Distribution : What’s the Most Creative Film or Series Marketing You’ve Seen Lately? by Ashley Renée Smith

Recently, the trailer for 28 years later with the old fashioned poem along with it's vintage phonograph recording coupled with the zombie apocalypse is one of the best trailers in a long time.

Ashely, most of my experience is in live theater. so I don't feel qualified to answer regarding film/TV.

These are great - I would say when you have a budget of $10 million it’s a lot easier to get creative - the real respect goes to shoestrap success stories in my opinion

I really can't comment on this post because I haven't seen any of these films and whatever marketing campaign I have caught a whiff of hasn't convinced me to watch any of them. It's also hard to compare these films because they all have different variables attached to them. Barbie has been around forever and was always a top gift in any girl's history so if you couldn't make that film work, well... enough said there. Solo Mio has a $4M budget, Glass Onion had a limited theatrical release and was more of an experiment for Netflix, Super Mario Brother was an animated film safe for families who's parents no doubt played the game when they were in their teens, Smile was a gimmick and I'm not into the horror genre and The Drama hasn't been released yet and I haven't heard anything about it. The only really big surprise is Marty Supreme because there is nothing about that movie that entices me to see it although I'm not a big Chalamet fan to begin with..

Marketing is becoming a sham any way when you look at the complete failures instead of the successes. Films like Wuthering Heights and The Bride fiasco come to mind where everything they did pretty much failed. Everybody, YouTube critics included seem to love Project Hail Mary so we'll see if that brings out the crowd, plus the weather is getting warmer except for the occasional snow storm so that might help theater traffic as well.

The real key to marketing is the plan that that no one seems to figure out until it's too late.. Lastly, with the low numbers the The Oscars pulled in,Hollywood celebrities continue to shoot themselves in the foot, although, I did watch the Oscars and aside from Kimmel, who can't help being an irritant, I found the show to be fairly entertaining with some spectacle for the songs. We'll see what the future holds, but marketing is quickly becoming a non-factor and a big waste of money.

Some that stand out to me are "Independence Day" where there were some ads that gave it a "War of the Worlds" feel. Star Trek IV had a phone number that you'd call and hear a cast member speak a line from the movie - at the time, we had no idea what it was about so few people guessed whales.

The really cool one was from "The Dark Knight Rises" where a website was set up that you could speak/sing the chant that was featured in the movie during the rope climb. Supposedly, anyone who recorded their voice was included in the movie. Not sure how that was done since the final cut seemed pretty clean but who cares..it was fun at the time Ashley Renée Smith.

Weapons is one of the most memorable and effective film marketing I’ve seen recently, Ashley Renée Smith. The marketing was unsettling (https://collider.com/weapons-zach-cregger-movie-viral-marketing-longlegs...). The mystery really pulled me in.

I think experiential campaigns are more effective than traditional marketing. Experiential campaigns feel like events.

Renee,

This is quite interesting.

When I have a product that I believe in, I talk about it so much, I don’t care where I am, or who my audience is

The only bad publicity is no publicity.

I love all these examples Ashley Renée Smith , although the SMILE one would have freaked me out had I seen it. Certainly seems to make them more memorable, whether good or bad movie, sure gets people talking ! And I think it's fun, why not do whatever you can to advertise. Not everyone watches the previews or commercials so creatives ways to get your movie known, I applaud them.

What stands out to me is that the most effective campaigns aren’t just clever or loud — they’re rooted in the emotional truth of the project. When a campaign captures the symbolic identity of the story and expresses it in a way audiences can feel immediately, that’s when it becomes memorable.

The Barbie campaign is a great example. It distilled the essence of its world into simple, iconic gestures that people instantly recognized and wanted to share. I’m especially interested in how this approach translates when working with legacy institutions or long‑standing cultural brands, where the marketing has to honor an existing identity while still doing something fresh and unexpected.

FX created a 'Symphony of Screams' of real-life screams to promote its show Grotesquerie. To compose the piece, FX harvested screams from fans through both in-person scream chambers and a nationwide “call to scream.” The screams were then woven into a track by Grammy-winning producer Blake Slatkin, creating a unique soundtrack for the show’s debut.

I loved Marty Supreme and Hamnet.

I think Smile did it best, for the cost of one ticket behind home plate (less than a TV ad) you had it trending on twitter every night

I think a lot of marketing today is trying too hard to be everywhere at once.

There’s this pressure to create conversation, virality, and “cultural moments” — but sometimes that comes at the cost of something more important: emotional connection.

Older trailers often felt simpler, but also more intentional. They gave you space to feel something instead of pushing you to react immediately.

That’s why Smile worked so well for me. The idea was simple, but it stayed with you. And the film actually delivered on that feeling.

Not every audience wants to be part of a campaign. Sometimes people just want to discover something and build a real connection to it.

For me, less noise often creates more impact.

Roxane, your point is for real!

I agree with you wholly.

The movie titled: “HIGHEST to LOWEST” staring Asap ROCKIE and Denzel Washington relayed that to me!

A smile is indeed most memorable than a lot of Blah, blah, blah!

What do the + sign on some of these comments mean?

So the ones without a + sign have no significance?

To me, the most effective marketing strategy is a movie critic who genuinely enjoys the movies and enthusiastically discusses them. This critic then shares their thoughts and recommendations with others, creating a buzz and encouraging people to attend the theater. Additionally, they can share discounted movie tickets with their friends and family before the movie’s official release, allowing them to critique and discuss the film in advance.

