() is an American multinational toy manufacturing company founded in 1945 with headquarters in El Segundo, California.
Ynon Kreiz is now the new CEO of Mattel. The name Mattel is a blend of the names of Harold "Matt" Matson and Elliot Handler, two of the company's founders. ==History== Harold "Matt" Matson and Elliot Handler founded Mattel in 1945.
In 1947, the company had its first hit toy, a ukulele called "Uke-A-Doodle". The company incorporated the next year in California.
Mattel became the first year-round sponsor of the Mickey Mouse Club TV series in 1955.
The Barbie doll debuted in 1959, becoming the company's best-selling toy in history.
In 1960, Mattel introduced Chatty Cathy, a talking doll revolutionizing the toy industry, which led to pull-string talking dolls and toys flooding the market throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The company went public in 1960, and the New York Stock Exchange listed them in 1963.
Mattel also acquired a number of companies during the 1960s (see table).
In 1960, Mattel introduced Chatty Cathy, a talking doll revolutionizing the toy industry, which led to pull-string talking dolls and toys flooding the market throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The company went public in 1960, and the New York Stock Exchange listed them in 1963.
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.
They released Hot Wheels to the market on May 18, 1968.
In 1960, Mattel introduced Chatty Cathy, a talking doll revolutionizing the toy industry, which led to pull-string talking dolls and toys flooding the market throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The company went public in 1960, and the New York Stock Exchange listed them in 1963.
In May 1970, Mattel formed a joint venture film production company Radnitz/Mattel Productions with producer Robert B.
The division is head by executive producer Adam Bonnet, it was formally known as HIT Entertainment and the American Girl content creation team in Middleton, Wisconsin. ===Background=== In May 1970, Mattel teamed up with producer Robert B.
and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1971 for $40 million from the Feld family, whom Mattel kept as management.
Mattel sold the circus corporation by December 1973, despite its profit contributions, as Mattel showed a $29.9 million loss in 1972. 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. ===Post Handlers=== Arthur S.
Mattel sold the circus corporation by December 1973, despite its profit contributions, as Mattel showed a $29.9 million loss in 1972. 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. ===Post Handlers=== Arthur S.
Mattel sold the circus corporation by December 1973, despite its profit contributions, as Mattel showed a $29.9 million loss in 1972. 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. ===Post Handlers=== Arthur S.
Spear, a Mattel vice president, took control of the company in 1975, who returned the company to profitability in 1977.
Spear, a Mattel vice president, took control of the company in 1975, who returned the company to profitability in 1977.
Ruth Handler sold her stock to three investors in 1980. The Mattel Electronics line debuted in 1977 with an all-electronic handheld game.
Mattel Electronics forced Mattel to take a $394 million loss in 1983 and almost filed for bankruptcy. In 1979, through Feld Productions, Mattel purchased the Holiday on Ice and Ice Follies for $12 million.
In the early 1980s, Mattel produced video game systems, under its own brands and under license from Nintendo.
Ruth Handler sold her stock to three investors in 1980. The Mattel Electronics line debuted in 1977 with an all-electronic handheld game.
Masters of the Universe had a cartoon series back in the 1980s followed by a live action film in 1987. Mattel agreed to purchase HIT Entertainment sans Sprout from Apax Partners group in October 2011 for $680 million.
The success of the handheld led to the expansion of the line with game console then the line becoming its own corporation in 1982.
The Felds bought the circus (and related companies) in 1982 for $22.8 million. New York venture capital firms E.M.
Mattel Electronics forced Mattel to take a $394 million loss in 1983 and almost filed for bankruptcy. In 1979, through Feld Productions, Mattel purchased the Holiday on Ice and Ice Follies for $12 million.
Warburg, Pincus & Co., and Drexel Burnham Lambert invested a couple hundred million in Mattel in 1984 to help the company survive.
However, the Master of the Universe action figure line sales dropped, causing a $115 million loss in 1987.
