Signs of Activism

For more than a half-century, little girls worldwide have embraced Mattel’s Barbie® dolls as dress-up playmates. However, according to environmental activists Greenpeace, Mattel uses environmentally hazardous materials in its packaging. And, the group used a grand-format banner and its signature, attention-grabbing tactics to make its point.

At Mattel’s headquarters in El Segundo, CA, protesters dressed as Ken, Barbie’s perpetual boyfriend, rappelled down the front of the building and unfurled a banner with a scowling Ken that read, “Barbie, It’s Over. I don’t date girls that are into deforestation.” According to Greenpeace, Mattel buys packaging material from Asian Pulp and Paper, an Indonesian firm that the group claims cuts down its domestic, rainforest flora to obtain raw materials.

Although he didn’t know what vendor produced the 2,500-sq.-ft. banner, Greenpeace’s Bob Meyers said it was printed using Circle Graphics’ (Longmont, CO) Eco-Flexx billboard material. The lightweight media is made from high-density polyethylene, is chlorine- and phthalate-free, and reportedly requires 60% less energy to produce than a comparably sized, PVC billboard.

Greenpeace also unveiled anti-Barbie banners and street-level billboards in London.