Friday, our office dog does not obey any orders unless crumbs of cookies are served to her. Only then does she excitedly raise her right paw for a handshake, or even sit. It’s quite a hassle as a dog owner, but this is exactly what brands have to go through when they want to entice an audience.
Serving tidbits to your audience at every stage to motivate them or lead them to the end goal is called the breadcrumb strategy. And as of recently, Barbie has done it exceptionally well. From creating a colour shortage to bringing back pink in the most phenomenal way possible, the world was re-enchanted with the Barbie doll in her Barbie world.
Barbie breadcrumbed her way to a $1.446 billion collection at the box office, a mega revival of theatres post-pandemic.
Why the Breadcrumb Strategy?
Let’s rewind to what exactly inspired the breadcrumb strategy.
Hansel and Gretel — a childhood fairy tale of a sibling duo escaping the witch of the woods. They escape the witch’s gingerbread house by leaving a trail of breadcrumbs leading home. Although it did not really work out for them in the story, this idea was welcomed with open arms by marketers around the world.
Mattel and Warner Bros Kicked-off with a classic teaser launch, it was a walk down memory lane for the majority of the world. Watching a life-size doll that once was the symbol of childhood come to life — surreal. The only twist was how inclusive the doll had become. Mattel planned to renew Barbie’s image from being more than a plastic figure of perfection to a newer, more realistic version — with flaws, ambitions & issues that graze human life.
The teasers and trailers were followed by a marketing strategy that brought the world’s attention, even Christopher Nolan could not prevent this pink grenade from exploding.
What was next?
Social media, AI, influencers, brands, everyone jumped into this nostalgic bandwagon, using Barbie’s iconic pink.
Nostalgia – Barbie is nostalgic, whether you love the doll or hate it, you could not ignore it. She was everything a girl wanted. Tapping into the audience’s bond with the doll was probably the most obvious thing Mattel could do, and they nailed it. Whether it was bringing the fashion back or re-visiting discontinued models, every Barbie enthusiast, old and new connected.
AI – Mattel aced the AI game. Users could star in their own Barbie poster, this tool was used over 13 million times, by the general audience and celebrities.
Brand Collaborations – Mattel collaborated with multiple brands across industries, it started off with the obvious fashion and travel industry, the trend caught on with unexpected brands joining the hype train. Microsoft created a Barbie-edition Xbox, Barbie-pink dental kits were sold, a whole Airbnb was transformed into a playhouse, the world had synced with this phenomenon.
Mattel and Warner Bros strategically served mini cookies to its audience, keeping them on their toes and getting them excited with the otherworldly collaborations & nostalgic Barbie moments. In fact, a user even posted a picture of a pink sunset and lauded Mattel for their undying efforts to keep the campaign going!
The audience savoured every cookie that was dropped up until the movie was released, and what a mega hit it was. Love it or hate it Barbie reigned supreme thanks to a brilliant marketing strategy.
What can brands learn from Barbie’s Breadcrumb marketing strategy
- Breadcrumb your way through every event: Whether it’s a social media post or a website launch make sure your audience feels the anticipation. Serve them tidbits of information or fun elements till the day of the event.
- Get creative: Your audience will always appreciate creative and fun content, it’s an easy way to get them to engage with your brand and leave with a great impression.
- Plan Plan Plan: Strategize and create a roadmap to how you want the campaign or project to go. This keeps things organised and ensures quality check.
At Narrative, we understand the needs of your brand. Every campaign is tailored with innovative thinking and planning. We believe that to reach the ultimate goal it is necessary to create a conversation around the campaign before even implementing it.
