New Barbie ad tackles male stereotypes

  • 25/01/2017

A commercial that aired halfway through an American Football game has gone viral after encouraging fathers to stop watching the game - and play with the dolls alongside their daughters.

The advertisement starts with three men describing themselves in masculine terms - one saying he enjoys "boy things", another referring to himself as "a typical man's man".

One of the men explains that he has always seen Sunday as his day to watch the NFL - but adds that that now "gets interrupted with, uh, a little Barbie time".

The ad goes on to show amusing clips of the trio of fathers playing Barbie alongside their daughters, before delivering its parting message: "Time spent in her imaginary world is an investment in her real world".

The commercial aired during halftime of the NFL playoff game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, which saw the viewership of more than 27 percent of US households with a television.

The campaign has sparked the hashtag #DadsWhoPlayBarbie, with the intention of normalising fathers playing Barbie with their daughters.

Thousands took to Twitter to praise the advert.

See the full advert below.

Newshub.