19 Unexpected Trends That Only Started Because Of These Specific Movies And TV Shows
buzzfeed.com
7 min read
19 Unexpected Trends That Only Started Because Of These Specific Movies And TV Shows
1. When Peter Kavinsky has his first taste of what looks like Yakult in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, the probiotic had a bit of a moment – it sold out in shops, and there were even guides on where to buy it.
Buena Vista Pictures DistributionThe dog tale that we know and love was tainted by irresponsible breeders trying to capitalise on the film’s success. The full numbers of abandoned dalmations aren’t clear, but one shelter in Miami reported recieving 130 unwanted dogs in just 9 months.
4. And Finding Nemo had a devastating effect on wild clownfish – so many people bought them as pets that they ended up locally extinct in parts of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.
Buena Vista Pictures DistributionThe movie’s conservationist message was quite clearly misunderstood, with sales of the breed rising 40%, putting clownfish on the endangered species list. As a result, the organisation Saving Nemo was launched to help conserve the breed and their habitat.
5. When the world got hooked on Stranger Things, Eggo Waffles became the unofficial binge-watching snack of choice, courtesy of Eleven’s love for the frozen treat.
NetflixOctober 2017 – the release of season 2 – saw the waffles’ most ever social media mentions, and a 14% increase in sales, which is a pretty big deal considering Eggos heyday was back in the ‘80s. Interestingly though, sales only go up when new seasons of the show drop, so it seems like people buy them out of love for Stranger Things rather than the love of frozen breakfast food.
6. And we can’t forget the huge resurgence of Kate Bush’s ’80s hit “Running up that Hill” after it was used in the third season of the show.
EMIThe song was a hit when it was first released back in 1985, and before it popped up in Stranger Things it was already considered a classic, but their inclusion sent it to new heights. The song was the 12th most searched song on Shazam in 2022, streamed millions of times on YouTube and Spotify, re-entered the UK charts at No 1, earned Kate her first Top 10 hit in the States, and added a ton of new fans to her dedicated cult following.
7. Since The Queen’s Gambit premiered, chess sets have been selling out everywhere – eBay has even recorded a 215% increase in Sales!
NetflixChess sales were already up this year because of the pandemic, but the Netflix original has really done great things for the game’s public image. The series follows a young chess prodigy, Beth, and while chess experts say it’s too soon to measure the full impact of the show, it’s definitely made a buzz.
8. Rather disturbingly, when Breaking Bad got popular, so did crystal meth – in 2014 British border patrols saw a 400% surge in smuggling of the drug.
AMCWhile usage of the drug went down in the US, seizures across Europe more than tripled by 2011 (compared to rates in 2000). Most chillingly, some dealers actually started creating their own brand of the fictional blue meth that Walt created on the show.
9. In E.T, Elliot won the alien’s trust by feeding him Reese’s Pieces, permanently putting the candy on the map.
UniversalUniversal initially wanted to use M&Ms in the scene, but Mars Inc. turned down the request, so they went to their second option – Hershey. Reese’s Pieces had only been out for four years and they weren’t anything close to a hit before they appeared in what went on to be one of the biggest films of the ‘80s. So to sum up, Mars Inc. – the brand behind Milky Way, Orbit, and Galaxy – really fumbled the extraterrestrial bag.
10. And after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe showed Edmund devouring enchanted Turkish Delight, demand for the distinct sweets became almost insatiable.
Buena Vista Pictures DistributionA whole new generation was introduced to the world of Narnia, and a curiosity for the sweet inevitably followed. The film licenced more than 80 products for product placement, but Turkish Delight wasn’t one of them – it’s believed Cadbury wasn’t keen on spending extra on such a niche product. Despite this, sales for Fry’s Turkish Delight jumped 200% after the film’s release, and 18 years later, most of us still associate it with the classic story.
11. Toy Story 2’s 45-second inclusion of the ‘60s Etch-A-Sketch not only made the toy a hit with the next generation, but also saved the company that made it from dissolving.
