- Each year, the Mattel company, which distributes the Barbie doll, celebrates "exceptional women" around the world.
- In France, the Lyonnaise footballer Amandine Henry was chosen to become the new face of Barbie.
- A symbolic distinction, because the object bearing his image will not be marketed.
Like most little girls, she liked to have fun with the Barbie dolls that had been bought for her. Well, in a way. "Mine, I made her play soccer with her princess dress. I let my sister take care of the makeover part. What interested me was not to change his clothes, it was to imagine him kicking a ball. ” All smiles, Amandine Henry confesses her childhood memories.
Captain of the French women's football team, the OL player has been chosen to become one of the Barbie muses. In 2015, the brand chose to pay tribute to "exceptional women" around the world. For France, it is therefore Amandine Henry who is highlighted this year. A choice that comes first and foremost from the symbol and the communication operation. Because if the Mattel company, which distributes the object, intends to make a doll in the image of the young woman, it will not be sold in stores. So don't expect to find it on the shelves. There will be only one “unique” model, like that of chef Hélène Darroze, who preceded it. And it is Amandine Henry herself who will have it.
Believe in one's dreams
In return, the footballer undertook for a year to convey a message through her various meetings: to fight against stereotypes and "break the ceiling of dreams". "A study, conducted in the United States, shows that up to 5 years, girls and boys do not distinguish between them. But from that age, little girls begin to lose confidence in their skills and think they can no longer be the ones they dreamed of being, "said Yannick Lapalu, marketing manager for Barbie in France. He added: "An accomplished sportswoman, Amandine Henry, who also wrote a book entitled Believing in her dreams , was perfect in this role".
"You can be glamorous and sporty at the same time, I wanted to break these codes", replies the woman who confesses "to have hidden her femininity" in adolescence. “I was playing on a boy's team. By mimicry, I wore loose clothes, I systematically tied my hair. I was trying to fit in the mold, she says. But today, I perfectly assume to play soccer and wear heels outside of training. ”
Aware that there are still barriers to break down, the young woman has observed a change in mentality in recent years. “Today we regularly see dads and little boys who come to see us play and support us. We also have grannies, moms, ”she concludes.
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