This Sunday, Barbie Australia is launching a bold campaign that brings the brand’s widely praised ‘You Can Be Anything’ positioning to life for the Australian audience.

The stars of the campaign are three remarkable Aussie youngsters who prove kids can be anything they want to be –  without having to wait until they’re “grown up”.

Quincy Symonds is an eight-year-old surfing prodigy and champion. Humanitarian Cael Faye single-handedly raised over $10,000 for charity by the time he was eight. And 10-year-old YouTube filmmaker Grace Mulgrew has over 400,000 subscribers. One of her Barbie videos has over 54 million views.

Building on the brand’s biggest change in 57 years – a new range of dolls with different body shapes, skin tones, hairstyles and eye colours – this campaign takes the next step in celebrating diversity and inspiring self-confidence.

Reece Hobbins, The Taboo Group Creative Director, said: “Our challenge was to develop a piece of communications that inspired young kids, but also signaled to parents that Barbie was continuing to evolve what it represents.  So instead of creating a story, we searched Australia for children who were living their own – and asked them to tell us about it in their words”.

Marketing Director at Mattel, Chedney Rogers, explained “When Ruth Handler created the Barbie doll in 1945 she said ‘My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices’. That ideology is more relevant now than ever, and we want Barbie to continue to be a vehicle for creativity, imagination, and greatness, for all kids.”

The campaign will also see Barbie award one lucky kid with a personalised $10,000 experience to give them a serious leg up in achieving what they want to be.

CREDITS
Client: Mattel
Creative Agency: The Taboo Group
Creative Director: Reece Hobbins
Senior Creative/Copywriter: Kiriana Wheaton
Strategy Director: James Mackinnon
Client Services Director: Matilda Hobba
Account Director: Kate Prowse
Production Company: Positive Ape
Director: Lizzie Bailey
Producer: Darren McFarlane
Post Production: Studio Pancho
Sound: Big Ears Audio
Music Composition: Dove Bailey
Mattel Marketing Director: Chedney Rodgers
Mattel Senior Marketing Manager, Girls: Tim Nolan
Mattel Marketing Manager, Girls: Katharine Turner
Mattel Brand Manager, Girls: Elizabeth Kazantzidis
Media Agency: Carat