Picture this: Australia is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and your relatively new business has been grappling with the very real challenges of securing stock, at the same time demand is exploding for your innovative product. And then, out of the blue, you receive an email from one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world asking if you would like to partner with one of their iconic brands.
It’s the stuff dreams — or Hollywood films — are made of.
And it’s exactly what happened to Western Australian entrepreneur Tara Simich, who has spent more than two years working with Mattel to create a limited edition Barbie range of her popular Mermade Hair styling appliances and accessories.
Pre-orders opened this month for two Marmade Hair and Barbie kits, which include either the Mermade Hair ‘Waver’ or Blow Dry Brush, in a custom pink zebra print along with a head scarf, clips and hair gems, and retail for $129. The response has been so big that Simich says Mermade Hair has already added more units into production to ensure the kits don’t sell out.
Simich founded Mermade Hair in 2019 to fill a gap in the hair styling market for an easy-to-use tool that would create soft, flowing waves, and initially sold the ‘Waver’ via Instagram. In the time since she has signed up with hundreds of stockists around the world and counts members of the Kardashian family as some of the brand’s top fans.
Receiving the email from Mattel was “definitely a pinch-me moment”, Simich tells SmartCompany, and it gave the team “a lot of confidence in the direction we are taking the brand”.
“They had an incredible vision for the partnership,” she adds.
“We explored a range of concepts but it was important to us from the beginning that it would celebrate all generations who love Barbie.”
The collaboration also needed to adhere to the many guidelines that come with such a well-known brand as Barbie, from the product itself to the campaign to promote it.
“It’s been quite a long journey working through different concepts, campaign direction, packaging, compliance and talent,” explains Simich.
In another stroke of good fortune, the launch of the Mermade Hair x Barbie kits on May 25 will come just two months before the release of the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, which is proving to be one of the most hotly anticipated releases this year.
Already, the marketing around the movie is helping to create considerable buzz, and social media has been lighting up with Barbie memes and #barbiecore fashion trends.
“Interestingly, when we first began product development with Mattel, we didn’t know the movie was actually happening, so the stars definitely aligned for us here,” Simich says.
“The timing couldn’t be more perfect, and we have some really incredible marketing moments planned over the next few months.”
“There is definitely a buzz in the air with Barbie and the #barbiecore trend that began in Covid is showing no signs of slowing down,” adds Simich.
“I’ve seen a lot of brands in recent years lean into this nostalgic movement and it can be really powerful as people look to connect with their younger or ‘inner’ self.”
Simich expects the hype around all things Barbie to only increase ahead of the movie’s July release and she predicts the film will “become one of those iconic movies of the decade”.
“We are so proud to be part of this moment in history,” she says.
Mermade Hair’s retail presence has grown considerably since its Instagram-only days, with more than 1500 retailers around the world now stocking the brand’s styling tools. In Australia, this includes the likes of Myer, Harvey Norman and Sephora. Internationally, Saks 5th Avenue, Douglas, Harrods, Selfridges and CVS sell the products.
Almost all of the brand’s stockists will carry the Barbie range throughout the Asia Pacific, Middle East, North and South America, Europe and the UK, says Simich, which she says “speaks to how powerful the Barbie brand is as it transcends the globe”.
But this power also extends to how other brands see Mermade Hair, says the founder, with two other brands already getting in touch with Simich and her team about potential collaborations off the back of the Barbie deal.
“I think these days, brands are becoming more human to customers, so licensing arrangements are basically a way of telling the world more about who you are and what you stand for,” she says.
“Brand collaborations also allow your brand to be seen through a different lens by a new cohort of people that traditional customer acquisition tactics just can’t do.”
These deals, if they eventuate, will no doubt help continue building momentum for Mermade Hair, which Simich says is up 60% in terms of growth compared to 2022. This figure “is a great reflection on our brand and strategy, especially considering the volatility over the last three to four years”, she adds.
Since 2020, the Mermade Hair team has grown from three staff to 16.
“Our first retailers launched just as the world shut down with COVID, so while there hasn’t been a ‘normal’ year for us, we’ve generated growth every year,” says Simich.
“We’ve learnt a lot about how to manage growth while dreaming up new products and have used data to help us make decisions on geographic expansion. We’re excited about what’s to come in our new markets.”
Editor
Eloise is an experienced business journalist and editor, who has held senior editorial roles at SmartCompany since 2014. Prior to joining SmartCompany, Eloise was news editor at Books+Publishing, the trade press for the Australian book industry. Eloise has degrees in media and communications, marketing and business management, and political science. You can follow her on LinkedIn, and Twitter at @ellykeating.
