With the current Barbie craze sweeping the nation, and indeed the world, it's impossible to escape the profusion of pink-themed partnerships which have been a key factor in what Variety calls "Barbie's Pink Publicity Machine". According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barbie has attracted more than 100 promotional partners, "from custom pink Crocs to a Prada clothing line to hair dryers — and everything in between" as "merchants and brands rushed to cash in on Barbie mania". And to be honest, I'm here for all of it. The genius marketing campaign, costing an estimated $150 million, has certainly paid off, with the pre-release hype translating to mind-blowing ticket sales on the film's opening weekend ($165 million in North America and $337 million globally).
As a pop culture enthusiast, I could not watch this pop culture moment pass by from the sidelines, choosing instead to have as many Barbie experiences as possible. Here, then, is a brief review of the Barbie-themed activities, merch and promotional products that I have sought out over the past couple of months along with a Pink Star rating for each.
Malibu Barbie Café
I also thought the double tipping was a rip-off (20% automatically included in your initial ticket purchase and then another 20% added to anything ordered at the café). Our server certainly did not earn 20% with a surly attitude that would perhaps be better suited to the Karen Restaurant. I also thought the unventilated "waiting area" with no seating was not a great first impression. However, it was a fun and memorable 90 minutes (yes, tickets are timed).
All That Glitters Is Pink - Cold Stone Creamery.jpg)
This limited edition ice cream creation at Cold Stone Creamery features pink cotton candy ice cream with graham cracker pie crust, "dance party" sprinkles and whipped topping. The cotton candy ice cream was delicious and not overly sweet as I feared it might be, while the graham cracker bits provided some tasty texture. I did not care for the whipped topping which just detracted from the color and flavor of the ice cream in my opinion. Also, the sprinkles that were used did not look like the ones advertised, leaving me feeling as though my dance party was missing a little of the promised dazzle.
Barbie Land Frozen Yogurt - Pinkberry.jpg)
The limited edition "Barbie Land Berry Pink" from Pinkberry is a blend of strawberry and dragon fruit flavored frozen yogurt topped with "dream sprinkles". The fruity combo was refreshingly tart, especially in the middle of a NYC heatwave, and the sprinkles certainly "topped" those of Cold Stone Creamery. However, I couldn't help feeling that the Cold Stone ice cream was better value for money, with the Pinkberry dessert falling short of the full cup on the poster while costing more that I was hoping to pay for a small froyo.
Barbie: The Album .jpg)
How could I resist a special edition of the movie's soundtrack on clear pink splatter vinyl? The answer is, I couldn't. I preordered the special edition from Walmart (which includes a Margot Robbie poster). The album, produced by the legendary Mark Ronson, features new music from Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Sam Smith and a very abbreviated collaboration between Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice that samples Aqua's iconic Barbie Girl. It also includes one of the most talked-about songs from the film, I'm Just Ken by Ryan Gosling. I subtracted half a star for the Kid Laroi song, which I could have done without.
Barbie: The Movie .jpg)
What is there to say, without sharing more spoilers than those that have already been doing the rounds since before the movie even came out? It was extremely clever, visually appealing, thought-provoking, touching, hilarious and most of all, fun! I would also give it a bonus star for pissing off pathetic Republicans who had called for a boycott of the film ahead of its release by exceeding expectations at the box office.
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