MW What's 'The White Lotus' effect on brands like Four Seasons Hotels, Lululemon and even Duke? Season 3 winners and losers.

By Nicole Lyn Pesce

Ahead of the season-three finale of 'The White Lotus' on Sunday, here's a look at how some brands affiliated with the hit Max show have fared

This weekend's "White Lotus" season finale promises plenty of drama. And the affluent characters aren't the only ones who've been on a journey - the luxury labels and elite institutions playing key roles this season have also had a wild few weeks.

Indeed, some of the brands sharing screen time with the Max $(WBD)$ drama's pretty people with posh problems have been making as many headlines as the plot twists. (Some spoiler alerts for the first seven episodes of season three follow.) Duke University probably expected to spend the past month in the news for its March Madness success - not on the defensive after its school logo was worn on "White Lotus" by a man contemplating murder-suicide. On the flip side, the Four Seasons, which has stood in for the show's titular resort since season one, has seen an explosion in interest in its high-end destinations.

So what's the appeal? "The world-building of 'The White Lotus' is perfect for brands to be inspired by the look of the show to create their own branded extensions - or like Four Seasons, be a character in itself," said Sarah Early, senior vice president of entertainment marketing at 160over90, a cultural marketing agency.

'We can't afford these hotels. These are clothes we can't afford, either. But we always aspire to mimic or eventually be those things.'

Karthik Easwar, professor of marketing at Georgetown University, agrees - likening this show's water-cooler appeal to fellow Max hit "Game of Thrones" at its peak. "This is one of the few instances where people seem to be checked in to the same show," he said.

And viewers want what we don't have. "We can't afford these hotels. These are clothes we can't afford, either. But we always aspire to mimic or eventually be those things," he said. Plus, "there's a lot of uncertainty and volatility in general day-to-day life right now. The ability to go to other places that are beautiful to look at is very relaxing and attractive."

So if you're looking for a brief respite from tariffs, while killing time waiting for Sunday night's feature-length finale, then here's a fun look at this season's winning and "losing" brands. Although, spoiler alert: As the branding and marketing experts told MarketWatch, none of these brands really "loses" from being on a show this big.

Winners

The Four Seasons

The show's biggest winner is arguably the luxury resort chain that each "White Lotus" season is set in, including Hawaii, Italy and now Thailand.

The hotel chain was not available for comment, and has also declined to share with other outlets how much the series has boosted room rates or overall bookings. But it told the Wall Street Journal that visits to the Four Seasons webpage for the Sicily hotel soared 193% after season two. Business Insider also reported season one's Maui property saw a 425% increase in website visits and a 386% increase in availability checks year over year when the show premiered in 2021. This season, set in the Four Seasons Koh Samui in Thailand, is expected to boost tourism to the country by 20%, Insider added.

"This show has been incredible for [the Four Seasons]," said Stacy Jones, founder and chief executive of Los Angeles-based marketing agency Hollywood Branded. "Money can't buy this kind of exposure. People are interested in the brand. People understand it's super swanky and high-end. And being the location of the show allows it to show off some of their service capabilities."

Luxury Fashion

"This season, the fashion is a major standout," said Early, noting that labels like Valentino, Jacquemus and Gucci "all bring to life the characters' personalities. The placement is noticeable, but authentic to the story of these characters." And as blogs and fashion sites including Elle UK have tracked the fashion being worn on every "White Lotus" episode, including resort-wear lines like Zimmermann and Eres, many of these looks have sold out.

Easwar said the Jim Thompson silk kimono-style dress that Parker Posey's Victoria Ratliff wears in a scene where she says she's "not meant to live an uncomfortable life" really stood out to him and his wife, for example. And while the brand wasn't immediately available for comment, a rep told Women's Wear Daily that the viral "White Lotus" moment boosted Jim Thompson's sales by 671%.

WWD also reported that Louis Vuitton (FR:MC) $(LVMUY)$ earned $4.3 million in media impact value (a proprietary metric that assigns monetary value to marketing strategies to calculate return on investment) after Posey's character carried its Astor Place bag on the show. And Gucci's (FR:KER) $(PPRUY)$ Bamboo handle bag scored $2 million in MIV for its "Lotus" cameo.

Lululemon $(LULU)$ also enjoyed a viral moment where college student Piper Ratliff (Sarah Catherine Hook) complains that the White Lotus is "like a Disneyland for rich bohemians from Malibu in their Lululemon yoga pants," just as Michelle Monaghan's character walks by wearing what appears to be a blue Lululemon yoga set. Considering the company just admitted it's suffering weak brand awareness in its recent earnings report, "The White Lotus" shout-out couldn't come at a more perfect time.

