Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, and More Beetlejuice!
What’s something that makes a film a fan favorite? Is it a unique plot? Quirky characters? A nostalgic aesthetic? Well, whatever the reason, the original 1988 Beetlejuice has long been considered a cult classic, and this year’s sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, is shaping up to be the same.
The movie’s cast included a mix of returning and new actors. Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton both reprised their lead roles of Lydia Deetz and Beetlejuice from the original movie, giving viewers a sense of nostalgia from seeing the iconic characters return to the big screen. New additions to the series include notable names like Jenna Ortega, who plays the lead character Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Ryder’s character. Ortega has made quite a name for herself in recent years, especially in the horror and thriller genres, starring in projects like Wednesday, X, You, and multiple installments in the Scream franchise. With other fun names like Willem Dafoe and Danny DeVito, the sequel’s stacked cast was already a sure way to draw audiences to see the film.
Their presence was undoubtedly used to the marketing team’s advantage when including the stars in PR appearances. Various cast members appeared in YouTube videos and interviews from media outlets like Harper’s BAZAAR, ELLE, GQ, E! News, Letterboxd, BuzzFeed Celeb, and more. The film’s characters were also used in numerous TV spots. Some of the most notable collaborations include ads with companies like CarMax, Progressive, Google, The Bachelorette, Denny’s, Fanta, and Crumbl. CarMax leaned heavily into the film’s aesthetic by having its set creation and storyline reflect the movie’s atmosphere and having its characters say “BeetleMax” three times to get a special discount. Progressive also used the popular chant in its ad, with one of the team’s members threatening to summon the spooky character. Google’s ad included the character Bob using its new AI search feature to prepare for a big dinner. Denny’s used the movie’s spooky theme to announce it was bringing its $2, $4, $6, $8 menu back from the afterlife.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice collaboration with CarMax
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice collaboration with Progressive
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice collaboration with Google
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice collaboration with Denny's
The movie franchise also collaborated with brands like Crumbl and Fanta to create Beetlejuice-themed products. Crumbl’s limited-time “Afterlife” cake was complete with two dark chocolate cake layers topped with black and white swirled frosting, mimicking the colors and patterns associated with the film. Fanta created multiple limited-edition flavors based on the various characters from the movie, including Haunted Apple, Orange, Strawberry, and Pineapple. Each flavor’s can design was also decorated with the faces of Beetlejuice, Astrid, Lydia, and Delia, respectively.
The movie’s popularity also led to plenty of organic content from fans on social media. A video on TikTok recently went viral for showing a small dog dressed up as the character Bob at this year’s NYC Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. Another user on TikTok started a makeup trend by using neon green lipstick and black eyeshadow to create the look of cracked lips, which she dubbed “Beetlejuice Lips.” Viewers clearly love the movie and its aesthetic, if their enthusiasm and social posts are anything to go by.
The film participated in over 30 brand partnerships, making it one of the most robust partnership campaigns of this year so far. Some people have questioned whether the campaign was too wide-reaching, involving companies or products that didn’t quite relate to the film and its premise. However, it could be argued that the most important factor is how the partnerships were executed. The brand consistently used its famous designs and color palette when collaborating with other brands, applying its black, white, and green stripes whenever possible. It also maintained its signature blend of horror and comedy in the commercials, with the cast and characters keeping up the spooky yet fun atmosphere of the movie. The film quickly became a hit at the box office, holding its place in the top spot for three consecutive weekends and bringing in “$225 million domestically and $329.7 million globally.” Whether or not each partnership truly fits with the franchise is debatable, but the sheer number of partnerships undoubtedly increased awareness and hype for the movie, and its creative and distinct style summoned fans of all ages with one simple phrase: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
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