Since its official opening in 1735, Broadway has played a large part in shaping American culture. A staple of New York City, visitors come from all over the world to experience the magical stories and talented performers of Broadway’s shows. Many of the most successful shows are musicals, and the catchy songs performed by incredibly skilled singers provide an additional marketing tool for the shows, as the stars often perform the songs on talk shows and on social media. Examples include productions such as Phantom of the Opera, Funny Girl, Hamilton, and Wicked. Additionally, musicals have increased customer engagement touchpoints, as fans of the show can listen to the musical’s soundtrack on streaming platforms. Conversely, fans of non-musical Broadway shows often do not have any official media to enjoy after the show, as Broadway shows are not allowed to be video-recorded.
Another instrumental art-form and media style that impacts culture is film. Unlike Broadway shows which are relegated to specific theaters, movies can be accessed by millions of people globally through various mediums, from movie theaters to streaming platforms to physical DVDs. The movie industry has seen its own share of musicals, with cultural phenomena such as The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, and Grease.
In today’s competitive media market, entertainment companies seek to utilize existing intellectual properties that already have a proven and dedicated audience, and then expand those stories and characters, for example, through sequels, remakes, or TV show spinoffs. Another example of this strategy that has been gaining popularity, is taking popular Broadway musicals and turning them into movie musicals. Despite many of these Broadway musicals having passionate fanbases, these movie musical adaptations of the past decade have been met with mixed reviews and varying levels of success. Two recent examples are the adaptation of Cats in 2019 which grossed $75 million, and the adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen in 2021 which grossed $19 million [1]. Both of these properties experienced massive success as Broadway musicals, however, as movie adaptations, they were counted as financial losses and received negative critical reviews.
A New Age of Broadway Musical Movie Adaptations
In the later half of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, several movie musicals hit the big screen. However, these aforementioned financial and critical responses of previous musical movie adaptations led the marketing teams behind these new movies to take their marketing campaigns in a different direction from their predecessors.
The three movie musicals to hit the big screen this winter have been Wonka (released on Dec. 15, 2023), The Color Purple (Dec. 24, 2023), and Mean Girls (Jan. 12, 2024). All three of these movies are based on existing intellectual property. Wonka is based on the children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the two movie adaptations of similar names from 1971 and 2005. The Color Purple is based on a book, movie, and Broadway musical, all of the same name. And lastly, Mean Girls is based on the Broadway musical Mean Girls, which in turn was based on the 2004 film, also of the same name. Out of these three films, Mean Girls (released by Paramount) received significant media attention due to its marketing methods, with stories of movie-goers not realizing that the film was a musical trending across social media [2].
The Marketing Strategy of Mean Girls
To start analyzing the movie’s marketing strategy, one of the most vital aspects to look at are the trailers. Trailers are the commercials for a movie that play on cable TV, social media, and before other movies at the theater. A good trailer can be great advertisement for a movie, as they can catch a viewer’s interest and make them want to see more.
The first trailer for Mean Girls was a teaser trailer, a shortened trailer around 30 seconds long. Teaser trailers are designed to give audiences an early sneak-peek before marketing campaigns begin to make a big push closer towards the release date. The Mean Girls teaser trailer opened with a shot of one of the lead actors, Reneé Rapp, singing one of the most recognizable song lyrics from the Broadway musical. It is important to note the demographic that the marketing team was targeting with this teaser, as this teaser was released in theaters before Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour [3]. Showing this trailer ahead of a concert film ensured that people who enjoy movies centered around music would see it, with the hope that this group would become the early adopters. The Eras Tour also had a predominantly younger, female audience, which was also a target audience for Mean Girls [4].
However, the first and subsequent full-length trailers had no singing and featured no songs from the Broadway musical. Instead, one of pop-singer Olivia Rodrigo’s new songs was played in the background. These trailers were pushed across media platforms, and many of those who did not follow Broadway news and watched it, believed it was solely a remake of the 2004 film [5].
Looking at social media, Mean Girls heavily advertised across platforms, with one big avenue being TikTok as they wanted to market towards the younger generations. On “Mean Girls” Day, which is Oct. 3rd, Paramount released the entire 2004 Mean Girls movie as 23 separate clips on TikTok [6]. This allowed the younger generations who may not have grown up with Mean Girls to watch the film and become aware of the general themes and characters. Several other social media campaigns gained traction, however, not many of them mentioned that this was an adaptation of the Broadway musical, again leading some people to interpret it as a remake, and not a musical [7].
Bringing in a Large Audience
Paramount’s President of Global Marketing and Distribution Marc Weinstock stated that “To start off saying musical, musical, musical, you have the potential to turn off audiences…I want everyone to be equally excited” [8]. One studio marketer noted how many studios have become wary of using the word “musical” in marketing efforts, as “if you spell out the word musical, people have pre-formed opinions. Musical has a connotation that [characters] are going to sing every word, and audiences can be turned off” [9]. Marketers also noted how not referencing the musical elements of a film in promotional materials is not new for studios. One large example of this that many executives cite is Walt Disney Animation’s 2013 hit Frozen, which was not marketed as a musical, but gained immense critical and financial success in-part from its award-winning songs. Frozen’s initial box-office run totaled $1.28 billion dollars [10].
