Can Barbiecore’s Pink Frenzy Drive Box Office Success for the ‘Barbie’ movie?

It's been a hot summer — but also a very pink one. In the run-up to the release of Barbie on July 21, there has been an impressive marketing blitz pegged to the film, from bizarre burgers to themed game consoles. Then, there is the fashion, more commonly referred to as "Barbiecore."

What is Barbiecore?

If you're new to the glitter-infused wave leading up to the film, Barbiecore refers to the universe of Barbie pink products, from outfits to your pet to sweatshirts.

"There is not a corner of the globe that hasn't turned pink," Richard Dickson, Mattel's president and chief operating officer, said in an interview, according to Reuters.

Images from the film and the Barbie-inspired outfits the film's star Margot Robbie has worn during the promotional tour have influenced summer style. When people (hopefully) hit the multiplexes this weekend, it's a safe bet many will be decked out in a colorful homage.

How Mattel is capitalizing on Barbiecore

Mattel, the toymaker behind the franchise, has been leaning into the passion for pink.

According to the Reuters report, Mattel trademarked the term Barbiecore in 2022 and sought out attention-grabbing partnerships with the likes of everyone from high-end luxury fashion house Balmain to a loungewear company.

The quirky film is getting solid reviews — including from The Messenger's own critic Jordan Hoffman — and Mattel and the studio hope all of the hype translates into ticket sales as folks go into a weekend with both Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer in theaters.

So...is it working?

Initial projections have Barbie in the lead. As of late June, Barbie was tracking to hit $70 million to $80 million over opening weekend, while Oppenheimer is estimated to pull in roughly $40 million, per The Hollywood Reporter.

In a poll conducted by The Messenger and QuestionPro, Barbie also edged out Nolan's drama.

Despite the competition, both projects have been supportive of one another. On June 29, Barbie star Robbie and director Greta Gerwig showed off their Oppenheimer tickets on Twitter, posing in front of the film's poster.

And Cillian Murphy, the star of Oppenheimer, offered his own support for the competing film.

"I love Margot Robbie, I love Ryan Gosling...I don't know what the debate is about, although it's not that I have an overwhelming opinion about it either," he said in a recent interview with La Vanguardia. "My advice would be for people to go see both, on the same day. If they are good films, then that's cinema's gain."