Ken Dolls

Ken Dolls

Barbie and Ken back together again

Well, what do you know! Everyone's favourite couple, Barbie and Ken, reunited on Valentine's Day this year after a 7 year split. Barbie and Ken broke up in February 2004 (also on Valentine's Day) after Barbie found out that Ken fooled around with Astronaut Barbie. The blonde bombshell wasn't too upset about the deterioration of her 43 year long relationship and was soon spotted sporting a new hunky beau, Australian surfer Blaine. However, this year Ken made it clear to Barbie (and the rest of the nation) how he feels about her. First, he winked at Barbie on Match.com and even had Magnolia Bakery (NYC) create a custom-designed cupcake for her. He declared his love on US Weekly and the Jumbotron in Times Square, but when all else failed, Ken turned to desperate measures and launched a guerilla campaign, plastering his face on LA and NYC's busses, subways and billboards, with desperate pleas such as "Barbie, we may be plastic, but our love is real," and "Barbie, I want you back."

Reinvented Malibu hunk "Sweet Talking Ken" finally won back his former flame after most people voted YES on BarbieandKen.com's love-o-meter for them to reunite. On the day of the announcement, Barbie wrote on her blog: "It's official. After seven years apart, Ken and I have decided to rekindle our romance - after all, we may be plastic but our love is real! Ken is my soul mate - we are looking forward to defining our own happily ever after." Ken in turn said that Barbie is the only doll for him. "I always knew our love was real."

This (mainly social media) marketing campaign was launched by toy manufacturer Martel Inc. The dolls both have social network pages, Ken with 7 000 followers on his Twitter page and 34 000 likes on his Facebook page, while Barbie has a little more supporters - 33 000 Twitter followers and more than 1.5 million Facebook likes.

The campaign was launched at the same time as the new Hulu reality show, The Genuine Ken. Hosted by Whitney Port from "The Hills" fame, they search for the Great American Boyfriend, with Ken-testants such as Arty and Compassionate Ken.

Also during this time, Mattel launched "the ultimate boyfriend for any occasion," the Sweet Talking Ken Doll. According to a report by Mashable the new doll is the perfect companion, because he "says whatever you want him to say."

Hope your guy is this great, because according to Barbie "everyone deserves a Ken!"

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Twenty3Media is a Cape Town-based marketing agency specialising in integrated marketing solutions for businesses. Services include marketing audits, competitor research and analysis and the creation and implementation of marketing strategies.

why is it that people put ken and barbie on the news when they break up their dolls?

it's funny a couple years ago i saw on the news ken and barbie broke up?? Then i saw like a while after on the news that they got back toghethor that is so strange.

Marketing / Publicity Ploy.

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