HMD Barbie Phone

Client

Human Mobile Devices

Services

SOCIAL

Results

17.6 Billion

Earned Media Impressions Globally

14 M

Social Reach

12,250+

pieces of editorial coverage

Two hands display the HMD Barbie flip phones on a pink background—one open hot-pink phone and one closed phone with a colourful swirl design and beaded strap.

The Brief

HMD was establishing itself globally as the tech brand leading the fight on excessive screen time and was fast becoming the poster child for this movement.

As a start-up without the brand-building budgets of traditional tech giants, HMD needed smart, standout ideas, relevant to the target audience that would punch above their weight in culture and commerce.

HMD’s partnership with the Barbie brand allowed the potential for its product to live at the intersection of a pop culture moment and a behaviour-led insight which translation into a pint-sized pink Barbie Flip Phone innovation.

As HMD’s global lead agency, we were briefed to come up with a hard-working media relations strategy to launch the device globally.

The contents of the HMD Barbie Flip Phone is laid out on a pink background.

The Big Idea

The PR strategy foundations were built on the strategic brand partnership with Mattel, which enabled HMD to create a product with features designed to generate media coverage. We developed clear and consistent messages to resonate with the target audience across markets, generated compelling visuals and content and selected channels to maximise the reach and impact.

Every touchpoint of the campaign was earned-first, underpinned by a hard-working media relations strategy. We ensured global tech media understood the strategic rationale for the partnership and our objectives, to help change consumer behaviour and position HMD as the mobile phone provider globally driving the digital detox revolution.

We launched with female fashion platform Hypebae, exclusively, tailored for our Gen Z audience, amplified by influencer content, experiential events and direct-to-sales editorial links.

A bright pink Barbie-branded flip phone stands open in pastel pink sand, its mirrored front reflecting a palm tree. The scene resembles a stylized beach with a turquoise-to-pink gradient sky, two pale pink palm trees, a yellow beach towel with teal sunglasses on it, and a translucent tote bag holding colorful bottles nearby.

A pair of hands hold a glossy hot-pink human Mobile Devices Barbie-branded flip phone, shown closed against a monochrome pink background.

The Results

The product launch generated 12,260 global media stories, selling 126,888 units globally. Coverage appeared globally from Serbia, to Kenya, India to the UK and USA. Coverage spanned consumer lifestyle to broadcast, tech trades, to national media including BBC News, The Today Show, Wired and Vogue, demonstrating breadth.

The pink aesthetic and fun element ensured that even the tech press leaned into the joy of the Barbie phone. HMD saw an 8% uplift in share of voice versus competitors – affirming HMD’s rise as a major player in youth culture and responsible tech.