New Moon, the second book of the notable Twilight series, is commonly known as the start of Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. Let’s dig into how the phenomenon changed the entire course of the movie series. Team Edward vs. Team Jacob was probably the smartest and most impactful marketing strategy to be used. When the movies were released, the fanbase was primarily in their teens, and this strategy made them go crazy.
However, the real question still stands: How did this rivalry shape the rest of the series and pop culture in general?
The Love Triangle of New Moon
New Moon explores the dynamic of a love triangle between Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black by creating massive tension between the three characters and amplifying certain scenes that might’ve been glossed over in the book. Key points that help reinforce this love triangle are Edward leaving Bella; Bella going through her depressive state; the friends-to-lovers trope between her and Jacob forming; and having to choose between the two. These scenes within the movie are extremely heightened and are the aspects that give the audience the sense that there is a love triangle.
Creating this love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob instituted a community of fans who were constantly trying to pick sides. This would either drive tension between them or create an actual community feeling, which is what the marketing strategy ended up doing.
Why Did Fans Choose Between the Two?
After watching New Moon, several people hated Edward for what he did to Bella when he left her. Fans went to various social media sites to express their hatred. One fan specifically made an entire blog about their dislike for Edward. This created a ton of support for Jacob, who was shown to the audience to be the better option for Bella. Because of this move made by movie directors, this formed the sides that the fans then chose between.
Fans gravitated towards one or the other due to how they treated Bella. You can see this, especially in a critical essay by Amy M. Clarke where she dives into this phenomenon. Jacob built comfort and safety for Bella and gave her a sense of belonging even when she didn’t feel like she deserved to feel love again. Edward represented the passion, danger, and uncertainty that Bella seemed to crave. These traits that Jacob and Edward exemplified in the movies made it possible for fans to ship them together or see themselves with either Edward or Jacob, resulting in the picking of sides.
The Birth of Team Edward and Team Jacob
Merchandising was a big way for the franchise to become even bigger. With the “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” slogans plastered on everything that fans could get their hands on was constantly being sold. Fans supported each team by showing their allegiance with the merch.
Social media and fandom events helped string up this competition. Fans creating their events and social media targeting the teams helped develop a frenzy between them as well. The engagement between everyone was constant and wild and kept the fandom buzzing with new team updates all the time.
Celebrity influence also had a major impact on the teams. With Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob) leaning into their characters’ dynamics of being rivals in real life through interviews, it produced a real-life feel for fans that the rivalry was genuine and that the teams were a real thing. They stayed in character, even off-screen, for the sake of marketing strategy within the team aspect, which was insanely smart on the marketing team’s part. Lautner talked about this in a recent interview.
Twihard’s Impact on Pop Culture
Team Edward and Team Jacob will still be something to talk about for a long time to come, much longer than any other fandom. With fanfictions, merchandise, and friend feuds over the teams is forever deep-rooted in pop culture. The Twilight series’ marketing strategies were extremely savvy, allowing them to make a lasting impact on society and on how pop culture responds to fandoms and teams within them as a whole. Saturday Night Live (SNL) made several references to the movies after they were released, and parodies of the movies regarding the fandom and teams between the two major love interests are still being released. “Lab Partners” was the most famous skit that even Taylor Lautner participated in.
@jacob_desio Replying to @rhinoferrum #greenscreen Twihards may call out the creepy Twilight fanfic but twihards are also the ones making it… who do you think would ever make this stuff besides a twihard? #twilight #movietok #hate #booktok #fyp #bruh #wtf ♬ original sound – JacobDesio
The Forever Legacy of Team Edward and Jacob
Even though the love triangle started as a marketing gimmick, it is now a cultural moment for a movie series of this volition. Even mentioning Team Edward and Team Jacob brings readers and audiences a sense of nostalgia, which is certainly the backbone of keeping this phenomenon alive. No matter what, the teams are defining elements of the Twilight series and will forever be.
Want to explore more Twilight-related content? Check out this Netflix Has Revived Twilight Fans With New Series article!
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