Sports Illustrated triggered a firestorm of protests yesterday when some mistook an advertising wrap around this week’s edition—which purported to show a Barbie doll as this year’s swimsuit cover model—as the real SI swimsuit issue.
It turns out that the Barbie cover was an ad wrap paid for by Mattel and handed out at the Toy Fair, underway in Manhattan.
Only about 1,000 or so copies were distributed with the cover line “The doll that started it all.”
But social media types mistook it for real.
“She’s got the look, but she’s a plastic doll. Should #Barbie be modeling in the SI swimsuit issue?” asked @roomfordebat.
That real cover was being revealed Thursday night on Jimmy Kimmel on ABC, which secured the deal after the last five years, when the cover was debuted on David Letterman on CBS.