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☆ The 'Barbie' movie could make as much money as it spent on months of elaborate marketing stunts in its first 3 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sirena Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The rumor is $100 million. Still, $100 million feels about right, especially compared to what other movies spend. It's been boosted by the unexpected showdown between the pink, sparkly, sunshine Barbie movie, and the other blockbuster opening the same day — about the guy who invented the atomic bomb. Variety reports that on its opening weekend, "Barbie" is expected to take between $95 million and $110 million from ticket sales in North America alone, which would match what we assume was spent on marketing. But if "Barbie" can get that many people through the door on its opening weekend, the huge advertising push has definitely done something right.

Persons: Barbie, it's, Barbie Dreamhouse, Warner Bros hasn't Organizations: Vogue, Warner Bros, Mattel, Variety Locations: Malibu, North America

☆ Everything's pink: How Barbiecore fashion has fueled a movie's buzz
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

There are Barbie sneakers, Barbie backpacks, Barbie swimsuits, and Barbie hoodies for your dog. A few months later, photos showed Barbie movie star Margot Robbie on set in a hot pink Western jumpsuit. As the style took off, fashion magazines chronicled celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Harry Styles in bright Barbiecore outfits. Barbie-inspired foods include an ice cream flavor and a Barbie burger with pink sauce sold at Burger King in Brazil. Robbie, who rotated through Barbie-inspired looks during the movie's publicity tour, even rolled pink suitcases through the airport in Sydney.

Persons: Mattel Inc's, Barbie, Barbie swimsuits, Barbie hoodies, Richard Dickson, Couture, Valentino, Margot Robbie, Madeline Hirsch, Hirsch, Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, Kendra Scott, Dreamhouse, Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Rich Daughtridge, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Tom Cruise's, Filmgoers, Jeff Bock, Bock, Lisa Richwine, Rollo Ross, Sarah Mills, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Mattel, InStyle, Balmain, Old Navy, Microsoft, Burger King, Warner Bros, Malibu, Party, Relations, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, French, Burger, Brazil, Sydney, Barbiecore, Maryland, flamingo, Los Angeles, London

☆ ‘Barbie’ Review: Out of the Box and On the Road
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Manohla Dargis | More About Manohla Dargis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

That’s a question that swirls through Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” a live-action, you-go-girl fantasia about the world’s most famous doll. The movie opens with a prelude that parodies the “dawn of man” sequence in “2001: A Space Odyssey” (with girls, not ape-men), and then shifts to Barbie Land, a kaleidoscopic wonderland. There, Gerwig sets the scene and tone with Barbie (Margot Robbie) — who calls herself stereotypical Barbie — soon floating out of her Dreamhouse, as if she were being lifted by a giant invisible hand. Written by Gerwig and her partner, Noah Baumbach, the movie introduces Barbie on yet another perfect day in Barbie Land, in which dolls played by humans exist in what resembles a toyland gated community. There, framed by a painted mountain range, Barbie and a diverse group of other Barbies rule, living in homes with few exterior walls.

Persons: Greta Gerwig’s “ Barbie, ”, fantasia, Barbie, George Bernard Shaw’s, Lerner, Loewe, “ Barbie, Gerwig, Margot Robbie, —, Barbie —, Noah Baumbach, Eero Saarinen Organizations: Mattel Locations: Barbie

☆ Mattel hated the 1997 song 'Barbie Girl' so much that it sued. Now, the song is making a return thanks to Greta Gerwig.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Aqua's chart-topping 1997 hit "Barbie Girl" called the doll a "blond bimbo" and was full of innuendos. "Barbie Girl" is now being revived in Greta Gerwig's film with a performance by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. But no one really thought that the tongue-in-cheek song could have been written by Mattel, Lobel wrote. Years later, Mattel even bought the rights to the song from Aqua, Lobel wrote. The song is now making a comeback, in a way, thanks to Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" film, which is hitting cinemas this Friday.

