From Screens to Stores: The Top 5 Brand Collaborations with 2024 Movies

Brand-film collaborations are a successful way to create authentic and engaging stories that resonate with audiences. They also boost reputation and visibility for both parties and generate social impact and revenue.

These collaborations help brands:

• Increase brand awareness, allowing them to reach new audiences and increase their exposure.

• Enhance the brand image by creating differentiation between them and their competitors, improving their brand values and image.

• Drive sales by tapping into their customers' excitement for the film.

• Create storytelling opportunities through these collaborations, offering unique product offerings to their consumers.

For filmmakers, these collaborations are essential because:

• They help them receive funding.

• Filmmakers can gain creative freedom.

• Get exposure to broader markets through these collaborations.

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This blog post will examine my top five film-brand collaborations for 2024 movie releases.

Deadpool and Wolverine: Heinz and Heineken

Deadpool 3 generated significant buzz before and after its release, mainly due to the pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. After his character's previous demise, fans were ecstatic to see Wolverine return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film received an impressive A CinemaScore in the US, contributing to a rise in sales for collaborating brands.

One notable collaboration was with Heinz, which launched limited-edition ketchup and mustard bottles inspired by the film. The playful campaign went viral during the summer barbecue season, featuring Deadpool's mask, suit, and katanas on the ketchup bottles and Wolverine's claws on the mustard. Fans eagerly sought the collectable bottles, demonstrating the effectiveness of leveraging pop culture in marketing.

Heineken also partnered with Deadpool 3, creating a humorous ad that showcased the duo sharing a Heineken Silver. Given the characters' history with drinking, this collaboration felt natural, even though beer sponsorships are rare in the MCU. The campaign resonated well, generating over 800k engagements on Instagram, marking it one of Heineken's most successful campaigns.​

Wicked: One/Size

The highly anticipated Wicked film adaptation has created a buzz among fans of the musical and the beauty industry, particularly due to One/Size's collaboration with the upcoming movie. They have launched a limited-edition makeup collection inspired by the iconic characters Elphaba and Glinda, utilizing the film's vibrant colours and imaginative packaging.

The collection features a variety of products, including lipsticks, highlighters, and eyeshadow palettes, all designed to reflect the aesthetics and personalities of the two main characters. Elphaba's collection boasts bold green and earthy tones, embodying her fierce spirit, while Glinda's offerings include soft pinks and sparkling finishes, capturing her glamorous, bubbly essence.

One/Size has implemented an engaging marketing campaign for this collaboration, incorporating interactive social media content and exclusive in-store experiences. Makeup tutorials inspired by the characters are available on their platforms, inviting fans to recreate iconic looks—perfect for the Halloween season. This collaboration elevates One/Size's brand visibility while resonating with a diverse audience, seamlessly blending beauty with the excitement of this beloved story.

As the film's release draws nearer, the collaboration is expected to drive significant traffic for both the film and One/Size’s online and physical stores, further enhancing anticipation for the movie. This partnership exemplifies how beauty brands can successfully tap into pop culture, creating unique offerings that resonate with consumers and deepen their connection to cherished narratives.

Garfield x Lazy Boy

The beloved comic character Garfield teamed up with Lazy Boy to broadcast The Garfield Movie. This partnership celebrated the iconic lasagna-loving cat through a designed furniture line that embodies his humour and laid-back attitude, perfect for the Lazy-Boy brand.

The collection by Lazy-Boy features a range of recliners and sofas adorned with whimsical designs inspired by Garfeild's antics, including playful graphics and quotes that resonate with fans. This collaboration appeals to long-time fans of the lazy cat and introduces a new generation to his charm, making these pieces the perfect fit for family spaces.

Lazy Boy's campaign integrates social media by encouraging fans to share their "Garfield moments" lounging in the new furniture. This user-generated content fosters a community among fans while promoting the products effectively. Additionally, the campaign includes limited-time offers and promotions, generating excitement and urgency among consumers.

