Barbie launches inclusive brand campaign geared toward parents

Barbie’s latest brand campaign, launched during halftime at Friday’s (August 30) WNBA matchup between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, isn’t as pink and plastic as one might expect. Instead, it focuses on the children that breathe life into the dolls through play.

The work, titled Give Limitless Possibilities, speaks to parents and gift-givers with children in their lives, and positions Barbie as a tool to encourage them to stretch their imaginations.

Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls at Mattel, said the work aims to “lean into shared humanity and relatability by showcasing the brand — and in this instance specifically, doll play — through all of its joyous, playful, messy, sometimes very loud forms” in order to show that Barbie inspires “imagination, empathy, storytelling, self-expression.”

Give Limitless Possibilities is based on Barbie’s tagline, “you can be anything,” which Berger noted is the result of a decade-long effort to shift brand perception as well as the adult-onset Barbiemania last year after the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film.

“Today, Barbie is really looking to seize that moment to nurture brand fans' love by leveraging Barbie as a symbol of what so many parents and gift-givers and adults hope to give the kids and the friends in their lives, which is the belief in their limitless potential,” she said.

The 75-second film shows vignettes of different children and families playing with Barbie dolls, focusing on the myriad ways they can use their imaginations to interact with them. Some children treat their dolls as companions, others share their dolls with others to find playmates and some involve their whole family in their play to connect with their parents and siblings.

Berger noted the vignettes were inspired by events “that we know have happened,” and in some cases were the result of simply handing over the dolls to the on-set talent and letting them play.

“This is what we see happen with the toy every day in our own lives, in testing and what we hear from consumers is the way doll play shows up in houses is multifaceted,” she said of the scenes throughout the work.

As the film plays out, adult voices narrate their wishes for the children in their lives, whether it’s to believe in themselves, have the confidence to try hard things or maintain their childlike curiosity. The camera work shifts between professional-grade footage and grainy home-video style shots, creating the effect of found footage from one’s family home videos.

Of utmost importance was including a diverse cast of children in the creative, Berger said; children of all genders, abilities and races are shown throughout the film, as well as a diverse assortment of Barbie dolls.

“Barbie is a brand and a doll for everyone, hard stop, end of sentence,” said Berger. “The brand is purposeful in ensuring that we continue our evolution to reflect the world that kids and families see around them, so in any format of our marketing — particularly something as important as a new brand campaign — that needs to show through in the creative.”

This year marks Barbie’s 65th anniversary, and Berger noted that the brand has “spent the year in celebration of inspiring stories that shape the future.” The WNBA’s rise in popularity is one such story, noted Berger, leading to the partnership.

“There has never been a moment like this in women's sports before,” said Berger. The sold-out Sky vs. Fever game is the first Barbie-themed game in the WNBA’s history. Retired player Sue Bird, who was made into a Barbie doll this year, will be in attendance.