Wicked is everywhere. As Variety’s Rebecca Rubin quipped: ‘You’d have to flattened by a farmhouse to miss the promotional onslaught for Wicked: Part One.’

Netting the biggest opening in history for a Broadway-to-film adaptation, for marketers this is a moment that you wouldn’t want to miss, even if you could. A brilliant reminder that taking women seriously is good for business.

The film’s success and the global ‘pink or green’ conversation its two main characters are generating is a powerful reminder of the ability of the creative industry to generate global cultural moments. With Wicked Part Two out in November 2025 it is a conversation that is here to stay.

For marketing professionals it is another reminder of the power of cinema advertising as a vital component of the growing and vibrant experience economy. In an ecosystem in which our mobile phones have become our primary screen it is a rare ability for brands to capitalise on having consumers full attention.

Wicked is also a powerful example of the importance of taking women seriously, both as talent in our industries and consumers of your products. With that focus in mind here is a round up of our top three reads from BITE this Thursday.

Lessons from the Wicked school of marketing

Wicked is a marketing masterstroke. If the job of marketers is to invite as many people as possible to the party, then Wicked and Universal simply couldn’t have done better. BITE’s Jeevan Hammond, picked the film as one of the Top 10 marketing moments of 2024.

She compares the Wiked hype to that of Greta Gerwig’s 2023 film, Barbie, starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie. From collaborations with makeup lines to the Malibu Barbie Dreamhouse up for rent on Airbnb, the film was a crash course into how to ride the wave of cultural hype, and the resulting fandom was widespread.

Wicked, whilst avoiding a simple ‘copy paste’ approach, has embraced its own uniqueness and fandom. A long-running theatre production, Wicked already had a name for itself and a base of fans who love the musical.

Understanding the importance of the film adaptation to the musical’s existing fans, the marketing approach leaned on continuity, as well as a fresh approach to this much loved tale.

Image credit: Universal pictures

Stepping into the Spotlight

The IPA’s Stepping into the Spotlight event, the brainchild of Leila Siddiqi, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at IPA, has seen 1,500 women and allies take the time to listen and learn from each other.

The Stepping into the Spotlight series aims to empower and offer success strategies for mid to senior-level people at work. The programme runs a series of workshops and training throughout the year, designed to give individuals the space to consider their own goals.

BITE’s Georgie Moreton picked out the key themes from the latest event which featured coach, Sally Henderson sharing the importance of ‘pushing into the do’. As well as a keynote from Sue Unerman and Kathryn Jacob, Co-Authors of A Year of Creativity on the importance of finding new ways of thinking and a panel session featuring Chloë Davies, Founder and CEO of It Takes A Village Collective and Ivana Kosorok, Managing Partner at Publicis London, providing practical insights on how to shape a better workforce. Read all about it here.

Getting representation right

With that spirit of progress over perfection front of mind, my final recommended read from the week is equal parts thought provoking and actionable. The brilliant Eddy Yan, New Business and Marketing Director at Wonderhood Studios, shares how important it is to talk about how to get things right and celebrate excellent representation in advertising.

As he writes: “Missteps aren’t random or unavoidable, and you don’t need to be a mind reader to predict them. It’s actually simple: you can’t get representation wrong if you always consult the people represented. Whether it's engaging with campaigning bodies or consulting experts, it’s crucial to consult with and incorporate diverse voices from the start of every campaign.”

A powerful reminder of the enduring importance of seeing the world through a lens other than your own.