Mattel, Inc. (or simply referred to as Mattel) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January, 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 countries.[3]
Mattel was originally founded in January 1945 by Ruth Handler, Elliot Handler and Harold Matson as "Mattel Creations". The name Mattel is a blend of the names of the "Matt" nickname of Harold Matson and "El" in Elliot Handler, two of the company's founders. The company established itself as a leader in the toy industry and later diversified into diving into media and entertainment.
The company is one of the best-known toy manufacturing companies worldwide. Throughout the company's founding, it has acquired a significant amount of companies and properties. The company has also formed its own divisions such as Mattel Films and Mattel Television and has setup its own theme park, Mattel Adventure Park, which is set to open in 2022.
Matty Mattel was the official mascot of Mattel, Inc. from 1959 until 1970.
History[]
Mattel Films[]
During the existence of Mattel Playground Productions (2013-2016), an in-house studio division meant to create original entertainment, based on brands that the company owned, for various platforms,[4] the company of Mattel struggled as a whole, including a total revenue plunge from $6.5 billion in 2013 to $4.5 billion in 2018 and a profit of more than $900 million in 2013 became a loss of $533 million.[5] In April 2018, Ynon Kreiz, a member of Mattel's board since 2017, became CEO of Mattel, replacing Margo Georgiadis, after the continued weak sales. When becoming the new CEO, one of his initiatives was to revitalize the company included the launch of Mattel Films, a film division of Mattel that would focus on developing and producing motion pictures based on the company's franchises. Prior to joining Mattel, Kreiz had more than two decades of experience in the media and entertainment industries, particularly children’s entertainment.
The films in the division are part of Mattel's strategy of transitioning from a manufacturing company making items, to an IP company that manages franchises.[6]
See: Mattel Films
References[]
- ↑ Mattel, Inc. History
- ↑ Mattel: Number of Employees 2006-2021 | MAT | MacroTrends
- ↑ About Mattel
- ↑ Mattel to Create Original Entertainment Through Playground Productions Banner (EXCLUSIVE)
- ↑ It’s Hollywood Barbie’s Moment (and She’s Bringing Her Friends)
- ↑ Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling will be a ‘cultural event,’ Mattel CEO says