The theatrical release of the Barbie movie provided a huge opportunity to reinvigorate the Barbie brand in light of its prominence in the cultural zeitgeist, capturing the hearts of old fans and introducing new ones. Our objective across Barbie’s social channels was to amplify movie buzz and bridge that noise to the brand at large stoking fan love and affinity, inciting them to see the movie and prompting deeper engagement with the brand to buy into the full Barbie franchise – from movie-inspired dolls to consumer products and beyond.
Leveraging the Barbie brand’s position as a unifying cultural touchstone, the social marketing campaign incorporated a multifaceted approach: Capitalize on movie buzz through content collaborations with movie partners, while producing owned content engineered to entertain and relate to GenZ and millennial audiences - ultimately reminding them why Barbie is the force that inspired the movie. We did this through adult-targeted, narrative-led short custom videos featuring core Barbie characters – Barbie Malibu Roberts, Barbie Brooklyn Roberts, and of course – Ken! We also produced content featuring movie-inspired dolls, building on trailers, movie themes, scene recreations, and soundtrack releases.
With all eyes on Barbie, our social channels served as a hub for insider access, granting fans a look behind-the-scenes at the biggest events of the year including cast interviews and photos. Through social, fans got to experience the global world premier tour launching in Syndney, and with stops in Los Angeles, London, Paris, and New York. Fans also got to join and share halo brand experiences timed to the movie premier including World of Barbie and Malibu Cafe. From broadcast events like the HGTV Dreamhouse competition show, to local events like the West Hollywood Pride Parade, Barbie fans on social had all access.
2023 was the year of Barbie, and the proof is in the results: movie-inspired social content generated 179MM organic impressions, 17.6MM organic engagements, and overwhelming positive sentiment. The cross-functional and cross-partner efforts helped Barbie the Movie become an international blockbuster with over a billion-dollar revenue and a surge of merchandise sales. The Barbie owned social media following rose by over 3 million in 2023, and the hashtag #BarbietheMovie accumulated an impressive 4.6 billion views. By capitalizing on the brands relevance in pop culture and we broadened our reach across generations, produced record-breaking sales, and demonstrated the timelessness of Barbie.
