Pop Culture Is Driving Retail Sales In More Ways Than One

Pop culture has always played a part in driving consumer behaviors, but now more than ever we are seeing the influence of pop culture go beyond celebrity endorsements or collaborations. Events, movies, music videos or concerts are leading to spikes in retail sales – sometimes in ways that were not anticipated by the retailers benefiting from the influx of sales.

The Barbie movie for example, came out on top at the box office earning more than $1.38 billion worldwide and becoming the highest grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history. The widely viewed film led to viewers all over the country wearing pink to film screenings and Barbie-themed get togethers. The Mattel dolls saw a spike in sales – with the doll industry expected to surge to $14 billion by 2027.

“With all the viral anticipation surrounding the film’s launch, 15|40 Productions was tapped to produce the world premiere of Barbie, entrusted with delivering an experience that matched global expectations. To craft the ultimate ‘Barbieland’ for attendees, the team ingeniously incorporated iconic elements and film easter eggs, even integrating real props for a playful yet elevated atmosphere in alignment with the title’s prestige. In collaboration with Warner Bros., we curated larger-than-life aspects on the carpet, enabling guests to seamlessly immerse themselves in the film’s captivating set,” said Craig Waldman, President and Chief Creative Officer at 15|40 Productions, a creative-led marketing events agency. The agency ideates creative solutions to deliver on brand objectives through innovative design, technology enhanced interactivity, and customized production to execute unforgettable activations.

“The global premiere of Barbie achieved its overarching goal of crafting a worldwide event storyline that resonated with accessibility, freshness, and inclusivity. This innovative approach, marked by a vibrant and pink-infused Hollywood red carpet, defied the norm of exclusivity, inviting not only celebrity guests but also fans and influencers to immerse themselves in the Barbie storyline. Every aspect of the carpet was turned into a unique photo moment. The energy on the carpet, adorned with talent, influencers, executives, and media, resembled a lively Barbie party brought to life. Attendees and the team alike marveled at the interactive elements and meticulously designed details, turning the premiere into a captivating experience that garnered global attention,” added Waldman.

Events like these make a large impact on the success of films or products that they are promoting. “Immersive carpets like the Barbie world premiere typically serve as a dynamic intersection between the cinematic world and public perception, which, in turn, contributes to the overall marketing strategy and sets the tone for the film’s reception. This specific premiere was created as a vibrant extension of the film’s universe, orchestrating viral moments for attendees that will live long past the film’s official launch. Using iconic elements and real props from the movie set, a premiere like this not only aligns with the film’s identity but also contributes to the creation of shareable moments, further boosting visibility. Furthermore, a premiere elevates a title’s perception, enhances its marketability, and lays the foundation for positive word-of-mouth, all of which are important factors in determining the success of a film in the competitive entertainment landscape,” said Walman.

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.

Lyrics from Swift’s song You’re On Your Own, Kid even drove an influx of shoppers to Michaels craft store to create their own nostalgic friendship bracelets. The lyrics of the song say, “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.” And Swift fans did exactly that. Purchasing beads, string, and all the supplies to make friendship bracelets, posting videos of the crafting process, and then sharing or trading the bracelets with other fans at the shows became a movement of its own. All resulting in a 40% increase in jewelry sales at Michaels.

“Overall, sales in our jewelry category, including jewelry-making kits, are up more than 40% chain-wide since mid-April, when the friendship bracelet-making trend really began to take off,” said John Gehre, Chief Merchandising Officer of Michaels Stores. “The largest jewelry category sales increase was more than 500% in Taylor’s home state of Pennsylvania, where she made two concert stops in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and the largest single-stop sales lift was more than 400% in Detroit.”