Source: AFP
From cameos in K-pop videos to cooking chimichangas with celebrity chefs, movie stars like Ryan Reynolds are trying increasingly unorthodox stunts to reach fragmented Gen-Z audiences, according to Disney’s marketing chief.
The giant Hollywood studio is enjoying a blockbuster summer, with the irreverent superhero flick “Deadpool & Wolverine” becoming its latest film to surpass $1 billion at the global box office this weekend.
Speaking at Disney’s D23 fan conference on Saturday, brand chief Asad Ayaz attributed much of this breakout success to stars Reynolds and Hugh Jackman pushing the boundaries of traditional marketing.
The A-listers appeared in character for Korean pop sensation Stray Kids’ “Chk Chk Book” music video and took part in a YouTube cooking competition with Gordon Ramsay and his 22-year-old daughter.
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They’ve also taken their world tour to a European Championship soccer match in Germany, a chicken shop in London (for a popular sketch comedy web series) and immersed themselves in a water balloon festival.
“We were very lucky and fortunate to have talent … who are willing to do things that sometimes actors don’t want to do, like doing things in character,” Ayaz told AFP.
Gen Z, who are roughly 12-27 years old, have been particularly hard to reach in Hollywood and movie theaters in recent years, setting off alarm bells in the industry.
But the unusual stunts “cut through” to young viewers who pay more attention to their phones, social media, YouTube influencers and video game ads than traditional TV commercials or movie trailers, Ayaz said.
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Much of the focus is on creating off-the-wall content that goes viral quickly.
A highly suggestive popcorn bucket for the film, purportedly “designed” by Reynolds’ implied Deadpool character, set out to – and succeeded – go viral worldwide.
Reynolds and Jackman also filmed a pre-film message warning viewers to turn off their cellphones – in character like their wise-cracking superhero characters.
“Put your phone on silent,” growls Jackman’s aggressive Wolverine in a menacing threat to the camera that has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube.
“This was an example of us producing unique content with Ryan and Hugh … in full costume,” Ayaz said.
Marketing ready for memes
“Deadpool and Wolverine” was particularly suited to the gonzo approach because the Deadpool character repeatedly speaks directly to the audience throughout the film.
Reynolds’ no-nonsense hero frequently pokes fun at parent company Disney and even makes jokes about “saving” Marvel’s superhero franchise, which has endured a relatively innocent few years.
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But the out-of-the-box approach is becoming more and more common.
Last year, rival studio Warner built a real-life “Malibu DreamHouse” to promote “Barbie,” which went viral after it was listed for rent on Airbnb.
Another recent Disney blockbuster, “Inside Out 2,” deals with topics such as anxiety and depression, which are topics frequently discussed by Gen Z online.
Analysts have warned that many widely shared movie memes include pirated footage or clips filmed illegally by audience members in cinemas.
But Disney made custom clips and digital toolkits for “Inside Out 2” available to TikTok and YouTube creators, who quickly spread memes about the film, Ayaz said.
“This is an audience that is very much on their devices. Their media consumption is very different” than older generations, he said.
“Making sure we’re on the platforms that Gen Z spends the most time on” is key, Ayaz added.
Source: AFP
