Be Like Barbie: Everything Barbie’s Marketing Did Right (And Why You Should Start Doing The Same)
Unless you were living under a rock for the past year, you for sure have witnessed the global movement that the Barbie film unleashed last 2023. There is no denying that the box office hit swept headlines and was the talk of the internet with its creative and close-to-heart promos, as well as its big brand partnerships.
Through its out-of-the-box marketing tactics, the film managed to attract a wide variety of audiences, exceeding expectations:
Leveraging on Pink
One of the key strengths the film’s marketing was able to do was its ability to leverage Barbie's brand recognition and nostalgia. Through incorporating key features from the Barbie toy sets and dolls, the film managed to create unique partnerships with big brand names such as the Barbie Dream House Airbnb (hosted by Ken) which replicated the iconic Malibu Dream House, and the Barbie Zara Collection which had contemporary pieces inspired by Barbie’s outfits in the film as well as outfits from previous dolls Mattel released.
Media Domination
What’s shocking about the Barbie film is actually how little we knew about the storyline up until the film was released. Through targeted press releases and interviews, the film’s PR team highlighted its star-studded cast and diverse themes, all while keeping the film’s synopsis a complete mystery. This in turn had more people discussing the film online once Barbie was actually premiering.
Furthermore, Barbie’s PR campaign was also driven by the Barbenheimer cross-promotion. With Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer releasing on the same day as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, multiple memes were created by online communities, driving the release of both films as an unmissable summer event, hence, “Barbenheimer”.
With that, there is no denying that Barbie was everywhere in 2023. Through strategic PR tactics, the Barbie film received extensive coverage across print, broadcast, and online platforms, solidifying its status as one of the most talked-about cinematic releases of the year.
Building an Online Barbie Community
An important component in social media marketing is to engage with your audience and build community. With the film’s character posters becoming a viral hit on social media, the film released their official selfie generator wherein audiences could upload their own photos to transform themselves into a Barbie character and create their own character poster! Other brands have also jumped in at the opportunity to create their own Barbie character posters such as HBO and Mercedes which added to the virality of the campaign.
Why You Should Be Like Barbie
By embracing a holistic approach that combined traditional methods with innovative digital strategies, Barbie’s campaign has exceeded expectations and set a new standard for film promotions. Through following in the film's footsteps and adopting its innovative strategies, others can achieve similar levels of success, cementing their project as a must-see feature.
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