With the Barbie movie breaking box office records, a cinema was graced by the presence of a special pink-elephant as part of a campaign by St Giles Hospice.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie has inspired a cultural and fashion trend dubbed ‘Barbiecore’, reportedly contributing to a pink paint shortage.

And now local hospice, St Giles Hospice has jumped on the trend to promote its 2024 sculpture trail March of the Elephants, which will hit the streets, towns and open spaces of Lichfield, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield in July next year.

Visitors to the Red Carpet Cinema & Café Bar in Barton-under-Needwood took the opportunity to take photos with the elephant adorned in pink and glitter, prior to the showing of the iconic film.

Emma Yates, associate director of income generation at St Giles Hospice, said: “We’ve had a lot of fun creating our Barbie-themed elephant ahead of her visit to the cinema this week.

“We’re so excited to bring her and the rest our herd to Lichfield, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield next year, and hope that our local communities will come and see the sculptures in all their glory.

“Our partner, Wild in Art, has created trails all across the globe, in cities such as Sydney and São Paulo, so I’m incredibly proud that next summer Lichfield, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield will be home to a world-class sculpture trail too, and what better way to celebrate all things West Midlands than by seeing 30 huge elephants in the most iconic parts of our area.

“We’re still on the hunt for sponsors to adopt an elephant sculpture that will feature in our herd. There are many sponsorship packages available, and we hope businesses across the region will recognise the economic and cultural benefits of becoming a sponsor as well as the positives for their own community.

“Once the trail ends, all of the sculptures will be brought together for the farewell weekend, before they are auctioned off. The pink cherry on the cake to this trail, is all the funds that are raised from the trail and the auction will go towards supporting local people, and their loved ones, living with a terminal illness.”

To celebrate the launch of the pink Barbie themed elephant, March of the Elephants is offering you the chance to win two cinema tickets, kindly donated by the Red Carpet Cinema & Café Bar. To enter, head over to the March of the Elephants Instagram page (@_elephantmarch).

Kate Silverwood, owner of the Red Carpet Cinema & Café Bar, said: “We’re really proud to have Barbie the little pink elephant here to sit in our cinema and enjoy some of our popcorn!

“Elephants never forget, and I’ll never forget how St Giles supported my dad to have a peaceful death at home.

“I’m very grateful to St Giles, and I’m really pleased that we can support them with the promotion of their March of the Elephants campaign.”

Find out more about the March of the Elephants trail, or how to sponsor an elephant.