“Barbie” isn’t just the biggest ticket of the summer, it’s also the hottest merch money can buy.
The marketing team behind the upcoming Margo Robbie movie has unleashed a tsunami of branded partnerships, from Barbie-themed nail polish and roller skates to fashion collabs, dog clothes and ice cream flavors.
In fact, the marketing efforts for the film received more attention in some social media circles than the film itself thanks in part to stunts like free Airbnb stays in Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse.
The driving force behind the promotional campaign is “the nature of the brand,” says Matthew Quint, a brand expert at Columbia Business School.
Since its creation in 1959, the Barbie brand has had countless partnerships and licensing arrangements with brands in related industries.
“When you’re an icon, everyone knows you,” Quint said. “Add to that the marketing push you get with a Hollywood film, and you get the explosion of attention, content and partnerships around the film.”
Notable tie-ins for the film include:
Part of the reason why fans fully embraced the film’s marketing push was because Barbie was a piece of merchandise made into a movie, not a movie made into merchandise.
“Our relationship with this brand is with a physical object, with a merchandise item,” Quint said. “It’s easier, when a film adaptation happens, to not be hurt by the feeling that it’s about selling something rather than just selling a story.”
Boutique cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse is banking on the Barbie hype, launching its first-ever tie-in merchandise collection with the film.
When Alamo viewers watch “Barbie,” they can purchase a limited-edition lunchbox and thermos combo, as well as sunglasses, enamel pin sets and Barbie stickers.
Alamo Drafthouse is releasing its first merchandise tie-in collection in time for the release of “Barbie.”
Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo has already sold more than 4,500 hot pink lunchboxes to fans who buy their tickets in advance, according to marketing VP Chaya Rosenthal.
“It was a no-brainer for us,” Rosenthal said. “We love merch, and we love supporting the movies we love with cool, collectible items.”
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