Nolan’s Dunkirk is already a success and a shining example of marketing done right
Cinema never had a shortage of war movies, especially on the topic of the Second World War. Christopher Nolan’s historical venture seemed to be an interesting addition to the bunch since his flair for noir drama was demonstrated time and time again during his career. However, as Dunkirk launched this weekend, it garnered $50.5 million surpassing all expectations for a British war film in the middle of summer.
The Marketing Strategy Focused on a Different Aspect of Dunkirk
That is not to say that the marketing campaign was misleading. What is interesting to notice is that the campaign focused on the feeling that the film evokes. A heart-wrenching drama wrapped in a thriller and not strictly a period war film. The strategy was to link the title with the action that would captivate the audiences.
Moreover, to express the scope of the movie, the trailer was played only in IMAX theaters and was not made available in other formats. The trailer couldn’t be found online. In addition, short spots featuring events from the movie were played during the NCAA Final Four game. What producers wanted to do was to bring the movie to a large audience from the get go and not leave it at the status of a festival film.
On social media, the campaign focused on the importance of Dunkirk with well-edited infographics and short stories. It also challenged the audiences to participate and unlock special content that would reveal more of Nolan’s vision.
Nolan’s Name Plays a Big Role As Well
It would be foolish to say that the marketing strategy was so good and pervasive that the name doesn’t matter. Nolan’s certainly established a standard when it comes to film making. Of course, his name attached to a project will always attract attention. It’s has been viewed as a brand since The Dark Knight trilogy skyrocketed him into cinema history.
Nolan’s previous movie, Interstellar, made $47 million plus during the opening weekend. With how Dunkirk fares as of now, it is sure it will surpass his cosmos epic.
Image source: Youtube.
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