A Portal Into Film: How Promotional Campaigns Play With Fans
Promotional campaigns designed to hook viewers.
Promotional campaigns in film 'warm up' audience interest ahead of a premiere. Audiences don't necessarily need to know everything about a film, but they should be interested enough to grab front-row tickets at the theater. After that, a marketing campaign unfolds around the new film to keep viewers engaged. The DeTalks team looked at four film projects that stunned the world with their promotion and marketing.
Barbie (2023)
Greta Gerwig's feminist film came with an entire lineup of marketing moves. Together with home rental company Airbnb, for instance, the film's creators transformed a mansion in Malibu into a Barbie-style 'Dream House.' Fans of the film could book Ken's bedroom for two nights. The stay was free, since, as stated on Airbnb's website, 'Ken couldn't figure out how to price Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, because he loves the beach, not math!'
Inside, fans could expect every shade of pink, along with a walk through Ken's closet, a chance to enjoy ocean views from the pool, or to light up the disco floor.
Warner Bros., together with the company Fangirl Fantasy, also organized a one-day themed Barbie Dream cruise, departing from Boston Harbor. On board, fans found DJ music, photo sessions, cocktails, 'Barbie' signage and flags, and, as they put it, 'a whole sea of pink.'
The campaign also touched on food. Brazil's Burger King colored the sauces in its burgers pink for its 'Barbie Combo' menu.
Stranger Things (2016-2022)
The show, created in 2016, became a genuine cultural phenomenon. A romanticized 1980s America, modernized old songs, a coming-of-age story, and a fantastical world — all of that set 'Stranger Things' apart. Its promo campaign turned out to be just as distinctive.
While promoting the first season, the creators used a retro strategy — cases from VHS tapes popular in the '80s. They became a kind of tribute to nostalgia, even though DVDs sat inside instead of videotapes. This collector's edition held a recording of the show's first season. The retro aesthetic also carried through to the show's soundtrack, which was released on cassette tape.
To mark the creators' return to work on the fifth and final season, the team released an Instagram post with upside-down numbers. The mystery was underscored by the caption: 'Something big is coming. Find your city, and we'll be there. Beyond and beyond.'
The numbers turned out to be coordinates for 'portals' into the world of 'Stranger Things' — the world of the Upside Down. Rifts appeared at those locations in 14 countries, at some of the world's most famous landmarks. Passages into the Upside Down appeared on the Empire State Building in New York, on Bondi Beach in Australia, at Wawel Castle in Kraków, Poland, and other locations.
Severance (2022-2025)
The show transports viewers into a world of office aesthetics, where the protagonist is forced to exist across two realities. His consciousness is split in two: one part belongs to work, the other to his personal life.
So, to build interest in the new season, Apple TV+ brought a scene from the show into real life. At Grand Central Terminal in New York, a glass box was installed, recreating the Macrodata Refinement department inside. For three hours, the show's actors occupied the 'office,' imitating work, conversations with their boss, and with each other.
This way, people rushing to their own offices could stop and watch the Macrodata Refinement department at work.
Another example of the show 'invading' real life was the creation of an official LinkedIn page for Lumon Industries, the company where the 'severed' employees work. The page features job postings, corporate announcements, and reminders about harmony in workplace communication.
Squid Game (2021-2024)
The show about deadly trials for a cash prize brought its competitions off-screen and into real life. In New York, for instance, a special space opened called 'Squid Game: The Experience,' where fans got the chance to take part in five games. A couple of them — 'Red Light, Green Light,' watched over by the robotic doll Young-hee, and 'Glass Bridge' — had already appeared in the show. The other games were only inspired by the show's aesthetic.
A 4.56-kilometer run was also held in Los Angeles, in honor of the number of 'Squid Game' contestants. 1,700 fans competed for a spot at the second season's advance screening.
Around the same time, a clip began spreading online showing guards in pink uniforms. A team of 'guards' showed up at a real laundromat to wash the game contestants' bloodied uniforms.
For more on the show 'Squid Game' and fan theories about its future, read here.
Promotional campaigns for new films can spark viewer interest and draw them into a film's atmosphere before it even premieres. The marketing strategies that follow help sustain that interest and keep attention on the film going forward.