With a star-studded cast, and nostalgia at its core, the live action Barbie movie has arguably been the most anticipated film release of 2023. This could all be thanks to the killer marketing campaign that has swarmed our social media feeds in the recent months. 

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are the new Barbie and Ken, and the likes of Will Ferrell and Dua Lipa can also be spotted on the star studded cast lineup. The cast is hot, but the marketing activity is hotter. 

We’re going to explore some of our favourite Barbie marketing moments, and hopefully provide some inspiration for your brands future campaigns. 

Influencers hit the red carpet

The US and European premier attendees were just as esteemed as the movie’s cast. Singer Billie Eilish, Love Island royalty Molly Mae, the people’s favourite influencer/entrepreneur extraordinaire Grace Beverley, and TikTok queen Alix Earle hit the ‘pink carpet’. In London, Barbican stations name was changed to ‘Barbiecan’ for the occasion.

TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube were totally taken over by ‘get ready for the Barbie premier’ videos, pink carpet POVs, and interviews with the cast and celebrity movie fans. Even after the premiers, the TikTok content didn't stop, with influencers who both did and didn’t attend making the most of the content opportunities.

Misha Grimes and Niki Detrich were amongst those who gained hundreds of thousands of views on theirTikTok pink carpet outfit reviews. The post-event content was almost more popular than the content from the event itself, and the fact that all in-person Barbie events were EXTREMELY instagramabble was essential to drum up the online excitement and encourage influencers to produce organic content. 

Personalised graphics

When the film was first announced this spring, one of the first pieces of marketing material that Mattel, the creators of Barbie, introduced into the social sphere was personalised Barbie selfie. 

The Barbie Selfie Generator is simple to use, simple to share, and intriguing to those who want to find out ‘what Barbie they are’. This DIY graphic idea meant that Barbie fans could feel directly involved in the release of the movie, alongside sharing a reminder of the films release date with every post that was shared. 

Taking competitions to a whole new level

Now this is branding on a whole new level. Have you spotted the Airbnb listing for a stay in the irl Malibu Barbie DreamHouse? The nostalgia is real. 

The listing is offering two, one-night stays on July 21st and 22nd for two guests, with ‘Ken’ as the host, costing a grand total of $0 to stay. The listing did however clearly state that the free stay in the property was “not a contest” and states guests will be “responsible for their own travel to and from Malibu.” 

Needless to say, the two once in a lifetime stays were snapped up immediately!

Despite not being an official competition, drumming up excitement about free and unique opportunities for your audience is a great way to get people sharing your brand with their peers, increasing the chance of a viral moment online.

Mattel and Warner Bros. marketing activity has certainly been something to behold over the recent months, and has certainly set the pace and provided ideas for brands who want to ramp up their future campaigns. 

Today is finally the day that the film of the year is released, and we can’t wait to see if it lives up to the expectations!