Ahead of the release of the Warner Bros. Barbie film on July 21, marketers for brands like Bloomingdales and Gap, among others, have used Barbie’s legacy intellectual property as a marketing tool to generate buzz not only for the movie but for their various products. As a result, “Barbiecore” — that pink plastic hue that life has adopted recently — is everywhere from Burger King’s pink burger to Ruggable’s limited edition rug.
The abundance of marketing partnerships might feel like oversaturation to some but marketers believe the the various tie-in product launches and marketing campaigns will be a beneficial return of investment between the Mattel brand and its brand partners.
Even so, in light of the exuberant marketing efforts, some question how well this push will be able to boost movie and product partnership sales along with actual Barbie sales. Others wonder if Barbie is setting a new standard for how Hollywood IP movies establish their marketing partnerships or if Barbie is simply an anomaly.
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