The world is seeing life in pink these days, courtesy of a marketing offensive of a rare scale on the occasion of the film’s release Barbie, by Greta Gerwig. Whether in stores, on red carpets or on social networks, the candy pink universe of the Mattel doll is the new trend, but for how long?
“It’s not just a wave, it’s a veritable tsunami of pink,” describes Ying Gao, a professor at UQAM’s School of Fashion and Design, still flabbergasted by the magnitude of the phenomenon.
Dresses, watches, swimwear, glasses, makeup, suitcases, Xbox: several brands have deployed their special collection in pink tones in recent weeks. It must be said that the toy company Mattel and the producer Warner have multiplied the collaborations authorizing the sale of derivative products to promote the film, unveiled on the big screen last Friday in Quebec.
Even the fast food giants have gotten into it. In some countries, Burger King offers a Barbie Burger topped with a pink sauce, while Starbucks has created a fuchsia pink drink topped with a mountain of whipped cream.
In itself, this marketing strategy is nothing exceptional. What is, however, is the staggering number of partnerships that have been concluded, more than a hundred. “In general, we will see partnerships with one or two brands. But I have rarely seen such a deployment, especially for products aimed mainly at adults, ”admits the professor at UQAM.
Beyond the carefully orchestrated marketing coup, it is mainly social networks that have propelled this trend, according to her. As soon as the first images of the film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were released in 2022, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest covered themselves in pink. The hashtag #barbiecore has thus appeared to designate this very specific aesthetic associated with the world of Barbie.
Pink is THE color of this summer
True to their avant-garde, several high fashion brands were already working on hot pink collections, ahead of all the hype surrounding the film. “Bright colors, like pink, have been back for a few seasons already, confirms Ying Gao. With the pandemic, the multiplication of natural, human and political disasters, we need more lightness in our lives. »
It was enough for American stars to embrace the trend: we saw Kim Kardashian in pink leggings by Balenciaga, singer Lizzo in a fuchsia pink dress by Valentino, Nicole Kidman in a pink ensemble by Miu Miu, to name but a few examples.
Even in Quebec, personalities like Karine Vanasse, Catherine St-Laurent, Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, Marie-Mai, Véronique Cloutier or Julie Snyder have recently released photos of them dressed all in pink.
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In Montreal, a simple stroll down the Sainte-Catherine shopping street confirms the trend: pink is everywhere. And especially at Aldo. The brand has won a collaboration with Mattel and offers a whole range with the effigy of Barbie, pink and glittery of course.
In the branch of the Eaton Center, there were only a few models still available when the passage of the Duty, last Thursday. “We were robbed in less than a week, it was impressive,” says assistant manager Ashley Vallé. “Pink is THE color for this summer,” she says.
Indeed, even brands that are not officially partners of the film are taking advantage of this widespread enthusiasm to highlight color in their windows or on their mannequins in stores.
“It gives the impression that there are more than usual, it’s more flashy. But we have to have as much blue, green or orange in the store,” points out a saleswoman from Simons, confirming that the watchword is to flash pink everywhere.
At the entrance to the store, there is also a modest section offering Barbie’s wardrobe: a large shade of pink of course, sequins, satin, and even a white sweater with the image of the doll.
Rehabilitate Pink
“That gives me a good excuse to wear candy pink! laughs Eva, who was just walking around the department when the Duty. The 22-year-old says she has always loved the color pink, without ever daring to wear it. At least until a few weeks ago. “When you’re tall and blonde, wearing pink really becomes the Barbie cliché. Looks like I didn’t take it. But there, pink is really everywhere, it bothers me less,” she points out, visibly delighted to finally be able to shop according to her tastes without being afraid of what people will say.
Because, for decades, the color pink, particularly bright pink, has been the symbol of exacerbated femininity, which is ridiculed. “Pink is lightness, carelessness, it has a silly and superficial side,” explains Professor Ying Gao.
However, she recalls that pink was initially associated with men and power. On Renaissance paintings, it was the kings who wore this color. The women were dressed in blue, the color of the Virgin Mary. It was only in the middle of the XXe century that the trend was reversed and that pink became a tool for constructing the identity of the female gender. The Mattel Barbie doll having largely contributed to the phenomenon.
According to the professor, the film Barbie and all the marketing exercise that goes with it, has the good side of rehabilitating pink in society, tearing it from old stereotypes that stuck to its skin.
“Is pink here to stay? Absolutely not. For many, we have already reached a saturation of pink. In my opinion, this fall, unsold items will be on sale, and it will be over for next season, ”she drops, not hiding her eagerness to see life in another color.