What happens when a teen love triangle becomes more than just a binge-worthy show? It becomes a marketing goldmine. Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) isn’t just entertaining fans, it’s rewriting how brands connect with Gen Z.
With Season three drawing 25 million viewers in its first week, brands like Catbird Jewelry, Sour Patch Kids, Solid & Striped, and Coach saw a golden opportunity. But this isn’t your parents’ product placement. These collaborations are deeply woven into the storyline. When Jeremiah proposed with Catbird’s Diamond Fizz Ring, online chatter spiked, and Catbird’s site saw a 1,900% jump in traffic. Results like these are a marketer’s dream as awareness and exposure led to conversion.
Sour Patch Kids also leaned into the show’s fandom, creating Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah candy packs, turning the fictional love triangle into a real-world snack war. Meanwhile, Solid & Striped designed swimsuits for Belly’s character, and Coach sold out a capsule bag line inspired by the series. Rather than just being quickly shown on screen, featured brands became part of the experience of being a TSITP fan.
For marketers, the lesson is clear: Gen Z doesn’t just watch shows, they live them. They want brands that feel authentic, interactive, and personal. The future of marketing isn’t about interrupting the story – it’s about becoming part of it.
Discussion Questions and Activities
- Why do you think these partnerships resonated so strongly with Gen Z audiences?
- How does authenticity play a role in product placement?
- Do you think limited-edition products like Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah packs create real loyalty or just temporary buzz?
- How does social media amplify these brand partnerships?
- Could this strategy backfire? Why or why not? Is there a limit to the effectiveness of multiple brand placements?
- Social Media Search. Ask students to search for clips or parody’s of product placements like this one from TSITP on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boobler/video/7535672261542415646.
- Social Media Strategy Sprint. In groups, design a TikTok or Instagram campaign for one of the featured brands tied to TSITP.
- Brand Matchmaker. Students pair a current show/movie with a brand they think would be an ideal product placement fit, explaining why.
Sources:
Cavendar, Elena (21 Aug 2025), Meet the Brands Partnering with The Summer I Turned Pretty to Reach Gen Z, Adweek. Offenback, Lola (4 Aug 2025), Brands Are Meeting Gen Z Where They Are: Watching the Summer I Turned Pretty, Campaign.
