Why ‘Wicked’ brand partnerships could risk consumer fatigue

“Wicked,” the new Broadway-inspired movie starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, doesn’t hit theaters until Nov. 22. But consumers might be feeling like it’s one overly long day in the Emerald City, as they are confronted with a never-ending lineup of brand collaborations connected to the Universal film. “Wicked”-themed products from the likes of H&M and Crocs began rolling out in early October; since then, more than 50 partnerships have hit store shelves and media channels. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs As it becomes increasingly hard to attract—and sustain—consumers’ attention, brands are turning to non-traditional methods of reaching them. Movie collaborations have emerged as one of the best strategies as new blockbusters boost engagement and interest long before a movie’s release. Last year’s “Barbie,” in which Warner Bros. garnered a whopping 100-plus brand partners, is viewed as a textbook example of movie marketing at its best. “Consumers are generally becoming more and more immune and less impacted by our traditional methods of communicating with them,” said Anjali Bal, associate professor of marketing at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., referring to billboards and TV. “Any types of non-traditional advertising—be it guerilla marketing, product placement, brand partnerships—tend to do better in terms of transferring some of the halo effect of good will to the brands that are in them.” But for “Wicked,” which is based on the popular Broadway show adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name, there is a danger of oversaturation from brand partnerships leading to consumer fatigue. Some collabs make sense—Starbucks already has plenty of pink and green drinks easily renamable to mesh with movie protagonists Glinda and Elphaba, while a makeup collection from Grande’s own cosmetics line R.E.M. Beauty is a clear win. But others seem more of a stretch. Walmart is selling “Wicked”-themed Betty Crocker cupcake mixes and mac and cheese bowls. Gap has a $79.95 hoodie that replaces its logo’s “A” with a witch’s profile. Experts say with so many options and a lack of exclusivity or scarcity, it’s likely many items end up on the sale rack. I’m already tired of all the random Wicked merch promos, but that Elphaba Funko is pretty cute. . . 💚 pic.twitter.com/VtSKViKlLi— Hello Nicole (@Nicolebelleca) October 2, 2024 Many theatrical releases risk exhausting potential moviegoers by over-playing its trailer, particularly when it starts airing far in advance. The first “Wicked” trailer dropped during this year’s Super Bowl and multiple variations have followed, including one during the Olympics which intercut shots of the film’s protagonists with the Summer Games’ star athletes. There’s a fine line between excitement and exhaustion. “The risk of oversaturation might have a long-term impact on brand collaborations and the success of film,” said Bal. “They have to be careful of how they’re cheapening the brand because the sheer volume of the partnerships, whether Target, Starbucks, Kipling, Minkoff, all of these brands, it gets to be a lot.” Some consumers appear to already be growing weary of the influx. It feels like Wicked movie been coming out for 8 years now— HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty (@keyon) October 30, 2024 Can Wicked just fucking end already??? We’re going on 20 years of this shit. pic.twitter.com/RMxfyV3VOW— Quarantined Anders (@andersjazz) November 3, 2024 Universal declined to make their executives available for this story. The Nov. 22 release is just the first part of a two-part series, with the second film slated for release in late 2025—a detail Bal cautioned many viewers, including fans of the Broadway show, might not know. “They release the second half and that’s where you don’t want to annoy consumers,” she said. “If you’re making them come back for the rest of the show, you don’t want them to get fatigue now.” The film’s quest for cultural ubiquity has also turned non-retail partners pink and green. A “Wicked” experience in Roblox sends gamers to Shiz University (where Elphaba and Glinda first meet), where they can role-play the story and collect virtual wearables. Hilton’s midtown New York location transformed a suite into an Oz-ified stay. And the WNBA enlisted star Angel Reese for a cross-promotional spot to inspire viewers to “defy gravity, rise above the noise.” Below, Ad Age compiled a look at more “Wicked” collaborations out thus far: Retailers under the spell Multiple retailers went all the way down the yellow brick road with Universal, popping up cross-store takeovers rather than mere capsule collections. Target has been particularly visible, with a widely airing ad spot featuring Erivo belting signature tune “Defying Gravity” throughout the retailer’s aisles. Am I the only on that’s tired of seeing this Wicked Target commercial?