The Barbie & Ken Break Up: A Marketing Story
Since 1961, Barbie and Ken shared a life through the decades. Then, in 2004, Mattel did something that shocked the toy industry. They announced that Barbie and Ken had broken up on Valentines Day in 2004. Society watched and waited in suspense to see if Barbie and Ken would rekindle their romance. In this blog I’ll break down the famous Barbie and Ken break up that took place in various forms of media, which encompassed a marketing plan in a league of its own.
The Break Up
After 43 years of being an item, Mattel’s vice president of marketing, Russell Arons, announced the couple would take a break. There were many rumors of the break, but Arons said it was like any other Hollywood couple, and the couple decided to spend some time apart reassuring the public that they would remain friends. People were devastated when they heard the couple had parted ways in 2004, pushing the story through a wide array of news outlets. Throughout the 7-year break up, Mattel tapped into various forms of media including: social media, billboards, texting, and the big screen.
Mattel ran a poll on www.barbieandken.com that brought to light that fans wanted them to reunite. This marketing move gave Mattel the opportunity to produce a new product. That’s also when they released the Barbie and Ken Gift Set.
Social Media to the Rescue
It all started when Barbie and Ken updated their status on Facebook. Mattel led the public up to this moment to form the biggest social media campaign of 2011. Barbie and Ken started tapping into social media in July 2010 with a Twitter and Foursquare account and YouTube channel. She used Foursquare to engage in scavenger hunts with her fans while Tweeting clues. Mattel even developed the Video Girl Barbie doll that had a video camera in it. This was used in conjunction with Foursquare and YouTube.
Barbie continued to Tweet and check-in all over. In February 2011, Mattel came up with Reunite Barbie and Ken. During the reunion, Barbie and Ken both had their own Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare pages. Parody videos also posted to spread the word on YouTube. Ken made it clear via social media that he was going to attempt to win Barbie back on Valentines Day 2011. He even had a text campaign where users would text THUMPS UP or THUMPS DOWN to 51684 to vote on whether the two should reunite. Ken would Tweet about how he wanted to win Barbie back, and he would recall memories that him and Barbie shared. Ken even used an online dating site, refer to the video above, which found that Barbie was his perfect match.
Offline Campaign
The campaign branched out and Mattel invested in taking the campaign offline. Billboards and advertisements were all around the world with tag lines such as Ken stating, “Barbie, I want you back!”
User Interaction
The Barbie and Ken Facebook page allowed users to vote on whether Barbie should take Ken back or not, heightening the emotional connection with Barbie and Ken fans across the world.
Reunited
In the end, Barbie and Ken reunited through social media on Valentines Day 2011. The digital campaign took place during the 50 year reunion of the Ken doll, and was just in time for the release of the “Sweet Talkin Ken.” You could also see the reunion on Disney’s Toy Story 3. Barbie and Ken continue to use social media to this day and I hope you all agree with me that this was a fun marketing plan to watch take place!