Persons: bimbo, Greta Gerwig's, Nicki Minaj, Elton John, Barbie —, Lobel, Aqua, Barbie, Ken, Barbie's Dreamhouse, Lene Nystrøm, René Dif, hanky, Mattel, Alex Kozinski, Vinnie Zuffante, Michael Ochs, Nystrøm, Stone, Pamela Anderson, Kozinski Organizations: Mattel, MCA Records, Service, Universal Music, Michael Ochs Archives, Aqua, YouTube, Spotify Locations: Wall, Silicon, Norwegian, Australia, Barbie's

☆ Barbie is all the buzz this summer — and retailers hope it will make cautious consumers spend
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Bloomingdale's is just one of the retailers and brands trying to tap into Barbie buzz. With a splash of hot pink, retailers hope to chase away the summer doldrums and inflation blues. About half of Aldo's Barbie collection sold out in the first week. So far, the Barbie merchandise is "selling incredibly well" and appealing to customers across generations, said Frank Berman, the department store's chief marketing officer. Gap has sold out of some of its popular Barbie items, including rectangular pink sunglasses.

Persons: Bloomingdale's, Barbie, Aldo, Brand, Daianara Grullon Amalfitano, Aldo's, Aldo Macy's, Frank Berman, Berman, it's, Ken, Circana, Margot Robbie's, Oliver Chen, Cowen, Chen, Susan Fournier, Barbie isn't, Fournier Organizations: Warner Bros, Mattel, Companies, NPD Group, IRI, Unit, Walmart, Target, Amazon Prime, Consumers, Adobe Analytics, Aqua Locations: Manhattan, Lexington Ave, U.S, Boston, New York City

☆ 'Barbie' merch is everywhere and fans can't get enough: 'When you're an icon, everyone is familiar with you instinctively'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Barbie" isn't just the biggest ticket of the summer, it's also the hottest merch money can buy. Since its creation in 1959, the Barbie brand has had countless partnerships and licensing arrangements with brands in related industries. "When you're an icon, everyone is familiar with you instinctively," Quint tells Make It. "Add on the marketing push that you get with a Hollywood film, and you've got the explosion of attention, content and partnership around the movie." The boutique cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse is leaning into the Barbie hype, launching its first-ever tie-in merchandise collection alongside the film.

Persons: isn't, it's, Margo Robbie, Matthew Quint, Quint, you've, Barbie, they'll Organizations: Malibu, Columbia Business School, Alamo

☆ Barbie's real-life Malibu Dreamhouse now available on Airbnb
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The listing reads: "Welcome to my Kendom! While Barbie is away, she has handed over the keys to her Malibu Dreamhouse this summer and my room could be yours for the night. I've added a few touches to bring some much-needed Kenergy to the newly...moreThe listing reads: "Welcome to my Kendom! While Barbie is away, she has handed over the keys to her Malibu Dreamhouse this summer and my room could be yours for the night. I've added a few touches to bring some much-needed Kenergy to the newly renovated and iconic Malibu Dreamhouse.

Persons: Barbie, I've, Mike Blake Locations: Malibu

☆ Barbie’s DreamHouse available to rent on Airbnb ahead of movie’s release
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Pack your bags Barbie fans, this summer’s holiday destination is clear: The Malibu DreamHouse. The pink pad will be available to rent in California this summer, but the house has been given a twist by Barbie’s beau Ken. “I’ve added a few touches to bring some much-needed Kenergy to the newly renovated and iconic Malibu DreamHouse,” it adds. The DreamHouse is part of promotional efforts for the new “Barbie” movie from Warner Bros. which is set for release on July 21. Warner Bros., like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros.

Persons: Ken, “, Barbie, ”, “ I’ve, BARBIE, Airbnb, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Sarah Greenwood Organizations: CNN, Mattel, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Architectural Locations: California, Malibu, Malibu , California, Barbie

☆ Airbnb is offering a free stay at Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse—here's how to book
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Get ready to live like Malibu Barbie for a day. In a marketing stunt ahead of the release of director Greta Gerwig's hotly-anticipated "Barbie" movie, a listing has appeared on Airbnb offering guests a stay at Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse. The all-pink mansion is hosted by Ken — played by Ryan Gosling in the upcoming film — and looks like the iconic Barbie playset come to life. "Placed perfectly above the beach with panoramic views, this life-size toy pink mansion is a dream come true!" Guests will have access to Ken's "awesome wardrobe to find your best beach fit," and will walk away with a set of yellow-and-pink roller skates and a surfboard.

