Mattel Launches School Photographer Becky; Barbie Doll's Friend Who Uses A Wheelchair

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:   MAT)
 announced today the introduction of BECKY(R) I'm the School Photographer!  The
 Barbie(R) doll's hip and very cool disabled friend who is a photographer for
 her high school yearbook.  She comes with a pretend camera so she can take
 "pictures" at all school events.  Becky doll uses a red and silver
 realistically designed wheelchair and keeps in style wearing a trendy fashion
 ensemble accessorized with red stud earrings, red framed sunglasses, and a
 brown backpack that hangs on the back of her wheelchair.  The School
 Photographer Becky is the second Becky doll in the Barbie line and the first
 time she has had a "career."
     The Becky doll was introduced last year at the Very Special Arts Gallery
 in Washington, DC where Mattel and Toys "R" Us (TRU) joined together to donate
 $10,000 to the National Lekotek Center and National Parent Network on
 Disabilities.  Becky doll was welcomed by national disability rights leaders
 and more than 150 kids and adults with disabilities.  Share A Smile(TM) Becky,
 a TRU exclusive, was sold out in just two weeks, requiring Mattel to go back
 into production.  Based on this overwhelming success, School Photographer
 Becky will be available not only at TRU stores, but also at retailers
 nationwide that carry Barbie dolls.
     Becky also appears in a new book entitled, Barbie, The New Counselor,
 published by Golden Books, where she works as a camp counselor with Barbie.
 This emphasizes the Becky doll's leadership abilities and sends a powerful
 message to kids.  In addition, Becky will appear in the Detective Barbie
 CD-ROM where she helps the Barbie doll solve mysteries using her incredible
 computer skills to uncover clues.
     Mattel, Inc., with $4.5 billion in annual revenues, is the worldwide
 leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of children's toys.  With
 headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and facilities in
 36 countries and markets its products in more than 150 nations throughout the
 world.
 
 

SOURCE  Mattel, Inc.