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Mattel history
Mattel company history timeline
Harold "Matt" Matson, Ruth Handler, and Elliot Handler founded the Mattel as Mattel Creations in January 1945 in a garage.
Mattel’s empire actually began in 1945 with picture frames.
The Mattel toy company officially formed in 1945.
Matson sold his share and stake to the Handlers due to poor health the following year, i.e. in 1946, which Handler's wife, Ruth took over.
Other toy products followed, including a line of musical toys beginning with the Uke-a-Doodle in 1947, and the company moved again to larger quarters at 5432 W. 102nd St in Los Angeles, in the industrial area just east of Los Angeles International Airport.
1947: The "Uke-A-Doodle" becomes the first of many hit Mattel toys.
In 1947, the company has its first hit toy, “Uke-A-Doodle”. The company is incorporated the next year in California.
In 1947, the company had its first hit toy, a ukulele called "Uke-A-Doodle".
In 1948, the Handlers introduced another hit—a new all-plastic piano with raised black keys.
The company was incorporated in 1948 in Hawthorne, California.
In 1950, the Magic 8-Ball was invented by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman; the toy is now owned by Mattel.
The business eventually moved into the realm of burp guns and musical toys and, by 1952 sales exceeded $5 million.
Mattel reached several important firsts in 1955.
In a first for marketing, Mattel became a year-round sponsor of the Mickey Mouse Club in 1955.
The year 1955 brought other important firsts for Mattel.
Inspired by the racy German-made Bild Lilli doll she saw on while on vacation in Switzerland in 1956, she pushed the idea for a cleaned-up version that would become the Barbie doll.
In 1957, the company, exploiting the popularity of television Westerns, introduced toy replicas of classic Western guns and holsters.
1957 saw the release of the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, and the Xylophone.
Amway history, profile and corporate video Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos, a pair of direct sales veterans, launched Amway in 1959.
In 1960 Mattel introduced Chatty Cathy, a talking doll that revolutionized the toy industry.
In 1960 the Handlers decided to go public, and within two years sales tripled from $25 to $75 million.
Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, named for the Handlers’ son, was added in 1961.
In 1961, Mattel introduced the Ken doll.
The original Barbie Dreamhouse appeared in 1962, and was made with cardboard and paper.
That year, Mattel made its first public stock offering, and, by 1963, its common stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1965, the company built on its success with the Chatty Cathy doll to introduce the See 'n Say talking toy, spawning a line of products.
In 1967, Mattel released Major Matt Mason, another toy astronaut.
On May 18, 1968, Hot Wheels was released to the market.
Barbie, the famed doll named after the Handlers’ own daughter, soon prompted official fan clubs across the United States, which by 1968 had a total membership of about 1.5 million.
In 1969, Mattel changed their Mattel Creations and the "Mattel, Inc. – Toymakers" marketing brands to just Mattel and launched the iconic "red sun" logo with the Mattel wordmark in all capitals for better identity.
In May 1970, Mattel formed a joint venture film production company "Radnitz/Mattel Productions" with producer Robert B. Radnitz, which would kickstart Mattel's venture into full-time entertainment to go with their ost famous toy TV commercials.
In 1970, Hot Wheels forged a sponsorship agreement with Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen.
Mattel purchased The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1971 for $40 million from the Feld family, whom Mattel kept as management.
For two years Mattel issued false and misleading financial reports until 1973, when the company reported a $32 million loss just three weeks after stockholders had been assured that the company was in sound financial condition.
In 1974, an investigation found Mattel guilty of issuing false and misleading financial reports, which lead to the banishing of Elliot and Ruth Handler from their own company.
Arthur S. Spear, a then-Mattel vice president, took control of the company in 1975 and returned the company to profitability in two years.
Ruth Handler, then CEO, actually was indicted and convicted on charges of stock manipulation, but received a suspended sentence and community service time in December 1978.
In 1978, the Mattel Children's Foundation was founded.
Also in 1979, Mattel bought the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows circus.
In 1979, through Feld Productions, Mattel purchased the Holiday on Ice and Ice Follies for $12 million.
After almost a decade of bitter legal battling, Ryan won a $10 million legal settlement over the issue in 1980.
