The Barbie boost
Following one of the most successful movie marketing campaigns in recent memory — complete with pink Airbnbs, partnerships, billboards and a release that took on a life of its own alongside Oppenheimer — Barbie has cemented itself as the biggest movie of the year. And, Mattel, the toymaker behind the original Barbie doll, is benefiting doubly from it.
On Wednesday, the company reported a 16% year-on-year increase in gross billings in Barbie toys for its third quarter, propelling the company's doll category to an impressive 27% growth and boosting overall sales by 9% year-on-year to $1.9 billion.
The dreamhouse: more please
The hit movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, raked in more than $1.4 billion at the global box office, becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year — edging out another fictional character, Super Mario, for the top spot.
The success of the doll-to-blockbuster crossover has given Mattel renewed momentum — the key challenge is, of course, how to maintain it. The company’s plan? More of the same, with movies in the works that feature the toymaker's other beloved brands including Trolls, Barney, Hot Wheels, and Polly Pocket.
