Inside the Barbie x Tangle Teezer campaign: Great hair starts with imagination.

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? To play with your toys – and your imagination – for hours on end, when the lines between dream and reality were completely irrelevant and you could just be? 

Of the myriad brand collaborations that have sprung up in the wake of Barbie’s biggest moment in history, the Barbie x Tangle Teezer brush has shown up as one of the most iconic, synergistic and emotionally potent. The world they’ve created together is beautiful because it gives us permission to return to our childhood, to remember what it’s like to let our imaginations run wild, and to be whoever we want to be, before we ever learned the meaning of embarassment. The collaboration works so well because both Barbie and Tangle Teezer have built their brands on the transformative powers of their products, tapping into the innate human desire to change who we are – and what we look like – in an instant. With the stroke of a brush, a change of outfit, or the beginning of a new day.

At MG Empower, we were lucky enough to join the Barbie x Tangle Teezer journey as the agency selected to produce their launch campaign, which included an influencer marketing program, an experiential activation at the Cannes Film Festival, and a campaign video that’s been deployed across the brands’ social channels. It’s a delight to watch the content being rolled out and see the audience reacting so positively, so we thought it would be nice to bring you behind-the-strategy and into the process. 

Read on for the highlights, or join the experts to go behind the strategy in our Barbie x Tangle Teezer Masterclass – available to watch here. 

Moving the conversation forward

As TikTok’s favorite brush, Tangle Teezer’s success has reached new heights through viral influencer marketing campaigns and user-generated content. Recognising this, we included creators in the Barbie x Tangle Teezer collaboration to further amplify its impact. 

We kicked off with an exclusive event at the Cannes Film Festival, where we unveiled the brush to influential personalities, such as Alessandra Ambrosio, Xenia Adonts, and Marina Ruy Barbosa. By featuring three diverse influencers in the campaign, including Sarah Lysander as our lead, we showcased how great hair can unlock imagination across various hair types and talents. This strategic use of influencers helped Tangle Teezer connect with a wide range of audiences and significantly raised awareness for the campaign.

For Tangle Teezer, repositioning the brush as an instrument that empowers consumers to be whoever they want became the key to success. So, instead of merely replicating Barbie’s traditional hairstyle, we took a fresh approach and emphasised the brush’s ability to transform and inspire. 

“By capitalising on Tangle Teezer’s existing strong presence on TikTok, we focused our launch efforts on the platform. Aligning with the brand’s already established following allowed us to reach the target audience effectively. The campaign’s content quickly gained traction and garnered over 10 million views on social media within weeks.” – Raphael Bouquillon, US Managing Director

Strategic timing, placement, and influencer selection.

Leveraging a larger occasion can significantly amplify the impact of a campaign. So, we took advantage of the glamor and celebrity presence at the Cannes Film Festival to elevate Tangle Teezer’s partnership with Barbie. 

Through an exclusive invite-only luncheon by the beach, we created a video-friendly setting filled with bright pink elements, customised gift boxes, and even a life-size interactive Barbie doll box. This event-within-an-event attracted several high-profile names already attending Cannes. Influencers with global appeal and authority in the hair industry came along, maximising the reach of Tangle Teezer’s launch. The resulting creator content was filled with authentic enthusiasm and delight – which concomitantly rolled into impressive engagement rates early on in the campaign. 

Barbie’s brand has undergone a remarkable transformation, embracing a wide range of cultures, abilities, and body types. So it was crucial for Tangle Teezer to echo this sentiment by showcasing the beauty of every hair length, color, and texture. Working with multicultural influencers who represented various hair types helped us communicate this message effectively. By casting a wide range of talents in the campaign and inviting diverse individuals to the event, we exemplified Barbie’s empowerment message for everyone, regardless of their hair type.

The Barbie x Tangle Teezer campaign serves as a testament to the power of brand reinvention and intelligent marketing intervention. It teaches us that revamping outdated brand messaging doesn’t mean discarding the original identity but rather recognising the need for evolution, listening to new consumers, and taking real action. 

Want to dive deeper into the Barbie x Tangle Teezer campaign?

Watch the masterclass we ran with Tangle Teezer now – we unravel the story behind the strategy and share actionable insights for any brand looking to make a real, 360 impact.