In light of the live-action film “Barbie,” grounded on the Mattel doll, due to hit the cinemas next month, a plethora of brands, Xbox, Airbnb, and Moon Oral Beauty included, are unveiling merchandise to ride the Barbie wave. Bloomingdale’s, having secured a new contract with Mattel, is the latest to join the Barbiecore trend.
The department store has orchestrated an online and on-site pop-up shop at 59th Street, NYC, flaunting an exclusive Barbie collaboration with the retailer’s Aqua clothing line, window displays, and a beauty-styling studio. The store chain publicised the collaboration on June 20, and by the day following its publication, the Instagram video had already chalked up 15,000 viewers, according to analytical platform Hootsuite, and currently boasts over 48,000 viewers.
Bloomingdale’s is plotting to boost footfall at its retail site whilst simultaneously stimulating social media engagement via its pop-up experience, including resharing Instagram stories from visitors. Frank Berman, CMO of Bloomingdale’s, affirmed the company’s intention to attract new customers who have yet to experience Bloomingdale’s. The financial specifics of the agreement between the brands were not disclosed.
“By introducing this Barbie collaboration, we’re not only likely to witness significant business around the movie and the Aqua collection, and all the associated products, but it also brings new customers into our stores and onto our site who will buy other things,” said Berman, whilst refraining from disclosing exact figures.
In an effort to diversify its content strategy and stimulate chatter around the forthcoming Barbie movie, Mattel has joined forces with other retailers, Gap, Aldo, Forever 21, Primark, Hot Topic, and Spirit Halloween, for various marketing campaigns.
The collaboration with Bloomingdale’s has been in the works since last summer, according to Josh Silverman, Mattel’s Chief Franchise Officer and Global Consumer Products Head. As part of its marketing strategy, Mattel plans to share behind-the-scenes Reels of the photoshoot for the limited edition apparel on its own account, and Bloomingdale’s will respond to requests for life-sized Barbie items and wardrobe on its Instagram account.
Berman described the effect: “It’s a wonderful cycle of positive content engagement, and that provides an incentive for people to want to be a part of it.”
While Berman did confirm that the brand is investing more in its pop-up experience than Instagram currently, the precise figure that Bloomingdale’s is investing in its marketing efforts was not disclosed. According to Vivvix, which includes paid social data from Pathmatics, the brand has invested a touch over $37 million in advertising in 2023 so far. In addition, Mattel has spent $12 million on advertising this year.
Brands such as Nike, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Hot Cheetos, and Barbie are garnering Hollywood’s attention, with studios aiming to engage millennials who now have significant purchasing power and have grown up with these brands. Intellectual property-based films can draw consumers who are already familiar with the brand and need less background information, particularly given the superhero movie genre is saturated, according to its fans and marketers.
Sarah Engel, President of the advertising agency, January Digital, commented on the trend: “The practice of retailers creating owned labels has grown in recent years, as it offers an opportunity to increase share of wallet with customers while also increasing product control and protecting margin. Bloomingdale’s leveraging its owned Aqua line to create and release a few dozen co-branded products with Barbie The Movie allows them both exclusivity and popularity among younger shoppers by offering affordable products.”
