2. INTRODUCTION
• THE MAIN CONCEPT BEHIND THE CHARACTER OF DEADPOOL IS HIS ”META’ HUMOUR AND EXTENSIVE
REFERENCES TO POP CULTURE AND OTHER SUCH THINGS.
• THE CHARACTER IS KNOWN FOR BEING SELF-AWARE WITHIN ANYTHING THAT HE APPEARS IN, OFTEN
KNOWING THAT HE IS IN A COMIC OR IN THIS CASE, A MOVIE, WHICH OPENS UP SOME INTERESTING
MARKETING POSSIBILITIES THAT 20TH CENTURY FOX CERTAINLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF.
• THIS ALSO ALLOWED FOX TO DIRECTLY INVOLVE THE AUDIENCE IN DEADPOOL’S WORLD, ALLOWING FOR A
VERY INTERETING AD CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS WHAT FOLLOWED…
3. THE BEGINNING
• THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN BEGAN AROUND MARCH 2015, WHEN A FIRST LOOK AT THE CHARACTER’S
COSTUME WAS RELEASED. IT THEN CONTINUED ON THROUGH 2015’S COMIC-CON, RIGHT THROUGH TO
AUGUST OF THE SAME YEAR, WHEN THE FIRST TWO TEASER TRAILERS WERE RELEASED.
• DURING THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD OF THE SAME YEAR, A SHORT STREAK UNDER THE TITLE OF “12 DAY OF
DEADPOOL” WAS INTRODUCED, DURING WHICH FANS DISCOVERED BRAND NEW POSTERS, IMAGES AND
MINI-FEATURETTES. THIS PROVED THAT THE STUDIO HAD GOTTEN THE HANG OF THE HUMOUR THAT
AUDIENCES WERE EXPECTING FROM DEADPOOL BOTH AS A MOVIE AND A CHARACTER, WHICH ONLY
DROVE PEOPLE CLOSER AND THE ANTICIPATION GREW.
4. HALLOWEEN VIRAL VIDEO
• RELEASED BEFORE THE “12 DAYS OF DEADPOOL” FEATURE, THE SHORT VIRAL VIDEO DEPICTED DEADPOOL TO BE
MESSING WITH SOME CHILDREN DRESSED AS X-MEN (LIKELY TAKING A STAB AT THE ATUDIO ITSELF, AGAIN
PROVING ITS SELF-AWARENESS.
• THE HUMOUR IS VERY ‘HIGH BROW’ AND ADULT-LIKE , AND THE AUDIENCE SEEMS TO BE PRETTY MIXED WITH
THE MIXED VARIETY OF THE TYPES OF JOKES THAT ARE USED.
• THIS VIDEO MADE IT SEEM LIKE DEADPOOL IS AN ACTUAL PERSON IN THE REAL WORLD, AND THAT THIS WAS
GENUINE FOOTAGE OF HOW HE SPENT HIS HALLOWEEN BEFORE HIS GRAND MOVIE WAS RELEASED, WHICH
CREATED A SOMEWHAT IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR AUDIENCES AND ADDED POPULARITY TO THE FRANCHISE
THAT WAS ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED UPON THE WORLD.
5. COMIC-CON
• IN JANUARY OF 2016, MANY FANS ATTENDING THE NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES COMIC CONS WERE GREETED WITH A PLEASANT
SURPRISE.
• WHAT WAS PROMISED TO BE “FIRST LOOK FOOTAGE” WAS ACTUALLY A PLANNED EARLY SCREENING OF THE FILM, AS IT HAD
ALREADY WRAPPED UP PRODUCTION AND WAS READY FOR ITS FIRST SHOWCASE.
• THE CAST OF THE FILM WAS SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO SIMULTANEOUS EVENTS, WITH LEAD ACTOR RYAN REYNOLDS SHOWING UP IN
NEW YORK, AND THE DIRECTOR AND MAJORITY OF THE REST OF THE CAST WERE SENT TO LOS ANGELES (OF COURSE REYNOLDS HAD
NO TROUBLE ENTERTAINING THE FANS ON HIS OWN).
