How to Market a Film: 2025 Style

As it turns out, those videos that play at the movie theater before the real show starts used to actually have some significance. Kidding, but only sort of. Because let's be honest. When's the last time you heard about a movie solely from seeing the trailer in cinemas? 30 years ago, in a time that historians are calling "the analog era" (meaning a pre-internet time), studios relied on having a killer trailer, poster, or even radio ad. Now, instead of waiting for the lights to dim at the theater, we find out about movies through TikTok edits, influencer posts, and even themed Starbucks drinks. Studios aren’t just making trailers anymore—they’re making cultural events. Yes, social media presence is important, but everybody has an Instagram account these days, heck, even dogs have 'em. If a film wants to be successful in this climate, it's gotta make cultural impact.

All Press Is Good Press?

Now, I didn't say it had to be a Nobel Prize-winning impact, did I? Today, box office success often lies in the ironic why behind the attention it receives. In recent years, it's often the viral anecdote – the kind that lands the film on an SNL Weekend Update as the butt of the joke – that really brings a crowd to the cinema.

Take for example the Dune Part 2 popcorn bucket. Remember her? Achieving notoriety via its... interesting shape. Whether the flesh-like comparison was intentional or not, it drew a massive crowd. The film rang in $82.5 million in the U.S on opening weekend, entirely doubling its predecessor, Dune, 2021. To be clear, I am in no way saying this film didn't deserve its success —it's a highly decorated movie with two Academy Awards and a BAFTA (all well deserved). But it goes without saying that because of its viral moment, the film reached a much wider audience.

Another internet sensation from a recent film was the M3gan doll dance on TikTok. When the scene first began to circulate online, it was initially met with confusion. Then, people started recreating the sinister (and seemingly out of place for a horror film) dance. It blew up on TikTok and even got its own moment on The Tonight Show. Keep in mind this was a film that was relatively low budget, expecting only to bring in 17 million at the box office, instead it brought in 30.2 million in the U.S and 181.8 million worldwide. With its level of success, the film was then immediately green lit for a sequel. It was a viral trend, of all things, caused by some mild cringiness and confusion, that catapulted this movie's success globally!

So do some films just get lucky? It seems like oftentimes, if a studio can get fortunate enough to be an internet meme, they've struck a gold mine. Speaking of the mines, don't even get me started on the highest-grossing film of the year, A Minecraft Movie. With a script so campy and predictable my Snapchat AI couldn't do it justice. The dialogue in the movie became famous for being... so horrible. Yet, it grossed $423.8 million domestically. Still to this day, you have people cheering for CHICKEN JOC– no I'm sorry, I couldn't stomach typing the rest of that.

The Art of the Hype

So what are studios intentionality doing to market their films. Well like we said, it's more than just social media, anyone can do that. What's working really well is films that are causing cultural phenomenoms. Take for instance, Barbie painting the world pink! From brand collaborations with everything from Crocs to Airbnb’s “Barbie DreamHouse,” to pink billboards, pink outfits, and even pink food, Warner Bros. made sure the film was everywhere before it even hit theaters. It wasn’t just a movie; it became a full-blown aesthetic.

In a similar vein, there’s Wicked, which has already started to dominate online spaces with its “Wicked green” branding and viral set photos. Universal has leaned into the film’s visual identity — using bright emerald tones, limited-edition makeup lines, and fashion partnerships — to make it feel like an event you have to be part of. Product placement and color branding are no longer side elements of marketing; they’re part of the story itself, making audiences feel like they’re stepping into these worlds before they’ve even seen the first scene.

Something truly unique and effective we saw in 2024 was the genius marketing of the horror sequel Smile 2. The studio hired actors to stand motionless with an unnaturally wide, fixed smile directed towards the cameras at major league baseball games. Some even wore brightly colored tshirts that just said "SMILE" on them. This made national news, people didn't know if they were looking at a cult or if perhaps they had traveled into the world of Smile! This film, with a budget of only 7 million dollars, made $217 million globally. It’s a perfect example of how modern marketing thrives on spectacle and participation. Instead of relying solely on ads or social media campaigns, Smile 2 turned real life into part of its story. We became the ones spreading the buzz, sharing clips and reactions online — doing the marketing for the studio (rats, yet another day of me doing work that a studio head is getting paid for). It shows that in today’s film landscape, the most successful campaigns aren’t just selling a movie; they’re creating an experience that blurs the line between the screen and the world around us.

So yeah, trailers still matter—but it’s not the two-minute preview before the movie that sells tickets anymore. It’s the meme, the color scheme, the viral moment that makes people feel like they’ll miss out if they don’t see it. Whether it’s a pink dreamhouse, a creepy smile at a baseball game, or a popcorn bucket shaped like… whatever that was, studios have figured out that the best way to market a movie: turn it into a moment you can’t escape.