Persons: Malibu Barbie, Greta Gerwig's, Ken —, Ryan Gosling, Barbie playset Organizations: Malibu

☆ Barbiecore Is Surging Its Way into Home Décor and Interior Design
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Lia Picard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hot pink made waves when Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli released her own iteration, called “Shocking pink,” in the mid-1930s. The original Barbie doll didn’t even wear pink when it first debuted in 1959, wearing, instead, a black and white chevron bathing suit. Barbie’s pink shades evolved over the years, and in 2008 the vibrant “Barbie Pink” became an official Pantone color. Gifty Walker, Joybird’s director of merchandising and sourcing in Los Angeles, noted that Joybird had a hot pink couch that was popular in 2016. Now hot pink is back and customers are using it to eschew traditional neutrals like grays, browns, and tans.

Persons: wasn’t, Elsa Schiaparelli, Barbie, ”, Kim Culmone, Pink ”, Barbie Dreamhouse, Gifty Walker, Joybird, Walker Organizations: Mattel Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Living in a Barbie World, Through the Decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Mathew Brownstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The article, which was published this past week, documents the ways in which Barbie’s Dreamhouses reflect the social, cultural and economic evolution of modern American life. By 1974, when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed, banning credit discrimination, Barbie’s Dreamhouse got a glamorous upgrade to three stories. Ms. Kodé wrote about this rich history, using Barbie’s Dreamhouses to mark different historical moments. But they also practiced moving and photographing Barbie using the stop-motion technique. Some Dreamhouses took over an hour to set up; the longest shoot required moving Barbie 137 times.

Persons: Barbie’s Dreamhouse, Kodé, Tony Cenicola, Michael Kolomatsky, Gabriel Gianordoli, Barbie, Dreamhouses, Cenicola Organizations: Mattel, Times, Digital News Design, eBay, Calif Locations: Barbie’s, El Segundo, New York

☆ Barbie, Her House and the American Dream
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Anna Kodé | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Barbie, Her House and the American Dream Take a stop-motion journey with the young, single homeowner of the Dreamhouse. Today according to Mattel, the toymaker behind the iconic doll, a new Barbie Dreamhouse is sold every two minutes. A vintage Barbie doll puts a record on, dances and sits down. He came to Barbie’s house.”Now, Ms. Dalsing lives in Saint Joseph, Mo., in what she called her own dream house. “In the early 2000s, single women were the fastest growing group of home buyers in the United States,” she said.

Persons: Ken isn’t, Barbara Millicent Roberts, Roberts —, Barbie, ” Ruth Handler, Ken, Handler’s, —, Barbie’s Dreamhouse, ”, Deborah Dinner, wasn’t, weren’t, Barbie’s, Felix Burrichter, “ Barbie Dreamhouse, ” Barbie’s, Sue Dalsing, Dalsing, “ Ken didn’t, “, ” It’s, Elliot Handler, Handler, Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s Barbie, Hugh Hefner’s, Helen Gurley Brown’s, ’, Brown’s, Brown, Young, Tiffany, Barbie —, Houseplants, Burrichter, might’ve, Maddie Bone, Bone, Homer, …, Ms, Amy Castro, ” Ms, Castro, Isabelle Roy, ‘, Roy, He’s, Barbie couldn’t, Christie, Kim Culmone, Catherine E, McKinley, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Greenwood, Spencer, It’s Organizations: Mattel, New York Times, “, Cornell University, Survey, Wisconsin ., Furniture, The Times, Spice, University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Locations: crave, Britain, Saint Joseph, Mo, Barbie’s, Wisconsin, Levittown, Waldoboro, United States, Canadian, Alberta, Palm Springs

Card 2 of 12Pink Floyd, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and MeThe inside story of a Times reporter’s strange role in a foundational moment in early internet culture: “The Dark Side of the Rainbow.”Background Image: A video montage showing scenes from “The Wizard of Oz” with Pink Floyd song lyrics superimposed.

Persons: Pink Floyd, ‘, Oz ’, Oz

☆ Remember when Paris Hilton channeled ‘Barbiecore’ to a Britney Spears’ 2001 concert?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Faye Bradley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And in November 2001, the hotel heiress made a fashion statement that etched itself in the annals of noughties style. To top it off, she wore a tiara, applied a glossy pink lip and pink eyeshadow and clutched onto a furry Barbie-branded handbag. At just 20 years old, Paris Hilton — pictured here with Nicole Richie as the pair attended a Britney Spears concert in Las Vegas — was already being dubbed a culture-defining noughties "It Girl." In a playful mauve take on the label's classic tweed separates, Naomi Campbell walks the runway during Chanel's Spring-Summer 1994 show. Paris Hilton walks the runway during Versace's Spring-Summer 2023 show on September 23, 2022 in Milan.

