Turning on the Juice: The Strange and Unusual Innovations of Beetlejuice
Despite a 36-year hiatus, Beetlejuice has made its return to the big screen, reuniting fans with its iconic original cast, including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara, while introducing Jenna Ortega, a rising star in the horror-fantasy genre. Though Beetlejuice himself may have been hibernating in the wintry otherworld’s of Connecticut for three decades, the film’s peculiar charm has left an undeniable mark on modern pop culture, even trending on TikTok. From Bella Hadid and The Weeknd’s unforgettable Halloween costume tribute to Lydia Deetz’s iconic line, “I myself am strange and unusual,” Beetlejuice continues to transcend generations, proving its lasting cultural relevance. It’s no wonder this wonderfully whacky film has made its triumphant return to theatres.
It’s also no surprise that many brands want a sip of this cultural juice, with the release of fluorescent green products, eerie creatures, and striped packaging designs. From bath bombs to beauty, the quirky essence of Beetlejuice has found its way onto our shelves 30 years after its debut. But the question remains: Is Beetlejuice as mainstream as it seems, or is it simply a ghost of the past, haunting brands and audiences alike? In the words of the ghost himself, let’s see which innovations truly deserve the title of “the ghost with the most”…
“If I Knew Then What I Know Now, I Wouldn’t Have Had My Little Accident.” – Miss Argentina
As Miss Argentina reminds us, hindsight is a powerful thing. While we’ve used the emotional impact of our Test Your Innovation tool to put Beetlejuice products to the test with real consumers, brands have the advantage of uncovering these insights long before launching a new product.
Test Your Innovation is an emotion-led innovation effectiveness platform driven by real consumer insights to accurately predict the commercial success of ideas and innovations ahead of launching them. From new products to brand elements like taglines and logos, Test Your Innovation assesses a range of ideas crucial for market impact.
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 Response, Share Trading indicators and Decision Speed:
- Emotional Pull: Measured by System1’s FaceTrace® tool, Emotional Pull captures the emotional resonance of ideas, indicating their capacity to connect with consumers.
- Share Trading: This metric predicts market success by assessing whether respondents would “Probably Buy” or sell shares in each idea, providing valuable insights into consumer behaviour and preferences.
- Decision Speed: Decision speed in the trading game measures how easy an idea is to understand and the likelihood of being chosen. Fast ideas receive positive weighting, while slower ideas are penalized, offering a nuanced understanding of consumer engagement.
“The Living. The Dead. Can They Coexist? That’s What We’re Here To Find Out” – Lydia Deetz
So, let’s set the juice loose on this year’s Beetlejuice collaborations. Which brands have successfully bridged the gap between their products and the film’s iconic elements, seamlessly coexisting to reap the rewards in the market?
Maynard’s Spooky Gums (UK)
Could there be a more fitting match than Maynard’s and Beetlejuice, both sharing the iconic line “Set the Juice Loose”? This spooky collaboration has stolen the show among UK audiences, pairing nostalgic gummies with a beloved film. Maynard’s has embraced Beetlejuice’s signature stripes and green colouring, featuring coffin-shaped gummies and black spiders to reflect the grave-digging exorcist’s questionable pastimes.
Consumers will be pleased to hear that these are the only modifications—don’t expect to unleash actual Beetlejuice upon consumption; I’m not sure that would fly off the shelves! Instead, Maynard’s has opted to maintain classic flavours like orange, pear, pineapple, lemon, raspberry, and blackcurrant, tapping into the familiar tastes that make their products so enjoyable. 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.
This juicy collaboration has emerged as the most successful in the UK market, with consumers expressing their admiration for the “spooky sweet design” and the surprising yet perfect fit between Beetlejuice and Maynard’s. The brand is also poised to capitalise on the timely impact of Halloween, making it the ideal moment to launch spooky, culturally relevant treats. This strategic choice by the teams at Maynard’s is not only effective but also perfectly aligned with the season’s spirit.
Fanta x Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (US)
Also yielding fanta-stic results is Fanta’s latest packaging revamp in collaboration with Beetlejuice. They’ve revitalised each of their classic flavours with characters from the film, including Jenna Ortega as Astrid for Orange, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz for Strawberry, and have also introduced an all-new flavour, “Haunted Apple Zero,” featuring Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice.
The full Fanta x Beetlejuice portfolio has performed well among US consumers, who appreciate the bold packaging and its ability to appeal to a broad age range due to the diverse cast of characters. The brand has even created what many consider a ‘collector’s item,’ highlighting the power of great packaging and its ability to tap into the emotional resonance of key cultural events. In terms of implicit characteristics, the designs significantly over-index on the attribute ‘distinctive,’ indicating their strong potential to capture consumer attention on the shelf and stand out in an already competitive category.
It’s the Time of the Season
One of the key takeaways from the innovations we tested is that these products may only have fleeting relevance due to the short timeframe of Halloween. While there are certainly benefits for brands looking to capitalise on these moments, certain categories, such as confectionary and soda, resonate particularly well during this period—sweets naturally complement trick-or-treating, and Beetlejuice Fanta makes for an eye-catching addition to Halloween party spreads. However, whether consumers will invest in products designed for longer-term use is a different question altogether and one that brands should consider carefully.
No matter how you choose to approach cultural collaborations, you can gauge their in-market effectiveness using System1’s Test Your Innovation. This tool empowers brands to Create with Confidence and launch new innovations that are poised for success in the market. Whether it’s Captain America caps or apple-flavoured Snow-White creations catching your eye in 2025, be sure to test it to get the best of it!