The press tour for Greta Gerwig’s long-awaited Barbie movie has kicked off in a flurry of pink, with support from a wide variety of brand partnerships, from Gap and Asos to Air BnB.
It follows months of high-profile marketing and movie promotion for the Warner Bros. movie, both on social media and via a raft of creative brand collaborations, which have seen Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) posing for photos in designer outfits from Versace and Chanel, emulating the original Mattel 1959 doll.
Starting with a photo call in Beverly Hills, the cast – which also stars Ryan Gosling as Ken – is due to visit eight global cities, including Toronto, Sydney, Seoul, Mexico City, London and Berlin.
The tour announcement was made on Instagram by the official Barbie account, which posted a photo of Robbie next to the character’s iconic pink Corvette on 26 June.
“It’s the best day ever!” the post read, accompanied by photo of the actor and infamous Barbie car at Los Angeles’ iconic palm tree-lined Sunset Boulevard.
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The promo tour’s most recent stop has seen Robbie participate in photo calls alongside the film’s other stars, including Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon, American actress Issa Rae and Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera.
Meanwhile, in honour of their Canadian heritage, Gosling and Simu Liu, who both play a variation of the character Ken, have attended a special press day in Canada – aptly nicknamed ‘Kenada’.
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Other notable marketing collaborations include the new bookable AirBnB ‘Barbie’ Dreamhouse in Malibu, a pop-up Barbie café, the creation of a Barbie-themed hotel and a limited-edition themed XBox console.
Director Gerwig told The Guardian that the movie’s target audience is anyone from eight to 108. ‘“It’s a movie that I think can really cut across generations and genders. Everyone can find a pink, glittery existential dance party in their heart,” she added.
The Barbie movie is due to premier in theatres on 21 July.
