Deadpool and Wolverine Claw Their Way to the Top
No matter what genre of movies you enjoy, there’s a large chance that you at least knew something about Avengers: Endgame when it was in theaters. The culmination of the film franchise drew huge crowds to theaters worldwide, breaking box office records and making headlines. Yet, Marvel movies and shows in the last couple of years have seen nowhere near the same level of success as that blockbuster film. Marvel finally broke this downward trend with its recent release of Deadpool and Wolverine, and its excellent marketing campaign was undeniably one of the reasons.
Just the presence alone of lead actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman was already a significant draw, as their robust acting careers and lovable personalities have garnered many loyal fans of their own. However, their chemistry and reputations also lent themselves perfectly to Marvel’s expansive advertising campaign, especially the live press tour. The actors traveled across the world to promote the film, attending events in 10 different cities across four continents, always keeping up their playful banter and likable personas.
Another popular aspect of the campaign was Marvel’s commercial collaborations with brands. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds lent their faces and voices to various brands to create video content promoting the new movie. This involved the actors being fully suited up in short clips for The Bachelorette, Jack in the Box, National Geographic, Spotify, and more.
Other companies like Heinz and Heineken also offered collectible, limited-edition products that went along with the promotional videos, drawing even more attention to the collaborations.
Marvel also worked with brands like Adidas, Dave & Busters, Xbox, and AMC Theatres to create unique, limited-edition items. Marvel and Adidas collaborated to create a pair of film-themed sneakers, each shoe inspired by Wolverine and Deadpool’s suits. Dave & Busters featured a new themed claw machine with winnable movie merch like keychains and necklaces. Xbox released limited-edition controllers modeled after the suits—and shapes—of the characters, and they were only available through sweepstakes. AMC Theatres released an exclusive, limited-edition popcorn bucket labeled as being “designed by Deadpool.”
While some of these collaborations may come as a surprise, the key to the success of the collaborations was their matching style. Despite these unexpected brands spanning multiple industry categories, the collaborated content still had a distinctly silly style. The videos and products still had the lighthearted attitude—and suggestive humor—that audiences have grown to love about Deadpool movies. It reached a broad audience by addressing an extensive range of interests, and it successfully related to viewers with content that was still sure to make them laugh.
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