From Oz to Everywhere: How the Wicked Movie Marketing Worked Its Magic

On one side movie buffs are rooting for the next Moana movie. On another, there are those betting on which December release will make headlines. While this is happening, there is a movie casting spell on fans everywhere, breaking several box office records – yes, we are talking about the Wicked movie. 

Remember the last time a movie felt like a cultural event, not just a film release? We guess you’re recalling the magnitude of the Barbie movie from 2023. The Wicked movie marketing seems to have achieved something similar.

If you’ve been seeing Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande pop up everywhere, from your Instagram feed to your local billboards, you’re not alone. Universal Pictures has been working overtime, weaving a spell of epic proportions to hype up this highly anticipated film. 

Universal Pictures’ Chief Marketing Officer Michael Moses remarked when discussing the Wicked movie with Deadline, “We knew the size of the enterprise and we had to treat it like a cultural event.” They have done precisely that! 

So, today we’re dissecting the marketing strategy for the Wicked movie to take away some wicked good marketing lessons. 

The Magnitude of the Wicked Movie Marketing Efforts 

If you remember the Barbie movie marketing phenomenon from last year, the sheer magnitude of the promotions made waves. The movie reportedly had a $150 million marketing budget. Wicked supposedly also has a budget of about $150 million for marketing. Which is way more than the production cost of most movies. The result? The media value of the Wicked movie is estimated to be nearly $350 million. 

We get it. We hear you say that such astronomical budgets can work wonders in marketing. But it’s not merely about the budget as you know. It’s about strategic partnerships, efficient channel allocation for content distribution and a wise spread of promotions across localized markets. Universal Pictures has done all that and more to propel the Wicked movie to the top charts. Of course, there is the quality of the movie as well, no doubt! 

All of this has paved the way for the movie to become the biggest-ever opening weekend for a film adapted from Broadway. And also the third biggest domestic debut of the year. 

Trivia: Did you know that Universal Pictures partnered with around 450 brands to promote the Wicked movie? 

Let’s now talk about a few such partnerships and promotional activities that are part of the Wicked movie marketing and understand what marketing insights to acquire from these. 

Wicked Movie Marketing Magic: Some of the Campaigns We Loved

1. The 96-page exclusive edition of the PEOPLE magazine 

PEOPLE released a special Wicked edition, a 96-page magazine offering exclusive glimpses into behind-the-scenes content. From charming tidbits about the cast to the fun in the overall process, the edition is a visual delight enough to excite any Wicked fan or even convert the casual onlooker into one. 

This collaboration shows the value of content marketing and what happens when you create exclusive content to engage in meaningful conversations with your customers (or fans as in this case). 

2. Partnership with Ariana Grande’s R.E.M. Beauty

The Wicked movie has also partnered with Ariana Grande’s R.E.M. Beauty. This makes perfect sense and feels like a natural extension of the movie promotion considering that the brand is owned by the actress playing Glinda the Good Witch in the movie. 

Moreover, celebrity-owned beauty brands make perfect brand partners for movie promotions!  

From limited-edition picks to product bundles, co-branded merchandise, and more, this partnership explored diverse strategies.

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A post shared by r.e.m.beauty (@r.e.m.beauty)

Co-branded products and limited-edition exclusives work well when you create them as cohesive extensions to the narrative. From the visual themes in the promotion of the Wicked collection to the packaging design and the names of the products, every little detail in this collaboration resonates with the theme. 

3. The Sponsored Snaps to expand reach 

Snapchat’s new Sponsored Snaps ad format recently made its debut. And now Snapchat has collaborated with Wicked as its first-ever partner. This is a great move for both Snapchat and Universal Pictures. 

Here’s the Sponsored Snap sent to users via chat. 

The direct message format made the message more personal and easier to connect with, therefore boosting engagement. This campaign stands as a reminder for brands to use the most relevant ad formats for each platform they are focusing on. 

Another notable factor here is the brand’s choice of social media platform for partnership. Snapchat’s dominance with Gen Z aligns perfectly with the Wicked movie’s target audience. 

4. Timing it right – the Super Bowl trailer launch 

It all started when Jon M. Chu, the director of Wicked, announced the movie adaptation of the Broadway classic. His post gave just a brief look and was enough to build anticipation. 

You weren’t told the whole story. What happens when you veer off the Yellow Brick Road? Here is your very FIRST LOOK of #WickedMovie … currently in production in Oz. 🌪️🫧🧹@WickedMovie @UniversalPics pic.twitter.com/pKdTTmi6kD

— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) April 16, 2023

Universal Pictures then surprised the 2023 CinemaCon attendees with their exclusive footage from the movie. Together these set things in motion and started building a hype for the movie. 

