How much is Wicked’s marketing budget?
That was the million-dollar question on social media last week when an unverified photo of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe seemingly lit up in green and pink to mark the movie’s release appeared on X.
Though the marketing spend for Universal Pictures’ flick hasn’t been disclosed publicly, its extensive range of brand partnerships, currently totaling over 400, suggests the team has been working overtime.
In the same way that Barbie painted the world hot pink in 2023, the brand world has been infiltrated with Wicked’s green and pink hues in the months leading up to its Nov. 22 release.
According to Variety, Wicked is expected to gross $100 to $110 million in 3,880 theaters across the U.S. Given all goes well at the box office, Wicked Part Two is slated for release around Thanksgiving 2025.
“Wicked is a powerful story with characters who resonate and are also highly differentiated and visual,” James Withey, global executive strategy director at Landor, told ADWEEK. “This makes it super relevant and iconic as a brand, and means it can be versatile.”
Withey believes the film’s brand assets have also evoked an emotional investment within its fans because “everyone can see elements of themselves within them.” This, he said, distinguishes it as a strong brand.
Wicked has collaborated with numerous brands including Stanley, Crocs, Béis, and many more.
ADWEEK has rounded up some of Wicked’s most gravity-defying marketing collabs below.