The $21 Birthday Wish Smoothie, celebrating Barbie’s 67th birthday, is inspired by the taste of vanilla cake batter, layered with Pink Pitaya Coconut Cream and made with ROC A2 Whey – a protein source that’s gentler on the gut.

Proceeds from sales of the smoothie will go to supporting The Barbie Dream Gap Project.

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Barbie: Dreamscape, written by New York Times bestselling author Alex Aster, goes on sale in the US and Canada on July 28th.

The coming-of-age story that follows Barbie, a girl whose perfectly planned future is shattered when she’s declared Fateless at her enchanted school’s graduation. To earn a Fate, she must journey across magical lands in search of the mysterious beings who control the destinies of everyone in Heartland.

“Alex Aster and Barbie are a natural pairing, and her personal affinity and genuine love for the brand shines through in a story that resonates with today’s young adult readers,” said Ryan Ferguson, Global Head of Publishing at Mattel.

“Barbie: Dreamscape reflects Mattel’s commitment to growing a book community and bringing our beloved brands to life through new stories and voices, giving authors space to share their own unique perspectives. As the brand’s first official novel, it offers fans another way to connect with Barbie through an epic fantasy that explores destiny and self-discovery, while marking a meaningful addition to our publishing slate.”

Alex Aster added “Playing with Barbie dolls was one of my first forms of storytelling and creative outlets as a kid. I spent countless hours making up stories starring each of my dolls, and I still remember the excitement of opening a new box, adding another character to my tales, marveling at each accessory. I’m honored to write the first YA Barbie book, and can’t wait for readers to go on this journey of self-discovery with Barbie!”

The deal was negotiated by Jodi Reamer of Writers House LLC for Alex Aster and Elana Cohen at Mattel.

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Mattel Creations is launching the first capsule of seven products inspired by MoMA’s collection on November 11th at Mattel Creations, store.moma.org and at MoMA Design Stores in New York and Japan.

The range spans a Barbie doll inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, Hot Wheels die-casts of the Jaguar E-Type Roadster and Citroën DS 23 Sedan, and a MoMA edition of UNO. Completing the line is a Magic 8 Ball inspired by Alma Woodsey Thomas’ Untitled and Little People Collector sets focused on Salvador Dalí and Claude Monet.

In addition, Mattel will sponsor The Museum of Modern Art’s Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Family Art Lab and its programs.

“This collaboration is more than a product launch, it is a global design partnership,” said Nick Karamanos, SVP of Entertainment Partnerships, Mattel.

“Through Mattel Creations, we have been reimagining our brands as collectible, design-led experiences. Partnering with MoMA enables us to translate some of the world’s most iconic artworks and artists into amazing expressions of culture, design, and storytelling that will resonate with collectors and fans for years to come.”

Jesse Goldstine, Chief Retail Officer at MoMA, added: “MoMA has long championed the transformative power of art and design as a catalyst for education and creativity.

“By joining forces with Mattel Creations, we are inviting a generation of new audiences to experience the Museum’s collection in ways that merge contemporary art with creative play and design innovation.”

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Barbie marks the second collaboration between the two, following development of Playmobil’s Monster High range that’s set to land in October.

The Barbie x Playmobil line will take inspiration from the Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures series and centers around the ‘easygoing beach lifestyle of Malibu’.

“Barbie is a cultural icon that continues to evolve and inspire,” said Playmobil CEO Bahri Kurter.

“Bringing the Barbie brand into the Playmobil world builds on values we both share and marks the next step in our partnership with Mattel. Together, we’re creating new opportunities for storytelling and charter-based play that lets children bring their ideas and imagination to life.”

Ruth Henriquez, Head of Licensing, Publishing and LBE at Mattel EMEA, added: “Our partnership with Playmobil offers an exciting opportunity to expand the potential of our brands to different audiences.

“Their distinctive design make them an ideal partner in delivering meaningful brand experiences that complement our core lines.”

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The partnership comes as new research from Barbie and England Rugby’s Red Roses reveals that a third of girls disengage in sport by the age of 14, driven by concerns over body confidence, doubts in their ability and a lack of visible female role models in sport.

