‘Smile 2’ hit theaters on October 18, 2024, and has already earned $87 million worldwide, positioning it to rank among the top 30 highest-grossing movies of the year at the domestic box office. To promote the film, the distributor, Paramount Pictures, has devised an innovative marketing strategy for Halloween on October 31, 2024. They are offering viewers the chance to watch the first seven minutes of the movie for free, but there is one condition: you must keep smiling!
Paramount has unveiled an exciting new website, giving you the chance to watch an exclusive 7-minute clip!
Click here to WATCH THE FIRST 7 MINUTES… ONLY IF YOU SMILE!
I am putting down here my experience navigating the site to ensure insights for future use.
To begin, verify your age because the movie is rated R. If your entered age shows that you are ineligible to watch it, you will see a warning and will not be allowed to proceed. However, anyone can gain access by entering a date of birth that qualifies them to watch the film.
Upon successfully advance the age verification page, you will see the following screen…
When you click on ‘TAP TO SMILE’ and then activate your webcam, you will see the following…
When you start smiling, the system recognizes it. The red outline displayed over the tiled camera view turns green. When you stop smiling, the green outline turns red. And you will see the changes below…
The design of the web page is minimalistic. In addition to the movie’s title and Paramount’s logo, you will find a section to view the content and related text. There’s also a ‘Get Tickets’ call-to-action located in the top right corner of the page. When you click on it, you’ll land on the following page…
The message above indicates that the page is only for users in the US and Canada.
Film producers sometimes provide an opportunity to watch the first few minutes of a movie for free as a marketing strategy. Paramount has employed this approach, but in a unique and innovative way. They have cleverly highlighted the most essential element of the film: the ‘Smile.’