Amazon Ads and Universal Pictures defy gravity with expansive ‘Wicked ’ campaign

Oz has cast a spell on Amazon and in doing so something at Amazon Ads has changed… for good. Through innovation, reach, and brand awareness, the land of Oz is about to get even more popu-lar.

Ahead of Wicked’s November 22 theatrical release, Universal Pictures and Amazon Ads Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab have worked together to launch an advertising campaign sure to enchant fans of the beloved musical. Launching on October 30, the campaign spans the three weeks leading up to the film’s release, with activations across Alexa, Amazon Live, Fire TV, and the custom Wicked brand store, available at OzOnAmazon.com.

To add to the magic, starting October 30 at 9 a.m. EST, Prime members can purchase advanced screening tickets with Fandango at OzOnAmazon.com to see Wicked in select theaters across the U.S. on November 18, four days ahead of the broad theatrical release.

The campaign is the product of Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab (BIL)—the creative hub that helps bring innovative, custom campaigns to life across the Amazon canvas. Working with BIL, Universal Pictures helped guide the creation of the omnichannel campaign, which spans multiple Amazon advertising channels, ensuring that the Wicked campaign is one of BIL’s most magical endeavors to date.

Each "Wicked Wednesday" from October 30 to November 27 customers can explore a magical collection of content and officially licensed merchandise on OzonAmazon.com. By simply searching #wicked on Amazon.com or in the Amazon Shopping app, customers can uncover an enchanting array of products, content and experiences. Fans can shop products like Mattel dolls, LEGO sets, Loungefly backpacks, and dress-up costumes inspired the movie.

On October 30 from 3-7pm PT, Oz comes to the Emerald city as the Seattle community is invited to the Seattle Spheres playfield for an immersive experience inspired by the film. The celebration will include themed activities and photo opportunities, a chance to explore an Oz-fied Understory, and browse officially licensed merchandise available for purchase on OzOnAmazon.com—the custom landing page housing the Wicked Amazon store experience. Bringing consumers deeper into the experience matters, too. According to Amazon Ads “Ads to Zeitgeist” research, nearly 2 in 3 survey respondents agree that advertising sparks creativity within consumers, and just as many believe advertising should be more immersive and foster creative interactions.

For those unable to attend in person, Glee stars Amber Riley and Kevin McHale will be on-the-scene at the Seattle Spheres, broadcasting on Amazon Live to give virtual viewers an inside look at the festivities. Fans can also bring the world of “Wicked” to Echo devices via Alexa Themes, an interactive experience that brings the iconic characters and music to Alexa responses, like weather, timers, alarms, jokes, and more. Customers can choose whether they follow Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West), or Glinda (Glinda the Good) through dual-themed experiences—a first for Alexa Themes. Customers can also ask for custom jokes or scan a QR code to purchase tickets for the upcoming film.

Wicked will also come to life on Fire TV, with an immersive experience right from the home screen. This panoramic landing page will allow them to explore behind-the-scenes videos and other making-of content about the highly anticipated movie. With Amazon Music, fans can listen to the Wicked soundtrack on Amazon Music starting November 22, featuring beloved songs from the musical including “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” “Dancing Through Life,” “The Wizard And I,” and more.

Across this expansive canvas, Amazon Ads has the ability to connect your brand to audiences in meaningful, relevant, and—in the case of Wicked—magical ways.