Spoiler Alert: How Barbie Unexpectedly Teaches Us About Modern Marketing

You’ve seen the billion-dollar buzz and the never-ending critique surrounding Greta Gerwig’s summer blockbuster. Here at Assembly, we loved the bright pink sets nostalgic nods to girlhood that make Barbie so fun – and, of course, we love to see women win.

Barbie’s meteoric sales and impressive marketing have lifted brands in every category and driven an insatiable demand for Barbie-themed everything – from the expected apparel and beauty collaborations to hotel suites and even coffins. AMC Theatres saw its largest single-week admissions revenue in its 103-year history, and theatres across the country continue to see pink-packed theatres well past its opening weekend.

We suddenly can’t get enough of Barbie pink, and corporate wallets are loving it. What can brands take with them as the world moves on to the next big thing?

So Much More Than a Doll

“Thinking about it, I can't help but think that she and her dozens of careers had an influence on me telling my mom I wanted to be a palaeontologist AND a doctor.” said Meghan Potter, manager, Paid Media.

First created to empower female potential, Barbie regressed from a role model to a symbol of unattainable beauty and a complicated representation of womanhood. We are fond of her creation but remain at odds with who she represents, and that divisiveness is exactly what has catapulted Barbie into social consciousness even after we stop playing with the dolls.

Though a toy-based film is nothing new, encapsulating her cultural impact is a daunting task – Barbie has had almost 70 years to build a distinct mark in culture that Mattel understandably wants to maintain. Leveraging Mattel’s leeway, Greta Gerwig navigated her own perspective with the existing IP, crafting a comically poignant portrayal of the everyday woman within the Barbie universe.

Hollywood’s Female Protagonist

After a year where 80% of the top grossing films had more male characters than females, the joy of a movie created by and starring women was amplified by our complicated relationship with the Barbie brand.

So rarely do we get to see the feminine perspective that moments like this feel too precious to miss, and the desire to see a female lead overpowers our frustration of repetitive roles. For Hollywood, the female protagonist can either be a damsel in distress or an infallible warrior. Whereas men get to be the hero, the villain, the victim, and the bystander, women must play within these confines or serving only as a plot device, a radical aspiration, or mere decoration.

Barbie’s Not the Protagonist at All

While Margot Robbie stars as the titular character, gracing posters and driving the narrative, Stereotypical Barbie isn’t the true protagonist. Rather, the women who join her embody the collective main character and play the typical roles of damsel and warrior but also everything in between. By herself, Stereotypical Barbie is underwhelming and incapable of tackling the narrative’s conflict – she becomes the story’s heroin alongside the women around her.

“While there was a heavy message of girl power and feminism throughout the movie, I also felt that the deeper message was the importance of having diversity.” said Nicole Janousek, manager, Offline Media.

This Barbie is Accessible

The complexity of the movie’s female protagonist lets viewers place themselves into the role of Barbie in a way we can’t quite do with the dolls. By nature, dolls are one dimensional, but the movie’s Barbies are so diverse in role and story function that relatability is simple. There are so many kinds of Barbies. In fact, Gloria and Sasha still serve as Barbie-like characters despite being human. The film’s true protagonist is the individualised refraction that Greta created in lieu of regurgitation, respecting Barbie’s essence while offering fresh familiarity.

Thanks to decades of feminist movements, there is a freedom in storytelling when the feminine perspective is highlighted that you don’t often feel in male-dominated creations. The spectrum of femininity offers fluidity for exploring every facet of human emotion. The nuances of womanhood are brilliantly used by Greta Gerwig and the cast and even extend to the male characters.

And Ken is Kenough

The Kens and Mattel itself (though closer represented as a generic ‘corporate overlord’ in the movie) serve as the antagonists for the story. Greta Gerwig, through the atypical protagonist, helps the men of the story find their own character arcs. Though less diverse in representation than the Barbies, we get to see our male counterparts learn their own lessens through femininity – it’s not ownership that makes the man but introspective humility.

The Medium Matters

The messages within Barbie are certainly not revolutionary. What makes this such a thrilling moment in culture is its new take on feminism, womanhood, and independence – all while utilising a legendary IP. Barbie dolls themselves are mass-produced commodities that are inherently unable to capture the social moment in real time. Because of this and despite the dolls’ evolution, they will always remain a few years behind. A film, on the other hand, doesn’t have to play catch up with the modern woman. Barbie as a calculated brand asset functions as a tool to modernize the legacy while sidestepping production hurdles and corporate delays.

