2021

January

You Can Be Anything

A Step into Reading book named Barbie You Can Be a Doctor was released on January 5th. The book is part of the Barbie: I Can Be career series. Barbie visits Dr. Vargas, who shows Barbie how to weigh and measure patients and lets Barbie help remove an arm cast.

Barbie Inspiring Women

As part of the Barbie® Inspiring Women series, a Barbie Inspiring Women Maya Angelou Doll was released. Lisa McKnight (Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel) stated in a January 14th press release, "By introducing children to Dr. Maya Angelou's courageous story and written works through doll play, our goal is to spark conversation and awareness with children and their families." The doll is aimed at adult collectors and had a new Maya Angelou facial sculpt that was made in her likeness.

Barbie Pink Collection

The Barbie® Pink Collection™ Doll - Pink Premiere was released on January 25th. It is the first doll in the Barbie Pink Collection. It is a Gold Label doll designed by Robert Best.

2020 Top Global Toy Property of the Year

On January 27th, it was announced in a press release that Barbie was named the 2020 top global toy property of the year by the NPD Group, a leading global information company. The 2020 Barbie Dreamhouse was the #1 toy item industrywide. Richard Dickson, President and COO, Mattel, stated that "Barbie is more than a doll, she is a pop culture icon. She has proven her staying power by remaining both timeless and timely, continuing to lead and reinvent the fashion doll category." The press release also said that "Barbie has created new and compelling ways of engaging consumers through new product innovation, cultural relevance, digital dialog, and the celebration of female role models. In 2020 the brand also honored frontline healthcare workers and furthered its mission to inspire the limitless potential in every girl through the Barbie Dream Gap Project initiative."

February

Movie Announcements

A February 18th press release announced two animated Barbie specials. The first was Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday, which was later released in April. The press release described it as "the first dedicated television movie featuring Barbie's younger sister Chelsea in a starring role". It also stated that, "in addition to launching new content focused on Chelsea, the Barbie brand will also introduce complementary dolls, playsets and accessories based on the character this spring. These new products are part of a broader strategy to expand the franchise with new items focused on Barbie’s friends and family." The second special mentioned in the press release was Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams, although it was not formally announced until July. In the February press release, it was referred to as "a musical that follows Barbie and her friends to New York City."

March

60 Years of Barbie and "Finding Your Voice"

March 9th marked 62 years since Barbie's debut in 1959. A Women in Animation virtual panel discussion named Barbie: Finding Your Voice took place at 6:30PM PST live on Zoom. The panel discussed how Barbie Vlogger and the modern Barbie character were created. The panel was moderated by Marge Dean, the Women in Animation President. Panelists included Nathan Baynard (Vice President, Global Brand Marketing of Barbie at Mattel), Julia Pistor (Creator and Writer / Creative Producer of Barbie Vlogger), Teale Sperling (Manager, Creative Content Mattel and Creative Producer of Barbie Vlogger) and America Young (Director and Voice of Barbie in Barbie Vlogger).

60 Years of Ken

The Barbie® Ken™ 60th Anniversary Doll was released on March 11 to mark the 60th anniversary of Ken's debut in 1961. It is a reproduction of a classic Ken doll. This Gold Label doll was designed by Bill Greening. Ken was featured in Esquire magazine in The Style issue. Barbie.com had a timeline of Ken throughout the decades since his debut. There was also a GQ article.

Japanese Barbie Convention

The Barbie Convention in Japan 2021 was on March 14th in Asakusa. The convention-exclusive doll was the blonde Birthday Beau Barbie doll, designed by Bill Greening.

April

Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday

Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday was released on April 16th. It premiered on Netflix US and other streaming platforms in different countries. The movie stars Barbie Roberts, her youngest sister Chelsea, and the rest of the Roberts family as they go on an adventure cruise for Chelsea's 7th birthday. When they cross the International Date Line, Chelsea discovers her birthday has been "lost", so she goes on a journey through an enchanted jungle island to save her birthday. Information about the toys and books can be found on this wiki, and more information about the movie can be found on Barbie Movies Wiki.

Doll Conventions

The Paris Fashion Doll Festival and the Portuguese Doll Convention were on April 24th. The convention-exclusive doll was the Birthday Beau Barbie doll. The dolls were designed by Bill Greening. The French convention doll was blonde and the Portuguese convention doll was brunette.

May

A Doll Can Help Change The World

On May 3, Mattel launched the A Doll Can Help Change The World brand campaign. A hero film of the same name was made, based on findings by Cardiff University that playing with dolls "activates brain regions associated with empathy and social skills." Mattel partnered with creative agency BBH LA for the hero film.

