Collaborations with the Barbie brand are revamped in the age of social media
Trend - Branded collaborations with Barbie are on the rise in industries that include everything from cosmetics to engineering. This approach allows companies that collaborate with Barbie an opportunity to directly and explicitly target Millennial and Gen Z demographics.
Insight - Millenials and Gen Z experience an overlap in certain spaces like pop culture. While nostalgia is the primary catalyst for the former, novelty in design catches the attention of the latter. This not only establishes strong demand for given products/services, but it also makes for a niche space where members of these demographics are eager to share their personal experiences with one another--on social media and beyond.
Insight - Millenials and Gen Z experience an overlap in certain spaces like pop culture. While nostalgia is the primary catalyst for the former, novelty in design catches the attention of the latter. This not only establishes strong demand for given products/services, but it also makes for a niche space where members of these demographics are eager to share their personal experiences with one another--on social media and beyond.
Workshop Question - Conceptualize a Barbie-based collaboration that your brand could produce to target Millennials and Gen Z.
Trend Themes
1. Nostalgic Collaborations - Brands are collaborating with nostalgic icons like Barbie to target Millennial and Gen Z demographics, providing more opportunities for cross-industry collaborations.
2. STEM Education - Barbie's partnership with Tynker to teach coding skills to girls through Robotics Engineer Barbies demonstrates an opportunity for more education and gender inclusion in STEM-related industries.
3. Ethnic and Inclusive Fashion - The Hayley Elsaesser x Barbie collaboration promotes playfulness, empowerment, and inclusivity with a line of whimsically patterned designs featuring diverse Barbies, revealing an opportunity for more brands to embrace diversity and inclusivity in fashion.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Branded collaborations with Barbie offer fashion companies the opportunity to present a nostalgic-yet-modern aesthetic to target Millennial and Gen Z demographics.
2. Beauty - Barbie's influence on cosmetics collaborations like GLAMGLOW's SUPERMUD mask and NCLA's vegan and cruelty-free makeup collections offer a chance for beauty brands to promote a youthful and playful brand image.
3. Education - Barbie's Robotics Engineer partnership with Tynker opens up more doors for STEM education and diversity, allowing for more opportunities to engage young girls and women in these industries.
