"This week's newsletter is brought to you by none other than Elle Woods herself, aka Reese Witherspoon. Enjoy!"

The Intro:

This Friday, Wicked—the iconic play-turned-movie—hits theaters, and we need to talk about the brand collabs promoting it. Spoiler alert: they suck. Usually, I’m all in when a big movie like Wicked partners with a brand to create something that feels like an extension of the story—something really creative that makes you feel like you’re stepping into the world of the movie just by buying the product. But for Wicked? All we’ve gotten is a flood of pink and green-themed everything. Nail polish, kitchenware, bags… none of it says anything about the movie or, honestly, makes any sense. It’s all surface-level, “Look, it’s green, so it’s Wicked!” branding. Take a look:

Betty Crocker made a gender reveal cupcake mix…

Crocks made green Crocks because everyone remembers Dorthy’s green slippers…

Béis turned their pink and green bags into a Wicked collab…

This shit is lazy, and I hate it because I love Wicked. I was lucky enough to see it on Broadway with the opening cast when I was in 5th grade with my mom. Since then, I’ve seen it twice more, and I still blast the soundtrack in my car with zero shame.

The saddest part about this un-relatable branding is that Wicked is actually a deeply relatable story. It’s about two girls who meet in college as roommates and can’t stand each other at first—Elphaba, the outcast because she’s… green, and Glinda, the popular one. But after a school formal, they become best friends. When they leave school and venture into the big city, they uncover the hidden truths of Oz together. As they face the darker side of their world and the lies surrounding the Wizard, the two ultimately end up on opposite sides, each following her own path and drifting apart.

A great brand partnership should do two things:

1. Tell people who’ve never heard of the movie something meaningful about the story, sparking their interest.

2. Transport existing fans to a place they deeply connect with in the story.

When a movie partners with a brand to sell merchandise, it creates the perfect opportunity to accomplish both. Unfortunately, none of that is happening with the current branding for Wicked.

Last summer, the Barbie movie nailed this. They partnered with Airbnb to list a pink mansion in Malibu, marketing it as Barbie’s real-life DreamHouse. Genius. For guys like me, who didn’t know what a Barbie DreamHouse even was, it was an instant education moment. It got moms excited—not just to take their daughters to see the movie, but to experience the DreamHouse themselves. Barbie was a movie for moms who grew up playing with Barbie to share with their kids, but the DreamHouse went even further. Grown women without kids were lining up to stay in that Airbnb because it reminded them of the Barbie DreamHouses they adored as kids.

That’s what good marketing does: it educates newcomers while giving fans something meaningful to connect with.

The Marketing Themes:

Let’s break Wicked down into relatable themes and explore how we can use them as vehicles for marketing, sparking fresh and creative ideas.

Theme 1: School (Shiz University).
You’ve got a movie about two friends meeting at school—what’s more relatable than that? The best part of going to school is meeting friends who stick with you for life. This theme could be a celebration of those friendships.

1. Shiz University Letterman Jackets by Alo

   • Letterman jackets are almost exclusively seen outside high school as branded merch. So, what if a trendy clothing brand like Alo or Champion created Shiz University letterman jackets? They could feature house emblems for "Team Elphaba" (green and black) and "Team Glinda" (pink and sparkles). Bonus points for customizable patches customers can add to show the year they graduated.

2. Wicked x Tiffany & Co friendship bracelets.

   • Friendship bracelets are back, thanks to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Tiffany & Co. could create Wicked-themed bracelets that look handmade and personal, like the ones exchanged at Swift concerts, but with Tiffany’s elevated touch. Imagine delicate charms or enamel details inspired by Elphaba and Glinda—perfect for you and your bestie.

Theme 2: Opposites attracting.
Elphaba and Glinda couldn’t be more different, but they become best friends. This sets up a tagline like, “Opposites Attract.” Here’s how we could lean into that idea:

1. Coca-Cola x Mentos

   • Instead of the usual fizzy explosion, these two brands could reimagine what happens when opposites attract. Imagine dropping a Mentos into a specially designed Coke bottle that triggers a color transformation—and, to everyone’s surprise, the drink actually tastes better with the Mentos in it.

2. Dr. Martens goes soft

   • This one might need a better name, but everyone knows Doc Martens for their rugged, high-ankle boots. What if they flipped the script and created a chic, delicate-looking shoe inspired by Dorothy’s slippers? Imagine your friend asking, “What are those?” and you get to say, “Doc Martens.” Now that’s a conversation starter.

Theme 3: The color green for sustainability
Making green products isn’t inherently lazy—slapping green on something just for the sake of it is. The color green carries more meaning than just Elphaba; it’s about sustainability, too.

1. Apple x Wicked carbon neutral iPhone cases

   • Apple is committed to being 100% carbon-neutral by 2030, and Wicked could benefit from that momentum with green, carbon-neutral iPhone cases.

2. Brooklinen x Wicked sustainable bedding

   • Brooklinen is like the Erewhon of bedding—soft, luxurious, and (unlike Erewhon) surprisingly underrated. A collaboration could offer fans seriously comfortable, sustainable bedding inspired by Wicked’s magical themes.

The Perfect Brand Collab:

While I think all the ideas above are fun and creative, I saved my favorite for last: Lime Scooters x Wicked. Why Lime Scooters? Sure, they’re already green, and while that’s fun, it’s not the real reason I love this idea.

In Wicked, there’s a pivotal moment when Elphaba discovers her true powers and decides to use them for good—not for what the Wizard intended. She takes a stand, sticks to her guns, and chooses what’s right over what’s easy—even if it means being outcast by everyone in Oz. This all happens during the song Defying Gravity (an absolute banger). It’s the moment where she says, “Fuck this, I’m doing my own thing,” and literally flies away on a broomstick.

That got me thinking about the first time I rode a Lime Scooter. It wasn’t life-changing, but it did feel like a small taste of freedom, zipping from the vollyball courts in Santa Monica to Big Deans Bar down by the pier. What should have been a 20-minute walk turned into a 5-minute adventure, and for a moment, I felt unstoppable—like I was defying my own version of gravity. Everyone deserves the chance to fly.

Now imagine combining those two moments. Lime Scooters are overdue for a glow-up—lately, they’ve been more street trash than sleek transport. What better way to change that narrative than with a brand collab? Enter Defying Traffic: a reimagined scooter experience with Wicked-inspired designs.

Lime’s original mission was to defy traffic by offering commuters a fun, affordable alternative to traditional transportation. It’s sad to see such a great idea take such a nose dive, with clunky, beat-up scooters that now like trash. But imagine this: Lime scooters get a fresh coat of paint, while the app gets a full Wicked transformation. Riders can unlock “broomsticks” by popping a QR code bubble and follow the Yellow Brick Road to their destination. Suddenly, it’s not just a ride—it’s a magical journey.

Here’s what it could look like…

Good marketing should be relatable, fun, educational, and attention-grabbing—especially for people who don’t know your brand or movie. With every idea here, I’ve tried to imagine what it’s like to know nothing about Wicked and communicate the story in an engaging way through products that feel exciting and meaningful.

Universal Studios, step it up. This is Wicked. It deserves better.

It might be shit.

Thanks for reading.