Kids media company pocket.watch says “Hi Barbie!” with Mattel ad sales pact

Thanks to the release of a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film adaptation, Barbie is one of the hottest properties on the internet right now. As Mattel looks to capitalize on the revival of its flagship brand, it’s striking a deal with a company known for its family-friendly content. Pocket.watch has agreed to become the exclusive vendor for ad inventory on more than 90 of Mattel’s brand channels.

The deal with affect Barbie’s official YouTube home as well as channels affiliated with brands like Hot Wheels and American Girl. Pocket.watch will bring advertisers to those channels through clock.work, the media agency it launched in 2020.

Mattel’s decision to trust pocket.watch with its YouTube ad inventory is reinforced by the latter company’s commitment to brand safety. In the volatile and sometimes frightening world of digital kids’ media, pocket.watch has distinguished itself by partnering with clean, educational, and highly visible family operations like Ryan’s World and Kids Diana Show. It also prides itself on its ability to run COPPA-compliant campaigns. Considering the recent inquiries into YouTube’s ad practices, pocket.watch’s COPPA expertise is a big deal.

The alliance between pocket.watch and Mattel stretches beyond ad sales. Channels like Kids Diana Show have featured Barbies and other pieces of Mattel IP in their videos. In 2022, pocket.watch hired former Mattel exec Manuel Torres Port as the head of its licensing business.

“As pocket.watch works with the biggest kid-creators on the planet, we recognize that brands like Barbie, Thomas & Friends, and other Mattel IP have some of the largest and most dedicated fan bases all around the world,” said pocket.watch SVP of Advertising Sales & Brand Partnerships Julia Moonves in a statement. “As more and more content floods onto digital platforms every day, being able to curate premium inventory for our advertising partners that is both safe and engaging for kids and the creators we work with is key, and the Mattel brands provide just that.”

Pocket.watch isn’t the only company looking for a cut of Barbie’s immense cultural capital. In the wake of Greta Gerwig’s hit film, pink-clad creators like Mayca Brasil have surged up our Tubefilter charts by claiming millions of views on platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok.