the new Barbie ad…. is pretty fantastic

This advertisement for Barbie’s is pretty fantastic.  Supposedly the kids were not scripted, they were just kids being kids and having fun.  There has been a lot of controversy over Barbie over the years and this might send the brand in a new direction.  Let’s hope so.  I was a huge fan of Barbie as a kid.

The ad is worth the short watch.  I must admit, my Mother told me that when I was a little girl I used to line up my dolls and lecture them on the topic of the day.  Always important to have an audience who listens to you.

Comments (Archived):

  1. Shelly Lipton

    This is fantastic. An audience who listens….love that! And when Barbie exits her venture and/or retires, she can go to http://www.secondchancetoys.org

  2. Kirsten Lambertsen

    Cautiously optimistic here. That brand has proven itself to be incredibly tone deaf even within the last twelve months. The Barbie superhero is an example. And of course the infamous Programmer Barbie book.My six year old daughter has a couple of Barbie’s that grandma bought for her 😉 She much prefers her Monster High figures. Lots of people knock Monster High, but the fact is that those characters have agency and they embrace being “different” (which most of us feel we are!). They celebrate self-expression instead of conformity.When I was little I had Barbies and I had Charlie’s Angels figures. I played much more with Jill, Sabrina and Kelly. Barbie would never parachute from my bedroom window! But Charlie’s Angels would. Agency, baby.A commercial like this has a great message. Let’s hope it’s not like Exxon advertising about how they care about the environment.

    1. LE

      Let’s hope it’s not like Exxon advertising about how they care about the environment.Cooked up on Madison Ave so it is.Was in PNC bank yesterday and they had a video monitor talking about how much PNC cares about “relationships” and about their customers. Which of course is complete and utter bullshit. (Maybe not as much as Comcast saying that of course!). Try to get anything done at a bank either in person or by phone. All you hear is stupid platitudes and apologizes nothing of any substance. Took 2 months to resolve an issue with interest on a bank account that the clerk had setup wrong. And that’s typical, right?

      1. Kirsten Lambertsen

        Agree and am afraid I’m pretty skeptical that the Barbie brand will come around. But hey, anything’s possible, I suppose 🙂

  3. LE

    I can’t say I agree with you on this ad.To me the ad reinforces the stereotype of a little girl as just cute and full of nonsense. Why? The reactions of all of the adults is what gives that away from my take. [1] .I just guess I am not a fan of the “isn’t that cute” that people give kids to me it’s a parental put down and not helpful in their development. (Adults do this as well with other adults obviously and it’s recognized as such).I am not sure that the same ad if you made it boys and what they play with would be treated the same way by the ad industry. In fact I think if you went (just a guess) to any baseball field you wouldn’t find the coaches acting as if the boys were all dreamers in this way.[1] I’ve noticed the same when my sister talks to my step daughter. She uses that “you are a little girl” exaggerated voice and tone. (Hard to describe but you know it when you hear it.) Otoh I speak to her like like I would speak to an adult in adult tone and language. Not that “magical” unicorn inflection for lack of a better way to put it. (She is 11 now but did that since we met when she had just turned 4)….

    1. Kirsten Lambertsen

      I had a similar reaction. It’s a clever idea and an an entertaining piece. But it lacks the perspective that comes from a deeper analysis, a deeper understanding of this issue. People who think and read a lot about how to help their daughters be full humans without limits will see the flaws in this commercial and doubt the sincerity.Lots of people won’t see the flaws and it will probably win an award 😉 Ad agency kudo level: achieved.

  4. Mario Cantin

    Nice transition at the end.Well thought-out ad, and aimed at the parents!When I was a boy, I used to play with Big Jim and GI Joe, ha ha! Good ole times!

  5. pointsnfigures

    My wife said the exact same thing. Showed me the ad last night. Great minds think alike.

  6. WinkieBoy

    This is and will be Barbie (and Mattel)’s most important business (and investment) decision of the last few decades for the US market and hopefully for the World….Barbie’s success – based on this new mindset – could represent more innovation, change and value for society, investors and customers than Uber, Tesla, Apple, Twitter, etc.… What CapEX and OpEX was required? Zero! What value will be generated? A real Unicorn.