Hollywood In Pixels “Best of the Decade” Digital Campaigns List
A look at the most memorable, buzzy digital campaigns from 2010–2019
As we enter into a new decade, we’ve noticed that there are so many “Best of the Decade” lists out there. Not to be left out, we think we deserve our own Best of the Decade digital campaign list. So we reached out to some Friends of HIP to help us come up with the most memorable, most talked about campaigns of the decade. Shout out to those of you who helped compile this list- you know who you are and we love ya’. However we know we’re missing some so this list is certainly not exhaustive! Tell us in the comments if you have others you think should be on the list and why. We may just add your faves to this list.
Here’s to the Roaring ‘20s! Can’t wait to see what history is made over the next 10 years!
Happy New Year!
Your friends at HIP
THE A-TEAM
20th Century Fox
June 13, 2010
To promote the upcoming A-Team movie, Fox and Google developed a Drive The A-Team Van game inside Google Earth, where fans could commandeer the iconic A-Team vehicle. The game unlocked extra video clips in the film as fans drove at breakneck speeds and crashed into buildings.
More info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ybJjN6dhTI
https://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2010/05/drive_the_a-team_van_in_google_eart.html
THE EXPENDABLES
Lionsgate
August 13, 2010
A truly memorable full page YouTube page takeover! Sly Stallone takes on bad guy after bad guy until the page is shot to hell. You must remember this. We were all talking about it.
More info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDkL4da4WdQ
https://www.tubefilter.com/2010/08/10/the-expendables-sylvester-stallone-takeover-youtube/
THE LAST EXORCISM
Lionsgate
August 27, 2010
Back when Chatroulette was a thing, this campaign created a never-before-seen viral execution which put this film on the map with massive online buzz. A young girl starts to unbutton her top and then suddenly you’re face-to-virtual-face with a monster.
More info:
https://mashable.com/2010/08/19/last-exorcism-viral/
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Sony
October 1, 2010
Because you don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies. This movie really put the power of social media on the map for studio executives. And the studio did an entire marketing campaign without advertising on Facebook.
More info:
https://christhilk.com/2010/09/28/movie-marketing-madness-the-social-network/
SUPER 8
Paramount Pictures
June 9, 2011
The trailer kicked off a viral campaign when fans uncovered a hidden message, “Scariest Thing I Ever Saw,” in the final frames of the trailer. The message led to www.scariestthingieversaw.com where fans found clues about the film plot, and could connect to an intricate alternative reality game which included sites like www.rocketpoppeteers.com, a fictional popsicle brand that was part of the film presence at San Diego Comic-Con that year. The editing room feature of the official Super 8 website challenged users to find various clips from around the web and piece them together.
More info:
http://adamhcohen.com/down-the-rabbit-hole-super-8s-complex-viral-campaign/
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
20th Century Fox
August 5, 2011
To reboot this classic sci-fi franchise, 20th Century Fox created a series of videos showing chimps and apes doing unexpected and human-like activities, like firing machine guns and playing video games. All was presented as “research videos” that had been collected on primates. Additionally, an iPhone app pitted humans against apes to see who could remember more number sequences. Spoiler alert: the apes in this universe are smarter than humans.
More info:
https://www.slashfilm.com/rise-planet-apes-viral-videos/
THE MUPPET MOVIE
Disney
November 23, 2011
In 2011 The Muppets not only discovered social, they were all the rage on social. From the Fan-A-Thon on Facebook, viral videos including an inspired cover of Bohemian Rhapsody, and a deliciously snarky Twitter handle manned by Statler & Waldorf, there’s no wonder why we couldn’t get enough of The Muppets in 2011.
More info:
https://mashable.com/2011/11/20/muppets-social-campaign/
THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY
Lionsgate
First film released on March 23, 2012
Sequels followed on November 22, 2013, November 21, 2014, and
November 20, 2015
THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY re-wrote the book on creating digital in-world websites, digital magazines, videos and other content pieces. Kudos to the team at Lionsgate for amping up the campaign, keeping us fans engaged and connected throughout all 4 years.
More info:
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/business/media/how-hunger-games-built-up-must-see-fever.html
https://www.fastcompany.com/1680467/inside-the-hunger-games-social-media-machine
PROMETHEUS
20th Century Fox
June 8, 2012
Two videos brought the Prometheus world to life for fans, giving them plenty to speculate about the plot of the film. The first, a TED video set in the future given by Weyland Industries’ head Peter Weyland. The second was a glimpse at the robot David, who could sense emotions (but does not have emotions himself). Coupled with an in-world website, the buzz was high for this Ridley Scott-directed film.