• THIS WAS A PLEASANT SURPRISE TO MANY FANS THAT ATTENDED THE EVENTS, AND IT WAS A RATHER UNIQUE MOVE ON FOX’S PART,
AS NOT OFTEN ARE EARLY SCREENINGS OF MOVIES PRESENTED AS SUCH SURPRISES.
• THIS ALSO LIKELY HELPED TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE MOVIE, AND POSITIVE OPINIONS EMERGED FROM MANY SATISFIED
FANS, WHICH ULTIMATELY PROPELLED THE MOVIE’S POPULARITY.
6. SUPER-BOWL
• MANY PEOPLE IN TODAY’S MODERN POP-CULTURE HAVE COME TO EXPECT THE ANNUAL AMERICAN FOOTBALL GAME KNOWN AS THE ‘SUPER-BOWL’ TO
BE A GREAT NESTING PLACE FOR TRAILERS AND FIRST LOOKS OF UPCOMING FILMS.
• THIS PROVED TO BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FOX TO INTRODUCE AN EVEN HIGHER AMOUNT OF VIEWERS TO THE MOVIE’S EXISTENCE. HOWEVER,
FOX DID NOT DECIDE TO HANDLE THIS OPPORTUNITY IN A GENERAL FASHION.
• WHILE THEY DID BUY OUT A TRAILER SLOT TO PLAY DURING THE COMMERCIAL BREAK (WHICH IS USUALLY THE LIMIT OF WHAT A STUDIO DOES) THEY
ALSO DECIDED TO ONCE AGAIN PLACE DEADPOOL WITHIN THE REAL UNIVERSE.
• THE DAY BEFORE THE SUPER-BOWL, RYAN REYNOLDS EMERGED NEXT TO THE STADIUM AS THE COMIC CHARACTER, AND SOLD HIS SIGNATURE SNACK
(CHIMICHANGAS) TO THE PUBLIC. THIS AGAIN PRESENTED THE CHARACTER AS REALLY EXISTING, IMMERSING AUDIENCES EVEN DEEPER INTO THE
FRANCHISE.
• HOWEVER THAT WAS NOT THE END OF THINGS WHEN IT CAME TO THE SUPER-BOWL. DURING THE ACTUAL GAME, RYAN WAS GIVEN FULL CONTROL OF
THE MOVIE’S SNAPCHAT ACCOUNT (AGAIN ADDING TO DEADPOOL’S REALISM) AND A SMALL STALL WAS SET UP NEARBY FOR MEET-AND-GREETS. THIS
WAS ONE OF MANY WAYS THAT THE ADVERTISING TEAM USED SOCIAL MEDIA TO ADVERTISE THE FILM.
7. TINDER
• ONE OF THE MORE COMEDIC ASPECTS OF THE MOVIE’S MARKETING
CAMPAIGN WAS THE CREATION OF DEADPOOL’S TINDER PROFILE.
• THE INCLUSION OF THIS CHARACTER ON THE POPULAR DATING SITE
AGAIN MADE HIM FEEL REAL, AND APPEALEDTO MANY AUDIENCES AS IT
WAS RELEVANT TO THE MOVIE’S NEAR-VALENTINE’S DAY RELEASE DATE.
8. VIRAL VIDEOS
A video depicting the main character,
Deadpool, interacting with some kids on
Halloween.
A summary of the success of the ad
campaign and a few extra clips made to look
like Deadpool is aware of his success and
knows what’s next.
One of many interviews performedby Ryan
Reynolds, a lot of which were done in-
character and costume to make it even more
comedic.
9. INTERVIEWS
• DEADPOOL ALSO APPEARED IN COUNTLESS
INTERVIEWS, OFTEN IN-COSTUME BUT SOMETIMES AS
SIMPLY REYNOLDS, AND ADDED HIS OWN FLARE TO
PRETTY MUCH ANY PLATFORM HE WAS INTRODUCED
TO.
