My Favorite Marketing Trend of 2023
Kathy Capeluto
Strategic Marketing Expert with 10+ Years in Tech Sector | Content & Storytelling Specialist | K-Pop Podcast Host | Avocados are my Love Language
We have arrived at the third and final day of the #PLMLinkedInChallenge. I find it comical that although it is Friday the 13th, I won't be writing about anything gory or scary, but rather, something very very pink.
Barbie.
I know. I avoided writing about the Barbie movie, not only because we've all had enough Barbie content this year to last us a lifetime, but also because it was one of the ideas shared on this morning's PLM email in case we got stuck. I wasn't stuck, I actually had thought of writing about Barbie since I saw the prompt for today on Monday's email... because the reality is that however much has been written and said about it, it's all been deserved. And it was, indeed, my favorite thing I've seen in marketing not just in 2023 but recent years.
When I first heard of the Barbie movie being made, I wasn't sure I'd be interested in seeing it. When I found out Greta Gerwig was directing, that absolutely piqued my interest because as a director, the woman simply doesn't miss. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling being cast as Barbie and Ken were surprising choices as I figured the Hollywood machine was looking for actors barely into their twenties, but both of them are beautiful people and incredible actors, so I decided I wanted to see it. Months passed and I had all but forgotten about the Barbie movie's impending premiere... and then the best marketing rollout of the recent years began.
Partnerships
The Barbie movie did many things flawlessly, but none more than the endless repertoire of partnerships and collaborations with brands and retailers all around the world. People couldn't look or go anywhere without running into something that reminded them the Barbie movie was coming out. Here are some of the brands I most enjoyed seeing the collaborations from:
These three brands were the ones that I wanted the items from and they each hit my nostalgia bone for a different era of my life. The complete list of brands that collaborated with Barbie to get a piece of the revenue pie is actually endless, so I'll just share the bullets (in alphabetical order and with their product type in parenthesis in case the brand is new):
The ABCs of Barbie marketing were actually astounding. And what better marketing than the type that makes the consumer feel like they're a part of the magic?
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The Barbie experience
Aside from the endless collaborations, the golden buzzer of it all for me was Margot Robbie's styling during the Barbie movie press tour, as she revived a number of iconic Barbie styles and became the real life Barbie we all didn't know we needed.
I actually have quite a bit of knowledge about Barbies not just from my own experience as a proud owner of many Barbies over my childhood, but because I follow a drag queen who aptly named herself Trixie Mattel after her love of the toy. Trixie has an extensive Barbie collection, including many original pieces like the first Barbie ever released in 1959.
From watching Trixie's videos showcasing many of her Barbie dolls, as soon as I spotted Margot in the striped black and white dress, my jaw dropped. Every single Barbie outfit she was styled in was perfectly fit for each location, and every detail was meticulously planned to pay homage to the toy that revolutionized womanhood for little girls since 1959.
Magical timing and competition
The Barbie movie press tour came to an end as the SAG strike began and actors were no longer allowed to promote movies or TV shows they were in as outlined in the SAG strike guidelines. The timing was astounding. It was like seeing Jack Sparrow step off his sinking ship and setting foot on the pier during the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The only artist who promoted the Barbie movie after the strike began was Jimin from BTS (by the way, happy birthday Jimin!), who responded to an earlier video filmed by Ryan Gosling where he acknowledged he wore the same outfit as Jimin did during the Permission to Dance music video and sent him a signed guitar as a peace offering. It was peak comedy, and also fed my soul as the K-Pop stan that I am.
Aside from the looming strike, the Barbie movie also faced a big competitor in Oppenheimer (the story of the creation of the atomic bomb), which would be releasing on the same day and the movie also had a stacked casting sheet. Although both movies seem -- on the surface -- to aim for completely different audiences, the Barbie movie made a move that I can't say I've ever seen others do before: Margot and Greta posed with Oppenheimer tickets and in front of the Oppenheimer movie poster, encouraging audiences to give a chance to the film that would be competing and releasing on the same day as them. And when the Barbie movie people say jump, we all ask how high. Audiences then decided to go for a double feature on July 21st, and so the Barbenheimer phenomenon was born.
The outcome
Every effort made by the Barbie movie's marketing team was every investor's dream come true. A true ROI. People went to watch the movie multiple times, they dressed in their best Barbie pink for the occasion, and they raved about the movie on every social platform. The records broken said it all:
The only downside to all of this (and it's only potential and not realized just yet) is that the stream of cash made the movie studio greedy and now that the MCU doesn't have a chokehold on the world after The Avengers saga ended, they're teasing a Barbie cinematic universe with multiple movies to come. I hope they do it right, but I have my reservations.
Leaving this last thought aside, all of this is why Barbie is, without a shadow of doubt, my favorite marketing trend of 2023.
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