MAM
Mattel, Cartoon Network cement Barbie relationship
MUMBAI: CGI animation, magic, ballet. These are the ingredients of Mattel Entertainment’s new film Barbie of Swan Lake. The film airs on Cartoon Network on 5 October at 12 pm and 8 pm. It has been dubbed in Hindi.
This is the third film in which the doll positioned as every girl’s best friend stars. Tchaikovsky’s classic music is there in full glory in this modern reworking of the 19th century German fairytale. Barbie plays Odetta a girl trapped in an enchanting forest who learns about friendship, courage. The basic message is that with enough self-confidence everyone has the power to change the world. There is the handsome prince played by the Ken doll and the villain memorably voiced by Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer. Funny moments come courtesy a variety of animals like Carlita the Skunk and Ivan the Porcupine. The film was created by Mainframe Entertainment and the music is played by the London Symphony Orchestra.
At a special preview of the film this afternoon Mattel Toys India’s VP marketing Nanette D’sa said, “There were two previous movies before this – Barbie in The Nutcracker and Barbie as Rapunzel. The Nutcracker film we only released on VCD and DVD. Last year we aired Rapunzel on Cartoon Network. It emphasised the art of creative expression through drawing and painting. Barbie Rapunzel dolls flew off the shelves. The film was released in 59 markets across the world and translated into 35 languages.
“This time around the theme is visual arts and self-expression. The themes of all the Barbie films are very universal which any girl can easily relate with. Our new Barbie range allows girls at home to bring the film to life. The new range has been designed in such a manner that every character of the Swan Lake movie is brought to life. We are capitalising on the fact
that girls love make believe and transformation themes.”
While Mattel and Nickelodeon have a strong relationship in the US and UK the company chose Cartoon Network as the channel partner because of its reach. “We decide on the partner country by country. Cartoon Network is a premium channel and not just a local channel. It reaches 22 million homes. The latest content is always present. Barbie is not just another doll. It is a world where girls have the opportunity to explore passion, friendship, fun and fantasy. All
of this is reflected in the film.
“While the film is the main focus in our attempt to further increase the immense popularity of the doll in India we will also be having increased in-store visibility in around 2500-3000 retail outlets across the country. In those stores patrons will get details of a contest Be A Princess. The written contest will culminate in ‘Meet The Princess’. One girl will be dressed in Barbie clothes and of course there will be
plenty of Mattel giveaways.
“The contest is related to the theme of Swan Lake so that the child will learn and automatically respond. There will be an element of luck here. They have to write on something special they have done in life that could be compared to what Barbie does in the movie. We will also be airing television commercials promoting the Barbie range. The marketing campaign will run from October to December.”
Mattel Toys India brand manager Chhavi Topa added, “The Barbie is always trying to help the child grow in some way. For instance one area of growth is understanding social activities. So a child can change the dolls dress and arrange the way she looks. In this way these skills are honed by the child as she grows up. The dolls role-play is to make the child
understand what it means to be grown up and responsible. We will however not be using Barbie in a storyline of any of Cartoon Network’s shows. She will always appear through advertising or the cinema. She has an aura and a personality and one cannot see her as a cartoon figure.”
Elaborating on the new collection D’sa said, “There are seven different types of items. The highlight is the Swan Lake Playset. It recreates the forest setting so that girls can play out the romantic dinner scene from the film. There is a tree slide pond, tree trunk tables with chairs and eating accessories for Princess Barbie and her animal friends. There is also Barbie as Oldetta. She is dressed in an elegant swan inspired gown. This continues from last year when girls were
fascinated by Barbies long hair as Rapunzel. Ken who plays the prince in the film sports the same regal outfit.”
Buying family medical insurance online in India has become a common option for individuals who want to secure health coverage for multiple family members under a single policy. However, many buyers are unsure about the exact steps involved in selecting and purchasing the right plan online.
In this guide, you will know the step-by-step process of buying family medical insurance online in India, along with the key factors to review before purchasing a suitable policy.
Step 1: Assess Your Family’s Healthcare Needs
Before buying online health insurance, check the healthcare needs of all family members. Check age, existing illnesses, regular medicines, and the likely need for hospital care later. This helps in selecting a suitable sum insured, policy type, and level of cover. It also reduces the chance of buying a plan that appears suitable but does not meet actual medical needs.
Step 2: Visit the Insurance Company’s Official Website
After understanding the family’s needs, visit the insurer’s official website and read the plan details carefully. Use the official platform to review eligibility, policy wording, waiting periods, cover details, exclusions, and renewal terms.
This step gives a clearer understanding of how the policy works before payment is made. It also helps avoid confusion caused by incomplete summaries on other pages.
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A family medical insurance policy should be compared on factors beyond the premium. Review the sum insured, hospital network, room rent limits, pre- and post-hospitalisation cover, daycare treatment coverage, and waiting periods. It is also important to check treatment sub-limits and specific policy conditions.
Careful comparison helps determine whether a plan provides balanced coverage and whether its terms are suitable for the healthcare needs of the entire family.
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Once the options have been compared, select the policy that best fits the family’s medical needs and budget. Before starting the application, review the covered members, policy term, benefits, and main conditions again. This is an important stage because errors here can lead to the wrong cover amount, an unsuitable variant, or missing details that create problems during policy use.
Step 5: Calculate the Premium Using an Online Calculator
Use the online premium calculator before making the final choice. Enter the correct details, including age, city, number of insured members, and selected cover amount. The result helps in understanding the expected premium and whether the policy fits the annual budget. This step is useful because it allows cost and coverage to be reviewed together, instead of choosing a plan only because the premium looks lower.
Step 6: Fill in Personal and Medical Details
When filling in the proposal form, provide accurate details for each insured member. This includes name, date of birth, contact details, medical history, ongoing treatment, and previous insurance information if required.
Every answer should be complete and truthful. Incorrect or missing details can create difficulty later. Before you submit the form, read every section again and correct any mistakes.
Step 7: Make Payment Through the Secure Payment Gateway
After checking the form, go to the payment page and complete the transaction through the secure payment gateway. Review the premium, policy term, and entered details once more before confirming payment.
After the transaction is completed, save the receipt, reference number, or confirmation message carefully. Keeping this record is useful if you need to track the purchase or follow up on policy issuance later.
Step 8: Download and Keep Your Policy Document Safely
Once the policy is issued, download the policy document, schedule, and any related papers without delay. Read them carefully to confirm member names, policy period, sum insured, and major terms. Save a digital copy in a secure folder and keep a printed copy if needed. Proper record keeping makes future renewals, document checks, and policy servicing easier and more organised when information is required quickly.
Conclusion
Buying health cover online becomes easier when you handle each step with attention. From checking your family’s needs to reading the final document, every stage helps you make an informed choice. A careful approach can reduce mistakes, improve your understanding of policy terms, and help you choose coverage that matches your household’s medical needs, financial capacity, and long-term healthcare planning in a reliable way for your family over the long term.
