, it’s still too early to tell what the fate of Lammily will be. The toy industry is extremely competitive, with big players holding a great amount of channel power and market share. Still, it seems there could be significant demand for Lammily and dolls like her that may follow. Given this strong market potential for a product that upholds values such as genuineness and empathy, Lammily not only does a nice job representing normal people, she’s also a good example of "Mindful Marketing."

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Bethany VanSickle

12/9/2014 06:07:26 am

I had heard about the "Normal Barbie" coming out into the market from family back home. In my opinion and experiences from playing with Barbies as a young girl, children know that a doll is not supposed to look like a real person. It's a toy, something to combine imagination and tactile objects to create a more sensory play time. I think the people having issues with Barbies are mostly adults, not the children who are actually playing with them. I'm not against having a doll created of more "normal" proportions, but I think smashing Barbie dolls is unfair. Lots of children's toys are completely unrealistic, like unicorns or transformers or Pokemon, and people seem to have no issue with those. I consider Barbie another unrealistic toy, like the many others, and see no reason for people to be scrutinizing her.

Jacki Winieski

12/9/2014 07:56:17 am

I've seen recent articles talking about the creation of this "normal" Barbie. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this doll. On one hand, I like how Lammily is made to represent the imperfections that all people have, where the regular Barbie doll has an unrealistic look. It is a nice change from the same design every Barbie doll has. It makes kids feel like they can relate to Lammily. Overall, it appeals to society as a whole in this way and upholds many social values. However, I believe that it's not particularly necessary. Adults are making a bigger deal about this than the children. I understand why some people feel the need to make this doll, but I think they are thinking about this too deeply. Most kids don't see Barbie as a physical image that they need to achieve. I remember as a kid looking at my Barbies and seeing them as pretty girls with pretty faces that I could dress up. Lammily is a great idea, but I don't see her as a necessity for my future children or as a replacement for the original Barbie doll.

Samantha

12/9/2014 10:46:30 am

I give the "normal barbie" two thumbs up! I think this will give a good impression for young girls that being thin and blonde is not how everyone should look since we are all different in our appearances. Our society has defined the perfect body type as something that isn't actually attainable and studies have shown there has been an increase in younger girls worried about their appearance. I agree with the previous comments that it seems to be adults who are more worried about the figure of their child's toy then, the child themselves, however, the child will be able to relate to this "normal barbie" much better and have a better understanding when it comes to appearances and looks that they will hopefully feel that the way they are made is perfect and they don't have to change anything.

Caitlin Helsel

12/9/2014 11:13:34 am

We all know that Barbie is a controversial topic and complaining about her unreal proportions is practically an industry in itself. However, there are issues with Lammily, the new “normal Barbie” as well. No one can deny that body image is an issue, and a prominent one at that. I understand the message of Lammily and the reasoning behind it, but do not call her “normal”. When we start using the terms such as “normal” and “real”, we are teaching girls to compare themselves by saying this is what normal looks like in the form of plastic. But what if we don’t fit that mold? Not all girls think that they want to look like Barbie when they play with her. Barbie is about/symbolizes girl power, not this necessity of meeting her “unrealistic” physical standards for young women. When I played with Barbie dolls, I was more focused on her career than her looks. Like others have said, the industry has taken the body image debate to a whole new level. Many young children are not focused on what she looks like and don’t hold expectations of themselves based on Barbie. I must say, Lammily represents diversity of the doll and a more “dated” version of the average 19-year-old teen girl. Overall, Lammily is a good idea but we must not continue to label dolls “normal” or “real” because this will just continue the body image debate.

Jinhee Song

12/9/2014 11:40:41 am

I think that the "Normal Barbie" is an excellent new product that will not create unrealistic expectations for young children. I always hear about how the Barbies and other dolls create unrealistic expectations of appearance and beauty for children, but this Lammily does not make the children feel like they need to be "perfect". Also, the popularity of new "Normal Barbie" can be seen in the second-grade class where the children liked the Lammily far better than the traditional Barbie doll. I believe that the "Normal Barbie" is important to teach the children not to have unrealistic expectations for their appearance and that everyone is beautiful in their own unique way.