When comparing Mean Girls’ marketing strategy to that of Wonka and The Color Purple, there are some similarities. The trailers for Wonka (released by Warner Bros. Pictures) also barely alluded to any musical numbers [11]. The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures) was more direct in their full-length trailers, featuring a clip of stars Taraji P. Henson and Fantasia singing to the camera [12]. Both movies also relied heavily on the movie’s story as well as their big-name casts to bring in movie-goers.
Musicals vs. Remakes
While executives cite the fear behind the word “musical”, it is important for studios to consider similar connotations around the word “remake”. Mean Girls’ marketing campaign leaned heavily into the 2004 movie’s source material, and while this may have kept non-musical fans interested in seeing the film, it may have turned away some fans who are against the need for remakes and others who do not want the original film to be touched.
Creatives behind the new Mean Girls movie noted in press that they wrote the movie as both an adaptation of the Broadway musical and an homage to the original film [13]. When looking at their marketing strategy, there were both musical and nostalgia elements infused into the various campaigns, even if they were not equally used across varying platforms. But was this strategy successful? Was Mean Girls able to draw in large audiences and help reverse the trend of Broadway adaptations not performing at the box office?
Mean Girls Marketing Results: Financial and Critical
Opening over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Mean Girls grossed $33 million in its opening weekend [14]. This exceeded predictions, and the film’s box office profits exceeded their budget in their second week, as they remained the number one movie in the US for several weeks [15].
While a financial success, was the film also a hit with audiences? Like all movies, opinions vary based on individual preferences. However, in looking at how the marketing strategy played a significant role, it is interesting to note that 75% of movie-goers knew that the film was a musical going into it, while 16% did not know and were “disappointed” by the genre [16]. A number of TikToks started trending of some movie-goers leaving the theater once they realized that it was a musical [17]. But, even these critiques of the film can be seen as inadvertent publicity, with some people becoming more interested in seeing the film because of the social media discourse over whether or not it was marketed as a musical [18].
While Mean Girls succeeded in achieving mainstream success and bringing in a broad target audience, some fans of the Broadway musical were left disappointed by changes that were made to seemingly appeal to a wider audience. In framing it in context with marketing’s four Ps (product, promotion, price, and place), we’ve discussed how some non-musical audiences were disappointed with the promotion. However, additionally, some musical theater fans were not fully satisfied with the product. A number of the songs from the Broadway show were cut from the movie, and others were shortened. While this makes sense given the time limit of the movie, some fans were upset by which songs and which parts were cut. Additionally, some songs were re-worked to sound more like pop songs as opposed to full-out musical theater numbers, with less instrumentation in the songs and more synthetic back-tracks [19]. Videos on TikTok have trended of people comparing some of the Broadway versions of the songs to the movie versions, which begs the question of whether the movie sacrificed some of the support from die-hard fans of the Broadway show in favor of capturing a broader audience [20].
Overall, however, Mean Girls has given hope to other studios that adaptations of Broadway musicals can see success, as Mean Girls has found its way to the front of current pop culture news and the top of the box office. Similarly, both Wonka and The Color Purple found large success critically and financially, with The Color Purple achieving the largest Christmas Day opening in the US in over a decade [21]. It will be interesting to see whether this marks a turn for movie musicals, especially looking ahead to the end of 2024, when the movie adaptation of Wicked will be released in theaters. One of the highest grossing Broadway musicals of all time, the film will star Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the two leading roles. Keep an eye out over the next few months as marketing campaigns for Wicked start to launch, and see whether it follows the strategy of Mean Girls, or takes a totally new approach.
Questions marketing managers would consider:
- What are the pros and cons of using nostalgia to market new media?
- Do you think it is better in the long-run to keep your core target audience happy or should your primary focus be to appeal to a wide target audience?