The next big milestone was the first look teaser launch and what stood out was the brand’s timing. They broke their trailer during the Super Bowl season which is also one of the biggest marketing seasons every year. The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched television events globally, with an audience that spans diverse demographics, making it an unparalleled platform for high-impact marketing. And Universal Pictures leveraged this chance productively. 

This strategy in Wicked movie marketing highlights the need for choosing the right stage and the right timing for maximum reach. Besides, creating a buzz around global events like the Super Bowl increases the chances of going viral. 

5. The Mattel x Wicked partnership 

To expand reach and to create tangible assets to represent the movie, the Wicked movie marketing team also partnered with Mattel. As a part of this partnership, Mattel created realistic Wicked movie dolls designed based on the main characters. 

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A post shared by MATTEL (@mattel)

The disastrous packaging blunder aside, this was a great idea to expand the reach. 

The collectibles market size reportedly stood at $484.6 billion in 2024 and this is a rapidly growing segment. Therefore, tapping into collectible marketing can be a great idea to promote content like movies. Because this taps into fandom and appeals to fans and also exposes the movie to collectors. 

6. Target’s commercial 

Target launched a commercial revealing their partnership with the Wicked movie. This partnership brings a wide range of Wicked-themed merchandise including some Target-exclusives. This includes beauty products, toys, dress-up essentials to appeal to the little fans and so much more. 

The diverse collection has something for users of all age groups. This strategy accommodates the diverse family audiences that Target focuses on and also the young audience that Wicked movie targets. 

The partnership here highlights the need for finding brands with similar target audience personas when working on brand partnerships. Additionally, the colorful setting and the musical element in the commercial from Target emphasizes the format of the movie. 

7. The magical Lexus partnership 

In addition to the musically vibrant commercial, Lexus also revealed two concept cars designed around the lead characters, Elphaba and Glinda. Taking the signature colors of the characters, the brand added its own flair to create something chic and intriguing. 

Talking about these concepts, Lisa McQueen, manager, Lexus marketing said, “We’ve designed each vehicle to capture the magic of ‘Wicked’ and bring the cinematic experience to life for its passionate fans,” 

What grabs attention here is Lexus’s attention to detail in these concept cars like the expansive cargo space for broomsticks and other witch-essentials. Lexus showcased these cars during the premier of the movie. 

Wicked movie’s partnership with Lexus here highlights the need for choosing authoritative brand partners to build credibility and strengthen your stance. 

8. The “Stay Like Wicked” suite at New York Hilton Midtown 

Remember Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse? Hilton Hotels has created something similar for the promotion of the Wicked movie with the Stay Like Wicked suite designed at New York Hilton Midtown.  

The video here gives a sneak peek into the suite creatively optimized for the theme including the green and pink bathrobes, the enchanting library and even the tulips by the window. 

This can be an exciting stay not just for the Wicked fans but also for anyone looking to experience a unique stay. 

Experiential executions like this one provide a unique, hands-on way for fans to connect with the brand thus deepening emotional engagement. 

Besides, stays like this are perfect social media materials and increase the chances of users discussing the hospitality provider, Hilton as well as the movie thus creating a buzz for both brands. 

So, what is the take away here? Experiential campaigns are effective in increasing memorability. Because a pleasant experience can evoke diverse sensory responses and therefore strengthen your ties with your customers. 

9. Starbucks’ gravity-defying beverages 

Starbucks is known for its highly-active brand partnership strategy and is known to partner with diverse brands in diverse markets. Evidently, they did not miss the buzz that the Wicked movie created. 

As a part of this partnerships, Starbucks launched two new Wicked-themed beverages last month to resonate with the Wicked movie fans. In addition to the pink and green potions, they also announced a small collection of Wicked-themed merchandise including drinkware and Starbucks Cards. 

For the designs here, Starbucks picked creative visual themes, colors and design elements inspired by the film’s characters and settings. These immersive product tie-ins are great ways to capitalize on fandom and leave a lasting impact. 

10. Betty Crocker brings some Wicked magic into your kitchen

As a part of their partnership with Wicked, Betty Crocker revealed their enchanting new baking collection. The Betty Crocker Wicked Mix to Reveal Kits are designed to allow customers to create treats with a twist. These include cupcakes and cookie dough pops that reveal either Glinda’s signature pink or Elphaba’s emerald green colors.