Buena Vista DistributionThe baby boomer’s toy of choice had fallen out of popularity by the ‘90s, but it saw a rise in sales after it had a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it moment in the first Toy Story. The company decided to let it be used in a longer scene for the sequel, and the rest is history.
12. Thanks to Sex and the City, Manolo Blahnik went from being reserved for shoe connoisseurs to being a household name.
HBODespite being around since the ‘70s, it was Carrie Bradshaw and her love of shoes that can take the credit for most of the brand’s popularity in the noughties and beyond. In 2018, to honour the 10th anniversary of the film, the shoemaker, released the pair of stilettos Carrie wore for her wedding.
13. Since Frozen fever hit the world in 2013, the Lofoten Islands have been inundated with fans desperate to see the real place that the Arendelle was based on.
Walt Disney Motion Pictures / GettyTourism in Norway has grown 20%, and areas like the islands have been struggling to cope with the overwhelming amount of visitors and their impact – a woodland near a popular spot has even been nicknamed “forest of shit,” by the locals, because of all the litter left behind.
14. Gossip Girl is full of many a signature look, but you might be surprised to learn that, when viewers figured out its brand, Chuck Bass’ notorious scarf sold out almost immediately, and has developed a bit of a cult following.
The CWThe J. Press patchwork scarf is now instantly recognisable as part of his signature look. Not only did it sell out, but you can now buy knock off “Chuck Bass inspired” bedspreads, makeup bags, and wall art in the pattern.
15. Back in 1982, the DeLorean car was so unpopular the company stopped producing them, but after one was used as the time machine in Back to the Future, it gained cult status.
Universal PicturesPre Back to the Future, the DeLorean didn’t exactly have the best reputation in the car world – not only did it cost the equivalent of around $63,000 in today’s money, but it was pretty slow. Things went from bad to worse in 1983, when the company went bankrupt after John DeLorean was put on trial for cocaine trafficking. But after the car got the flux capacitor treatment in 1985, fans were desperate to own one of the rare 9,000 DeLeoreans that existed. The car’s so much of an in-demand collector’s item that in 2016, the DeLorean Motor Company announced it would be bringing it back for limited production.
16. Since he made his debut in 1933, Popeye is estimated to be responsible for tripling American spinach consumption.
Fleischer StudiosThanks to Popeye, most of us are under the impression that spinach makes you strong, so it makes sense why fans wanted the spinach-strength for themselves. It wasn’t until 2013 that experts discovered that the creators of the cartoon only believed spinach caused strength due to a typo in a science book – a German chemist from 1870 accidentally recorded 100g of spinach as having 35mg of iron, rather than the actual 3.5mg.
17. When the British public found out that the hot priest on Fleabag was a fan of M&S gin and tonic, sales for the canned drink spiked across the entire country.
BBCFleabag and the priest chatting over a couple of cans was apparently too irresistible to viewers – sales went up 24% a week after the episode aired!
18. Bow ties can thank Doctor Who for bringing them back into popularity. When the eleventh Doc declared that “bow ties are cool” demand for them shot up across the high street.
BBCTopman even reported that in the month after Matt Smith’s premiere as the Time Lord, sales increased by 94%!
19. And finally, when Parasite was released, people all over the world were trying to get a taste of ram-don – a dish created by combining two different instant noodle brands. According to Google, searches for recipes for the dish went up by 400%, and taste test videos flooded the internet.
CJ EntertainmentRam-don, which is a combination of “ramen” and “udon,” is known as jjapaguri in Korea, and Bong Joon-Ho’s version is topped with sirloin steak. It didn’t take long for Asian grocery stores to notice it was trending – some started selling the two brands Neoguri and Chapagetti as part of a deal along with instructions on how to make the dish.
Has a film or TV show inspired you to jump on a craze or buy something? Tell us in the comments!
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