Hollywood celebrities have been walking red carpets in hot pink in solidarity with “Barbie” which is sweeping everywhere as the most anticipated film to hit theatres worldwide.
Toy maker Mattel, who first unveiled the iconic doll in 1959, has reached about 100 licensing agreements for everything from roller skates to toothbrushes in connection to director Greta Gerwig’s summer film. This does not exclude the beauty world too as the Barbie logo is visible in lipsticks, blushes and mirrors.
“In the 30 years that I have been tracking and analyzing box offices and trends, I’ve never quite seen anything like this before,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore.
“Barbie is tailor-made for marketing,” he said. “It’s perfect because Barbie is a toy, it’s already a product, and beyond that, it’s a lifestyle and a colour.”
The movie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend Ken, has been trending as one of the biggest blockbusters of the season, with numerous premieres held around the globe ahead of Friday’s debut in US theatres.
Barbie list of corporate partners includes Microsoft, Forever 21, Ulta Beauty, Hot Wheels, Chevrolet and even Progressive insurance. Even the influential colour company Pantone even has a shade to match the zeitgeist: 219C is officially Barbie Pink.
Mattel is also partnering with rival toy giant Hasbro, which will release a Barbie version of the classic board game Monopoly in the fall.
The movie comes with its own controversy. Barbie has been banned in Vietnam over a scene with a fictitious world map criticised for allegedly showing China’s claims in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippines allowed the film to be shown — but asked that the map be blurred.