Lisa McKnight (Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel) said of the hero film, "By showing real storylines kids play out at home in the brand's latest campaign, we hope to remind parents and caregivers that the simple act of playing with dolls has developmental benefits." The hero film was supported by an article by The Washington Post, and (according to the press release) "followed by other social and retail activations in the months ahead."

Gold Medal Barbie Doll

On May 3rd, the Gold Medal™ Barbie Doll was released. It is a reproduction of the 1975 Gold Medal™ Barbie® doll. It is a Black Label doll designed by Bill Greening.

Italian Doll Convention

The Italian Doll Convention was on May 21st. The convention-exclusive doll was the Birthday Beau Barbie doll, designed by Bill Greening.

You Can Be Anything

A Step into Reading book named Barbie You Can Be a Musician was released on May 24th. The book is part of the Barbie: I Can Be career series. Barbie's favorite pop star visits her school, and Barbie learns about writing music, playing instruments, and singing.

Itochu

On May 26, Mattel announced that it had entered into a multi-year agreement with ITOCHU Corporation, one of the largest Japanese general trading companies. The press release stated, "ITOCHU will create a comprehensive licensing program for Barbie in Japan with an immediate focus on fashion-related product launches and brand collaborations."

June

Barbie EXTRA

New Barbie Extra dolls were released in June:

• Barbie Extra Doll 6 (GXF08)
• Barbie Extra Doll 7 (GXF10)

The Future of Pink is Green

In June, Mattel launched their The Future of Pink is Green brand campaign. As part of the campaign, a collection of Barbie Loves the Ocean dolls and playsets were released. A June 10th press release stated that "Barbie aims to achieve 95% recycled or FSC-certified paper and wood fiber materials used in packaging by the end of 2021." The bodies of the Barbie Loves the Ocean dolls were made from recycled ocean-bound plastic.

Additionally, a 4ocean x Barbie Limited Edition Beaded Bracelets were released, made from 100% recycled materials. According to the press release, "for every bracelet sold, 4ocean will pull one pound of trash from oceans, rivers and coastlines and contribute educational materials to inspire and empower the next generation."

The press release also stated that The Future of Pink is Green "is one of many launches supporting Mattel's corporate goal to use 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials in all products and packaging by 2030." A Barbie Vlogger episode named "Barbie Shares Ways We Can All Protect the Planet" was released, starring Barbie, Teresa and Skipper.

1977 Superstar Christie™ Barbie® Doll

The 1977 Superstar Christie™ Barbie® Doll was released on June 30th. It is a Black Label doll designed by Bill Greening. The doll is a reproduction of a classic Superstar Christie doll.

July

Stoney Clover Lane Barbie Doll

The Stoney Clover Lane Barbie® Doll was released on July 9th. It is a Black Label doll. This doll was designed by Joyce Chen to embody the style of Stoney Clover Lane, a lifestyle brand founded by Kendall and Libby Glazer.

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams

In July, Barbie Vlogger episodes based on the movie Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams began to be released. "MEET MY NEW FRIEND BARBIE!" was released on July 13th, and "BARBIE FRIENDSHIP GIFT EXCHANGE!" was released on July 16th. Brooklyn, a new character, was introduced in the vlogs. Brooklyn is also named Barbie Roberts, so she is nicknamed Brooklyn based on her being from Brooklyn, New York. The original Barbie Roberts was nicknamed Malibu, since she is from Malibu, California. Malibu goes to New York to attend a performing arts school, and becomes fast friends with Brooklyn in the movie , which was announced on July 23rd. The movie was released in September 2021 after originally being announced in February.

Malibu Barbie Gift Set

The Malibu Barbie Gift Set was released on July 15th. It includes reproductions of Malibu Barbie, Malibu Christie and Malibu PJ dolls. It is a Gold Label gift set designed by Bill Greening.

2021 Holiday Barbie Dolls

On July 21st, the 2021 Holiday Barbie Dolls were released. The three dolls were designed by Carlyle Nuera.

• (Blonde) 2021 Holiday Barbie Doll (GXL21)
• (Brunette Braids) 2021 Holiday Barbie Doll (GXL22)
• (Brunette Curly Hair) 2021 Holiday Barbie Doll (GXL23)

August

Barbie 1973 Doctor Doll

On August 2nd, the Barbie 1973 Doctor Doll was released. It was a Mattel Creations Exclusive Black Label doll designed by Bill Greening. This doll is a reproduction of the 1973 Barbie Doctor Doll.

