5 Iconic Movie Marketing Campaigns: From Barbie to Blair Witch

1. Barbie (2023)

With a $150 million marketing budget, Barbie painted the world pink long before it hit the big screens. To start the marketing efforts, Barbie’s trailer was played before the popular sci-fi movie Avatar: Way of Water. Featuring the soundtrack of “A Space Odyssey,” Barbie’s trailer communicated that this film wasn’t what you’d expect from a movie about the traditional Barbie doll but would be an immersive experience for people of all ages. The trailer generated buzz and began the buildup of anticipation for the film.

One thing that marked Barbie’s marketing was pink; the marketing team didn’t shy away from Mattel’s original colors surrounding Barbie in the 1950s. What was once a demonized color became a beloved female empowerment symbol. One standout way the marketing team used pink was their partnership with Google. Leading up to the movie’s release, online users who searched for the film, its stars, or the director would be pleasantly surprised to see the search results turn pink, even noticing sparkles as they scrolled through the search engine’s page. Barbie’s marketing team also partnered with various fashion brands such as Forever 21, PacSun, Gap, and Boohoo to sell hot pink Barbie shirts, swimsuits, pajama sets, and more. You couldn’t escape the notorious pink colors and flashy design wherever you went, whether in the mall or online.

The movie’s marketing campaign on social media featured the “Barbie Selfie Generator,” an AI tool that allowed users to input pictures and generate character posters and editable text. This trend only added to the excitement surrounding Barbie, inviting users into the world of Barbie before they even saw the movie. Barbie & Mattel made over 165 collaborations and partnerships leading up to the movie. From building a real-life Barbie Malibu Dream House on AirBnB to Progressive speaking about a secret client taking an insurance bundle for a “Dream Car” and “Dream House,” the marketing team thought of everything—and it paid off. Barbie was a blockbuster hit and an empowering movie that deeply resonated with viewers of all ages.

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When asked by Variety about Barbie’s marketing strategy, Josh Goldstine, the president of global marketing at Warner Bros., said, “We saw it as a breadcrumb strategy, where we gave people little elements of the movie to stimulate curiosity and that created conversation. In every campaign, there are elements of earned media [like social media buzz] and paid media [such as a trailer spot]. We believed this brand had the opportunity to generate some exciting earned media. Some of the choices we made stimulated that. Then it did totally take on a life of its own.” Are there ways you can build breadcrumbs for your movie marketing efforts? Whether partnering with brands or creating a trailer that builds excitement, there are several ways to leave your audience filled with anticipation for your film.

2. The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project is recognized as having one of the best marketing campaigns in film history. Released in 1999 at the Sundance Film Festival, it was advertised not as a fictional story but as actual real-live footage on camcorders left behind by three young people who had gone missing in the woods five years prior while filming a documentary about a fabled local hermit known as the blair witch, who kidnapped and killed children. Not only was this “found footage” a new concept in the horror genre, but with the early internet still in its infancy, the filmmakers took advantage of the public’s gullibility to create a powerful marketing campaign. This groundbreaking approach not only heightened the film’s suspense but also redefined how movies could be promoted, leaving an indelible mark on the future of film advertising.

The biggest question that The Blair Witch Project’s marketing campaign played upon was, “Is this actually real, or is it all a hoax?” Every part of the movie’s marketing added to the uncertainty and fear surrounding the film’s release. Before the movie’s release at Sundance, blairwitch.com was released to the public, featuring fictional police reports, newspaper articles, and interviews about the missing people in the film and the mythology behind the blair witch. After a relaunch on April Fool’s Day, the site gained up to 3 million views daily, fueling the fire and making people wonder, “Is this really found footage? Are these kids dead? Is the Blair Witch real?” 

Since the internet was new at the time, users trusted what they read online. With the filmmakers constantly adding “true” Blair Witch stories and found footage to the site, people couldn’t help but talk about and be eager for the release of The Blair Witch Project. The marketers for the film also capitalized on the growing popularity of online chat rooms and forums, sharing missing person photos, stirring up more questions, and pointing users to the site. Offline, the marketing team went so far as to send interns to cafes and clubs around the US to ask people about the legendary Blair Witch, showing them missing posters for the film’s young stars. After its release, people traveled to Maryland (where the footage took place) to find the house featured in the film or see the Blair Witch themselves. By the time viewers realized the Blair Witch was, in fact, not real, and the young people in the film were actually actors, it was too late—the movie (and its marketing) had successfully fooled the entire world, and it became a worldwide sensation. 

The Blair Witch Project’s viral marketing techniques paid off, grossing almost $250 million worldwide with a small budget of less than $60,000. Over the years, films like Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity would play into the found-footage concept, but nothing could come close to the cultural hit of The Blair Witch Project.

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While it’s hard to recreate what The Blair Witch Project did nowadays, there are still significant lessons from the marketing campaign. The critical takeaway is to focus on inviting viewers into a story rather than selling them a movie. Rather than selling the idea of the film itself, the marketers of The Blair Witch Project told an intricate tale that viewers had to hear more about. They put more effort into the website rather than trying to convince the audience to go to the movie theatre and watch the independent film. And the result? 11% of all internet users visited the film’s website to hear more about the story they were fabricating. How can you shift your marketing efforts from merely persuading viewers to see your film to captivating them with a story so compelling they can’t resist being part of it?

3. Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

The 2023 animated Super Mario Bros. Movie has captured the hearts of fans and new audiences alike, thanks to a meticulously crafted marketing campaign that expertly blended nostalgia with engaging storytelling.