TED
Universal Studios
June 29, 2012
The film’s writers came on board to give Ted a voice in the real world before anyone saw the film. The digital team leveraged the growing social media platforms to bring Ted’s character to life. Ted’s first tweet https://twitter.com/WhatTedSaid/status/185966421145157632 on 3/30/12 was retweeted by Seth McFarlane, and quickly garnered over 600K followers. Ted also had a Facebook page (@TedisReal) which had almost 10 million fans as well as his own tumblr blog.
https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2012/10/26/film-marketing-ted-pitch-perfect.html
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Warner Bros.
July 20, 2012
The digital campaign for the final film in the Christopher Nolan DARK KNIGHT trilogy just may still be the biggest digital-to-real-world stunt ever. The 14 month campaign across social and in-world websites crescendoed into a stunt that sent fans scurrying across cities around the world in search of 300 different instances of stunning street graffiti to photograph and submit to unlock the final trailer.
More info:
https://theweek.com/articles/475973/dark-knight-rises-awesomely-complex-viral-marketing-campaign
https://www.fastcompany.com/1680717/dark-knight-rises-digital-campaign-takes-flight
https://mashable.com/2012/04/30/the-dark-knight-rises-trailer-2/
PITCH PERFECT
Universal Studios
September 28, 2012
When early screenings showed that the movie was overwhelmingly enjoyed by teens, custom programs were built with partners like ABC Family, YouTube, BuzzMedia and other outlets where teen girls lived online. Before apps like TikTok made it easy for teens to broadcast their own videos, fans were invited to participate in an original version of Starships with the Pitch Perfect cast, orchestrated by YouTube sensation Mike Tompkins. We are still singing along!
More Info:
https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2012/10/26/film-marketing-ted-pitch-perfect.html
CARRIE
Sony
October 18, 2013
Sony scared the bejezus out of unsuspecting customers at a NYC coffeehouse for their prankvertising stunt to build awareness for this remake of the iconic Stephen King horror film.
More info:
https://www.businessinsider.com/carrie-marketing-stunt-pranks-people-2013-10
FROZEN
Disney
November 27, 2013
The sheer number of YouTube videos, both official and fan-made, was astounding. By the end of 2013, we were all singing “Let It Go.”
More info:
https://www.businessinsider.com/disneys-frozen-marketing-and-online-singalongs-2014-10
ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
Paramount Pictures
December 20, 2013
So. Much. Content. 70 videos on YouTube (no mention of the film) coupled with Ron Burgundy appearances around the world reminded fans that Ron was the man.
More info:
https://econsultancy.com/what-anchorman-2-taught-us-about-content-marketing/
https://variety.com/2013/digital/news/anchorman-viral-marketing-1200944986/
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
20th Century Fox
December 25, 2013
It started with an email to film director and vlogger Casey Neistat that said, “Dear Casey, Fox is releasing a new movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. We want to run a campaign under the concept, ‘Live Your Dreams. The collective theme behind this initiative is to motivate, inspire and give people a catalyst to do something they’ve never done. We’d like to know if you’d be interested in creating a video about living your dreams.”
Neistat received it shortly after Typhon Haiyan struck the Philippines. He responded: “Here’s my concept. Give me a budget, I’ll go to the Philippines and spend every penny helping people in need.” Which is what he did. What followed was a poignant and engaging short film that created massive publicity coverage, and truly embodied the theme of “Live Your Dreams.”
More info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU7rhVub0rU
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/casey-neistat-philippines-fox-walter-mitty-promo_n_4460510
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/walter-mitty-promo-spends-25000-666136
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
20th Century Fox
June 6, 2014
John Green, the author of the book on which the film is based, is an internet celebrity with an engaged and loyal fanbase. 20th Century Fox turned his fan base into a word-of-mouth army by putting on #LittleInfinities screenings around the world weeks before the film’s release date, who in turn took to social media to spread their love for the film. Okay? Okay.
More info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VH_lfxXras
INTERSTELLAR
Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros.
October 26, 2014
As Christopher Nolan doubled down on film stock (the entire movie was shot on 35 and 70mm film) the folks at Paramount and Google doubled down to bring an interactive feature to life for fans.The Interstellar Space Hub brought content to life across the Google portfolio of properties. There was even a function to purchase tickets. Fans who saw INTERSTELLAR were invited back to the hub to give their feedback on the film.
