The Boogeyman’s Branding

Did you know it’s been over a decade since the first John Wick movie?
We’re nearing 11 years to be exact.

I realised this after watching Ballerina. I kept my expectations to a minimum but knew I was in for a treat. The franchise has become a modern day classic. Despite the plot holes and lack of apathetically frustrated “Yeah” from the Baba Yaga himself, it was undeniably from the same universe. Hence the question.

What makes John Wick, so… John Wick?

I’ve been watching these movies for years without a second thought about how they’ve built the world because it just seems so natural.
”Duh, of course, the underworld has rules.”
”Duh, of course, they use exclusive gold coins as currency.”
”Duh, of course, there’s a safe zone for assassins around the world disguised as hotels.”

You get the idea.
So, after watching the movie, I found myself in a rabbit hole trying to find out why I love it by unravelling the branding behind it. These are my top 3 reasons why the movie transcends cinema. And I think it all starts with this quote:

“John wasn’t exactly the Boogeyman. He’s the one you send to kill the fucking Boogeyman.”

If marketing is the invitation, and branding is the reputation, then John has a killer brand identity. His reputation often precedes him, with many respecting him as the Baba Yaga, ‘Boogeyman’ in Russian. However, as the Wickverse expanded, it is revealed that he is also known by his alter egos such as Jardani by the Ruska Roma, or simply, Johnathan by Winston.

Each name reveals more about his enigmatic personality and if that isn’t aura, I’m not sure what is. Despite the movie’s definitions, did you know that Baba Yaga doesn’t really mean ‘Boogeyman’ in Russian? It actually stems from Slavic folklore, about an old supernatural witch with ambiguous morality (sometimes fries and eats children; sometimes helps the hero) who lives in a house of chicken legs? Yeah, wtf.

To lend a cultural term is one thing, but to include a unique twist AND own it – that’s John Wick.

“With a fuckin’ pencil”

Throughout the tetralogy, there are 3 main stories that tie it all together:
1. He lost his wife and dog.
2. He killed 3 men with a pencil.
3. He wants to leave the underworld.

I know, it’s such a simple take but I believe that’s exactly why it works.
Why?

Well, to start, it’s relatable. Losing a partner or pet is a very human experience. We’ve all been there, and it helps us emphathise with John as a character. Sure we don’t know what it’s like to be a feared hitman, but getting through life when you’ve lost the ones that matter most? Relatable. In the 3rd movie, he literally says that he continues to live so that he can keep the memory of his wife alive. That’s character and I think it aligns very closely with Keanu Reeves as a person too, especially on this interview.

Secondly, he has earned a bloody good reputation. A very graphic, memorable one at that. Not only does it suggest John’s wicked nature, it also suggests his mastery in violence to wield basic items as a weapon. Knowing this makes the question less of a ‘why’, and more of a ‘how’? What’s crazy is that he doesn’t say any of this, yet everyone he knows (or doesn’t) – knows and tells the story. That’s a real branding at work.

Lastly, the man just wants to know where the exit is. Yet, fate has different plans for him. He’s blessed to keep living life and cursed to keep taking lives. It’s this juxtaposition that injects excitement into every sequel, and because he’s so good at what he does, he finds himself under inescapable circumstances like the Blood Marker from Santino, or the Ruska Roma’s Ticket. And so he keeps on Boogeying.

“I have served. I will be of service.”

After watching Ballerina, it was clear to see that the Wickverse has become a unique world on its own. I’m convinced it can exist with or without John Wick in it. And that’s because if you’re truly gripped by the Wickverse, you’d be dying to know who the remaining High Table members are. The ones they have introduced are all dead, yet they’ve not introduced any from the Triads, Yakuza or Cartels.

At the same time, places and people like the Continental Hotel, Harbinger and repeated phrases like “I have served, I will be of service” all come with the whole John Wick package. As if that wasn’t enough, the movies have also cemented their tone in suave hitmen professionalism, gun-fu choreography and emotional neon colours. It invites the curious to step into an unknown world, without the cliches of a hero’s saga but rather the daily lives of those who live by rules that most don’t even know exist. It’s truly a masterclass in the “if you know, you know” type vibe.

In conclusion, John Wick is awesome. And to be honest, I started writing this as a way to destress and nerd out about the new movie, but it has also gifted me a new perspective on how I should approach storytelling from now on.