Viral Marketing Drives Success of Latest Comic Book Film

 Posted on February 18,2016 in Social Media

This past weekend, comic book fans were finally rewarded for their patience as one of Marvel Comics’ most popular antiheroes arrived in theaters across the country and around the world. Deadpool opened on February 12 and has already broken records, enjoying the largest opening for an R-rated movie ever, surging past $150 million in its first weekend—not bad for a movie with a production budget of less than $60 million. Industry experts contribute much of the film’s success to the actors, writers, fight choreography, and cinematography, of course. Many, though, believe the bulk of the credit belongs to unique, pervasive, and borderline offensive marketing strategies that placed Deadpool at the forefront of public consciousness—thanks in large part to social media—long before the movie was ever ready for release. 

Marketing Should Match

The world got its first glimpse of the new Deadpool nearly a year ago when 20th Century Fox released a photo of the costumed mercenary in a near-perfect re-creation of Burt Reynolds’ 1972 bearskin rug Cosmopolitan centerfold. In the months that followed, the character, played by popular actor Ryan Reynolds (no relation to Burt), began showing up everywhere. The images and videos quickly went viral thanks to their irreverent humor, and their accurate portrayal of the sarcastic, offbeat, gritty “Merc with the Mouth” who is not afraid to offend softer sensibilities.

For his part, Ryan Reynolds was instrumental in the process as well, sharing and promoting the various spots, not only in public appearances, but also through social media. Every time a new photo or marketing effort would drop, it would quickly be all over Twitter, almost instantly finding its way to other social networks, creating buzz like few movies have before. While certain elements of the strategy certainly ventured into inappropriate territory by some people’s standards, there was no denying the effectiveness.

Marketing Can Show Who You Are

Among the most interesting aspects of the Deadpool marketing campaign is that virtually none of the videos, images, reports, or leaks gave away anything about the film. Rather, the marketing remained focused on the character, building an image on which the movie would eventually capitalize. Moviegoers arrived to see the film expecting to be entertained by what the ads had promised, not in terms of storylines or plot necessarily, but in Deadpool himself.

The same can be applied to you and your firm. With a carefully-crafted marketing strategy, especially one boosted by a strong social media presence, you can project your vision and personality to prospective clients. When potential customers feel like they know you well, it is often much easier for them to choose you over the competition. Of course, it important to be honest so as to not create false or unreasonable expectations. Failing to live up to your marketed image in person can quickly backfire, seriously damaging your reputation.

Call OVC, INC. for Help

When you are looking to develop an online marketing campaign to help your firm grow, contact the experienced professionals at OVC, INC. today. We will assist you in choosing the tools that best meet your needs and provide ongoing support along the way. Since 2008, we have been providing state-of-the-art marketing solutions to attorneys nationwide and we are ready to put our knowledge and skill to work for you. Call 630-635-8000 to learn more or to schedule a website review.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddkenreck/2016/02/17/5-reasons-deadpool-is-breaking-records/

http://deadline.com/2015/03/ryan-reynolds-deadpool-costume-burt-reynolds-1201400013/

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/17/deadpool-viral-marketing-campaign

http://deadline.com/2016/02/deadpool-marketing-ryan-reynolds-box-office-1201703654/