Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ takes over Fifth Avenue

Dive Brief:

Amazon Prime Video is celebrating its popular comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” with a campaign titled “Maisel Tov” as the show enters its fifth and final season, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
Key to the effort is the Marvelous Mile, a New York City pop-up event and mile-long Fifth Avenue takeover on April 14 that will feature various stops harking back to prior seasons of the show. The activation will see tie-ups with nearby venues, including Saks Fifth Avenue.
Additional aspects of the campaign include partnerships with businesses nationwide, including a specially curated color palette with Pantone and a tie-up with Betty Crocker, among others. The campaign is the latest by Amazon to advertise its Prime offerings.

Dive Insight:

Amazon is putting significant marketing muscle behind its celebration of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” a Prime Video series telling the story of Midge, a Jewish American woman living in the ‘50s and ‘60s who discovers a talent for stand-up comedy. Since launching in 2017, the series has earned 20 Emmy awards and three Golden Globes, making it a powerful player for Amazon as it looks to bolster its streaming service.

Timed to the release of the fifth and final season of the show, the Marvelous Mile is meant to immerse consumers in Midge’s story, nodding to various key details from the show’s previous seasons. The one-day event on Fifth Avenue will stretch from 46th Street to 56th Street, marked by a mile-long pink carpet and brand ambassadors dressed in ‘60s attire who will help direct and offer consumers a map detailing the show’s NYC filming spots.

The first stop on the mile journey harkens back to where Midge launched her career in the series’ first season, the Gaslight Cafe, situated on the northeast corner of 46th Street. On the northeast corner of 47th Street, a photo opportunity featuring a resort in the Catskills will nod to season two. Representing season three, consumers will be offered curated cocktail kits as they approach the southeast corner of 49th Street, disguised as the Fontainebleau in Miami, one of Midge’s tour stops.

A significant portion of the event includes a tie-up with the Saks Fifth Avenue’s New York flagship store, which serves as the heart of the Marvelous Mile. Throughout the day, consumers will see vintage cars and taxis parked alongside the store and can enjoy black and white cookies from Manischewitz. Additionally, the center six windows of the store for two weeks will feature original looks from all five seasons of the show, crafted by costume designer Donna Zakowska. Throughout the day of the pop-up event, eight surprise dance performances will be hosted in front of the six windows, organized by Marguerite Derricks, the series’ choreographer.

Within Saks, consumers can visit the dressing room from the Wolford set, a key element of season four, to view original props, costumes and set pieces. The same dressing room can also be seen on the northwest corner of 51st Street, where consumers will also be offered a free lipstick packaged in a themed case. The mile concludes on the northwest corner of 54th Street, where a final display celebrating Midge’s triumphs will be situated, encouraging attendees to give a final “Maisel Tov,” to the character.

As part of the broader “Maisel Tov” campaign, businesses and brands across the country will take part in various programs meant to nod to the show. Among activations, New York’s TWA Hotel will host a ‘60s-inspired workout class and Tupperware will release a vintage line of ‘60s-style bowls. Pantone will also release custom-curated color palettes, Candier will offer a custom Maisel candle and Betty Crocker is slated to unveil popular recipes of the era.

Amazon’s latest move follows a string of other marketing plays so far this year aimed at highlighting the services available under its core Prime offering. The suite was the focus of its Super Bowl campaign, “Saving Sawyer,” which showed a busy family quickly shopping for necessities as they looked to adopt a second dog. In March, the company unveiled a global campaign that kicked off with a commercial, “Tache,” directed by Olivia Wilde, that told the story of a young woman who learns to embrace unwanted facial hair by using Amazon Prime to feel empowered.