5 Amazing Movie Marketing Campaigns of 2015–2016
Marketing is an incredible tool, and movies can’t escape its power. While most campaigns follow the usual formula of teasers, stills, trailers and spots, some go one step beyond to create full experiences which are sometimes better than the movie itself.
In the last year we have seen quite a few exciting movie marketing campaigns. Whether the movies failed to deliver in the end is irrelevant. In most cases, these promotions managed to make people run to the theaters in masses. In other words: the marketers behind these campaigns simply annihilated their competition!
Granted, we are talking about big blockbuster movies that have a considerable budget to help boost their creativity and possibilities. These movies surely had access to multiple resources and cutting edge technology.
They could also rely on having easily recognizable names, as most of them are sequels and reboots of previously existent materials. Or, at the very least, come from very reliable studios. This, of course, plays in their favor, and it’s sometimes yet another type of marketing strategy –franchises? Post-credit scenes? Connected universes? Prepare to see most of them!
Still, there are some valuable lessons that can be applied to any type of film. In this article, I’ll try to take a look at some of those great elements that can inspire independent filmmakers polish up their own strategies.
Also, please keep in mind that this is a very personal selection. Its inclusion doesn’t mean that it’s the greatest of all films released during this period. However, it does mean that the marketing team accomplished its goal: selling the movie.
Great Movie Marketing Campaigns of 2015–2016
Mad Max: Fury Road
Amongst the other properties in this list, Fury Road probably had almost every factor against it. The movie is a continuation/reboot of the Mad Max films that premiered in the late 70s and 80s, with Mel Gibson as the main protagonist. The actor wasn’t returning to reprise its role, and the franchise had a ‘cult classic’-like status. So how to market this lesser known property to a new audience, 30 years after the last film premiered?
The first look at the film came in the form of an exclusive magazine cover featuring the characters of Max (played by Tom Hardy) and Furiosa (Charlize Theron). Almost a month later, the first footage for the film was shown at the San Diego Comic-Con…and the world lost its marbles!
Critics and attendants started raving about the footage, and once it was available for the rest of the world, most had to agree: this was going to be great!
With a catchy tagline, an exciting trailer, and a focus on the main female character, the Fury Road marketing campaign went full speed ahead –pun intended. Through a strong presence across social media, the studio allowed fans to ‘unlock’ exclusive content while building a solid fan-base. And it definitely paid off!
The film was a hit as the buzz spread like wildfire through digital channels.
Fury Road’s marketing campaign was relatively simple. Through a combination of intriguing content and constant interaction with followers, the forgotten cult classic resurrected stronger than ever.
Zootopia
The first of three successful films from the Disney Company that made it to our list, Zootopia still had to face some obstacles of its own. Competing against the still-resonating buzz of Pixar’s Inside Out, the marketing had the tough job of selling a premise that we have seen over and over again: talking animals. So how to do it in a truly interesting way?
The first teaser clips looked great and delivered mostly informative content about the idea behind Zootopia. However, it wasn’t until the ‘Sloth’ trailer that the movie actually found the footing for its advertising.
By presenting a situation that most people could identify with –interacting with horribly slow public servers- in a fun way, the audience could instantly connect with characters they knew little about. The scene was hilarious, and left most of us thirsty for more!
The marketing team continued to work in a similar manner throughout the entirety of the campaign. Next, they made references to pop culture with content inspired by classic films, celebrities and events, but starred by characters from the film.
Thus, the marketing focused on the premise of humans not existing in the Zootopia universe, and explored every possibility with fun and engaging content. Followers loved it, and the movie was, as expected, a big box-office hit –not that anyone would doubt it, considering Disney’s wonderful marketing machine!
By basing their entire content in parodies of real life situations, they made the film relatable and intriguing long before its premiere. It’s a great example of integrating the movie’s advertising with the actual plot of the movie.
Captain America: Civil War
It was the second of two films premiering on the same year, which depicted a major clash between two superhero characters. Also, it had a great campaign that has continued to engage fans up to this day.
Back in September of last year, the marketing machine began with a Comic-Con trailer that won over the entire audience. The hype around it kept growing, especially since the long-awaited event of Spiderman returning to Marvel had been confirmed back in July.
It wasn’t until the actual full trailer that fans got to see the character. And by then, the studio had already began pushing two hashtags based on the main conflict of the film: #TeamCap or #TeamStark. It was up to viewers to show their allegiance to one of the two sides.
The marketing campaign that derived from this strategy was huge. From food to gadgets, the movie reached its audience through effective partnerships that invited fans to choose what to consume based on which character they favored.
