RESEARCH: DISTRIBUTION COLLAGE/ PIKTOCHART

On the Film Distributors’ association (FDA) website I watched a presentation on how distributors work to create a successful marketing campaign for each film, by Kezia Williams – head of theatrical distribution at Pathe. The concept of a USP (Unique Selling Point) was explained as a point that distributors market to bring positive attention to the film and to make it stand out to its target audience– something that is essential in the congested market place of film, by Chris Besseling, Director of Marketing at Pathe. Examples of a USP might be major movie star titles, a well-known director, awards or positive reviews.

My chosen film, Captain Marvel, is positioned as a superhero/action film and a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The American film was released in 2019, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the film is based on the Marvel Comics character ‘Carol Danvers’, played by Brie Larson, who is the first female superhero lead in a Marvel Studios film.

The film is set in the 90s, where Captain Marvel is caught in the midst of an intergalactic battle between her people and the ‘skrulls’, as well as discovering her origins on earth and a past life as a US Air Force Pilot.

Released on the 8^th March 2019, the movie was extremely popular and grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, making it the first female-led superhero film to exceed the billion-dollar mark. It became Marvel’s seventh-biggest box office of all time and became the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2019. This huge popularity, however, was not down to just the skill and quality of the movie, but also due to the essential part the distributors (Walk Disney Studios Motion Pictures) played in distributing and marketing the film, in a creative and engaging way. 

Film Posters

Captain Marvel used multiple different film posters during the marketing campaign, in order to capture the audience’s attention and fuel them with intrigue for what the film might entail. The posters were released over time, at events such as comic-con and cinemas, resulting in the slow, steady build-up of anticipation. Posters released at comic-con would have been successful in igniting further anticipation and excitement for Marvel’s already established fanbase, whereas posters located in cinemas would have had a purpose more focused on generating new interest by catching potential audiences’ eye as they pass. The emphasised ‘Higher, Faster, Further’ tagline on posters, focused the posters on the female empowerment angle of the campaign. This simple message is key to the whole campaign as it depicts an impression of female power and strength which a viewer can infer is a summation of her character in the film, intriguing them to find out more about this empowering message. Each film poster shows Captain Marvel with a powerful, iconic stance which is reminiscent of a superhero, illustrating a key convention of Marvel Movies, these strong visuals also tie in with the blue, red, orange colour palate that immediately is recognisable as Marvel Studios. This brand recognition is a key marketing strategy as it entices viewers through their perceptions and standards of the good quality of Marvel Movies. Individual posters of characters were also released, which are effective in introducing key characters, broadening a viewer’s understanding of the movie. They are also effective in demonstrating the ‘famous movie talent’ that is successful in marketing in attracting loyal fanbases of actors that star in the movie. For example, Samuel L. Jackson has starred in 11 of the 23 Marvel Movies as the character Nick Fury, so by having an individual poster of Fury viewers that have previously watched marvel films will recognise him and associate his character with the high standards of the other Marvel Films he has been in. 

Trailer

A ‘teaser trailer’ was released in September 2018, and succeeded in its role of exciting viewers without revealing too much about the film and therefore enticing viewers with a glimpse that heightens expectations. The trailer starts with a shot of the main character, Carol Danvers falling from the sky, the dynamic shot immediately introduces the idea that the film is going to be fast-paced and action-packed, it also immediately informs the viewer that Danvers has fallen from space to the unknown environment of Earth. Fast paced cross-cutting accompanied by non-diegetic, intense music, gives a viewer a sense of the series of events that happen in the film, but the lack of detail and speed forces them to become wrapped up in trying to piece together what they are seeing, creating a huge sense of anticipation. A main, official trailer that revealed more was released in December 2018, allowing viewers to get a deeper sense of what the film was about, through multiple asynchronous narrative voices giving a greater insight to the plotline. This fuels a viewer’s already established excitement and anticipation and therefore influencing them to maintain interest in seeing the film.

Online and Social Media

The retro web design of the official website, inspired by the visual style of the 90s, was a form of nostalgic promotion, that impacted viewers to reminisce about the past and therefore form a more personal interest in the movie. The official website also offers a game, making the site more fun and interactive which might cause a viewer to pay more attention. As the film was produced by Marvel Studios, a huge franchise, it was also widely efficient to have a section on the marvel website as well as the own 90s retro website. On the marvel website  there was a clear and simple format, making the site easily navigable for viewers to access all the key information about the film. It included many useful features like an overview of the narrative, key credits, rating (PG-13), release date, updates, trailers and a gallery. There is also access to the films playlist, on two music streaming services – Spotify and apple music, further enticing viewers to retain interest in the film.

It includes links to the various retailers that are available to stream the film on, such as Disney +, blue-ray, digital and movies anywhere, as well as links to the wide range of social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) that work as a synergetic whole in promoting the upcoming film, as well as providing updates, new images and trailers. Social media is an extremely efficient tool for product promotion as it can generate viral marketing and publicise something for free, so by having a variety of social media platforms, widespread recognition is achieved as the advertisement is more likely to reach viewers of all ages, depending which social media is their preferred use.

Media and Publicity

A crowdfunding campaign to help underprivileged girls to see the movie for free was promoted by celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, and Chris Evans reinforcing the message of female empowerment that is emphasised so much throughout the campaign.

Campaign Description - "Everyone should have an opportunity to see women in roles they can aspire to one day be, roles that show women as strong, smart and bold. From a teacher to a fighter pilot—or a superhero. This is an opportunity to continue to empower girls to be just that. Marvel Studios' first female led film, "Captain Marvel" offers this type of important representation. We want to help girls from various backgrounds have the opportunity to see the film by providing tickets and renting out theatres."

In today’s society where feminism and female portrayal are increasingly important, this message is one which will resonate with all women and the female lead is a factor which will increase appeal for women, creating a wider target audience. Moreover, it helps to create a strong and consistent brand identity, making any individual element of marketing instantly recognisable as the wider brand.  

Interviews with cast members also helped to attract attention and build awareness and anticipation for the upcoming film, as did the release of small clips and increase of tv spots which all slowly built up intrigue. Promoted posts on social media extended the reach of trailers and tv spots while outdoor ads used the key visual style to maintain the colourful inspirational theme of the hero. During the Super bowl, a Captain Marvel Ad was shown that offered new, unwatched footage, alongside previously released material. Reaction to this was extremely positive, with the ‘Higher, Faster, Further’ mantra exciting fans with the new prospect that a women would exceed expectations. 

 Cross Promotion/Product Tie-ins

Promotional partnerships helped to further promote the film, with many of the partners linking the promotion in with their own products, helping to benefit both brands. For example, WNBA connected the female hero’s journey with the stories of the league’s female players, as both were representative of female strength.

Overall

Overall, the marketing campaign for Captain Marvel was incredibly successful, with the film exceeding over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide (the first female superhero film to do so) and it becoming the 5^th highest grossing film of 2019. The film was nominated for many awards, and won 7, including the MTV movie award for ‘best fight’.

Captain Marvel achieved many amazing reviews; however, it also was perceived negatively, with one reviewer writing ‘another story ruined because they took the male out and put in a female’.