I’m a Barbie girl, in the Marketing world

Come on, Barbie, let’s go party…

Everything is so Barbie central right now and we’re here for it, maybe not in her plastic world, but certainly her marketing world.

The new Barbie movie is coming to our screens on July 21st and her marketing team have certainly got the ball rolling with the build up. So, what makes Barbie so relevant even in today’s day and age?

Consistency, adaptability, and accountability.

Barbie made her big debut in 1959 at the New York International Toy Fair as Barbie Teenage Fashion Model, with many toy buyers sceptical as she didn’t appear like any other children’s toys and dolls.

Move to 2023, and Barbie has remained a huge success where the doll continues to be the subject for cultural, sociological and psychological interest amongst many.

With the new Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig coming out soon, what has this taught us about successful marketing tips that we could use?

Nostalgia

What is going to make people resonate with your brand?

Maintaining a loyal identity for brands marketing themselves in front of today’s consumers can be tricky, and sometimes even unsuccessful.

If you had a vast collection of Barbie dolls (I know I did), you’ll know what the instant ‘throw back’ feeling is when you see something you once had as a child.

The clever thing that Mattel has done is create stories that can resonate with Barbie fans. Welcome the characters, Ken, Skipper and Midge, all who formed relationships with Barbie herself, through being a boyfriend, sister and best friend. Not only can you create new stories with the introduction of new characters, but Mattel even declared that Ken and Barbie had actually ‘broken up’ and then got back together.

This amusement (and relatability!) for Barbie’s fanbase makes stories come to life. It gets people involved. Through sharing on social media, users can create new stories, much like their imagination did as a child.

Imagination, life is your creation.

This type of nostalgia for toy owners generates trust and confident attitudes towards brands such as Barbie, which in turn influences consumer preferences when it comes to choosing toys for their children.

Barbie’s Playful UGC Content

Now, moving onto what the most exciting thing of 2023 so far… yes the new Barbie film. Alongside the release of the trailer, the next day Barbie’s marketing team released a selfie filter where mobile users could insert their face to an AI-generator which turns them into a Barbie character.

The outcome of this playful interaction is that these images are shareable! This has put meme culture in overdrive as people can’t stop capturing and sharing these AI-generated selfie images.

Interaction is key to any brand, and this is what consumers love. When they can get involved, the relationship between your brand and consumer is strengthened. By adding fun elements into the mix, it can generate conversations and through word of mouth, your brand is out there.

A key thing to note is sustaining that interaction which will maintain your relationship. Longevity should be on your list.

Playful and interactive user generated content can drive nostalgia too, helping everything work in harmony.

Anticipation

Building up a storm before the big launch, social media teasers and short insights…

It’s common knowledge that trailers for films are one of the most useful advertisement tools out there. It’s a teaser, a sneak peak about what is up and coming.

Promotional mobile trailer advertising for your brand is an easy way of effectively reaching a high number and a variety of people in an extremely short amount of time. Social media trailers can often be more successful as unlike television advertising, viewers cannot change the channel, therefore your brand message is being looked at for longer.

Circulation about Barbie’s life in plastic began last summer. Conversations had started before we’d seen anything! Facing criticism, when the time came for the trailer release; Barbie’s life in plastic, it’s fantastic!

Social media went crazy when Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling came to our screens for all but one minute and forty five seconds. The real ‘Dream House’ was brought to life, everything from Barbie’s waterslide (that any child begged to have as part of their Barbie play set), the car, the perfect Barbie legs and the clothes… all that PINK!

This is what is bringing people’s childhoods to life. Barbie is a timeless brand, and the reason it’s still successful is because they are considering their relevance in today’s world. We’ll never get sick of Barbie and her trends because we’re all Barbie girls, in the Barbie world.