Juline Moussa

12/9/2014 12:51:57 pm

I think that the creation of Lammily is a good way to try to appeal to those who value realistic body images. Though this mindset may not be as popular now, I think it is wise to try to ease into this ideal that there is still beauty in imperfection. While this may be the message being sent out to adults, children may not fully understand this concept. By reaching out to a younger generation, this may greatly influence their acceptance of this ideal as they grow older. So while it may arise controversy now, the idea has potential to carry through to this younger generation as they hold onto these new values. From there, the market can use this embraced idea in further marketing strategies. As of now, the new look of Barbie generates an interest and appreciation for its genuine and relatable image.

Natalie Koenig

12/10/2014 08:59:28 am

A big issue that has been talked about with Barbies is the idea that it has negative impact on body image. I have a feeling that changing the typical girl doll to a more normal figure is not going to have an effect on the body image issue. Additionally, people like to look at attractive things. For example, people prefer a new, clean car over a rusty old one, for performance reasons, but also because of its appearance. People like to look at attractive things. If Barbie is considered to be attractive to young girls, then young girls will continue to play with them. But, people may also like to play with dolls that look more like themselves or relatives. I feel like introducing Lammily, or a similar doll, would change the sales of Barbies but I still believe that both would do well for different reasons.

Brooke Gamble

12/10/2014 09:11:59 am

I think that this is such a cool concept and one that I think could help get to the root of the self-image issue that many women in particular face in today's society. I grew up playing with Barbies as a child, and to be honest I didn't think to much of how she physically appeared. Looking back now though, I see how this perfect appearence that Barbie gave off could easily cause so many young girls to question their own appearance and carry that with them as they grow older. Even though Lammily is still in the early stages of the marketing process, by introducing this "Normal Barbie", I think that young girl will be more likely to accept their physical being knowing that the doll their playing with may look like them. I get the hesitation in presenting this new doll in regards to how well it will do in the market, but if the second-grade students in Pittsburgh were fond of the doll, I can only imagine that many more would be as well.

Bethany Baile

12/10/2014 11:47:02 am

I have mixed feelings about the "normal" Barbie Doll. On one hand I see what it is trying to do with allowing children to play with dolls that are more realistic to actual people and who look more like actual humans do, and how this could be good for their self concept instead of the "perfect" image of Barbie that they are used to. But, at the same time, I think that there are many dolls that already exist that are less "perfect" looking than Barbie that are already on the market that parents who are concerned with their kid's self esteem will probably buy for them, and the parents who don't see a problem with Barbie or her pretty and perfect image will continue letting their kids play with the original Barbies. Personally, I don't see a problem with Barbie, as it allows girls to use their imagination and try out glamorous outfits and play more, and it would be more boring to use an ordinary looking doll who isn't as glamorous and perfect as Barbie and they won't be as motivated to use their imagination with them.

Jordan Dodson

12/10/2014 12:36:28 pm

It brings me great joy and hope to see that someone is creating average size dolls. Our culture is obsessed with being perfect in both body image and social interaction. Being a person who has struggled with perfectionism I can say first hand that this is both degrading and unachievable. I can only image the people who struggle with body image and how degrading that would be. I am happy that someone has finally taken a stand against societal norms. My only critique is the fact that only dolls were created. What about the young boys who also struggle with the issue of body image? Many people assume only women struggle with this form of perfectionism but men can struggle equally. Overall I applause Nickolay Lamm for her efforts and hope others will follow suit.

Rachael Smith

12/10/2014 01:43:28 pm

I believe that the idea behind the “Normal Barbie” is a great new product especially for young girls. I can recall from my childhood playing with Barbie dolls and at the time not paying any attention to their physical appearance. However, now looking back I can see how the "perfect" image that Barbie portrays could set an unrealistic example for young girls especially in today's society. I could see how Barbie's "perfect" image could make young girls insecure about their own body images. I believe that Lammily will be a relatable Barbie doll for young girls, which will give them more of an understanding at a young age that no one is perfect. Even though Lammily is a new product, I believe this Barbie doll will become very successful.

