Video of giant Barbie walking in Dubai was computer generated, not a hologram
The video appearing to show giant toy was computer-generated and added to real footage from Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) - There is not a hologram of a giant Barbie doll being displayed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as some on social media are claiming. A video appearing to show the skyscraper-sized toy was computer-generated and added to real footage from Dubai.
CLAIM: A hologram of a giant Barbie doll is being displayed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. A video appearing to show the giant toy was computer-generated and added to real footage from Dubai, the advertising agency that made the clip told The Associated Press.
THE FACTS: Video and still images of an alleged 3D ad showing a skyscraper-sized Barbie emerging from her box in Dubai have confused many on social media.
In the midst of Barbiemania, posts in both English and Spanish on Facebook, TikTok and X, previously known as Twitter, state that this “hologram” or three-dimensional advertisement was placed near the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, to promote the film.
“GIANT BARBIE WALKS ALONE. Imagine walking down the street, when you suddenly realize a Barbie doll several feet tall is above you. This set in Dubai, and although it looks incredible it’s a 3D hologram,” reads one Facebook post.
However, the video does not show a real attraction, advertisement or projection in Dubai, as the posts claim. It was created with a computer.
Eye Studio, an advertising company based in the United Arab Emirates, originally uploaded the video to social media on July 20, when the film was released in the United States and Latin America.
In a telephone interview with the AP, Juhi Rupani, the studio’s owner, confirmed that the video was fabricated, as the doll was digitally added to real footage of Dubai.
“It’s a computer generated video, this is not happening in reality. A lot of people have messaged us, asking where this is, and it’s we just made this,” Rupani said.
Still, she said she is satisfied that it confused people, as the intention was to make people wonder if it was real or not. ”So if people are actually confused, that means obviously the 3D artist has done a good job,” she said.
Contrary to what some posts have claimed, Rupani denied that the video is part of a campaign by Mattel or Warner Bros. for the film, which opens in August in the United Arab Emirates. “We’re not affiliated to them. It’s just we did it because the movie had a lot of hype around it,” she said.
