ALL DOLLED UP 'BARBIE' EYEGLASS MAKERS SET THEIR SIGHTS ON A READY-MADE AUDIENCE.Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer SUN VALLEY - As if her Dream House and Volkswagen Beetle This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. For the one introduced in 1997, see Volkswagen New Beetle. The Volkswagen Type 1, more commonly known as the Beetle weren't hot enough, Barbie's expanding into glasses. Rem Eyewear will be manufacturing a series of licensed glasses for the 4- to 9-year-old girls market. The beloved doll is already well known as a toy to this niche, so marketing her own signature line of eyewear was a shrewd business decision, Rem President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Hundert said Tuesday. ``In this market segment, there's no better name in the world,'' he said. ``Name recognition is 100 percent.'' Access to this powerful name was even more valuable to Rem than any financial gain. Hundert declined to discuss specifics of the contract, which will land Barbie Barbie in full Barbara Millicent Roberts A plastic doll, 11.5 in. (29 cm) tall, with the figure of an adult woman that was introduced in 1959 by Mattel, Inc., a southern California toy company. eyewear in optical shops nationwide in the spring, but praised the long-term effects of the deal. ``It's an important strategic move for our company, rather than a financial one,'' Hundert said. The doll's market share is built upon an immediately recognizable image, one that Rem was careful to reproduce in the new line. ``We had to 'Barbie-ize' it,'' Hundert said. ``We had to take elements of Barbie - the flowers, hearts and logo itself - and integrate them into the product.'' If that's not enough to attract the target market, the Barbie line of eyewear will be sold with a carrying case resembling a small handbag in Barbie's signature hot pink and be accompanied by a set of small glasses for the doll to wear. This is aimed at making the line more fun for the young consumer who might be hesitant to try her first pair of specs (SPECificationS) The details of the components built into a device. See specification. . ``It's for a hip young adult,'' Hundert said. ``We want them to say 'Oh, this is fun' and be proud to wear these.'' If a trend begins, it could benefit other youngsters in need of corrective lenses A corrective lens is a lens worn on or before the eye, used to treat myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. The most common types of corrective lenses are eyeglass lenses and contact lenses. Intraocular lenses are also beginning to become common. , said Harry Enenstein. ``If kids see their classmates Classmates can refer to either:
Optometrist A medical professional who examines and tests the eyes for disease and treats visual disorders by prescribing corrective said. ``Glasses have become fashionable, so kids would like these.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) REM Eyewear will be marketing Barbie eyeglasses eyeglasses or spectacles, instrument or device for aiding and correcting defective sight. Eyeglasses usually consist of a pair of lenses mounted in a frame to hold them in position before the eyes. for girls. (2 -- color) Mike Hundert, president of REM Eyewear, holds a sample of the new Barbie eyeglasses for girls his firm will be marketing. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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