The emergence of social networks has revolutionized the communication strategy of the cinema industry. We see it in particular with the marketing campaign around the release of the film Barbie. But this is not the only example to date. Small anthology.
The Barbie movie is the perfect example of a successful communication and marketing strategy. For example, it was possible to Rent the dollhouse on Airbnb. The real goal behind this operation was not for people to rent the villa, but simply to get people talking about the film, in the media and on social networks.
On the occasion of the release of the film “Barbie” by Greta Gerwig, Airbnb has rented out the dream house of the famous Mattel doll in Malibu. [Hogwash Studios – Mattel – WBEI]
Other by-products include, for example, cosmetics, an insurance company, carpets, ice cream, candles, and even rollerblades. The film crew even managed to make collaborations with international stars like singers Dua Lipa and Nicki Minaj.
Another striking fact around the communication of the film: the rumor according to which there would have been a world shortage of pink paint. Which is not entirely true. It would indeed be a partial shortage of a certain type of rose from the Rosco brand, because of the creation of the sets for the film.
The result of this strategy: everyone has heard of Barbie and the film had the best launch of 2023 with $155 million in revenue over the weekend.
>> Read also: With “Barbie”, Greta Gerwig wants to dust off the image of the mythical doll
Strategies that often pay off
The case of Barbie, however, is one example among many others. Thus, on the occasion of the release of the fourth season of Stranger Things on Netflix, the production team went so far as to show creatures from the series in the street and even on a beach in Australia. A technique called in the middle “street marketing”.
An entrance to the upside down world set up on Bondi Beach in Australia to promote the series Stranger Things. [Aquabumps/Netflix]
The promotion of the Blair Witch Project, an American horror film released in 1999, is also an emblematic example. The directors were among the first to use the internet to promote a film, including tape recorder soundtracks and posters of the missing for the characters in the film. The goal: to pass the film as an authentic documentary by suggesting a real disappearance of the three protagonists.
A strategy that paid off as the box office receipts reached 248 million dollars for a cost of 60,000 dollars, representing a return on investment of 414,000%. This makes it the second highest grossing film in cinema history. The first, Paranormal Activity, made $193 million in revenue for a budget of $15,000.
When the publicity stunt borders on the bad buzz
However, everything does not always go as planned and a well-rehearsed communication campaign can quickly turn into “bad buzz”. This is particularly the case for the horror film Cannibal Holocaust. Shot as a documentary, the production team played on the disappearance of the actors, the director having asked them to stay away from all contact, family and friends, when they returned from filming. But this strategy ultimately backfired on the film crew. Indeed, the rumor became so big that a lawsuit was launched against the director.
The latter had also had to prove that the scenes were beautiful and well done with special effects, as the rendering was realistic. Today, it is thus becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate an authentic post from a hidden advertisement on social networks.
In addition, as we see in particular for the film Barbie, the budget allocated to the marketing expenses of a film is now as important as that planned for its production.
Web texts: Hélène Krähenbühl
Video subject: Nicolas Rossi
2023-07-30 07:02:21
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