Barbie puts her best foot forward in Dubai

We know it’s not just us: the Barbie campaign is all we’ve been gawping at and admiring for weeks! The movie’s strategy has been nothing short of genius. Both Mattel and Warner Bros. crafted an aggressive, full-on approach and leveraged a variety of channels, making it set to be one of the highest-grossing movies of the year.

While fans in the UAE will have to wait an extra six weeks for Barbie to arrive on the big screens, we’re assured her arrival will be grand. In fact, the doll has already made her way to Dubai, and her first appearance was, of course, at the Burj Khalifa.

A 3D video of a giant Barbie doll emerging from her pink packaging next to the Burj Khalifa went viral. Eye Studio, a boutique social media agency in Dubai, created the CGI clip ahead of the movie’s launch, showing the Mattel doll in a zebra-print swimsuit, a topknot ponytail, and sunglasses, similar to the outfit she wore when she first debuted in 1959. A magnificent piece of marketing for the upcoming Barbie movie, the video perfectly captures the iconic status of both Barbie and the Burj Khalifa and is a clever use of symbolism.

The Barbie movie has been a major topic of conversation on social media, thanks to a well-curated campaign which includes engaging content, interactive features, and partnerships with popular brands influencers. But most compelling of all, Mattel’s smartest move was establishing more than 100 international partnerships with brands, infiltrating our homes to ensure massive awareness. Barbie-themed merchandise, including clothing, accessories, and even a Barbie-branded Xbox are going out of stock. And who didn’t hear about the brilliant stunt in collaboration with Airbnb? A listing of the all-pink mansion appeared on the platform, offering guests a stay at Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse.

The Barbie movie marketing is a masterclass. Like the activation in Dubai, the movie’s ‘larger-than-life’ strategy helped it score a record-breaking opening weekend and make it an inspired tale about female empowerment.