14 DAY TRIAL // For the 50th anniversary issue of Sports Illustrated, editors of the magazine have a real treat in mind: not only will the magazine include photos with some of the biggest names in modeling, both from today and yesterday, but also a very special pictorial with Barbie.
Indeed, Mattel’s doll has landed for the first time in the pages of the magazine. Moreover, Barbie will also be featured on the cover of the anniversary issue, as the photo attached to this article can confirm.
The LA Times notes that the issue in question comes out in a few days’ time, on February 18, and will see Barbie go up (modelling-wise) against the likes of Christie Brinkley, Kate Upton, Heidi Klum and Kathy Ireland.
Brinkley has just turned 60 (and she’s just as fabulous and gorgeous as ever!) so, at 55, Barbie is her junior by just 5 years and the second oldest model included.
To mark this historical occasion, with the Walter Iooss Jr.-shot pictorial, which will include 22 Barbies, Mattel will also be releasing a collector’s piece, which will be available exclusively on Target.com.
“This program is about underscoring who you are, being unapologetic about who you are and celebrating that alongside all these great women and legends who are more than just pretty faces,” Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni tells the publication.
The Barbie pictorial became a reality after the world-famous doll maker reached out to Sports Illustrated to propose a collaboration about 8 months ago. Mattel was of the opinion the magazine’s huge readers base, of almost 17 million women, would be the perfect platform to send out the above message.
“While we are first and foremost a brand that talks to girls, Barbie’s an icon. She very much has a place in societal conversation as well – we’re always talking to multiple audiences,” Chidoni adds.