That period of time just before and during the launch of the Barbie film feels quite surreal, upon reflection, doesn’t it? There were probably three groups of people – those who were swept up and all invested in the marketing mania, those who knew about it but didn’t care/understand the hype, and those completely oblivious.

For those of us in the marketing/comms industry, the Barbie PR and marketing team were the envy of the industry – because what marketing pro doesn’t dream of having what is essentially an unlimited budget to play with? Mattel reportedly spent 150 million dollars on marketing for the film, which would make sense when you saw some of the marketing stunts – from real-life Barbie dollhouse, limited edition Barbie Xbox to partnerships with food brand, Propercorn and Lush (think pink bath bombs.) It proved to be a worthy investment when Box office figures rolled in and Barbie had topped the list…by far. In fact, it was the first female-directed film to reach the billion mark. A very impressive feat to add to Greta Gerwig’s ever-growing CV.

The devil works hard, but @Barbie’s marketing team is INSANE

Small visual thread of all their awesome work as of late:

— Moshe Isaacian (@MosheIsaacian) June 26, 2023

One podcast commentator I listened to described the mania as happening because the climate right now made many desperate to be part of something light and fun. It was a welcomed distraction for many, a cultural moment even – some might say.

I personally wasn’t entirely swept up in the mania simply because I wouldn’t define Barbie as playing a significant role in my life growing up – yes, I did play with the dolls and watch the films but I wouldn’t say it played a large part in discovering my identity or defining my femininity. However, that was the case for many, so this deep-rooted sentiment combined with tailored and lavish marketing seemed to make a winning combo. I went simply to see what the fuss was about but I personally wasn’t blown away by the film. I guess I could see though what thought went into it so could at least appreciate that side of things. It was a film that had a lot of expectations on its shoulders, trying to appeal to a fairly large audience (age range wise) so it wasn’t going to be perfect or please everyone.

From the sounds of The Journal’s (WSJ’s podcast) on the movie mania (a recommended listen), which features talks with Mattel’s head honchos, this film will likely be the first of many in the Mattel universe  – so be prepared!

*Photo by Sandra Gabriel on Unsplash

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What were your thoughts on the Barbie film and the mania around it? Fan? Superfan? Or indifferent? Share your thoughts and let’s talk 😊