2023 Brand of the Year - Barbie

Every year, right about now, I pick my selection for “Brand of the Year.” I don’t have any firm criteria per se, just a sense of the cultural impact, growth, and development that the brand has created in marketing, creativity, the specific industry, and frankly the world.

This year’s choice is rather simple … Barbie.

Fueled by the success of the movie Barbie, sales of the iconic doll and all the accessories grew by 9%. Huge growth in that industry and given the economy we all faced. The brand introduced the new Fashionista line which further expanded the inclusivity of the products with dolls of different body types, one with braces, and a Ken doll with a prosthetic leg. There was also a new Barbie with Down Syndrome. Amazing. Can you imagine how included these new toys make kids feel?!?

The movie itself became the biggest release of 2023, Warner Brothers’ biggest movie ever, and the biggest feature film of any female director. It also featured the most marketing partnerships of a film ever, from clothing, to home furnishings, to kitchen appliances, to jewelry, to pool toys … to you name it, literally. The power of pink was everywhere, and still is. Those pink Birkenstocks killed me!

And I just love that we got to know a bit about creator Ruth Handler.

Such respect for this brand. It’s not the first time I’ve chosen it for “Brand of the Year,” but it is by far its biggest year ever. The cultural impact cannot be measured as I heard men and women describe how it all made them feel.

Now that’s a brand! What’s your experience? JIM