References
[1] Galuppo, Mia. (2023, Dec. 8). Are Studios Shy to Market Musicals as … Musicals? The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-mean-girls-marketing-musicals-1235723781/
[2] Millar, Ashleigh. (2024, Jan. 18). Paramount’s marketing for the new Mean Girls movie was totally fetch, but like, did it pay off? Midia. https://midiaresearch.com/blog/paramounts-marketing-for-the-new-mean-girls-movie-was-totally-fetch-but-like-did-it-pay-off
[3] Galuppo, Mia. (2023, Dec. 8). Are Studios Shy to Market Musicals as … Musicals? The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-mean-girls-marketing-musicals-1235723781/
[4] Galuppo, Mia. (2023, Dec. 8). Are Studios Shy to Market Musicals as … Musicals? The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-mean-girls-marketing-musicals-1235723781/
[5] Mean Girls 2024 Movie Marketing Review: Is Hollywood Shy to Market Musicals? (2024, Jan. 12). Brand Vision Insights. https://www.brandvm.com/post/mean-girls-2024-marketing
[6] Rubin, Rebecca. (2024, Jan. 15). Why Paramount Didn’t Market ‘Mean Girls’ as a Musical: ‘People Tend to Treat’ Them ‘Differently’. Variety. https://variety.com/2024/film/features/mean-girls-movie-musical-marketing-strategy-1235867996/
[7] Millar, Ashleigh. (2024, Jan. 18). Paramount’s marketing for the new Mean Girls movie was totally fetch, but like, did it pay off? Midia. https://midiaresearch.com/blog/paramounts-marketing-for-the-new-mean-girls-movie-was-totally-fetch-but-like-did-it-pay-off
[8] Rubin, Rebecca. (2024, Jan. 15). Why Paramount Didn’t Market ‘Mean Girls’ as a Musical: ‘People Tend to Treat’ Them ‘Differently’. Variety. https://variety.com/2024/film/features/mean-girls-movie-musical-marketing-strategy-1235867996/
[9] Galuppo, Mia. (2023, Dec. 8). Are Studios Shy to Market Musicals as … Musicals? The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-mean-girls-marketing-musicals-1235723781/
[10] Galuppo, Mia. (2023, Dec. 8). Are Studios Shy to Market Musicals as … Musicals? The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-mean-girls-marketing-musicals-1235723781/
[11] Galuppo, Mia. (2023, Dec. 8). Are Studios Shy to Market Musicals as … Musicals? The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-mean-girls-marketing-musicals-1235723781/
[12] Galuppo, Mia. (2023, Dec. 8). Are Studios Shy to Market Musicals as … Musicals? The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-mean-girls-marketing-musicals-1235723781/
[13] Mean Girls 2024 Movie Marketing Review: Is Hollywood Shy to Market Musicals? (2024, Jan. 12). Brand Vision Insights. https://www.brandvm.com/post/mean-girls-2024-marketing
[14] Gularte, Alejandra. (2024, Jan. 14). How Does Mean Girls the Musical Compare to the Original Movie at the Box Office? Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/article/mean-girls-musical-box-office.html
[15] Rubin, Rebecca. (2024, Jan. 21). Box Office: ‘Mean Girls’ Reigns Again as ‘I.S.S.’ Misfires With $3 Million. Variety. https://variety.com/2024/film/box-office/iss-opening-weekend-mean-girls-1235880596/
[16] Gularte, Alejandra. (2024, Jan. 14). How Does Mean Girls the Musical Compare to the Original Movie at the Box Office? Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/article/mean-girls-musical-box-office.html
[17] Millar, Ashleigh. (2024, Jan. 18). Paramount’s marketing for the new Mean Girls movie was totally fetch, but like, did it pay off? Midia. https://midiaresearch.com/blog/paramounts-marketing-for-the-new-mean-girls-movie-was-totally-fetch-but-like-did-it-pay-off
[18] Millar, Ashleigh. (2024, Jan. 18). Paramount’s marketing for the new Mean Girls movie was totally fetch, but like, did it pay off? Midia. https://midiaresearch.com/blog/paramounts-marketing-for-the-new-mean-girls-movie-was-totally-fetch-but-like-did-it-pay-off
[19] Millar, Ashleigh. (2024, Jan. 18). Paramount’s marketing for the new Mean Girls movie was totally fetch, but like, did it pay off? Midia. https://midiaresearch.com/blog/paramounts-marketing-for-the-new-mean-girls-movie-was-totally-fetch-but-like-did-it-pay-off
[20] Millar, Ashleigh. (2024, Jan. 18). Paramount’s marketing for the new Mean Girls movie was totally fetch, but like, did it pay off? Midia. https://midiaresearch.com/blog/paramounts-marketing-for-the-new-mean-girls-movie-was-totally-fetch-but-like-did-it-pay-off
[21] Roeloffs, Mary Whitfill. (2024, Jan. 1). ‘The Color Purple’s’ Sales Plummet After Record-Breaking Premiere—Just Like These Other Drop-Off Films. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/01/01/the-color-purples-sales-plummet-after-record-breaking-premiere-just-like-these-other-drop-off-films/?sh=81763302bb63
Image Sources
Image 1: https://www.visittheusa.com/experience/travel-broadway-and-heart-new-york-city
Image 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_%282019_film%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Evan_Hansen_%28film%29
Image 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_Purple_%282023_film%29
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6166392
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11762114
Image 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFtdbEgnUOk
Image 7: https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-color-purple-trailer-oprah-winfrey-musical-1235589157/
Image 8: https://ew.com/mean-girls-musical-movie-cover-story-tina-fey-renee-rapp-8417487
Marketing Management 