Spacecat yacht

While the relationship between Ratliff brothers Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola) got choppy during a wild night of partying aboard a luxury yacht, it's been smooth sailing for the swanky Spacecat where the full-moon debauchery took place. Turns out, Northop & Johnson's Spacecat can be chartered for $160,000 a week, plus expenses. And within the first three days of the first episode featuring the Spacecat, clicks on its website listing spiked 37,000%, Business Insider reported. Reps didn't respond to a request for comment.

"That has incredible marketing power for that charter company," said Jones from Hollywood Branded. "This is something that distinguishes them from other charters. They are forevermore in that story line, and they can market it as the boat from 'The White Lotus.'" In fact, they already have.

Losers (kinda)

Duke

Duke University has featured prominently on the show, as the fictional Ratliff family boasts two Duke alumni - with youngest son Lochlan (Nivola) deliberating whether to attend, too. In fact, Posey's character saying "Duke" (not to mention "tsunami" and "Buddhism") in her affected southern accent has been a breakout hit on TikTok.

Then an episode came along which featured Ratliff patriarch Tim (played by Jason Isaacs) not only contemplating self-harm while wearing a Duke t-shirt, but also hurting his family so that they won't learn they're about to go broke and he's facing jail time for money laundering and embezzlement. While Duke did not respond to a MarketWatch request for comment, the school told NBC that the show went "too far" and used its brand without permission.

Branding experts like Jones understand Duke's dismay. "When I saw it, I went, 'Oooo, if they were my client, I don't think I'd be so happy with him being suicidal, putting a gun to his head while wearing my brand's T-shirt,'" she said. "If the brand knew about that in advance, they would most certainly say that, 'If that's the usage, I want to opt out.'"

'If the brand knew about that in advance, they would most certainly say that, If that's the usage, I want to opt out.'

But she and other marketing insiders also think the school may benefit more from its inclusion on the show in the long run, because Tim's actions don't actually reflect upon the university. "I would say that 'The White Lotus' actually set up Duke exactly as Duke has always wanted to be seen," said Jones - portrayed as an elite school churning out successful individuals. "If you look at the whole season, Duke's inclusion is pretty positive. So it was a bad scene for Duke, but still a great season overall."

Easwar agreed. "I understand how the school would come out and say, 'We don't like how Duke was promoted,'" he said. "But at the end of the day, we know this isn't an actual Duke alum. This is a piece of fiction. I think in the long run this will just help create more awareness around Duke as an institution."

Lorazepam

The generic version of antianxiety drug Atavin, which is in a class of fast-acting tranquilizers called benzodiazepines, has been used and abused prominently on the show by the Ratliff parents played by Posey and Isaacs. While the drug is intended to be taken only as needed to treat situational anxiety, Posey's character was shown abusing it (such as to "relax" before getting a massage.) Then Isaacs's character swiped her bottle to keep himself in an altered state to escape the stress of his looming legal problems. Google searches for lorazepam, its side effects and whether it's addictive (it can be, the CDC warns) have spiked since the show aired.

While its portrayal on the show hasn't been the most positive, there actually hasn't been much blowback to the drug besides some articles warning about its addictive properties. Easwar said this is probably because it's clear that the characters using the medication are the ones behaving irresponsibly; the lorazepam itself isn't a problem. "The White Lotus" is "less a judgement on any pharmaceutical company or the drug itself - it's more about the person who is using it, and why they might be abusing it," he noted.

Jones from Hollywood Branded agrees. "I don't think there's anything negative on the drug," she said. "The show is looking at how [Posey's character] chooses to live her life in a haze." Indeed, when Posey's pills go missing, she loudly states her intentions to "drink myself to sleep" instead. "She does not want to live in real life at all," said Jones.

'The White Lotus' itself

MW What's 'The White Lotus' effect on brands like Four Seasons Hotels, Lululemon and even Duke? Season 3 winners and losers.

By Nicole Lyn Pesce

Ahead of the season-three finale of 'The White Lotus' on Sunday, here's a look at how some brands affiliated with the hit Max show have fared

This weekend's "White Lotus" season finale promises plenty of drama. And the affluent characters aren't the only ones who've been on a journey - the luxury labels and elite institutions playing key roles this season have also had a wild few weeks.