Amerman improved the company's financial performance in 1987 by focusing on core brands.
Masters of the Universe had a cartoon series back in the 1980s followed by a live action film in 1987. Mattel agreed to purchase HIT Entertainment sans Sprout from Apax Partners group in October 2011 for $680 million.
Mattel returned to working with the Disney company in 1988.
In 1991, Mattel moved its headquarters from Hawthorne, California to El Segundo, California. Mattel entered the game business in 1992 with the purchase of International Games, maker of Uno and Skip-Bo.
In 1991, Mattel moved its headquarters from Hawthorne, California to El Segundo, California. Mattel entered the game business in 1992 with the purchase of International Games, maker of Uno and Skip-Bo.
in 1993, Tyco Toys, Inc.
(owners of the Matchbox and Dinky Toys brands) in 1997, and Pleasant Company (maker of the American Girl brand) in 1998.
(owners of the Matchbox and Dinky Toys brands) in 1997, and Pleasant Company (maker of the American Girl brand) in 1998.
Mattel purchased The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) in 1999 for $3.5 billion, but sold it in 2000 at a loss.
Mattel purchased The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) in 1999 for $3.5 billion, but sold it in 2000 at a loss.
The company had a $430.9 million net loss that year. Mattel earned the first grant for Disney Princess doll licenses in 2000.
In December 2000, Mattel sued the band Aqua, saying their song "Barbie Girl" violated the Barbie trademark and turned Barbie into a sex object, referring to her as a "blonde bimbo." The lawsuit was rejected in 2002. In 2000, Mattel signed a deal with Warner Bros to become the master licensee for Harry Potter-branded toys.
In December 2000, Mattel sued the band Aqua, saying their song "Barbie Girl" violated the Barbie trademark and turned Barbie into a sex object, referring to her as a "blonde bimbo." The lawsuit was rejected in 2002. In 2000, Mattel signed a deal with Warner Bros to become the master licensee for Harry Potter-branded toys.
In 2002, the companies extended their partnership, with Mattel becoming master licensee for Batman, Superman, Justice League and the Looney Tunes toys for all markets except Asia. 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.
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.
Mattel re-wrote its policy on magnets, finally issuing a recall in August 2007.
In 2009, Mattel would pay a $2.9 million fine to the Consumer Products Safety Commission for marketing, importing, and selling non-compliant toys.
Mattel was noted for its crisis response by several publications, including PRWeek, the Los Angeles Times, Fortune and Business Management. In early 2010, HIT Entertainment licensed Thomas & Friends to Mattel for toys.
On April 16, 2015, Mattel announced a partnership with invention platform Quirky to crowd-source a number of products. Mattel added a princess-themed Barbie line in 2010, and the fair and fantasy store-based Ever After High line in 2013.
Monster High followed Barbie in 2010.
Mattel agreed to purchase HiT Entertainment from Apax Partners group in October 2011 for $680 million, its share of PBS Kids Sprout was not included.
Masters of the Universe had a cartoon series back in the 1980s followed by a live action film in 1987. Mattel agreed to purchase HIT Entertainment sans Sprout from Apax Partners group in October 2011 for $680 million.
The purchase was completed on February 1, 2012, and HIT Entertainment became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, managed under its Fisher-Price unit.
Barbie sales began plummeting in 2012, thus removing focus from the Disney Princess line.
In October 2013, Mattel launched its new in-house film studio, Playground Productions. 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.
On April 16, 2015, Mattel announced a partnership with invention platform Quirky to crowd-source a number of products. Mattel added a princess-themed Barbie line in 2010, and the fair and fantasy store-based Ever After High line in 2013.
In October 2013, Mattel launched its new in-house film studio, Playground Productions. 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.
Disney Consumer Products also made an attempt to evolve the brand from "damsels" to "heroines." In September 2014, Disney announced Hasbro would be the licensed doll maker for the Disney Princess line starting on January 1, 2016. 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. Mattel added a princess-themed Barbie line in 2010, and the fair and fantasy store-based Ever After High line in 2013.
