Barbie: Bringing to Life a Brand Icon
Source: Shawn Mansfield on Etsy
The legendary brand icon that is Barbie, is definitely having a moment right now. With the success of the Barbie movie bringing this brand to life and giving meaning to her symbolic existence, Barbie has been redefined, transformed, and has become oh-so human-like in her realizations about identity. As an audience member, one may even begin to question their dreams, their need for answers, and ultimately their identity all in part to share in her awareness for maintaining expectations (me I’m the one).
As a branding pro, I watched Mattel®️ masterfully redefine the legendary brand’s story and cross over into a highly relatable and relevant new identity story about how we process our social reality. I couldn’t help but think of the brand experience I was having and the level of depth they could bring to this larger-than-life brand icon story.
So without giving too much away, what did the Barbie movie do to bring to life its iconic brand?
Personification and personalization. A playful mix of 2D, theater-style illustration and real-life actors make this film feel like both a “play pretend” and a true-life story. Their ability to personify yet personalize the experience allows the audience to project and connect simultaneously, making it both entertaining and emotionally moving. As a brand, when you can personalize the experience and create an emotional bond with your audience, you build long-lasting trust and loyalty for your brand, which we know from Barbie's nearly 65 years as a brand.
Self-referential humor. The idea of “behind every joke, there is some form of truth” certainly applies here. The writing is smart, playful, and culturally relevant. Its playful over-the-top references to traditional gender roles and our over-indulging, anxiety-inducing habits with social media, make light of our incessant need to compare ourselves to others. From a brand perspective, having a personality that uses humor to both educate and entertain others, can make any brand experience useful and more memorable.
Cognitive dissonance and social identity. Barbie’s entire struggle is related to cognitive dissonance, she even says it at one point in the movie, which I thought was well-placed. Her challenge to understand and define herself in an unfamiliar world is eye-opening and highly relatable. Kind of gave me Little Mermaid vibes when Ariel fumbles around the human world in hopes of finding love and her sense of self. In this case, self-awareness, self-love, and self-confidence lead the conversation, to which I say bravo and bring on more of that, please.
Self-awareness, choice, and influence. Living in a dream world where every day is ideal and exactly the same may appeal to some, but after a while, it loses its shine because without the balance of pain, can anyone truly appreciate pleasure? Gratitude starts with awareness. Experiencing new things, taking in new information, and choosing the unknown are incredibly intimidating but necessary to experience the fullness of life. Barbie’s journey to find meaning echoes this and introduces her to her own power and ability to lead through experience and influence. Brands have the same opportunity. If built around authenticity, purpose, and meaning, brands can connect to their audiences and influence behavior in a positive, value-driven way.
Barbie truly is one of the most recognizable and personified brands ever created with a legacy that continues with each new wave of young girls drawn to her ideal image. As long as little girls everywhere continue to play pretend and imagine their pink dreamy worlds, Barbie will live on. In fact, I love to watch my nieces play with the new and improved Barbies of today, all their accessories, new career paths, and creative backstories. Barbie (and Mattel®️) knew how to create a toy that was accessible and admirable to little girls everywhere. Barbie gives them something to project their dreams and aspirations onto in a way that makes them feel like anything is possible.
While this movie may not be considered a “kids movie” (definitely some more adult-friendly one-liners in there), it definitely mends the ideals of every woman that was once a little girl with big dreams in the audience. Nostalgia, identity, and a story about transformation is all Barbie needed to reshape the narrative around the underlying expectations of beauty and empowerment through her legacy as a meaningful, iconic, and truly immortal brand.
Source art link: Shawn Mansfield Art
