Analysis of Moschino Barbie Ad

Advertising

Company Overview

Mattel is a producer of children's toys, including the well-known industry brands Fisher Price, Barbie and Hot Wheels. The company has strategic partnerships with several other major brands such as Disney, WWE, Nickelodeon and Warner Bros. The company did nearly $6.5 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year, and turned a profit of just of $900 million. Nearly half of its revenues come from international markets.

The Barbie brand is the most important for the company, with just over $1 billion in annual revenues. The company's marketing is focused around the end-of-year, when gift-buying for children reaches its peak. The company utilizes most forms of media for its advertising, including traditional 30-second television spots. Mattel spent $733.2 million, or 12.2% of net sales, on its marketing efforts in the last fiscal year (Mattel 2014 Annual Report). In terms of distribution, its three largest customers are Walmart, Toys R Us and Target, worth a combined $2 billion, or one-third of total company sales (Mattel 2014 Annual Report).

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The advertisement in question is the Moschino Barbie 30-second television spot. The spot features two girls and a boy playing with the product, which is a Barbie that has been co-branded with an Italian fashion house. The spot was released in November, 2015. It was released internationally, and received significant press because it was the first Barbie ad to feature a boy. The ad has over 3 million hits on YouTube and received press coverage from major media in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the UK. The product itself was a limited edition Barbie that retailed for $150 and sold out within days of its release, so it would seem that the ad was more about selling the brand than this one particular limited edition product.

The ad features three children, two girls and a boy. The children are all highly-styled in terms of their hair and clothes, presumably fitting the Moschino aspect of the branding. The doll is featured with a house and an extensive wardrobe, including Moschino branded products. The spot was filmed in a studio and features no background, just the children and the toys. The music is loud and poppy, and features a female singing lyrics about the product. The children mainly face the camera and gush about the product. The copy contains some interesting elements -- the boy proclaiming "Moschino Barbie is so fierce" is probably the standout line of copy from this ad. Visually the style of the toys and the children -- all in what would be described as high fashion -- is the main takeaway.

Persuasive Technique

The product is aspirational in nature. The actual Moschino Barbie, according to media sources, was a limited edition product that retailed for $150, much more than a usual Barbie, and was not sold through the normal channels that Mattel uses. A reasonable assumption is that the ad sought to create aspirational associations for the brand. First, the use of an Italian fashion house -- Moschino is a luxury brand from Milan -- creates a specific brand association for Barbie. It positions the Barbie character as being fashionable and beautiful. This impression is supported by the amount of styling that was done on the models, all with professional hair and designer clothes. The aspirational element is effective, creating an impression of a product that, in its ordinary non-$150 form can be transformed into something just as fabulous.

The use of the boy is what got the ad its media publicity. This is a more subtle form of persuasion, because it simply points out that Barbie's target market is broader than just young girls, but that boys also can play with Barbies. This depiction affirms to the audience that it is okay for a boy to play with Barbies, which should have a positive impact on brand association. That element probably created more of a stir with adults than with children, as it challenged their perceptions of the target market for the product. This element helps to grow the target market by reshaping perceptions of the parents (the buyers).

Evaluation of Effectiveness