Why the ‘Barbie’ Promotional Bonanza Is a Good Thing, Actually

Everything's coming up Barbie right now. As the Greta Gerwig-directed adventure-comedy adaptation of the iconic Mattel franchise finally reaches theaters on July 21, it may feel like the movie's been out for a year or more, considering how much we've heard about it. Yes, there've been a lot — a lot — of elements to this movie's campaign, to the point that it may feel like overkill, but that's kind of what makes it all so great.

First, a quick recap of just some of the ways Barbie's marketing team has taken up room in the public attention space: There was that series of all-star cast character reveal posters that, wisely, fans could insert themselves or others into; the first trailer left everybody buzzing about the instantly iconic foot shot, even sparking a full-on TikTok challenge; the soundtrack reveal proved there'll be needle drops galore in the film; there's also an entire HGTV mini-series challenge for competitors to build the ultimate Barbie Dreamhouse (plus there's an actual Barbie Dreamhouse that popped up on Airbnb about of nowhere); and, of course, the promotional tour has been a must-see, with lead actress Margot Robbie putting on an absolute fashion show of Barbie's greatest hits (see below for a compilation of her many memorable pink carpet looks). 

In short, it's been an actual press whirlwind – yet, we still don't really even know what the movie's about. A lot of ink could and should be spilled about the cleverness with which the Warner Bros. marketing team has made this movie feel intensely familiar and yet completely mysterious. They've got some very big "Ken"-ergy going for themselves right now. Even more impressive, though, is the fact that so many resources have been devoted to this project in the first place.

Sure, Barbie is undoubtedly an American icon. The first Barbie fashion doll was released in 1959, and she has remained a household name and must-have toy ever since, evolving with the times and presenting many other visions of what Barbie truly is (many of which will be represented in the movie, of course). However, it's not exactly a sure thing at the box office. 

Previously, Barbie's multimedia adaptations have been mostly web series, animated shows and television specials. So Barbie's promise in a theatrical sense is still to be determined. On top of the uncertainty regarding the IP's ticket sales potential, there's also the fact that co-writer and director Greta Gerwig is still relatively untested at the box office. Her most recent full-length films are Lady Bird and Little Women. Both were critically revered, and each turned healthy profits, but we're not talking Marvel money just yet. 

Still, the studio is treating Barbie's release as though it's just that: a blockbuster superhero film destined to make bank. Considering this is a woman-directed feature, and female directors accounted for around 17% of the 250 top-grossing feature films in 2021, the attention that's being devoted to publicizing this movie is definitely a risk. However, it does appear to be paying off already: The film is on track to notch a $70-80 million opening weekend and best fellow release Oppenheimer in the long-awaited showdown of these two very different films. Plus, Mattel seems confident enough that there'll be more Barbie films to follow and it's moving forward with a whole host of from-the-toy-box adaptations, including a Magic 8 Ball horror-comedy, a Major Matt Matson film that may star Tom Hanks, a Hot Wheel movie, and more.

If the studio's heavy investment in Barbie pays off, it could mean a shift in the way that studios treat women-directed features — even ones that might require a leap of faith in their creatives like this. 

So before you give into a sense of Barbie promo fatigue, consider the possibility of someday seeing Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con covered in pink. It'd be a blast.

Barbie (finally) hits theaters on July 21.