Hello! Welcome to the fifth blog post in my series, ‘Weekly Best in Movie Marketing‘. In this series, I highlight my favourite movie marketing initiatives from the week in my book. I also explain why they stand out to me.
In this article, I’ll discuss the offline and online promotions for the Apple TV‘s American science fiction psychological thriller television series, ‘Severance‘ and the Marvel Studios‘ American superhero film, ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘.
Pop-up Marketing for ‘Severance‘ in London:
Before the start of ‘Severance‘ season 2, Apple TV released a video showcasing the series-themed pop-up installation inside the Grand Central Station, New York City, to promote the thriller.
The promotional video was titled ‘Think inside the box‘. I enjoyed the concept and its execution!
With season 2 concluding on March 21, 2025, Apple TV has released a new video showcasing their engagement efforts with fans through a pop-up event in London. The video features actors dressed in corporate workplace attire, similar to characters from ‘Severance‘. They carry clusters of signature blue balloons adorned with the face of Mark S. (the character portrayed by Adam Scott in ‘Severance’) as they walk through the city.
As they stroll past notable London landmarks, including Tower Bridge, Big Ben, The London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Trafalgar Square, the blue color of the balloons complements the structure of Tower Bridge and the water features in Trafalgar Square, as noted by Deadline. Eventually, the group arrives at a location where a giant balloon-like installation is positioned.
As the actors walked around the installation, the ‘Severance’ theme song was played, and an excited user posted the same on ‘X‘. The cast of ‘Severance‘, including Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Gwendoline Christie and the creator Dan Erickson, then pop up from among the swarm of actors and greet the fans.
Watch the video below…
The Roaring Success of Marvel‘s Livestream for the Cast Announcement of ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ Movie:
The Super Bowl trailer of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ from last year is currently the most viewed trailer of all time. But the long live stream that Marvel Studios conducted this week is 5 times more than the social volume of the former, as per Deadline.
The live stream was intended to announce the cast of ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘. A total of 27 chairs, each marked with the name of a character, were revealed. Every 15 minutes or so, a new chair was showcased. Robert Downey Jr., who was announced for ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ as the villain Doctor Doom at Comic-Con (A fan conventionconducted at San Diego) in July 2024, appeared as the last member, and the only person in the cast announcement in the live stream. While the audience had mixed feelings about the lengthy duration of the event, Marvel Studios‘ efforts resulted in 275 million digital views and 3.1 million mentions on social media. The hashtag #AvengersDoomsDay trended at the top of Twitter/X for over seven hours, and after 24 hours, the official Marvel YouTube live stream reached the #2 spot on trending.
The excitement surrounding the live stream led many contemporary movie franchises to join in. Here are a few examples…
Marvel Studios’ hard work not only dominated conversations for a time. It also sparked ongoing discussions among fans about the characters and actors yet to be announced. This excitement is largely due to Marvel Studios teasing another upcoming cast announcement.
Marvel Studios teases another cast announcement for #AvengersDoomsday
Hello! Welcome to the fourth blog post in my series, ‘Weekly Best in Movie Marketing‘. In this series, I highlight my favourite movie marketing initiatives from the week in my book. I also explain why they stand out to me.
In this article, I will discuss the online promotions for the Irish black comedy television series, ‘Bad Sisters‘ by ‘Apple TV’ and the upcoming Tamil-language movie, ‘Thug Life‘ by ‘Raaj Kamal Films International‘ (RKFI), as well as the on-the-ground on-brand activations for the American television series ‘Daredevil: Born Again‘ by ‘Disney+‘ and for the upcoming Tamil-language sports drama film, ‘Test‘ by ‘Netflix‘.
Promotion for the ‘greenest show on TV’ Online:
On St. Patrick’s Day i.e., March 17, 2025, Apple TV‘s social media channels shared a promotional video for the Irish series ‘Bad Sisters‘, dubbing it as ‘The greenest show on TV‘. Each frame of the video prominently features a bright green colour, honouring Ireland’s nickname, ‘Emerald Isle‘. I love the brilliance behind the idea and the effort put into executing it.
Watch the video below on the ‘X‘ channel of ‘Apple TV‘…
Impressive mural for the ‘Disney+‘ series, ‘Daredevil: Born Again‘:
‘Daredevil: Born Again‘ is the 13th television series in the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe‘ (MCU), which premiered on Disney+ on March 4, 2025, with the release of its first two episodes. To promote the series, the streamer collaborated with the street artist, ‘Insane51’, creating a huge mural in Manchester city. This artwork showcases the series’ main characters, ‘Daredevil‘ and ‘Kingpin‘, in a unique ‘double exposure’ style, layering two images over one another. Daredevil’s image appears in red, while Kingpin’s photo shows up in blue. These primary colours, which are placed far apart on the colour wheel, symbolize the stark opposition between the two characters. Viewers can see the mural with the naked eye and through red and blue lenses, enabling them to experience three different perspectives.
