Now That’s Wickedly Good Marketing
December 19, 2025 2026-02-02 20:35Now That’s Wickedly Good Marketing
By: Annalisa Fletcher
“I have been changed for good.”
Sure, that line from the duet in Wicked captures how Glinda and Elphaba transform each other through their friendship, but they weren’t the only ones changed for good. The marketing behind “Wicked: For Good” monumentally shifted how big movies team up with brands on a massive scale. As of December, Wicked: For Good has grossed around $468 million worldwide. The first film hit over $758 million, making it the highest grossing Broadway adaptation ever. The sequel opened strong with $147 million domestically and $223 million globally in its first weekend. Compared to other recent releases like “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on the way, a big reason why Wicked has such a strong lead is because of its huge brand push.
A huge part in its success is due to the brand partnerships which were over 400+ collaborations worldwide according to NBCUniversal reports. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts dropped green matcha drinks and pink refreshers. Jill Nelson, Dunkin’s chief marketing officer explained, “Partnering with a story that means so much to fans everywhere gave us the chance to have a little fun with our own world too.” Other collabs ranged from LEGO sets, to shoe collections, bath products, an Airbnb stay inspired by Elphaba, and the list goes on. The iconic pink and green popped up everywhere, like at Target, Ulta, and even in grocery stores with household products including Gain detergent. All these efforts added up to more than 330 million dollars in media and money on promotions. Universal’s CMO Michael Moses explains it quite clearly, “You can’t miss us if we never go away.” The actors even participated at fan events in cities like São Paulo, Paris, and London.
The strategy leaned heavy on Gen-Z with limited drops and experiences. Dave O’Connor from Universal said they wanted to, “evolve and to continue to do incredible work and find the right balance of partnerships that can innovate and really match the heart of the next film.” Clearly, it worked to keep fans excited even with the short one year gap between the 2 movies.
Wicked: For Good proves that good marketing all starts with good visibility, because in order for it to work, it has to be seen. By integrating it into everyday products, the movie has become impossible to ignore. Now here’s a bigger question: Will Wicked’s brand heavy strategy set a new standard for how upcoming movies market themselves? If other studios follow suit, film marketing could move beyond simpler promotions and let audiences live the story.
Works Cited-
NBCUniversal. “How ‘Wicked: For Good’ Became a Global Collaboration Story.” NBCUniversal, 2 Dec. 2025, www.nbcuniversal.com/article/how-wicked-good-became-global-collaboration-story
Tobin, Chelsea. “‘Wicked: For Good’ And The Power Of Brand Collaborations In Business.” Forbes, 24 Nov. 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/chelseatobin/2025/11/24/wicked-for-good-and-the-power-of-brand-collaborations-in-business/
“How ‘Wicked: For Good’ Transformed Brand Collaboration.” Pulse Advertising, 20 Nov. 2025, www.pulse-advertising.com/resources/social-media-news/wicked-for-good-marketing-campaigns/
NBC News. “Universal’s ‘Wicked: For Good’ Creates a Unique Marketing Challenge.” NBC News, 24 Jan. 2025, www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/universals-wicked-good-creates-unique-marketing-challenge-rcna189216
