The Greatest Showman #1019 – Best Marketing

At first, I was surprised, then shocked, and gradually, I grew accustomed to it. Eventually, I became completely calm.

The Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Daily News, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Time, People, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety... If Gavin wants, this list can go on and on. Right now, more than 400 reporters crowd the interview area at the entrance of the Chinese Theater, and the number keeps growing. Even more terrifying, over 70% of these outlets have sent their top reporters.

This means that the faces at the premiere next door will not go unnoticed.

Before tonight's premiere, almost everyone thought that Madagascar 3 would overshadow Edge of Tomorrow—in terms of connections, topics, popularity, and prestige. Paramount and DreamWorks had teamed up, making them formidable rivals to Warner Brothers, especially considering Edge of Tomorrow had an all-young cast.

Comparing this to The Hunger Games premiere in March, the difference is stark. That event was dim, with a lack of star power and an atmosphere that felt empty. It relied entirely on a group of teenage actors for support, but failed to generate the same buzz or influence as Twilight had.

But clearly, everyone was wrong. Or perhaps, as a formality, Madagascar 3 was the first choice. But deep down, they all secretly rooted for Edge of Tomorrow.

Need a reason? Renly Hall. He's the ultimate reason.

Since the Oscars, this new-generation actor, who's made history, hasn't been interviewed. His exclusive with Empire magazine was just a teaser, leaving audiences wanting more. Now, with the summer blockbusters heating up, the question of whether Renly's unbeaten streak will continue has become a hot topic.

Everyone wants a piece of it.

And there's one more reason: Warner Bros. With a flick of the pen and plenty of resources, they've never been afraid to mobilize everything to their advantage.

"No, I've never been concerned about the premiere next door. It feels a bit rude to say it, but honestly, Madagascar holds no appeal for me." Daisy Lucas, a reporter from Vanity Fair, shrugged and grinned innocently. "I believe, you feel the same, right?"

Gavin chuckled lightly, not bothering to deny it.

By now, it's well-known in Hollywood that Renly's three closest reporters—Bradley Adams from The New York Times, Gavin Hunter from Us Weekly, and Ned Mullan from Empire—are his staunchest supporters, not because they always praise him, but because they have a personal relationship with him. They often get insider information immediately.

"Oh, my God." The bearded reporter next to them scratched his head in frustration. "I am so sorry for Will Smith, but I had to be here. Jesus Christ, this has been the coolest premiere I've ever attended. Not even Star Wars or Harry Potter could compare."

Raphael Holton, the chief entertainment reporter for The Wall Street Journal, is used to such glamorous events. The Wall Street Journal has become the number one newspaper in the U.S., surpassing The New York Times in sales due to its appeal among Wall Street elites. Raphael, with years of experience and connections with stars like Will Smith and Tom Cruise, has never actually met Renly until tonight.

"We have to give Warner Bros. a round of applause." Daisy shrugged again. "Nobody can resist a premiere like this."

Raphael had originally intended to cover Madagascar 3's premiere next door. He had already arrived to conduct preliminary interviews, but as news of the premiere next door spread, Paramount and DreamWorks executives quickly convened an emergency meeting to devise a strategy.

After much hesitation, Raphael finally joined them. "I have to admit, this is one of the most creative ideas I've ever seen."

"I ran into some Warner Bros. distribution staff," Gavin added. "They said this whole thing started as a casual chat among Renly, Donald, Rami, and others, then Frank Marshall overheard and gave it the green light."

"Donald Glover?" Raphael perked up, and after getting confirmation, nodded. "If it's him and Renly, I believe it. Donald's a creative free spirit. I can see him coming up with something like this. This premiere can definitely serve as a template for Hollywood studios. Creativity is the key!"

Film companies are increasingly aware of the marketing power a premiere holds. High-profile premieres like Transformers and Harry Potter often cost around $20 million, or more. However, the budgets tend to focus on global synchronization, on-site connection, and poster promotions, often neglecting deeper engagement with the audience.

"Did you hear?" Gavin suddenly remembered something. "There's a weird rule at the door—no pink clothes allowed…"

"...or you have to change into official T-shirts and pants," Daisy chimed in. "And then, you have to upload a photo to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It's a genius idea, right? Smart move."

"If I told you this was Renly's idea, would you believe it?" Gavin asked.

Daisy and Raphael were stunned. Finally, Daisy exclaimed, "What? The guy who's always on social media came up with that? God, what planet is he from?"

"Wait, wait—what's going on?" Raphael quickly interrupted their conversation, trying to catch up.

After the premiere of Edge of Tomorrow, unofficial statistics revealed that over 50 million mentions of the film circulated across social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Even more exciting, a couple in their 70s posed for a picture wearing Edge of Tomorrow T-shirts, with the old woman holding a pink ballet skirt. Within an hour, their photo garnered over 10 million likes—setting a new record for the photo wall.

On YouTube, a well-known movie host recorded a video in a dark tunnel, and after editing it into a cool short film, it racked up over 20 million views in just six hours.

The buzz surrounding Edge of Tomorrow and its peripheral products dominated social media, surpassing even The Avengers in popularity. By the end of the premiere, the movie had become the hottest topic of the summer.

This was just the social media impact on premiere day—before media reviews and audience feedback even came out.

The "Limited Movie Peripheral Products" hashtag quickly became a trend on Twitter, with retweets surpassing 30,000. Warner Bros. had to release an official announcement confirming that the movie's peripherals were designed by Eaton Dormer, written by all the actors, and would only be sold in Los Angeles for five days.

The announcement stated that all proceeds would go to a special cause, with the details to be revealed the following week. On June 13, Renly Hall was scheduled to appear on The Today Show, where the cause would be disclosed.

The internet went wild. Meanwhile, the other five major film companies were left scrambling, unable to compete with Warner Bros.' perfectly orchestrated promotional strategy.

This was undoubtedly the best marketing strategy of 2012. The question now was: would it translate into box office success, or would it just be a flashy event without actual profit?

The premiere's box office was quietly gaining momentum, and although it was still too early to say for sure, it was clear that Warner Bros. had won this round. Even on the Madagascar 3 red carpet, Ben S. Thieler, Will Smith, Jessica Chastain, and others mentioned the "excitement next door."

As more people poured into the Edge of Tomorrow premiere, even the crowd from Madagascar 3 began to drift westward.

Warner Bros. had clearly prepared for this. Streets surrounding the black tunnel had been cordoned off in advance. Although only a limited number of guests could enter the red carpet, others flooded the tunnel to experience the visual effects. The premiere grew louder and more chaotic, attracting people who hadn't even planned to attend.

Amid the growing noise, the guests of the Edge of Tomorrow premiere finally started to arrive, and the real show was about to begin.