"See What Happens When You Play with Barbie" is a brand campaign from 2012.
Press Releases[]
February 7, 2012[]
"Barbie® Opens the Giant Pink Doors of Her Dream Closet in a New Global Brand Campaign
World’s Most Popular Doll Invites Fans to “See What Happens” When Imaginations Get Dressed Up
This year, Barbie® invites girls to play with fashion and dress up their imaginations with a new global brand campaign.
Toy Fair 2012
February 07, 2012 05:03 AM Eastern Standard Time
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This year, Barbie® invites girls to play with fashion and dress up their imaginations with a new global brand campaign. For more than 50 years Barbie® has been the world’s most popular fashion doll, inspiring girls to ‘try on’ different roles and encouraging them to play out their dreams. The “See What Happens When You Play with Barbie®” campaign celebrates the style icon and her role in delivering a never-ending array of fantasy-to-career outfits for girls to explore. The television advertising campaign opens the giant pink doors to Barbie’s Dream Closet and is complemented by an augmented-reality online destination, apparel for girls, and new product introductions that put Barbie®, and her fashion heritage, center stage.
“In Barbie’s world, role play often leads to real life. Barbie gives girls the opportunity to be anything they want to be from a princess to a president,” said Stephanie Cota, Senior Vice President, Global Barbie Marketing at Mattel. “The new global campaign celebrates the ‘wow’ girls experience when they play with Barbie. After all, the only thing bigger than Barbie’s world is a girl’s imagination.”
The Barbie® Dream Closet New York Fashion Week Experience
Debuting at the famed Lincoln Center, Barbie® will unveil a larger-than-life installation of her ultimate Dream Closet complete with 24-foot tall, jewel encrusted doors leading into a two-story, 9,000 square-foot set with multiple dressing vignettes. The New York Fashion Week installation will transport fashionistas and fans in the area inside Barbie’s fantastical wardrobe complete with augmented reality technology “mirrors” that allow users to literally doll themselves up in Barbie’s most iconic, playful and glamorous outfits from the past five decades. Live models also will “dress the set” adorned in high-luxe looks on loan from the Albright Fashion Library, an exclusive couture library that includes styles from Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Moschino, Chloe, and Burberry.
"February in New York is one of Barbie’s favorite times of the year,” added Cota. “Toy Fair and Fashion Week are epic industry events and a true intersection between toys and fashion - what more could a doll want?”
Barbie’s Fantastical World Brought to Life in New Commercials
Beginning this month, new commercial spots will transport girls into a fantastical world of pink poodle topiaries and cotton candy clouds. Directed by Floria Sigismondi, best known for the popular music videos of such artists as Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera, the spots showcase that same whimsical art direction through Barbie’s pink lens.
The hyper-real global brand spot will run in countries such as the United States, France, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and Germany. Additionally, the iconic Barbie® Dream Closet door imagery will be incorporated into both Barbie™ licensed consumer product and toy television spots, offering consumers a consistent brand promise across the entire product portfolio.
Barbie® Steps into the Apparel Aisle
To tease the new Barbie™ branded apparel line for girls that is launching throughout 2012, the ruffled pink skirt, necklace-embellished print tee-shirt and cropped denim jacket worn by the lead girl in the commercial spots will be available for purchase through the brand’s new online destination BarbieWow.com.
BarbieWow.com: A Global Fashion Destination for Fans of All Ages
BarbieWow.com opens its online doors on February 9th as the brand’s first single, global digital destination. The pink portal will transport fans in more than 30 countries inside Barbie’s Dream Closet with unique brand integrations and new media channels of “sharing and trending” that will turn raiding Barbie’s wardrobe into real-time, globally-shared experiences.
Once inside her Dream Closet, girls of all ages can explore a world of endless fashion, accessories and imaginative play, through interactive activities such as a design studio to dress up Barbie® and augmented-reality “mirrors” to dress up themselves using the doll’s favorite fashions. In partnership with top digital and style destinations Polyvore, Pinterest and Rent the Runway, girls can take inspiration from Barbie to create real-life looks and designs that are all their own. The site also features a section titled “Behind Pink Doors,” where top fashion influencers share stories behind meaningful pieces from their personal closet as an example of the transformative power of fashion.