Here are a few of our favorite parts from this movie’s iconic marketing campaign:

• SMB Plumbing Super Bowl LVII Commercial: From the moment it aired during Super Bowl LVII, the SMB Plumbing commercial won hearts and made viewers eager to see the upcoming Super Mario Bros. The marketing team intentionally placed Easter eggs throughout the video, from the map featuring 1889th Street (the year Nintendo was founded) to the Mario rap from The Super Mario Bros Super Show (1980s). Not only was the video itself a nostalgic masterpiece, but the website and phone number referenced were also fully functional, adding to the buildup of excitement for the movie. From familiar game sounds to realistic positive and negative reviews, the marketers thought of everything when it came to the SMB Plumbing website. When calling the phone number, fans were greeted by Luigi, and if they texted it, they’d be automatically signed up for The Super Mario Bros. Movie updates.
• Partnership With Amazon to Create Mario-Themed Boxes: Another fun part of The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s marketing was the partnership with Amazon, which shipped products to people in boxes that looked like the recognizable question mark blocks from the Mario franchise. Customers were pleasantly surprised when these packages started being shipped worldwide, adding to the hype for the new movie. The best part about this concept is that Amazon has a diverse audience, meaning the Super Mario Bros. Movie would be heard about by fans and those who’d perhaps never even heard of the franchise.
• Hong Kong & Taiwan Event Showcasing Movie Merch: Before the movies launched, Nintendo started announcing special promotions in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Utilizing this local approach, Nintendo encouraged fans to buy movie merchandise such as stickers and shopping bags for free by purchasing certain Super Mario Switch games. Not only did this promote the movie on a global level, but it also increased game sales for the brand itself.

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Here’s the one factor that drove the success of Super Mario Bros. Movie’s marketing campaign: the appeal to the target audience, which is the fanbase. While there were previous Super Mario Bro-themed movies before the 2023 version, none of them properly understood the history and dedicated fans of the franchise, leading to films that fell flat and didn’t resonate with the audience. However, the marketing team, director, and other filmmakers for Super Mario Bros. Movie leveraged nostalgia, well-known characters, and devoted fans while

4. The Dark Knight

While The Dark Knight centers around Batman, it’s easy to forget that Joker isn’t the star of the show—and it’s not only due to his impressive performance on the screen. The Dark Knight’s year-long movie marketing campaign used an Alternative Reality Game (ARG) coined “Why So Serious?” to fully immerse fans into Batman’s world, Gotham City. It was first presented as a complex online puzzle that revealed the film’s outlaw, Joker. Blurring the lines between what was real and what wasn’t, fans were then invited to participate in real-life scavenger hunts as the “Joker Army,” which led plays to an early screening of the film’s opening bank robbery scene. Their participation in the ARG is ultimately tied into the film, making players believe they helped Joker steal the school bus he escapes in.

Players in this ARG spanned worldwide, from North America to India. Other parts of the ARG included Joker-rigged cellphones tucked away in cakes at bakeries around the United States and protest marches spanning 33 cities. The movie’s marketing campaign led to sold-out midnight screenings across the globe and earning nearly $1 billion.

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Movie marketing campaigns that stand out involve more than film trailers—they require you to get creative and curate an immersive experience for fans before the movie even hits theatres. Whether designing a website for your film or planning scavenger hunts for the audience, there are many ways to invite the viewers into the story before they even see it. How can you blur the line between fiction and reality for your film’s audience?

5. Black Panther

Black Panther featured the first-ever African-American superhero and a predominantly black cast, and both the marketers and filmmakers recognized the significance of this Marvel movie. The film grossed over $1.3 billion, with 37% of the North American audience being African-American (the usual black audience for superhero movies is around 15%). How did the marketing team pull off a box office success and pave the way for future sequels within the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The key to Black Panther’s successful marketing campaign was the focus on diverse demographics. Marvel and Disney intentionally released trailers for the movie during programs with a high percentage of African-American viewership, like the NBA Finals and other sporting events. During the New York Fashion Week, a Black Panther-themed fashion show called “Welcome to Wakanda” showcased various fashion designers’ talent and gave donations to Save The Children.

Marvel and Disney wanted to ensure the audience that deserved to see the film got to watch it. Frederic Jones, a well-known marketing expert in New York, raised funds to send an entire Harlem Boys and Girls Club to view the film in theatres. He started a GoFundMe campaign for the initiative, raising thousands of dollars in days and allowing over 300 kids to see the move for free. This sparked the #BlackPantherChallenge, inviting others to start their own online campaigns to help children in underprivileged communities watch Black Panther. More than $900,000 was raised across over 600 GoFundMe campaigns, including donations from celebrities like Snoop Dogg, JJ Abrams, and Octavia Spencer. By embracing and celebrating Black culture and representation, Black Panther‘s marketing team set a new precedent for empowering films resonating with worldwide audiences.

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Are you creating a culturally diverse film? When generating ideas for marketing your movie, consider how you can embrace and reflect the culture your film represents in the campaigns. If your budget allows it, give it to organizations supporting diversity and inclusion. Think about your film as a movement rather than just a story, and see where that takes you in your marketing efforts.

Make a Trailer Fit for Iconic Movie Marketing Campaigns With Avalanche Studios

A key element of the best movie marketing campaigns is a stand-out trailer. Creating a teaser trailer that wows audiences and critics alike requires the perfect blend of creativity, storytelling, and technical expertise. Avalanche Studios understands this balance, offering comprehensive video production services for filmmakers who want to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impact. Whether you’re looking to build suspense, showcase action, or pull at heartstrings, partnering with a trusted Utah-based studio like Avalanche Studios can elevate your marketing efforts to blockbuster status. Make your film unforgettable from the very first glimpse—contact our team to create a trailer that resonates with audiences and sets the stage for success.