The mural not only conveys a hidden meaning, but it also includes a tactile feature to allow people with visual impairments to engage with the art through touch. Visitors can experience the mural through sound by scanning a NaviLens code with their smartphones to access an audio description. This interactive experience was created in collaboration with the British charity, ‘Royal National Institute of Blind People‘ (RNIB).
On March 17, 2025, influencer KittysBlind from Manchester unveiled the mural. She has 550,000 followers on TikTok alone and was among the first to experience the tactile version of the mural.
Influencer ‘KittysBlind‘ while unveiling the mural (Pic Source)
I love two this activation for two aspects. One… I view the effort as a way to promote inclusivity. Two… The protagonist, Daredevil, is a blind lawyer. He possesses heightened senses, which align with one of the series’ core elements.
Imaginative billboard for the upcoming Netflix movie, ‘Test‘:
Netflix will premiere its Tamil-language sports drama ‘Test‘ on its streaming platform on April 4, 2025. To promote the film, the streamer has installed a creative billboard at Marina Beach in Chennai. I’ve always been a fan of Netflix’s imaginative billboards, such as the TARS-inspired billboard for ‘Interstellar‘. Another one I enjoyed was the ‘One Piece of Advice: Reach For Your Dreams‘ billboard for the series ‘One Piece‘. I’m excited more this time because an imaginative billboard has been installed in my neighbourhood for ‘Test‘.
The text on the billboard is particularly interesting; when viewed diagonally from the right, it reads ‘Herona Nallavara?‘ and when viewed diagonally from the left, it says ‘Kettavarna Villain-a‘. In ‘Google‘ search results, the meta description for the movie’s Netflix page shows: ‘The worlds of three ordinary people converge during a historic cricket match, ultimately forcing them to make life-altering decisions‘. Now, it’s quite evident that the clever advertising aligns perfectly with the movie’s theme. This makes me even more intrigued.
Watch the video from ‘Netflix India South‘ on the installation below…
Chennai, game time is almost here! Head over to Marina Beach with your friends and family to experience TEST today!
‘Raaj Kamal Films International‘ skilfully rides the wave of high-profile events for its upcoming movie, ‘Thug Life‘:
I have observed that ‘Raaj Kamal Films International’ (RKFI) excels in positioning and marketing films. I’ve blogged about RKFI‘s marketing efforts for ‘Vikram‘ and ‘Amaran‘. So, I can say that it’s uncommon for them to ride the wave of high-profile events in the process of promoting their movies. I also mean that they’ve done in the past. But the reason for the same was so convincingly intertwined with the related movie. When Vijay‘s film ‘The Greatest of All Time‘ was released in theatres last year, RKFI shared the below post on its social media channels.
Sivakarthikeyan made a cameo in ‘The GOAT‘, and at that time, the RKFI team was producing the venture ‘Amaran‘. RKFI seized this marketing opportunity for ‘Amaran‘ by showing its teaser alongside ‘The GOAT‘ in cinemas.
Now, with its upcoming theatrical release, ‘Thug Life‘ scheduled for theatrical release on June 5, 2025, RKFI has rode the wave with a couple of videos this week to promote the film. The events on which the videos are based are high-profile but entirely unrelated to the movie. However, RKFI skillfully connected the events to the film’s aspects.
The first video is unveiled as a congratulatory message to Sunita Williams on her successful return from space. Watch the video below to know how deftly RKFI has intertwined its message for ‘Thug Life‘…
The second video rides the wave of popularity of the Indian Premier League franchise, the ‘Chennai Super Kings‘, by drawing a parallel between Kamal Haasan and STR with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The cherry on top of the effort is that the video releases on the same day as the highly anticipated match between the two most successful teams in IPL history: the ‘Chennai Super Kings‘ and the ‘Mumbai Indians’.
Watch the video below…
Weekly Best in Movie Marketing: ‘Blumhouse Productions’ and ‘The Toxic Avenger’
Hello! Welcome to the third blog post in my series, ‘Weekly Best in Movie Marketing‘. In this series, I highlight my favourite movie marketing initiatives from the week in my book. I also explain why they stand out to me.
In this article, I will discuss the promotional stunts for ‘Blumhouse Productions‘, an American independent film and television production company, as well as the upcoming superhero comedy splatter film, ‘The Toxic Avenger‘. I’ve always been a fan of on-brand activations, and these two promotional stunts serve as excellent examples of that.
‘ScreamBox‘, Blumhouse‘s Noise-cancelling booth at SXSW:
It has been 15 years since Blumhouse Productions began offering us horror content. To celebrate this anniversary, the production company installed a noise-cancelling booth at SXSW (South by Southwest 2025), a five-day film festival in Austin, Texas. Attendees can enter the booth, close the doors, and scream freely without being disturbed by the outside world. Inside the booth is a decibel meter that calculates a score based on the scream volume produced. Daily winners will receive prizes, and if you have the loudest scream at the festival, you will earn a spot at an upcoming premiere hosted by the production company in Los Angeles.
