Pop culture has played a role in converting customer behaviors, but now more than ever we see its influence go beyond celebrity endorsements or collaborations. Events, movies, music videos, or concerts drive increases in retail sales, rarely in tactics that weren’t expected, as stores benefit from the sales stream.
The movie Barbie, for example, topped the box office, grossing more than $1. 38 billion internationally and becoming Warner Bros. ‘ highest-grossing film. 100 years of history. The widely watched film encouraged audiences across the country to wear pink at screenings and gatherings of Barbie-themed films. Sales of Mattel dolls have skyrocketed, and the doll industry is expected to earn $14 billion through 2027.
“With all the viral anticipation surrounding the film’s release, 15|40 Productions asked to produce the world premiere of Barbie, tasked with delivering an experience that lived up to global expectations. To create the ultimate “Barbielandia” for attendees, the team artfully incorporated iconic elements and Easter eggs from the film, and even incorporated genuine props to create a playful yet even greater atmosphere, in keeping with the prestige of the title. “Guests will be able to seamlessly immerse themselves in the film’s captivating environment,” said Craig Waldman, president and chief creative officer of 15|40 Productions, an arts company. Signing of targeted marketing events. The company envisions artistic responses to achieve the logo’s goals through cutting-edge design, technology-enhanced interactivity, and traditional production to execute unforgettable activations.
“The world premiere of Barbie achieved its overall goal: to create a global occasion that resonated with accessibility, freshness, and inclusivity. This cutting-edge approach, marked through a vibrant Hollywood red carpet filled with roses, challenged the norm of exclusivity. inviting not only celebrity visitors but also enthusiasts and influencers to delve deeper into Barbie’s history. Every facet of the carpet has been remodeled to create an exclusive photo moment. The power on the carpet, adorned with talent, influencers, executives, and media, felt like a lively Barbie party. Attendees and crew were amazed by the interactive elements and meticulously designed details, turning the premiere into a captivating delight that caught the world’s attention,” added Waldman.
Events like these have a huge effect on the fortunes of the films or products they promote. ” Immersive carpets like the one at Barbie’s world premiere typically serve as a dynamic intersection between the cinematic world and the audience’s belief, which, in turn, contributes to the overall marketing strategy and sets the tone for the film’s reception. This express premiere was created as a dynamic extension of the film’s universe, orchestrating viral moments for attendees who will live long after the film’s official release. Using iconic elements and genuine props from the movie set, a release like this not only aligns with the film’s identity, but also helps create shareable moments and increased editing visibility. In addition, a release increases a title’s credibility, improves its market value, and lays the groundwork for positive word-of-mouth, all of which are vital points in determining a film’s good fortune in the competitive entertainment landscape,” said Waldman.
Another major pop culture event, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, made a large financial impact – not only through ticket sales which are estimated to gross $2.2 billion in North American alone, but her tour is projected to generate close to $5 billion in consumer spending in the United States. And that is without mentioning the revenue brought in through hundreds of millions of songs streamed. Fans aren’t only paying to stream her music, they are also purchasing physical copies of her albums. “Streaming has taken over the purchase of the physical album product, but Taylor Swift is among the artists that still makes money from vinyl and CDs because they’ve become collector’s items for her fans,” said Alice Enders, a music industry analyst at Enders Analysis.
Swift fans are spending approximately $1300 to $1500 on the experience, purchasing things such as outfits or costumes, merchandise, hotels, travel arrangements, and meals. All of this excess spending has boosted local economies by hundreds of millions of dollars in a single weekend.
“If Taylor Swift were an economy, she’d be bigger than 50 countries,” said Dan Fleetwood, President of QuestionPro Research and Insights.
The lyrics to Swift’s song, You’re On Your Own, Kid, even drew an influx of shoppers to the Michaels craft store to create their own nostalgic friendship bracelets. The lyrics of the song read, “So make the friendship bracelets, enjoy the moment and spice it up. And that’s precisely what Swift enthusiasts did. Buying beads, threads, and all the materials needed to make friendship bracelets, posting videos of the making process, and then sharing or exchanging the bracelets with other enthusiasts at the exhibits is a movement in itself. All of this has resulted in a 40% increase in jewelry sales at Michaels.
“Overall, sales in our jewelry category, adding jewelry making kits, have increased more than 40% across the channel since mid-April, when the jewelry manufacturing trend, friendship bracelets, began to take off,” said John Gehre, chief marketing officer. of Michaels stores. ” The largest sales increase in the jewelry category was more than 500% in Taylor’s home state of Pennsylvania, where he conducted two concerts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and the largest one-stop sales increase was more than 400% in Detroit. »