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.
Disney Consumer Products also made an attempt to evolve the brand from "damsels" to "heroines." In September 2014, Disney announced Hasbro would be the licensed doll maker for the Disney Princess line starting on January 1, 2016. In January 2015, board member Christopher Sinclair replaced CEO Bryan Stockton, following with 2/3 of senior executives resigning or receiving lay off.
Disney Consumer Products also made an attempt to evolve the brand from "damsels" to "heroines." In September 2014, Disney announced Hasbro would be the licensed doll maker for the Disney Princess line starting on January 1, 2016. In January 2015, board member Christopher Sinclair replaced CEO Bryan Stockton, following with 2/3 of senior executives resigning or receiving lay off.
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.
Mattel rebranded and renamed HIT Entertainment to Mattel Creations (later, Mattel Television) to produce a larger amount of productions for Mattel, the American Girl was absorbed into Mattel Creations in March 2016, Playground Productions’ former operations switched over to Mattel Creations as well .
In July 2016, NBCUniversal announced Mattel acquired the license to produce toys based on the Jurassic Park franchise after Hasbro's rights expire in 2017. On November 10, 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hasbro had made a takeover offer for Mattel.
Many “American Girl” films were made. ===History=== ====Mattel Creations==== Mattel Creations was formed in March 2016 to bring all three of Mattel's content production units, it brought HiT to rebrand to Mattel Creations, the American Girl creative team in Middleton, Wisconsin was also included.
On January 17, 2017, Mattel named former Google executive Margo Georgiadis as CEO.
In July 2016, NBCUniversal announced Mattel acquired the license to produce toys based on the Jurassic Park franchise after Hasbro's rights expire in 2017. On November 10, 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hasbro had made a takeover offer for Mattel.
On November 15, 2017, Reuters reported that Mattel rejected the offer. Mattel formed with Chinese internet technology and video game company NetEase in January 2018 a joint venture, Mattel163, a mobile publishing and development studio.
9 Story deal was directly with HiT for 2017 revivals of Barney & Friends and Angelina Ballerina, there was originally reboots of both announced but the plans were scrapped. Mattel Creations and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content Group had agreed to an exclusive worldwide SVOD rights agreement for the Barbie movie library.
Georgiadis stepped down as CEO of Mattel on April 19, 2018.
Her last day was on April 26, 2018.
On November 15, 2017, Reuters reported that Mattel rejected the offer. Mattel formed with Chinese internet technology and video game company NetEase in January 2018 a joint venture, Mattel163, a mobile publishing and development studio.
The company announced on December 24, 2018 that they lost the DC Comics boy toy license to Spin Master starting in the spring of 2020.
With the news, company share reached an 18-year low at $9.25 a share. Ynon Kreiz was named company Chairman and CEO in April 2018.
In June 2018, the company laid off 2,200 employees partially due to Toys R Us' liquidation.
On September 6, 2018, Mattel announced the launch of a film division, Mattel Films, that will make movies based on the company's toy brands.
On August 31, 2018, Mattel indicated the formation of its global franchise management division head by Janet Hsu as chief franchise management officer.
Hsu was previously Saban Brands CEO, where Frederic Soulie last worked before being appointed as senior vice president of content distribution and business development in the franchise division in late September 2018.
In 2019, it ranked #575 on the Fortune 500 list.
Mattel reorganized Mattel Television in early February 2019. Arts Music arranged to become the distributor of Mattel's music catalog in May 2020.
On February 15, 2019, Mattel TV announced a slate of 22 animated and live-action TV programs.
The company announced on December 24, 2018 that they lost the DC Comics boy toy license to Spin Master starting in the spring of 2020.
Mattel reorganized Mattel Television in early February 2019. Arts Music arranged to become the distributor of Mattel's music catalog in May 2020.
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