Barbie and the Pinkwashed Trap of Overconsumption

A fan-favourite movie that spurred fast fashion.

We all love a good film. But sometimes, movies do more than entertain, they drive trends, fuel hauls, and become blueprints for mass-produced consumer behaviour. Some actions have ripple effects, and one such was Barbie. A feast for marketing, that film. Loved by millions around the globe, but has it ever crossed the amount of consumerism promoted by fashion brands capitalizing on the "keep up with the trends" culture and cashing in on the fear of missing out? It’s all fun and games until it ends in landfills, unfortunately.

From influencers posting "Barbie-core" hauls to brands releasing capsule collections of pink everything. The toy itself has always been a role model of mass consumption. But dressing like that, chasing fashion every minute, was seen in promotions and influencers waiting to create hauls and consumption trends. You’ve definitely seen them. Celebrating a culture of consumption.

So when the movie came out, it wasn’t surprising to see hundreds of product collabs, branded pink merchandise, limited-edition fashion lines, and themed content everywhere you looked.

But how many of those things were ever needed?

Ecoveritas, an environmental data specialist working with brands and retailers to minimize their impact, criticized this movie for generating excessive plastic waste through merchandise deals and for promoting increased doll sales. They quoted the "untold environmental cost" that has "wrapped the planet in a thick pink blanket."

The Statesman also reported how the movie phenomenon fuelled fast fashion’s worst habits. It amplified what sustainability advocate Livekindly posted on Instagram- "Many of the companies that collaborated used cheap materials and labour contributing to the exploitation of workers and carbon emissions."

The influencer campaign that led to massive trend culture, encouraging people to buy things they didn’t need, with the full knowledge that these items would be thrown out once the hype died.

The sustainable advocate and zero-waste expert Gittemarie Johansen, in one of her clips, shared how she went to see the movie dressed up in thrifted pieces. She spoke about something really important on how the movie had hundreds of brand collaborations, many with fast fashion brands, all creating products for a temporary event, just to be thrown away soon after.

Film releases today are increasingly tied to large-scale merchandise strategies. Major studios often collaborate with fast fashion brands to launch themed collections that are produced quickly, using low-cost materials and labour. These items are manufactured in massive quantities, sometimes tens or hundreds of thousands, to meet a short-term demand created by the film's marketing campaign. 

Influencers are often paid or incentivized to promote these collections, and the idea that participating in the trend is necessary. This artificially created demand encourages unnecessary purchases driven by fear of missing out rather than need or utility. In many cases, these products are discarded shortly after the hype ends, contributing to textile waste, resource exploitation, and environmental harm.

Next time you go to see your favourite movie, or when an influencer promotes something that’s only going to last a few weeks, don’t fall for it. Maybe try your own upcycled version of the trend. You can absolutely have fun without buying new garments every time. Newness is what they promote for money.

Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational and awareness purposes only. It is not meant to defame or make definitive claims about any specific brand, film, or individual. The goal is to encourage mindful consumption and spark conversations around sustainability and ethics in pop culture and fashion.