Word Tonic is an online community and learning platform for Gen-Z Copywriters. Every month there is a new Copywriting Challenge, and with over 400 active members, it's notoriously hard to win. This challenge drew me in (July 2023), so I decided to put my spin on the trending Barbie marketing.

To write an advert promoting the new Barbie movie. The only catch?

The word 'Barbie' is off-limits.

Brain dumping. And a lot of it.

After an initial brainstorming session in Notion, I set about headline-dumping, focusing on typical Barbie stereotypes, phrases and impressions. Eventually, came across a couple of headlines that resonated with me, and decided to workshop the two together.

With my headline in mind, I set about designing the advert in Canva. I created an advert based on the elusion of the missing word, opting for a design heavy in Barbie doll clothing and accessories.

Although my submission didn't win the overall competition, it was featured on the Word Tonic Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.

What I will be improving on: Admittedly, I focused too heavily on the visuals of this advert and not so much on the headline or call to action. In future, I will be brainstorming the copy first, and then fitting my advert designs around it. Lesson learnt! ✅