The driving idea behind the Barbie Dream Besties launch was to reimagine Barbie’s appeal for older girls, aged 7+, by presenting a meaningful connection to the brand through an innovative and multi-faceted platform. The goal was to extend Barbie’s customer lifecycle and engage girls who traditionally age out of doll play earlier by inspiring individuality, creativity, and ambition. This was embodied in the Dream Besties’ mantra of “living out their best dreams,” emphasizing empowerment, friendship, and self-expression.
The launch was designed to leverage compelling storytelling and rich multimedia experiences. This included a 10-episode YouTube narrative series, personalized music videos spotlighting the unique ambitions of each Bestie, and a coordinated global press strategy. By introducing relatable, modern story arcs—like Malibu’s rise as a makeup mogul, Brooklyn's choreographer aspirations, Teresa’s tech triumph, and Renee’s food blogging journey—the campaign reflected the zeitgeist of today’s ambitious youth while fostering emotional connections with fans.
The multi-platform strategy far exceeded goals, with initiatives driving over 63M YouTube views and 6M organic music video views (+207% above projections), cementing it as the top-performing Barbie series of 2024. Press efforts gained 29.4M impressions in major outlets like Variety and USA Today, while Barbie’s share points rose by +0.7 in the ‘Older Girls’ set. Successfully capturing aspirations of older girls, Dream Besties became a cultural sensation and a powerhouse for extending Barbie’s influence beyond traditional play.
Strategy
The Barbie Dream Besties project came to life as a bold response to a significant industry challenge—reintroducing the magic of doll play for older girls who often "age out" of the category earlier than before. With a shared growth mindset and unwavering collaboration, the team embarked on an ambitious, 18-month journey to innovate, inspire, and impact.
Plan of Action: Driven by Mattel’s commitment to innovation, the team reimagined Barbie through the lens of individuality, diversity, and storytelling. We introduced a trend-driven doll design that reflects older children's aspirations while showcasing body and cultural diversity. The product was paired with narrative-driven, high-quality entertainment (music videos, series, and games) to extend engagement beyond traditional doll play. Our collaborative approach involved partnership with older girls, gathering insights through iterative testing to shape every facet of the Dream Besties.
Execution and Features: Turning our vision into reality required groundbreaking processes. Transforming CAD files into vibrant CGI animated characters was a meticulous task, creating lifelike representations of Barbie’s inner dreams and external style. We combined this with a fresh cast of voice actors to breathe life into the narrative. Music videos spotlighting each doll’s ambitions premiered across platforms like YouTube and Apple Music, driving emotional connection to the characters. A 10-episode YouTube series further enriched the universe, delivering inspiring arcs where Barbie “Malibu,” “Brooklyn,” Teresa, and Renee pursue dreams aligned with makeup creation, choreography, tech, and food blogging.
To amplify reach, our strategy spanned digital teasers, gaming integrations (Roblox, DreamHouse Tie-Ins), social platforms, and unique collaborations, like a “Dream Besties Challenges” mini-series with Paramount. Each touchpoint kept the dolls dynamic, relevant, and accessible to older audiences.
Challenges and Overcoming Them: Perhaps the most striking challenge was skepticism during the product’s early stages. Key accounts doubted the line’s market potential, with initial pushback demanding strategic refinement. By doubling down on consumer insights, testing, and refining value propositions, our team transformed resistance into enthusiasm. A second challenge involved bridging cultural diversity and individuality in authentic ways. Through persistent design innovation, the dolls became empowering symbols of representation to resonate broadly.
Uniqueness: Dream Besties redefined what a doll franchise could be. Innovatively combining aspirational storytelling with cultural zeitgeist, it became a cross-platform powerhouse. Unlike traditional releases, this initiative seamlessly integrated narratives of self-expression through omnipresent channels (music, games, narrative arcs), carving a space unique to older kids while emphasizing empowerment through friendship and determination.
Collaboration: The project embodied cross-functional teamwork, involving design, marketing, consumer insights, and packaging while partnering with real kids for actionable feedback.
Innovation: Dream Besties introduced a fresh form factor, inclusive narratives, and a unified entertainment and product ecosystem that evolved Barbie’s relevance.
Execution: From skeptic to champion, the team’s persistence turned initial pushback into widespread acceptance. Multi-platform marketing broke new ground, combining efforts to create a synergistic fan experience.
Ultimately, Barbie Dream Besties exemplifies how focusing on individuality and aspirations can bridge generational gaps, delivering not just a product but a cultural movement. It highlights Mattel’s purpose: creating inclusive, empowering play experiences that inspire the next generation.
Results
The Dream Besties launch achieved remarkable success, effectively meeting and exceeding our team’s key objectives. As a vital component of Barbie’s audience expansion strategy, the initiative led to a +0.7 share point gain in the ‘Older Girls’ competitive set in 2H 2024, directly addressing the brand’s focus on engaging older children. The multi-platform strategy resonated with target audiences, positioning Dream Besties as a powerhouse across media and sales landscapes.
The campaign’s impact was amplified by exceptional performance metrics. With 63M YouTube views across all channels and Episode 1 surpassing its annual view goal by 448%, Dream Besties became Barbie’s top-performing series of the year. The music videos similarly excelled, garnering 6M organic views (+207% above projections), with "Malibu's" "I’ve Got The Look" leading with 11M views. The music also reached 409K global streams and 6.3M YouTube UGC views, underscoring its cultural resonance.
Critical acclaim from outlets like Variety and USA Today and year-end recognition from Toy Insider and New York Post validated the line’s innovation and impact. By authentically reflecting modern ambitions through relatable character arcs, such as Malibu’s makeup journey or Renee’s food vlogging success, Dream Besties captured youth culture and inspired fans globally.
Our efforts are a resounding success because they elevated Barbie’s cultural relevance, expanded its audience, and delivered on both emotional connection and measurable growth—all while reinforcing Barbie’s iconic legacy.
