In Quebec too, Mattel and its Barbie dolls always see life in pink

2023-09-11 13:13:05

Almost two months after the film’s release Barbie, products from the Mattel brand, creator of the famous blonde doll, continue to sell like never before in stores here. The film also remains at the top of the Quebec and international box office. The success is such that the producers are already thinking of creating a sequel to the feminist blockbuster.

Valérie Hamel, co-owner of the Benjo toy store in Quebec, was “taken by surprise” by this pink madness. “When the film Barbie came out, our phone didn’t stop ringing. Customers asked us for all kinds of derivative products, especially dolls bearing the likeness of the actors. Even today, their sales are increasing. »

This is unheard of. Several companies spotted a good deal when they realized the success of the film.

Beyond dolls, Benjo markets “dozens” of other accessories from a record number of partnerships concluded by Mattel. “It’s unheard of,” says M.^me Hamel. Several companies spotted a good deal when they realized the success of the film. We were offered to sell decorations, clothes and candy… We now have a full wall of Barbie candy in our store. »

Barbie, for adults?

Regardless of what critics say, the main goal of Greta Gerwig’s film is not so much to promote equality between men and women as to advance the idea that “anyone can be [et donc acheter] a Barbie,” as the characters repeat. Mattel is banking not only on updating its brand among young people, but also on the nostalgia of adults who grew up with its dolls. This is why most derivative products target adult consumers.

“As many parents with their children as single adults come to see us to buy them,” observes M.^me Hamel.

Aurélien Jacquot, salesman at the Ojeux boutique, on Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, also highlights the “diversity” of his customers.

Several companies other than Mattel are also the subject of ostentatious product placement in the film Barbie. The German sandal brand Birkenstock, which mainly targets an adult audience, is probably the most obvious example. In China, “the craze is such that some distributors complain of being close to running out of stock”, indicates the French daily Releaseciting Chinese media Huxiu.

Less pink, more dolls

Last July, The duty reported that several stores in downtown Montreal, including Aldo, displayed pink and glittery clothing in their windows, following the release of the film. Today, with the start of the school year, the pink trend of summer seems to be fading. But Mattel products, especially Barbie dolls, remain very popular.

A recent study by the Euromonitor International agency even predicts that doll sales worldwide will increase by 16% by 2026, compared to 2022, thanks to the popularity of the film. “After a lackluster 2022, where doll sales were affected by high prices amid economic uncertainty, owner Mattel expects a strong 2023 thanks to the film Barbie and the relaunch of Monster High dolls, new Disney princesses and Snow Queen said Loo Wee Teck, head of toys and games at Euromonitor International, in a press release in July.

“In the week following the release of the feature film, Barbie sales increased by 20%” in France, the newspaper also said. The Parisian analyst Frédérique Tutt, who produces specialized consumer studies for the company Circana.

In her Quebec boutique, Valérie Hamel comes to the same observation. “Usually, the start of the September school year is a slower time for us, because parents are focused on buying school supplies, but it seems like we are feeling the effects less this year. »

Records au box-office

Everything indicates that Barbie will remain the most popular film of 2023, both in Quebec and internationally. In our country alone, it has collected more than $10 million so far, and remained the third most popular film in theaters last weekend, according to Cinéac data. In total, Barbie has accumulated over US$1.3 billion in box office revenue. It is the biggest commercial success achieved by a woman to date, and the 15th^e All categories.

Proud of this global success, Mattel could carve out an even bigger place for itself in Hollywood. In an interview with the magazine Varietythe company’s president and CEO, Ynon Kreiz, says he wants to create a true “cinematic universe” by producing films inspired by other products of the brand, such as Barney, Polly Pocket and American Girl.

Both Mr. Kreiz and producers Warner Brothers are even considering creating a second Barbie movie. If Greta Gerwig said New York Times not being able to make a sequel for the moment, the American magazine Forbes speaks of an “inevitable” outcome for the franchise, given the success of the first film. So, if it disappears from our store windows today, the pink of “Barbieland” could just as well come back into fashion in a few years