Tag: jordan peele

nope – marketing recap

How Universal has sold another smart horror film.

Nope movie poster from Universal Studios
Nope movie poster from Universal Studios

Writer/director Jordan Peele returns with Nope, new in theaters this weekend. The movie stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as OJ and Emerald Haywood, siblings who work the family farm with their father Otis Sr. (Keith David). When Otis Sr. is killed by a mysterious object that falls from the sky, the brother and sister enlist the help of a tech salesman (Brandon Perea) and a documentary filmmaker (Michael Wincott) to help prove the existence of UFOs.

Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Wrenn Schmidt and others also star in the film, which is projected to earn $45-55 million in its opening weekend.

Peele’s films always feature intriguing campaigns, so let’s take a look at how this one has been sold.

the marketing campaign

Universal announced the movie – then untitled – and gave it a 2022 release date in November of 2020. Palmer and Kaluuya were cast in February of 2021, with Yeun joining a month later.

The first poster came out in late July, serving also as the official announcement of the film’s title. Suitably ominous, it shows a small town nestled in a valley of hills, a small cloud hovering overhead. In a twist, that cloud has a string of flags tailing from it, as if it swallowed up event decorations somehow.

The release of the first trailer was teased in early February of this year with a spot that set the stage by using footage from Get Out and Us to establish Peele’s bonafides before offering a brief glimpse at the new movie.

That trailer (23m YouTube views) was released on Super Bowl Sunday and starts off with Emerald and OJ shooting a commercial for their horse training ranch. One night strange things start happening in the area around their ranch that have them and the other locals nervous and constantly looking toward the sky. What it is isn’t shown or even hinted at, but it clearly has the potential to cause lots of problems.

A commercial that cut down the trailer and teased audiences to go find it for even more aired during the Super Bowl as well, indicating Universal feels the mix of sci-fi/horror and Peele’s popularity had the potential to bring in a mass audience.

Another poster showing a horse and other objects being lifted into the night sky came out in early March.

A new still of Kaluuya accompanied a suitably vague interview with Peele, the director trying to sell the premise of the film without getting into specifics of the story.

Peele appeared on stage to talk about the movie when Universal showed off footage as part of its presentation at CinemaCon in April 2022. Later on, in June, it was among the movies Universal put on display to attendees of CineEurope.

Basketball star Steph Curry starred in a commercial that aired during the beginning of the NBA Playoffs.

In early June a featurette was released that starts off with Peele admitting the script he wrote then felt like it was going to be more than he could handle as a director, assembling a team to help him realize the vision. That’s about it for background, though, as it then just shows some of the finished footage along with behind-the-scenes shots.

The second trailer (13.8m YouTube views), which debuted in early June exclusively on Twitter Movies, starts off with Otis Sr. being killed by falling debris, prompting his kids to try and prove the existence of something strange happening in the clouds. They enlist the help of both Torres and Hoist in their quest, but things don’t go as smoothly as they hope. There’s a shot of a classic UFO at the end, but who knows how that fits in with the context of the story.

Another commercial puts shots of all the characters saying “nope,” “oh hell no” or some variation thereof to a catchy beat to show how they react to the danger they’re now confronted with. Additional spots, some of which wound up being used for online promos and pre-roll ads, arranged footage in slightly different ways to make the movie look alternatively terrifying, kind of funny or a mix of the two.

The IMAX logo appears reflected in the eye of a horse on an exclusive poster for that format that also touts how the film was shot with the company’s own cameras.

Peele’s talents as a writer, director and collaborator are all touted by the cast and crew in another featurette that focuses on the technical aspects of shooting what is a bigger production than his previous efforts. One more has Kaluuya and Palmer, along with Peele, talking about how the dynamic between the siblings plays a huge part in the structure of the story.

An extended commercial aired during the BET Awards broadcast at the end of June, this one again rearranging footage previously shown into something new to hit a specific vibe.

A UFO beams up a horse while flowers hover in the sky on the Dolby Cinemas poster, this one featuring a design looking like stitching on a pair of jeans.

At the beginning of July Peele shared the website for Jupiter’s Claim, the old west theme park seen in the trailers and commercials, that’s filled with easter eggs about the film’s story. Around that same time news broke that Jupiter’s Claim was scheduled to become a permanent part of Universal’s backlot tour, with the addition opening the same day the movie hits theaters.

The process of shooting with IMAX cameras was the subject of another featurette that once again covered how ambitious the project was for Peele and how he enlisted cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema to help him figure out how to pull it off.

An interview with Peele had him talking about being part of the Black Horror genre and how he wanted to do something more with this movie to help it still be part of that while not being exploitative.

Kaluuya collaborated with fashion designer Jide Osifeso on an exclusive line of movie-inspired apparel.

Around the same time, people were invited to check out the virtual reality experience created by Horizon Worlds for Oculus. People who did so were given access later on to an exclusive clip from the film.

Media appearances began at this point, mid-July, with Peele on “GMA,” Yeun on “Kimmel,” Palmer on “The Tonight Show,” Kaluuya on “First We Feast” and more.