Indeed, some of the brands sharing screen time with the Max (WBD) drama's pretty people with posh problems have been making as many headlines as the plot twists. (Some spoiler alerts for the first seven episodes of season three follow.) Duke University probably expected to spend the past month in the news for its March Madness success - not on the defensive after its school logo was worn on "White Lotus" by a man contemplating murder-suicide. On the flip side, the Four Seasons, which has stood in for the show's titular resort since season one, has seen an explosion in interest in its high-end destinations.

So what's the appeal? "The world-building of 'The White Lotus' is perfect for brands to be inspired by the look of the show to create their own branded extensions - or like Four Seasons, be a character in itself," said Sarah Early, senior vice president of entertainment marketing at 160over90, a cultural marketing agency.

'We can't afford these hotels. These are clothes we can't afford, either. But we always aspire to mimic or eventually be those things.'

Karthik Easwar, professor of marketing at Georgetown University, agrees - likening this show's water-cooler appeal to fellow Max hit "Game of Thrones" at its peak. "This is one of the few instances where people seem to be checked in to the same show," he said.

And viewers want what we don't have. "We can't afford these hotels. These are clothes we can't afford, either. But we always aspire to mimic or eventually be those things," he said. Plus, "there's a lot of uncertainty and volatility in general day-to-day life right now. The ability to go to other places that are beautiful to look at is very relaxing and attractive."

So if you're looking for a brief respite from tariffs, while killing time waiting for Sunday night's feature-length finale, then here's a fun look at this season's winning and "losing" brands. Although, spoiler alert: As the branding and marketing experts told MarketWatch, none of these brands really "loses" from being on a show this big.

Winners

The Four Seasons

The show's biggest winner is arguably the luxury resort chain that each "White Lotus" season is set in, including Hawaii, Italy and now Thailand.

The hotel chain was not available for comment, and has also declined to share with other outlets how much the series has boosted room rates or overall bookings. But it told the Wall Street Journal that visits to the Four Seasons webpage for the Sicily hotel soared 193% after season two. Business Insider also reported season one's Maui property saw a 425% increase in website visits and a 386% increase in availability checks year over year when the show premiered in 2021. This season, set in the Four Seasons Koh Samui in Thailand, is expected to boost tourism to the country by 20%, Insider added.

"This show has been incredible for [the Four Seasons]," said Stacy Jones, founder and chief executive of Los Angeles-based marketing agency Hollywood Branded. "Money can't buy this kind of exposure. People are interested in the brand. People understand it's super swanky and high-end. And being the location of the show allows it to show off some of their service capabilities."

Luxury Fashion

"This season, the fashion is a major standout," said Early, noting that labels like Valentino, Jacquemus and Gucci "all bring to life the characters' personalities. The placement is noticeable, but authentic to the story of these characters." And as blogs and fashion sites including Elle UK have tracked the fashion being worn on every "White Lotus" episode, including resort-wear lines like Zimmermann and Eres, many of these looks have sold out.

Easwar said the Jim Thompson silk kimono-style dress that Parker Posey's Victoria Ratliff wears in a scene where she says she's "not meant to live an uncomfortable life" really stood out to him and his wife, for example. And while the brand wasn't immediately available for comment, a rep told Women's Wear Daily that the viral "White Lotus" moment boosted Jim Thompson's sales by 671%.

WWD also reported that Louis Vuitton (FR:MC) (LVMUY) earned $4.3 million in media impact value (a proprietary metric that assigns monetary value to marketing strategies to calculate return on investment) after Posey's character carried its Astor Place bag on the show. And Gucci's (FR:KER) (PPRUY) Bamboo handle bag scored $2 million in MIV for its "Lotus" cameo.

Lululemon (LULU) also enjoyed a viral moment where college student Piper Ratliff (Sarah Catherine Hook) complains that the White Lotus is "like a Disneyland for rich bohemians from Malibu in their Lululemon yoga pants," just as Michelle Monaghan's character walks by wearing what appears to be a blue Lululemon yoga set. Considering the company just admitted it's suffering weak brand awareness in its recent earnings report, "The White Lotus" shout-out couldn't come at a more perfect time.

Spacecat yacht

While the relationship between Ratliff brothers Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola) got choppy during a wild night of partying aboard a luxury yacht, it's been smooth sailing for the swanky Spacecat where the full-moon debauchery took place. Turns out, Northop & Johnson's Spacecat can be chartered for $160,000 a week, plus expenses. And within the first three days of the first episode featuring the Spacecat, clicks on its website listing spiked 37,000%, Business Insider reported. Reps didn't respond to a request for comment.