As a result of this partnership, Lazy Boy taps into Garfield's rich cultural history, appealing to those who grew up with the character and creating a fresh, contemporary line of home furnishings that resonate with today's audience. This partnership showcases how merging beloved characters with lifestyle brands can result in engaging, memorable marketing campaigns.

Beetlejuice: Fanta

The iconic character Beetlejuice has returned with his new movie in 2024. This brand-film collaboration is with Fanta, capturing the attention of fans, soft drink lovers and marketers. This partnership leverages the nostalgic appeal of the cult classic film, launching a limited-edition series of Fanta beverages inspired by Beetlejuice's whimsical, ghostly antics.

The Fanta campaign cleverly incorporated the film's signature themes of fun and mischief. Limited-edition cans feature vibrant designs that showcase Beetlejuice's colourful personality, inviting fans to indulge in a taste of the supernatural. The campaign also includes playful taglines that reflect the film's humourous tone, encouraging fans to "Say his name three times for a taste of the afterlife!"

In addition to the eye-catching packaging, Fanta engages the audience through interactive social media promotions. Fans are invited to share their Beetlejuice-inspired creations, from costumes to recipes, utilising specific hashtags that help spread the word and create community engagement. This user-generated content boosts brand visibility and taps into the fans' love for the film, enhancing their connection to the product.

This collaboration with Fanta showcases how classic characters can be reimagined to create exciting marketing opportunities. By merging nostalgia with innovative promotions, brands can effectively reach diverse audiences while keeping beloved characters alive in popular culture.

Mean Girls: e.l.f.

The Mean Girls 2024 remake collaborated with several brands, the most successful being their partnership with e.l.f. This partnership celebrates the film's iconic moments while providing fans with a playful and accessible beauty line that reflects the film's humour and style.

The e.l.f. collection includes a range of products inspired by beloved quotes and scenes from the film. The makeup line features blushes, lip glosses, and eyeshadow palettes. All their packaging featured vibrant designs that echo the film's playful aesthetic. Products are cleverly named to align with memorable quotes, allowing fans to bring a piece of the movie into their daily beauty routines.

With Mean Girls continuing to resonate across generations, the e.l.f collaboration demonstrates how aligning with popular culture can lead to innovative marketing opportunities. By merging iconic film moments with accessible beauty products, e.l.f. has successfully tapped into nostalgia while appealing to a new audience, proving that strategic collaborations can drive brand loyalty and sales.

Conclusion

Film marketing has evolved significantly, with partnerships providing exciting opportunities for audiences and brands. As we've explored in this post, successful partnerships showcase the power of creativity in marketing.

These collaborations enhance brand visibility and create memorable experiences for fans, allowing them to engage with films innovatively. As the marketing landscape changes, we expect more brands to leverage popular culture to connect with audiences.

Whether through limited-edition products, social media campaigns, or nostalgic references, these partnerships remind us of the importance of storytelling and creativity in capturing consumer interest. As we look forward to the last films to release this year and the exciting lineup for 2025, I eagerly anticipate seeing more interesting collaborations pushing marketing and entertainment boundaries.

Images:

Source: Kraft Heinz Company. "Cosplay Meets Condiments: HEINZ to Release Limited-Edition Ketchup and Mustard Collectibles Inspired by Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine." Accessed [16/10/2024]. Available at: Kraft Heinz Press Release.

Source: Heineken. "True Togetherness: Heineken & Deadpool." LinkedIn post,  [16/10/2024]. Available at: Heineken LinkedIn Post.

Source: One/Size. "Off the Handle Complexion Brush." Accessed [16/10/2024]. Available at: One/Size Wicked Collection Brush.

Source: La-Z-Boy. "The Garfield Movie Collaboration." Accessed [16/10/2024]. Available at: La-Z-Boy Garfield Movie.

Source: PR Newswire. "Fanta and Warner Bros. Pictures Announce Global Partnership with the Highly Anticipated New Movie Beetlejuice with Limited Edition Flavor." Accessed [16/10/2024]. Available at: PR Newswire Beetlejuice Fanta Collaboration.

Source: Twitter. "Mean Girls Collaboration Announcement." Accessed [16/10/2024]. Available at: Twitter Mean Girls Collaboration.