TORONTO, February 16, 2004 -- When it comes to celebrity toy couples, Ken and Barbie are synonymous with the kind of glamour little girls love.  That’s why it was doubly shocking when their manufacturer Mattel announced that they would soon be single again.

 

Alan Middleton, professor of marketing at York University, is an expert on the toy phenomenon known as Ken and Barbie.

 

According to Mattel, Ken and Barbie have drifted apart. But Middleton can provide the real inside story on why the toy world’s most famous couple has decided to call it quits, and what’s behind Mattel’s new marketing strategy.

 

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

 

Ken Turriff Media Relations York University 416-736-2100, ext. 22086 kturriff@yorku.ca

 

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