Kaluuya was the subject of a feature cover story that had him talking about how his career is going, what changes he’s making as a result of the success he’s had, reuniting with Peele and lots more.

Banner ads like the one below were run on Spotify and other websites, sending traffic to the movie’s official website where they could find out more, including how to buy tickets.

Nope movie banner ad
Nope movie banner ad

The cast and crew were all in attendance at the movie’s world premiere earlier this week, where they talked about working with Peele, the spectacle of the film and what kind of inspiration they all drew from.

SKYY Vodka introduced a new drink inspired by the movie, announced with a campaign including a TV spot featuring movie footage that then gives way to someone sipping a drink on a farmhouse porch.

Icee and Razer were also promotional partners, the former taking advantage of how their frozen drinks are prominently featured in the film (as hinted at in some of the trailers and featurettes) and the latter running a sweepstakes awarding winners autographed machines as well as other co-branded swag.

overall

You have to hand it to Peele, who appears to have created something unique and engaging. Like the director’s previous films, it seems like it has a social message accompanied by a fascinating story.

What’s even more notable is that Universal has sold it in an effective and consistent way, keeping the focus on the siblings at the core of the story while also positioning Peele as a brand in and of himself, taking advantage of the raves his earlier films have earned to give this one a sense of familiarity.

There are shades of M. Night Shyamalan here in how the film has been sold, but with one big exception: The characters are the primary selling point in this campaign, not the promise of some big twist that will leave audiences shocked. So it comes off as Shyamalan-esque but without the self-aware attributes that have become part and parcel of the marketing of that director’s films.

candyman – marketing recap

How Universal is selling a sequel to a horror classic with a contemporary twist

candyman teaser poster

Candyman, believe it or not, is a direct sequel to the 1992 movie of the same name, taking the now standard approach of ignoring or at least discounting the two previous sequels. The movie stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Anthony McCoy, an artist who moves into Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood with his girlfriend Brianna (Teyonah Parris). That neighborhood, now gentrified from its public housing roots, still has memories of the Candyman, a mysterious supernatural entity that could be summoned by those who say his name five times in a mirror. When Anthony begins exploring the long-dormant spirit in his artwork he not only unleashes the killer but also begins to chip away at his own sanity.

announcement and casting

While a fourth installment in the franchise had been rumored and in various stages of development since the early 2000s, it wasn’t until 2018 that things finally started to move forward. It was at that point that Jordan Peele came on as producer and Nia DaCosta as director. Both developments were positively received, especially in the wake of Peele’s breakout hit Get Out.

A year later Abdul-Mateen was cast, though initial reports had him playing the title role. Those were dispelled when it emerged that Tony Todd would reprise that role from the original, with Parris joining as well.

marketing kicks off, or at least tries to

The beginning of the formal marketing campaign was unfortunately timed for early 2020. In late February Universal offered those who included “candyman” five times in a Tweet an alert when the trailer was released a few days later.

As that first trailer (14.5m views on YouTube) opens, McCoy is moving into the Chicago neighborhood formerly known as Cabrini Green. He becomes obsessed with the local legend of The Candyman and begins depicting him in his art. All this while people in the area begin dying after invoking his name, something McCoy eventually begins to suspect he’s somehow tied to. It’s a suitably creepy trailer that plays up both Peele’s role as producer and DaCosta’s as director, giving the film a nice pedigree for audiences to latch on to.

The teaser poster, released around that same time, shows a honey-covered hook, a bee still clinging to the glazed metal. Audiences are encouraged to “Dare to say his name” on what is otherwise a white background that is still fairly ominous.

It wasn’t too long after that in April that the first release delay was announced as the movie was shifted from its original June date to September.

How black filmmakers were working to tell stories involving racial themes and from their own point of view within the horror/thriller genres was the subject of a substantial profile in August of last year that included DaCosta. She touched on the real life inspirations of some of the story elements and more as well.

In mid-June TV spots started coming out that continued teasing how the movie is about the legacy of Candyman and the role he plays in the community.

DaCosta appeared at the American Black Film Festival to show clips to the virtual attendees.

In September of last year, when the movie should have been hitting theaters, Universal bumped it again, just a bit to October. It was then taken off the calendar completely before the eventual move to August 2021 was announced, a date that actually stuck.

When the delay to 2021 was announced, DaCosta explained why seeing it in theaters was an important part of the intended experience as opposed to seeing it at home through VOD.

DaCosta made Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch list in early 2021.

An interview with costar Domingo Colman allowed him to talk about how DaCosta was approaching the story and the brutalization inherent in it respectfully, not how it’s often depicted by other filmmakers.

for real this time

The restart of the campaign came in June when a special Juneteenth message from DaCosta was announced. That video, which has her talking about the duality of the holiday and how the same kinds of themes are captured in the movie, was well-done and because of the commonalities between the holiday and the film, seems less opportunistic than some other attempts.

That was followed by the second trailer (27m views on YouTube) in June. McCoy is having the history of Candyman told to him, latching on to that story and the legends surrounding it. That makes it very creepy, even if it sacrifices a bit of the context around the characters and their story.

