Mattel relaunches iconic Barney character with brand-new animated series

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Mattel has relaunched its iconic Barney franchise. Mattel’s comprehensive revitalisation of the Barney brand will span television, film and YouTube content as well as music and a full range of kids’ products including toys, books, clothing and more. Apparel and accessories for adult fans, featuring the classic Barney, are also in development.

Mattel will introduce its reimagined version of Barney with a brand-new animated series, set to debut globally in 2024. Created for preschool kids, the series will feature the ubiquitous purple dinosaur and friends, introducing new audiences to the world of Barney through music-filled adventures centered on love, community and encouragement.

The series will be co-produced by Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, an international producer and distributor of children's animated and live-action content, together with Mattel Television. It will be executive produced by Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan for Mattel Television and by Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy and Pam Westman for Nelvana.

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Mattel’s Barney relaunch is symbolic of the company’s strategy to mine the depth and breadth of its intellectual property (IP) portfolio to relaunch heritage franchises.

Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time, said Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at Mattel. “We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world across content, products and experiences.”

“In creating the new series, it was important to us that we properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it,” added Fred Soulie, SVP and general manager of Mattel Television.

Soulie added: “With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care and dream big. We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too.”

Most recently, Mattel brought back its Monster High property and relaunched its popular 1980s Masters of the Universe franchise, both with new content and consumer products programs.

On a partnership front, Mattel kicked off 2022 on a high note when it embarked on a multi-year global licensing agreement for the Disney Princess and Frozen franchises. As part of the agreement, Mattel will have the global licensing rights to develop lines of toys for Disney consumer products, games and publishing, including fashion dolls, small dolls, and figures.

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