Barbie Australia proves that kids can be anything in brand new campaign via The Taboo Group
This Sunday, Barbie Australia is launching a bold campaign that brings the brand’s widely praised ‘You Can Be Anything’ positioning to life for the Australian audience created by The Taboo Group.
The stars of the campaign are three remarkable Aussie youngsters who prove kids can be anything they want to be – without having to wait until they’re “grown up”.
Quincy Symonds is an eight-year-old surfing prodigy and champion. Humanitarian Cael Faye single-handedly raised over $10,000 for charity by the time he was eight. And 10-year-old YouTube filmmaker Grace Mulgrew has over 400,000 subscribers. One of her Barbie videos has over 54 million views.
Building on the brand’s biggest change in 57 years – a new range of dolls with different body shapes, skin tones, hairstyles and eye colours – this campaign takes the next step in celebrating diversity and inspiring self-confidence.
Says Reece Hobbins, creative director, The Taboo Group: “Our challenge was to develop a piece of communications that inspired young kids, but also signaled to parents that Barbie was continuing to evolve what it represents. So instead of creating a story, we searched Australia for children who were living their own – and asked them to tell us about it in their words.”
Says Chedney Rogers, marketing director, Mattel: “When Ruth Handler created the Barbie doll in 1945 she said ‘My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices’. That ideology is more relevant now than ever, and we want Barbie to continue to be a vehicle for creativity, imagination, and greatness, for all kids.”
The campaign will also see Barbie award one lucky kid with a personalised $10,000 experience to give them a serious leg up in achieving what they want to be.
Client: Mattel
Creative Agency: The Taboo Group
Creative Director: Reece Hobbins
Senior Creative/Copywriter: Kiriana Wheaton
Strategy Director: James Mackinnon
Client Services Director: Matilda Hobba
Account Director: Kate Prowse
Production Company: Positive Ape
Director: Lizzy Bailey
Producer: Darren McFarlane
Post Production: Studio Pancho
Sound: Big Ears Audio
Music Composition: Dove Bailey
Mattel Marketing Director: Chedney Rodgers
Mattel Senior Marketing Manager, Girls: Tim Nolan
Mattel Marketing Manager, Girls: Katharine Turner
Mattel Brand Manager, Girls: Elizabeth Kazantzidis
Media Agency: Carat
11 Comments
So great to see Barbie looking at the world through a more realistic lens. And featuring a boy – awesome.
Nice
Nice sentiment. Pity that kids are made to buy a Barbie product before they can get a chance to ‘be anything’. Open it up guys.
Really nice work for a tough client
Like
Talking heads and average montage footage is not how you inspire or entertain young kids.
Poorly executed, lacking in story, missed opportunity.
These are pretty bloody adorable. Nice job.
Great work guys. Nice to see barbie involving boys too.
Poor performance on all videos days after the launch, fail.
Doesn’t appear to be doing too badly form what I can see. Seems to be getting a lot of positive comments from kids talking about what they want to be when they grow up. I’d say that’s a win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuXTSgzWR-8