Barbie-maker Mattel to launch doll versions of K-pop group BTS
The dolls, which will be out this year, will feature the seven members in outfits from their Idol music video.
BTS have become one of South Korea's best-known and most valuable musical exports. (Photo: Facebook/BTS)
Looks like Barbie and Ken will be getting new buddies soon. Mattel is working with K-pop group BTS on an official doll collection, confirmed the toy maker on Monday (Jan 7).
The collaboration was revealed at the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, where the company announced a comprehensive, worldwide licensing agreement with BTS under its management, the South Korean entertainment company Big Hit Entertainment.
In a press release, Mattel said a toy line inspired by the Korean act will launch this summer, “created around the likenesses of the band's seven members: RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook”.
“The dolls will be fashioned in the looks from the BTS' iconic and YouTube record-breaking Idol music video,” said Mattel.
Mattel’s “multi-category license” with BTS expands beyond dolls. The makers of the Barbie doll also teased “collectible figures, games, and more”.
The American toy manufacturer also announced the news on Twitter, tagging BTS’ official account along with Big Hit Entertainment. The hashtag-laden tweet has been shared over 90,000 times.
“BTS is a pop-culture music phenomenon that transcends age, culture and language, and through this partnership, Mattel will offer a new way for millions across the world to engage with the band," said Sejal Shah Miller, SVP & Global Brand GM for Mattel, Inc.
Known for their huge social media following, BTS has become a global phenomenon since their debut in June 2013.
In May 2018, the band’s third Korean studio album, Love Yourself: Tear, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the highest-charting album by an Asian act.
In November 2017, Guinness World Records revealed that BTS had earned a spot in their 2018 edition for “having the world's most Twitter engagements for a music group”.