Watch the video below, where American actor ‘Kevin Bacon‘ steps into the ‘ScreamBox‘ to let out…
‘The Toxic Avenger‘ movie teams up with the annual eye-catching event at the Chicago river:
‘The Toxic Avenger‘ is an American superhero comedy splatter film. It premiered as the opening film of ‘Fantastic Fest‘, an annual film festival held in Austin, Texas, on September 21, 2023. Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting, the movie’s distributors, plan to schedule a wider theatrical release in the United States for August 29, 2025.
On March 13, 2025, the public got an exclusive first look at American actor Peter Dinklage portraying the lead character, ‘Toxie‘, in ‘The Toxic Avenger‘ movie. This reveal was made by the American digital entertainment magazine, ‘Entertainment Weekly‘.
On March 15, 2025, there was an excellent on-brand activation for ‘The Toxic Avenger‘ on the Chicago River when it was dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day. Dyeing the river green is one of the most famous St. Patrick’s Day traditions in the United States. Since 1962, people have celebrated this custom. The bright, Flubber-colored hue honors Ireland’s nickname, ‘Emerald Isle‘. The dye used for this color change was originally developed to detect leaks and pollution in the river. In other words, it plays a role in cleaning up the river. Toxie fights crime and cleans up society, designed and marketed as a character for this purpose. Therefore, the collaboration between the movie and the event of turning the Chicago River green seems a natural fit.
Watch the videos below from ‘Discussing Film’ and ‘Bloody Disgusting’ respectively. They show the Toxic Avenger spotted on the Chicago River dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day!
The Toxic Avenger was spotted on the Chicago River while it was dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.
Hello! Welcome to the second blog post in my series, ‘Weekly Best in Movie Marketing’. In this series, I highlight my favourite movie marketing initiatives from the week in my book. I also explain why they stand out to me.
In this article, I’ll discuss the promotional stunt for the American action thriller ‘Novocaine‘ and cover the release of the second official trailer for the American psychological horror thriller ‘The Woman in the Yard‘.
A Novocaine-branded Arcade Game for the movie:
‘Novocaine‘ will hit theaters on March 13, 2025. The film stars Jack Quaid, known for his role in ‘The Boys’, as the lead character, Nathan Caine. The character experiences an extraordinarily rare condition that prevents him from feeling physical pain. Jack Quaid promoted the movie by hitting a punching bag. The bag featured Nathan Caine’s stoic expression in a Novocaine-branded arcade game. So, when anyone punches the bag, they get to see it still emblazoned with the same expression. It’s a metaphor kinda illustration.
Check out the video from ‘Discussing Film’, wherein Jack Quaid takes on the punching bag!
The Second Official Trailer of ‘The Woman in the Yard’:
The upcoming directorial venture of one of my all-time favorite filmmakers Jaume Collet-Serra, ‘The Woman in the Yard’, premieres on March 28, 2025. This week, the second official trailer for the film was released. It provides more information about the plot than the first trailer did. Since the movie’s title announcement, I have been eagerly following its updates not only because of it being Jaume Collet-Serra‘s directorial, but also I love films set in isolated locations with minimal characters and, more importantly, well-crafted villainous characters. Each piece of marketing material of the movie has heightened my excitement for this film.
Watch the trailer below…
Weekly Best in Movie Marketing: ‘The Monkey’ and ‘Good Bad Ugly’
Every week, tons of movie marketing content flood social media, and I’ve always wanted to pick out the best and share them in a blog series. So, starting this week, I’m launching ‘Weekly Best in Movie Marketing’ to highlight my favorite movie marketing initiatives and why they stand out to me.
In the first article of this series, I’ll talk about the guerrilla marketing stunt by ‘Neon’ for ‘The Monkey’ and the teaser for the Ajith-starrer ‘Good Bad Ugly’.
Guerrilla Marketing Stunt for the movie, ‘The Monkey’:
‘The Monkey’, directed by Osgood Perkins, premiered in theaters on February 21, 2025. To promote the film, the producer, ‘Neon’, staged a dramatic marketing stunt by letting a bus, filled with lifelike dummies of decapitated cheerleaders hanging out of the windows, being driven by someone dressed up like the titular toy around Hollywood, leaving passersby spooked.
Watch the video below…
I haven’t watched the movie yet, but I got to know from gamesradar+ that it’s a direct reference to one of the movie’s most shocking moments. I should be catching up with the movie soon to know the same.
Exuberant & Suicide Squad-like ‘Good Bad Ugly’ teaser:
It’s been a while since a teaser for a Tamil movie starring Ajith Kumar was released to much fanfare. I loved the teaser. It was exuberant. I find the style comparable to ‘Suicide Squad’ (2016), a film I greatly enjoy.
