Welcome to the 150th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we revisit Paramount Pictures’ home-run guerilla marketing strategy for the horror movie ‘Smile’.
Back in late September, the internet erupted as sports fans noticed eerie characters in the background of MLB games. Wearing neon yellow t-shirts with bold text that read “Smile”, these so-called Smilers were placed just behind the back-catcher in view of live tv. Grinning ear to ear, each stood through all nine innings, staring with a piercing glare and tilted head.
It wasn’t long before commenters deciphered the stunt as one of Paramount Pictures’ own, promoting their newest horror film, ‘Smile’. Each participant was instructed to stand without moving a muscle, beginning at a Yankee/Mets game, then again at a Dodgers/Cardinals match-up. Audience members became visibly concerned, and security even asked a Smiler to sit down at a Mets/Athletics game, which she did, without breaking character.
The next day, another photobombing would occur just behind Ai Roker on The Tonight Show, standing in the rain disguised with an umbrella. Once again, Twitter would erupt with applause for such ingenious ‘guerilla’ marketing tactics, garnering mass hysteria surrounding the film.
With such anticipation, the movie would release just a week later, grossing $216.1 million USD in box office sales. Considering a mere $17 million total budget, it’s safe to say the project was a success by all accounts. Through low-cost creative marketing, Smile landed a placement as the 20th highest-grossing movie in 2022, beating out rival horror films ‘Nope’ and ‘Scream’ by a $45 and $75 million landslide.
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