The best Batman advertising campaigns
We analyze the best Batman advertising campaigns throughout its history.
The bat man is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed superheroes in popular culture. Not surprisingly, the character created by Bob Kane is over 80 years old and is in a splendid moment. This year one of the most anticipated films, “The Batman” is released and the advertising machinery is already at full power.
That is why we are very pleased to make this special report with the best Batman advertising campaigns throughout its history. From Tim Burton shooting one of the most iconic movies in the world of cinema with “Batman” to the viral campaign for “The Dark Knight Rises” and the funny actions for “Lego Batman”.
Tim Burton’s Batman Marketing
We are in 1989, a prolific era for advertising and marketing. Coca-Cola and Pepsi were the greatest exponents of traditional advertising and the great figures of the moment were competing. Merchandising was the order of the day and Hollywood was beginning to treat movies as brands. Beyond the theatrical experience, the shock barrage created a cultural conversation and a need to see the movie even if you didn’t know what it was about.
Warner Bros knew that the character had a very integrated status as a cultural icon. The bat emblem was already one of the most famous in the world, and they leaned heavily on it. Teaser posters featured an embossed version of the symbol, and before the premiere, the Batman logo was everywhere.
The marketing campaign exceeded Warner Bros expectations and the Batmania took over the world before the film was released. The black and gold logo was seen on cereal boxes, baseball caps, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and jackets. Its peculiar color – standing out from the Batman of the comics, blue and gray – gave the logo a uniformity that was easily recognizable. The products that were launched sold out a few days later, creating a fever for the character that would later be reflected at the box office.
Batman and Prince
All this helped that the soundtrack album created by Prince was number 1 for six consecutive weeks. Over 11 million copies of the Soundtrack were sold, all with the logo on the cover. Although the song was not one of the artist’s best sellers, it was considered one of the best by the Minneapolis musician. Don’t worry, we put it here for your six minutes of ecstasy of the day :)
For the sequel Batman Returns that was released in 1992, they followed the same strategy but used a black and icy blue batman logo that honored one of the villains featured: The Penguin. It didn’t take much to attract viewers to the movies, but very similar publicity campaigns were carried out to remind people that Batman was back. We leave you with one of Pepsi that was issued in Spain:
The viral marketing of Batman in The Dark Knight (2008)
After two more movies, which we are not going to name, our bat took a few sabbatical years before storming the big screen. And what a return! Christopher Nolan created the quintessential trilogy of the character starring Christian Bale, and left us one of the best films in history with The Dark Knight. The good reception of the first part (Batman Begins) and the announcement of the famous return of the Joker as a villain in the second part paved the way for launching a viral campaign that would win a Grand Prix at the Cannes Advertising Festival.
Why So Serious? The viral campaign par excellence.
42 entertainment is a United States agency specialized in the creation of alternative reality games and the one in charge of carrying out the viral campaign of “The Dark Knight”. The starting signal was given at San Diego Comic-Con, the fair dedicated to the most popular comic in the world.
The viral campaign “Why So Serious?” was designed as a 360° alternate reality experience that took place over the 15 months leading up to the release of The Dark Knight. Through different platforms, the audience was encouraged to become true citizens of Gotham City.
Over 11 million unique participants in over 75 countries pushed for the rise of the Joker as his henchmen, campaigned for Harvey Dent to be elected District Attorney, and even took the law into their own hands by becoming vigilante Batman look-alikes. From calling phone numbers written in the sky to looking up GPS coordinates to finding cell phones baked inside birthday cakes, “Why So Serious?” It was an experience like no other.
Over 11 million unique participants in over 75 countries pushed for the rise of the Joker as his henchmen, campaigned for Harvey Dent to be elected District Attorney, and even took the law into their own hands by becoming vigilante Batman look-alikes. From calling phone numbers written in the sky to looking up GPS coordinates to finding cell phones baked inside birthday cakes, “Why So Serious?” It was an experience like no other.
Joker cards in comic shops
Joker cards were hidden in comic book stores in the United States. These referred you to a Harvey Dent election web page. Users discovered that pixels could be deleted from the web, thus discovering the world’s first image of the Joker.
Dollars with the face of the Joker in San Diego
Dollars with the Joker’s face were hidden in San Diego. Deciphering it gave you some coordinates and some hours as a result. Many fans who went were perplexed to see a plane write a phone number in the sky. A newspaper called ‘The Gotham Times’ was also published with information, clues and hidden messages. This campaign caused many people to take to the streets to make a fictitious election of Harvey Dent, which was supported by the IBelieveinHarveyDent website. In it you could leave your email to receive news from Gotham City.
Clown travel agency
A travel agency for clowns was also opened in the real world. The first to arrive were given a mobile phone, a bowling ball and a joker card. Thousands of “Joker cakes” were also created with a phone number and mobile inside that led to more clues.
The Bat-signal in the sky
All clues pointed to the same coordinates: Chicago and New York. As fans gathered, they watched the Bat-Signal light up on the city’s skyline and then saw the letters “HA HA HA” appear on its wings. The result at the time of the film’s release? The Dark Knight was crowned the highest grossing film of 2008 and one of the highest grossing in history.
The marquees to promote “Lego Batman” (2017)
5 years after the end of Nolan’s trilogy and just one year after “Batman v Superman” premiered, “The Lego Batman Movie” was released; an iteration of the character in the world of Lego. This time aimed at all audiences, the tormented character gave way to a friendlier version for everyone.
On the occasion of its premiere, Warner Bros carried out an original advertising action on bus shelters in Paris. These canopies became a hook machine adapted to catch dolls from the film buried under Lego blocks.
The special edition of Oreo and Batman (2022)
Batman Oreos arrive in time for the premiere of “The Batman” movie as a limited edition of the popular cookie. In addition, various interactive actions have been carried out. One of them is to solve puzzles of one of the villains of the film: The Riddler. An immersive online experience in which we will discover secrets of the film.
Related: Batman Logo Evolution
