• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
SuccessArts & Entertainment

A look into ‘Barbie’s’ $150-million genius marketing campaign: None of us really knew what the movie was about, but we still went

Paige Hagy
By
Paige Hagy
Paige Hagy
Down Arrow Button Icon
Paige Hagy
By
Paige Hagy
Paige Hagy
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 25, 2023, 3:11 PM ET
Jim Cashman (A.K.A. Jaime) and Stephanie Courtney (A.K.A. Flo) from Progressive at the premiere of the Barbie movie
'Barbie' was promoted in a Progressive insurance commercial in the lead-up to the film's release.Christopher Polk/Getty Images

No one walking into the theater actually knew what the Barbie movie was going to be about, but everyone went anyway—dressed in pink. 

Recommended Video

The phrase “Barbie is everything” is true. Barbie pink and the iconic logo have been practically everywhere and on everything since Warner Bros. dropped a first look in April 2022 of Margot Robbie as Barbie sitting in her pink convertible. It’s estimated that over $150 million was spent on the film’s marketing campaign, more than its production budget of $145 million, Vanity Fair reported. 

Barbie marketing included everything from an Airbnb Barbie DreamHouse rental and a Barbie boat cruise on the Boston Harbor, to pink burgers at Burger Kings in Brazil and Progressive insurance commercials.

More traditional marketing came in the forms of teaser trailers reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Times Square billboards, and an Instagram countdown to opening night.

“I won’t comment on the budget,” Josh Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of global marketing, told Vanity Fair. “The reason people think we spent so much is that it’s so ubiquitous. That’s a combination of paid media and how many partners came to play with us. Because it pierced the zeitgeist, it has the impression that we spend so much. In fact, we spent responsibly for an event movie.”

Neither Warner Bros. nor Mattel, owner of the Barbie brand, immediately responded to Fortune’s request for comment.

You know you’re in the zeitgeist if you’re a trending meme

Director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie brought in over $160 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend, making it the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman. 

But you can’t talk about Barbie without talking about Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, a film about the creator of the atomic bomb that was released on the same day. Social media had a major part to play in their mutual success. 

The meme-ification of Barbie-Oppenheimer (a.k.a. “Barbenheimer”) helped result in $311 million in combined ticket sales. This made the past weekend the fourth highest-grossing domestic box office weekend in history, behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, according to the New York Times.

@giga_berger

#barbenheimer #shitposting #meme #original #spiderman #oppenheimer #barbie

♬ original sound – Nacho Libre

The Internet seemed to take to the ironic and self-aware tone of Barbie. One of the film’s taglines read, “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you. If you hate Barbie, this movie is for you.”

“We wanted to recognize there were legions of Barbie fans, but that Barbie had quite a history and there are people who felt like Barbie wasn’t for them,” Warner Bros.’ Goldstein told Vanity Fair. “This was a movie that understood that and was acknowledging it. “

And more memes surrounded the efforts of Barbie’s marketing team, crediting pink sunsets, pink-colored lakes, sightings of rare pink dolphins, and more as relentless promotion for the movie.

The Barbie marketing team have done it again. So creative 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/h4JCbRzFaj

— Mark Rofe (@iamrofe) July 17, 2023

the Barbie marketing team has done it again 👏 https://t.co/IvRdEZmzuj

— mary mandefield (@marymandefield) July 19, 2023


But some have criticized Mattel for going too far when the company gave free Barbie dolls to children in schools in its “Barbie School of Friendship” program during the lead-up to the film’s premiere. Experts told the British Medical Journal that they were “faintly repulsed” by it and asked, “Why should children be exposed to this type of stealth marketing?”

At the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit, Fortune 500 leaders will convene to explore the defining questions shaping the workforce of the future—delivering bold ideas, powerful connections, and actionable insights for building resilient organizations for the decade ahead. Join Fortune May 19–20 in Atlanta. Register now.
About the Author
Paige Hagy
By Paige Hagy
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Sheryl Sandberg tells Gen Z the 10-year career plan is dead as AI wipes out entry-level jobs: ‘Don’t script your career when the future is uncertain’
Successcareer
Sheryl Sandberg tells Gen Z the 10-year career plan is dead as AI wipes out entry-level jobs: ‘Don’t script your career when the future is uncertain’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 21, 2026
1 hour ago
elon
SuccessIPOs
SpaceX IPO targets $28.5 trillion total addressable market, mission to ‘make life multiplanetary’ and understand ‘true nature of the universe’
By Nick LichtenbergMay 20, 2026
11 hours ago
Elon Musk sits with his fists together, looking up.
Commentaryspace
SpaceX will be worth trillions, but the space station that made it possible is worth even more — if we don’t squander it
By Tejpaul BhatiaMay 20, 2026
11 hours ago
Professor Jeff DeGraff.
SuccessWorkplace Innovation Summit
‘We’ve given them the short end of the stick’: Business school dean says AI could eliminate many jobs for young people—even as they lead innovation
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
13 hours ago
Arvind Jain, Founder and CEO, Glean
SuccessWorkplace Innovation Summit
While other tech CEOs warn of mass job losses, Glean’s chief says AI will never replace a single worker
By Emma BurleighMay 20, 2026
14 hours ago
Shaquille O'Neal
SuccessEducation
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: ‘Your character will take you further than your resume’
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
18 hours ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
4 days ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
9 days ago
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
Workplace Culture
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 20, 2026
19 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.