The World is Running Out of Pink: How the Barbie Film Caused a Shortage of the Iconic Color

The trailer proves it: A lot of pink was used for the production of “Barbie” with Margot Robbie (32). The film has sparked a global shortage of pinks and other shades of pink, production designer Sarah Greenwood told Architectural Digest magazine. “The world was running out of pink,” she joked.

For the company that the production ordered paint from, that’s actually no exaggeration. “They used as much paint as we had,” Lauren Proud told the Los Angeles Times. She is Vice President of Global Marketing for Rosco – a company with close ties to Hollywood.

Delivery bottlenecks due to the corona pandemic and frost

So there was indeed a shortage of fluorescent pink, at least at one company. But “Barbie” wasn’t the only reason for this. According to Proud, there were general problems with global supply chains during filming in 2022 due to the corona pandemic.

Another reason for the shortage was the freeze that hit Texas in early 2021, destroying materials needed for paint production. During this time the “Barbie” production came along and bought tons of pink paint. “They swept us clean,” admits Lauren Proud.

“I wanted a very bright pink and almost too much of everything,” said “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig (39) to “Architectural Digest”. She wanted to show what she loved about the Mattel doll as a little girl.

In the first live-action adaptation of the cult toy, the iconic blonde is banned from pink Barbieland – because she’s not perfect enough. She ends up in the real world with Ken (Ryan Gosling, 42). “Barbie” starts in German cinemas on July 20, 2023.

You can watch the trailer for the “Barbie” film here:

____________________________________________

We collect general information about people and life on our detailed topic page. Further articles on the current film and series landscape can also be found here:

show description