With the highly anticipated Barbie the Movie set for Summer 2023, Mattel created the most omnipresent, viral, giant blowout party and marketing campaign that had audiences–spanning generations–clamoring for more. Each Barbie event and activation heightened the excitement leading up to the premiere.

To ignite the brand’s global fanbase and attract new audiences, the integrated campaign activations needed to be as dynamic and meaningful as the movie itself. Everyone–all ages, genders, Barbie fan or not were invited to join in the celebrations. The campaign’s inclusion and ongoing engagement gave fans ownership of the moment– reclaiming pink for themselves as a reflection of their own pride, dreams, and boundless optimism.

With unparalleled buzz, product sales, brand affinity, and expanded audiences, the campaign helped to ensure the success of Barbie the movie and the success of the brand to capture imaginations for generations to come.

With the brand’s existing platform, we utilized the moment to reconnect with fans who at some time, felt disconnected from Barbie. We created the most omnipresent, viral marketing campaign to invite them to be part of the conversation, and give them reasons to believe: empowerment, inclusivity, and a celebration of girlhood. Tapping into nostalgia and joy of play in all its candy-colored hues, fans were able to own the moment, reclaim pink, and express themselves through the brand.

We maximized reach in every sector–each partnership and activation welcomed audiences of all ages to Barbie Land. From Melbourne to New York, the streets became a sea of the pink fandom. Billboards, buildings, cars, storefronts, and more were all wrapped in the iconic color creating a once-in-a-generation anticipation and global groundswell.

The Year of Barbie Told Through the Stories of Billions of Fans

The key to growing the Barbie brand is growing fandom among not only little girls who engage in Barbie play, but also their caregivers to ignite fandom that spans generations. We have a big mission: To show the world that when kids (or adults!) pick up a Barbie, they can envision limitless possibilities.

We had to make the Barbie brand omnipresent. If you went to shop for luggage, shoes or 1,900 other products last summer, there was a good chance you came across Barbie co-branded products. If you traveled to the biggest cities in the world, you saw a Barbie event or experience. If you used social media, you encountered Barbie influencers. You just could not miss Barbie. Each opportunity was another moment to expand the fandom and invite people into the conversation.

Starting as soon as the calendar flipped to 2023, The Year of Barbie kicked off.

Barbie painted the world pink including flash mobs in the streets of Sao Paulo, a Barbie Land Bondi Beach takeover, and @BarbieStyle giving fans access to global film premieres and events. Traveling fan experiences including a life-sized Malibu Barbie Café and other World of Barbie events created immersive experiences across North America. Even Roku city featured the DreamHouse™ in a first-of-its-kind, paid-media activation.

Top-selling dolls, including the Margot Perfect Day Barbie and Weird Barbie launched directly on Mattel’s e-commerce platform and early fan reactions spurred the “I am Kenough” apparel collection immediately after the movie’s release.

Consumer Products amassed over 160 top-tier film partners creating 1,900 Barbie-related products including NYX Cosmetics, Crocs, and Funboy. The windows at Bloomingdales, Selfridges, Myer, were inundated with pink and we brought the DreamHouse to life at Zara.

The Year of Barbie turned the world pink, driving excitement for the film and converting passive Barbie fans into passionate brand advocates.

• “Barbie” was the second most searched term on Amazon, Barbie POS toy growth +37% YoY with Target and Walmart also increasing +87% and +32% YoY, respectively.

• Top-selling dolls, including Margot Perfect Day Barbie and Weird Barbie, set a record for Mattel’s e-commerce platform, and an “I Am Kenough” collection drove site traffic to a new high attracting more than 200K new consumers.

• By directly targeting adults and moms, we were able to see significant gains in Brand Appeal (+6%), Purchase Intent (+6%), and found that 79% agreed Barbie is a brand that encourages young girls to become leaders (+5 ppt. from unexposed).

• Organic impressions gained $7MM in media value, 23MM social engagements, and boosted followers across platforms by more than 3MM, +15% YoY growth.