With watch parties all over the world, the girls are screaming and kicking their feet (almost as loud as Jan and Tshepo watching the Bokke and All Blacks game) as The Summer I Turned Pretty concluded with a perfect rom-com ending. But, what's the secret behind this global success?
When season one of The Summer I Turned Pretty rolled out, Amazon leaned into fan-first marketing tactics: Jenny Han hosted a YouTube bookclub, an Instagram Close Friends group for superfans, a Snapchat book-scan that previewed episode one, and a teaser that debuted Taylor Swift's "This Love (Taylor's Version)".
Those moves drove huge pre-launch engagement with the teaser pulling 33-million plays and Snapchat / TikTok features registering millions of impressions.
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In this way, the built-in book fandom provided direct access to possible fans of the show. Han's visibility as creator and showrunner meant early readers amplified every reveal — but the reverse was also true. After the series first launched, the trilogy saw its biggest four weeks of sales since 2010.
Additionally, the production team also tapped into another existing fanbase, multiplying reach. The strategic use of Taylor Swift's songs gave fans already trending soundtracks to edit and share, turning short clips from the series into viral moments and bringing the show to non-readers.
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This immersive start laid the groundwork for the marketing juggernaut it would become. By season two and three, fandom dynamics were set and those outside of the loop faced engineered FOMO.
Social debates of either #TeamConrad or #TeamJeremiah, watch parties and fan edits produced constant user-generated content that Amazon and brands also amplified through their own marketing. The third season alone drew roughly 25-million viewers in its first week and brands saw big engagement uplifts for show-related posts.
As a result, many brands rode the wave by partnering with The Summer I Turned Pretty. From limited-edition Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish boxes to Coach collections and Catbirds "Belly" ring, product tie-ins and subtle placements let partners meet their target audience where they were: watching the series of the summer.
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The secret sauce here is layered: an existing book fandom hungry for an adaptation, social first strategies that reward participation and cross-industry collaborations that amplify the buzz. Together, they created a marketing phenomenon that blurred the line between screen, feed and fandom.
The bottom line? Start with authentic communities and listen when they tell you what they want. Because, when fans lead storytelling? Launches become communities, not just campaigns.
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*Image courtesy of Canva