The breakout star of the Barbie movie turned out to be…
No, not stereotypical Barbie.
And, no, it wasn’t poor Ken.
It’s Weird Barbie, played by the hilarious and unapologetic Kate McKinnon.
Our good buddy, Ann Handley, sums it up perfectly:
“In the Barbie movie, Barbieland is populated with neat, perfect Barbies dressed in pastels. Except for one who stands apart: Weird Barbie.
She’s been played with too roughly. Her hair has been cut by nail clippers. Someone has taken a Sharpie to her face. She smells like Basement.
Most of the others are repulsed by her. Yet they also turn to her whenever they need advice. Her damage is what makes her one of the most interesting and complex Barbies in the movie, the one that doesn’t fit with the rest.
You could say she’s a cliche—the outsider whose differences are yet to be accepted by the whole. But she’s more than that… She’s memorable.”
Here’s the deal: In Barbieland, Weird Barbie is characterized as “weird.” That’s what happens when you’re unlike others. She owns it—the marked-up face. The jacked-up hair. The basement smell. The different branding.
But this isn’t Barbieland. This is the real world. Here in the real world, Weird Barbie is part of all of us.
In real-world Manufacturingland what does weird look like?
Imperfect. Honest. Unexpected. And always… memorable.
It’s not just your branding. It’s not just your weird. It’s your positioning. It’s the way you do things for the people who will care.
In the Barbie movie, it’s the way that the community relies on Weird Barbie for guidance. It’s the way she’s earned their trust. It’s the way that only she can help when the tiny Barbie-sized chips are down.
Like Ann also says, “In a world where Marketing can seem plastic and sanitized and not of this world… Weird Barbie is anything but.
Wait. Did I say Marketing can seem sanitized? I meant Barbieland! 😉
Weird Barbie is the one her community trusts to help them get to the truth. She’s the one with perspective. She’s their guide.”
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What is “weird,” anyway?
Weird comes from the Old English noun wyrd—meaning “fate.”
Cheryl Savala says, “F.A.T.E. is your focused attention, time, and energy.”
It’s your own brand of weird.
It’s your story. Your history. Your perspective and POV. What you say and the way you say it. That’s your weird. That’s your fate.
As a manufacturer or business owner, you get to decide your FATE. As a brand, how will you show up? How will you bring your whole self to your role? Your career? Your life?
Will you choose stereotypical? Or, unapologetic and weird?
Your ideal customers aren’t looking for stereotypical and like everyone else in pastel.
They want and need a wise guide. A brave experienced sherpa who can lead them to their hero state with real-world experience and grit! It’s why they trust you and pay you well.
Time to market smarter and make sales easier. Schedule a call TODAY.
