Netflix ads promoting The Gray Man are seen in front of a joint announcement at San Diego Comic-Con, in San Diego, California, U.S., July 22, 2022. REUTERS/Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES, July 28 (Reuters) – The Gray Man has his own emoji, he’s jumped on 3D screens from Krakow to Seoul, and he’s battled villains in more than 1,000 TV commercials.
Netflix Inc ( NFLX.O ) launched one of its biggest marketing campaigns to make sure audiences around the world know that Ryan Gosling is established in “The Gray Man,” the company’s biggest movie of the summer.
The streaming service has begun increasing advertising for its biggest titles as part of the roughly $2.5 billion it spends annually on marketing, said Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer. , in an interview.
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“We want the conversation out there about Netflix shows and movies,” Lee said. To see also : The best Netflix documentaries you can’t miss.
Netflix has lost more than 1 million subscribers this year and its shares have fallen 62%. Co-Chief Executive Reed Hastings said the company is working to improve on all fronts, including marketing. Netflix remains the largest streaming service in the world with nearly 221 million subscribers.
“The Gray Man” was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the brothers behind “Avengers: Endgame” and other blockbusters from Walt Disney Co’s ( DIS.N ) Marvel Studios, which usually spend $150 million or more to film marketing. The Russos told Netflix they wanted the company to make a big splash with “The Gray Man.”
“We tend to make films of a special scale that require a large base for release, a larger distribution. And they are game for it,” said Joe Russo.
More than 100 “Gray Man” TV commercials have aired worldwide during sporting events from the Monaco Grand Prix to the NBA Finals and shows like “Big Brother ” and “The Bachelorette.”
The three-dimensional billboards, which appeared to explode, lit up New York’s Time Square and cities around the world including Seoul, Krakow, Tokyo and Las Vegas. .
“We’re trying to make sure we’re doing special ads that connect with the audience for that movie or show,” Lee said.
On social media, the usual emojis of Sierra Six (Gosling) and nemesis Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) were created for Twitter. The Russos spoke with activists on TikTok, attracting more than 1.1 million views.
At San Diego Comic-Con, the annual pop culture celebration, Netflix set up an impromptu tram car for a “Gray Man” screening. . The visitors managed to escape from the car and ran on the roof of the tram. They left with a video of their bravery for easy sharing on social media.
“The Gray Man” recorded 88.6 million hours watched last weekend, ranking as the fifth-highest premiere movie on the streaming service. spread. This weekend is the most watched Netflix movie in 84 countries. The company ordered a series and an additional series read more.
Before hitting Netflix, “The Gray Man” played exclusively for one week in 1,500 theaters worldwide. Although the ads mentioned the game’s role model, “We weren’t trying to drive people to the theaters,” Lee said. “Obviously we tried to focus on the Netflix premiere.”
The rate of Netflix advertising in the future will be based on the size of the movie or series, Lee said. Other Netflix movies that will see a lot of power include the “Knives Out” sequel, the young adult title “The School for Good and Evil” and “Slumberland” starring Jason Momoa.
Lee did not disclose how much money Netflix spent to promote “The Gray Man,” but said it was less than what the studios were spending. culture that heralds a blockbuster movie.
Netflix has more brands to promote than other studios, Lee said, and he said its promotional efforts are boosted by the company’s algorithm. audience oriented advice.
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“Those two things really work together,” Lee said. Read also : Ann Arbor’s New Company Creates Personalized Travel Guides.
Lisa Richwine reports; Edited by Stephen Coates
