Doll:Darci

The Kenner toy company positioned its Darci Cover Girl doll in 1978 to compete with the phenomenally popular Barbie doll. Like Barbie, Darci was a fashion model, and like Barbie, Darci had a variety of outfits and accessories. But unlike her well-established rival, Darci was poseable, enhancing the play with the doll. Also, Darci's proportions were somewhat more realistic than Barbie's, and that and Darci's 12.5-inch height made it impossible for the doll to share her clothes with Mattel's runaway (and runway) best seller. Darci's uniqueness did not make her a success. Though mothers may have preferred that their daughters play with Darci and her realistically shaped body, she lasted on the market for just two years before Barbie's continued success made Darci a financial failure.