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Mattel: Mattel Children
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In worst cases, Mattel toys' lead in paint was found to be 180 times the limit[27]. The paint on the toys was up to 11% lead, or 110,000 parts per million. US Federal law allows just 0.06% lead, or 600 parts per million. Children who suck on or ingest toys or jewelry with high lead content may be poisoned, which can lead to learning and behavior problems, even death in some cases.
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Headquartered in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and facilities in thirty-six countries, and sells its products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. Known as a builder of great brands, Mattel’s solid portfolio is a tribute to that. Barbie is the top-selling doll of all time, and American Girl is the world’s second largest girls’ brand. Matchbox has been a favorite of boys since the 1950s and Hot Wheels has been a staple in children’s toy boxes for more than three decades. And yet another major brand, Fisher-Price, is a household name that has been loved by generations. Mattel’s position as a top employer... goes well beyond its rich heritage.
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Mattel reached several important firsts in 1955. Sales climbed to $5 million; the company introduced another hit, Burp Guns; and the Handlers decided to take a gamble that would change the toy business forever. In what seemed a risky venture, the Handlers agreed to sponsor a 15-minute segment of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club on the ABC television network. The Handlers signed for 52 weeks at a cost of $500,000, equal to Mattel's net worth at the time. Up until this time, toy manufacturers relied primarily on retailers to show and sell their products and advertising occurred only during the holiday season; never before had a toy company spent money on advertising year-round. With television... toys could be marketed directly to children throughout the country.
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In yet another blow to Big Toy, Mattel Inc. yesterday recalled some 9 million China-made playthings. While most were sets containing potentially swallowable magnets, the toymaker ... pulled 253,000 lead-painted die-cast cars. Earlier this month, Mattel pulled an additional 1.5 million toys thought to be colored with lead paint, the first time it had ever issued a recall due to that toxic substance; the dangerous-toy recall boom kicked off in June with RC2's pullback of 1.5 million lead-painted Thomas the Tank Engine trains. All of the recalled toys originated in China, as did nearly all of the 6.7 million pieces of lead-painted children's jewelry recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission earlier this year. China produces about 80 percent of children's toys sold worldwide. "There is no excuse for lead to be found in toys entering this country," says acting CPSC chairperson Nancy Nord.
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Mattel was founded in 1945 by Elliot and Ruth Handler. The youngest of ten children of Polish immigrants, Ruth was a secretary for Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles when she married Elliot Handler, an industrial engineer. Handler started out designing light fixtures but soon began making furniture to sell out of his garage. The business attracted four partners and quickly rose to become a $2 million enterprise making giftware and costume jewelry. By 1945 Elliot Handler grew restless and wanted a new business approach to remain competitive in the fast-changing postwar world. Handler's plans led to a dispute with his partners and he sold his interest in the company at a loss.
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Mattel sold toys through the 1950s, including wood and musical toys. Mattel became a household name with parents and children alike with the introduction of Barbie in 1959, at Toy Fair in New York. The Handlers were brilliant marketers, and used television advertising on children's television shows to expertly market Barbie and a host of their other products directly to children. Barbie's popularity declined at the end of the 1960s, and so did Mattel's fortunes, and Mattel nearly went bankrupt. Through constant re-invention of Barbie and the rising popularity of lines including Hot Wheels, the company thrives today.
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