As we near the close of 2024, BITE is wrapping up the top 10 moments of the past year and what learnings marketers can take with them into the new year. Storming into number 10 in our chart is the cinematic moment of the year: Wicked.

The power of the experience economy has been top of the marketing agenda in 2024 and the Wicked movie has underlined the power of shared experience.

Wicked underlines the enduring marketing firepower power of a star-studded film, blended with celebrity, social media and nostalgia.

The infamous pink and green colour-combo is everywhere. While songs that are almost 20 years old are being re-discovered by younger generations, thanks to social media apps like TikTok.

The much anticipated film is an adaptation of the hit musical and stars singers and actors, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. In a world where marketing leaders decry ever-diminishing attention spans, the success of the 2 hour 41 minute film marks an industry inflection point.

Years in the making, the adaptation already had plenty of hype. With the success of Barbie just the year prior proving the cultural impact of cinema, Wicked had the potential to be another player in the zeitgeist.

And the marketing certainly strove to do so, from embracing and facilitating fandom, to the consistency of its pink and green brand language. The film drummed up enough hype for its opening weekend box office sales to be $164.2 million worldwide, $114 million in the US, and more than $50 million internationally. Wicked was certainly a huge marketing moment for 2024.

Cultivating fandom

We all saw the hype around Greta Gerwig’s 2023 film: Barbie, starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie. From collaborations with makeup lines to the Malibu Barbie Dreamhouse up for rent on Airbnb, the film was a crash course into how to ride the wave of cultural hype, and resultant fandom was widespread.

Wicked, whilst avoiding a simple “copy paste” approach, embraced its own uniqueness and fandom. A long-running theatre production, Wicked already had a name for itself and a base of fans who love the musical.

Understanding the importance of the film adaptation to the musical’s existing fans, the marketing approach leaned on continuity, as well as a fresh approach to this much loved tale. For instance, the movie poster followed a very similar outline to the one we have all come to know, Glinda whispering into Elphaba’s ear, but made slight tweaks which signified the production’s newness.

Fans were also let into the world of casting, which was a long and meticulous process. A means for finding the most suitable talent, the openly extensive process was also a way that the film signalled how seriously it took the preservation of a much-loved, existing musical.

Ultimately, child-actor turned hugely successful, chart-topping pop-singer, Ariana Grande, landed the role of Glinda. And with her, she brought her hoards of fans. Grande has long spoken about her love of the musical and wish to play a role in it. With the talent to back her up, the casting felt authentic.

Cinema gives brands a real opportunity to connect authentically with fandom. Armed with a double fandom - fans of Wicked and Arianators (Ariana Grande fans) - the film was set up for success.

Pink and green all over

Much like how Barbie painted everything pink, Wicked splashed its iconic pink and green combo everywhere. The easily recognisable color duo, representing Glinda and Elphaba respectively, was a great way of creating a simple, yet consistent brand presence.

Notably, the film’s cast aided this effort with appearances in their characters’ colours. Similarly, last year, we saw Margot Robbie turning up to red carpets in archive Mattel Barbie outfits, and earlier this year Zendaya sported tennis-inspired looks to promote the popular film, Challengers.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande swapped colours at the Met Gala 2024, with the former sporting hints of pink and the latter in a muted shade of green. Then, famously, the pair turned up to the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, having swapped back colours.

But the colour-washing didn’t stop there. Branded collaborations have really embraced the film’s understated signifier. From a range at Claire’s to H&M’s Wicked merch, Wicked themed Crocs, and collaboration with Grande’s own beauty brand, R.E.M beauty, the film’s pink and green has been front and centre for consumers.

All publicity is good publicity

Another key component of Wicked's marketing from this past year, is its presence on social media. Snippets of interviews, cast controversy, and tabloid reporting has played a heavy role in why the film has kept people talking.

Snippets of Erivo and Grande’s press interviews have gone viral, with the most infamous and recent being the ‘holding space interview’. X (formerly Twitter) users took to the app to express confusion and amusement at the emotional reaction from the co-stars, after being told that people have been ‘holding space’ for ‘the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’’ (the flagship song from the musical).

These viral moments have brought with them a whole lot of attention for the film. Whether people like it or not, they are talking about it and therefore keeping it firmly placed within culture.

With plenty of controversy, there has also been an outpouring of love. Aside from the rave reviews, the film has been praised for its representation of the LGBTQIA+ community and the way it champions female friendships.

Lessons to learn

A key takeaway from the marketing of Wicked is how to stay relevant. A long-time coming, the film has been faced with the ultimate marketing challenge: how to create and then sustain hype.

This has translated to record-breaking box office sales, and can also be seen in the film’s continued presence in the zeitgeist. From TikTok users making videos with sound bites from the film, to Glinda and Elphaba halloween outfits, the film has been a core component of culture in this past year.

Through embracing fandom, consistent branding, and keeping people talking, the film has successfully remained significant throughout 2024. A powerful reminder of the enduring power of the cinematic experience across channels.

Image credit: Universal Pictures