What does it take for a film to earn the title of “summer blockbuster?” Well, some factors are a given, like having a big celebrity cast and a good script, but wait, there’s more! How a film is marketed can have a huge impact on how profitable it is in the box office. Now we’re going to look at 3 of this summer’s biggest blockbusters marketing campaigns:
Maleficent
Angelina Jolie is one of the biggest celebrities in the world, and according to imbd.com, her last on-screen performance was in 2010 with The Tourist, so of course there is going to be buzz surrounding her return to Hollywood. Apparently it was only good buzz, as Maleficent grossed $69.4 million opening weekend, earning the number one spot (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/). In fact, the marketing strategy Maleficent used was to tell the audience that they weren’t coming to see a Disney movie with a celebrity, but to see Angelina Jolie AS a Disney character. Disney put all the emphasis on the actress, as seen here in the film’s first trailer: https://www.youtube.com. Of course, Jolie did plenty of press junkets and interviews as well. The actress also brought her entire family to a few of the film’s premieres, which is rare for her. Some unique marketing for the film came on the red carpet, as Elle Fanning and Angelina Jolie dressed to reflect their characters. Fanning stuck to wearing soft, whimsical outfits; while Jolie wore darker colors, leather, spiked jewelry, and even heels with fake blood dripping down the back (https://fashionista.com/).
22 Jump Street
This comedy had great reviews; in fact Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 85%. However, where the film really shined was at the box office where it grossed $57.1 million in its opening weekend (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/). The film wanted audiences to expect pure comedic gold in theaters, so it realeased movie trailers and a spoof video featuring Channing Tatum (watch that video here: https://www.hypable.com/) . The film set the audience’s bar high and delivered. One key to 22 Jump Street’s success was that it was marketed equally to both men and women, making it a “man’s action-comedy” and a suitable “date movie”. In addition, it did not hurt that within the two years after 21 Jump Street premiered, the two leading men, Johan Hill and Channing Tatum, experienced quite a rise in fame.
Fault in Our Stars
This book-turned-movie earned a lot of attention from the female market, but who’s really surprised? Afterall, the film’s leading lady, Shailene Woodley, is taking Hollywood by storm. Fault In Our Stars opened at number one, grossing $48 million dollars (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/) . The dramatic film quickly became all-the-buzz in social media, with the goal of making fans feel involved. The author of the novel the film was based on, John Green, even tweeted about the movie (https://www.yahoo.com/l)! Other platforms the movie took over were Facebook and Instagram. It’s no secret that Fault In Our Stars was targeted at a young, female audience and it looks like the film’s marketing hit a bullseye.
Other movies that are set up to do well at the box office this summer are Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, Hercules, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