More info:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/google-promotes-christopher-nolans-interstellar-738067
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
Disney
Dec 18, 2015
Relaunching Star Wars for a new generation was a tall order. With JJ Abrams taking the helm, there was much anticipation for the film, but Star Wars fans are active and demand attention. Disney leaned into their digital audience with curated content moments amplified on digital and traditional channels. The team at Disney also launched the first-to-market 360 video on Facebook and a #ChooseYourSide campaign on Google, which allowed fans to change their YouTube player and other Google properties to show off their affinity for the Light or Dark side of the Force.
More info:
https://christhilk.com/2015/12/16/movie-marketing-madness-star-wars-the-force-awakens/
DEADPOOL
20th Century Fox
12 February 2016
Arguably the coolest viral video content of any movie…ever. Every single contributor to this list had Deadpool at or near the top of their submissions. Dare we say this was the campaign of the decade? Whether we do or not, the marketers behind the Deadpool digital campaign, which included Ryan Reynolds himself, were clearly having a good ol’ time breaking the 4th wall over and over again. Plus, any campaign that features Betty White is a winner in our minds. From viral videos, to an emoji keyboard, to an incredibly crass, irreverent, and balls out genius social campaign- the merc with a mouth won the Interwebs in 2016. 💀💩L
More info:
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/07/deadpools-secret-weapon-a-viral-social-media-campaign.html
https://www.wired.com/2016/02/deadpool-marketing/
SAUSAGE PARTY
Sony
August 12, 2016
Seth Rogen’s game-changing animation movie had so much edgy digital content and was one of the most shared social content in the history of the studio. It was also the studio’s largest digital campaign up to that point.
More info:
https://variety.com/2016/film/box-office/sausage-party-seth-rogen-digital-1201837177/
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Warner Bros.
November 18, 2016
Returning to the Wizarding World was never more exciting than when Google was brought on board to partner with the film for a massive digital and physical presence across Maps, Messenger and the brand new Daydream platform where an immersive VR experience was built to allow users an up-close view at the Beasts inside Neet’s case. Add in a massive custom emoji campaign with exclusive content being dropped on Twitter and sprinkle in a stunning Amazon takeover and you have all the magical ingredients for one of the decade’s best campaigns.
BABY DRIVER
Sony
June 21, 2017
Sony leveraged every tool imaginable to bring new IP to life. A huge early-screening program built online word of mouth. And Sony was an early adopter of re-formatting the trailer for a mobile environment, both square and 9x16 renderings, recut with bumpers. This helped the film capture attention and stand out in a mobile world.
IT
Warner Bros.
September 5, 2017
In addition to leaning into the iconic imagery to make red balloons trend on Twitter, to reboot Stephen King’s best known terrifying clown the team at WB held back on full looks of Pennywise through the campaign teasing and terrifying us along the way. To amp up the terror the team at Warner Bros developed a thrilling VR experience called “IT: FLOAT” and took the terror on the road with a custom Derry schoolbus around the country as well as opening the jaw-dropping Neibolt House on the corner of Hollywood & Vine to become the Instagram moment of the season.
More info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHUErvVAeIw
https://cinematicslant.com/2017/09/06/it-movie-marketing/
BLACK PANTHER
Disney
January 29, 2018
The team at Disney earns this spot on our best of list for their bold, unwavering application of cultural marketing. From the reveal of the Afrofuturistic world of Wakanda, the culturally appropriate social campaign, the embrace of #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe — Disney clearly understood the importance of this game-changing film, and embraced it for all that was important and meaningful.
https://platformmagazine.org/2018/04/25/social-media-success-story-black-panther/
https://comicbook.com/marvel/2018/02/07/the-best-what-black-panther-means-to-me-tweets/
A QUIET PLACE
Paramount Pictures
April 6, 2018
The team at Paramount must have known they had something special. Their brilliant creative that played on the typically “sound-off” environment of mobile to enhance the suspense of a movie-world where noise is the enemy was pure genius. Can’t wait for A QUIET PLACE 2!
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
Warner Bros.
August 7, 2018
Kudos to the team at WB for going all out on social to build a pop-culture moment. The CRA campaign was brilliant, building community and ambassadorship for the first all-Asian film since THE JOY LUCK CLUB. We were in love before we even saw the movie!
More info:
https://digitalmediamanagement.com/work/crazy-rich-asians-movie-social-media-campaign/
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-warner-bros-used-facebook-and-instagram-to-strategically-market-crazy-rich-asians/ (subscription may be required)
CAPTAIN MARVEL
Disney
March 8, 2019
To promote the first female-led Marvel film, Disney created a site that harkened back to the glory days of Geocities and 14.4 mbs Internet connections. Took us right back to 1995 - we could almost hear the hiss of the modem connecting. Such a clever way to stand out. Extra credit for the faux Real Player, appropriately renamed the Kree Player.
