Mattel Premieres Its Newest Olympic-Themed Doll

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The hottest thing to hit the
Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games will be Barbie(R) doll!  That's
right!  After winning the gold as an Olympic swimmer in 2000, Barbie doll is
trading in her goggles for ice skates in the XIX Olympiad as Star Skater
Barbie.  And as we all know, behind every great athlete is a great mentor ...
and Star Skater Barbie has the best -- four-time world figure skating champion
Michelle Kwan.  From commercials to online interviews on Barbie.com, Ms. Kwan
will help Barbie doll inspire girls to go for the gold and unveil Mattel's new
Star Skater Barbie doll.
    Ms. Kwan, who is prominently featured on Star Skater Barbie doll's
packaging and will star in the doll's commercials airing in January and
February, was selected as Barbie doll's mentor for her like-minded
inspirational message of success from hard work and dedication.
    "It's my personal philosophy to, 'Work hard, be yourself and have fun'
that really coincides with the Barbie brand message of inspiring girls
everywhere to be whatever they want to be," said Michelle Kwan.
    "Mattel is very excited to introduce young girls to Star Skater Barbie,"
said Anne Parducci, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, girls
division, Mattel.  "Like Michelle Kwan, Star Skater Barbie embodies the
Olympic spirit of healthy competition and camaraderie as she inspires girls to
dream of becoming world class athletes when she heads for the Salt Lake City
2002 Winter Olympic Games."

    Barbie.com Gets the Olympic Spirit
    Twirl - spin - click!  Star Skater Barbie will bring girls clickably close
to the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games with a special section
dedicated to ice skating.  Girls can log on to learn more about ice skating
and Ms. Kwan -- both from biographical profiles and online interviews with the
champion figure skater herself.  Games and activities featured in the "Be A
Star Skater" section include interactive tutorials with skating tips to
creating your own Olympic-winning skating scene.  Barbie.com also has
partnered with iskate.com, allowing girls to get up-to-the-minute Olympic
figure skating scores to keep in toe with their favorite figure skaters.

    The "Opening Ceremonies"
    Ms. Kwan recently brought the spirit of the Olympics to life for many
special children for the official "opening ceremonies" doll launch in
November.  As an official spokesperson for the Children's Miracle Network
(CMN), Michelle led a special ice-skating clinic for twenty-five CMN kids ages
4-14 from the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at the HealthSouth Training
Center in El Segundo.  Laughing, skating and sharing, Ms. Kwan spent the
afternoon with the kids on the ice giving them her own words of inspiration
and encouragement.  And of course, no one left without her own Star Skater
Barbie autographed by Ms. Kwan!
    "We are thrilled to have been chosen by Mattel to participate in this
exciting launch with Michelle Kwan," said Pamela Ludwig, director of major and
planned events, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.  "This event is a way to
really give back to these children by celebrating their health and bring them
closer to the Olympics without even having to leave Los Angeles."

    About Michelle Kwan
    Michelle Kwan's skating brilliance and accomplishments have earned her a
place among the all-time greats of her sport.  In her career, she has won an
unprecedented 37 championships -- including four World Championships, five
National Championships and the 1998 Olympic silver medal.  It is the artistry
and grace of those winning performances that have truly set this 21-year-old
apart from the rest.  She has received 31 perfect 6.0 marks in major
competitions -- the most of any female skater in history.  Michelle's skating
achievements have earned her numerous awards and honors, including being named
Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation (1998); Female
Athlete of the Year in figure skating by the U.S. Olympic Committee
(1996, 1998-2000); a record nine USOC Athlete of the Month awards; and a
five-time winner of U.S. Figure Skating's Figure Skater of the Year, the only
multiple winner of the prestigious award.

    About Star Skater Barbie
    Star Skater Barbie is sure to win the gold at the Salt Lake City 2002
Olympic Winter Games.  She comes ready to skate, wearing a beautiful glittery
skating costume, inspired by the Olympic Winter Games' official colors of
yellow, orange and blue.  Accented by sparkly tights and color-coordinated ice
skates, girls can make her twirl and spin by pulling the strings on the back
of the doll.  A water bottle and gold medal accompany this sporty and stylish
Barbie doll.  Star Skater Barbie doll retails for approximately $14.99 and is
available now in African-American, Caucasian, and Asian versions at retailers
worldwide.

    About Children's Miracle Network and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
    Children's Miracle Network, an international non-profit organization
dedicated to helping children by raising funds and awareness for
170 children's hospitals throughout North America, treats more than 14 million
children afflicted with diseases, injuries and birth defects of every kind.
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), a leader in international pediatric
medicine and research, has been a proud CMN affiliate hospital for twenty
years.

    About Mattel Girls Division
    Since the Barbie(R) doll's creation in 1959 as a paper-doll-inspired
friend, she has firmly established herself as the most popular fashion doll
ever created.  For more than four decades, Mattel has maintained Barbie(R)
doll's popularity by adapting her look, lifestyle and fashions to meet
changing times while evolving her world into an overall lifestyle brand for
girls.  While the Barbie(R) Brand represents Mattel's initial roots in girls'
toys, the Girls Division now dominates the market with several best-selling
brands including American Girlz(TM), Diva Starz(TM) and Polly Pocket!(TM) A
natural extension of the brands to the online world, Mattel's Girls
Interactive Group provides girls of the 21st century a new way to interact
with their favorite playmates through Web sites and licensed Mattel-branded
interactive software and video game titles.  With headquarters in El Segundo,
Calif., Mattel has offices and facilities in 36 countries and markets its
products in more than 150 nations throughout the world.

    Mattel, Barbie, American Girls, Diva Starz, and associated trademarks are
U.S. trademarks of Mattel, Inc.

    Polly Pocket! under license from Origin Products Ltd. and Bluebird
Toys (UK)

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