A Barbie vs A Blockbuster

Children are uninhibited by notions of reality, naturally applying their own rules to their encounters. Child’s play is pertinent to development, and the toys our kids play with help shape the world around them. As the image of Barbie expands, so does their relationship with womanhood, femininity, and self-worth. The film gives the Barbie brand a new space to do so, offering a child-like perspective on feminism and potential that helps reshape adult perspectives.

“As a girl playing with Barbie, I never paused to think about the meaning of the brand. As an adult now, after seeing the movie, I have a new appreciation for Barbie and the fact that she's been a champion for women since the very beginning.” said Alison Fishman, director, Business Consultancy.

Idealism is Nice, But Reality is Better

One of the key messages in Barbie is the importance of acknowledging and facing reality head-on, even if it means leaving the dreamscape you’ve worked hard to build. Barbieland is nice in theory but awkward in practice; its off-kilter doll dimensions and fragile infrastructure wonderfully amplify the discomfort of perfection. And, as the Barbies later realise, running the world is more exhausting than accepting the role you’re given.

But it's the strength and dedication required by women to handle that exhaustion that makes the ‘Real World’ worth leaving home for. Barbie finds a way to illustrate the intoxication of idealism amid struggle and highlights the relieving power of truth.

And Sometimes We Just Want Our Reality Heard

During a pivotal moment in the film, Gloria voices the exasperated question all women ask – in a world that expects but is never satisfied with the extraordinary, why can’t we simply be average? Gloria’s exhaustion as a mother, professional, creator, and friend echoes the sentiment of every woman watching, but it is her frustrated perseverance that reminds us that there’s still plenty of extraordinary work to be done.

Funnily enough, its incessant marketing and endless analysis contradict its most resonate message. (And we are very self-aware of our own role in this dissection.) Our interactions with the movie seem to undercut its heart: can this movie about women simply just… be?

The unfortunate reality is that being a woman is more nuanced than that. Not every aspect of life can be taken as is, and it certainly can’t all be extraordinary.

How Brands Can Implement

Women Aren’t Always Extraordinary. And That’s Okay.

To echo Gloria’s point, the ordinary woman is just as deserving as the extraordinary one. Modern womanhood is convoluted, and as Barbie learns, the strength to persist is often found in support and empathy from others. Brands must recognise lived reality, then provide the support needed to handle it. Beyond product offerings, messaging and advertising also require that additional lens. Take period products: the Tampon Twirl certainly makes for an engaging visual, but ignores the reality – what good is that then for the brand’s ability to connect?

Leave Men Out of It.

Brands are rightfully hesitant to ignore entire populations, but not every piece of media or messaging has to appeal to every demographic. Fully embrace feminine aesthetics, tell the inside joke only women would get, and don’t be afraid to leave men out of it. Besides, Ken reminded us that if it’s not about horses, men lose interest anyway.

Don’t Be Afraid of Pink... But Don’t Limit Womanhood.

What’s great about today’s feminist movements is the reembracing of stereotypical gender signals. While feminism has opened the doors for what shoes women can acceptably fill, the pink high heel can sometimes feel regressive and it’s easier for brands to avoid the stereotypes altogether. However, messaging with fem-coded aesthetics isn’t inherently derisive as long as it references female mindsets in contexts outside of female products.

No Two Barbies are the Same

What it means to be a ‘woman’ today would likely overwhelm the first Barbie, but it’s in part to her work that the Barbie aisle is as diverse as it is. Femininity is a full spectrum of expression that extends far beyond biology, so brands looking to connect with women must understand first the intricacies of the female experience. Race, sexuality, income, and ability are just some of factors that influence experience and often amplify the hardships female-identifying persons face.

Final Thoughts as We Look Forward

If there’s one thing you take from Barbie, it’s this: women don’t need you to empower them, and they definitely don’t need you to put them in a box.

As Mattel builds its cinematic universe, we wonder what lessons will be learned. Will they give more female directors the opportunity to explore their worlds? Will the upcoming Hot Wheels movie explore masculinity to the same depths and receive the same public analysis? Will it lean into itself or simply let the toys be (literal) creative vehicles?

Media is born from lived experience but often misses its most unique perspectives. Connecting with women requires celebration of their exceptionality and appreciation for their normalcy. A woman’s hero journey never ends, but no pedestals are needed – women just want to be recognized for the complex, overwhelming life they live.