By 1980 Mattel was running a slew of other businesses, including the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus; Shipstad & Johnson’s Ice Follies; Western Publishing, the largest publisher of children’s books; and an entire line of electronic toys, most notably Intellivision video games.
But the company’s fortunes took a dramatic upswing when John W. Amerman, who had joined the company in 1980 as head of the international division, was named chairman.
Ruth Handler sold her stock in 1980 and finally let loose of the company she co-founded.
In 1980, Mattel introduced the first diverse line of Barbie dolls with a Hispanic doll and the first African-American Barbie (different from Christie who was Barbie's friend). The line will eventually include Barbies from more than 40 countries.
Overall net sales of Mattel products reached $2.6 billion, and Jill Barad, who had joined the company in 1981 as a product manager and had been most recently president of Mattel’s United States operations, was promoted to president and COO of the company.
The success of the handheld led to the expansion of the line with game console then the line becoming its own corporation in 1982.
In 1982, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line of action figures was released.
The Felds bought the circus (and related companies) in 1982 for $22.8 million.
Mattel Electronics forced Mattel to take a $394 million loss in 1983 and almost filed for bankruptcy.
New York City-based venture capital firms E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Co. and Drexel Burnham Lambert invested a couple hundred million dollars in Mattel in 1984 to help the company survive.
Still, in 1985 the company fell behind Hasbro as the world’s largest toymaker.
In 1986, Barbie joined the list of famous individuals painted by Andy Warhol.
Chairman John W. Amerman improved the company’s financials in 1987 by focusing on core brands.
However, the Masters of the Universe action figure line sales dropped, causing a $115 million loss in 1987.
“Barbie at 30,” Forbes, November 1988.
One such selection was the re-emergence of Disney toys, due to a chance meeting in Tokyo, which, starting in 1988, gave Mattel licensing rights for a new line of infant and preschool plush toys.
A popular new line of Disney infant and preschool toys featuring such animated stars as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck was introduced in 1988.
A promotional campaign in honor of Barbie’s 30th birthday in 1989 propelled her onto the cover of Smithsonian Magazine, confirming her status as a true American icon.
In 1990 Mattel moved from the Handlers’ original offices to new headquarters in El Segundo, propelled in large part by Barbie’s continuing popularity.
Beyond Disney, Mattel reached an agreement with Hanna-Barbera in November 1991 to market toys based on the cartoon characters Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo, Cindy Bear, and the Flint-stones.
By 1991, Mattel estimated that 95 percent of all girls in the United States aged three to 11 owned Barbie dolls.
Since 1991 Mattel has introduced a host of new products including Bruno the Bad Dog, a monster truck that changes into a ferocious dog, action figures based on the upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Last Action Hero, and Gak, a gooey substance that stretches and oozes.
A strengthened strategic alliance with The Walt Disney Company in 1991 allows Mattel to sponsor attractions and to develop and sell toys at three Disney theme parks.
The agreement produced approximately $200 million in revenue for Mattel during 1991.
“Totally Hair Ken” gets real and quite stylish locks in addition to his slick new threads in this 1992 edition of the doll. (Credit: Mattel Inc.)
A push into the game market led Mattel in 1992 to acquire International Games, Inc., the producer of such profitable core franchises as the UNO and Skip-Bo card games.
In 1992, Barbie added a new career to her name when Mattel created the first President Barbie.
Mattel entered the gaming business in 1992 with the purchase of International Games, creators of UNO and Skip-Bo.
Mattel ultimately acquired Fisher-Price on August 20, 1993.
Moreover, Mattel has the exclusive rights, once held by Hasbro, to sell stuffed Mickeys and other top Disney characters starting in 1993.
Latin America’s child population was second only to Asia’s at 800 million in 1993, far beyond the United States’s 40 million and Europe’s 70 million.
The company also was looking to the future; it initiated a $72 million restructuring program in 1994 to consolidate manufacturing operations and slash unnecessary corporate expenses.
Mattel made two strategic acquisitions in 1994—those of J.W. Spear & Sons PLC, a British company that owned the international rights to the popular Scrabble games, and Kransco, whose Power Wheels and Wham-O (which included Frisbee and Hula Hoop) brands complemented its ever-growing products list.
Handler, Ruth, with Jacqueline Shannon, Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story, Stamford, Conn.: Longmeadow Press, 1994.