Sarah Adams

12/10/2014 01:47:22 pm

I love the idea of a "normal" doll for young girls. Today's media is covered with endless airbrushed and photoshopped pictures of women. Unrealistic expectations for women are everywhere. The traditional Barbie only adds to that unrealistic standard. Having grown up with Barbie, I assumed that all women were expected to look and act like Barbie did. Now as a socially aware young adult, I realize the trends of society to focus on women's bodies instead of focusing on good and interesting personality traits. I think Lemmily is a great idea and will help show young girls that no one expects them to be perfect; they just need to grow up to be themselves, no matter what shape or size that might be. I'm happy that a company is taking a stand against social norms and creating a doll that represents real women.

James Isley

12/10/2014 04:41:40 pm

I love this new doll. Being a guy myself, and having only brothers, I never was exposed to Barbies as a kid. However, I see all the time news stories of terrible things that happen because of the terrible pressure girls are put under to fit a stereotype. I think it is ridiculous the standards our society holds women to. I think anything will help and that this doll is definitely helping the cause. Hopefully soon we can live in a world where a realistic body type is displayed in toys and our society will tell girls that they are beautiful and amazing just they way they were made.

Junmey Wang

12/11/2014 01:55:21 am

I applaud Nickolay Lamm for creating Lammily with reason to promote "realistic" beauty standards. But I'm wondering if it really was young children they had in mind to whom they want to promote those beauty standards. Yes, I feel that it is fine if people feel better about their imperfections because a doll they played with when growing up portrayed those flaws in a positive way. The thing is, I grew up playing with Barbie dolls and never once felt like I had to match up to the standard of perfection it represented. As a child, I saw it as a doll, and that was it. Was Lammily made with innocent children in mind - girls who just want to have a tea party with their dolls and who have not reached the point of being concerned with body image? Or was it made with another audience in mind: women who have insecurities and believe that children have them too?

Jenny Baumer

12/11/2014 02:55:46 am

I do really like the idea of a "normal barbie". I think this is a much better option for kids than a perfect looking doll. This Lammily doll is a great option for kids to play with. I love the idea, but I am skeptical of if it will end up working. I think putting that positive image of imperfection at a young age is important, so that when they are older they have the same idea. Is this doll the right solution? Their time might be better spent making something for slightly older children that are starting to notice their imperfections.

Emily Mee

12/11/2014 03:59:50 am

I really do think that the idea of a "normal sized" Lammily doll is a great one. However, i'm skeptical that the doll will actually take off. Barbie has been around since 1959 and has been a staple toy for most younger girls. Personally, I never really felt that Barbie dolls gave off a bad body image growing up, I always just felt that they were just a toy to play with. However, I know that children are very impressionable and I know also that there are many stories of Barbie's image giving young girls an unrealistic body image. Hopefully, Lammily will become a very popular toy and will teach young girls that you don't need to be stick thin to be pretty, you can be pretty by just being you.

Katie Piette

12/11/2014 05:32:05 am

I think the idea of a normal barbie is great. The traditional sized barbie is just another representation of woman are constantly told how they look is not good enough and they need to strive to look like barbie if they want to be wanted in the world. Also they are showing that representation to children, so little girls will grow up thinking they are not good enough, not skinny enough, not pretty enough when in reality barbie is illogical because her proportions would cause death to a normal human being not made of plastic. I applaud Lammily for taking the step towards providing toys that won't potentially cause eating disorders in the future.

Katie Voorhies

1/11/2015 01:54:15 pm

I've read a few articles about Lammily when she first made an appearance, and I have thought it was a great idea from the get-go. The doll is more realistic, and doesn't give girls or boys unpractical expectations for how women should look. When the second graders at St. Edmunds’ Academy in Pittsburgh were asked what kind of occupation they thought Lammily had, they said things like teacher, surfer, nurse, doctor, and veterinarian. When the same question was asked for Barbie, jobs like fashion designer and model came to mind. This shows girls that they can have careers that have more depth than just looks. Also, the Lammily doll is showing signs of a great market. Many dolls have been sold already, and positive feedback is almost everywhere. Because the doll upholds societal values and creates stakeholder value, I agree that Lammily is a great example of Mindful Marketing.

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