Following the news that Barbie would be a core brand for Mattel throughout this year, Mattel has unveiled further plans for a global marketing campaign.

The new Barbie campaign celebrates the style icon doll and its role in delivering a range of fantasy-to-career outfits for girls to explore. The TV advertising campaign opens the giant pink doors to Barbie’s Dream Closet and is complemented by an augmented-reality online destination, apparel for girls, and new products.

"In Barbie’s world, role-play often leads to real life. Barbie gives girls the opportunity to be anything they want to be from a princess to a president," said Stephanie Cota, SVP, global Barbie marketing at Mattel.

"The new global campaign celebrates the ‘wow’ girls experience when they play with Barbie. After all, the only thing bigger than Barbie’s world is a girl’s imagination."

Debuting at the Lincoln Center, Mattel will unveil a larger-than-life installation of Barbie's ultimate Dream Closet complete with 24-foot tall, jewel encrusted doors leading into a two-story, 9,000 square-foot set with multiple dressing vignettes.

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The New York Fashion Week installation will feature augmented reality technology mirrors, which allow users to literally doll themselves up in Barbie’s outfits from the past five decades. Live models will dress the set adorned in high-luxe looks on loan from the Albright Fashion Library, an exclusive couture library that includes styles from Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Moschino, Chloe, and Burberry.

"February in New York is one of Barbie’s favourite times of the year," added Cota. "Toy Fair and Fashion Week are epic industry events and a true intersection between toys and fashion - what more could a doll want?"

Beginning this month, new ads, directed by Floria Sigismondi, best known for the music videos of such artists as Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera, will air. The spots showcase that same whimsical art direction through Barbie’s pink lens.

The global brand advert will run in countries such as the US, France, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and Germany. Additionally, the Barbie Dream Closet door imagery will be incorporated into both Barbie licensed consumer product and toy TV spots, offering consumers a consistent brand promise across the entire product portfolio.

To tease the new Barbie branded apparel line for girls launching throughout 2012, the ruffled pink skirt, necklace-embellished print tee-shirt and cropped denim jacket worn by the lead girl in the ads will be available for purchase through the brand’s new online destination BarbieWow.com.

BarbieWow.com opens its online doors today as the brand’s first single, global digital destination. The pink portal will transport fans in more than 30 countries inside Barbie’s Dream Closet with unique brand integrations and new media channels of sharing and trending.

The website will offer fashion, accessories and imaginative play, through interactive activities such as a design studio to dress up Barbie and augmented-reality mirrors to dress up themselves using the doll’s favourite fashions.

In partnership with top digital and style destinations Polyvore, Pinterest and Rent the Runway, girls can take inspiration from Barbie to create real-life looks and designs that are all their own. The site also features a section called Behind Pink Doors, where top fashion influencers share stories behind meaningful pieces from their personal closet as an example of the transformative power of fashion.

Girls will have the opportunity to design, inspire and create with new Barbie products that will be introduced throughout the year. Currently available, Barbie Design & Dress Studio allows girls to design fashions for Barbie, and the Barbie I Can Be… Fashion Designer doll celebrates Barbie's newest career as a fashion designer.

In autumn, the Barbie Photo Fashion doll will launch. It not only takes and stores up to 100 high-resolution photos, but can also instantly display these photos on the doll’s tee-shirt for the ultimate in customisation.