Ruth Handler poses with a Barbie doll along with a framed picture of her daughter, Barbara, the doll’s namesake in 1995. (Daily Breeze staff file photo)
Also in 1995, Mattel approached Hasbro about a possible merger of the two largest toy companies in the world.
Amerman predicts that by the year 1995, sales for the Disney line will produce volume of $500 million.
Founded in 1995, LeapFrog developed electronic learning toys that used interactive games to teach children subjects such as phonics, reading, math, writing, music, geography, and spelling.
The latest example of this method is Mattel Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary created in 1995.
In 1996, Mattel made an unsuccessful attempt to purchase Hasbro.
Mattel Media released its first software product in the fourth quarter of 1996.
"tale of the toy makers." cnnfn web site, 10 february 1997. available at http://www.cnnfn.com/hotstories/companies/.
The merger of Tyco into Mattel's lineup, completed in March 1997, made the latter the unparalleled leader of the industry, far beyond any of its other competitors.
“Jill Elikann Barad Named Chairman of the Board of Mattel,” PRNewswire, October 8, 1997.
In 1997 Mattel announced plans to introduce a line of toys based on the animated film "Hercules," which is also owned by Disney.
"mattel color spin case study." berkley, ca: university of california, 1997. available at http://www1.needsorg/develop/mattel2/111hist.html.
"a new generation of interactive play." mattel media, 1997. available at http://berklymm.com/mattel/barbie0.htm.
"mattel reports strong earnings increase, remains on track to achieve full-year profit target." pr newswire, 16 april 1998. available at http://www.prnewswire.com/.
"mattel increases quarterly dividend by 14 percent." cbsmarketwatch, 6 may 1998. available at http://www.marketwatch.newsalert.com/.
During 1998 the Fisher-Price unit was given control of Mattel's complete lines of infant and preschool toys.
In early 1998 Mattel celebrated Barbie’s 39th birthday.
In 1998, Mattel acquired Pleasant Company (creators of the American Girl brand) and Swindon,England-based toymaker Bluebird Toys (along with its most prized property, Polly Pocket). That same year, the first American Girl retail store opened for business in Chicago.
In the meantime, Mattel in July 1999 had entered into a global marketing alliance with Bandai Co., Ltd., Japan's largest toy maker and best known at the time for its line of Power Rangers action figures and the Tamagotchi electronic virtual pets.
Mattel purchased The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) in 1999 for $3.5 billion, but sold it the following year at a loss.
Robert A. Eckert was named chairman and CEO in May 2000.
In December 2000, Mattel sued Danish-Norwegian europop band Aqua, claiming their song "Barbie Girl" violated the Barbie trademark and turned Barbie into a sex object, referring to her as a "blonde bimbo"; in a lawsuit which was rejected in two years later.
Mattel agreed to pay off $500 million in Learning Co. debt, and losses from the sale led to a net loss for 2000 of $430.9 million.
Mattel earned the first grant for the Disney Princess doll license in 2000.
Top-selling Fisher-Price items, such as the brand's trademark lines Activity Table, Little People, Rescue Heroes, and See 'N Say, helped Fisher-Price increase sales by 26 percent in 2001.
In November 2002 Mattel agreed to pay $122 million to settle these actions.
During 2002, about half of Mattel's revenues was derived through three main retail customers: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Toys 'R' Us, Inc., and Target Corporation.
By 2002, even though Fisher-Price was still increasing its sales, LeapFrog had gained significant market share by developing electronic learning toys, such as the LeapPad.
In 2002, Mattel closed its last factory in the United States, originally part of the Fisher-Price division, outsourcing production to China, which began a chain of events that led to a lead contamination scandal.
Fisher-Price responded in August 2003 with the launch of the PowerTouch system, through which youngsters could play—and learn—on interactivelearning books.
In September 2003 the $25 million "Play.
Among the successes during this period were the Harry Potter products, a line of products derived from the Nickelodeon hit Sponge Bob Square Pants, and a line of big-eyed talking dolls called Diva Starz. It started in September 2003 and used print ads and television spots.
In 2003 toy brands were also rethinking their entire marketing strategies.
On October 15, 2004, television and radio spots created by Market Vision and Young & Rubicam began appearing across Spanish channels.