Masterfully-produced Ads, fun TV appearances and fun snippets helped nurture the excitement. Perhaps the most memorable was the Audi commercial that gave us a riveting chase scene and our first taste of newcomer Black Panther.
Similar to Zootopia, Civil War truly took advantage of the premise of the movie. By inducing fans to participate, make assumptions and choose, and by giving them just enough info without spoiling the major plot-points of the movie, Civil War created a genius marketing strategy that definitely paid off.
And it keeps going on! Just recently, the studio released a hilarious mockumentary showing what Thor and Dr. Banner were doing during their absence from the movie. About a week before, a full bloopers reel became viral just minutes after being released, as well. Civil War is the gift that keeps giving!
Suicide Squad
Yet another divisive DC film, the movie has had a lot of box-office power despite flopping amongst critics. And much like the film itself, the Suicide Squad marketing campaign underwent quite a few changes.
The first trailer for the movie had a dark tone that seemed to fit the world that had already been established in previous films of the same universe. However, following a knee-jerk response from the studio due to mostly negative reviews for Batman v. Superman, the tone of the marketing campaign changed entirely.
From the usual dark palette of the DC Universe, the campaign jumped straight on into a brighter, increasingly flashier design. In January, a new set of bright-colored posters with a unique look based on skull illustrations was released. Next, a new trailer focused on comedic moments and pop music set the tone for the rest of the campaign.
Through bright-colored posters and animations with a very comic-y style, the marketing campaign built up the hype by promising a movie that was decidedly different from what we had seen until then. Fans were loving it, and non-fans were intrigued.
The studio was trying to stay as far away from the previous connected films as possible. Through reshoots, they added lighter elements and last-minute tweaks. But most surprisingly, the studio hired the company responsible for the trailer to re-edit the movie. In this case, the campaign itself redefined the movie, and not the other way around.
Was it a smart move? Only time will tell! Still, it was definitely a one-of-a-kind clash between marketing and filmmaking that we haven’t seen before.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
I might be cheating a little with this entry, given the fact that the campaign started back in 2014. However, since the film did premiere back in December of 2015, I will still count it as valid!
For The Force Awakens, it all began with the simple announcement of the pivotal cast through a black-and-white photo of the first table read. But it was just enough to start the machine. It would be the first of many great marketing moments that fans would treasure forever!
It wasn’t until November of 2014 that we got our first taste of how the film would actually look like. An incredibly short –and somewhat controversial- teaser, gave us a first look at the new leads, droids and villains of the saga. Notoriously absent from the clip: any hint about the actual plot of the film. Not absent: the nostalgic factor.
Nostalgia and secrecy both played an important role in the movie marketing for The Force Awakens. Both, of course, were the main strengths of the marketing campaign.
The second teaser, released on April of last year –nearly 5 months after the previous one-, didn’t reveal any more details than its predecessor. Actually, it was just as vague -and, in hindsight, somewhat misleading- about the actual plot. But none of that mattered. As soon as the “Chewie, we’re home!” moment came, fans and even occasional viewers were completely sold.
It was an instant hit! The trailer broke 88 million YouTube views in just 24 hours after being launched. It smashed the previous record of 62 million views, held by Furious 7, and it paved the way for a strong campaign that built up the hype.
Months before the movie was released, Disney made sure you couldn’t think about any other movie. Partnerships with Google, food brands, technology –who didn’t want a BB-8?-, etc.; plus an incredibly strong presence across social media and TV, kept the buzz going.
Tickets were sold one month in advance to the actual premiere date, and –no surprise there!- managed to surpass the $100 million mark in advanced ticket sales in record time.
But beyond that impressive amount of cash, the greatest aspect of the campaign was its ability to keep the secrets of the plot under wraps. For example, fans and casual moviegoers got used to seeing character posters where Rey held a staff and Finn a lightsaber. Finn was also featured as the prominent lead for most of the merchandise. But, surprise, surprise! The real lightsaber wielder was actually the feisty and engaging Rey.
Similarly, Luke’s voice could be heard at the very start of the second teaser trailer. However, moviegoers were surprised to see that he was absent throughout most of the film, and, in fact, didn’t speak a single word in it.
In a day and age where we can sometimes find every plot detail online, months before the movie is even released, it was a much-appreciated change to come into a movie knowing very little of it. And luckily, in more ways than one, the marketing delivered exactly what it promised: a riveting, surprising return to the original trilogy.
In the end, the success of these marketing campaigns was no easy feat. It hinged on the smart balance between exploring the marketing possibilities of the plot, leaving a mystery to be discovered, and giving audiences what they want.
To the marketing teams behind them: my hat’s off to you, folks!
And now, back to you: which movie marketing campaigns have surprised you in the last year? Which haven’t?
Share in the comments!
