Barbie movie generates a pink wave in cinema and commerce – 07/07/2023 – Market

The pink wave triggered by the release of the film Barbie begins to invade more spaces with the proximity of the film’s premiere, scheduled for July 20th, and boosts sales of dolls, movie tickets and all kinds of product with the brand of the sixty-year-old toy.

As of this Friday (7th), at least two large retailers, Renner and Riachuelo, are putting their thematic collections on the air. In the latter, the pink wave goes beyond clothes and shoes and will also be in products for the home, such as sheets, pillows and blankets.

At C&A, the collection includes women’s and men’s, children’s and adult clothing, as well as bottles. According to the company, the “pink explosion” is a “tribute to Barbie’s lasting impact on fashion and her commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

For Doll Collector, the main Brazilian store of collectible barbies, the film is an opportunity to present the world of these dolls to new consumers.

“We have a high demand every month, but they are from people who already collect. Now, there is a very big boom with the Barbie movie and an audience arrives looking for these specific products, from the movie”, says Luiz Schmit, 33, company owner.

He did not detail how much movement increased, but says that the arrival of new buyers is noticeable. The store’s audience is invariably adult, between 30 and 60 years old.

In the opinion of Schmit, who founded the store in 2012, after realizing the potential of the collectibles market, which at the time was incipient in Brazil, the film helps to restore Barbie’s visibility as a collectible item.

In Market Livre, searches for terms related to Barbie grew 137% in the last three months of 2023, compared to the same period last year.

On the Shopee platform, the search for products related to the doll has already risen 70% in May compared to the previous month. According to the company, among the most popular items were, in addition to Barbie, nail stickers, children’s sandals, a doll’s house and T-shirts.

For the week of the launch, the ecommerce provides a special page with collections of toys, themed clothes and accessories, beauty and home items.

Who also identified an increase in searches for Barbies was Magazine Luiza. Demand linked to the film, however, was lower than that registered on other important dates for retailers, such as Children’s Day and Christmas.

In October, searches rose 59%, and in December, 132%. In the comparison between the months of June this year and 2022, the increase was 22%.

Mattel, the maker of Barbie, has released a toy collection for the film, which includes a new line of dolls, games and replicas of spaces from the film. There are 15 items, including Barbies, Kens, cars, Unos, Hotwheels and Little People.

Doll prices vary. In the Barbie Perfect Day version, Mattel’s website indicates retailers selling the toy for from R$ 349.

The company calculates that it will reach 100 brands of licensed themed products, such as those released by retailers.

The company says that, for strategic reasons, it does not disclose the order numbers for new toy lines. According to the manager of Mattel do Brasil, Valeria González, “the reception from the fans is incredible and huge”, which gives the company confidence that the results will be good.

Mattel named July 20 the “Rosiest Day”.

In theaters, tickets for the premiere went on sale last week (on the 28th) and several theaters already have “last units available” warnings. Chains also released combos with buckets of popcorn and pink cups.

In Los Angeles, Airbnb, a platform for renting houses and rooms, put the Barbie House on Malibyu beach in its catalog, available for only two reservations, on the 21st and 22nd of July. See what the property looks like here.

At Shopping JK Iguatemi, in São Paulo, another house will be “on display” until November. The “Barbie Dreamhouse Experience” occupies 650 square meters, several sets and even a themed cafe. Entry costs R$50 from Monday to Thursday and R$70 on other days.

Seats for the attraction are disputed. Anyone trying to buy tickets on Thursday (6th) night, for example, would only get seats for the 8:00 pm, 8:40 pm or 9:00 pm times and only from the 14th of July.

If the Barbicore trend is already old news in the dynamics of social networks, the proximity to the release of the film has revived the pink color.

Last week, The New York Times showed that, after clothes, the super pink aesthetic should also invade interior design.

In recent days, consumers at the Starbucks coffee chain have discovered that the “secret menu” now has a “Barbie drink”. On social networks, consumers described how to place the order – in addition to asking for the “Barbie frapuccino”, they included additional dragon fruit and blueberry essence.