HEAD/PENN
RACQUET SPORTS TEAMS UP WITH MATTEL
TO BRING BARBIE™ TO THE TENNIS COURTS
 HEAD/Penn
Racquet Sports and Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) announce
the development of a co-branded set of tennis products
for young girls called the HEAD Barbie™ Junior
Series. This new line combines HEAD’s racquet
design expertise with the fashion and appeal of the
Barbie® brand. Designed for girls ages
4 to 9 (or 40- to 55- inches-tall), the new HEAD
Barbie™ Junior Series will be in stores in
time for the 2005 holiday season.
”By
aligning HEAD products with a brand as established and
prestigious as Barbie®, we will gain instant recognition
and credibility among young girls at retail and on the
courts,” said
Greg Mason, Director of Sales & Marketing for HEAD/Penn
Racquet Sports. “With fun, colorful tennis
equipment in their hands, young girls will be inclined
to play longer and more often.”
The
new HEAD Barbie™ Junior Series includes three junior
racquets designed for a variety of heights and ages, a
racquet sack and a pro racquet bag that fits both racquets
and equipment for all a player’s needs. Also available
is the HEAD Barbie™ Junior Pack that includes the
25-inch racquet, pink two-tone pressureless tennis balls
and a water bottle.
 “Barbie® knows
what girls of all ages like and is literally everywhere
a girl is – now on the tennis court as well. It
is a strategic priority for us to partner with authentic
brands outside the traditional toy world – in this
case a leading brand in the sporting goods category. Together,
Barbie® and HEAD have created a powerhouse line of
products that will prove popular with customers,” said
Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Consumer
Products, Mattel, Inc.
HEAD/Penn
Racquet Sports is a division of HEAD NV which owns
such premier sporting goods brands as HEAD (tennis, racquetball,
and squash racquets; alpine skis and boots; snowboards,
bindings and boots; athletic and outdoor footwear; accessories
and apparel), Penn (tennis balls and racquetball balls),
Tyrolia (ski bindings), Mares and Dacor (both scuba diving
equipment).
HEAD,
manufacturer of the new Flexpoint technology, is the #1
selling tennis racquet brand in Europe and #2 worldwide. Penn
is the only tennis ball manufactured in the USA and holds
the status of America’s #1 selling tennis ball and
the World’s #1 selling racquetball. Penn is the official
ball of the ATP Masters Series and other major international
tournaments.
 About
Mattel
Mattel,
Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader
in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family
products, including Barbie®, the most popular fashion
doll ever introduced. The Mattel family is
comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels®,
Matchbox®,
American Girl® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price
brands (www.fisher-price.com), including Little People®,
Rescue Heroes®, Power Wheels® and a wide array
of entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide
headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs
more than 25,000 people in 42 countries and sells products
in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The
Mattel vision is to be the world's premier toy brands --
today and tomorrow.
MATTEL,
BARBIE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned
by Mattel, Inc. © 2005 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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