ittle Women and Lady Bird fame, and Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale and Marriage Story, are writing the script, and Gerwig has also signed on to direct. Little is known about the plot of the Barbie movie, which is set to begin filming in March and stars Ryan Gosling as Ken. But based on the people involved, expectations for a smart and empowered take on the iconic character are high.  “I really hope the movie becomes a feminist victory,” Alicia Hall, managing director of Project PR and Media, told Inside Retail. “I hope the directors will be smart enough to take the opportunity to delve deeper into issues facing women in 2022 – the work-life balance-slash-struggle, bridging the gender pay gap and [creating] a more sustainable future. I hope for all our sakes – and theirs – that the superficial pink-boxed Barbie is left at the door.” The risks and rewards of product placement Barbie is not the first brand to get the Hollywood treatment. Most notably, The Lego Movie created an entire animated world around the Danish toy brand in 2014.  Meanwhile, the 2013 comedy The Internship saw Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn competing for a job at Google. And just last year, House of Gucci explored the untold story behind the luxury Italian fashion label.  There’s a long history of brands using film and TV to raise awareness and drive positive perceptions of their product offering, according to Caroline Heslop, founder and director of Sydney-based marketing agency Sketch Collective. “Who can forget Wilson and FedEx in Cast Away, Nokia in The Matrix, AOL in You’ve Got Mail or Reese’s Pieces in E.T.? All key to their movie’s storyline,” Heslop told Inside Retail.  Like any other form of marketing, brands pay to appear in films and TV shows, and the return on investment can be significant. The Lego Movie reportedly led to a 13 per cent increase in Lego sales the year after its release.  But there are also risks – as Peloton recently found out when its core product led to the death of a key character in the much-anticipated Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That, causing its stock price to plummet 15 per cent. “The company claims they knew nothing about Mr Big’s death and that they didn’t pay for the placement. Personally, I can’t imagine blindly giving my product to a production without knowing how it would be used,” Heslop said. Despite the risks, we could see more brands turn to product placements as the rise of streaming makes commercial breaks a thing of the past.  “The opportunity to reach consumers during a program or movie rather than during a commercial break is really attractive for marketers,” Heslop explained. “The moment can’t be skipped or muted without impacting the experience.” Can Barbie shed its baggage? Whether Barbie can follow in the footsteps of Lego – and avoid the pitfalls of Peloton – largely depends on how modern audiences respond to the film. The Lego Movie was tongue-in-cheek funny and appealed to kids and adults alike, but Barbie comes with a lot of baggage.  “The brand’s strength lies in the legacy and nostalgia of its primary buyer: mum. However, it is often subject to criticism for setting unrealistic beauty standards and delivering inconsistent messaging to impressionable young girls and boys,” Heslop said. In recent years, Mattel has attempted to address this criticism by releasing dolls with more diverse body shapes and skin tones, and inspiring jobs in male-dominated industries, such as engineering and aeronautics.  “These kinds of initiatives genuinely show the brand is forward-thinking and has well and truly ditched that traditional championing of external value over internal value,” said Hall. “I have no doubt the old ‘plastic fantastic’ Barbie that many Gen Ys grew up with is gone for good.” Heslop is somewhat less convinced. “My generation, those born in the ‘80s and early ‘90s are now parents themselves and are demanding greater CSR and action from the brands they buy. This includes toys that have meaning and purpose,” she said.  She is waiting to see which products Mattel releases around the movie’s debut: “Will it be a hit or miss?”