
amid its controversial decision to send a year’s worth of movies to streaming and made “Oppenheimer” with Universal instead. plopped “Barbie” on the weekend as a slight to Nolan, who had opened many films for the studio in that corridor including “Inception” and “Dunkirk.” He left Warner Bros. Is the competition real, though, or just a meme? Some in Hollywood wondered if Warner Bros. “Oppenheimer” has the bomb, the alluring mystery and the big screen hook, but it’s not the kind of movie that lends itself to, say, a frozen yogurt collaboration. In other words, the “Barbie” campaign can go nuclear. One has infinite opportunities for very pink, sparkly photo opportunities, whimsical brand partnerships for seemingly everything from underwear to pool floats, large-scale fan events with autograph signings and pop stars like Billie Eilish posting about the soundtrack.

and Universal - as though it’s possible to compare two extraordinarily different campaigns.
The showdown has made armchair marketing experts out of everyone, quick to scrutinize every move by Warner Bros.