Watch the teaser below…
I like the focus on branding in the teaser. Several shots highlighted the name ‘AK’, which is the name Ajith Kumar has recently preferred to use for himself. In that regard, it was a thoughtful effort to indicate the direction moving forward. Below is one of such shots…
Inside ‘Amaran’s’ Marketing: How Audiences Embranced the Movie
I watched ‘Amaran’ at PVR Sathyam in Royapettah during its second weekend after release, and the theatre was completely packed. When the movie’s title sequence began, there was heartfelt applause upon seeing Major Mukund Varadarajan’s photo displayed alongside some text. At that moment, I felt that the audience’s reaction reflected all the buzz and positive reviews the film had been receiving since its release. Upon deliberating about the buzz and response later, I also felt that the marketing strategy for the movie by Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI), Sony Pictures Films India and Turmeric Media had a big hand in generating such an enthusiastic response.
You know, Tamil Cinema doesn’t serve up biopics often. And when we do get one, the marketing usually focuses on all the behind-the-scenes stuff instead of the actual story being told. Take ‘Soorarai Pottru’ for example. It’s about Captain GR Gopinath, the person who started Air Deccan, a budget airline aimed at appealing to middle-class travellers. The movie is an inspirational and emotional drama, but I don’t remember its pre-release marketing materials emphasizing it enough. A couple of strategies were touching it upon albeit in a way the core idea being diluted. One was when 100 underprivileged kids were taken along with Suriya aboard a Spicejet Boeing 737 aircraft to launch the movie’s song, ‘Veyyon Silli’. Another strategy was a guerrilla marketing stunt, wherein a board featuring the autographs of thousands of Suriya’s fans for ‘Soorarai Pottru’ was fastened to an unmanned high-altitude balloon that seemed to have flown 35 km above the earth. Both attracted attention but did not emotionally make one connect with the movie’s core idea. I consider these strategies to have diluted the movie’s core idea because they put the movie’s lead star at the front instead of emphasizing the experience / the emotion that the movie will offer.
Now, coming back to Amaran. Tamil audiences embraced the movie like never before in recent memory. The emotional bonding started, grew well, and was firmly established mainly because of how the movie was positioned and marketed.
Setting expectations for the film featuring Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role:
When a Sivakarthikeyan movie is announced, audiences typically expect a blend of drama with plenty of fun and entertainment. The producers of ‘Amaran’ had made their intentions clear regarding the type of film they were creating with Sivakarthikeyan. This clarity has been evident in their marketing campaign so far.
The marketing campaign for the movie officially began with the announcement of ‘Netflix Pandigai 2024’. On January 17, during the Pongal 2024 celebrations, Netflix India revealed its line-up of nine films that will be part of the streaming platform’s licensed content for the year. Among these films is Amaran’, which was initially announced under the working title ‘SK21’.
The above post’s copy used words like “battle”, which captures the movie’s essence. This approach of selecting precise language to reflect what the movie offers has been consistent throughout all marketing content so far.
As a follow-up, a month later, on the eve of Sivakarthikeyan’s birthday, February 17th, the movie was titled ‘Amaran’, and its first look, showcasing Sivakarthikeyan’s muscular appearance, was released.
The beefed-up look was captivating at the time, as Sivakarthikeyan had never appeared in such a way before. Until then, unofficial content showcasing his unprecedented demeanour had been circulating online.
On the same date, Sivakarthikeyan announced on social media that he would be portraying the character Major Mukund Varadarajan in the film ‘Amaran’. This marked the first official announcement regarding his role in the movie.
I'm honored to have portrayed #MajorMukundVaradarajan. Get ready for the journey of courage and valour.
In this way, RKFI utilized the early stages of the pre-release marketing phase of ‘Amaran’ to communicate to the audience what type of Sivakarthikeyan film this would be.
On the occasion of Major Mukund Varadarajan’s 10th year of remembrance…
On the 10th anniversary of Major Mukund’s remembrance, which falls on April 25th, RKFI released a video titled ‘Saluting Major Mukund’. This video would have introduced him to new audiences while also helping others remember his legacy. It was a clever move by the team to incorporate the Indian cricket team’s 1983 World Cup victory as part of the video’s narrative.
Many prominent actors in Tamil cinema, who have substantial fan followings, often overlook the importance of announcing theatrical release dates well in advance. Even when they do announce these dates, they frequently fail to adhere to them. In contrast, RKFI demonstrated promptness with its planning for Sivakarthikeyan’s ‘Amaran’.
On July 17, 2024, RKFI announced that the theatrical release date of ‘Amaran’ is October 31, 2024, which coincides with Deepavali.
He LOVED his COUNTRY He LIVED for his COUNTRY He FOUGHT for his COUNTRY _ JAI HIND 🇮🇳
— Raaj Kamal Films International (@RKFI) July 18, 2024
Content to market the fantastic and immersive action set pieces:
‘Amaran’ features fantastic and immersive action set pieces. After watching the movie, I understand why the creators released intriguing content for it. I find that the content serves as glimpses into the action sequences.
Here’s one such video…
After you watch the video, you can get to know Vishwaroopam’s soundtrack, ‘Anu Vidhaitha Boomiyile’ being used, and the context for its usage. ‘Vishwaroopam’ was also produced by RKFI. So, you understand the liberty in the song’s usage.
