Brand superpower: How to capture the zeitgeist across decades.

I must have been 8 years old when I stopped believing in Santa. But I did not tell my parents.

I did not say that I knew they were buying and hiding the gifts that would end up under our beautiful, massive Christmas tree.

Why? Because I found the most beautiful doll waiting for me in the closet, and I got two weeks to sneak in, take it out of the box, hug it, and put it back before Christmas. It was my secret and it was awesome.

Dolls always had a special appeal for little girls, but very few had the longevity and the meaning that Barbie had. Mattel did a fantastic job this year with the Barbie movie, bringing to life a versatile heroine with fun, spirit, and a splash of feminism. What I did not realize is that Barbie’s success is the result of a constant transformation and reflection of the zeitgeist, over decades.

The New York Times recently published a brilliant retrospective of Barbie’s house over time(bit.ly/3TI1yRH). Here are a few of the highlights.

For those passionate about brand stories, I encourage you to look around and find out how your favorite brands have leveraged the zeitgeist to stay culturally relevant over time.

#brand #zeitgeist #branding