Tag Archives: Product placement

by | Monday, September 22, 2025 · 7:10 am

Love Triangles, Sour Patch Kids, and Strategy: Marketing in The Summer I Turned Pretty

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

  1. Why do you think these partnerships resonated so strongly with Gen Z audiences?
  2. How does authenticity play a role in product placement?
  3. Do you think limited-edition products like Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah packs create real loyalty or just temporary buzz?
  4. How does social media amplify these brand partnerships?
  5. Could this strategy backfire? Why or why not? Is there a limit to the effectiveness of multiple brand placements?
  6. 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.
  7. Social Media Strategy Sprint. In groups, design a TikTok or Instagram campaign for one of the featured brands tied to TSITP.
  8. 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.

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by | Wednesday, January 29, 2025 · 7:53 am

“Wicked” Goes Big on Collaborations

Have you seen the movie “Wicked” yet? Not the Tony award-winning Broadway musical which has been on the stage since 2003. But the film adaptation of the play that was just released in November 2024.

If you have seen it, you are in good company as the film has already grossed more than $500 million in ticket sales, and became a social event in the process. And this is only to see “Wicked Part 1.” [The second part of the movie is due to be released in November, 2025.]

The launch and promotion of Wicked looks a lot like that of the Barbie movie last year. Barbie and pink were everywhere in 2023 (and earned $1.4 billion). This year, it’s the pink and green of Glinda and Elphaba we will be seeing everywhere.

As we know, it’s not just the movie itself that generates revenue; it’s also the collaborations between the movie and other brands. In the case of Wicked, there are Wicked-themed products and collections from more than 70+ brand partnerships ranging from Lexus to Conair to Gap.

Here is a sample of the collaborations:

  • Clothing from a variety of vendors.
  • Wicked Starbucks drinks.
  • Wicked beauty travel case ($128).
  • Wicked mystery color mac and cheese cup ($1-$12).
  • Crocs Wicked clog ($70)
  • Zac Posen pleated tulle dress ($595)
  • Faux leather jacket ($70)
  • Plus toys, makeup, jewelry, food, and more.

Unfortunately for one partner, Mattel, there was a packaging setback. The toy company had to pull its line of character Wicked-branded dolls after a misprint on the doll’s packaging inadvertently featured a link to a pornographic website named Wicked Pictures. [Theses dolls are now listed on eBay for far more than were paid at the store!]

Go ahead and sing along!

 Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: Who has seen the movie? The play? Did they purchase any merchandise with the Wicked theme?
  2. Show the movie clip for Wicked: https://youtu.be/6COmYeLsz4c?si=xwpgmnYY0YGL4u5g
  3. Show Wicked’s merchandise webstore (includes the play): https://wickedthemusicalstore.com/
  4. Have students search for Wicked-branded merchandise and collaborators.
  5. Divide students into teams. Have each team select a movie that could be licensed to collaborators.
  6. Develop a marketing campaign for the licensing opportunity.

Source: Lassner, E. (3 December 2024). ‘Wicked brand collabs continue flying off the shelves after movie’s record-breaking release. The Hollywood Reporter; Schwartzel, E. (15 November 2024). Inside Hollywood’s big ‘Wicked’ gamble. Wall Street Journal; Whitten, S. (11 November 2024). Mattel pulls thousands of ‘Wicked’ dolls off shelves after printing adult web address on packaging. CNBC.

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by | Wednesday, January 3, 2024 · 7:01 am

Rom-Com now means Romance-Commerce for Walmart

Product placement has maxed out with Walmart’s new shoppable show.  Released in December, the 23-episode video series combines romantic comedy with shopping – two of our favorite things in one place!

The series, named “Add to Heart,” is available on TikTok, Roku, and YouTube. While watching, viewers can buy more than 330 featured items directly from Walmart. Each video is about three-minutes and has at least 10 shoppable items.

The plot? Well, it’s a typical romantic-comedy where girl and guy meet and fall in love. The series follows Jessica, who after losing her luggage while traveling, visits Walmart and bumps into an old flame. There are some twists of course. If this sounds like a Hallmark movie to you, you are right on track.

Almost every item in the videos – including fashion, furniture, and décor – can be found and shopped at Walmart. The company calls it a “fun, unique way for customers to be entertained while shopping for the great deals on top brands that they expect from Walmart.”

According to Walmart, nearly half of U.S. consumers say they have made a purchase through social media. This video series hopes to capitalize on that trend, as well as watching the series as a family for entertainment.

Sshhh… the show is on…

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Show series videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOM80Etqef8&list=PLs6zAwIMDe3POfn2wEXb5mOLmLwaJ1M0u
  2. Wall Street Journal video analysis: https://www.wsj.com/video/series/news-explainers/rom-com-meets-shopping-why-walmart-launched-a-shoppable-series/24941BEA-E081-41FB-A4C9-376446B54FA2
  3. OPTIONAL: Instructors might show an episode and buy an item in class. Students could also participate.
  4. Then, evaluate the entire process from viewing to receipt of products.
  5. What other companies might try this?
  6. Divide students into teams. Have each team select a brand and develop a one-paragraph pitch on how a similar tactic might be used.

Source: Riley, C. (1 December 2023). Walmart launches shoppable ‘Romcommerce’ series. Supermarket News.; Wall Street Journal. (4 December 2023). Rom-com meets shopping? Why Walmart launched a shoppable series. (Video.) Wall Street Journal.

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