Barbie finds home at Universal
UPDATE: Multi-year, multi-picture deal includes Polly Pocket movie
By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 4/11/2006
APRIL 11 | Mattel is bringing its popular Barbie DVD franchise to Universal Studios Home Entertainment as part of a multi-year, multi-picture worldwide marketing and distribution deal for feature-length DVDs, the companies announced Tuesday.
The partnership begins with the fall release of Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses and will include a first-ever movie featuring Polly Pocket, Mattel’s No. 2 doll brand that is popular with young girls.
The deal is a coup for Universal, which created Universal Studios Family Entertainment Productions last year in a bid to increase its output of family films under its DVD Originals line. The studio hired former Lionsgate exec Glenn Ross to head the unit.
The deal was brokered by Ross, who had guided the Barbie franchise at Lionsgate.
Last month, Mattel ended its five-year partnership with Lionsgate Entertainment, under which it had produced seven full-length Barbie movies and sold more than 27 million DVDs worldwide. Lionsgate will continue to distribute previous Barbie movies including the May 9 debut of The Barbie Diaries.
Mattel’s senior VP of marketing, media and entertainment, Richard Dickson, cited Universal’s reach from TV to theme parks that will offer more opportunities for Mattel to extend its brand.
“An agreement of this magnitude perfectly combines the unparalleled brands of the world’s largest toy manufacturer with the premier marketing and distribution infrastructure of one of the world’s most successful media companies,” said Universal president and chief operating officer Ron Meyer, who announced the deal. “Given the breadth of Universal’s film, TV, home entertainment and theme parks businesses, this alliance clearly presents compelling opportunities to further expand upon this partnership across additional platforms.”
Universal will handle global marketing and distribution of all future Barbie installments, with a marketing budget on par or above that of other Originals. The studio has backed titles in the line with up to $10 million in marketing muscle.
“Now we can apply all of that NBC Universal power to helping raise awareness and explode sales on their Barbie and Polly Pocket brands,” Universal Studios Home Entertainment president Craig Kornblau said.
As the deal is multi-year and not title-by-title as was Mattel’s deal with Lionsgate, execs said they expect to be able to work more closely with retailers for larger-scale campaigns. Also, advertising for toys and DVDs will be combined into one campaign pushing the brand.
“Now we can now go into the retail community and talk about long-term strategic initiatives over multiple years,” Dickson said.
Mattel plans to continue to release a fall and spring Barbie movie under the Princess and Fairytopia lines. The toymaker also will continue to produce the movies in-house as it did under its previous deal with Lionsgate, though Dickson said the company might rely on some of Universal’s relationships in the creative community for production.
For the first fall release, Mattel will release a full line of Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses toys and products, and McDonald’s will feature TV tie-ins with its Happy Meal program in the U.S. and Canada. The animated film will feature motion-capture dance movements from the New York City Ballet.
For PollyWorld, the first Polly Pocket film also due this fall, Mattel will launch a line of PollyWorld toys and lifestyle products and back up the brand with a multi-million-dollar TV advertising and promotional campaign.
McDonald’s also will include a PollyWorld tie-in to Happy Meals in the U.S. and Canada. Trailers for the movie will be on Universal family releases including Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia, Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses, Curious George and The Land Before Time XII: Day of the Flyers.
