The Wuthering Heights press tour, for which Margot Robbie has returned to method-dressing mode, is near impossible to escape. Images of Robbie in looks from archival John Galliano to custom Dilara Findikoglu, often gazing up at co-star Jacob Elordi, himself in custom Bottega Veneta, have been crowding our social feeds for weeks, well ahead of the film’s February 13 release.
It’s great press for the film, and almost just as good for the brands, which have been claiming a stake in the Wuthering Heights fervor. Warner Bros. collaborated with 35 brand partners on Wuthering Heights-branded products, from Hanky Panky thongs to Lingua Franca sweaters, offering consumers a means of buying into the movie hype before it even hit theaters.
It’s not just Wuthering Heights. Last month, after the Marty Supreme cast went viral in branded Nahmias jackets, the cast of The Moment — and friends of star and creator Charli XCX — took to Sundance Film Festival bundled up from the Utah cold in The Moment-branded puffer coats.
These days, it’s rare to see a big film release without associated branded products. Merch is now an expectation even for indie film studios, who are approaching it in a more modern way, says Katie Devlin, fashion trends editor at intelligence agency Stylus. “The fact is that demand for on-screen tie-ins is there whether the film studios get in on the action or not — and if they don’t, someone on Etsy likely already has,” she says. For studios and brands, this baked-in demand marks a missed opportunity if they don’t release some form of product for movie fans to buy into.
For Warner Bros., Barbie was (of course) the inflection point. “Partnerships have always played a role in movie marketing, but the last few years have changed expectations. Audiences don’t just want to see a film — they want to experience its world,” says Dana Nussbaum, co-president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros.
These days, Warner tends to start conversations with brands over a year out from a film’s release — and brand collabs are no longer bound by genre or ratings. “Five years ago, it would have been rare to see an R‑rated film supported this way. That’s changed,” Nussbaum says, pointing to films from Sinners (for which Fear of God’s Jerry Lorenzo designed products) to Wuthering Heights.
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