The poster released at that time shows what is presumed to be Candyman himself from the back, his hook visible as he raises his arm. This time the message to the audience is trimmed down to, simply, “Say it”, assuming we all know what that means.

The director was interviewed about how she has moved from small independent films to this being the first of two major studio releases she’s helming.

TV and social advertising picked back up in the wake of the trailer with videos that continued using the shadow puppet motif to help explain the legend of the spirit that haunts Cabrini Green.

Anthony is trying to convince a reluctant Brianna to summon Candyman in the first clip, released in mid-August.

A profile of Abdul-Mateen identified him as one of the biggest rising stars of the moment thanks to high-profile roles in this movie and a number of others.

Peele and DaCosta talk about their fascination with urban legends – including this one – and their desire to tell a horror story from a Black perspective in a short featurette. Another focused on the real life artists who created the works that, in the movie, come from Abdul-Mateen’s character.

Those same artists are part of a #TellEveryone social impact initiative, details of which can be found on the movie’s website. That initiative included a focus on Black artists, the history and importance of Black horror stories (a subject that got its own featurette) and more. Downloadable lesson-planning materials are offered on that page along with information on where to dive deeper and support related programs.

Anyone brave enough to take the challenge to say Candyman’s name five times online unlocked an exclusive, creepy filter that added swarming bees to their selfies.

Abdul-Mateen and Parris were part of an exclusive video interview from AMC Theaters.

An exclusive Fandango clip expands on a scene glimpsed in the trailer, of a bunch of teenage girls making the mistake of summoning the killing spirit.

One last TV spot includes not just footage from the film but also comments from the cast and crew, who name aspects of the story and the urban legend behind it to demonstrate its power.

Parris discussed the film when she appeared on “Late Night.”

overall

One of the issues the campaign has frequently worked to overcome is that, because of Peele’s involvement, he sometimes overshadows DaCosta. But the featurettes and other elements make sure to include her as often as they do him to make sure she gets as much attention as she deserves as the film’s director.

Other than that, Universal and the filmmakers have taken pains to make sure that this is positioned as more than just another sequel to a classic horror film. Instead it’s touted as a cultural event, part of a long legacy of urban legend building as well as a reflection (if you’ll pardon the term) of society and the trauma it inflicts on Black citizens.

Despite that, your reaction to the marketing will likely be dependent on your taste for horror films in general. Some will work past their aversion because the campaign promises a deeper story while others will pass because it’s just not their genre of choice.

Us – Marketing Recap

You can read my full review of the marketing campaign for Jordan Peele’s Us at The Hollywood Reporter.

Online and Social

Not much of note on the movie’s official website aside from the standard content on a page that uses Universal’s default design template. Links are there to the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles, but there’s a missed opportunity here for some kind of “Meet Your Other Self” kind of feature that offers some skewed version of a visitor who uploads a photo or takes a quiz.

Media and Publicity

EW’s 2019 preview issue in December of last year featured a first look still from the movie along with comments from Peele about how he wanted to tell a monster story. Later on Duke was interviewed about this and other recent projects, careful not to say too much about the secretive story.

A couple months before the movie came out a trailer was released for Noire, a documentary about the history of black horror films that featured Peele, very much in line with the brand he’s developed. The director was the subject of a Rolling Stone cover story profile where he talked about this movie specifically along with what kind of stories influenced it and him and how he has seized control of his career.

Blum spoke about how Peele had upped the scare quotient since his first movie.

Around the time the movie was premiering at SXSW it was featured as the cover story on Fangoria featuring an interview with Peele conducted by director Paul Thomas Anderson. The movie’s screening there was accompanied by interviews with Peele and the cast about the racial identity issues raised by the story and comments from the writer/director about how he accepted a smaller budget in exchange for the freedom to tell the story he wanted and how he was gratified by the positive comments people had in response while also making the story’s political themes clear.

Duke was profiled about how the movie is the next step in an unconventional and often frustrating career. He also showed up on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to talk about the film and his character.

Two new tracks from the movie’s soundtrack were offered alongside an interview with the score’s composer. The efforts of the production team were also put in the spotlight as they talked about how they created parallel characters to enhance the story.

Nyong’o appeared on a special edition of “The Daily Show” to talk about the fan art that was created. The interview was obviously a bit – possibly a paid one – and comes off as a riff on “Between Two Ferns” in how host Trevor Noah is making the actress uncomfortable and acting kind of rude and clueless. She was also the subject of two profiles about how powerful and influential she’s become in the last couple years and appeared on “The Late Show.” She later spoke about the challenge of playing two versions of the same character.

Peele continued his press tour to talk about the influences that powered the movie and what scared him as a kid well as the pressure he felt in the wake of Get Out to not be seen as a one-hit fluke. Duke also showed up on the talk shows to talk about filming. There was also an interview he did where he talked about the symbolism of the scissors that can be seen so prominently in the marketing as well as what messages he wanted audiences to take away from the film.

Overall

us movie gif1

Picking Up the Spare

There were continued profiles of the main cast in the press, including both Evan Alex on his own and one with him and Shahadi Wright Joseph.

Duke was also the subject of quite a few additional profiles and interviews.