All Doll’d Up: From Fashion Runway to Toy Aisle
Girls of all ages will have the opportunity to design, inspire and create with new Barbie® products that will be introduced throughout the year. Currently available, Barbie® Design & Dress Studio allows girls to design her very own fashions for Barbie, and the Barbie® I Can Be™… Fashion Designer doll celebrates Barbie® doll’s newest career as a Fashion Designer. This fall, Barbie® will take technology to new fashion heights with the Barbie® Photo Fashion doll that not only takes and stores up to 100 high-resolution photos, but can also instantly display these photos on the doll’s tee-shirt for the ultimate in customization.
For high-res images or broadcast-quality b-roll please visit www.BarbieMedia.com."[1]
February 29, 2012[]
'Barbie® Opens the Pink Doors to Her Dream Closet in a Global New Brand Campaign
Feb 29, 2012 World’s Most Popular Doll Invites Fans to “See What Happens” When Imaginations Get Dressed Up
AUSTRALIA, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 – This year, Barbie® invites girls to play with fashion and dress up their imaginations with a new global brand campaign – “See What Happens When You Play with Barbie®”. For more than 50 years Barbie® has been the world’s most popular fashion doll, inspiring girls to ‘try on’ different roles and encouraging them to play out their dreams. Launching in Australia on February 26, campaign activations include TV, online, augmented reality experiential, transit, in store and PR.
Barbie’s world comes alive in new global brand TVC The global Barbie® TVC was created by Minneapolis agency Peterson Milla Hooks and directed by Floria Sigismondi, best known for the popular music videos of artists such as Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera. The TVC showcases that same whimsical art direction through Barbie’s pink lens. The ad will run in Australia from February 26, as well as in the United States, France, Brazil, Mexico and Germany. The US campaign commenced February 9, and the TVC was named Ad of the Day on Adweek.
Travel in style – Barbie® puts the pink in “PT” Melbourne commuters will be able to ride the hot pink, glitterised number 96 Barbie® tram week commencing March 4. Step inside the sparkly doors and inside her fantastical wardrobe complete with iconic outfits and career paths that have been accessorising imaginations for more than five decades. Sydneysiders will be invited to board the bright pink Barbie® bus in early September.
The Barbie® Dream Closet – it’s your turn to try on the style icon’s wardrobe! A series of augmented reality experiential events will be rolled out along the east coast of Australia from April, where Aussie fashionistas and fans are invited to step inside her fantastical wardrobe, complete with augmented reality “mirrors”, and get doll’d up in the style queen’s most iconic, playful and glamorous outfits from the past five decades. The Barbie® Dream Closet will launch at an exclusive VIP event in Sydney in April, followed by a series of public events at Westfield centres in NSW, VIC and QLD during school holiday periods from April through to September.
The Barbie® Dream Closet has been created by Melbourne agency Gun Communications and comprises a custom built 4m2 set, and a bespoke digital application using the Xbox Kinect platform. Gun is responsible for strategy and creative direction, application design, project management and PR. Gun engaged the Perth based developer Adapptor – members of the official SDK group – to build the application. The Kinect camera uses skeletal mapping to track users as they stand in front of the “mirror”, making hand gestures to select their outfit, have their photo taken and shared to a bespoke gallery on facebook (users aged 13+ only). The Microsoft XNA platform has been used to integrate videos and sound. BarbieWow.com: a global fashion destination for fans of all ages.
An online destination has been created for the “See What Happens” campaign at www.barbieWOW.com - the brand’s first single, global digital destination. The pink portal will transport fans in more than 30 countries inside Barbie’s Dream Closet with unique brand integrations and new media channels of “sharing and trending” that will turn raiding Barbie’s wardrobe into real-time, globally-shared experiences. Once inside her online Dream Closet, girls of all ages can explore a world of endless fashion, accessories and imaginative play, through interactive activities such as a design studio to dress up Barbie® and augmented-reality “mirrors” to dress up themselves using the doll’s favorite fashions.