Even though the toy industry had been waning for years and Mattel posted a sales decrease in 2004, "Play.
The campaign also won a Silver EFFIE Award in 2005.
The 2005 portion of the campaign coincided with the brand's 75th-anniversary celebration.
The recall included 7.1 million Polly Pocket toys produced before November 2006, 600,000 Barbie and Tanner Playsets, 1 million Doggie Daycare, Shonen Jump's One Piece and thousands of Batman Manga toys due to exposed magnets.
On August 14, 2007, Mattel recalled over 18 million products.
In 2009 Mattel would pay a $2.9 million fine to the Consumer Products Safety Commission for marketing, importing, and selling non-compliant toys.
On June 11, 2010, Mattel launched Monster High, a fashion doll line featuring the teenage children of famous and well-known monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, Cleopatra, Gorgon, Werewolf and The Mummy.
Mattel added a princess-themed Barbie line in 2010.
Mattel agreed to purchase HiT Entertainment sans Sprout from Apax Partners group in October 2011 for $680 million.
Barbie sales began plummeting in 2012, thus removing focus from the Disney Princess line.
On June 11, 2010, Mattel launched Monster High, a fashion doll line featuring the teenage children of famous and well-known monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, Cleopatra, Gorgon, Werewolf and The Mummy. It lead to popularity and cult following success which Mattel translated into two spin-offs, each with a different focus than Monster High; Ever After High in 2013 and Enchantimals 4 years later.
In October 2013, Mattel launched its new in-house film studio, Playground Productions, to handle multi-media production, films, TV shows, web series, live events and games, for Mattel’s brands.
Fortune Magazine named Mattel one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2013, noting only 1,292 positions were full, out of 164,045 job applications during the previous year, as well as more than 1,000 employees had been with the company longer than 15 years.
On February 28, 2014, Mattel acquired Mega Brands.”
Its international dominance was eclipsed when the Danish firm The Lego Group became the world’s highest valued toy manufacturer in 2014.
In January 2015, board member Christopher Sinclair replaced CEO Bryan Stockton, following with 2/3 of senior executives resigning or receiving lay off.
On April 16, 2015, Mattel announced a partnership with invention platform Quirky to crowd-source a number of products.
With these competing lines and an expiration of the brand license at the end of 2015, Disney gave Hasbro a chance to gain the license given their work on Star Wars, which led to a Descendants license.
In January 2016, Mattel acquired Fuhu, makers of Nabi tablets and other technology-driven hardware, in a bankruptcy proceeding for a sum worth $21 million.
On March 30, 2016, Mattel formed a "senior head" division named Mattel Creations to centralize its multi-platform content output.
Mattel released an all-female ticket in 2016.
On November 10, 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hasbro had made a takeover offer for Mattel.
Ynon Kreiz was named company chairman and CEO in April 2018.
On 30 August 2018, Mattel indicated the formation of its global franchise management division to be headed by Janet Hsu as chief franchise management officer.
On 6 September 2018, Mattel announced the launch of a film division, Mattel Films, that will make films/movies based on the company's toy brands.
Mattel reorganized Mattel Creations and renamed it to Mattel Television on 5 February 2019, which would be headed by former Disney Channels Worldwide (now Disney Branded Television) programming executive Adam Bonnett.
Montgomery, Bruce P.; Benbow-Pfalzgraf, Taryn; Salamie, David E. "Mattel, Inc. ." International Directory of Company Histories. . Retrieved June 22, 2022 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/mattel-inc
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| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher-Price | 1930 | $1.1B | 5,000 | - |
| JAKKS Pacific | 1995 | $691.0M | 583 | 7 |
| The Walt Disney Company | 1923 | $91.4B | 223,000 | 1,724 |
| Funko | 1998 | $1.3B | 500 | 32 |
| Hasbro | 1923 | $4.1B | 5,600 | 153 |
| GameStop | 1984 | $3.8B | 17,334 | 1,729 |
| American Greetings | 1906 | $1.7B | 27,500 | 567 |
| Take-Two Interactive Software | 1993 | $5.3B | 6,495 | 53 |
| Toys"R"Us | 1948 | $11.5B | 64,000 | - |
Mattel history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Mattel, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Mattel. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Mattel. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Mattel. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Mattel and its employees or that of Zippia.
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