Come on Barbie: The Movie's Best Marketing Stunts

It's Barbie's world, and we're just living in it. That’s how it feels ahead of the July 21 release of Greta Gerwig's long-awaited Barbie movie. You wouldn't be alone in noticing that social media, and life in general, has recently been tinted with a hot pink “Barbiecore" hue. That's because Mattel's Barbie marketing team and studio Warner Bros. have been working hard to promote the film with the biggest marketing blitz we've ever seen from the toymaker. At the time of writing, Mattel had initiated more than 100 brand collaborations and merchandising partnerships in the lead-up to the premiere. The moviemaker has also leaned into experiential stunts, traditional media and user-generated content to push fans towards the cinema, from Barbie star Margot Robbie covering Vogue to the doll’s iconic Dreamhouse being listed on Airbnb. Here, we pick the six best marketing activations that have celebrated Barbie's return to the big screen. We are all Barbie Cast your mind back to April, when we didn't know anything about "Ken-ergy." We hadn't seen those neon rollerblades or caught a glimpse of Barbie's Dreamhouse. Then the Barbie team released a selfie generator that let fans insert themselves straight into Barbie Land. The UGC tool meant anyone could star as Barbie, with their own tagline (“This Barbie is a… advertising journalist”). You Think We Live in a Barbie World Now? Just Wait The internet quickly did its thing, meme-fying the template. Gwyneth Paltrow was “Miss Goop” Barbie, who “lost half a day of skiing,” while drag artist Trixie Mattel was the Barbie that “should have been”—the list was endless. Brands from Mercedes to Nando’s joined in too. The generator set the tone for the movie marketing extravaganza, bringing fun and color to Twitter timelines everywhere just when the world needed it most. The Barbie Selfie Generator helped kick off the social media frenzy surrounding the film Stay in Barbie's home Star Margot Robbie made her character’s home aspirational by taking viewers on a tour of the iconic Barbie Dreamhouse for Architectural Digest. Then, through an imaginative partnership with Airbnb, a few lucky fans got a chance to live out their pink fantasies and stay in Barbie’s ranch house themselves. Located in Malibu, Calif., the life-size Dreamhouse included special touches from Ken, such as cowboy accessories, guitars and rollerblades. Guests could try on Barbie’s wardrobe, relax by the pool or learn line dancing on the outdoor disco dance floor. Barbie's real-life Dreamhouse is a pink mansion with panoramic views of the beach in Malibu. Barbie is a jet-setter When Barbie isn’t at home in the Dreamhouse, she’s jet-setting. That’s why the Béis x Barbie luggage collection just makes sense. The travel accessories brand, founded by "Pretty Little Liars" actress Shay Mitchell, has launched a run of suitcases, travel bags and accessories inspired by the movie’s signature pink colorway. A promotional Instagram campaign saw Mitchell assume the role of Barbie in a fantastical setup complete with an array of glittering pink outfits. The range and accompanying campaign are rooted in nostalgia and designed with millennials in mind. Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s global head of Barbie and dolls, told Adweek the partnership has already proved “extremely successful” in terms of sales. The Barbie x Béis luggage collection was designed with millennials in mind Dress like Barbie Fashion brands including Target, Gap and Show Me Your Mumu dropped Barbie-themed clothes, but Forever 21 and Claire’s collections speak to the recent wave of ‘90s nostalgia. The Forever 21 x Barbie collab features 76 pieces, from sunglasses to matching loungewear, cropped T-shirts and halter tank tops. Clarie’s Barbiecore accessories include a velvet bucket hat, a scrunchie and hair clips. It’s a perfect marriage between Barbie and those two retailers, which were popular shopping mall destinations for ‘90s and early ‘00s teens. Forever 21's Barbie collection appeals to teen nostalgia Barbie goes dating Fans have been teased via trailers about what’s really written in the stars for Barbie and Ken in Gerwig’s story. However, we’re certain there will be some romance afoot in Barbie Land, no matter what. Off-screen, dating app Bumble has teamed up with the movie to turn Barbie and Ken into IRL dating coaches. The app is running a new experience where users can get motivation from all the Barbies and Kens featured in the movie (including Robbie’s main Barbie, Ryan Gosling’s Ken, President Barbie played by Issa Rae and Ken No. 2, who is Simu Lu). These characters will make message recommendations as part of Bumble’s “Compliments” feature, allowing users to send a note to someone before matching with them. Through a partnership with dating app Bumble, Barbie characters can help you find love Barbiecore infiltrates lunch Burger King Brazil’s Barbie-themed meal comes with a cheeseburger topped with a smoky pink sauce, a pink vanilla milkshake, “Ken’s potatoes” (fries) and a pink frosted doughnut. The colorful packaging may be enough to prompt many people to open their wallets, though the contents within feel wrong on multiple levels. But if there’s anything McDonald’s purple Grimace Shake taught us, it’s that gross food is made for TikTok virality. Even those who don’t have an appetite for a pink-sauced burger may find it hard to ignore it in their social media feeds. Burger King Brazil's Barbie-themed meal is perfect TikTok fodder

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Come on Barbie: The Movie's Best Marketing Stunts

Mattel has initiated more than 100 brand partnerships for the Barbie movie. Adweek picks our favorites.

Brittaney Kiefer

Rebecca Stewart

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Brittaney Kiefer

Rebecca Stewart