Movie Marketing Madness

Plus: Elon’s influence and execs' new obsession

Happy Monday! Before Turkey Day here in the US, we unpack the box office success of Wicked and Gladiator II and the marketing that made it possible. No OUT OF SCOPE in your inbox next week; we’ll be back after the holiday! But first…

📡 ON OUR RADAR

• The holiday season is here, and so are holiday advertisements. This year’s iteration of Coca-Cola’s long-running tradition of Christmas ads was built using AI, and consumer reaction has been frosty, to say the least.

• Following Netflix’s release of both a Ryan Murphy-produced television series and a documentary about them, the infamous Menendez brothers’ resentencing has been set for January amidst America’s continued true crime obsession. 

• As the Trump administration continues its swift transition, Elon Musk has taken an outsized role publicly and privately, making his thoughts clear on everything from foreign policy to cabinet picks.

💡ON OUR MINDS: Movie Marketing Madness

• Two blockbusters opened this weekend in the United States: John Chu’s Wicked, the adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, a sequel to the popular 2000 film.

• The two movies sold an estimated $384 million in tickets worldwide, a windfall for box offices who had been hurting from a somewhat stale year thus far. But this success comes after a no-expenses-spared marketing campaign for both projects. 

• The Wicked movie’s rollout included the stars’ inescapable presence at the Summer Olympics, more than 400 brand partnerships with everything from LEGO to Bombas, and a nonstop press tour resulting in more than a bit of insanity.

• Gladiator II saw a similarly big rollout. Paramount targeted sporting events worldwide, conducting mini premieres in Australia, Japan, Ireland, France, Denmark, and the UK and advertisements on more than 4,000 television networks. 

• While the films are undeniable hits, the expansive marketing spend raises some eyebrows about this approach’s long-term viability, as every movie studio continues to wish for its Barbenheimer moment.

🥊 QUICK HITS:

In case you missed these reads:

• As COP29 wrapped up this weekend, world leaders promised to provide $300 billion per year in aid to developing countries to fight climate change.

• The Atlantic reports that a dataset of more than 53,000 movies and 85,000 TV episodes is being used to train AI. 

• Executives are obsessed with getting on podcasts after the election.