Switzerland. Canton Ticino. Lugano. City center. Pharmacy window. Barbie doll. Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over fifty years. Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and most profitable line. The doll transformed the toy business in affluent communities worldwide by becoming a vehicle for the sale of related merchandise (accessories, clothes, friends of Barbie, etc.). She had a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale life-style that can be shared with affluent friends. 2.01.2020 © 2020 Didier Ruef