Bloomingdale’s and ‘Barbie the Movie’ Get Ready for Their Summer Fling
“Barbie” is headed to Bloomingdale’s, naturally.
The retailer revealed its partnership with Mattel in celebration of the most highly anticipated film of the summer, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Barbie the Movie.” The multifaceted partnership includes online and in-store pop-up shops, an exclusive collaboration with “Barbie the Movie” and Bloomingdale’s private label Aqua, window displays and various events and activations.
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Over the years, Bloomingdale’s has been known for its impactful tie-ins with films, TV and Broadway shows such as “Moulin Rouge,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Rent,” “Chariots of Fire,” “Evita,” “Phantom of the Opera, “Hairspray” and “Bridgerton.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Mattel and Warner Bros. on what’s anticipated to be the most iconic pop culture moment of the year,” said Frank Berman, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Bloomingdale’s. “As ‘Barbie the Movie’ continues to take center stage, we’ll be rolling out some of the most exciting activations, nationwide events, and product collaborations to date, starting with our exclusive Aqua collection. Our customers will be able to channel and experience Barbie through fashion and fun.”
As Bloomingdale’s gets ready to roll out its promotion, a number of companies have been curating special collections inspired by the iconic doll in anticipation of the film’s release, such as Moon, Superga, Impala, Primark, Funboy and Gap.
Berman said it’s not the first time that Bloomingdale’s has teamed up with the iconic doll, and the retailer has often aligned with pop culture moments.
“Bloomingdale’s throughout our history is synonymous with pop culture, which is one of the core differentiators of our brand,” said Berman. “Coming through our 150th anniversary and going through the history over the decades, the amount of intersection with pop culture over the years has been incredible, including with the Barbie brand.”
During the ’80s and ’90s, there were a number of exclusive Barbies at Bloomingdale’s created with designers such as Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Nicole Miller, who outfitted Barbie in their collections, he said. “Barbie is such a big part of pop culture and it’s a brand that’s been around more than 60 years, and we helped celebrate their 50th anniversary in our store with a retrospective of Barbie over the decades and the evolution of the brand that’s so ingrained in pop culture,” said Berman.
Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer of Mattel, said, “Barbie and Bloomingdale’s have been playing together for years, so it’s no surprise that we have teamed up once again to create an incredible fashion collection and immersive experience that will celebrate the movie event of the summer.”
Berman said the Barbie promotion isn’t just limited to young women and kids.
“It covers across all demographics. As part of the fashion connection with Barbie, we created this Aqua capsule collection with ‘Barbie the Movie,'” said Berman. He said when you look at the customers who shop Aqua, it’s customers of all demographics. “It’s got the right aesthetic, it’s on trend and it’s at a good price point,” said Berman, noting they’ve frequently used Aqua for various collaborations with pop culture. “This seemed like a natural fit,” he said.
Bloomingdale’s exclusive “Barbie the Movie” x Aqua collection will be sold alongside an assortment of licensed apparel and accessories including Impala Skates featured in the film, and products from such brands as Barefoot Dreams, Funboy Floats, PJ Salvage, among others. Some 44 brands are participating in the promotion, 11 of which are “Barbie” specific.
The “Barbie the Movie” x Aqua 26-piece collection features women’s and girls’ apparel and accessories, ranging from sequins to matching tweed sets. The line, which retails from $55 to $200, has dresses, pants, pleated miniskirts, tanks and blazers in a color palette of pinks and blues, inspired by fashions seen in the film. To complete the look, there are heart-shaped crystal cross-bodies, shimmering evening bags, bold earrings with pearls, fringe and crystals, and a paperclip star necklace.
The “Barbie” online activation begins Tuesday, while the in-store shops go in July 13.
Through activations in-store, shoppers are invited to enter a Barbie DreamHouse at the pop-up in the 59th Street store (first floor Carousel area) and Century City; take photos in a life-size Barbie box; and shop exclusive, customizable products from July 13 through Aug. 24.
In the beauty realm, there will be hairstyling touch-up # ForAllHairkind with the Shark FlexStyle, available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street store on Fridays and Saturdays from July 13 through Aug. 24. There will be makeovers and hair blow-outs, said Berman. “Shark Beauty is a great partner that we tapped to be a key player within the beauty space,” he said.
On July 21, the Lexington Avenue windows at the Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship will be reimagined in Barbie pink, for the first time, featuring iconic scenes inspired by the movie and looks from the “Barbie the Movie” x Aqua collaborative collection, according to Berman. The windows will be up through Aug. 14.
“We really left Ken out of the mix,” Berman said, referencing the lack of menswear focus.
The branch stores will carry the full assortment of Aqua product, but won’t have the entire in-store shop.
In the kids’ area, there’s a girls’ assortment of Aqua with activations in those departments. “Barbie is a multigenerational brand; that’s why we love the paring with Aqua. There’s nostalgia that comes from the parents of young brands. It’s an incredible brand with its own iconic history,” he said.
As for traffic expectations, Berman said he expects it to be a big draw. “This is our big summer moment. We’ve got a pretty sizable investment for 59th Street and our Los Angeles flagship in Century City. We expect it to be a fun summer activity to come and experience the shop and the merchandise and the fun and animation and unexpected fun moments,” said Berman.
On July 22, for a “Barbie’s Best Day Ever” promotion, there will be a live DJ and immersive activities at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street and Century City only.
Asked if there’s been any backlash to Barbie promoting unrealistic beauty standards, he said, “No, none at all. I think Barbie has evolved over time to stay current, with diversity, equity and inclusion. If you take a look at their assortment and how they’ve evolved over the years…that’s why we were happy to partner with them. That’s certainly a big focus for us. I don’t see any backlash from it. It’s some cast, and the director’s fabulous. Just to have that partnership together, I think it will be a home run.”
Turning to key looks in the Barbie collection that he anticipates will be bestsellers, he said, “I think the whole Aqua and ‘Barbie the Movie’ Collection is going to blow out. That’s the big focus, and that’s the centerpiece for everything we’re doing. It’s just a really fun product that brings it all together.”
Berman reflected on how Bloomingdale’s is able to appeal to different ends of the fashion spectrum. “We have luxury and you can walk up to that shoe floor, and we have Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Fendi and Jimmy Choo. And we have this ability to have this fun and whimsy and be a kid again. I love that juxtaposition of the Bloomingdale’s brand. We can play on both ends of the spectrum,” said Berman.
When asked whether the stars of the movies will be involved in any way, he said they’re still working out a few deals.
The movie stars Margot Robbie in the title role and Ryan Gosling as her male companion Ken, with an additional ensemble cast including Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu and Kate McKinnon. The film premieres in theaters nationwide on July 21 and internationally on July 19.
Over the years, Bloomingdale’s has had Nicole Kidman performing with can-can dancers outside the store for its “Moulin Rouge,” promotion, and Zendaya with acrobats, dancers, knife throwers and jugglers for “The Greatest Showman” tie-in.
“This one with Barbie, there’s so much product extension, and it’s just this fun, social experience which is very much in the sweet spot of Bloomingdale’s. We’re a place to gather, and shopping should be social and fun. We’re not a transactional store, we’re an experiential store,” said Berman.
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