Barbie is continuing on its mission to challenge gender roles in a new campaign that shows fathers playing Barbie with their daughters.
The ad is the latest effort from Mattel, Barbie’s parent company, to modernise the brand and empower its audience.
It starts off with dads talking about their love of football and dirt bikes, before moving into a montage of six dads and their kids playing with all different types of Barbies, exploring various occupations, from a doctor to an astronaut.
One father says: “I think she can be anything she wants to be", as the camera shifts to unscripted moments between the pair.
Another says: “I would do anything to make her happy.”
Also notable is the diversity in the families cast in the ad.
The campaign is the latest articulation of the ongoing "You Can Be Anything" positioning, which has included the famous "Imagine the Possibilities" spot from late 2015, which showed little girls acting as teachers and doctors and businesswomen in real-world environments.
This integrated global campaign will include TV, cinema, digital and print advertising. Partnerships with Social Native, Tongal and Time Inc. will further promote #DadsWhoPlayBarbie.
Last year AdNews reported on how despite having a toy box full of brands, Mattel, a legacy brand that’s been around for 70 years, lost its way as it struggled to stay relevant - without reinventing its entire brand.
In this market Clemenger BBDO Melbourne holds the Mattel creative account.
Credits
Client: Barbie
SVP, Global General Manager: Lisa McKnight
VP, Global Marketing Communications: Kristina Duncan
Global Marketing Communications Director: Liz Maglione
Global Marketing Communications Manager: Nicole Leeds
Agency: BBDO San Francisco
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