Marketing Pop: Recent Episodes
Maria Rizzo & Rick Young
Digital Marketers and co-founders of Rizzo Young Marketing, Maria Rizzo and Rick Young discuss iconic moments in pop culture history and the outrageous marketing and advertising strategies that made them, from handing out Coca-Cola at the fall of the Berlin Wall to the orange square that launched Fyre Festival.Every week, Rick and Maria dive into film, music, television, video games, sports, and fashion to see what they can learn from their marketing strategies and themselves as consumers.
In 2003, the Cordyceps outbreak spread around the world. While the United States government attempted to organize the last of humankind, a man named Bill chose to stay behind, making the most of his desolate small town.
As the years went by, a lone survivor by the name of Frank approached the town. At first glance, Bill made a deal with the stranger. A meal. A shower. Fresh clothes. And then Frank was to move on.
But with the delicate pour from a spare bottle of Beaujolais Villages, Frank wound up staying a long, long time. What seems like a trivial moment initially later turned into a bookended act of pure poetry. As a result, Rick and Maria discuss how The Last of Us showrunners perfectly intertwined a French wine brand with its most heartfelt story.
Everyone wants to go viral. But at what cost?
With Halloween around the corner, the Marketing Pop team takes a look back at the film that started it all, The Blair Witch Project.
What originated as a student film project with a sparse budget exploded into a worldwide sensation and one of the most profitable movies of all time in terms of sheer ROI.
How’d they do it?
A little resourceful marketing and fervent commitment to realism, playing up to the “based on a true story” narrative at a time when the internet dawdled in its infancy.
Although the movie forever changed the advertising landscape throughout pop culture, the price of eternal fame and glory didn’t come without its share of backlash…
After a mediocre opening and less-than-stellar sequel, the Thor film franchise aimed for a complete rebrand. Helmed by director Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarök paved the way for inclusivity, relatable characters, and a nostalgia 80’s palette for a fresh new take on one of the original Avengers. With the release of Thor: Love and Thunder, Rick and Maria break down the existing films for this episode of Marketing Pop, discussing what worked (and what didn’t) with their marketing strategy.
Rick and Maria dive into Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty. Taking the concept of beauty and flipping it on its head, Rihanna set out to create products meant for all ethnicities, genders, and body types. Just four years after the Fenty Effect reimagined a ruthless industry, established brands struggle to play catchup.
Since the end of February, the Russia-Ukraine War captivated cable television, radio stories, and kitchen table conversations. But most importantly, it became the year’s biggest talking point throughout the social media world, and has been dubbed "The TikTok War".
The Rizzo Young team of Maria & Rick explore how social media is shaping the ongoing conflict in Episode 2 of Marketing Pop.
Pop culture expresses marketing and advertising insights every day. The Rizzo Young Marketing team of Maria and Rick set out to share some of those insights in our brand-new podcast! First up? The rise and “tentative” fall of home fitness company Peloton.