• by Teresa Buyikian , July 21, 2023

It’s almost over: the blinding avalanche of every shade of pink on the Pantone spectrum, the months-long onslaught of adorable media interviews with Robbie and Gosling, the distinct classic 1950s profile on everything from branded Crocs to glassware to Airbnb's Barbie Dreamhouse in Malibu to canned lemonade. "Barbie," the film FINALLY hits theaters today, July 21.

There has been no escape. It’s Barbie’s pink plastic world, and we’ve all been just living in it the last few months. 

Except for the QSR/restaurants category. There’s no major “kids’ meal” (the Greta Gerwig film is PG-13) or massive national licensed promotions. We looked. (Google Barbie and see what happens. Yep, even Google…).

The few tie-ins in the category were announced with little of the pink-glittered fanfare of other collaborations with the Warner Bros film, as in the CPG category. 

Burger King Brazil announced its limited-time BK Barbie Combo on July 12. The pink-packaged adult meal includes, along with “Ken’s potatoes” (merely French fries --  he is “just Ken” after all) the Pink Burger, a burger patty topped with cheddar cheese, an “incredible smokey pink sauce” and crispy diced bacon, between brioche buns. The combo also includes the Barbie Donut Shake: vanilla ice cream, blended with strawberry Nesquik, topped with a pink donut. 

Social media had a not-so-positive reaction to the Pink Burger, renaming it “The Pepto Bismol Burger,” and hearkening back to the pink slime controversy of 2012, when an ABC News series about "pink slime" included claims that approximately 70% of ground beef sold in U.S. supermarkets contained the slime (a meat by-product and bulking additive) and at that time was also widely used in fast-food burgers. 

Cold Stone Creamery launched its own Barbie-inspired flavor: Pink Cotton Candy, available in-store and online on its own or in cake form for a limited time. The brand’s All That Glitters is Pink Creation combines Pink Cotton Candy ice cream, a graham cracker pie crust, dance party sprinkles and whipped topping. For a larger execution, the brand created the Best Cake Ever!, which draws inspiration from the film's Best Day Ever themes, and is made with yellow cake, Pink Cotton Candy ice cream, and Dance Party sprinkles wrapped in white frosting.

Another frozen dessert chain, Pinkberry, couldn’t resist paying homage to the brand that also celebrates pink. The Barbie Land Berry Pink frozen yogurt is a blend of strawberry and dragon fruit-flavored frozen yogurt topped with “Dream Sprinkles” (pink and white sprinkles, silver sugar and star shapes). Store guests can also enter the chain's Barbie The Movie Sweepstakes for a chance to win Barbie-themed prize packs, including movie tickets, Barbie-themed swag and Pinkberry gift cards.  

And that’s pretty much it as far as QSR and “Barbie” the film goes. 

So why no Marvel-esque larger than life drive-thru promotions?

Commented ad agency Undnyable Founder and Chief Creative Officer Justin Hooper, who has led advertising efforts for several QSR brands, “It may partly be due to the fact that the Barbie movie itself, and all the surrounding marketing for it, is really just an advertisement for Barbie, the product. Which might mean the QSR world in the States didn't find the value in attaching themselves to both a movie, and another product.” 

Hooper continued, “Or maybe it was that the hot pink sauce on the Brazilian BK meal was too reminiscent of all the 'pink slime' talk from years back. Although I suspect there'd be a ton of folks, my daughter and I included, who would certainly go for a strawberry Nesquik shake topped with a frosted donut, Barbie tie-in or not.” 

Still, it’s probably safe to say we won’t be seeing a “Drive-thru Barbie” any time in the near future.