• ONE PARTICULAR MEMORABLE INTERVIEW WAS
PERFORMED BY CONAN O'BRIEN, IN WHICH RYAN
REYNOLDS WAS INITIALLY INTERVIEWED, BUT
DEADPOOL ALSO MADE AN APPEARANCE AS HE GAVE
CONAN A MASSAGE.
11. POSTERS AND BILLBOARDS
• AS SEEN ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, DEADPOOL LIKE MANY MOVIES BEFORE IT, USEDA WIDE VARIETY OF
POSTERS TO PROMOTE HIS MOVIE.
• THESE POSTERS RANGED FROM THE STANDARD MOVIE POSTER FEATURING A TAG LINE AND AN IMAGE TO
A POSTER THAT PROMOTED THE MOVIE AS A ROMANCE, AGAIN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EVER-NEARING
VALENTINE’S DAY.
• SOME POSTERS EVEN USED NOTHING BUT EMOJIS TO DEPICT THE MOVIE’S TITLE, AGAIN SHOWING THAT
THIS MOVIE REALLY WAS DOING SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING, AND INVOLVING AUDIENCES AGAIN
WITH THE ADS APPEARING AS IF THEY WERE DESIGNED BY DEADPOOL HIMSELF.
12. HOLIDAY SPECIALS
• THE DEADPOOL HALLOWEEN SPECIAL WAS NOT THE ONLY
CELEBRATORY VIRAL VIDEO THAT THE MARKETING TEAM
BEHIND DEADPOOL BROUGHT AUDIENCES.
• THERE WERE SHORT VIDEOS RELEASED FOR AUSTRALIA DAY
AND CHINESE NEW YEAR, BOTH OF WHICH TOOK A SHORT
MOMENT TO HAVE A LAUGH AT SOME COUNTRIES’ CULTURES
AND/OR HIGH EXPECTATIONS, WHICH AGAIN PROVED THAT
FOX TRULY WANTED TO SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO
PROMOTE DEADPOOL BOTH AS A MOVIE AND AS A
CHARACTER.
13. QUOTES ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
• HERE’S WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR THIS MOVIE:
• EMMA GREY ELLIS (WIRED.COM): “A RELENTLESS MARKETING SIEGE OF EVERY PLATFORM YOU WOULD
THINK OF—AND SOME YOU DIDN’T ... AS CRAZY AND UNRELENTING AS IT ALL IS, ISN’T THIS EXACTLY
WHAT WE WANT FROM DEADPOOL?“
• BOBBY ANHALT (SCREEN RANT): "THE BEST FILM MARKETING CAMPAIGN IN THE HISTORY OF CINEMA.“
(HE ALSO NOTED THAT DEADPOOL’S SELF AWARE HUMOUR ALLOWED "THE MARKETING TEAM [TO] MAKE
STUNTS THAT APPEAR AS THOUGH THE CHARACTER HIMSELF IS CRAFTING THEM.“)
14. CONCLUSION
• ULTIMATELY, THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN BEHIND DEADPOOL WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW AND ORIGINAL.
• ALMOST ALL OF THE CONTENT PRODUCED FOR THE CAMPAIGN WAS LIKE NOTHING MADE BEFORE IT, AND THE COMPANY
TOOK RISKS WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO MAKE FOR AN OUTSTANDING METHOD OF ADVERTISING A MOVIE. IT MADE THE
CHARACTER OF DEADPOOL FEEL REAL TO AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES AND GENDERS, WITH HUMOUR AND REFERENCES RANGING
WIDELY TO APPEAL TO MOST IF NOT ALL DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS, WHICH ULTIMATELY PROPELLED THE MOVIE’S SUCCESS.
• THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA APPEALED TO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE, WHILE THE BILLBOARDS AND TV ADS APPEALED TO SOME
OLDER AUDIENCES, SO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, ANYONE ON ANY PLATFORM MUST HAVE SEEN AT LEAST A GLIMPSE OF
DEADPOOL’S MARKETING CAMPAIGN AS IT WAS HEAVILY SATURATED ON ALMOST EVERY PLATFORM IN THE WORLD, WHICH
MADE IT SUCCESSFUL AND VERY HARD TO MISS.
