Sixty-five years into her illustrious career as a nurse, fashion model, florist, dentist, astronaut, and U.S President, Barbie can finally add a live-action movie star to her resume. On July 21st, 2023, Barbie: The Movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, took the cinema world by storm. Barely three weeks after its release, Barbie became the first female-directed movie to break $1 billion at the box office. In case you have been living in a cave, Barbie is the name of an astronomically successful plastic doll created by Mattel in 1959. While Barbie has consistently remained a ubiquitous staple in the cultural zeitgeist, fans’ passion for the beauty was reinvigorated by the news of the live-action movie, as evidenced by an explosion in Google searches for blonde hair dye following the release of the first trailer in April. Mattel realized that Barbie: The Movie is an opportunity for the brand to break out of the toy space and expand into other markets, ranging from apparel to real estate. The live-action movie follows the iconic plastic doll Barbie (Margot Robbie) and her star-crossed lover Ken (Ryan Gosling) on an existential journey out of Barbie's world and into reality, where they learn some harsh lessons about society. It is harder to unpack the Barbie movie's cultural significance than unpack a Barbie doll. So for the sake of brevity, this article will stick to the brand licensing angle. Without further ado, here are three of the most creative Barbie brand extensions and partnerships.

1. Air Bed & Barbie (Barbie x Airbnb)

Every Barbie fan has dreamt of spending a night in the Barbie DreamHouse. Thanks to Airbnb, you can now make those dreams come true. Located in Malibu, California, the converted oceanfront mansion boasts a sparkly pink exterior, an infinity pool, an outdoor disco floor, and more. Fans can raid Ken’s closet to pick an outfit for the beach, play with their complementary Barbie-themed skates and surfboards, or simply relax and enjoy the scenic view of the ocean from a pink-plastered porch. And the best part? The whole thing is free! The only downside to this surreal experience is that there were only two spots for guests to reserve. Still, with the resounding success of the movie causing a resurgence of Barbie adoration, Airbnb may reopen the venue.

2. Extreme Home Renovations (Barbie x HGTV)

Fans of the popular reality show MTV Cribs and Extreme Home Renovations should be eager to check out the new HGTV show Barbie DreamHouse Challenge. Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge is a reality show hosted by supermodel Ashley Graham. It features eight teams of two working together to create the dreamiest house imaginable, inspired by the famous Barbie DreamHouse. Each team gets a section of the house to decorate, basing their design on a past DreamHouse look. The winning team will have a charitable donation in their name, and one lucky fan will receive a free vacation in the new dream house. The first season concluded in July, with Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt winning. Episodes are available for free on YouTube.

3. Barbie Dream Console (Barbie x Xbox)

Over the years, Mattel has tried to diversify its inventory to be more inclusive. Most of these changes involve physical representation, such as Barbies of different races and body types. But Mattel’s recent partnership with X-Box took a different approach to representation; rather than trying to represent girls with distinct appearances, Mattel and X-Box focused on representing girls with unique interests, specifically gaming. This collaboration produced a line of Barbie dolls of all shapes and colors decked in X-Box gear. X-Box also created a Series S console built into a Barbie dream house and various Barbie-themed controllers. The goal of this collaboration is to get more girls interested in gaming and to market to the ones who already are and get them interested in Barbie. Barbie and X-Box want to let each other’s fanbases know that they are not mutually exclusive and gamers can play with Barbies. In addition to the physical products, X-Box added a virtual version of Barbie’s iconic 1956 Chevrolet Corvette to the racing game Forza Horizon 5. It’s not quite the open-world Barbie video game we deserve, but the console still looks pretty cool inside the dollhouse.

​It is too early to gauge the influence that Barbie: The Movie will have on intellectual property and brand licensing going forward. But for the time being it is safe to say that we are all living in a Barbie world.

The case of Barbie's evolution into various realms teaches my fierce female founders that brand licensing is not just about expanding product lines; it’s about weaving a cohesive story that resonates across diverse platforms. The triumph of Barbie: The Movie hints at the potential to reshape the boundaries of brand engagement and establish a dynamic relationship between brands and consumers.

As emerging companies chart their path, they should seek to imbue their brand extensions with the essence of their core identity that transcends conventional limits. In this ever-evolving landscape, the story of Barbie serves as a beacon, illuminating the boundless possibilities of brand licensing for those with the audacity to dream and the acumen to execute.