Mattel Creating Celebrity Friends For Ken, Starting With LeBron James

LeBron James was chosen by Mattel to be the first "Kenbassadors," a line of dolls based on celebrity ... More icons that is being launched to celebrate Ken's 65th birthday this year.

Courtesy of Mattel

LeBron James has won NBA championships, Olympic Gold Medals, and been named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Now he has been chosen for a new, first-of-a-kind, honor - Kenbassador.

Mattel is announcing today that James is the first celebrity doll to be released in a new series of collectibles intended to celebrate the 65th birthday of the Ken doll.

The toy manufacturer is planning to produce a number of Kenbassadors - likenesses of male celebrities who, as Mattel describes it "are inspiring and contributing to a better world for all."

Kenbassadors for Ken's Birthday

The Ken doll first was released in 1961, making Ken two years younger than his on-and-off-and-on girlfriend Barbie. While Mattel has always made a big deal out of Barbie's birthdays, Ken's didn't get as much attention. But the Barbie movie phenomenon greatly boosted Ken's popularity, his fashion credentials, and his status as a collectible.

"As we gear up for a year of Ken's 65th there will be a lot of different ways to celebrate Ken and the Barbie brand as a whole," Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls at Mattel, said in an interview.

The blockbuster Barbie movie, and Ryan Gosling's performance as Ken helped boost Ken's image as a ... More style icon. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Mattel isn't saying who the other Kenbassadors will be, or when their dolls will be released, but Berger said the Kenbassador releases could extend beyond Ken's birthday year if they prove to be popular.

"Barbie is a brand that is always listening to its fans, so certainly, if they embrace it they way we think they will, this is something that could go on for awhile," she said.

A doll styled by LeBron

The LeBron doll will sell for $75 and be available in Target stores, and online at Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Mattel Creations starting April 14, following a limited advance drop of the dolls, including some signed by James, on April 12 at the Undefeated sneaker and sportswear store in Los Angeles.

LeBron James said he signed on as a Kenbassador because the doll line promotes positive role models. ... More

LRMR Ventures/Courtesy of Mattel

According to Mattel, James was closely involved in personalizing the doll's outfit and accessories. The doll is dressed in a custom varsity jacket, a LeBron James Family Foundation We are Family t-shirt, and Nike Terminator High sneakers, with accessories including Beats headphones, sunglasses, a fanny pack, a gold watch, and James' "I Promise" wristband. The patches on the varsity jacket represent James' jersey number, his foundation, and his Akron, Ohio hometown.

The LeBron doll has another standout feature - it is one inch taller than the standard Ken doll model, requiring custom, larger packaging.

Berger said she expects the doll to be a hit with both LeBron fans and Barbie collectors.

"There are aspects to of this doll that collectors who might not be as familiar with LeBron are going to want and love, because the detail is there," Berger said. "But I think LeBron fans are absolutely going to love it because it really does pay homage to who he is and his outsize contributions to culture and style and community while bringing a lot of his personality to life in the doll," she said.

What It Takes To Be A Kenbassador

James, in a statement released by Mattel, said he signed on to be a Kenbassador because he believes it is important for children to have positive role models.

"As a young kid, I was fortunate to have role models who not only inspired me but also showed me what's possible through hard work and dedication," James said. "Now, as an adult, I understand how vital it is for young people to have positive figures to look up to."

"That's why partnering with Barbie to release the LeBron James Kenbassadors doll is such an honor," James said. "It's an opportunity to recognize the powerful impact of role models who instill confidence, inspire dreams, and show kids that they, too, can achieve greatness."

A closeup of the Nike Terminator sneakers on the LeBron James Kenbassador doll.

Courtesy of Mattel

For future Kenbassadors, Mattel is looking for role models are aren't just superstars in their fields, but who, like LeBron, are someone who "has had an impact on community, on culture, is a style icon - those are all things that make you a natural fit with the Barbie and Ken brands," Berger said. "What we're really looking for are those people who are contributing to really making a better world for all - that idea of inspiring limitless possibilities."

Convincing someone - even superstars like LeBron James - to become a Kenbassador isn't a hard sell, Berger said.

"I think a call from the Barbie brand is always an honor, if I do say so myself, particularly coming off the heels of the Barbie movie, which really did recontextualize the brand for a whole new generation of fans," she said. "As the number one doll brand in the world, as the most diverse doll line in the world, and with Barbie as a role model, being called from Barbie and being invited to play in her world is something that people see as an honor."