The toy manufacturing company behind Barbie, Mattel, has announced that it will be releasing a collection of dolls, as well as other pieces of merchandise, inspired by K-pop group BTS. The company made the announcement during the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair.
“We have signed a multi-category license contract with BTS’s agency Big Hit Entertainment, and we plan to create a variety of items such as dolls, collectible figurines, toys, games, and roleplaying items,” Mattel stated.
“The collaboration collection is set to be released this summer, and it will be the first collection to include dolls created around the likeness of BTS’s members. The outfits of the dolls will be based on those that BTS wore in their ‘Idol’ music video.”
It is unclear which exact outfits the toys will have since the BTS members wear four different sets of outfits in their music video for “Idol”.
Mattel vice president Sejal Shah Miller stated that the company decided to work with BTS because of their “global appeal.”
Miller, who is also the global brand general manager of Mattel, stated, “BTS is a cultural phenomenon who transcends age, culture, and language, and through this partnership, we hope to create a new way for people around to world to connect with BTS. The cornerstone of our strategy is to partner with established franchises that have global appeal, and we believe that Mattel’s creative expertise will create a product that properly celebrates BTS.”
The company also shared the news on Twitter, stating that they have collaborated with BTS and Big Hit Entertainment to bring the dolls to “millions around the world.”
BTS’ fans were thrilled to hear the news, but some had more questions about the dolls’ appearances. One fan asked whether the dolls would look like Barbie dolls or more like figures, to which the Mattel account revealed that they would be “a new line of Mattel dolls.” The account also confirmed that the set will launch globally and that more information will be revealed soon.
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