With one of the most anticipated movies of the year set to release, the amount of buzz the Barbie movie is creating in different corners of the world is impressive. Everywhere the team goes they make sure that they leave a hint of pink. 

With the hype of the movie sweeping up both kids and adults, brands too seized the chance to endorse their products with a touch of pink. 

From social media takeovers to product collaborations, Barbie’s marketing campaign game is on point.

Top Barbie marketing stunts pulled by the brands

1. Dreamhouse x Airbnb

To fans’ surprise, Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse is up on Airbnb, allowing 4 lucky guests to stay and experience a day in the life of Barbie for FREE. Yes, you heard it right! 

2. Barbie selfie generator

One of the first Barbie campaigns began with a glitzy filter and became viral on social media. The film capitalized on user-generated content and organic sharing by developing a Barbie selfie generator that allows you to change selfies into Barbie-style visuals with a caption. So many users including celebrities took part in this trend and shared their selfies on social networks.

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3. When fashion icons meet

The Barbie brand has long been synonymous with fashion, style, and imagination. Understanding the assignment, top clothing brand Zara launched a Barbie collection as well. Zara’s collaboration announcement was definitely eye-catching and created a buzz on social media. 

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From clothes to accessories, the brand also didn’t fail to replicate any one of Barbie’s outfits. They also didn’t miss out on projecting some ‘Kenergy’ by launching Ken-spired fittings.

Apart from Zara, clothing brands like Gap, Aldo, and Forever 21 have also adopted the trend.

4. This Barbie has a flashy Xbox console

From drives to sunbathing on the beach, Barbie is now into gaming too using her own Xbox. The Barbie team has tied up with Microsoft and introduced pink on-brand controllers and a set of Xbox-themed dolls. The video game Forza Horizon 5 included Barbie's iconic pink car, which in the movie was a 1956 Chevrolet Corvette EV convertible. You get to spot Ken’s custom designed 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup in the game as well.

5. NYX limited edition 

Products and promotions associated with the Barbie movie usually come with a great deal of urgency and interest. Time-sensitive offers and early access perks can help convince customers to buy your products. NYX also didn’t waste any time releasing a limited edition range of Barbie-inspired cosmetics. 

6. Swirl pink this summer

Among Barbie’s brand tie-ins, Pinkberry, the frozen dessert restaurant franchise that already speaks the color pink came up with a Barbie frozen yogurt flavor. Being the apt choice to promote the movie, the brand took advantage of it. All you have to do is walk into the store and order ‘the Barbie flavor’ where you will get a blend of strawberry and dragon fruit frozen yogurt with a dash of glitter on top in a customized Barbie pink cup.

Other F&B brands like Burger King (with an actual pink sauce in Brazil), Cold Stone Creamery, Whole Foods, and more are in for the game too.

7. Barbie hotel

Turns out the Malibu Dreamhouse wasn’t the only biggest jaw-dropper. The Barbie team transformed an entire floor of a hotel into hot pink – from hotel desks to corridor carpets, every single detail was brought to attention. The cast was even interviewed from the same hotel floor as part of the promotions. 

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8. When London turned pink

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During promotions, when the Barbie team was flown down to London, they didn't forget to turn the streets of London pink. The entire city was Barbie-esque, from iconic black cabs to the London Eye covered in pink.  Fans couldn't also help but notice Barbie's pale-pink convertible from the film parked near the London Eye.

9. Google theme

Last but not least, Google has also hopped on the trend by adding glitter to our search engine. When you type in Barbie and press enter, the results page opens up with lots of pink glitter. It also works when you type in Margot Robbie or Ryan Reynolds. So go try it out before it disappears!

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Barbie movie marketing campaign is a living example of effective moment marketing. Warner Bros. has used various marketing strategies to reach a wide range of audiences and generate buzz for the film. Likewise, the brand campaigns have been a huge success.

The Barbie campaign also shows us that by understanding brand positioning, value, and target audience, any brand can create innovative strategies and effectively implement them. This way, you can establish your brand in the market by capturing attention, building brand loyalty, increasing brand awareness, and creating hype in the audience's minds.

By piggybacking on trends like the Barbie movie, brands can increase recognition and engagement through marketing that incorporates creativity, consistency, and a strategic goal. A creative operations platform like Artwork Flow makes moment marketing across channels much easier through its creative production module that lets you scale creatives across dimensions in seconds. Talk to us today to find out just how the platform meets your specific needs.

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