“In Barbie’s world, role play often leads to real life. Barbie™ gives girls the opportunity to be anything they want to be from a princess to a president,” said Tracey Hutson, Marketing Manager, Mattel® – Girls Brands. “The new global campaign celebrates the ‘wow’ girls experience when they play with Barbie™. After all, the only thing bigger than Barbie’s world is a girl’s imagination. “We are especially excited about giving girls the opportunity to try on Barbie’s clothes for the very first time, courtesy of the BARBIE® DREAM CLOSET augmented reality events. Girls of all ages will want to raid Barbie’s closet – we’ve included some of her cult outfits and careers from the 80’s right through to today,” Tracey elaborated.'[2]
March 5, 2012[]
"World's Most Popular Doll Invites Canadians to "See What Happens When You Play with Barbie®"
TORONTO, March 5, 2012 /CNW/ - This year, the new "See What Happens When You Play with Barbie®" campaign arrives in Canada with a series of engaging events for fans of all ages. From launching at Spring Fling 2012 to making a grand entrance at World MasterCard® Fashion Week and taking a lead role at Toronto Fashion Incubator's 25th Anniversary event, Barbie® invites girls and her many adoring fans to play with fashion and dress up their imaginations.
"In Barbie's world, imagination rules, giving girls the opportunity to be anything they want to be," said Adriana Gut, Marketing Manager for Girls at Mattel Canada. "This campaign celebrates the 'wow' girls experience when they play with Barbie, and the chance to try on a new career, a new fantasy, a new story, something girls never dreamed was even possible."
For more than 50 years Barbie® has been the world's most popular fashion doll, inspiring girls to 'try on' different roles and encouraging them to play out their dreams. The "See What Happens When You Play with Barbie®" campaign celebrates the style icon and her role in delivering a never-ending array of fantasy-to-career outfits for girls to explore.
Barbie® invites girls to Rogers Centre Spring Fling 2012 (March 10 - 16)
This spring, Barbie® kicks off "See What Happens When You Play with Barbie®" in Canada at this week-long event held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. At Spring Fling, Barbie® opens her pink closet doors to her world and invites girls to let their imaginations and creativity soar. Onsite Barbie® activities over the whole week will offer girls the chance to become a fashion designer or choose a career that Barbie® has currently devoted herself to with the new line of I Can Be™ dolls. Barbie®: A Mermaid Tale 2, the latest direct to DVD entertainment property launching March 6 will be featured with its own role play station and photo opportunity where girls can transform from a surfer to a mermaid. Girls can also get a hairtastic makeover at the hair studio. See what happens when they play in Barbie's world.
Barbie® welcomes fashionistas to her Dream Closet at World MasterCard® Fashion Week (March 12 - 17)
With Barbie® sponsoring one of Toronto's most highly-anticipated fashion events, Barbie's ultimate dream closet will be unveiled in the form of a high-tech installation. This installation will transport fashionistas and fans inside Barbie's fantastical wardrobe complete with augmented reality technology "mirrors" that allow users to literally doll themselves up in Barbie's most iconic, playful and glamorous outfits from the past five decades. During World MasterCard® Fashion Week, this augmented reality experience will be located within the major tents at David Pecaut Square.
"Toronto is one of Barbie's favourite cities to visit, especially during Fashion Week when the city lights up with celebrities and fashionistas," added Gut. "What more could a doll want?"
When girls play with fashion, they accessorize their imagination and no one has more accessories than Barbie®. From a fairy to fashionista and a princess to a president, Barbie's virtual dream closet will allow every fashion lover and Barbie® fan to play with fashion and dress up their dreams.
Barbie® invites Canadian Designers to Play with Fashion at Toronto Fashion Incubator Gala (May 3)
To celebrate the Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) 25th anniversary, Barbie® challenged Canada's top fashion designers to create one-of-a-kind designs inspired by her. From up-and-coming talent to notable names in the industry, Barbie® selected 25 designers that created unique fashionable pieces that can be worn as art - theatrical, fresh, optimistic and out-of-the-box wearable styles. Barbie® inspired Canadian designers to play out their dreams and challenge their imaginations. In a special runway show, Barbie® will unveil these outstanding "art-as-fashion" pieces at TFI's anniversary gala event on May 3rd at the Royal Ontario Museum. Catch her this summer in an exclusive Flare fashion feature for a chance to see Barbie® wear these stunning Canadian designs available on newsstands June 28. Although just under a foot tall, she's always ahead of the trends serving as model and muse to fashion lovers across the globe."[3]