The video was re-shared on Independence Day i.e., August 15 along with a brand-new poster. Below is the post…
A post from RKFI on 11th September showcased Sivakarthikeyan dubbing for a key segment of the movie that precedes an adrenaline-pumping sequence leading to the interval.
A promotional piece that provides a glimpse into the heart of ‘Amaran’:
On 27th September, an important piece of marketing content was released by the filmmakers—a video titled ‘Heart of Amaran’. This marked a significant turning point in the movie’s pre-release marketing phase, generating much more interest in the film. The video introduces the character ‘Indhu Rebecca Verghese’, played by Sai Pallavi in ‘Amaran’. I can’t recall the last time I encountered such a soothing promotional clip. It carried the promise of a much higher quality product within Sivakarthikeyan’s filmography. Sai Pallavi’s screen presence was captivating, and I hoped her role would be substantial. Having watched the movie now, I can say I am not disappointed.
The score was an instant hit and was released on Spotify on 30th September 2024.
It has been a while since Tamil Cinema has seen spectacular events beyond the usual audio launches, meet-and-greet sessions, and success celebrations. The film ‘Amaran’ also held an audio launch, but its marketing campaign also featured an additional event titled ‘Amaran – An Introduction’. The team covered the event by producing bite-sized and succinct videos. They initially released each episode regularly by uploading them to the RKFI’s YouTube channel and sharing them on other social media platforms. Once they rolled out all the parts, they uploaded the complete episode to the channel.
This event marked one of the few marketing occasions for the movie in which Kamal Haasan participated. Additionally, it was the event where Indhu Rebecca Verghese officially joined the pre-release marketing phase of the film. Inviting her to participate in the event and involving her in the interactions was a brilliant move by RKFI. She was also a featured guest in the eight-part video series titled ‘Evolution of Amaran’, as well as at the star-studded audio launch held at Sairam Engineering College on 18th October 2024. The RKFI YouTube channel regularly uploaded the episodes of ‘Evolution of Amaran’, just like the videos from ‘Amaran – An Introduction’, and shared them on social media.
There was also a video that offered a glimpse into the lives of soldiers stationed at the border.
The Officers Training Academy proudly honours @Siva_Kartikeyan for his stellar portrayal of Major Mukund Varadarajan, a revered OTA alumnus, in the acclaimed #Amaran. The film’s special screening at OTA received massive applause from officers and cadets… pic.twitter.com/rEh9ogGoea
The core theme of ‘Amaran’ resonates deeply across India, and its execution stays true to this theme. So, politicians from various parties in Tamil Nadu took time to watch and appreciate the film.
It all began when the movie was watched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on the day before its theatrical release, 30th October 2024.
The list of politicians who also had watched and appreciated the team in person include, K. Selvaperunthagai (MLA and President of Tamil Nadu Congress party) and Seeman (Politician, actor, and former filmmaker).
RKFI was proud to announce that the people from army families from in and around Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhanagar district and Ranuvapettai, a village from Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district renowned for inspiring young recruits to join the Indian Army, watched the movie in theatres.
Celebrating Amaran in Rajapalayam!
The love for the nation lit up the big screen as #Amaran is celebrated in Rajapalayam!
Army families from in and around Rajapalayam have come together to watch this powerful story, finding a connection to their own loved ones who serve.… pic.twitter.com/zXKgnmCzGb
Team #Amaran Salutes Rannuvapettai#Rannuvapettai, a village renowned for inspiring young recruits to join the Indian Army, celebrated Amaran as one of their own.
K R M public school from Perambur, Chennai and Velammal Nexus school from Mogappair East, Chennai screened ‘Amaran’ as an educational movie for their students and NCC Cadets.
Hats off to #krmpublicschool for their remarkable gesture in supporting the Indian Army and screening #Amaran as an educational movie for their students and NCC cadets.
An initiative that truly inspires, educates, and spreads awareness.
Heartfelt salute to @VelammalNexus for their incredible support of the Indian Army and for organizing a special screening of Amaran as an educational movie to their students and especially for the NCC cadets!
Members of the film fraternity watched the movie and extended their wishes to the team. This included notable figures such as Rajinikanth, Sivakumar, Suriya, Prabhu, Jyothika, and Vikram Prabhu. The film was screened exclusively for the Tamil Nadu Film Directors Association. Celebrities like STR, Anirudh, Venkat Prabhu, Kalaippuli S. Thanu, K.E. Gnanavelraja of Studio Green, Archana Kalpathi, and Atlee took the time to share their congratulations on social media after watching the movie. RKFI was quick to capitalize on these timely opportunities to promote the film through their social media platforms.
Other notable marketing endeavours from the ‘Amaran’ team…
RKFI has made significant promotional efforts for their movie, including having Sivakarthikeyan appear on an episode of Bigg Boss Tamil. Additionally, Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi, and Director Rajkumar Periyasamy shared the stage with Nagarjuna in a Bigg Boss Telugu episode. The team participated in promotional events across India, including Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Cochin, and Hyderabad, as well as internationally in Dubai and Malaysia.
