Our Barbie campaign has struck a cord with many people and when you realise how ridiculous it is that rainforest timber ends up in disposable toy packaging, it's not surprising. It's also not surprising that it's having an effect on the ultimate end users of Mattel's products – kids. That is, if the amazing efforts of pupils at Malpas Alport School in Cheshire are anything to go by.
The children in class three have been busy writing letters to Ken, saying how upset they are about the news that Barbie is destroying rainforests. Their letter-writing campaign was instigated when their teacher, Natalie Pam, read out a news article about our campaign and reading between the lines, the children think Ken has made the right move in dumping Barbie.
They've also designed some fantastic campaign posters and penned some letters to Mattel, and all of their creations have been collected into a bound volume decorated with rainforest pictures and colourful animal stickers - see some of this marvellous work in the slideshow above. It arrived in the post late last week and it's been passed around the office, accompanied by exclamations and sighs of amazement.
We'll send on the book to Mattel's executives so they know what their target audience thinks about companies that don't sort out their deforestation problems. Lego have managed to come up with a plan, so where's Mattel's? You might want to give Mattel a phone call and ask.
In the meantime, here are some of my favourite comments from class three which I think say it all:
"I am VERY, VERY frustrated about the news that has floated around about Barbie destroying the Indonesian rainforest. My class has been learning about the rainforest and I really want to help."
"I am very UPSET about the news. I've heard about Barbie destroying Indonesian rainforests. I feel my heart is broken. I think Mattel should replant the trees in the rainforest, and grow their own trees and chop them down."
"Ken, you will be interested to know that you shouldn't trust Barbie. I believe that Barbie is destroying animals and tribe homes."
"I am going to start telling my friends and family to not buy Barbies because I am very concerned about the animals' health in the rainforest."
