Defying Gravity: Wicked Good Marketing

I’ve always been more bad witch than good. In fact, Michael and I started dating at a Halloween party where I was dressed as the Wicked Witch. Our story goes, “A clown kissed a witch—and the rest is history.”

We also used to have this broomstick that the kids would put outside the front door. It made a horrible cackling sound, and one side said, "The witch is in” (for when I was home), and the other said, "The witch is out” (for when I wasn’t).

?It turns out my penchant for absolute witchiness isn’t that unique. As the highly anticipated Wicked film makes its debut, the barrage of brand collaborations that have led to this moment is nothing short of magical. From the minute the Wicked train rolled into Paris during the Olympics, I knew we were in for a thrillifying lead-up of marketing gold, I mean green.

Taking a page from Barbie’s promotional playbook, the Wicked team has outdone themselves, incorporating the movie and its leading ladies into every facet of culture. To celebrate the premiere, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite moments and collaborations.

Fashion and Beauty

With the beautifully colorful world represented in the film, there’s been a massive opportunity for fashion and beauty brands to get in on the action. The capsule fashion collections are too long of a list to name—the Gap , Rebecca Minkoff , H&M , 塔吉特百货 , ALDO Group , Bombas , Eugenia Kim , and more—but my personal favorite was seeing Wicked brought to life in Bloomingdale's holiday catalog. There was something for everyone, from beautiful stemware to comfy athleisure.

The magic also extends to beauty brands—it’s a movie about inner beauty and true “goodness,” after all. Conair LLC debuted its Wicked-themed metallic hair products; OPI brought to life its collection with colors like “Oz-mazing” and “Let’s Rejoicify”; Beekman 1802 launched a 10-piece skin- and body-care collection of Wicked soaps, creams, mud masks and more. But I tip my witch hat to r.e.m. beauty by Ariana Grande Wicked capsule, released by none other than Glinda (Ariana) herself.

Tech

While fashion and beauty seem like the most apparent directions for brand collabs, the Wicked team's embrace of every marketing vertical truly defines their genius. One standout is Samsung Electronics America 's introduction of the Music Frame Wicked Edition, which not only plays the beloved Wicked soundtrack but features iconic imagery from the film, bringing a piece of Oz into homes in an elegantly tech-savvy way.

Travel and Lifestyle

In travel, the hottest brands like Stanley 1913 and BéIS have curated Wicked-themed travel and lifestyle products that seamlessly integrate the essence of the film with practical, stylish gear for the modern traveler. I’m not a light packer, so I’m currently eyeing the large check-in roller. Should I go for Wicked green or Wicked pink?

Food and Beverage

I’ve waxed poetic about my loyalty to 星巴克 , and it’s no surprise the brand has created exclusive merchandise and drinks, like Glinda’s Pink Potion and Elphaba’s Cold Brew, to delight its customers and Wicked fans everywhere.

Pernod Ricard captured the film’s…spirit…while giving fans something extra special. In addition to ingredients and recipes for cocktails like the Absolut x Ozmopolitan and the Malibu x Popular Pink Punch, the kit also includes a Fandango code toward a movie ticket purchase and the chance to win a trip for two to the LA Wicked premiere. The brand already had me with the puns, but the consumer giveaway really sealed the deal.

But perhaps the food space is where things get really… scandalous. 沃尔玛 's private grocery label, Great Value, turned its classic macaroni and cheese cup into a bit of an experiment: You stir to reveal either pink or green cheese sauce. I have no interest in tasting this collaboration, but I’ve loved the headlines about it.

Pop-u-LAR Culture

But Universal hasn’t stopped at brand collaborations. It’s spent the better part of this year carefully placing the film—through its dynamic duo of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande—into pop culture. From the Paris Olympics to the Kardashians’ living room, this approach has cemented the marketing strategy behind this film as truly iconic:

One of my favorite moments this year was seeing Erivo and Grande at the Met Gala. Their fashion choices gave subtle nods to their respective characters:

But as someone passionate about the rise of women’s sports, one of my favorite, and perhaps most unexpected, moments was this Angel Reese promotional video, which draws parallels between the film’s unlikely heroine and Reese’s own career:

It’s hard to say if Wicked’s marketing strategy will change us for the better—but I believe it will change how films tap into their super fans for good.

What’s your favorite Wicked collab? And are you a good witch or bad?

Stay Wicked,

Lisa