Mattel lobbies up after ‘Barbie’ box office boon

Barbie has a new team of powerful lobbyists.

Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and other iconic toys, hired a new lobbying firm this week, marking its return to the Washington influence game for the first time in more than three years.

The toy giant hired Mellman Consulting, led by Bruce Mellman, a former assistant secretary of commerce for technology policy under President George W. Bush, to lobby on manufacturing and trade issues.

More specifically, the company plans to lobby on “U.S. trade policy, U.S.-China policy, and supply chain policy,” according to the new report. Federal Lobbying Registration.

The new addition stars Margot Robbie as Mattel’s iconic Barbie doll, which became a record-breaking hit last summer that far exceeded box office standards and was a huge boon for the Mattel brand. This will be the second adaptation of the movie Barbie.

Mattel’s North American net sales will exceed $3 billion in 2023, an increase of 1% from the previous year, the company announced. Year-end financial report. Global North American billings for Barbie, the company’s top “power brand,” increased 8% to $840.4 million in 2023 from $776.3 million in 2022.

During the fourth quarter, which includes the busy holiday season, Barbie doll billings increased 43% compared to the same period in 2022, and the company’s net sales increased 32%, the report said.

“2023 was a milestone year for Mattel,” Mattel CEO and Chairman Inon Kreitz said during the company’s year-end results conference, “2023 was a milestone year for Mattel. “We gained significant market share and enjoyed extraordinary success with the Barbie movie, further strengthening our financial position.”

However, not everyone liked everything about the “Barbie” movies. Some Republican lawmakers criticized a scene that featured a map that critics say depicts part of the South China Sea that Vietnam claims as Chinese territory. Vietnam banned the film because of its depiction.

In a message to Variety, Warner Bros. Picture Group dismissed the “childlike crayon drawings” in “Barbieland” as “not intended to make any kind of statement.”

Details in new lobbying disclosures about Mattel’s lobbying efforts on trade and U.S.-China relations policy are vague. Neither Mellman nor Mattel responded to requests for comment from The Hill.

But Mattel’s new account includes many former officials and Capitol Hill alumni.

In addition to Mellman himself, the team also includes Alex Perkins, who previously served as trade adviser to the House Ways and Means Committee and as an adviser to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Sage Eastman, former senior advisor to the Ways and Means Committee; David Thomas is a former deputy legislative director for Vice President Al Gore and director of Congressional Relations at the Federal Trade Commission. Elise Pickering, former executive director of the House Republican Policy Committee;

Michael Robinson, Constantine Hinson, Helen Tolar, Nicole DiStefano, Paul Thornell and Stephen Cote are also on the account.

Mattel last hired a federal lobbying firm in June 2021 to prepare for a hearing before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on infant deaths related to Fisher-Price’s Rock ‘n’ Play. It was time. Mattel has recalled millions of its popular reclining baby sleepers, drawing criticism from members.

The lobbyist who helped prepare the Mattel hearing and educate commissioners was former Congresswoman Anne Marie Burkle (RN.Y.), who also previously served on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. According to the registration Written by Williams and Jensen.

The company terminated its contract with Mattel after the hearing, and no internal or external lobbyists have registered on Mattel’s behalf since then, according to an analysis by The Hill. Federal Lobbying Disclosure.

Prior to 2021, no federal lobbyist had registered on Mattel’s behalf since 2009.

According to this, the brand has also never released a lobbyist Barbie. Comprehensive Buzzfeed listt.