Transforming Barbie from cultural icon to champion of female empowerment.
The Challenge
Mattel faced a critical moment with Barbie. Despite decades of cultural presence, the brand was feeling out of step with culture. She had lost her ‘iconicity’. The challenge was fundamental: How could we reposition Barbie as a powerful role model for championing the unlimited potential of young girls?
The project required a deep understanding of how female representation was evolving in global culture, and specifically what was standing in the way of girls achieving their full potential.
Our Approach
We deployed a cultural strategy approach across six global markets combining cultural insight, expert perspectives and semiotic analysis to uncover the barriers to progress and how ‘affirmative influencers’ were successfully challenging gender stereotypes and inspiring young girls.
The research took us deep into the culture of female empowerment to examine:
- The evolving cultural codes of female empowerment across different markets
- How role models were successfully breaking down gender barriers
- The new narratives emerging around girls’ potential and achievement
- The specific mechanisms through which gender bias affects society at large, and specifically girls’ self-perception
One of our key insights “The Imagination Gap” was pivotal, becoming the foundation for the ‘Barbie Dream Gap Project’, a global initiative seeking to undo the biases that hold girls back from their true potential. This has transformed the brand’s cultural relevance – and success.
The Outcome
The impact has been both profound and lasting:
- The Dream Gap Project, launched from our research six years ago, continues to educate society about gender bias
- The work paved the way for product development, including more diverse body shapes, skin tones and hair types
- The initiative provides tangible resources, supports research and provides funding for non profit organisations working directly with young girls
- The brand has become a legitimate voice in conversations about female empowerment and gender equality
The success of the Barbie movie is testament to this brand transformation, highlighting how powerful cultural strategy can be in shaping meaningful futures for brands, and in this case, the return of an icon.