As part of the Barbie Dream Gap project, Mattel is making a £20,000 donation to the RFU, supporting their commitment to increase the number of female players. These funds will help increase access to clubs and coaching across England, ensuring that more girls get the opportunity to discover the joy and community of team sport.

Barbie and the Red Roses will also launch a licensed apparel range, produced by Castore, with empowering slogans and designs celebrating rugby. The range of t-shirts and hoodies will be available this month, while a special edition Barbie x Red Roses Gilbert rugby ball will launch in October.

Barbie will also be supporting the RFU’s Girls’ Activity Days that look to enable rugby clubs across England to attract more girls into rugby by offering multiple activities at their clubs, alongside rugby. This summer, over 400 clubs will host a Girls’ Activity Day.

“We know how important the visibility of rugby is in attracting girls and boys to our sport and it’s been a core part of our strategy for the women’s and girls’ game for many years,” said Alex Teasdale, RFU Executive Director, Women’s Game.

“We wanted to collaborate with Barbie to introduce the game to new audiences and champion female voices in the sport. With increased BBC coverage and the Red Roses leading the charge, rugby is set for a major visibility boost this summer. But as our research finds, access is key. That’s why we’re working with over 400 clubs nationwide to host Girls’ Activity Days during the tournament, giving girls the chance to try rugby for themselves and see why so many are joining the game.”

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The range, which debuted today at MCM London Comic Con, spans two dolls – one of the Fifteenth Doctor and one of Ruby Sunday.

At MCM London Comic Con, Mattel Creations is located at Stand #S1801 and is showcases brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe and Monster High.

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The collection is a tribute to ‘the women changing the game, both on and off the ice.’

The range spans jackets, t-shirts, sweaters, a jogger, a hoodie and beanies. Check out some of the line below:

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These values come to life in the Play-Doh Barbie Designer Dolls, which give kids the chance to step into the role of a fashion designer in a completely unique way by using Play-Doh compound and creative tools to shape and style their own Barbie doll looks. Barbie has always been a canvas for storytelling – whether she’s an astronaut, a doctor or a rock star. With Play-Doh, that storytelling becomes even more interactive, as kids can mold, mix and create outfits that transform their Barbie doll again and again.

It’s the perfect fusion of two iconic brands, giving kids endless ways to dream up new adventures and express their creativity through play.

Did it take some time to crack how these two brands ‘made sense’ together, or was it pretty intuitive?
This project has been so fun to work on. It is definitely an example of the power of a great idea being championed by Hasbro and seeing its way to consumers at the right time and with the perfect licensing collaborator.

We are always exploring new ways to harness the power of Play-Doh compound in new play patterns and experiences. The fashion platform was the vision of a very talented designer who saw the possibilities. The Play-Doh team instantly saw the potential. We have spent a lot of time testing and refining the play with consumers. Seeing kids interact with this play pattern has been so informative and inspiring.

Collaborating with Mattel and the Barbie team has been a dream. We were excited to make this the amazing co-branded experience that we knew it could be. We have worked seamlessly to make sure that every aspect of this play experience celebrates the uniqueness of both brands. Throughout this process, we have learned a great deal about the Barbie brand. I can’t say enough good things. It has been a joy!

Lovely! And as you say, bringing Play-Doh to doll play feels very natural. What is it about the brand, and the compound itself, that enables it to suit other categories of play so neatly?
We really are serious when we say Play-Doh has limitless possibilities. The ability to mold, shape and squish the Play-Doh compound is unique and compelling to all ages. Transformation is huge for us. That moment of wonder when the Play-Doh compound changes from a squishy ball into something magical really ignites the imagination.

This line has a lot of fun innovation that captures the possibilities of Play-Doh compound. For instance, the fashion-making tools in the Play-Doh Barbie collection include a ruffle maker that transforms the Play-Doh compound into elegant, undulating ruffles and precise pleat accents.

We also love our new Play-Doh Pattern Sheets, which are flat sheets of patterned Play-Doh compound. This new format really lends itself to fashion play and inspires kids’ creativity. There are so many fashion tools in the collection that allow you to create fashion details and design your way.

We also find that Play-Doh compound is forgiving. People are not afraid to make mistakes because they know they can redo it and start again. The sensory aspect is very inviting and encourages imagination without barriers.

