In the last year, several movie musicals that have hit the big screen, including Wonka, Mean Girls, The Color Purple — and even The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to an extent. However, you might not have realized these films were musicals, as movie marketers have become increasingly more careful about promoting musicals due to the fact that some audiences are likely to tune out the genre altogether.
As the highly-anticipated film version of Wicked prepares to release this year, the film’s promotional campaign is taking some of these learnings to heart and defying others to create marketing magic. Take a trip to Emerald City and learn some of our favorite lessons to be learned from the the marketing of Wicked:
Lesson #1: Start with a Splash
Although Wicked is one of the most “popu-lar” musicals to ever hit the Broadway stage, the trailers for the film have not focused on showcasing the main characters singing or dancing to any of the show’s famous songs — but that hasn’t stopped audiences from buzzing about the film from the very beginning.
On February 11, 2024, during the first commercial break for Super Bowl LVIII, the First Look of Wicked was released. In this one-minute trailer, audiences can hear Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba singing parts of “Defying Gravity” in the background before belting the final note in the last few seconds of the trailer.
In addition to being seen by the 123.4 million viewers who watched the 2024 Super Bowl, the First Look trailer quickly racked up over 6.2 million streams on Universal Pictures’ YouTube. Choosing this moment to kick off the film’s marketing campaign was significant, as it not only put the film front-of-mind for millions of viewers, but also helped to draw in audiences outside of the film’s target demographic.
Now, unless you’re promoting luxury cars, beverage companies, or blockbuster films, kicking off a campaign at the Super Bowl is going to be out of reach for your brand, but the strategy of starting with a splash is a good one to follow no matter the size of your campaign. Spending boosting dollars on social campaigns or front-loading media opportunities tied to the launch of your campaign from the get-go can make a huge impression and get people excited about what is to come next.
Lesson #2: Invest in Influencers
With actors like Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum on the marquee, the marketing of Wicked is wisely choosing to focus on these big names instead of the musical performances in the film.
The cast members have done an incredible job of sharing content related to the film to their personal social channels, and given their impressive followings (in fact Ariana Grande is the 7th most-followed account on Instagram) there’s no doubt it is having a impact on increasing buzz for the film. Audiences who hear “No One Mourns the Wicked” and may have been inclined to tune out, for example, are likely going to be much more interested in viewing the film if one of their favorite celebrities to follow is continuously hyping it on social media.
Of course, not every marketing campaign is going to feature Broadway icons and Grammy award winners, but as a social media marketer, leaning on influencers and other evangelists of your brand is a solid strategy. After determining your audience and the goals for your campaign, take some time to think through who that audience turns to as a trusted decision-maker. Sometimes, all it takes is a little outreach to the right influencer to elicit some truly spellbinding engagement for your brand!
Lesson #3: Elevate Your Easter Eggs
As the Wicked movie marketing campaign has continued, audiences have been introduced to other characters like Fiyero, Boq, and even the Wizard of Oz. While these characters may be unknown to wide audiences, they are familiar to fans of the stage musical, helping to ensure dedicated fans of Wicked will make it a point to check out the film.
In addition to introducing more of the cast, later trailer releases and TV spots for Wicked have offered other easter eggs by showcasing characters like Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Toto. The International Trailer for the film includes even more fun easter eggs that go beyond what audiences have seen thus far.
Using easter eggs is a fun way to get audiences involved in your campaign and keep the conversation going long after the campaign has launched. In your next social media campaign, consider incorporating some fun elements that will speak to the audiences who have been following your brand the longest. This will help to demonstrate that you still value your core audience, and may even help you to attract new ones.
TIP: Not sure how you can incorporate easter eggs into your brand’s strategy? We’ve got you covered! Check out our guide on “How to Use ‘Easter Eggs’ to Delight Your Brand’s Fans”.
Will you be checking out the Wicked movie when it releases later this month? Follow Scooter Media on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, or TikTok and let us know!
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