After nine long months, Mattel is out of the toy sales slump and on an upswing, thanks to  Barbie kickstarting a new revenue boom.

The toyco reported US$1.92 billion in net sales for Q3 (July to September), a 9% increase over the same period last year (US$1.75 billion). This was driven by red-hot consumer demand for Barbie products in Mattel’s dolls category, which generated US$884 million in global gross billings (the amount invoiced to retailers) to finish up 27% over last year’s US$697 million. 

“Our results benefited from the success of the Barbie movie, which became a global cultural phenomenon and marked a key milestone for Mattel,” said chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz in a release.

Vehicles also contributed double-digit growth in Q3, primarily driven by Hot Wheels. The segment generated US$518 million in gross billings worldwide (up 18%). 

Every distribution region saw an increase in gross billings this quarter, which Kreiz says positions the company for success ahead of the holiday season. Latin America (up 18% to US$304 million) and APAC (up 14% to US$97 million) made the biggest gains, while North America contributed US$1.17 billion, which is 10% more than in Q3 2022.