Pink sauce on that Burger King burger? What about 害羞草研究所淏arbie-fying害羞草研究所� your pet with sweaters and beds with Barbie motifs? If that害羞草研究所檚 too low-brow, perhaps you害羞草研究所檇 be interested in hot pink Barbie monogrammed knit leggings by luxury designer Balmain instead, selling at Neiman Marcus for a cool $2,150.

Welcome to the wonderful and weird world of marketing.

Ahead of Friday害羞草研究所檚 U.S. release of the 害羞草研究所淏arbie害羞草研究所� movie, parent company Mattel has created a product marketing blitz with more than 100 brands plastering pink everywhere.

There are pink benches at bus stops and pink clothing displayed in store windows. Microsoft害羞草研究所檚 XBox has come up with a Barbie console series and HGTV is hosting a four-part Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge.

And then there are all the unofficial collaborators trying to grab a piece of the Barbie craze. Restaurants across the country are offering special pink cocktails, while interior decorators are showing options like vibrant pink backsplashes to 害羞草研究所淏arbiefy害羞草研究所� your kitchen.

Even the organization I Support the Girls 害羞草研究所� a nonprofit that has provided 22 million bras and menstrual hygiene products to homeless people, refugees and immigrants 害羞草研究所� is creating a social media campaign around menstrual periods using Barbie and having volunteers create miniature packages of Barbie-sized menstrual pads and tampons as teaching tools.

害羞草研究所淭he capability to share stories and knowledge through playing with Barbie is what made us realize we need to jump on this pop culture Barbie bandwagon,害羞草研究所� said Dana Marlowe, founder and executive of I Support the Girls. 害羞草研究所淚f you can see yourself in a toy or in a doll, we want to also make sure that we害羞草研究所檙e raising awareness about bras and clean underwear and the like.害羞草研究所�

Some experts say all the marketing beyond the movie is only good for the 64-year-old brand, helping to attract multi-generations of fans.

害羞草研究所淲hen a brand owns something as iconic as the color pink, it害羞草研究所檚 good news and bad news,害羞草研究所� said Marc Rosenberg, a Chicago-based toy consultant who led the global marketing teams for Hasbro害羞草研究所檚 brands like Furby, GigaPets, and Hit Clips. 害羞草研究所淚n this case, I think it害羞草研究所檚 all good news. Everyone in the world wants a piece of pink now.害羞草研究所�

But pundits also say it害羞草研究所檚 going to be hard for many of the products to stand out when the world is awash in pink.

害羞草研究所淭here is such a stampede toward this that most people are going to get stepped on and will not be noticed,害羞草研究所� said Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce, noting he believes there will be more losers than winners.

For some shoppers like Hollie Krause of Mahwah, New Jersey, Barbie pink blitz that ramped up since June is already getting too much.

Krause, 31, said that she loved her Barbie dolls growing up and had about 20 of them along with a Barbie Dreamhouse. So when some of the merchandise started to roll in earlier this year, she bought Barbie-themed pajamas, a Barbie T-shirt, Barbie-trademarked pink lemonade, along with some other pink outfits.

Now she害羞草研究所檚 feeling overwhelmed.

害羞草研究所淏arbie is supposed to be for everyone, but these nostalgic collaborations should feel a little bit more unique or a little bit more creative,害羞草研究所� said Krause, who plans to focus on limited edition items.

叠补谤产颈别害羞草研究所檚 an homage to the doll with some biting satire, comes at a time when Barbie sales have been up and down after slumping from 2012 to 2015, when it faced stiff competition from other dolls and was under attack for pushing unrealistic beauty standards to girls and lost some relevance. It enjoyed a big bump in sales during the depths of the pandemic when parents were looking to entertain their children.

Barbie now accounts for one-third of Mattel害羞草研究所檚 revenue and it has been diversifying the dolls with more skin tones and versions with prosthetic legs, wheelchairs and hearing aids. This year, it unveiled its first

As a result, according to market research firm Circana, Barbie has remained the top fashion doll for the past four years starting in 2019 and through June of this year in the U.S. as well in the combined 12 countries that Circana tracks.

So far, product marketing around the movie has done well.

Mattel害羞草研究所檚 Barbie that was specifically made for the movie and is dressed in a pink gingham dress, is No. 1 in sales for dolls and for the pre-school dolls and dollhouse category sold on Amazon, according to the retailer害羞草研究所檚 website.

Neiman Marcus noted that it launched its exclusive Barbie collaboration with Balmain last year and sold out of many items in the first few days. Based on the success of last year害羞草研究所檚 collaboration and the current , it has reissued the collection starting July 10, the retailer said.

Then there害羞草研究所檚 the mixed social media reviews for the 害羞草研究所淧ink Burger害羞草研究所� offered by Burger King害羞草研究所檚 franchisee in Brazil. It害羞草研究所檚 offering a slice of melted cheese, bacon and a smoky-flavored hot pink sauce. The Pink Burger comes in a Barbie Combo, which also features French fries (dubbed 害羞草研究所淜en害羞草研究所檚 Potatoes害羞草研究所�), a pink shake and a pink-frosted donut.

害羞草研究所淗as BK completely lost its creativity or is just too lazy to think of something better?害羞草研究所� said one comment on Burger King Brazil害羞草研究所檚 Instagram account.

Restaurant Brands noted it is a limited-time partnership sold exclusively in the Brazil market and will not be available in the United States nor elsewhere.

____

Like us on and follow us on .