What Is All The 'Barbie Ad' Fanart Inspired By? The 1970s 'Special Barbie Month' Commercial Explained

An old-timey hand-drawn Barbie advertisement from over three decades ago is trending, trailing a Barbie-obsessed cultural tide that took over 2023. The ad features two girls talking about a "Special Barbie Month" in the year 1970, and the characters' vastly different yet cool personalities have enamored Barbie lovers and artists everywhere.

But what is this advertisement about, where did it come from and what is the art people are making about it? More on the 1970 "Special Barbie Month" Commercial trend here.

What Is The '1970 "Special Barbie Month" Commercial'?

In September 2023, TikToker @surroundedbystatic reposted an old Barbie ad from the year 1970. The commercial was a hand-drawn animation that depicted two girls, one very excited about the Barbie fan club's "Special Barbie Month," and another more blasé about the whole thing.

However, the more mellow personality is then shown to run off to claim the offer herself. The endearing depiction of the two cartoons, combined with the Barbie nostalgia provoked by the 2023 Barbie movie struck a chord with several internet users and artists.

What Is The Fan Art People Made Depicting The Two Girls?

The earliest known pieces of fan art depicting the two characters can be found on 4chan's /co/ boards, where they were drawn playing with flamethrowers and exaggerated features.

What Were Some Memes Featuring The Two Characters?

A popular image referenced in a fan redraw is the "sandwiches at a cheap price" meme, while another meme draws parallels between the mellow girl's attitude and that of Squidward from the Sponge Bob cartoons. Yet another person took the time to draw fan art placing mellow girl in a different situation where she has to mull over whether a deal is worth it.

For the full history of the 1970 "Special Barbie Month" commercial, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.