#ThankYouHeroes and Fast Cast Clinic

The #ThankYouHeroes Program (also known as the Thank You Program) was first launched in 2020 as part of Mattels "Play It Forward" platform. On August 4th, 2021, Mattel announced three dolls as part of the #ThankYouHeroes Program:

• Barbie Nurse Doll (GWT39)
• Barbie Paramedic Doll (GYT28)
• Barbie Doctor Doll (GYT29)

For each of these dolls sold at a US Target store or Target.com from August 1st-28th, Mattel donated $5 to the First Responders Children's Foundation (up to a total of $50,000). The dolls were made to honor real-life paramedics, nurses and doctors who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. The First Responders Children's Foundation Barbie Doll Sweepstakes were open to US residents from August 18th-20th. The winners received a doll of their choice from the First Responders Series.

Mattel also announced the Fast Cast Clinic™ Playset. Additionally, six one-of-a-kind dolls were made to honor six women around the world who "have shown unprecedented courage during a challenging time [and] made a positive impact in their communities, inspiring current and future generations for years to come." These six women are:

• Amy O'Sullivan, RN (United States)
• Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz (United States)
• Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa (Canada)
• Professor Sarah Gilbert (United Kingdom)
• Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus (Brazil)
• Dr. Kirby White (Australia).

Lisa McKnight (Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel) said in a press release, "Barbie recognizes that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened. To shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories and leveraging Barbie's platform to inspire the next generation to take after these heroes and give back. Our hope is to nurture and ignite the imaginations of children playing out their own storyline as heroes." Jillian Crane, President of First Responders Children's foundation, thanked Mattel for their donations, which were used to help children and buy thousands hotel room nights with food stipends for first responders.

National Barbie Doll Collectors Virtual Convention

The 2021 National Barbie® Doll Collectors Virtual Convention took place from August 11th-14th. The convention-exclusive doll was the red-headed Birthday Beau Barbie doll, designed by Bill Greening. There were also two versions of the Power Pair Barbie and Ken dolls, designed by Carlyle Nuera. The African-American versions of the dolls had Barbie and Ken wearing yellow and pink suits, respectively. The white versions had Barbie and Ken wearing blue and purple suits, respectively. Nuera posted about the Power Pair dolls on Instagram. An exclusive Hallmark Keepsake ornament was released for the convention. The SKU number is QMP4120.

Elvis Presley Barbie Doll

The Elvis Presley Barbie® Doll was released on August 11th. It was not made in his likeness, but the design was inspired by him. It was designed by Linda Kyaw-Merschon, and it is a Gold Label doll.

Barbie @Barbiestyle Doll 2

On August 16th, a second doll based the @Barbiestyle Instagram account was released. It is a Gold Label doll designed by Linda Kyaw-Merschon.

Samantha Cristoforetti Barbie Doll

A Barbie doll of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti was released on August 18th. It is a Black Label doll designed by Carlyle Nuera.

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams was released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on August 20, 2021.

September

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams

On September 1, the musical movie Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams premiered on Netflix US. A 360-marketing programme supported the launch of the movie. It was also released to Cartoonito (Italy), 9Go! (Australia), Neox Kids (Spain), SuperRTL (Germany), Carousel (Russia) and iQIYI (China), with additional broadcast and streaming partners to be announced.

The movie follows Barbie Roberts as she goes to New York to attend a performing arts school. She meets another girl named Barbie Roberts, and they nickname each other based on where they are from. The original Barbie Roberts is nicknamed Malibu, and the new Barbie Roberts is nicknamed Brooklyn. Brooklyn was previously introduced in July in Barbie Vlogger episodes. The movie introduced the characters Emmie and Rafa, and a line of dolls, playsets and accessories for the movie was released in Fall 2021. Information about the toys and books can be found on this wiki, and more information about the movie can be found on Barbie Movies Wiki.

Career of the Year

The Career of the Year was Music Producer. On September 13, four Music Producer Barbie dolls were released as part of the Barbie Dream Gap Project. A press release said that the dolls were "designed to introduce girls to an underrepresented career where women make up less than 3% of music producers and shine a light on the importance of women's stake in the industry."

Barbie partnered with music producer Ester Dean and an nonprofit organization named Girls Make Beats (GMB). GMB "empowers girls by expanding the female presence of music producers, DJs, and audio engineers." On September 18, Barbie and MTV hosted an hour-long Saturday Music Video Block featuring music videos of songs produced by women. Barbie also funded GMB scholarships.

