Inspired by the Barbie Dream Gap Project, the Reebokx Barbie campaign aims to empower young women within footwear industry
(BOSTON) September 4, 2024 – Today, Reebok, the irreverent sports culture brand, and Mattel, Inc.’s iconic Barbie® brand have come together to debut a creative campaign inspired by the Barbie brand’s global mission, the Barbie Dream Gap Project, and release a full-family footwear and apparel collection, timed to Barbie’s 65th Anniversary year. The Reebok x Barbie collection is available globally beginning September 20, 12 AM EST, from Reebok.com and select retailers.
The engaging creative highlights a young girl, excited and curious about what the future holds as she opens doors to different careers within the footwear industry, from product designer to marketer to CEO, with each scene nodding to recognizable Barbie iconography. The campaign underscores Barbie and Reebok’s shared commitment to empowering girls, while shining a light on the barriers women face and the disproportionate representation of Black and Brown women working in footwear.
The Barbie x Reebok creative campaign is inspired by the Barbie Dream Gap Project, the Barbie brand’s global mission dedicated to challenging gender stereotypes and helping undo the biases that hold girls back from reaching their full potential. In 2018, Barbie launched the Barbie Dream Gap Project after discovering research out of NYU that shows that starting at age five, many girls begin to develop self-limiting beliefs and think they're not as intelligent and capable as boys. The Dream Gap for young girls still exists, but new research out of NYU shows the challenges don’t lie in girls lacking self-confidence or drive — the gaps often occur in the world around them.
In conjunction with the collection and furthering Reebok’s “Human Rights Now!” and United Against Racism initiatives, Reebok will team up with the Barbie Dream Gap Projectand Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn, an affiliate of the Girls Inc National organization dedicated to supporting girls in becoming strong, confident leaders. Through this partnership, Reebok will make a donation to Girls Inc. and host young members of the Lynn, MA chapter to its global headquarters in Boston. During this mentorship session, chapter members will meet with the Reebok x Barbie collection’s designers, learn more about their career paths, and receive pieces from the collection.
“It’s so special to work with an iconic brand like Barbie that boasts a decades-long legacy in empowering girls to reach their limitless potential. Together we’ve not only created a beautiful collection, but are telling an important story through a unique creative campaign that highlights the barriers Black and Brown girls face within the footwear industry,” said Senior Vice President of Global Product at Reebok, Portia Blunt. “Our partnership aims to inspire young girls to pursue their dreams with confidence because we know when you can see it, you believe you can be it. By leveraging the power of Barbie and Reebok’s global platforms we aspire to empower the next generation of changemakers within the footwear industry.”
Accompanying the creative, the Reebok x Barbie product collection for kids and adults features an assortment of lifestyle and performance apparel and footwear items that fuse the recognizable Barbie color palettes with fan-favorite Reebok silhouettes and styles:
Barbie x Reebok Apparel Highlights:
- The apparel assortment features details like novelty stitching, unique co-branding, debossed enamel snaps, bungees, toggles, and more on pieces ranging from oversized track jackets, hoodies and wide leg track pants to leggings, bike shorts, sports bras, crop tops and more.
- The Barbie x Reebok Graphic Tee is one of the marquee pieces of the collection, paying homage to a milestone in Barbie’s history of diversity and inclusion. The graphic tee features an image of the first Black Barbie, released in 1980, designed by Kitty Black-Perkins, with an updated Reebok twist - subtle Reebok Vector logos on her signature earrings.
Barbie x Reebok Footwear Highlights:
- Barbie x Reebok Club C Extra - Tonal deboss and semi-gloss Barbie ‘B’s’ subtly adorn leather panels of this platform Club C style paired with shine mesh detailing and light pink accents throughout. Available in both women’s s and kids/toddler sizes.
- Barbie x Reebok BB 4000 II – An allover premium black suede paired with patent leather side stripes give an iconic twist to this retro-basketball silhouette born in the 1980’s. Embroidered branding and contrast midsole stitching round out the sleek design and unisex style. Available in unisex adult and kids/toddler sizes.
- Barbie x Reebok FloatZig 1 – Barbie takes over Reebok’s top running shoe in bold, hot pink fashion with embossed and foiled branding. The FloatZig 1 features performance Floatride Energy foam in the iconic Zig-shape sole, providing cushioning and energy return in a lightweight package. Available in unisex adult sizing with additional Zig Dynamica 2.0 and Zig N’ Glow options available for kids/toddlers.
The Reebok x Barbie collection is available globally beginning September 20, 12AM EST, from Reebok.com and select retailers.