Terrific. Now, LinkedIn tells me you’ve been with Hasbro for 16 years. What is it about the company that has kept you happily there for such an impressive stretch of time?
We are all fortunate to work in an industry with so many possibilities. The creative culture and talented people I work with every day, both at Hasbro and our many partners, keep me inspired and energised. I have been provided the opportunity to work on many different brands and types of projects, which keeps things new and challenges me to learn and stretch my skills and ways of thinking.

We are always learning new things from kids, families and fans, which keeps our team looking forward to what could be next. Part of what drives me is working collaboratively with teams to overcome challenges and create new possibilities. That never gets old for me.

And what fuels your creativity? What helps you have ideas?
Oh wow, so many things. People, for one. I am endlessly impressed with how people think, envision ideas and generally create goodness in the world. I get inspiration from travel, music, art and science. Personally, nature is very important to me. Getting outside for a hike or out on the water energises me. I need to move my body and engage my senses. I enjoy being surrounded by the natural environment and all its sensory things. It gives me time away from a screen and to really make sense of things. It gives me time to create synergies and put pieces together. Most of all… Staying curious!

What set you a path into toy design? Was it always on the cards?
Oh, interesting… Perhaps! I definitely gravitated to the field of design when I was very young. I grew up in a very playful household and that likely informed my design sensibilities. My parents gave us a lot of freedom to be creative, explore and be curious.

I had an affinity for art and loved to draw. I was quite interested in learning how to do things, build things and understand how things worked. I learned how to sew from my grandmothers and mom. I remember getting my own kid sewing machine when I was five or six, which I thought was so cool. I followed my dad around watching him do carpentry work, fix cars and do electrical work. I basically handed him tools – and was likely in his way a lot! – but was watching and learning. I was fortunate to have so many makers to learn from and support my interest and curiosity.

And I think my first mini design firm was my brothers and me. We championed each other’s creations and helped make them. There were many ziplines for action figures, gadgets and multi-level LEGO cities that covered the floor. We sewed, customised our shoes and might have painted a wall or two… Exploring outside was huge too. We built tracks, bike ramps and had a very cool tire swing.

Sounds perfect! And did anything in particular push you to think of design as a career?
My kindergarten teacher and her husband lived across the street from me. He was a graphic designer and shared a lot of his work with me. He gave me his old art books and Communication Arts magazines. He showed me his layout art – all hand lettered text and illustration on thin vellum mounted on board. It was so cool. He was a true talent and class act. He told me about going to art school and it was my first exposure to design as a career.

Amazing. Thanks again Jennifer, and congrats on the Play-Doh Barbie line.

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“Hot Wheels and Barbie have long been symbols of storytelling, creativity and inspiration, engaging audiences across generations,” said Ryan Ferguson, Global Head of Publishing at Mattel.

“We are thrilled to partner with TOKYOPOP and expand these iconic franchises through captivating stories, bringing new adventures to fans.”

Marc Visnick, TOKYOPOP COO and Publisher, added: “Hot Wheels and Barbie are two of the world’s most adored toy and entertainment brands and we are excited to partner with Mattel to develop and publish new original manga-style graphic novels.

“TOKYOPOP’s catalogue is renowned for bestselling titles featuring notable characters for readers of all ages. Adding Barbie and Hot Wheels to our roster brings an exciting dimension, and we look forward to sharing these legendary brands and bold new adventures to our global audience of readers.”

The first titles to come from the partnership are set to debut in 2026.

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The range features Barbie and Chelsea dolls dressed as their favourite Care Bears characters. Fans remove the plush animal costume to reveal a Barbie or Chelsea doll styled as one of three Care Bears characters: Cheer Bear, Share Bear, or Grumpy Bear.

Features include a reversible plush top that turns into a super-soft oversized fleece jacket and a flippable costume head that transforms into a bed for the mini Care Bears friend.

The products will be rolling out across all global markets, with North America and the Asia-Pacific regions launching this holiday season, followed by the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America from Q1 2025.

“With the Barbie Cutie Reveal Care Bears series, fans will love discovering and collecting all the surprises in this adorable series,” said Robbie Prinzo, Head of Global Licensing at Cloudco Entertainment.

“This collaboration brings these iconic characters together in a way captures the magic of discovery and the joy of surprises – offering fun for everyone”

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