8 Movies That Started Real-World Trends

No one can deny that Movies.have more and more influence on our daily lives. A good movie can actually do more than entertain or fill seats at the cinema. It has the power to change our hearts, and occasionally, it changes society more widely. Some movies have even started worldwide trends that have altered fashion, culture, or behavior. These movies that started the world trend are incredible. 
Believe it or not, speeding tickets drastically increased after every premiere of a new Fast & Furious movie, and enlistment rates also soared after the release of Top Gun, which has inspired a lot of young people for decades. Here are 14 movies that have been largely influential, from raising awareness to bringing about change in different ways. Let’s scroll down and check out Movies Started Real World Trends.

#1 Requests For Information About The Navy’s Aviation Program Increased After 'Top Gun'

Source: Paramount Pictures

After the smash-hit summer release of Top Gun, naval recruiters around the United Stated indicated an increase in inquiries from prospective sailors. According to the Los Angeles Times, many recruiters said that Top Gun was the deciding factor for their decision. They wanted a part of anything Tom Cruise was doing.

#2 Reese’s Pieces Sales Skyrocketed After 'E.T.'

Source: Universal Pictures

In the 1982 sci-fi drama E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Elliott (Henry Thomas) was known for inviting the lost alien into his house by feeding him, Reese’s Pieces, the peanut butter-flavored candies from Hershey’s. Amazingly, sales for the candy increased 65% in the month after the film’s release.

#3 Etch A Sketch Sales Increased After ‘Toy Story 2’

Source: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Pixar added some more new toys to the cast of Toy Story 2, and one of the quieter but still beloved new additions was the Etch A Sketch. First came out in 1960, Etch A Sketch came to its peak in the '70s and '80s prior to competition from video games pushed its parent company, the Ohio Art Company, close to bankruptcy.
After Toy Story 2 release in 1999, sales for the Etch A Sketch increased by 20% and allowed the Ohio Art Company returns to profitability. The Etch A Sketch was sold to Spin Master in 2016 and now lets users draw circles.

#4 Torn, Off-The-Shoulder Sweatshirts Became Popular After 'Flashdance'

Source: Paramount Pictures

Star Jennifer Beals said she invented the look "accidentally" when she shrunk a sweater in the dryer and cut a new, enlarged hole in her neck.
When she wore it to her Flashdance audition, producers loved it so much that to put it in the movie. As a result, it launched a trend, and everyone from Madonna to Cyndi Lauper adopted it.

#5 Shawarma Sales Increased In Some Areas After 'The Avengers'

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

In 2012, The Avengers presented a post-credits scene in which Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, and enjoyed some hard-earned shawarma after defeating Loki and the Chitauri.

As revealed by TMZ, at least one restaurant in the Los Angeles area saw an uptick in sales correlating to the movie. There was an 80% increase in sales thanks to the movies. It was the same in New York City where a lot of vendors reported newcomers trying shawarma for the first time.

#6 The .44 Magnum Became Popular Only After 'Dirty Harry'

Source: Warner Bros.

In 1971's Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood's gun-happy police officer Harry Callahan delivers his famous monologue encouraging an unarmed suspect to reach for a nearby gun - bluffing the poor crook into surrendering. He repeats this at the end of the film when he finally catches the killer he's been hunting - but this time the guy goes for his piece, and Harry guns him down. During the initial monologue, Harry name-checks his way-too-big sidearm, the .44 Magnum, which he calls "the most powerful in the world."

This wasn't a deliberate act of product placement, but it worked about as well as a genuine one would have. The actual gun, a Smith & Wesson Model 29, was the most powerful revolver in the world from 1955 until the 1980s, according to American Hunter, but Dirty Harry made it much more popular than it already was.

#7 Sales Of Mini Coopers Increased After The Remake Of 'The Italian Job'

Source: Paramount Pictures

When it comes to the 2003 remake of The Italian Job, the heist crew utilized some getaway vehicles that nearly instantly became as popular as the movie itself. BMW's Mini Cooper is a small hatchback, and its tiny size allows for all kinds of maneuverability. So the crew could do everything from driving on subway tracks to speeding up and down stairways.

According to Motor File, sales of the $20,000 Mini Cooper (in 2002) soared 20%. BMW didn't need to pay for its product placement, either. Instead, the company provided the production of 32 Mini Coopers to demolish when filming.

#8 Speeding Tickets Jumped In One County After The Release Of Three 'Fast & Furious' Films

Source: The Fast and the Furious / Universal Pictures

Some people believe that The Fast & Furious movies are perfect without the bad impact on the safe-driving agenda. The movies seem to encourage speeding and so many people actually did that. According to The New York Times examination, nearly 200,000 traffic tickets were given out in Montgomery County, MD, and found that speeding tickets increase by 20% on the weekends following three Fast & Furious movie releases.