COP2 Practical Brief : Concept.

After doing some research, I came up with a concept Idea. 

The next wrong step in the Barbie Brand.

Creating the packaging and inside box promotion for the 2014 Barbie. 
I have been shown that through brands such as Barbie we are being led into a more standardised world, Barbie is sold in over 150 countries, and therefore there is an increase of western culture on eastern soil. This is also proven in the opening of the Barbie Cafe in Taiwan, and can be compared to the process of Mcdonaldization. 
I want to create a Barbie in packaging that promotes the culture in 2014, how, due to the evolvement in communicative platforms such as the mobile and the internet, we have been forced to live a more integral way of life. By associating this change in culture or reality of culture with Barbie, this would be able to be dispersed throughout the world and picked up in over 150 countries, therefore prescribing to those that this is the standard way of life, however also parodying that due to the sales of Barbie in different countries we are being pushed into a standardised way of living. 

THE PLAN:
Create packaging for the 2014 Barbie.
Package her with items such as a laptop (for internet) and a mobile phone, (Items Mcluhan perscribed would bring us closer together), and connotate these, having Barbie saying such slogans as:

-  'No need to go out shopping, we can order online!' thus contradicting the results Mcluhan predicted. Shopping as an activity means that we interact with those, serving us, in queues and in changing rooms and is a social event where we have the opportunities to build relationships. All of this is taken away when we shop online, and there is no interaction involved with anyone at all. 

- 'Lets take selfies' - A reference to the idea that society is coming obsessed with ones self, with evolvements such as the front camera on my Iphones to make it easier to take pictures of ones self.

- 'I miss Ken, Lets video call him!' Previously, before the oncoming of the internet and mobile phone/tablet/internet one would have to physically go and visit them to actually see them, now we are able to be totally insular by talking with someone/ seeing them with no real physcial interaction. 
The problem with communicating via video call / text and instant message is that we are never able to fully understand the intentions of a persons message. 

- 'Add me on Instagram!'

55 YEARS OF BARBIE. 

This year is the 55th Anniversary to the first year a Barbie was released to the public. 
Create the packaging/inside items for the 2014 Barbie who will be branded via the points made above. 
But also in the box include a leaflet that plays out the 55 years of Barbie. 
A timeline of a Barbie from every decade, from 1959 when it began until 2014. 
However do this in a comical and parody way, picking and choosing the Barbies that haven't been overly successful (my intention of the project is to show how the production and dispersion of Barbie's has had a negative effect on culture (Americanisation) but also, How the evolvement of more communicative gadgets has lead us to live a more integral life, focusing on the points made by McLuhan and Ritzer in my essay) These could include Oreo Barbie, Smile with Becky etc. 

POSSIBLE DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES:

- Map on back of box with Barbie logo on top of most countries signifying that Barbie is sold all over the world as a representation of Homogeny. 

- Illustrations of the accessories that Barbie has and the phrases she has to go with them. (Actually market them as a talking barbie)

- Illustrative reference to the '55 years of Barbie' leaflet inside the box.

- Other products in the 2014 Barbie collection.. Standardised house?
Parody the idea that housing design is becoming standardised, Housing designs are created, and can be cut and paste into any location making them more space and cost effective, and therefore accessible to a larger range of people from different class backgrounds etc, Distributing this via a Barbie which is sold to many different countries promotes the travel of this Western way of design even further.

WHAT I NEED TO LOOK AT NEXT:

- Barbie Packaging. 
- Barbie through the years. 
- Special edition dolls.