The Marketing Marvel of the Greatest Blockbuster of 2023, Barbie

Greatest Blockbuster of 2023, Barbie: Last summer, my phone rang and it was my friend on the other side, all excited to tell me that she had bought her pink dress for the movie which was about to be released in a few months. Buying a new, specifically pink dress, just to watch a movie sounds insane, right? Well, I don’t blame her as this was the fever of the highly anticipated film of 2023, Barbie. The film was released on 21 July, 2023 and it wasn’t surprising that Margot Robbie’s starring film broke a number of box office records. The film continues to uphold the created buzz as it has been nominated for eight categories in the Academy Awards.

It’s not the first film in the history of cinema to be both critically and commercially successful. But what’s intriguing about Greta Garwig’s Barbie is that it applied some amazing marketing techniques to promote the film, which has indeed helped them to create hype among the audience.

Reflecting on the pandemic time, when everything was restricted to the virtual, it was hard to make a real connection with the real audience. But the moment the veil of restraints lifted, marketers came out with their mind-blowing strategies of promotion, and Barbie is a living example of it. The quick and agile marketing campaigns included engaging with the audience through initiatives such as Barbie Selfie Generator and Barbie box theatres. The agenda was to make people connect with the brand personally, which ignited a sense of excitement among the audience. Barbie has been a household name ever since its inception – be it a 5-year-old kid, or an 80-year-old lady – everyone is well aware of the world of Barbie. With the 2023 film, Gerwig brought the famous doll to life. Since the doll was already popular among every generation, all that the promotion team had to do was entice the audience with its idea.

Warner Bros. is a renowned production house, well-versed in various promotional tactics. As the producer and distributor of Barbie, Warner Bros. ensured that the film stood out from typical blockbuster fare. The production house adhered to the notion that ‘first impression is the last impression’, and made sure that it made a massive impact on the audience in the first go. It carefully crafted the teaser trailer which highlighted the unique aspects of Barbie.

Of course, social media played a significant role in promoting the film across various platforms. It collaborated with various brands to promote the film. Remember when you used to open Google Chrome and it used to welcome you with a pink background and some confetti – yes that was also a part of Barbie’s marketing campaign.

Barbie’s marketing campaign unapologetically opted for its iconic elements that gave the audience the chance to enjoy the colours and aesthetics without any gender tag.

In a landscape where many movies seem hell-bent on promoting patriarchy, Barbie emerged as an oasis where women of every shape, size, and colour are respected. The various incredible marketing campaigns not only emphasised the creative aspect but also kindled a sense of empowerment among the audience.