The best movie marketing campaigns of recent years win by giving audiences something to touch, play with or join, not just watch. This shortlist sorts well-known campaigns by tactic so each contribution is easy to see.
For wider release coverage, see our movie news. Pick a tactic below by what a film needs: a street moment, a tie-in partner, a social voice or a place fans can visit.
- Need a shareable image: physical outdoor stunts and fan installations.
- Need reach through partners: tie-ins and brand deals.
- Need conversation online: platform-native jokes and in-character pages.
Outdoor advertising: the sweating billboards for EXTRACTION 2
Netflix built billboards for EXTRACTION 2 that simulate Chris Hemsworth sweating, according to Smart House Creative’s round-up of 2023 film marketing. The billboards sat on a sidewalk, so passersby could touch the “sweat” and take selfies.
This is outdoor advertising that doubles as a photo prop. A standard poster is seen and forgotten. A billboard people touch gives them a reason to photograph it and post it, which carries the campaign past the street itself.
Who it suits: action or spectacle films with a star face and a clear physical hook. Limits: the effect depends on foot traffic at a handful of sites. The stunt is worth little without the social posts that follow, so it works best paired with a hashtag or a shareable moment.
Tie-in promotions: Barbie’s Airbnb Dream House and collectible containers
Tie-in promotions work by attaching a film to a product, place or service that already has its own audience. The partner gets film-driven attention, and the film gets visibility in a setting outside cinema advertising.
The clearest example from 2023 is Barbie. Smart House Creative lists the Barbie’s Malibu Dream House made available on Airbnb, with a Ken-themed makeover, as the biggest Barbie campaign element. The tie-in turned a film prop into a place people could imagine booking, so the news reached travel and lifestyle audiences as well as film fans.
Limited-edition cinema containers
The same round-up notes that limited-edition themed popcorn and soda containers at various theaters became a collectible promotion trend in 2023, continuing with Ghostbusters: Afterlife. These suit family and fan-franchise releases, where owning the item matters. The container sells the film at the exact moment someone is already buying a ticket.
Limits: a tie-in is only as strong as the fit between the partner and the film. A product that feels bolted on earns little attention. The Barbie pairing worked because a house is part of the Barbie world.
Platform-native stunts: Letterboxd, memes and a fictional LinkedIn page
These campaigns use the habits of a particular platform. They suit films whose audiences already spend time there, and they lean on creativity rather than physical construction.
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning on Letterboxd
Per Smart House Creative, saving a review on Letterboxd triggered a secret message from the IMF, complete with a self-destruct countdown. It reaches the film’s most engaged viewers, people who log and review films, at the point where they are talking about it. The cost is low reach: only users of the platform see it.
Cocaine Bear and the meme feed
Cocaine Bear’s marketing relied on social trends: viral TikTok trends, Instagram memes and tweets written in the bear’s voice, as the same round-up describes. This suits a film with a self-aware, absurd premise, where the joke is the product. It is a poor fit for a tone-sensitive drama, where memes could cut against the film.
Beau Is Afraid and MW Industries
A24 created a LinkedIn page for a fictional company, MW Industries, with posts about plot developments. It is a narrow, deadpan tactic that rewards viewers who notice it, and it fits a film built on unease and odd corporate settings. It will not sell a broad audience on its own, so treat it as a fan-facing layer.
Experiential marketing: a screening room built from an ark
The Arc of Oblivion converted a documentary’s ark structure into a 24-person screening room where the film was screened for the public, with August screenings and live music, according to Smart House Creative. The small capacity is the point: a place people visit and talk about, not a mass-reach buy.
Who it suits: documentaries and independent films whose audiences value atmosphere and word of mouth. Limits: a small room reaches few people directly, so the coverage and photos it generates carry most of the benefit.
Brand partnerships and product placement: Spider-Man and Wicked
Product placement puts a brand inside the film itself, while a partnership extends the relationship outside it. Social Samosa reports that brands from multiple categories partnered with Spider-Man: Brand New Day through in-film placements, digital campaigns, games, limited-edition products, food offers and fan experiences.
That spread shows how a franchise film can offer a partner several routes, from a quick screen appearance to a product sold in shops. For a brand the in-film appearance is visible but brief, so the outside activity does most of the work.
Wicked: For Good and fan-led collaboration
Social Samosa also covered the sequel’s fan-driven, collaboration-heavy marketing, in a piece dated 21 Nov 2025. The takeaway is a different balance: collaboration builds on enthusiasm already in the audience rather than creating it. It suits a sequel with an established fan base.
Comparing the tactics at a glance
| Campaign | Tactic | What it contributes | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTRACTION 2 | Interactive sweating billboards | A touchable street moment and selfies | Suits star-led spectacle with a few high-traffic sites |
| Barbie | Malibu Dream House on Airbnb | Reach into travel and lifestyle audiences | Choose a partner that fits the film’s world |
| Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning | Letterboxd review message | Engagement among dedicated film fans | Reaches a narrow, engaged group |
| Cocaine Bear | TikTok trends, memes, in-character tweets | Humour that spreads with the premise | Needs a premise that suits jokes |
| Beau Is Afraid | Fictional MW Industries LinkedIn page | A hidden layer for observant fans | Fan-facing support, not mass reach |
| The Arc of Oblivion | 24-person screening room | A visit-worthy place and live music | Small capacity, coverage-driven value |
| Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Multi-category brand partnerships | Placements, products, food offers, games | Suits franchise films with partner demand |
Campaign details in the table come from Smart House Creative and Social Samosa.
How studios promote movies and what a press tour adds
Studios usually combine several of these tactics rather than relying on one. Posters and trailers set the baseline, stunts and partnerships create moments, and publicity brings the film into the press.
A press tour is the publicity layer: cast and filmmakers sit down for interviews on talk shows, with journalists and with online outlets, so the film is discussed in many places at once. It suits films that rely on star appeal or personalities, and it is less distinctive than a stunt because most major releases have one.
Marketing costs vary with the tactic. A fabricated billboard or a built screening room needs materials and sites, while a meme account or a fictional LinkedIn page runs on existing platforms. Weigh that difference when judging which campaigns are practical to copy. Interest only counts when it becomes sales, so compare any buzz with the average movie ticket price and with box office predictions this weekend to see how it might translate.
Decision checklist for choosing a tactic
- Identify the audience. Dedicated fans suit Letterboxd-style or LinkedIn-style hidden layers, while broad audiences need street or partner reach.
- Match the tone. Use memes only if the film’s tone can carry them.
- Look for a physical hook. A touchable or visitable element, like the sweating billboard or the screening room, gives people something to photograph.
- Test the partner fit. A tie-in should belong in the film’s world, as the Dream House did for Barbie.
- Layer, don’t rely on one. Pair a stunt with publicity and social sharing so its reach extends beyond the site.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movie marketing campaigns?
Campaigns that gave audiences an action, such as Barbie’s Airbnb Dream House, EXTRACTION 2’s sweating billboards and the Mission: Impossible Letterboxd message, are the most widely cited in the round-ups. Which is best depends on the film and its audience.
How do tie-in promotions work?
A film is linked to a partner’s product or space, such as a rental listing, themed cinema containers or Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s food offers and limited-edition products. The partner gains attention and the film gains exposure outside advertising.
What is the difference between product placement and a tie-in?
Product placement puts a brand inside the film. A tie-in or partnership works outside it, through products, offers, games or experiences. Spider-Man: Brand New Day used both.
Do small films use these tactics too?
Yes. The Arc of Oblivion’s small screening room and A24’s fictional LinkedIn page for Beau Is Afraid show how modest, inventive ideas can create attention without a large partner.