Ashley Renée Smith Hi Ash, I'm always a sucker for A24 promotions of their films. Ancient History now, but Ex Machina was brilliant. They had you speaking to one of the AI units online. And then if I recall it rightly The Martian (not an A24 film) had BTS videos of the crew preparing for the mission.

Also, Cloverfield (2008) had a great teaser trailer, with the head of Lady Liberty rolling down the street. Awesome!

https://youtu.be/_afPFLvh2qg?si=j6MKkqjlGxy2XI80

Geoff Hall I just watched Zendaya on Jimmy Kimmel this week talking about the new A24 film THE DRAMA. Her enthusiasm really sells it. I am looking forward to what looks to be a really fun movie. Sounds like they had a great time filming it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hMXEyplSlQ

@Mike, I completely agree, that trailer is such a standout!

Randall Krongard, that’s such a fair point, and I agree there’s something especially impressive about the scrappy, no-budget wins.

At the same time, I think what’s interesting is that creativity doesn’t always scale with budget the way we expect it to. Sometimes having more resources actually makes things safer, not bolder. I’m curious, what’s a shoestring campaign that’s stuck with you or made you stop and pay attention?

@Leonardo, these are such great examples, and I love that they all tap into participation in different ways. They don’t over-explain, they pull you in and let you discover something.

Maurice Vaughan, that’s such a great callout! Do you think that sense of mystery is the key ingredient, or is it more about giving the audience something they can actively engage with and talk about?

Herman Mac Yenwo, that's good! It shows how passionate you are about your projects! Also, the "+" is on accounts that you haven't invited into your network yet.

"The only bad publicity is no publicity." Too true, Robert D. Carver!

Xochi Blymyer, I’m with you, the SMILE campaign would have absolutely caught me off guard in the wild too. There’s something about it being so subtle and out of place that makes it way more unsettling than a traditional ad.

And you hit on something really important here. It’s not just about whether the movie ends up being good or bad, it’s about creating a moment people talk about.

That's a great observation, Paul Abramson! That idea of marketing being rooted in the emotional truth of the project really is the throughline between the campaigns that stick and the ones that just feel like noise. When it’s coming from the DNA of the story, it doesn’t feel like marketing at all, it feels like an extension of the world.

They were fantastic films, Sylvia Jacobs!

Laura Hammer, that is such a perfect example of what we’ve been talking about. That campaign doesn’t just promote the show, it becomes part of the experience. And it feels incredibly on-brand. Horror is all about reaction, tension, release… so building a campaign around real audience reactions makes it feel authentic instead of manufactured.

It really was brilliant, Cory Baker!

I think you're tapping into something important Roxane Yoman. There really is this pressure for everything to be “everywhere” at once, and in trying to create constant noise, some campaigns lose that sense of intention you’re talking about. When everything is loud, nothing really lands.

Geoff, these are such great pulls, and honestly they all highlight slightly different strengths in marketing. That Ex Machina campaign is still one of my favorites too! They each commit fully to the tone and identity of the film instead of trying to be everything at once.

@Ashley Renée Smith

I appreciate that, Ashley. For me, the emotional truth of a project isn’t just a marketing angle — it’s the structural core that guides every creative and strategic decision. When the world, the characters, and the symbolism are aligned, the marketing becomes a natural continuation of the narrative rather than a separate effort.

That alignment is what separates projects that resonate from those that disappear. It’s always encouraging to see that perspective reflected in conversations like this.

Paul, I agree with you wholeheartedly. If someone is in the entertainment industry solely to make money, they are better advised to go into some other line of work, like manufacturing or real estate. We are here to make art--and a statement about the human condition, whether on film, television or live on stage,

I think it's more about giving the audience something they can actively engage with and talk about, Ashley Renée Smith, especially on social media.

Our objective should not be to merely entertain, but to enlighten and stimulate. Even my otherwise "light" musical comedies deal with issues such as racial harmony and female empowerment.

The campaigns that stick with me are the ones where the marketing comes out of the actual engine of the story, not just a clever stunt laid on top. Smile worked because the image was simple, repeatable, and tied directly to the premise. For smaller genre films, I think that is the useful lesson: find the one visual/social behavior the audience can immediately understand and spread. That is the lane I am thinking about while building out my own Black-led thriller and sci-fi slate here on Stage32.

Well put! The marketing/advertising/promotion should be organic. One of my Musical Theatre projects is set in the late 18th century and I plan on inviting a select number of ticket buyers to attend in period costume so the show will actually start on the sidewalk outside the theatre before the curtain even goes up! Those patrons will receive a (slight) discount on their admission price to offset the cost of renting the costumes. I hope to attract producers who see the value in this strategy.

Hi Robert D. Carver - I love to tell stories that enlighten and stimulate but I don't think that has to be the objective of every story or storyteller. Stories that 'only' entertain are just as valuable and needed in my opinion.

"Light" entertainment can indeed serve a purpose, if only to allow the audience to forget their worries for a couple of hours, but the message can still be delivered subliminally if there is one. A perfect example would be the musical comedy "Once Upon a Mattress," based on the fairytale of the princess and the pea.

Yes, of course - I just want to stick up for entertainment only creative projects as just as or more valuable than any other type.

Robert D. Carver and Darrell Pennington, I think both points can live together. For indie projects, the useful marketing question is whether the campaign gives the audience one clear behavior to repeat. If the project is pure entertainment, that behavior might be a laugh, a shareable bit, or a memorable image. If it carries deeper social stakes, the same rule still applies: the public-facing idea has to come organically from the story so distribution can see who will talk about it first.

Well put!