One of the key advantages of these events is that the movie team focuses on sharing information directly related to what the film intends to showcase.
‘Amaran’ is a film that does not feature any peppy dance numbers but instead boasts soulful songs, which is one of its greatest strengths. The Telugu version of the song ‘Hey Minnale’, titled ‘Hey Rangule’ was released by the Telugu actor Nithin.
‘Ananda Vikatan,’ a leading Tamil weekly magazine, released a special issue titled ‘Amaran Special’ on November 6th. This issue helped spread awareness about the movie beyond the confines of social media.
Digital billboards promoting ‘Amaran’ were installed at railway stations, bus stops, and airports in various Indian cities. Together, these ads garnered 1.7 billion views per day.
To add to the excitement, there was the trailer. Often, trailers set expectations that the movie fails to meet, but in the case of ‘Amaran,’ the film delivered on what the trailer promised. The trailer was released in five languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. RKFI enlisted big names such as Kamal Haasan, Aamir Khan, Shiva Rajkumar, Nani, and Tovino Thomas to launch the versions of the trailers in their respective languages.
In conclusion, ‘Amaran’ from RKFI, Sony Pictures Films India, and Turmeric India (Marketing) serve as an exemplary case study for the positioning and marketing of biopics.
Keep Smiling to Unlock the First 7 Minutes of ‘Smile 2’ for FREE!
‘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.’
Look Back: The first ever “imaginary” trailer to promote ‘Imaginary’
I checked out ‘Imaginary‘ on Prime Video this weekend! I enjoyed the movie; it has vibes from iconic horror flicks like ‘Insidious‘ and ‘It‘ film franchises. After watching it, I went down the internet rabbit hole to learn more about it—like box-office numbers, what the cast and crew are up to, and all the marketing efforts, as I usually do. I found a few cool promo stuff, but one initiative caught my eye. So, here’s my third article on the ‘Look Back‘ series.
About the movie, ‘Imaginary’…
The movie’s main character, Jessica, moves into her childhood home with her husband and his two daughters. The younger daughter, Alice, ‘befriends’ a teddy bear and begins having conversations with it. Over time, the ‘bond’ between Alice and the teddy bear becomes stronger. This leads to a series of events reminiscent of the horror found in film franchises like ‘Insidious‘ and ‘It‘.
About the marketing idea…
Jeff Wadlow, the director, and Jason Blum, the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, co-produced the movie ‘Imaginary‘. Blumhouse Productions also co-produced by ‘Five Nights At Freddy’s‘ (FNAF’s) was released for streaming on Peacock and theatrically in the United States on October 27, 2023. Blumhouse initiated promotional efforts for ‘Imaginary‘ as follows, which Lionsgate views as a chance to reward theatricality and moviegoers, and to surprise and delight them:
As the theater lights dim for #FiveNightsAtFreddys, close your eyes...and imagine.
I wasn’t personally present to experience the first-of-its-kind trailer, so here’s a brief description of the experience from ‘Collider’:
The Imaginary teaser is unique in that it plays with your senses and natural fear of the unknown. At the beginning, an eerie little girl’s voice instructs you to close your eyes. If you’re too chicken (like me) or rebellious (good for you) to actually do as instructed, well, they’ll do it for you, as the screen then goes black and more creepy noises begin to play. The child starts counting, an ominous music-box song starts playing, and there’s the pound of footsteps and the creak of a door in there, too. The reliance on audio is interesting and a risk that pays off — who isn’t a little afraid of the dark?
Around halfway through, you’ll be instructed to open your eyes. The effects make it so it looks and feels like you’re blinking, with the screen showing quick, horrifying clips from the film of terrified people and sinister-looking creatures.
Recognition…
Variety describes it as a marketing strategy that was highly effective in generating interest in the movie. According to reports, during the opening weekend of FNAF’s, the term ‘Imaginary movie’ saw a significant spike in Google searches, reaching “maximum search interest” according to the search engine’s trend data.
Are the AI-generated Voices of Late Singers, De-ageing Technology, and VFX Undoubtedly the Cutting-edge Marketing Tools Driving Kollywood’s Big-ticket Movies?
