Casting Spells and Collabs: Wicked Innovations Take Flight
A Tale of Two Witches
The Wicked Witch of the West wasn’t always wicked. If you’ve ever wondered about her backstory, Wicked– the Broadway phenomenon running in NYC since 2003–has the answer. While Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth may no longer grace the stage of the Gershwin Theatre, Wicked continues to captivate audiences, inspiring Universal Pictures to bring it to the big screen on November 22. With a star-studded cast including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum, “Ozians” everywhere are abuzz with excitement.
With such popularity, it’s no surprise that brands are jumping on board offering fun Glinda-pink and Elphaba-green promo items. From tasty beverages to on-theme toys, these magical collaborations are sure to make any witch proud. Although Wicked has withstood the test of time with a 20+ year run on Broadway, the question remains: will the film and its brand partnerships cast a successful spell?
While the box office will tell us how the film does, we waved our magic wands to see which innovations are most pop-u-lar.
Testing the Potion
To see which collabs are stirring up the most excitement, we turned to Test Your Innovation, our emotion-driven testing tool that predicts a product’s potential market success. Test Your Innovation provides brands with insights from real consumers, allowing them to perfect or pivot their offerings before launching.
With its Star Rating system, the platform provides a clear measure of predicted in-market potential using a 1.0 to 5.9-Star scale. The Star Rating is derived from how ideas perform on:
- Emotional Pull: Measuring emotional pull through our FaceTrace® tool that captures the emotional resonance of ideas, indicating their capacity to connect with consumers
- Share Trading: Gauging willingness to “buy” or “sell” the product idea providing valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences.
- Decision Speed: How quickly and intuitively consumers engage with the idea. Fast ideas receive positive weighting, while slower ideas are penalized, offering a nuanced understanding of consumer engagement.
So, which Wicked collabs are casting the strongest spells?
Top Spellbound Collab: Stanley x Wicked
Stanley’s iconic 20-ounce quenchers are having a spellbinding year, and their Wicked collab has been a runaway hit. The tumblers come in two exclusive shades—Glinda’s buttery pink and Elphaba’s deep gradient green—that tap into the allure of familiar favorites with a fresh twist. Consumers loved the look noting “Happiness” and “Suprise” brought on by the colors and Stanley’s overall performance in the market. Among its competitors, this magical collab achieved top marks in the US market.
As John Kearon notes in System1: Unlocking Profitable Growth, it’s crucial for brands to lean into familiar assets over new ones—the ideal balance is 80% familiar and 20% new in product development, which is likely to yield the most commercial potential. The familiarity of the tumbler, offered in new colors for the film, is the perfect balance of familiar and new.
Runner-Up: Starbucks x Wicked’s Witchy Brews
Starbucks rarely misses a chance to brew up themed beverages, and their Wicked offerings are no exception. Enter Glinda’s Pink Potion and Elphaba’s Green Elixir: a vibrant, fruity twist for non-coffee drinkers and a bold, minty coffee creation for those looking for something with a bit more kick.
Just like Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, these drinks contrast each other and offer consumers a sweet and fruity beverage or something a little stronger for coffee lovers. 17% of consumers noted that a main advantage of these innovations is that they provide variety to Starbucks consumers who may want to spice up their usual order. The two new brews allow consumers to try new mixes with flavors the coffee giant already offers.
Other Fan Favorites: Lego, Mattel, and Rice Krispies
For Wicked fans of all ages, Lego and Mattel have conjured up collectibles that keep the Oz magic alive. Lego’s intricate Emerald City set lets builders recreate Glinda’s carriage, the wizard’s chamber, and more, while Mattel’s doll lineup brings Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose to life in fashion, singing and deluxe editions.
Consumers noted their “Happiness” towards both products is driven by the fact that these items are both collectibles and toys, suitable for fans of all ages, landing Lego as the third most-preferred innovation and the Mattel dolls as the fifth.
No list of innovations and brand collabs would be complete without snacks, and crowd-favorite Rice Krispies, has landed itself in fourth. The limited-edition treat features the classic Rice Krispies Treat, topped with emerald green and pristine white sprinkles, evoking the iconic characters Elphaba and Glinda. Aligned with the aforementioned 80:20 rule, the Rice Krispies provide consumers with the flavor they know and love, with a sprinkle of newness.
Grab Them Before They Vanish—Just Like Magic!
Like Elphaba on her broomstick, these limited-edition collabs won’t be around for long. Many of these are limited-edition, likely because the product will resonate well during the time when the film is in theaters and decline over time. The beauty of product innovation is that the products often thrive as a novelty and consumers enjoy them until the next intriguing innovation comes along.
Ready to make your brand collab pop? System1’s Test Your Innovation tool is here to help you “Create with Confidence.” With films like Smurfs and plenty more Marvel releases slated for 2025, now’s the time to test your magic!