Ester Dean was interviewed by The Root on September 13. SeeHer (a group whose aim is to accurately represent women and girls in marketing, advertising, media, and entertainment) praised Barbie for the partnership, stating that the Barbie Music Producer dolls "will inspire girls everywhere to explore a future in music." On September 21, Ester Dean did a radio interview with Lyndsey Havens for SiriusXM's VOLUME (Ch. 106) to promote the partnership. Barbie hosted a live webinar with GMB and Ester Dean on September 22. On September 24, a Barbie Vlogger episode named "Barbie Interviews Ester Dean, Song Machine!" was released.

Hispanic Heritage Month

For Hispanic Heritage Month, there was a banner on the front page of Barbie.com with a link to buy "Hispanic" dolls. It also promoted Latinitas. The Barbie Dream Gap Project page for Latinitas said, "Latinitas empowers all girls to innovate using media and technology with a vision to create courageous leaders." On September 15th, Mattel announced two one-of-a-kind Barbie Role Model dolls to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month:

• Celia Cruz Doll
• Julia Alvarez Doll

Barbie Crystal Fantasy Collection

On September 15th, the Barbie Crystal Fantasy Collection Doll was released. Designed by Bill Greening, the Gold Label doll was inspired by amethysts and was a Barbie Signature Member Exclusive.

Barbie Extra

New Barbie Extra dolls were released in September:

• Barbie Extra Doll & Vanity Playset (GYJ70)
• Barbie Extra Doll 9 (GYJ78)
• Barbie Extra Doll 10 (GXF09)

Licensed Barbie Extra clothing was available exclusively on Walmart.com. The collection was inspired by the 2021 Barbie Extra dolls. Mattel partnered with fashion influencer Dear Giana for the collection.

October

Barbie Signature King Ocean Ken Merman Doll

The Barbie Signature King Ocean Ken Merman Doll was released on October 13th. It is a Gold Label doll designed by Angel Kent. The doll is a MattelCreations.com / 2021 Barbie Signature Member exclusive.

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams was released on Pop! (UK) on October 23, 2021.

Barbie Pink Collection

The second doll in the Barbie Pink Collection will be released in October, according to Amazon Italy. The product code is GXL13.[2]

Miscellaneous

Unsure what month these were released:

Signature

• 2021 Barbie Signature Digital Membership[3]

Playline

• Pet Boutique Playset and Doll (GRG90)
• Barbie Birthday Wishes Doll (GTJ85)
• Puppy Party Playset and Doll (GXV75) [Blonde]
• Puppy Party Playset and Doll (GXV76) [African-American]

Color Reveal

• Barbie Color Reveal Pineapple Scent Surprise
• Barbie Color Reveal Slumber Party Fun (GRK14)
• Barbie Color Reveal Barbie Doll Mermaid Series (GTP43)
• Barbie Color Reveal Chelsea Doll Mermaid Series (GTP53)
• Barbie Color Reveal Barbie Doll Shimmer Series (GTR93)
• Barbie Color Reveal Barbie Doll (GTR94)
• Barbie Color Reveal Chelsea Doll Shimmer Series (GTT23)
• Barbie Color Reveal Chelsea Doll (GTT24)
• Barbie Color Reveal Peel Doll with 25 Surprises & Mermaid Fantasy Fashion Transformation (GXV93)
• Barbie Color Reveal Peel Doll with 25 Surprises & Fairy Fantasy Fashion Transformation (GXV94)
• Barbie Color Reveal Peel Doll with 25 Surprises & Unicorn Fantasy Fashion Transformation (GXV95)

Barbie Dreamtopia

• Barbie Dreamtopia Chelsea Fairy Doll and Fairytale Treehouse Playset (GTF49)
• Barbie Dreamtopia Rainbow Magic Mermaid Doll (GTF89) [White]
• ​Barbie Dreamtopia Rainbow Magic Mermaid Doll (GTF90) [African-American]

Space Discovery

• Barbie Space Discovery Stacie Doll and Bedroom Playset (GTW33)

Team Stacie

• Barbie Team Stacie Doll and Accessories (GJB58)

Careers

• Barbie and Chelsea Careers Playset (GNF01)
• Pediatrician Playset and Doll (GTN51) [Blonde]
• Pediatrician Playset and Doll (GTN52) [Brunette]
• Florist Doll and Playset (GTN58) [Blonde]
• Florist Doll and Playset (GTN59) [Brunette]
• Wilderness Guide Interactive Playset and Doll‎ (GTN60)
• Medical Doctor Playset and Barbie Doll (GWV01)