Guest Columnist

BARBIE’S “OSCARS”

Earlier this year, Mattel’s Barbie movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards (or Oscars), and took home one. Now, heading into the “Oscars of Advertising”–The Cannes Lions Awards–will the film that painted last summer pink fare better at this event? As a consequence of oversharing my opinions about the Barbie movie, I was invited to opine about her chances.

While I have a lot of thoughts about brands making entertainment, I don’t about the advertising award circuit. I set out to see how she did at the marketing award shows to-date. This wasn’t an exhaustive study. I examined two.

At the 2024 Clio Awards, Barbie was awarded for “Integrated: Product/Service” and “Partnerships & Collaborations: Product/Service.” No big surprises there. I’ve never seen so many partnerships as during the aforementioned Pink Summer, and many of them are clever and fun.

Expecting more meaningful recognition for the film at the 2024 Effie Awards, a celebration of marketing effectiveness, I was surprised to find there were… none. Is it possible that not a single brand or agency submitted anything Barbie-related for this award?

While specific accounts vary, Mattel reported that sales of Barbie (the toy) increased significantly, and revenue was earned directly from the film itself via box office and brand partnerships, both seemingly the very essence of an Effie.

Setting the direct revenue aside, I’d argue the greatest return was how this film reclaimed what Barbie (the 65-year-old brand) stands for, a narrative that was in danger of becoming obsolete in today’s Gen-Z obsessed pop culture. 

If you searched for “Barbie” prior to movie buzz (say 2021 and earlier), you’ll find countless headlines about the brand’s demise. One movie later, Barbie is once again a strong female icon.

Despite my rigorous research, I remain confused by award shows. But my opinion is the Barbie movie was (1) fun, (2) carried a compelling message that (3) drove business and improved brand equity, and (4) demonstrated bravery by Mattel (just imagine those executives reading the script that depicts the corporate culture we saw on screen?). On those four points alone, Barbie and Mattel deserve to clean up at the Oscars of Advertising.

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