The frenzy surrounding Barbie has seen local cinema groups Nu Metro and Ster-Kinekor recording their highest attendance post-Covid.
The film, based on the popular doll created by American Ruth Handler, opened worldwide on July 21, raking tens of millions of dollars.
Melanie Williams, head of marketing for Nu Metro Cinemas, said this week that the group had “experienced an overwhelming response to Barbie at our cinemas nationwide, delivering record-breaking box-office results, including various sold-out shows across its opening weekend. It was amazing to see the global pink revolution also being echoed in local cinemas.”
The release of Barbie and Oppenheimer “confirmed audiences are hungry for fresh, new content and that the timeless cinema experience remains a viable entertainment option that can’t be replicated elsewhere”, she added.
Ster-Kinekor’s chief marketing officer, Lynne Wylie, said last weekend was Ster-Kinekor’s “biggest opening weekend by far in the post-Covid environment”.
People are starting to go out more after Covid and “we are noticing an upturn in attendance figures, particularly when big titles release on the big screen. We are certainly back on the upward trajectory,” she said.
The hype, excitement and marketing frenzy created around “Barbenheimer” (Barbie and Oppenheimer) is a perfect example — and the results for the opening weekend of both films “were way beyond our forecasts and expectations”, Wylie added.
For the year to date, Ster-Kinekor’s box-office recovery has reached 63% compared with pre-Covid figures, which is in line with the US figure of 67% vs 2019, said Wylie.
Many film studios held back big-title releases during the pandemic, which is why “we have had, and are still having, a great run of big films being released”, she said.
The cinema industry was among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 shutdown, sending Ster-Kinekor into business rescue, which it exited in November last year.
“We believe we are on track to get back to pre-Covid attendances.”
Retailers stocking Barbie merchandise, including toys, also saw an increase in sales. Pick n Pay, which joined in the hype, increased the number of related products.
Andrew Mills, Pick n Pay chief marketing officer, said: “We planned to enjoy the wave of pink that has gripped the world, and there was huge excitement and fanfare in our stores over the weekend. Our PnP asap! team even delivered hundreds of free pink doughnuts with all deliveries last Friday. We saw much more interest in our Barbie range over the weekend and anticipate this will grow as more customers watch the movie.”
At Toys R Us, Barbie merchandise was also in demand, with the company recording 30% growth in sales of the doll category, which includes accessories and clothing.
“Barbie is one of our biggest brands and we work closely with Mattel South Africa to give our consumers the best range possible in all themes and price points available,” said marketing manager Catherine Jacoby.
Reuters reported recently that the movie has revived interest in the doll collectors' market.
According to Jacoby, “the toy market is massive and its audience, now fondly dubbed ‘kidults’, has seen significant growth over the last two year. This new trend is surging in popularity as young adults look to their childhood toys for comfort and nostalgia during difficult times.”
Recent data suggest there is plenty of demand in the kidult marketplace, said Jacoby. “With this comes plenty of opportunities for us as a toy retailer to expand our existing ranges, offering more exploration in the collectible category, and this is no different with Barbie, who is now 64 years old and still holds a place in consumers' hearts.”
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