Last week our Year 12 VCE Media class was lucky enough to have a guest speaker visit us.
Lucy Thomson is entering her fourth year at Monash University studying a double degree in Business and Media Communications. As part her Film and Television Industries and Technologies subject last year, Lucy thoroughly researched the contemporary marketing strategies and their impact on the success of Greta Gerwig’s feature film Barbie. Our class is currently studying Barbie as the primary text in Unit 3 Media Area of Study 1, Narratives and their Contexts, so we were all excited to hear from Lucy and gain deeper insights on the film in the context of its unique marketing model with its unexpected complexities and techniques.
Lucy detailed how Barbie used social media to reach new audiences, the pre-marketing buzz through cross-promotion with the music industry and the unique trailer styling, along with the important star identities played throughout marketing interviews and YouTube clips. Moreover, Lucy expertly analysed how ‘high concept campaigning’, such as the bespoke poster, used signature Pantone 219C magenta pink to engage audiences familiar with the iconic Mattel toy branding. Lucy also addressed the phenomenon of fandom generated ‘Barbenheimer’ that drastically increased audience engagement and the resultant cross-promotion.
We were all very grateful for Lucy’s insightful presentation and will use the content as a strong resource in our studies and upcoming assessment preparation.
Miette
Year 12 VCE Media Student