This not only aligns with the Wicked movie theme but also includes an element of suspense and engages audiences creatively. The instant gratification that comes with experiences like this one are sure to create positive brand sentiments for both the partnering brands. 

In this case, Betty Crocker stays true to their theme and fulfils the expectations of the brand’s community that encourages users to share recipes and their exciting creations. This demonstrates the power of staying close to your signature content format when partnering with brands. 

11. The 9 million tulips of Munchkinland

One of the most impressive partnerships that is part of the Wicked movie marketing is the partnership with UK’s renowned tulip field, Norfolk Tulips. 

Munchkinland and its spectacular tulip garden featured in the Wicked movie was created in the real-world at Norfolk Tulips. The 9 million tulips planted to create the magical village featured in the movie instead of going the conventional way of using CGI shows the amount of dedication that went into the making of the Wicked movie. 

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12. Amazon x Wicked x Fandango

Partnering with Fandango and Amazon, the Wicked movie team let customers purchase advance screening tickets ahead of the release. Evidently, this exclusive benefit rewards members with early access to one of the most anticipated films of the year.

This expands the reach of the movie and takes it on the omni-channel route to amplify its performance. Moreover, for Amazon, this is a way to reward loyalty by providing Prime members with early access to the ticket sale. 

13. Local marketing with Liberty 

Most of the Wicked movie marketing campaigns we discussed so far were large scale executions involving multi-channel ads. But the partnership with the popular British department store, Liberty highlights the need for local marketing even in the evolving digital landscape. 

The artistic windows of the department store were transformed to showcase the Wicked movie theme. Additionally, there was also a full-scale installation within the store. And this grabbed the attention of the locals and created some social media buzz as well. 

Local marketing efforts like this one can come with a minimal reach but in this case you are targeting a very specific market and these are local customers invested in the local brand. Therefore, they tend to be better engaged. 

14. Shiz University to capture social media attention 

Universal Pictures launched a creative campaign centered around Shiz University, the magical institution from the Wicked movie. For this they created an interactive website and invited fans to step into the film’s universe. 

This campaign particularly focused on creating buzz in the social media realm. The selected users received an acceptance letter with some cool Wicked movie themed merchandise. Most of these users shared their excitement on social media building on the movie’s popularity. 

Additionally, Universal Pictures also created custom Wicked movie filters resulting in an endless reserve of user-generated content. Overall, this campaign highlights the fact that social media is one of the most effective channels to convert leads to fans and encourage them to advocate for your brand. 

Who will you be rooming with at Shiz University? Head to TikTok and try our new effect to find out. https://t.co/9McC2Hontd pic.twitter.com/fZYztzDCrt

— Wicked Movie (@wickedmovie) October 15, 2024

15. Setting clear visual themes 

One of the biggest drivers of the Barbie movie campaigns was the signature pink color. Some brands that jumped on the bandwagon by dressing up in pink. This exemplifies the impact of strong visual themes and colors in movie marketing. The Wicked movie marketing also adopted this concept and built most of the marketing around the pink and green theme based on the lead characters. 

Consequently, something as simple as the display of a pink-green lighting at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was enough to build on the movie’s brand recognition. 

Arc de Triomphe in Paris has turned pink and green in celebration of Wicked.

pic.twitter.com/WD7Dsas2yw

— wicked news hub (@wickednewshub) November 12, 2024

Moreover, most campaigns we discussed so far like the concept cars from Lexus and the signature beverages from Starbucks all incorporated this unique color scheme for instant impact. 

The Result 

All these partnerships and well-executed campaigns from Universal Pictures did lead to some bewitching results. Rave reviews from viewers and critics, impressive ratings and some record breaking box-office performance later the movie is growing steadily in its popularity. 

We love everything you’re saying about Wicked! pic.twitter.com/HGKX27Oy4q

— Wicked Movie (@wickedmovie) November 24, 2024

Another point to note is that Universal Pictures seems to have evolved its marketing strategy recently. From the massive success of Oppenheimer to the performance of the Wicked movie a lot of factors indicate that the production company is doing it right. As a result Universal Studios beat Disney and secure the top spot on the list of the highest grossing film studios. 

All these efforts not only solidified Wicked as a cultural phenomenon but also showcased Universal’s ability to redefine blockbuster marketing. With such a winning streak, Universal Pictures is proving to be an unstoppable force in the entertainment industry. 

Will the Moana 2 release shake things up a little? We’ll have to wait and see. 

In meantime, if you are looking to explore diverse marketing channels and create cohesive designs for your campaigns across these channels, sign up for an unlimited design service like KIMP.

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