Memes, TikTok and lots of chicken: The new world of movie marketing

Over the past month, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman seem to have taken over the internet. On Instagram, they’re eating spicy wings for Hot Ones. On YouTube, they’re cameoing in Stray Kids’ music video. On TikTok, they’re nibbling nuggets with Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg.

This surge in exposure (and chicken consumption) has one goal: to get people talking about Deadpool & Wolverine, their film that landed in cinemas in July. But unlike traditional film marketing, such as press junkets, in which celebrities do back-to-back interviews, and celebrity profiles, this kind of promotion doesn’t have to mention the film. All it needs to do is go viral.

How do Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman promote Deadpool & Wolverine? They eat chicken and dance to K-Pop, apparently.Credit: Compiled by Aresna Villanueva

This is the new norm. Before Deadpool & Wolverine, the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga team created dating memes, and Snapchat launched a sandworm lens in honour of Dune: Part Two. Red carpets and tell-all interviews still took place, but more so as a side-dish to the social media main. So, what’s behind this shift?

It largely comes down to the accessibility and reach of social media, says Hao Xu, a lecturer in marketing communications at University of Melbourne. Not only are platforms like TikTok and Instagram free, they’re made for short, engaging videos that capture the attention of a broad range of people in record time.

“Social media provides marketers with unprecedented levels of accessibility and interaction, enabling them to receive immediate feedback and gauge audience reactions in real-time, something traditional methods like press junkets simply can’t offer,” Xu says.

It’s also generally more cost-effective. According to a 2016 interview with Carol Watkins, coined the “Queen of press junkets” by The Hollywood Reporter, a junket could cost a studio anywhere between $US75,000 and $US250,000. A one-minute clip filmed by an influencer is a fraction of the cost.

That’s not to say traditional marketing is dead. Billboards for Deadpool & Wolverine were plentiful, reviews of the film were published, and the stars were profiled.

Maddy MacRae, an Australian TikToker who has created promotional content for movies like Twisters and Barbie, says social media is simply expanding the scope of promotion, engaging younger audiences who are less likely to watch the entertainment segment of free-to-air breakfast shows.

Though they’re both effective, MacRae says they operate in entirely different ways. While traditional marketing generally delves into the film and plot, social media marketing focuses on the universe around the film, building more “authentic” connections between audiences and cast.

“The videos make you feel like you’re being shown the behind-the-scenes, like you’re getting to know the actors – you’re a part of something bigger than the movie itself,” MacRae says.

“If everyone just talks about the film, we’d have identical pieces of content. By doing it this way, we have unique pieces, which are often funny and make you feel like you’re in on the joke. You’re probably more likely to see the film then.”

For example, one of her most successful promotional posts was of Jason Momoa winking at her at the Fast X premiere, attracting over 9.4 million views. The film is only mentioned in passing.

However, as quickly as content can go viral, it can go awry. “When a clip goes viral, it’s like free advertising on a massive scale, quickly creating buzz, driving people to cinemas in droves,” says chief executive of We Are Social, Suzie Shaw.

“However, it also means that a film’s reputation can be built or broken in a very short time, which makes box office success increasingly unpredictable.”

For example, Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively has been criticised for allegedly trying to create a “Barbenheimer 2.0″ with It Ends With Us and Deadpool & Wolverine on social media, a strategy deemed insensitive given the themes of domestic violence in the former film.

Associate professor of marketing at The University of Sydney Tom van Laer says social media promotion isn’t for every film. “This kind of promotion tends to favour content that’s easily digestible, humorous, or sensational, qualities that align well with irreverent, action-packed films like Deadpool & Wolverine.

“In contrast, films like The Zone of Interest, which is more serious, contemplative, and artistic, might not translate as well into the fast-paced, visually driven world of social media.”

There’s also concern around what this could mean for film criticism. Jake Wilson, who reviews for this masthead, says the proliferation of social media promotion means some distributors “no longer feel they have to rely on reviews to get the word out”. Fewer films are being previewed, or are previewed last-minute.

There’s still demand for reviews, he says – as is indicated by the popularity of sites like Rotten Tomatoes – just as there’s a need for billboards and breakfast show interviews. It’s ultimately about reaching the broadest possible audience in an increasingly fragmented landscape.

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