How to use Deadpool & Wolverine to promote your brand

Sink your claws into this, brands.

The hottest new hype to get in on comes in the form of two of our favourite anti-heroes.

Deadpool & Wolverine is marketing's new plaything. And some of the world's biggest brands are jumping all over the chance to bask in the spotlight.

The highly anticipated film, which hit NZ theatres yesterday and US theatres this Friday, is poised to break box office records.

The hype has been growing around the superhero sequel since the 2022 announcement that Hugh Jackman would bring back his iconic X-Men role in the film (I still can’t talk about what happened in Logan.)

Heineken was one of the first brands to tap into the buzz, playing off the duo’s rivalry in a hilarious commercial back in May.

But as of late, it feels like Deadpool and Wolverine are popping up everywhere.

Heinz, Adidas, Jack in the Box, DiGiorno, The Bachelorette and Old Spice have all teamed up with Marvel leading up to the release. It seems everyone wants to use the 3rd film in the iconic Deadpool franchise to promote their brand.

From colour-themed shoes to characterised sauce bottles, the world is currently seeing red (and yellow). But it's not just about using these characters in campaigns.

There are few forms of marketing that create such a compelling connection with consumers as product placement in film.

It’s a unique kind of sponsorship that casts a powerful spell on consumers. When you see a DeLorean who do you think of? Marty McFly. Ray-Bans? Top Gun. White Castle? Harold and Kumar. Association and familiarity to this level would usually take a brand years to build.

These partnerships promote products on the big screen to millions and millions of people. But, more than that, they put them in the hands of our favourite characters, and at the heart of their stories. This association helps fans create strong positive feelings towards a brand.

Other brand sponsorships, like the ones we see in sports, don’t have as gripping of an effect. Seeing logos on t-shirts and fields does little to woo an audience. It’s expected, and there’s little to no creativity behind it.

Part of the reason why brands love to partner with movie franchises is they can capture an already-established fan base.

And a massive one, at that. This gives brands more exposure than any billboard or social media campaign can. Audiences don’t come much bigger than Deadpool & Wolverine's fanbase.

The movie's based on two hugely iconic characters. There have been over two years of hype leading up to its release. And it's featuring the fate of the wildly popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. Talk about an advertiser’s dream come true.

The film teaser debuted during the Super Bowl and gained 365 MILLION views in 24 hours. In case you're wondering, that makes it the most-viewed movie trailer of all time.

That number included the 123 million people who watched the Super Bowl. But it still got a quarter of a billion views on top of that.

When tickets to the movie went on sale in May, the franchise raked in $9 million on Day 1.

I mean, these are numbers you can’t even fathom. Ones you dream about your whole career. Of course, given the opportunity, any brand is going to try to borrow some of the cultural cache the film is about to bring.

So, who’s the brains behind this unit?

Deadpool himself. Well, kind of. Maximum Effort is a film production company and digital marketing agency co-founded by Ryan Reynolds.

The agency specialises in bridging media and marketing with campaigns that tap into pop culture. They help brands find ways to master cultural moments, like the headline-generating stunt from State Farm last year around the T-Swift and Travis Kelce rumours.

The agency’s efforts with Deadpool & Wolverine continues this attention-grabbing approach. The agency's major point of difference? Leaning into the blatancy of product marketing.

'I think what’s fun about the Deadpool brand is that we’re not ashamed of marketing,' said George Dewey, co-founder of Maximum Effort. 'Marketing is part of the process and part of the fun for us.'

Now, I get that most of us don't have the budget to get our brands on the big screen.

But you can still take advantage of the hype on your social accounts. Just keep an eye out for Deadpool & Wolverine memes and movie quotes as they start trending over the next few weeks. Then think about how you can co-opt these to promote your brand and create a positive association with the film.

-Sophie, Writer