Since its inception in 1959, Mattel’s Barbie fashion doll has transcended boundaries to etch its name in cultural history, captivating hearts in America and beyond. As a symbol of style, aspiration, and empowerment, Barbie’s impact has been nothing short of extraordinary, propelling Mattel to the forefront of the global toy industry.
From the enchanting corners of America to every corner of the globe, Barbie’s allure knows no bounds. Her magnetic appeal has garnered admiration and love from diverse cultures, resonating with children and collectors alike, making her a beloved figure in households across continents. As she graces toy shelves, inspiring dreams and sparking creativity, Barbie’s influence echoes loudly within the walls of Mattel, guiding the company’s remarkable journey to prosperity.
While Barbie’s influence stretches far and wide, a significant proportion of Mattel’s sales originate closer to home, with America and Canada serving as prominent pillars of revenue. A glance at the gross sales of Mattel reveals that over half of the company’s earnings are generated within the flourishing markets of North America.
The extension of the brand towards movies was just a logical step. The franchise has always created content for different media platforms but a movie with well known actors and geared towards an older audience has catapulted the brand to new levels. The inclusion of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling has brought the brand back to it days of glory.
For brands all over the world jumping on the success bandwagon of the movie made all the sense. Anywhere from shoes to Xbox, we have seen many brands benefit from the Barbie Marketing Phenomenon.
Barbie x Xbox
XBox’s collab with Barbie is filled with excitement. Not only did they collab with the XBox itself, they also produced XBox Barbie dolls and Forza Horizon 5 in-game content (an inspiring video about careers in gaming with a Barbie touch). XBox collabed with the Barbie movie to support the message that the iconic doll represents. The company states, “Bringing Barbie’s signature flair to our gaming platform, we’re honoring all that there is to love about this iconic role model: her persevering optimism, wide-ranging career journey and never-ending capacity for self-discovery”. It is hard to resist the most stylish custom XBox hardware ever created!
Barbie x AirBnB
Anyone who has ever played with a Barbie doll has but only imagined living in their own dreamhouse. Airbnb’s collab with Barbie is what we have all been waiting for, and brought Barbie fan dreams to life! However, the house comes with a twist. While Barbie is away, Ken is hosting the house the Malibu Dream House with his own personal decor. Located in sunny Malibu, the oceanfront mansion features panoramic views and serves as the perfect backdrop for Ken’s picture-plastic paradise. How can anyone resist!
Barbie x ALDO
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The brand made for for style-conscious shoppers, ALDO Shoes is all about accessibly-priced on-trend fashion footwear and accessories so it makes sense that the brand collabed with Barbie. It’s undeniably a Barbiecore summer, on June 29, ALDO made it just a little bit easier to channel everyone’s favorite plastic girlie with a penchant for pink. Teaming up with Mattel, ALDO is revealing the Barbie x ALDO collection, which delivers the stuff Barbie dreams are made of. Now everyone can wear the Barbie shoes we’ve all dreamed of.
Barbie x FUNBOY
The world best luxury pool floats have officially collabed with Barbie, to participate in Barbiecore summer everyone is dreaming up. FUNBOY hopes to give their customers the Barbie experience in real life with their new fun floats. FUNBOY’s collection of cutesy inflatables, towels, and other swim accessories brings the malibu Barbie vibes to your favorite spot to take a dip, no matter where that may be!
Barbie x Crocs
Jumping into the summer, it is no surprise that one of summer’s most popular footwear company’s collabed with summer’s most popular film. The collaboration features Barbie themed croc charms and a variety of croc shoes in a range of Barbie pink shades. The collab resulted in an array of chic crocs, some with “jelly” platforms and others with a warm interior. There is definitely a Barbie croc for everyone!
This franchise will probably be part of the american culture for years to come, not only from the Toy standpoint but also from the content perspective. It is quite evident that Ken will be a figure in following movies and have a major role, this resonates with a new place for masculinity within content. As Robbie told Time in June, “[The story] could go a million different directions from this point. But I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try and set up a first movie whilst also planning for sequels.” We have not heard the last from the franchise.