— Coffee&Chucks (@coffeeandchucks) November 1, 2024 In addition to space for publicly bursting into song, Target’s shelves feature more than 150 “Wicked” branded products. Exclusive items for the store chain include certain Mattel dolls and toys from Funko and Fischer Price as well as the film’s soundtrack on vinyl and special edition Stanley Quenchers, which Target has a knack for getting tumbler enthusiasts fighting over. Also read: Mattel apologizes for listing porn site on ‘Wicked’ packaging Amazon will also get the Oz treatment, with various takeovers across its platforms. In partnership with NBCUniversal-owned ticketer Fandango, Prime members received exclusive access to early screenings of the film, taking place on Nov. 18, as well as special product collections launched on consecutive “Wicked Wednesdays” leading into the film's release. “Wicked” themes are also available on Alexa and Amazon Fire devices, and an Emerald City takeover took place at Amazon’s Seattle campus on Oct. 30. It included activities, photo opps and shopping, as well as a livestream of the popup on a devoted “Wicked” Amazon hub. Had a blast spending ‘one short day’ in Seattle, a.k.a. The Emerald City, celebrating the launch of https://t.co/Szaw1xazkA and these swankified new products inspired by the film! See Wicked only in theaters November 22. pic.twitter.com/2Lqb315k4a— Wicked Movie (@wickedmovie) November 1, 2024 Other stores have featured product lines and branding, including Walmart and Bloomingdales. And pop-ups at Universal’s theme parks in Florida and California feature exclusive merch. Theaters go Emerald City Movie theaters have leaned heavily into “Wicked,” particularly as it kicks off what should be a lucrative holiday release slate alongside “Gladiator II” and “Moana 2” after multiple under-performing titles throughout the year. As cinema chains continue to struggle with post-pandemic recovery, many have found success going all out on elements that further eventize a night out, such as specialty screenings, colorful drinks and over-the-top merch. As one of this year’s anticipated box office hits, “Wicked” has become a goldmine of IP in the movie theaters’ popcorn bucket wars, where chains compete for social media attention with increasingly elaborate snack vessels. Regal, which will have a plethora of products including a lantern-themed bucket, went big with a 2.5-minute spot for its pink and green products. AMC and Cinemark have also been bidding for ticket sales with items such as wands embedded with Swarovski crystals and glowing figurines. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cinemark Theatres (@cinemark) Cinema ad sellers are also getting into the action. Starting this week, Universal Pictures will take over Screenvision’s pre-show that plays on theater screens prior to the trailers. The “Emerald Edition” of "Front + Center" will feature footage of the film’s cast as well as brand spots which Screenvision will sell against the “Wicked” package. Witchy wearables Retailers lined up early this fall to market their “Wicked” clothing options. Bombas is selling green and pink socks and Loungefly has its Glinda and Elphaba versions of its trademark backpacks. Along with Gap’s sweatshirts, competitors American Eagle, Forever 21, Justice and H&M are selling their own versions of Emerald City-worthy apparel. In addition, Primark, Crocs, Aldo, Vera Bradley, Marks & Spencer, Foster Grant and Her Universe have collaborations. For those who want to get away, luggage brand Béis promises it has bags “designed to defy gravity” and Kipling is selling some wicked monkey keychains. Glam worthy of the Ozdust Ballroom Between the glimmer of Glinda and and the glitz of Oz, the movie offers a natural extension to beauty brands; labels including nail polish brand OPI, IT Cosmetics, hair brush seller Wet Lush and Beekman 1802 hopped on board. An Instagram post from Grande about R.E.M.’s “Wicked” offerings has attracted over 8.4 million views and 410,700 likes. Yet hair-styling products from small appliance brands such as Shark and Conair seem more contrived. View this post on Instagram A post shared by r.e.m.beauty (@r.e.m.beauty) For wallets that defy gravity While the overall luxury category is in decline, some fashion players are hoping that they might buck the trend by tapping into “Wicked”’s fan base. Rebecca Minkoff is selling two special edition handbags; one infuses “Elphaba’s fierce spirit” while the other channels “Glinda’s whimsical charm.” Sydney Evan has a jewelry collection and hat seller Eugenia Kim has her own capsule collection that is more subtly infused with elements from the movie. Lexus abandoned subtlety with its so-called “Wicked pair of rides” in art-deco styles. Both boast trunk room for broomsticks. Naeem Khan, Camilla and Cambridge Satchel also have collaborations. Become an All Access subscriber Get access to exclusive resources including Leading National Advertisers, World’s Largest Advertisers, Agency Report, Agency Review Tracker and TV Pricing Report. Click here For the munchkins Toys have long been a staple of family film marketing, but they are are notable in the “Wicked” movie’s appeal for family viewing. That is because it will be competing with the more child-friendly Disney flick “Moana 2” that premiers a week later. A slew of toy brands have leapt at bringing the film’s witch duo to kids, including Build-A-Bear, Mattel and Funko. Families can also grab themed playing cards from Theory11, dress-up costumes from Jakks Pacific and tie-in books from Harper Collins and Random House, among other kids collections featuring board games, pajamas and bedding. Lego has launched multiple “Wicked” themed sets to build, as well as a block-ified recreation of the film’s trailer.

Why ‘Wicked’ brand partnerships could risk consumer fatigue

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