"That has incredible marketing power for that charter company," said Jones from Hollywood Branded. "This is something that distinguishes them from other charters. They are forevermore in that story line, and they can market it as the boat from 'The White Lotus.'" In fact, they already have.

Losers (kinda)

Duke

Duke University has featured prominently on the show, as the fictional Ratliff family boasts two Duke alumni - with youngest son Lochlan (Nivola) deliberating whether to attend, too. In fact, Posey's character saying "Duke" (not to mention "tsunami" and "Buddhism") in her affected southern accent has been a breakout hit on TikTok.

Then an episode came along which featured Ratliff patriarch Tim (played by Jason Isaacs) not only contemplating self-harm while wearing a Duke t-shirt, but also hurting his family so that they won't learn they're about to go broke and he's facing jail time for money laundering and embezzlement. While Duke did not respond to a MarketWatch request for comment, the school told NBC that the show went "too far" and used its brand without permission.

Branding experts like Jones understand Duke's dismay. "When I saw it, I went, 'Oooo, if they were my client, I don't think I'd be so happy with him being suicidal, putting a gun to his head while wearing my brand's T-shirt,'" she said. "If the brand knew about that in advance, they would most certainly say that, 'If that's the usage, I want to opt out.'"

'If the brand knew about that in advance, they would most certainly say that, If that's the usage, I want to opt out.'

But she and other marketing insiders also think the school may benefit more from its inclusion on the show in the long run, because Tim's actions don't actually reflect upon the university. "I would say that 'The White Lotus' actually set up Duke exactly as Duke has always wanted to be seen," said Jones - portrayed as an elite school churning out successful individuals. "If you look at the whole season, Duke's inclusion is pretty positive. So it was a bad scene for Duke, but still a great season overall."

Easwar agreed. "I understand how the school would come out and say, 'We don't like how Duke was promoted,'" he said. "But at the end of the day, we know this isn't an actual Duke alum. This is a piece of fiction. I think in the long run this will just help create more awareness around Duke as an institution."

Lorazepam

The generic version of antianxiety drug Atavin, which is in a class of fast-acting tranquilizers called benzodiazepines, has been used and abused prominently on the show by the Ratliff parents played by Posey and Isaacs. While the drug is intended to be taken only as needed to treat situational anxiety, Posey's character was shown abusing it (such as to "relax" before getting a massage.) Then Isaacs's character swiped her bottle to keep himself in an altered state to escape the stress of his looming legal problems. Google searches for lorazepam, its side effects and whether it's addictive (it can be, the CDC warns) have spiked since the show aired.

While its portrayal on the show hasn't been the most positive, there actually hasn't been much blowback to the drug besides some articles warning about its addictive properties. Easwar said this is probably because it's clear that the characters using the medication are the ones behaving irresponsibly; the lorazepam itself isn't a problem. "The White Lotus" is "less a judgement on any pharmaceutical company or the drug itself - it's more about the person who is using it, and why they might be abusing it," he noted.

Jones from Hollywood Branded agrees. "I don't think there's anything negative on the drug," she said. "The show is looking at how [Posey's character] chooses to live her life in a haze." Indeed, when Posey's pills go missing, she loudly states her intentions to "drink myself to sleep" instead. "She does not want to live in real life at all," said Jones.

'The White Lotus' itself

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

April 05, 2025 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT)

MW What's 'The White Lotus' effect on brands like -2-

While "Lotus" does seem to be at the top of its game, some marketing experts warned that expanding into too many product lines and brand partnerships could dilute the show's own brand if it's not careful. The third season has seen an explosion in brand collaborations, for example, including limited-edition product lines from Bloomingdale's (M), Banana Republic $(GAP)$, H&M (SE:HM.B) $(HNNMY)$, Kiehl's (FR:OR) $(LRLCY)$ and Blissy.

"Beyond the news-grabbing launches, this season signaled a shift in the commercialization of the show," said Early from 160over90. "Partners spent big for their access - the custom spots, robust media buys and cluttered landscape of product collaborations around the show were very noticeable, albeit a bit distracting."

And Easwar noted that there appeared to be a mismatch between some of the brands with "White Lotus" product collaborations and the characters inspiring the collection. "These brands would not be what these people would be wearing," he said. "I find that fascinating."

Still, "The White Lotus" marketing machine is only expected to get bigger and embrace more brands - if they're on board for whatever the show has in store for them, that is.

-Nicole Lyn Pesce

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

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April 05, 2025 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT)

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