Persons: CNN —, Paris Hilton, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, July’s, Barbie, Hilton, bestie Nicole Richie —, Britney Spears, Nicole Richie, Las Vegas —, ”, —, Paris, Oscar de la, Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, Barbiecore, supermodels Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Michel Arnaud, Corbis, Thierry Mugler’s, Herve Leger, Cindy Crawford, Karen Mulder, Eva Herzigova, Moschinos’s, Mattel’s plaything, Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Barbie dreamhouse, Mary Jane heels, She’s Organizations: CNN, Paris, New, Hollywood Locations: ”, Las Vegas, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, tweed, Couture, Milan, Bahamas

☆ 'Barbie' movie's pink paint splurge led to global shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Creating the perfect backdrop for the upcoming “Barbie” movie required so much pink paint that it led to a global shortage, according to its production designer. “The world ran out of pink,” said Sarah Greenwood in a recent interview with Architectural Digest. Warner Bros. PicturesGreenwood, who has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including for the art direction of “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement,” said constructing the set involved huge amounts of Rosco’s fluorescent pink paint. Warner Bros.’ live-action movie, which hits theaters on July 21, stars Margot Robbie in the titular role and a blond Ryan Gosling as her plastic boyfriend, Ken. (Warner Bros., like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros.

Persons: Barbie, ”, Sarah Greenwood, Margot Robbie, Pictures Greenwood, ’, Ryan Gosling, Ken, CNN Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, “, Gerwig, Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Lauren Proud Organizations: CNN, Architectural, Warner Bros, Pictures, Warner Bros . Locations: London, Palm

☆ The new Barbie movie used so much pink paint on set that it caused an international shortage, according to its production designer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The new Barbie movie used so much pink paint on set that it caused an international shortage. Production designer Sarah Greenwood told Architectural Digest the "world ran out of pink." Greenwood told the magazine that constructing the set resulted in an international shortage of the fluorescent shade of Rosco paints. "The world ran out of pink," she told Architectural Digest. In one clip the Barbie Dreamhouse can be seen featuring a pink slide that descends into a pool, a pink shower, a pink bed, and lots of other pink accessories.

Persons: Sarah Greenwood, —, Greta Gerwig's, Gerwig, Katie Spencer, Snow, Barbie, Greenwood, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Emma Mackey, Kate McKinnon Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Little Locations: —, London

LOS ANGELES, April 14 (Reuters) - From the first blonde haired Barbie created by Mattel in 1959 to the upcoming "Barbie" film, the iconic doll with small feet continues to make a large impression on generations of fans at the new "World of Barbie" immersive experience in Los Angeles. This trip is not just for young girls, said Lucy Treadway, producer for Kilburn Live, which built the life-sized version of Barbie's Dreamhouse. Fans are encouraged to express their own style at the "World of Barbie" through the viral "Barbiecore" fashion trend of girly pink outfits and accessories. Fans can also buy Barbies and Barbiecore accessories at the "World of Barbie," with plenty of options for customers to embrace their love for the Barbie world. Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Jorge Garcia; Editing by Mary Milliken and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 9 fascinating details hidden inside Barbie Dreamhouses throughout history
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Barbie Dreamhouse debuted in 1962, three years after its plastic resident hit toy store shelves. Nine details in the homes show us what Barbie — and we — value, from ambition to accessibility. Barbie hit toy store shelves in 1959, with the first Dreamhouse following three years later for $8. The new book "Barbie Dreamhouse: An Architectural Survey" takes a look at Barbie's history through the architecture and interiors of her consistently updated bachelorette pad. When the Barbie Dreamhouse debuted, it was a vision of a bachelorette pad for a woman unmoored from the expectations of her day.

Or they feature commercial characters from media juggernauts, imbued with predetermined personalities and storylines that encourage children to copy, not create. Yet bestselling toys — as distinct from best — are too often those that are most advertised to kids; digitally enhanced or linked to popular media characters; or both. Companies that profit hugely from licensed characters have a vested interest in preventing children’s creative play — and stifling their creativity. Toys that promote creativity are less likely to be huge moneymakers because they can be used repeatedly in lots of different ways. These toys seem to be made with a kind of planned obsolescence, so new ones will soon be needed.

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