The Thalapathy Vijay starrer and Venkat Prabhu’s (VP) directorial, The Greatest Of All Time (The G.O.A.T.), which premiered globally on September 5th, 2024, took the box office by storm. AGS Entertainment, the movie’s producer, proudly announced an impressive day-one worldwide box office collection of 126.32 crores+ on social media. This phenomenal opening can be largely attributed to Thalapathy Vijay’s immense star power, his groundbreaking first-time collaboration with the dynamic Director-Music Composer duo VP and Yuvan Shankar Raja (Yuvan), and the superior production scale and quality showcased in the promotional materials. A deeper dive into the marketing strategy reveals three pivotal elements contributing to the pre-release buzz. Firstly, the use of the AI-generated voice of the late singer Bhavatharini (Yuvan’s sibling and VP’s female cousin) in the melodic track, ‘Chinna Chinna Kangal‘. Secondly, cutting-edge de-ageing technology is employed to present a youthful version of Vijay, a highlight enthusiastically promoted by the film’s crew in pre-release interviews. Lastly, AI technology was ingeniously utilized to bring the late actor Vijayakanth to life for a cameo, information that further fueled public anticipation. These strategies, combined with existing excitement, generated an unparalleled buzz, setting the stage for a highly frenzied reception.
Previous attempts at using de-aging technology in Tamil Cinema:
Kollywood continues to push boundaries with de-aging technology. The Rajinikanth starrer and Nelson’s directorial, ‘Jailer’ (2023) and the Kamal Haasan starrer and Shankar’s directorial, ‘Indian 2’ (2024) utilized this technology to bring back the yesteryear looks of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Among these, ‘Indian 2’ stood out by heavily promoting its innovative use of de-aging technology. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film’s end segment, hinting at ‘Indian 3’, garnered applause, especially for the de-aged ‘Senapathy’ (AnIconic character played by Kamal Haasan in the ‘Indian’ franchise).
De-aged look of Kamal Haasan as Senapathy in ‘Indian 2’ (Photo Courtesy: Lyca Productions)
There were compelling rumours about bringing back a younger version of Kamal Haasan in the 2022 sensational hit, Vikram. The movie’s director, Lokesh Kanagaraj, later confirmed their plans to showcase a younger Kamal Haasan briefly. However, due to time constraints, the idea wasn’t pursued, leaving the footage they had worked on untouched. This material remains intact and could be utilized at any time in the future.
Below is the reference video…
Upcoming Kollywood biggies experimenting with AI-generated voices of legendary singers and cutting-edge de-aging technology:
The excitement surrounding these technologies and the enthusiastic reception from audiences has led major industry players to embrace them. Rajinikanth‘s highly anticipated movie, ‘Vettaiyan‘ is slated to hit theatres on October 10th, 2024. Yesterday, the movie’s producer, ‘Lyca Productions‘ announced plans to use the AI-generated voice of a legendary late singer in the first single, which is expected to be released soon.
Also, news is circulating on social media about the innovative use of de-ageing technology to bring back a younger version of Rajinikanth in his upcoming movie, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj.
VFX in the recent Tamil big-ticket movies showcases a groundbreaking leap in visual storytelling, setting new benchmarks in the film industry.
Of late, with the usage of VFX in Tamil films, audiences are treated to some larger-than-life sequences. The release of the Thalapathy Vijay starrer and Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s directorial, ‘Leo’ (2023), set the bar high with much hype around two standout sequences. The first is a gripping 10-minute scene featuring the actor taking down a hyena, and the second is an intense car chase. In pre-release interviews, the hyena sequence received significant emphasis. The film soared, opening to 148.5 crores+ at the box office, the highest day 1 worldwide gross for an Indian movie this year. Even in Netflix‘s official promotional content, photos and videos of the hyena and car chase sequences dominate social media. Likewise, Sivakarthikeyan-starrer and R. Ravikumar‘s directorial ‘Ayalaan’ (2024) featured a unique grey alien character, earning rave reviews for its visual effects.
In the vibrant age of OTT, audiences are fervently craving nostalgia alongside the thrill of fresh ideas and portrayals. Enter the marvels of AI-generated voices of iconic late singers, breathtaking de-ageing tech, and awe-inspiring VFX, all pushing films beyond sky-high expectations. These groundbreaking technologies have graced the screen with both impeccable and nearly flawless results, the latter often hindered by budget and time constraints. Yet, it’s undeniable that these innovations have bestowed upon viewers countless unforgettable moments. The future of these modern marketing wonders hinges on the brilliance with which films weave technology into their storytelling and fulfil pre-release excitement, while makers must ensure they wield these tools with respect, never reducing them or their audience to mere gimmicks.
Movie promotions excite me, but what excites me, even more, is the brilliant incorporation of the unique aspects of movies into their respective promotional strategies rather than just deploying generic or conventional advertising. For instance, in my previous blog post on the promotion of the Tamil movie, ‘Maaveeran‘, I mentioned how the installation of a transparent banner, featuring the movie’s poster, on the facade of a cinema hall, made the people passing through the set-up recreate the iconic ‘overhead stare’ of Sivakarthikeyan in the film. Unless ‘Maaveeran‘ has a sequel/prequel/spin-off, this activation is certain to not be repeated for any other movie as it is closely associated with the film’s theme. In this regard, I recently came across some exciting stuff from the makers of the movie, ‘The Nun 2‘. I feel psyched about a couple of those strategies. So, lemme share them in this blog post!
