

APG Creative Strategy Awards: How great strategy drives business growth
6 snips Feb 4, 2025
Alaina Crystal, a creative strategist and gender equity consultant who played a key role in Barbie's transformation, joins Craig Mawdsley, founding partner at craig + bridget, known for innovative supermarket campaigns. They share insights on how Barbie evolved into a cultural icon through strategic repositioning and how Sainsbury's revitalized its brand by encouraging customers to try new products. Their discussions reveal the power of strategic thinking in driving business growth and customer engagement.
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Barbie's Brand Revival Journey
- Barbie was a beloved icon in 1959 but became irrelevant by 2014 amid cultural shifts and controversies.
- A pivotal archival quote from Barbie's creator inspired the strategy to revive the brand around imagination and choice.
Barbie as a Cultural Movement
- Barbie's repositioning was more than advertising; it aimed to create a cultural movement.
- The campaign addressed societal views on women, focusing on inspiring limitless potential rather than appearance.
Barbie's Sales and Cultural Comeback
- Barbie's repositioning reversed a two-year sales decline and boosted Mattel's share price by 36%.
- The campaign reclaimed Barbie as the top Christmas toy and inspired a billion-dollar movie a decade later.