“Creepy” nuns, all over the place:
As a part of the movie’s marketing campaign by ‘Warner Bros. Pictures‘, around twenty “creepy” nuns (humans dressed up as the evil entity, ‘Valak’ that features in the movies, ‘The Conjuring 2’, ‘The Nun’ and ‘The Nun 2’) have been set out in public to carry out a candlelight stroll.
The army of nuns flooded across some significant landmarks of different cities in the United States of America, like Brooklyn, New York, San Francisco, Miami, Denver, Atlanta and Washington, D.C, in Canada, like Montreal and Toronto, in England, like London and in India, like Mumbai.
Apart from swarming landmarks across different cities of various countries, the nuns made their appearance at the annual horror events, like ‘HorrorHound Weekend‘ and ‘Popcorn Frights‘ and at the movie’s exclusive screenings, like the annual speculative fiction fan convention, ‘Fan Expo Canada‘.
Below are the posts from the official X accounts of ‘The Nun‘ movie, ‘Warner Bros. UK‘ and ‘Warner Bros. India‘ on the stunt…
The Nuns are spreading across the country, and everyone else is running out of time. The Nun II – Only in Theaters September 8. Get Tickets Now – Link in Bio. #ISawANun#TheNun2pic.twitter.com/oQ0876wWBa
Throwback to a similar ‘”Creepy” nuns, all over the place’ stunt for ‘The Nun’:
Upon noticing these “creepy” nuns on the move, the excellent marketing campaign of the 2022 science fiction horror film, ‘M3gan‘ might occur to you, but I’d like to convey here that ‘The Nun‘ had similar promotions way back in 2018.
Here’s a look back at the movie’s campaign.
In Sydney, ‘Roadshow Films‘ and ‘OMD‘, in partnership with ‘Habitat‘, orchestrated a campaign, wherein unsuspecting morning commuters were in for a fright from a bevy of demonic nuns. Likewise, ‘Warner Bros. Canada‘ studio, in collaboration with the agency, ‘Rooftop‘, set out three teams of six nuns each to hit the streets, chanting in Latin and distributing double-sided prayer cards encouraging fans to share on social media using “I Hate #NUNDays” (NUNDay, a wordplay on Mondays). The activations in Canada were created to mark the studio’s partnership with ‘FanExpo‘, which has been considered a part of the Canadian strategy for the movie. Though these stunts appear to be relatively small-scale compared to that of ‘The Nun 2‘, they are equally creative.
Terror appears when you least expect it – A “creepy” newsstand:
Toward the end of ‘The Nun 2‘ trailer, you’d see the protagonist, ‘Sister Irene‘ gazing at a Valak-like artwork on a book at a newsstand. Upon hearing rapid footsteps, she gasps and then turns back only to see nothing. Again, as she turns slowly toward the newsstand, the Valak appears right in front of her from nowhere and has her in a chokehold.
The makers of ‘The Nun 2‘ kind of recreated the above scene.
A ‘The Nun 2‘ branded newsstand was placed in Venice Beach, California. Unsuspecting beachgoers felt shocked as a Valak popped out of the newsstand while they got closer to the prop and started having a look at the magazines. It’s just like how it makes an appearance in the scene from nowhere. As a result, it scares the shit out of them.
Below is the post from the official X account of ‘The Nun‘ movie on the stunt…
Terror appears when you least expect it – but you can expect to find our newsstand on [the corner of] Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles this weekend! The Nun II – Only in Theaters September 8. Get Tickets Now – Link in Bio. #ISawANun#TheNun2pic.twitter.com/yqM9F4gVKF
So, how are these promotions gonna help the movie’s opening weekend prospects at the box office?
Upon encountering unusual sights of nuns in public, passersby would be nudged to stop by. Capture photographs of, or probably take selfies with the nuns. In the ‘The Nun 2‘ trailer, you’ll notice the girl named ‘Sophie‘ say ‘I saw a nun‘. If you notice the copies in almost all the X posts above, you’ll see the hashtag, ‘#ISawANun‘. So, any passersby noticing the nuns could later excitedly say, “I saw a nun” to their families and friends. Also, if they share their clicks, with nuns, on social media, they could probably include the hashtag, ‘#ISawANun‘. Thereby, the film’s producers make the audience recreate a moment of the movie. This would pave the way for user-generated content, helping organically to get the word out about the movie. And thereby, evoking interest in the film.
With respect to promoting movies in the annual horror events aforesaid, there’s a key takeaway point. FIND WHO & WHERE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MOVIE IS AND THEN INVENTIVELY PROMOTEIT THERE.
So, in the aforementioned way, the promotions might help the movie’s opening weekend prospects at the box office.
Hope you liked the promotions for the movie, ‘The Nun 2‘ and my take on the same. Lemme know your feedback on this blog post’s comments section.
P.S. ‘The Nun 2‘, which is a sequel to ‘The Nun‘ (2018) and the ninth instalment in ‘The Conjuring Universe‘ franchise, is scheduled for a theatrical release on September 7, 2023. Do watch in Cinemas!
from VETTAIYAN 
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